The Demon Queen's Contract

Seraphina's kiss lingered on my forehead long after she pulled away. For a momt, I saw a glimpse of warmth in her eyes, a stark contrast to her usual cool demeanor. As she straighted up, she seemed to regain her composure, but the brief momt of tderness stayed with me.

"Thank you," I whispered, my voice soft. "I appreciate it."

Seraphina nodded, her expression unreadable once more. "I'll be with you today," she said matter-of-factly. "We need to sure your safety."

I blinked, tak aback. "You mean, you'll be with me the tire day?"

"Yes," she replied, her tone leaving no room for argumt. "Everywhere you go, I go."

I couldn't hide my surprise. Seraphina had always be distant, our interactions mostly limited to formalities and necessity. This sudd change in behavior left me bewildered.

"All right," I said slowly, trying to gauge her inttions. "If you insist."

She gave a curt nod. "Good. Now, what are your plans for the day?"

I thought for a momt. "Well, I need to visit the library. There's some research I need to do, and I'd like to pick up another book."

"Very well," Seraphina said. "Let's go."

As we left my chambers, the guards resumed their positions behind us. Seraphina stayed close, her presce a constant, if somewhat confusing, comfort. We walked through the palace in silce, the weight of the previous night's evts still heavy on my mind.

In the library, I made my way to the history section, searching for s on demon history. Seraphina followed closely, her eyes scanning the room for any pottial threats. I tried to focus on the books, but her proximity was distracting.

"Is everything all right?" I asked, glancing at her over my shoulder.

"Everything is fine," she replied, her voice calm. "Continue your research."

I nodded, pulling a thick tome from the shelf and settling into one of the reading nooks. Seraphina stood nearby, her eyes never leaving me. I oped the book and began to read, trying to ignore the intse scrutiny.

After a while, I glanced up, unable to conctrate with her looming presce. "You know, you can sit down," I suggested. "You don't have to stand the tire time."

She hesitated, th moved to sit across from me, her posture still alert. "I'm fine," she said, her eyes meeting mine. "Just focus on your reading."

I tried to return to the , but her unwavering gaze made it difficult. After what felt like an eternity, I sighed and closed the book. "I think I've had ough history for now," I said, standing up. "Let's go find that romance novel."

Seraphina rose as well, following me to the fiction section. I browsed the shelves, running my fingers along the spines of various books. Evtually, one caught my eye: "Whispers of the Heart." The cover depicted a moonlit gard and a couple locked in a tder embrace. I pulled it off the shelf and read the synopsis:

**"In a world where magic and destiny intertwine, Lady Elow finds herself drawn to the igmatic Lord Eryndor. Bound by duty but yearning for love, they must navigate a web of secrets and danger to find their true path."**

"This one looks interesting," I said, showing it to Seraphina.

She raised an eyebrow but said nothing. With the book in hand, we left the library and headed to the gards. The fresh air and sunlight were a welcome change from the dim library, and I found a secluded bch to sit and read.

Seraphina remained close, her presce a strange mix of comfort and unease. I oped the book and began to read, quickly getting lost in the story of Elow and Eryndor. As I turned the pages, I couldn't help but steal glances at Seraphina. Her atttion never wavered, her eyes constantly scanning our surings.

"You're really taking this bodyguard thing seriously," I remarked, unable to hide a small smile.

She met my gaze, her expression serious. "It's my duty to protect you, Elara. Especially after what happed."

"I appreciate it," I said softly. "But it's a little... unusual. You're not usually this... prest."

She didn't respond immediately, her eyes flicking away for a momt. "Sometimes, circumstances require a change in approach," she said finally.

I nodded, returning to my book. Despite her words, the situation felt surreal. Seraphina's sudd atttivess was both reassuring and perplexing.

As the day wore on, we moved from one activity to another. In the afternoon, I decided to visit the kitchs to check on preparations for dinner. Seraphina followed me there as well, her presce a constant shadow.

"Que Elara!" Chef Margot greeted me warmly. "What brings you to my domain today?"

"Just wanted to see how everything is coming along," I replied with a smile. "It smells wonderful in here."

Margot beamed, wiping her hands on her apron. "We're preparing a feast tonight. Would you like to sample anything?"

"Of course!" I said, delighted. "I'd love to."

Margot handed me a small spoonful of a rich, savory stew. I tasted it, savoring the flavors. "Delicious," I said, nodding appreciatively. "You never disappoint, Margot."

Seraphina stood by, watching the exchange with her usual stoicism. I couldn't help but notice the curious glances from the kitch staff, who were clearly not used to seeing her in such a setting.

"Would you like to try some?" I offered, holding out the spoon to Seraphina.

She hesitated, th took the spoon and tasted the stew. "It's very good," she said, her tone neutral.

Margot chuckled, clearly amused by the sight of the stern warrior tasting her cooking. "Thank you, Commander," she said with a twinkle in her eye.

We continued our s, visiting various parts of the palace. At one point, I decided to take a stroll through the palace gards. The vibrant flowers and neatly trimmed hedges were a calming sight, and I found a quiet spot by the fountain to sit and read some more.

Seraphina stood nearby, her eyes ever watchful. I tried to lose myself in the story, but her constant presce made it difficult.

"You know," I said after a while, closing the book with a sigh. "You could at least pretd to relax."

"I'm doing my job," she replied, her tone firm.

"I know," I said, smiling gtly. "But it's a bit... much. I'm not used to you being so close all the time."

She softed slightly, a hint of a smile playing at the corners of her mouth. "I'll try to be less... imposing."

"Thank you," I said, guinely appreciative. "It means a lot."

As the afternoon turned to eving, we made our way back to my chambers to prepare for dinner. Anara was there, laying out a dress for me to wear.

"Que Elara," she said, smiling as we tered. "How was your day?"

"Interesting," I replied, glancing at Seraphina. "Seraphina has be my shadow all day."

Anara chuckled. "Well, it's good to see she's taking your safety seriously."

I changed into the dress, a deep blue gown with intricate silver embroidery. Seraphina waited patitly, her eyes occasionally meeting mine in the mirror. There was something differt in her gaze, a softness that I hadn't se before.

Once I was ready, we made our way to the dining hall. The long table was set with elegant dishes and silverware, and the smell of the feast Margot had prepared filled the room. I took my seat, Seraphina standing close by.

As the servants began to bring out the food, I couldn't help but feel a mix of emotions. The day's evts, Seraphina's unusual behavior, and the lingering fear from the attack all weighed on me.

Finally, I turned to Seraphina, my patice wearing thin. "Seraphina," I said, my voice firm but not unkind. "I appreciate your vigilance, but I'm tired of it. I need some space."

She looked at me, her expression unreadable. For a momt, I thought she might argue, but th she nodded. "I understand," she said quietly. "I'll give you some distance."

Relieved, I offered her a small smile. "Thank you."

As dinner progressed, I tried to joy the meal and the company, but my thoughts kept drifting back to Seraphina and the strange evts of the day. Wh the last dish was cleared away and the room began to empty, I felt a sse of exhaustion wash over me.

With a final, reassuring look, she stepped back, giving me the space I had asked for. As I prepared to retire for the night, I couldn't help but wonder about the changes in her demeanor and what they might mean for us both.