Demon King's Gardener

“That’s always been a mouthful,” Feyl said, “And tackily redundant…”

Braelin shrugged, “They were the ones that discovered how to summon people from other worlds, and claimed a lot of the lands those first invaders took. It gave them a lot of political power, even with how draining the summoning ritual is.”

“Summoning,” Jurao frowned.

“Wait,” Feyl sat forward, “Are you saying those Champions are summoned from another world?”

Braelin nodded, “For some reason, that gives them strange powers that put them on par with powerful demons and the most experienced magic users. But Jost is too small a nation to be involved in any of that, so that’s all I know about it.”

“Intriguing,” Jurao said, “The Champions that came to fight Ergirri did have odd ways of speaking…”

“Oh, you fought them?” Braelin asked.

“Of course,” the Demon King said, “As General, they would have to defeat me to fight Ergirri - none did, though. I believe Exka is excited by the prospect of proving herself against them.”

“It’s all she talks about now that your Union Campaign is over,” Feyl sighed heavily, “I did think it was odd that extremely strong humans appeared so regularly, but if it was magic, that makes far more sense.”

“That also explains why the Empire has never received an invitation to the Hundreds Year Ball,” Jurao said, “Since they continue to instigate war between the Human and Demon Realms.”

“They’d certainly be invited otherwise, being that influential,” Feyl agreed.

“Our spies have never been able to infiltrate the Empire,” Jurao mused, “But if this summoning magic is common knowledge, then it still seems odd we haven’t heard of it before.”

“Oh,” Braelin blinked, “I don’t think it is - now that I think about it, I’m pretty sure Eweylona told me by mistake… she might have asked me not to share it, either…”

“That makes sense - you’re very easy to tell things, Braelin,” Jurao said.

“More like it’s easy to forget you’re listening,” Feyl muttered, then sighed and rose, “In any case, this was interesting, but it’s getting late. Good night, the pair of you.”

“Good night,” Jurao said, unsure when he’d stop playing as they spoke. Then he rose, “I believe I will turn in as well - thank you for the information.”

Braelin nodded, “Good night, my lord.”

***

“The pots you requested from the artisans are done,” Festi said at breakfast the next morning, “Though I still don’t really get why you want a bunch of unglazed pots…”

“You checked up personally,” Jurao asked.

Festi rolled their eyes, “Braelin makes some odd requests, my lord - I guess I get curious about them.”

“They have to be unglazed, or the water won’t seep out,” Braelin said, once again disappointed by his human food, “You bury them in the ground and fill them with water - that way, they only need to be filled once a week, and the moisture level of the soil won’t need to be checked every day. Oh, but the Bewitching Garden will have to wait…”

“Seriously,” Jouvi sighed, “How were you planning to bury them?”

“With a shovel,” Braelin replied.

“That’s not…” Jouvi sighed, “How many pots are there?”

“A lot,” Festi said.

“I’ll send groundskeepers, then,” Jouvi shook her head, “Half of them don’t have anything better to do anyway… and they should get used to the idea that the gardens aren’t going to eat them anymore.”

“Thank you, that should make things go faster,” the human said.

“Why do the Bewitching Gardens have to wait, anyway?” Festi asked.

“I was only experimenting with using the pots back home - they’re more common in drier areas,” Braelin said, “In freezing weather, the soil breaks them. The Demon Realm is normally warm enough year round that it shouldn’t be an issue, but with the Bewitching Garden covered in snow, it wouldn’t be good to add them now.”

“They are pretty fragile,” Festi agreed.

“I may stop by to see your progress later,” Jurao said, “I am also curious about these pots.”

Braelin nodded, “They’re very helpful.”

“Well, I’m now less surprised that you had specific instructions to make them,” Festi sighed, “You didn’t seem like the kind of person to know that offhand if you could just go pick them up.”

“That’s true,” Braelin said, “I learned about them from a traveling merchant who knew the method for making them. I wrote it down but ended up explaining it enough times to memorize it.”

“That makes sense,” Festi agreed.

After breakfast, Jurao went and worked in his office until midday. After eating the meal delivered to him, he did go out to inspect the progress in the garden - first coming across groundskeepers burying pots throughout the Labyrinthine Hedges. He observed them bury two of the plain pots before going off in search of his gardener.

He found Braelin in the Embracing Garden, working on burying more pots by himself - though the Stranglehold Vines appeared able to dig holes within their range.

“It’s just you,” Jurao asked, walking over.

Braelin paused, sinking his shovel into the ground and letting out a breath. He’d left his overcoat on the ground nearby and had rolled up his sleeves, and replied, “The groundskeepers were too afraid of this garden, so I didn’t want to force them. That’s not a good way to help them or the plants reconcile.”

“I see,” Jurao nodded, looking at the work left. Pots had been set in their approximate positions, about three to four feet apart, and it seemed that only a third of the garden had been finished. So he asked, “Should I assist you.”

“If you wish, my lord,” Braelin shrugged, “It’s simple enough work.”

Jurao took off his cloak and vest to keep them from getting in the way, “I am fond of physical activity - I think I should start getting up early enough to train again, now that things have settled.”

Braelin nodded an acknowledgment before returning to his own work.

With his superior strength, Jurao could dig much faster than Braelin - though it still took a few hours to complete the job.

“Thank you for the help, my lord,” the human said as they finished, “I thought it would take a few days by myself - hopefully the groundskeepers have finished with the rest of the gardens as well.”

“Which means next is filling them,” the Demon King concluded.

“Yes,” Braelin said, “Jouvi already provided me with a cart to hold water and a groundskeeper to fill it at the underground river once a week. More efficient than the well.”

Jurao nodded in agreement, and blinked as one of the Stranglehold Vines reached out.

Braelin snorted as it affectionately rubbed his cheek, then smiled and said, “Yes, I’m done for now. You can go ahead.”

The Demon King watched in less amazement than last time as the vines gently pulled the man closer. He asked, “I thought this usually happened once a week.”

“They’ve been,” Braelin sighed in relief as the vines massaged his no doubt sore back and arm muscles after the exertion, “Clingy lately. I think because they have to share me with people now.”

“You believe they are jealous,” Jurao wondered. Again, watching the way the vines slipped under the human’s clothes caused an odd sensation in Jurao’s chest.

Humans have softer skin than demons, he thought, I wonder how much softer…

“I don’t,” Braelin gasped, sinking his weight into the vines as they moved to more sensitive areas, “Know if I’d say that… exactly. Just… that they miss me.”

“I see,” Jurao said, but found he was… distracted.

Braelin was breathing heavily, face flushed as the vines had their way with him - fully supporting his weight this time so he was laying back rather than standing.

The Demon King felt uncomfortably warm again as he watched, and his mild nausea had also returned. But he found himself noting small details - like how the Stranglehold Vines had to be acting with extreme gentleness. After all, they could restrain demons fighting for their lives - Braelin was quite frail by comparison.

Even I would have to restrain myself to touch him like that, Jurao thought - then paused and realized what he’d thought, Even… I…?

Jurao was so distracted by the thought that he hadn’t realized the vines were finished until one tugged on his wrist. He flinched in surprise, and found himself pulled to the trellis to sit next to Braelin again. He looked over at his gardener.

Braelin was leaned back with his eyes closed - and seemed practically asleep after all the physical exertion. The relaxed expression caused that twinge in Jurao’s chest again.

The Demon King put a hand to said chest, looking down at it - then back at the human, thinking, Oh, I guess this is attraction.

Like before, after some time had passed - Jurao’s mind a blank as he didn’t know what to think of this development - Gaele came to retrieve Braelin and, by extension, Jurao for the evening meal.

“Your highness…” Gaele bowed as they ran up, then slowly rose, “Um, you seem to have, uh…”

“I was helping Braelin dig holes for the irrigation pots,” the Demon King explained, retrieving his vest and cloak. For once, he could tell exactly what the situation looked like - especially when it had occurred for the second time, and he had been considering the first situation and realized what it might have looked like.

“Oh! Yes, of course!” Gaele sighed in relief, then jumped and waved their hands, “I mean, not that I thought something else had happened or anything!”

Braelin got up with a yawn, retrieving his outer coat as well, “What else would you think had happened…?”

“Nothing!” Gaele said quickly, “Nothing at all! Come on, we need to get you to the evening meal before someone comes to yell at me about it! Good day, your highness!”

Jurao watched as they pushed Braelin along, chuckling - but the feeling of amusement quickly drained. After watching the pair a moment, he turned to the vines and asked, “Would you be upset if I pursued Braelin romantically.”

The vines twisted around a bit before one reached out and gently squeezed one of his wrists - then a few more pushed him in the direction the other two had gone.

“I’ll take that as a no,” the Demon King said, then sighed as he headed back to the castle, “Though I have no idea how pursuing a romantic interest works, anyway…”

Jurao sat through the evening meal in quiet thought, trying to work out this new puzzle - he knew there were traditional methods of courtship, but Jurao wasn’t sure demon courtship would translate well to a human. He had no idea how humans courted each other - though Braelin had said he’d also never had a romantic interest before, so those methods likely wouldn’t work either.

At the end of the meal, Jurao went to his office without noticing the stares he was garnering - or that he’d completely ignored several people attempting to speak to him. He was still deep in his thoughts - would Braelin even be open to him attempting a courtship? He knew he’d never even noticed the attempts of others - usually, Feyl or Minaz informed him after the fact.

Jurao looked up in surprise as he caught a mace and heavy candlestick aimed at his head simultaneously.

“Finally,” Minaz sighed, taking her mace back.

“Told you that would work,” Feyl added, dropping into one of the seats before the fire.

“What,” Jurao asked, looking between them - he hadn’t noticed them until now.

“You’ve been completely out of it since the evening meal,” Minaz replied, tying her mace back at her waist before sitting in one of the chairs in front of his desk, “What are you even thinking about that hard…?”

Jurao hummed, then asked, “What do the two of you do to pursue a romantic interest.”

“No,” they said in unison.

Jurao was almost certain they’d never agreed on anything so quickly before.

Minaz sighed, “What I mean is, what I do isn’t going to work for you.”

“Or on Braelin…” Feyl added with a strained smile.

“That too,” Minaz agreed.

“Oh,” the Demon King frowned, back to his conundrum.

“... you have nothing else to say about it?” Feyl sighed.

“Is there something else to say about it,” Jurao asked.

Minaz groaned, wiping a hand down her face.

Feyl stared at him for a few moments before rolling his eyes, “Progress is progress, I suppose…”

“Jurao, we’ve been telling you that you were attracted to Braelin,” Minaz said.

“Seemed,” Jurao replied.

“Yes, seemed,” Feyl sighed, waving a hand as he looked over at Minaz, “He’s not going to get it, Min.”

“You at least understand why this is frustrating for us?” Minaz continued, sitting forward and waving at Feyl like she could dissipate his words.

“Not really,” the Demon King replied, “At the time, I genuinely believed I was not experiencing attraction. I’m not sure why you would find that frustrating.”

“That’s not what’s-” Minaz sighed, slouching again, “No, never mind.”

“I told you,” Feyl replied, smirking.

“You did,” Minaz agreed.

“What is frustrating,” Jurao asked.

Feyl threw a book at him and said, “Learn. To. Ask. A. Quest. Tion.”

“I know you weren’t denying liking Braelin because you didn’t believe you did,” Minaz sighed, “But after we spent so much time trying to point out that your actions read like you had a romantic interest…”

Jurao caught the book with ease, setting it on his desk, “But I acknowledged that my actions did appear like romantic interest.”

It was Feyl’s turn to sigh, “Yes, but you never even entertained the idea that they might have looked that way because it was what they were. You always brushed it off without deeper consideration.”

The Demon King frowned, considering this. After a few moments, it hit him, “Ah - the frustration is not that you were right or wrong, but that I never took your concerns seriously.”

“Yes,” Minaz said, then looked askance, “More or less.”

“The more is on our part, not yours, so don’t worry about it,” Feyl said, waving it off.

Jurao shrugged, “If you say so, and I do apologize for causing you both frustration. Though…”

“Though?” Minaz asked.

“I am no closer to knowing how to pursue a romantic interest,” the Demon King said, sighing.

“Braelin certainly wouldn’t be impressed with a feat of strength,” Feyl snorted, “Or understand why you would give him one of your swords…”

“And you already gave him the gardens,” Minaz added.

Jurao hummed an agreement.

When he said nothing else for a time, Feyl started laughing.

“Hm,” the Demon King asked.

“Sorry, I just,” it took his valet a moment to collect himself, “I always assumed if you ever had a romantic interest, you would just… tell them.”

Minaz snorted, “Oh, yeah - why not just tell Braelin you have a romantic interest in him?”

Jurao considered this, then nodded, “Yes, that seems like the simplest solution.”

“Well then,” Feyl said, standing and stretching, “Glad that’s settled.”

“Indeed,” the Demon King said, deciding he would do just that when he went to his suite later that evening.