Demon King's Gardener

The debate in question was being appropriately held in one of the Debate Halls in the castle – there were five halls in total, one large, two medium, and two small. This debate was being held in one of the medium-sized halls, and Jurao made sure they arrived early enough to avoid most of the crowding.

The hall was set, as most demon structures, in a circular fashion – a raised platform in the center had seats for all the evening’s competitors, with four podiums raised even higher for the active debaters. Benches circled around the platform for the bulk of the crowd, but there were also four second-story booths available. Often, if no prominent attendees claimed them, the booths would be treated as overflow – but tonight, all had been claimed.

“Jaevve told me about entertainment debates before!” Malson, joined by Lord Goyl, declared as the four of them entered the hall, “I’m excited to see them for myself!”

“I used to dabble in them,” Goyl said, “But my style of debate was not well received.”

“Crowds don’t like to be intimidated!” Malson scoffed.

Goyl snorted, “So I learned.”

Braelin hummed, taking in the venue as their little group paused, then said, “Guard Captain Gnori is one of the competitors tonight.”

“Huh!?” his brother asked, then cleared his throat with a light blush, “I mean, yeah! Makes sense!”

“I noticed you sparred with him the other morning, Malson,” Jurao added, “Has your impression changed from your initial encounter.”

Goyl arched his right brow ridges, mouth tilting into a sly smile but adding no comment.

“He’s a good warrior!” Malson declared, crossing his arms, “Most people don’t know how to react when I go charging up their swords, but he didn’t hesitate to shake me off!”

“How have you run up enough swords to know how people usually react to it…?” Braelin wondered, then shook his head, “Actually, no, that does sound like a tactic you’d employ.”

“I thought so.”

They all looked over as Hujur and Vajur entered the hall, the pair joining them.

“It’s obvious the King would arrive early,” Vajur huffed at his partner’s statement, “Even without Braelin, he hates getting caught in crowds.”

“That’s true,” Jurao agreed, “Did you come to watch the debate as well.”

Hujur hooked an arm through one of Vajur’s upper arms, “We did – we haven’t gone on an outing in some time.”

Vajur growled a little – but his lower arm wrapped around his partner’s waist, “Hujur and Min spend more time together since they don’t go out on missions like I do, so they like using all my free time to take me on individual dates.”

With a dry smile, Hujur kissed the spymaster’s cheek and said, “Yes, and you’re welcome.”

Vajur’s face darkened in a blush, but he didn’t reply – at least, not beyond pulling Hujur slightly tighter against his side.

Braelin snorted, “I take it you all prefer to separate your work and personal relationships…?”

“It ruins his image if Min and I are too physically affectionate during the course of our duties, yes,” Hujur agreed in amusement.

“That’s not…” Vajur started, then paused, “Nevermind.”

Hujur chuckled but didn’t add more.

Minaz had told Jurao in confidence the true reason why Vajur preferred his partners not to be physically affectionate during their duties – it was that it made it too difficult for the spymaster to concentrate on his work with all the ‘mushy feelings’ the pair evoked. Jurao thought it was sweet, but could also understand how it conflicted with the image most people had of Vajur.

Though, from stories from Apaje, Vajur’s own staff were mostly aware of his rather normal fondness for his romantic partners and only ignored it to avoid Vajur’s embarrassment-based ire. As such, the Demon King chose not to comment on the matter, either.

“Would you like to share a box with us,” Jurao asked the pair, “I believe Malson and Lord Goyl planned to use another.”

“Yes,” Goyl smiled, threading a hand through Malson’s hair, “I have a usual box with my compatriots – I believe having humans in two different boxes will help with the court acclimation effort.”

Malson rolled his eyes at the gesture but didn’t seem to mind, “We’ll see you after!”

“Are they really alright?” Hujur asked lowly as the pair walked away.

“If Malson commissioned a collar,” Vajur scoffed, “Goyl would happily wear it just to watch the court react. But he still wouldn’t do that for just anyone.”

Braelin sighed, “I’d rather not think about that.”

“I didn’t mean it that way,” Vajur rolled his eyes, then paused, “Though, yeah, probably that way too.”

Hujur sighed and shook his head, “Shall we, my lord?”

Jurao nodded, leading the way to his box – then paused as he spied another familiar pair in the slowly growing crowd, “Lady Messo and Lordis Ieresti.”

The pair approached at his call, both bowing before Messo greeted, “Good evening, your highness!”

“Lordis Gavven asked us to attend,” Ieresti added, “Since you seemed to like our company well enough, I suppose.”

Messo smacked them with her fan, “Though we wouldn’t want to be presumptuous!”

Vajur scoffed, pulling Hujur along to head into the box ahead of the King and his partner.

Jurao returned a wave from Hujur before saying, “We did enjoy your company, yes.”

“Is there more room in the box?” Braelin asked, “I found your commentary very helpful during the poetry duels.”

“There is,” Jurao nodded, “If you would like to join us.”

“We’d be delighted!” Messo beamed, bouncing in place a little.

Ieresti snorted, taking their partner’s hand, “Thank you for offering – we’ll try to be equally helpful tonight, though we attend debates less frequently.”

With that, they all made their way into the box – Jurao and Braelin seated in the front row with Vajur and Hujur, Messo and Ieresti choosing to sit behind Braelin so the human could hear them more easily. Ieresti, as a branch head, had met Hujur a handful of times before, but there was still a brief formal introduction between the four.

“Thank you all for attending!” a booming voice cut through the crowd’s murmuring, “I am Lord Mavas, your master of ceremonies!”

“Lord Mavas is also head of the Complaints Branch of Administration,” Hujur said as the crowd settled.

“You’d think he has his fill of hearing people arguing over nothing, and then he comes here,” Vajur scoffed.

Ieresti snickered, “I think he just likes that here he can pick a winner without worrying about politics.”

“True,” Vajur snorted.

Lord Mavas was a traditional demon with blue skin and wavy white markings. He waited for the crowd to settle before continuing, “Allow me to introduce tonight’s competitors: our most forceful competitor, Captain Gnori!”

Gnori stood, crossing his arms and nodding to the crowd with an embarrassed flush at the cheering.

“You’d think after so many years he’d stop being surprised people like him,” Ieresti snorted.

Messo smacked them with her fan, “I think it’s sweet! He seems like such a big brute, but then he gets flustered so easily!”

Braelin chuckled, “He is a kind man.”

“Not that he’d appreciate it if you told him,” Vajur scoffed.

“So you agree?” Braelin asked mildly.

Vajur sputtered.

Hujur chuckled, “He would appreciate it – he’d just be as embarrassed as he is now.”

“Next, our up-and-coming star, Lord Kaenaz!” Mavas continued.

The younger man stood and bowed with a sensual flourish – earning a few whoops of approval from the crowd. He was a traditional demon with light orange skin, pale blue hair pulled into a complex bun, and white spotted markings.

“Ah,” Jurao said, “That’s Feyl’s younger brother.”

“And far more true to the Sculi legacy,” Vajur scoffed.

Braelin hummed, “The… desire to be like Maenscul?”

“Indeed,” Ieresti chuckled, “Though…”

“Though,” Jurao asked.

“That was a question,” Braelin added when their fellow attendees did not elaborate.

“Ah,” Messo giggled nervously, “Well… it’s just… Kaenaz…”

“He doesn’t have sex with anyone ranked higher than he is,” Ieresti said bluntly, “It’s odd for a Sculi.”

Jurao hummed, then recalled, “Ah, yes – Feyl mentioned Kaenaz is something of a rebel. But he has the most Maensculian looks of any of the main family siblings, so their fathers don’t mind it.”

“A literal golden child,” Braelin mused, brows rising.

“Our most seasoned competitor, Lady Noga!” Mavas continued.

Lady Noga was a trollish demon with bright red skin and angular black markings, white hair cropped short. She studied the crowd – and her opponents – with a steely and unimpressed look. Her wastehound, Sargent, was snoozing at her feet.

“Lady Noga is Minaz’s aunt,” Jurao supplied – then asked, “Golden child.”

“A human expression for a child favored by their parents over their siblings,” Braelin replied, “Is she a conservative?”

“Very much,” Hujur sighed heavily, “She’s been giving Minaz an earful about you ever since you arrived. Not that Min cares much.”

“Imeveo – Minaz’s mother – took over as the head of the Challenge Gate Outpost for her retirement,” Vajur added, then rolled his eyes, “She’s of the opinion that if Jurao approves of you, that’s all that matters.”

“She was the General before Jurao, right?” Braelin asked.

“Yes,” Jurao confirmed – then realized, “Ah – Kaenaz is literal because Maenscul is golden, and he is Maensculian in appearance.”

Braelin smiled, “Yes, exactly.”

Jurao felt his tail swish happily at the sight of it.

“And last,” Mavas called out, “Demarri, master of deadly deadpan!”

It had been some time since Jurao had last seen the second person to join the Gardening Department, but she was much as he remembered: a trollish demon with pink skin and swirling white markings, red hair shaved on one side. She didn’t even stand at her announcement, giving a halfhearted wave and staring at the ceiling.

“I didn’t know she participated,” Braelin said, and scanned the crowd, “She and Gaele are good friends, I wonder if fos is attending…”

“Fos is!”

Their group turned as Ayelma – towing Gaele behind her – joined them in the booth with a grin. She added, “I only heard last minute, and Gaele was too nervous to ask to join you – but I’m certainly not!”

Gaele chuckled nervously behind her, looking ready to pass out.

“Of course, you are both welcome,” Jurao said.

“See?” Ayelma snorted, pulling Gaele to the seats behind Hujur and Vajur, “I told you!”

Gaele chuckled again, “It’s… I just… I wouldn’t want to impose…”

Jurao felt a bit gratified that – rather than looking at him – fos was glancing surreptitiously at the Department Heads in front of fos.

“If the King says it’s fine, it’s fine,” Vajur rolled his eyes, not bothering to look at the young demon.

“You’ll be more comfortable here than in the box with Petty Prince Malson and Lord Goyl, certainly,” Hujur mused.

Gaele noticeably paled at the suggestion, “Y-yes, most likely.”

Petal crawled out from under Braelin’s feet – then carefully climbed over Jurao to settle in Gaele’s lap, patting fos face encouragingly.

“Tonight, as many of you have no doubt noted, the King and his partner are in attendance!” Mavas said, “In their honor, perhaps one of them has a topic for tonight’s first debate?”

“Don’t look at the box!” Gnori shouted, startling even their host, “It makes Lord Braelin uncomfortable!”

As the crowd whispered amongst themselves – most surprised to find ‘that’ rumor was true and genuinely attempting not to look en masse – Braelin chuckled and indicated Jurao should lean down.

The King did, listening to his partner’s suggestion for a topic.