Chapter XII: Getting To Know One Another...

"You know it's a real shame that we're locked up here." The Dark Knight named Razzoth Phenex declared as he released a sigh while submerging more of his body into the hot water. "I had never really been to a dwarven play, but from what Aishela tells me, they're apparently really good."

"Really?" Another Dark Knight named Geren Vepar questioned as he cast his comrade a look of surprise that was also one of interest.

"Yeah." Razzoth affirmed with a little nod of his head.

"Huh, who would have thought dwarfs would have a thing or two for that type of art." Geren stated as he tilted his head back to where he was looking up at the ceiling and closed his eyes.

"I know, you'd think with their type of statures all they'd care about was drinking, fighting, and drinking, but you'd be surprised how many dwarf males apparently go to these type of things." Razzoth said with a chuckle, which had caused Geren to laugh.

Meanwhile, as those two were chatting and discussing various things, Donovan and the Dark Knight Azath sat next to each other in silence.

It was Donovan's first time being in a hot spring, and while he had talked to Azath lots of times now, he couldn't really strike up a conversation with him, at least not at this moment.

As for the reason why? Well, it was because Donovan was a little uncomfortable. While he may be a big guy with a manhood he wasn't ashamed of at all, Donovan couldn't help from noticing that he was the only knight who didn't have a single scar on his body.

All the Dark Knights who were in the hot springs nude like him were littered with scars, which had caused him to feel less manly. Sure, he was stronger than all of them, and could probably take on several of them at once, but that was only because of the blessings he received upon arriving on Atalan.

It had made him realize that they had worked their butts off to get to where they are now and suffered injuries for the position, while all he did was just come from a different planet, and be given the rank/title Black Knight.

"So, Lord Fane," Azath started in an attempt to begin a conversation with his superior. "what do you think of Kal Vorum so far?"

"Eh? Oh, um, it's a, decent." Came his fumbled response, which was a little bit of a shock to the Dark Knight, for he had never really seen his superior taken by surprise. He was almost always on edge, or at the very least, that's what it looked like from Sir Azath's perspective.

Because of this, Sir Azath became more interested in what was preoccupying his leader's mind and decided to change topics. "My Lord, were you perhaps having lewd thoughts about Lady Nyx?" The white-haired pureblood questioned with a grin that spelled mischevious while moving slightly closer.

A few of the Dark Knights who were close enough to hear this question couldn't stop from directing their attention to the two, for they were curious about what type of relationship the two of them had.

At this, Donovan let out a burst of laughter that sounded forced before abruptly cutting it off by saying, "No, I'm not."

The once startled Lord Fane had disappeared, and the one the Dark Knights had gotten familiar with had returned.

However, Sir Azath didn't give up just because his attitude and manners changed. No, his second in command decided to push it. "Are you sure, my Lord? It's not like you to be caught off guard by a question, and I remember hearing from Aezrelle that Lady Nyx spent quite some time in your chambers yesterday."

"I assure you I wasn't, and it was because Lady Nyx and I had many things we needed to discuss with one another." Donovan answered sternly with an expressionless look. He didn't know why, but he suddenly felt like the hot spring had turned into a boy's locker room.

"I think Lord Fane is lying!" A Dark Knight named Vagron who was apart of House Stolas declared in a loud voice. "He's getting a little too defensive if you ask me, and only people who are trying to hide something act like that."

"I agree!" Sir Razzoth shouted energetically. "His response was a little too defensive, and if you look closely, you can see that he's a little tense."

As other Dark Knights voiced their agreements, Donovan was now sure that the place he came to relax had turned into a boy's locker room.

"Am I just not allowed to deny it?" He asked in an irritated manner, which had caused the Dark Knights to fall silent. "I feel if I avoided the question you all would still react like this, so am I just not allowed to deny what you believed happened in my chambers?"

At this, the Dark Knights exchanged looks with one another, for they had realized that had he dodged the question/subject, they would have most likely still believed he was hiding something.

"No, you're allowed to deny it, Lord Fane." Sir Azath stated with an awkward smile. "We just believe you were a little too, formal."

Donovan said nothing at first and simply frowned. "Too formal?"

"Yeah," Vagron started as he adjusted his sitting position to a more comfortable one. "you could have just said nothing happened, but instead you were explaining yourself as if you got caught stealing something."

"I see." Donovan said before releasing a sigh. "Well, in the end, nothing happened between us."

"That's unfortunate." Sir Razzoth said with a bit of disappointment. "I think you two would have a wonderful couple."

"What are you talking about?" Donovan asked while sending the Dark Knight a look. "Our personalities are like complete opposites."

"Exactly, which is why I think you'd be the perfect man for her." Sir Razzoth declared happily. "I mean, think about it, my Lord. Lady Nyx is, without a doubt, one hundred opposite from you, and it's because of that I believe you both would be a wonderful couple, for opposites attract."

Donovan was about to say that they didn't, but after thinking about different types of relationships, he realized that what he was saying was the truth.

Changing what he was going to say, Donovan said as he tilted his head back slightly. "Even if opposites are attracted to one another, that doesn't mean I have those types of feelings for her, and I doubt I ever will."

"Is that so, my Lord?" Sir Azath asked curiously.

"Yes, it is so." He affirmed while keeping his gaze glued onto the ceiling above them.

"And why do you believe that, my Lord?" A different Dark Knight inquired with a voice full of curiosity and interest.

"She's just not my type." Came his simple response. "Sure we get along well, and in a way, it may look like there's something between us, but at the end of the day, she's not my type of girl."

A silence filled the hot spring for several seconds as the Dark Knights gave each other all kinds of looks, for no one was sure how to respond to this information.

"So," Sir Razzoth stated, breaking the quietness that had filled the room. "is His Highness your type?"

"I'm getting out now." Was Donovan's immediate reply before getting up, and out of the hot bath.

After exiting the hot spring, Donovan put on his clothes and returned to his room, only to be greeted by the sight of the Dwarf Princess Camillia and Lady Nyx having a chat and eating some sweets, and drinking what he believed to be tea, since the glass looked more like a tea glass than a wine glass.

"Camillia, Lady Nyx?" He said with a tinge of surprise along with a frown. "Why are the two of you in my room?"

"Welcome back, Lord Fane, and isn't it obvious? We have important things we need to discuss with you, so we decided to wait until you return from the hot springs." Lady Nyx answered with a small smile before taking a sip of her drink.

"Yes, and while I did think about returning another time, I had realized it had been far too long since I spoke with Lady Nyx here." Camillia stated in a sweet like tone that was very similar to the one she had spoken to him when they first met.

"It really has been." Lady Nyx agreed as she directed her attention to Camillia. "The last time we spoke you were just a little girl, but now have become a fine looking woman who could charm any man, except probably Lord Fane over there."

Donovan's brows furrowed as Lady Nyx glanced at him and sent him a wink.

As Camillia let loose a small giggle, Donovan thought about asking what she meant by that, but decided not to pry and just took off the towel that was on top of his head.

"Anyways, what are these important things you need to speak with me about?" Donovan inquired as he touched his hair to see how wet it was.

"Aww, you didn't take the bait." Lady Nyx said with a pout while crossing her arms like how a child would when their toy gets taken away from their parent, which made him wonder how in the hell she was in charge of diplomacy.

"Lady Nyx..." Donovan said in a slightly tired voice that had a hint of irritation in it.

"What? I'm just trying to loosen you up since you're always so stiff and serious." She replied in a defensive manner.

"Just tell me what you wanted to talk about." Donovan demanded in a more irritated tone than before. He wasn't trying to come off as a dick or anything like that, but when he gets told that they want to talk to him about, he can't help but be more interested in that stuff over her jokes and teasing.

Letting out a sigh, Lady Nyx said, "Fine, I came because I wanted to know if you're still concerned about the Hero Party finding out who you are, for I heard you went to the hot spring without covering up your face at all."

"Wait, what do you mean by that?" Camillia asked with curiosity and interest in her voice. She had planned on being quiet and if it came to it, leaving the room so that they could discuss whatever it is they needed to discuss, but after hearing that, she couldn't stop herself from asking what Lady Nyx meant by that.

"It's a long story." Donovan answered swiftly as he quickly looked at her before looking back at Lady Nyx.

"Shorten it then." She practically ordered in her not so sweet voice.

Donovan looked back at her once again, and was about to respond, but Lady Nyx beat him to it. "Another time, but not right now."

Detecting the seriousness in her voice, the Dwarf Princess simply nodded her acknowledgment before staring at Donovan, which made him wonder what kind of look she was giving him at the moment.

However, he wasn't able to linger on these thoughts for long, and that was because Lady Nyx was back to questioning him.

"Well, do you no longer care if people see who you are and that you're a human?"

Donovan was silent at first as he pondered this. In reality, he was still concerned about them seeing his face, but as for other beings that weren't apart of the Demon Kingdom, he wasn't as worried, for he doubted anything would happen even if they saw it.

The worst thing he could think of is somebody telling the Hero Party that he is human and then the Hero Party confronting him and asking him why he is serving the Demon King and fighting his own kin.

"I guess in a way I don't." Donovan answered finally with a small shrug of his shoulders. "Of Course, I don't want the Hero Party seeing my face, for they'll most likely figure out who I am, but as for others, I'm not as concerned. Plus, everyone would eventually find out that I'm a human, it's not like we can keep this information a secret forever, especially since almost everyone in the Demon Kingdom knows that I'm a human."

What Donovan said was true, word of the Demon King's Black Knight being a human was something a good majority of the demon folk knew. However, there were only about three dozen that knew he came from another world, or at the very least knew for sure.

There were many who suspected Lord Fane to be from a different world like the members of the Hero Party, especially in the Order of the Dark Knights, and were pretty sure their thoughts on the matter were right, but have yet to confront him, the Demon King, or anyone who knew to confirm if this was true or not.

"Huh, I had figured had just forgotten to hide your features, but I guess I was wrong." Lady Nyx said aloud with a trace of surprise.

"Yeah, it's not that big of a deal." Donovan affirmed while rubbing his nape.

After a few seconds of doing this, his eyes shifted to Camillia. "Anyways, what do you need to discuss with me?"

"It's," She started before pausing for a second or two. "it's something that has to be discussed in private, alone."

"Is that your way of saying you don't trust me?" Lady Nyx asked in a little bit of an offended tone.

"Yes." Camillia answered firmly, which came as a shock to Donovan. "I'm sorry, but Fane was with me at the time of the murder, so I trust him. You, however, I had no idea where you were, so I'm not exactly comfortable with you hearing what I have to say."

"You do know I'm technically his superior, and if I was the one behind the murder, then he would support me." Lady Nyx explained with her lips curved slightly downwards.

"Actually-"

"Shush, Fane." Lady Nyx curtly stated while giving him a sharp look. "Also, another point of mine is that I can have him tell me the information he hears, or whatever the two of you discuss, for me and him are very close, and keep no secrets from one another. Isn't that right, Fane?"

"I feel like you're not actually that concerned about what is going to be said between us after hearing that last part." Donovan said with a small sigh. He was really starting to wonder how she could be the one in charge of diplomacy when she acts like this.

"How rude!" Lady Nyx said aloud as if she had been struck or manhandled. "I'll have you know that I am somewhat curious about what will be discussed between the two of you!"

Not long after this declaration, Lady Nyx released a chuckle before getting up and out of her seat, and making her way to the door. "Anyways, I'll leave you two alone to talk about whatever it is that you two need to discuss."

As she moved past Donovan, she patted him on the shoulder, and said in a low tone only he could hear. "Remember to tread carefully, and to stay on guard."

With that said and done, she exited the room, leaving the two of them alone.

Once she was gone, Donovan averted his attention back towards Camillia, who had spoken as he did this. "Lady Nyx isn't exactly how I remember her at all. She's changed."

"Is that good or bad?" Donovan asked as he approached Camillia and sat down in the chair Lady Nyx once was sitting in.

Camillia pondered this for a couple of seconds before saying with a shrug of her shoulders. "Both?"

"I see." Was his response.

"Yep," Camillia affirmed before lifting her tea glass up off of the table and taking a small sip from it. "so why don't you want the Hero Party to see your face?"

Donovan remained silent at first, and noticed the bit of hesitance in her voice. The thought of telling her had crossed his mind, but after recalling what Lady Nyx told him before leaving, he shook his head and said in an apologetic tone. "I'm sorry, but that's a little too personal, and isn't something I really wanna talk or think about."

He wanted to believe that he could trust her with this information, but because he didn't know almost anything about Camillia, he realized that it would be foolish to tell her this, and then hope she doesn't say anything about him to anyone.

Surprised by his refusal to tell her, Camillia let out an, "Oh." for the thought of him denying her didn't cross her mind at all.

"Yeah, anyways, I'm assuming you wanted to talk to me about the murder and our plan of action?" Donovan said before deciding to change the topic to what he assumed to be her reason for coming.

"Well, that is one of the reasons I came here, but there is another reason as well." Camillia said in response in a bit of a sheepish manner that made it sound like she was bothered/troubled by something.

"Okay, what's your other reason?" Donovan inquired with a curious look.

"I wanted to hear your story." She answered as her eyes dropped down to her lap where her hands were. "We agreed to be partners, but neither of us knows anything about the other, so I wanted to get to know you more."

Donovan stayed quiet as he thought about what she said and what to say. While he wasn't against the idea of getting to know her, he wasn't exactly sure what to say on his part, but that was because he didn't want to lie to her.

"Makes sense." He said after a while with a nod of his head. "I'm not sure if I can tell you everything because there are somethings that I'd rather not talk about, but I'll try to answer to the best of my ability."

"I understand," She affirmed before asking him. "so do you have a family?"

"I, I had a family, but now I'm alone." He answered hesitantly.

"I'm sorry to hear that." Camillia said in response. She wasn't surprised by his reply, but she would have been if it turned out he did have a family.

"Yeah, what about you? Is your father all you have or do you have some relatives?" He inquired with a tiny trace of curiosity. He wasn't troubled by his response, for what he said was technically the truth. He did have a family, but upon being transferred to this world he became separated from them, and had no ways of contacting them.

"I do have some very distant relatives, but my father is all I have left, so I guess no?" She answered after thinking for a few seconds. "Anyways, what was your life like before becoming the Black Knight? I remember you saying you don't crave war, so I assume it was pretty peaceful, but I'm not sure."

"It was," He said with a firm nod with a tiny bit of sadness in his voice. "I lived a peaceful and quiet life, but all of that came to an end one day, and eventually, I found myself in front of the Demon King Lucifer."

"Did, did she take you away from her home?" Camillia asked nervously.

"In a way, I guess," He answered in a slightly skeptical manner. "but I plan on returning to them one day, I may not know when and I know it'll be hard, but I promised myself I would see them again, and I intend to keep that promise."

After that was said, the two continued to talk about their past as well as many other things such as things they like, or what they want to do.