"Hatter."

"Yes, Princess?"

The small Evil huffed at the choice of words. A promising prelude of a conversation, it would seem.

"Why are you still calling me that?"

"Why shouldn't one?"

"All right, nevermind..." Kurai sighed and looked through the mirror. "I wanted to ask you something."

"Of course."

"Why did you help me?"

Belial stopped arranging Kurai's hair (they had to keep themselves entertained, no? Belial preferred that over having to put up with Asmodeus or Astaroth - both had been particularly annoying as of late. And that was not even bringing up Barbelo - thankfully she had been off to butcher some angels for sport). Soon, Kurai would leave them; these moments would cease. Noise had fallen asleep at a corner, leaving them so happily undisturbed. Perfect time for playing - Kurai was a little doll.

Belial picked a new lock of silver hair and pulled it softly back, musing on the question. Why should one have? The little princess was so pretty. So selfless, and so silly. Didn't lust for Belial, which was always such a nice change of pace; didn't yet know how to properly lust after someone, and the one she did was a juvenile, funny little sentimentality - wasn't that funny? - one Belial would have loved to crush and burn into the ground for anyone else. Sure, the Messiah's soul could have been harvested with their little potion and Kurai's little romance would have been dispelled, but still, it wasn't that bad, was it? It would all have been for a purpose beyond self-pleasure.

"Hatter?" Kurai called. Might have taken a bit too much to reply.

"One is thinking..." It wasn't that... it could be simplified to one word, perhaps? "Your innocence is amusing. It's so silly it almost doesn't bore one."

Kurai frowned. She clearly didn't take compliments, did she?

"What kind of compliment is that?" she asked as if she had read Belial's mind. "Didn't I tell you that time? I'm not innocent. I'm envious, egotistical... I'm just a normal girl. I'm not pure or innocent, I'm just me."

"Only someone like you could say something like that."

Now she was pounting. Belial chuckled.

"One has always taken great pleasure in corrupting innocence. The virtuous. "Ah, sweet memories. A quick shiver shot down Belial's back and goosebumps errupted through their skin. "Well, perhaps 'enlightening someone's true nature to themselves' could be a rather correct definition too... hm. Hmm..." The silky hair strings tried to escape through the fingers and Belial had to trace after them. "No. No, it was most certainly just delightful corruption."

Kurai made that funny face of bewilderment over most normal of things.

"Of course, the chosen brides of one's Lord were never to be tainted, yet you... one must say, you are special."

"Because I survived?" she asked rethorically. A hint of understandable irony could be expected laced in her words, however, there was none in the little princess's voice. Instead, her voice dropped, lowering to a strained whisper.

"See? There it is."

Kurai looked up to Belial's smile.

"You have every reason to hate your bother, yet you mourn his death. For an Evil, your emotions are so pure and silly as a human's."

"I'm also desperatily in love with someone that dosn't love me" rather than complain or blush, she replied sharply. A little smile curved her lips. "It does ring a bell, doesn't it?"

Belial laughed at her.

"One is a very willing jester, my princess." Belial finished pinning the hair strand. "Does it bother you that one helped you?"

Kurai shook her head.

"I'm just curious, for someone who had done all the things you've done... including deceiving me..." she added, not without an hilarious note of offence, "you still saved me and Noise. After I no longer served as a bride for Lucifer." Her eyes then narrowed down suspiciously. "Are you really falling for me?"

Belial laughed again, this time more genuinely.

"Don't have such a high opinion on one, or such low standards for yourself, Highness. It's no such thing... if you really worry your head so much, can't you see it's quite simple? One had tricked you, like you said; one had helped your brother take revenge on you; one is, of course, waiting to return you to the Messiah under the most favourable conditions."

"Of course..." Kurai added under her breath.

"And yet you still trust one," Belial finished, tapping on her shoulders and poking the top of her head with their chin, resting one's head over hers. "Can't you see?"

"Yes," Kurai replied. Belial smiled in satisfaction. "You like idiots."

Another chuckle and Belial straightened their body back, bumping Kurai's nose instead. "No. Innocence. Different things. And yours is quite unique."

"Not the best compliment, really."

"Why not see it as an opportunity too? In the future war with Heaven, you may be rest assured, one will not let harm befall your way: like one has said; wherever you need, your jester will be there for you."

"It still sounds a lot like being an idiot. I'm an idiot future Queen with a Satan for a jester."

Belial shrugged, contemplating the finished hairstyle.

"Don't ever change, then. There's been too many wise queens and kings and gods. An idiot Queen sounds wonderful."

.

the end

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Author's Note: Just a simple idea I thought of while brainstorming another fic. Hope you liked it, it's nothing special.
Thanks for reading, comments and corrections of grammar/typos are appreciated. Obviously I don't own Angel Sanctuary.