Kingdom Of The Wicked - Tumblr Posts

Emilia: Go to hell! 

Wrath: Where do you think I come from?

"Beyond life, beyond death. My love for you is eternal" -Thomas Cresswell

(Like or reblog, don't repost pls🖤)

Desperate Confessions

For @godscursedd ! Thank you so much for the request 💖

Word count: 1026

After Emilia had her confirmations that Wrath did indeed keep some truths from her and storms out of the protected castle she stops just for a minute to get her breath. That minute is enough for Wrath to finally gather all his courage to be open with her and stop her from leaving. Moments of honesty ensure confessions and breathless kisses.

Dark lines are words from Sh*t Blvd by Måneskin

Discovering that Wrath has been lying all along tore at Emilia’s heart. She has started to warm up to him, even wishing to be closer to him. What now? She can't just throw all the feelings away and pretend that nothing happened in hopes that Wrath would still help her find her sister’s murderer.

Slamming the castle’s door behind herself after leaving Wrath on edge and in despair, Emilia slid down to the ground and plucked the flowers from her hair. Halting for a second to let a single tear slip she gathered herself and looked over the darkening landscape. Staying here would be an awful decision, yes she would be protected from any vengeful forces but seeing Wrath’s face and knowing that he indeed was after one last soul… It felt like one more heartless betrayal in the chain of awful situations from the past weeks. Maybe Wrath felt something akin to love towards her but she’ll never know now and how could she believe that a demon princess could have any real soft emotions, so she stood to take a step away from any hopeful dreams she was leaving behind in that damned castle.

Suddenly the door behind her flew open, crashing into the wall and Wrath froze in his step, looking over Emilia with wide eyes that held too many emotions in them at once. Emilia gasped at that, she truly thought that after that outburst Wrath would hate her a little more and never come back to search for her again.

Wrath was leaning on the doorway with one hand, looking down at Emilia with desperation to say everything that was on his mind but holding back for the sake of letting her speak first, whatever angry words she’d throw at him, he could take it. His shirt was still dishevelled and his appearance made Emilia take a step back for a heartbeat and then her anger sent her forward, palm slapping against his chest and heated eyes glaring into his.

“What?! You have more to say? Want to make it hurt as a farewell?” Emilia smacked a fist into his chest now and watched Wrath shake a little at the impact. She knew he’d usually not sway even if she landed a harder blow, so she suddenly understood that he had all of his guards down for her right now.

“No,” Wrath took her clenched fists into his large palms and brought them up to kiss over Emilia’s knuckles. “Never want you to be hurt by my actions I-” Emilia’s eyebrows shoot up at his openness and she tries to tug her hands back, not ready to hear any tender words from the demon.

“Emilia, please. Let me explain everything so we could be on the same page here,” Wrath looked at her with endless hope, lowering her arms and huffing a nervous laugh at her scowl.

“You had plenty of chances to do so, yet you didn’t,” Emilia dropped the tension in her hands and her shoulders fell in defeat, clearly showing Wrath how she felt and how she wanted to stay.

“I know, I could tell you but I was scared that you would still lash out and I would lose you just as you started to open up to me.” Wrath’s words were too soft, too tender for a wicked price and Emilia closed her eyes to grasp some clarity.

“Maybe lately you began to trust me,” Wrath whispered to her, his breath fanning over Emilia’s cheek, his face coming to rest against hers and one of his hands slipped to lay on her waist in question. Emilia let her guards down completely and laid her head on Wrath’s sturdy shoulder.

“So baby, stay here. Please darling, have no fear,” he slid his hands further around Emilia’s waist, tugging her clothes and burying his face in her shoulder in return. Squeezing her once in his tight embrace he slightly swayed her from side to side, hoping to ease any remaining tension. “This is my dream, do you wanna live it?” Wrath whispered even more quietly, almost not audible but Emilia heard and gasped at his honesty.

“Yes, foolish right? A mighty demon gets summoned here and still, falls for his captor,” Wrath chuckles sadly and Emilia wiggles her way out of his crushing hug, freeing her hands to lay them on his shoulders.

“What?” She looked at Wrath in disbelief, he bites his lip in a nervous gesture and looks away for a second. Emilia softly cups his cheeks and turns him to look into her eyes, to know and see for sure that what he meant was honest. She saw his eyes, saw the need and hope in them.

Leaning lower Wrath pushes his forehead against hers, hands sliding up and down her waist as he gathers himself up. “ Emilia please don't leave, I'll answer all of your questions, fully. No holding back. I need you,” Wrath sighed when her hands trailed over his chest, dipping down and coming to hug him around his waist and circling her arms up to tug him closer by the back of his shoulders.

“One lie, if I sense one lie your dagger will be nudged deep into your heart,” Emilia said firmly and before Wrath could react she caught his lips in a tender kiss. So much calmer than the first one, so much more meaningful and honest. No ill intentions and no holding back. Wrath whimpered into the kiss, needy hands roaming over Emilia’s back and trying to get her closer, engulf her completely, feel her against him and feel her heartbeat on his. One of his hands found its way on Emilia’s cheek and his rough thumb traced over her cheekbones, angling her face to get more, feel more of her and lightly nibble on her lower lip.

Breaking away for just a second Wrath glanced over Emilia’s face, completely open and so relaxed. He wished for that look to never leave her features and leaned into the desperate kiss again, the saccharine feeling of her lips on his leaving him with a flushed face and trembling heart.

HE WAS EXTRAORDINARY YALL

HE HAS HER IN A COMFORTABLE EMBRACE AND U EXPECT ME TO BE OKAY

IM SCREAMINF THIS IS ALL I WANTED AND MORE THANK YOUU

a fic where emilia is sitting in the house wrath library reading romance/ smut and wrath finds her and pesters her about it and suggests he helps her recreate the scenes together hdishdjwah

LIKE IT WOULD BE SO FLUFFY YET SPICY JUST WRATh TEASING HER ABOUT IT ANd HER HIDING HER FACE IN HIS CHEST EMBARRASSED BUT THEN HE SAY THEY RECREATE IT KNOWING IT WOUKD GET HER FLUSTERED

Books and Inspirations

I just know Wrath takes teasing Emilia onto unimaginable levels so I wrote just that ~ (this gets steamy!)

Word count: 1237

Leave it to Wrath to read her naughty book finds out loud, leave it to him to make her blush at such vulgar words and yet... Emilia won't deny that in the end, she can also be a little daring.

( say thank you to Wrath's pretty dagger )

“Emilia! Dinner is re-” Wrath walked into the library space, startling Emilia out of her concentration and breaking her very vivid daydream. “Oh, I see you’ve kept yourself busy with interesting literature,” Wrath smirked and walked closer, putting his hands in the pockets of his slacks and his grin getting wider with every step he took.

“As a matter of fact, yes,” Emilia lied through her teeth, scrambling to gather her composure and tuck any loose hair behind her ear. However, what she missed while rummaging through Wrah’s library was the cover of the explicit novel she picked up to read. Wrath's smirk only turned wilder at the fact that Emilia tried to cover up her naughty reading moments.

“I’d advise you to be more attentive to your surroundings, Emilia dear,” Wrath tugged the book from under Emilia’s leg and skirts where she tried to hide it and turned it to her so the cover was visible while he skimmed over the pages. The book depicted two lovers in full nude, pressed golden foil filling in the details and the male lover’s hands were the only thing covering the woman’s chest.

“What?!” Emilia was clearly flustered at the cover, leaning away from Wrath and trying to put some distance between herself and the wicked demon. “That was not there when I took it!” Wrath chuckled at her attempts and found the page where Emilia was caught red-handed as she took a pillow from the edge of the window seat and hugged it to her chest like a shield.

Clearing his throat Wrath started to read the passage, making Emilia squirm at his sultry tone, “His hand found its way between my legs, rough fingers passed over my inner thighs and I shuddered at the sensation,” Wrath lowered himself onto the window seat in front of Emilia and put his hand just shy of Emilia’s foot.

“Wrath no! Give it to me!” Emilia reached out, grabbing for the book but Wrath put his pointer finger at her forehead and pushed until she toppled back into her seat.

“Ah! His heated touches ignite such feelings inside of me, I must be going mad, or I’ve been already and his fingers spreading me apart are only there to remind me of my sins,” Wrath smiled at the filthy text, toying with the edge of Emilia’s skirt. Turning to face Emilia more, Wrath leaned forward and placed his free hand between Emilia’s feet, she tucked her knees closer to her and that was just what he wanted. Slightly coming onto Emilia and leaning on her knees he kept reading on. “ I was dripping for him, he could feel it oh so well but I was not even shy at the slightest. He could make me feel so good, I knew it. I knew it for sure and with the push of his fingers inside of me I felt how much more I could have if only he was braver with his movements.”

Wrath pushed himself forward and then back again as if repeating the motion from the book, he bit his lower lip and rubbed his cheek on Emilia’s knee. She stopped breathing at some point, heart not able to comprehend what was going on in front of her and tried to push Wrath away with her leg.

Catching Emilia by her ankle Wrath pulled, making Emilia fall under him and as he stole a heated glance from her, he turned the page and placed his arm near her face. “Oh, how I wish to feel more!” Wrath rolled his hips above Emilia, her hands grasping his shirt to tug him to her and hide her face into his chest, away from his sneaky eyes and his mocking face. Only Emilia didn’t know how much her actions were affecting him too, her blush made his breath shake a little and he wanted to push more, get more reaction out of his Emilia.

Making good use of Emilia’s mistake that brought him closer to her, Wrath rolled his hips again and this time Emilia whimpered at what she felt. “ So I whispered to him, yearning, thrusting my hips onto his fingers to show him how much I really wanted it,” lowering his voice to a mere whisper, wrath spoke the lines from the book to Emilia’s ear, leaving a little kiss to the skin right at her neck. Her fists clenched harder at his shirt and putting his full weight over Emilia to not let her get away and to free his hand, Wrath trailed down over her waist. Gripping her hip and hearing her breathy moan did not help Wrath with his self-control and his need slipped with his next words.

“His fingers left my core immediately and I found his lips on mine, crushing, burning and so hungry. I felt his hand spreading me open yet again, but this time I also felt him enter me right after. Yes, finally. Finally, I could feel him split me open and push deeper than his fingers could reach. More! I moaned and luckily he listened to every and each of my demands, pushing further and kissing my moans away.”

Emilia whined at the explicitly of Wrath’s words but that was not the end of her torture. Throwing the book to the side Wrath tugged Emilia’s leg over his hip, his hand sliding under her skirt and finding the soft flesh of her thighs. Thrusting into her with the full force he cupped her cheek to have her steady so she would not hide away as he moaned into her ear. To his delight, Emilia could not stay put any longer and he could feel a little roll of her own body.

“Why only read about such a shameless act, Emilia.” Wrath caught the moment Emilia’s eyes snapped open and she looked at him in shock but he could see some wonder in there too. “We can just help you recreate your fantasies, my sweet little witch.” All of Emilia’s resolve was lost and forgotten, she always read about the most steamy romance but to have something like this happen to her? In real life and with someone who clearly wanted her no less than she did, so maybe…

She threw away any maybes and slid her hand to the front of Wrath’s slacks, surprising him and startling him into motionlessness. That second gave her a chance to rub her hand up and down his hardened length, feeling him twitch in her hold and see his eyes flutter at the sensation he must be feeling right now. “ Well, show me your sinful ways, demon.” Emilia smiled innocently at Wrath’s surprise and squealed when Wrath flipped her over, pinning her wandering hands above her head with one strong arm.

“Mhm~ I’ll show you just fine,” Wrath growled in her ear and trailed a hand down her spine, a dagger that suddenly appeared in his hold cutting open any fabric in its way to give his fingers more skin to explore. Something bound Emilia’s hands to the seat under her and she didn’t get the moment to check what it was exactly, for Wrath had dipped down, down her back and she could feel his heated breath over the small of her back.

“I’ll show you what happens to handsy witches,” Wrath said at last and moved even lower to bite at Emilia’s perky bottom.

EVERYONE READ THIS FOR GOOD GRADES AND CLEAR SKIN THIS IS A MASTERPIECE

i love them so much yall-

Charming Spells

Per a fine request from @godscursedd , more Emilia and Wrath love

Word count: 1282 of suggestive teasing themes

Lust steals Emilia for a dance or two and while they dance Wrath finds himself becoming more affected by the passing minute. That spark of jealousy does not go unnoticed by his brother, instead of pushing more, Lust shows Emilia the sneaky glances Wrath throws their way and guides her to her grumpy demon.

One for fun little teasing that night, Emilia may have uncovered Wrath's true wishes and pushed past his wavering limits. Wrath... Is not one to hold back when he truly wants something

Watching Emilia dance the night away with Lust was like a torture. He still hasn’t forgotten their exchange on the beach and was worried whether it was a pleasant dance for Emilia now. It seems that it is a rather good one by the joyful laughter and shy little smiles that Emilia sends to Lust when she whispers something particularly funny in her cute ear. Cute? He was losing his grasp on his emotions again if he found an ear cute, out of all things. Grumpily taking a glass of some liquor from the tray that a servant was kindly offering him, Wrath turned away from the show of extraordinary happiness and stomped to the farthest edge of the marble hall.

A demon prince affected by some sneaky witch? Pathetic. Wrath was having a hard time looking away from the dancing couple even if it hurt to watch. EMilia must’ve been enjoying his brother’s company far more than his, she never laughed as loudly with him, or was he imagining that now?

“He has not let your single movement pass by him, you know?” Lust whispered to Emilia as he made her twist and turn in his hold to the rhythm of the music.

“Whatever do you mean?” Emilia replies shortly, preoccupied with catching falling petals in her outstretched hand.

“Wrath, he wants a dance I think. Or more like, he wants you away from me,” Lust explains and tugs Emilia towards him with a twist of his hand, pressing her back to him as he guides her flushed face in Wrath’s direction. They both catch him whipping his head away right in that moment and with a chuckle Lust pushes Emilia in his brother’s direction.

“Don’t tease him too much, he’s been grumpy all evening since you denied him your full attention,” with a knowing smirk Lust loses himself in the dancing crowd and Emilia is left to consider how to take the situation from here. Was wrath really interested in her like that to dislike her dancing with his brother? Or was it simply a matter of besting a brother?

With the remains of Lust’s scarce influence she feels giddy and daring, so teasing Wrath just a little seems like a better idea than just keeping him company by the wall.

Sneaking up on Wrath and seeing him anxiously scan the dancing hall in search of her felt ecstatic, adventurous even and his surprised yelp, when she had him pinned against some door behind the sideways curtains, was an interesting addition. His wide eyes added to that playful feeling that was overtaking Emilia and she pressed closer, running her hands up Wrath’s heated torso and feeling how his heartbeat picked up.

“Are you angry perhaps? No… Is this a little twinkle of jealousy I see?” Emilia softly tugs Wrath down to her face by the golden necktie and looks into his eyes. With this closure Wrath really has nowhere to hide and he shuts his eyes in a feeble attempt to get out of this situation with his ego intact.

“You must be a little delusional, Emilia dear,” Wrath says, more distracted by the possible softness of Emilia’s lips, by her rose-dusted cheeks from the night of dancing and by the movement of her chest with her every heartbeat. He is too focused on that sound, erratic thudding that he is not even supposed to know about or focus on, but it beats too much like his own.

“And you must be a little nervous,” Emilia notes Wrath’s hectic eyes and the bite of his lip that he tried to conceal.

“Did you overheat from all that dancing? Or did Lust charm you away again?” Wrath tries to regain the upper hand that has never been there and touches Emilia’s forehead with the back of his hand as if to check her temperature. She follows that slow movement with her curious eyes and in the moment that he takes the hand away she catches his wrist and moves to lay her cheek into Wrath’s large palm.

“Lust? No. You, however... “ Emilia traces her finger around Wrath’s surprised lips, dipping down to his chin and going lower, over his neck and into the dip of his collarbones that peek from under his shirt.

“Emilia, behave.” Wrath’s voice wavers and he sees the moment Emilia’s eyes sparkle with delight.

“Or what?” She surges forwards, hovering just near his lips and with her hand he guide’s Wrath’s palm to come and stay on her hip. “What will the powerful prince do if this troublesome witch misbehaves?” Emilia mockingly puts a finger to her lips and cocks her head to the side while carefully watching Wrath’s movements.

In less than a blink of her eye she was pushed against the same doors where Wrath was just standing and his body was pressed flush against hers as he kept her hanging slightly off of the ground.

“What is it with you today?” Wrath growls in her face and pushes her higher by her hips, Emilia’s hands come to search for support on his shoulders and she only smiles at Wrath’s serious face.

“You looked troubled, I wanted to see what it was about. Admit it, you were jealous,” Emilia laughs a little and dips her head to whisper in Wrath’s ear. “Say it, say you’ve been keeping an eye on me, wanting to dance with me and be the one to hold me around my waist.”

Wrath’s breath catches in his lungs at such shameless words. But what can he do, it’s too late to trick his way out of this and Emilia has seen through his mask long ago.

“Indeed, I was imagining to be the one who would guide the dance,” Wrath’s lips ghosted over Emilia’s neck, pressing slightly as he let her legs circle around his waist. “Wanted to take you outside and dance alone under the moonlight, wanted you all to myself,” he presses Emilia harder into the door and pushes her hips down on his. He chuckles at her gasp, finally feeling like he won a point in their weird game. Wrath followed the curve of Emilia’s waist up to her chest with one warm hand, cupping under her chest and with a harder press of his hand he slid it up to cup her wholly. Inhaling her sweet perfume and just a ting of her own lust, Wrath groans into her neck.

Pressing a knee to the door he lets Emilia slide onto his thigh for support as his second hand goes to sweetly hold Emilia’s cheek, shifting her face to see her hazed eyes and not waiting a second longer he dives for her lips, such a simple motion and yet when he feels the touch of her sweet lips on his, he is swaying with the sensation.

“You’ve charmed me more, you must’ve put a spell on me for this is not a way a demon of War can possibly behave,” Wrath mumbles against her lips, hands wandering everywhere and he feels Emilia grind down on his thigh.

“Interesting accusation, but I know no love spell,” Emilia whispers to him and rips off the button of his slacks. “What else will you accuse me of?”

“The sweet taste of your kisses, the softness of your thighs,” Wrath drags a teasing hand up to Emilia’s thighs under her skirt and stops his movement when he goes a bit higher. “And the…” His fingers move and he gasps at the discovery. “ At the scandalous lack of any undergarments,” Wrath moans and searches for Emilia’s lips again, in need to feel as much of her as it may be possible.

Bittersweet

It's bittersweet to think about the damage that we do

'Cause I was going down, but I was doing it with you

Yeah, everything we broke, and all the trouble that we made

But I say that I hate you with a smile on my face

- Favourite Crime, Olivia Rodrigo

Description: One sleepless night in Hell, Emilia decides to find the kitchen and seek solace in cooking, but instead finds herself in the company of her mortal enemy and maybe-something-more, Wrath.

(I just wanted to write about Princewitch making Hot Chocolate, but it somehow turned into this...)

Many thanks to @city-of-fae for giving me her time of day to beta-read and help me edit this fic. She was the first person I found who wrote for KOTW and her fics are beautiful and you all should check them out. In conclusion, she's amazing. 💕

Hope you all enjoy it! Feedback is always welcome! ❤️

Goddess above, have some mercy. Emilia cursed as she turned over in her bed for what she thought was the thousandth time. Sleep had started to seem like a luxury to her over the last few days. When she'd first arrived in Hell, the sheer exhaustion had been enough to have her drained every night. After those initial days, however, it had started becoming common for her to stay up staring at the ceiling or to grab a book off the bed table and get lost in its world.

Currently, she debated going to the library to pick up something new, but ultimately decided against it. Wrath often worked there at night, making a strategy to annihilate some enemy. Perhaps it was her. She wouldn't be surprised.

After a week of hostility from both their ends prior to her wedding with Pride, they had decided to strike a deal. She could do all she wished in his House, and would even have access to all forbidden text in its library, but would not attempt to spy on his nightly planning or practice any magic she learnt from the books on him. Of course, this was only as long as he was out of the list of Vittoria's possible murderers. He hadn't lied to her during their time in Palermo together, she knew that. She had spent many nights analysing every word he'd said in answer to her accusations. None of them pointed to him being the killer. For now.

After a few more minutes of mulling over those events, Emilia finallly got up from the bed. The Goddess of Leisure wasn't going to bless her tonight.

She looked around her room, looking for something to occupy her mind with. The chamber was a thing of beauty, with golden carvings on its black walls and tastefully selected furniture on the same theme. Wrath's theme. Stupid suave perfect demon. Shaking herself, she glanced at the ceiling: a painting of a war she didn't know anything about, though she often tried to count the soldiers on the nights she lay awake. That didn't seem appealing today.

Sighing, she flopped down onto the sofa, and heard a low rumble from her stomach. She hadn't visited the kitchens yet- had purposefully avoided them. Cooking reminded her of her family, and she wasn't sure she was prepared for the homesickness that would bring. Most nights, her books helped her ignore any hunger she felt, but she didn't have their aid tonight. Would going to the kitchen be such a bad idea? Maybe she could use a little reminder of home. It didn't take long to convince herself as she stood and walked out of her room.

~

Emilia knew she was lost the moment she approached a stairway she hadn't seen before. It was grander, forked much more than the others. Cursing every goddess she knew of, she paced in circles, weighing her options. She could try to find her way back or-

She felt a door open behind her. She whirled around and saw a shadowed figure standing in the dark of the doorway, dagger in hand. Emilia froze, a dozen spells leaping into her mind. But as she prepared to cast a body-freezing spell, the person lowered his weapon and stepped out.

"I didn't take you for someone who would murder people in their sleep, witch." It was too dark for her to see Wrath's expression, but she knew him well enough to sense a hint of amusement as he looked her down and up. For some reason, she relaxed under his gaze.

Emilia raised a brow. "And miss the shock in your eyes when I finally kill you? I wouldn't risk that."

"Still overestimating your assassination skills, I see."

She rolled her eyes at that. It seemed so long ago when she'd summoned him in that cave. Shared cannolis with him. That memory brought a faint smile to her lips, and when Emilia brought her eyes back to Wrath, he was watching her intently, dressed in his signature attire: black trousers and black shirt with golden embroidery. There wasn't ever a moment he didn't look tantalisingly gorgeous.

She burnt those thoughts and threw out the ash.

"Would you happen to know where the kitchen is, demon?" She ignored the questioning look he gave her at the shift in conversation. "Well?"

He nodded slowly and without another word, started walking in the direction she had come from. Frowning, Emilia followed him. They walked in silence for less than a minute before she poked his arm.

"Are you taking me to your killing chamber?" She was only half-joking.

Wrath gave her a flat look and continued walking. So much for small talk.

After a few more minutes, they reached one of the palace kitchens. It was dead silent and yet, entering it, she felt an odd sense of comfort. As Wrath put some lights on, she noticed the room was minimal in its design and utensils. She suspected Wrath had deliberately brought her to that kitchen. It was modest- by his standards- quiet and not flashy. Exactly what she was used to from her family restaurant. Stupid suave perfect demon.

Said demon was presently leaning against the counter and observing her while she checked out the untensils and ingredients. She ignored him. He'd leave soon anyway.

Chocolate. How long has it been since I last had chocolate? Nodding to herself, Emilia took out a pot, a whisk, a few spoons, cocoa powder, sugar, and after looking around for a bit, milk, chocolate and cream. Why does a House in Hell have all of this readily available? She didn't know and decided that she didn't particularly care. After what felt like ages, Emilia was back in her element, and she wasn't going to spend this one night of peace thinking about the logistics of shopping in Hell.

She turned to put her supplies on the counter and stopped short as she noticed Wrath in the same position as before, his golden eyes- with flecks of black- a little darker than usual. She narrowed her eyes and looked down at herself-

Nightgown. She was in a nightgown. A black, thin-strapped, low cut nightgown. In her eagerness to get to the kitchen, she had forgotten to put anything else on....But Wrath didn't need to know that, did he? So, she put her hands on her hips and raised her eyebrows at him. "Like what you see, Your Higheness?"

Wrath looked away instantly and Emilia couldn't help her smug smile. It wasn't everyday one managed to fluster a Prince of Hell.

"But really, are you just going to lurk there? You have done your escorting duties. You can leave now. It won't be taint on your record of flawless etiquette."

He met her eyes again and opened and shut his mouth once. Sweet Goddess, I haven't ever seen him struggle for words.

Wrath cleared his throat. "Let us say- hypothetically, of course- if I were curious to see whatever human food you were making, how likely is it that you'd try and poison me?"

Emilia smirked at him. "I suppose you don't find my food to be a pollutant for your body anymore." He gave her another flat look and she mirrored it with one of her own. "It's a hot drink called Hot Chocolate. One of my favourites."

A thought came to mind, and she continued. "And the idea that you've been to the human world and never had it is making me question your sanity. You're welcome to try, but you will have to make it yourself. Unless you're incapable of cooking, that is." He scowled at the challenge. She smiled innocently at him.

"Very well, then. Tell me how it's done. Just know that, if in the end, you feel bad about your best skill, you brought it upon yourself."

Emilia winked at him. "Overestimating your cooking skills, I see."

Wrath walked over to her, undoing the buttons at his cuffs and rolling the shirt up to his elbows as he did. Emilia stared, suddenly more aware of her skin. Hadn't she once read a female lead describing her lover's forearms in vivid detail? It seemed strange to her then, but now, she understood her. Wrath looked up and caught her mid-gawking. The beginnings of a smirk appeared at his lips, but before he could open his mouth to undoubtedly mock her, she grabbed the pot and thrust it into his hand.

"I believe you know how to start a fire. So, get to work. No magic allowed." He raised his hands and muttered something that sounded like Yes, Your Majesty, but didn't speak further.

~

A few minutes later, they had a flame and Emilia had a headache, trying to get Wrath to add a little bit of salt into the rest of the mixture.

"You just told me sugar makes things sweet and salt makes them savoury. Why would we add it when we want this drink to be sweet?" He had his arms crossed across his chest, a gesture she associated with his pig-headedness.

She groaned as she tried to explain it again. "Salt balances the sweetness and enhances the flavour. It's not that complicated."

She held out a palm to him as he started to counter. "Why do you add gold on top of your black?" He thought for a moment and finally looked convinced as he added the pinch of salt she'd made him pick out. Thank goddess.

"Quickly now." He glanced sideways at her. "Please." She added begrudgingly. Why had she decided to challenge him in the dead of night?

"Now use the whisk to stir in circles and mix until there are no lumps."

Emilia stepped back to observe him, and when he started turning the whisk with enough force to break the pot itself, she finally cracked.

She doubled over in laughter, and when Wrath turned to look at her with a wary expression, she lost it all over again.

"Here." She went closer to him once she had some semblance of composure back, and put a hand over his holding the whisk. He froze but didn't pull away, so she started guiding him through controlled, gentle turns of the whisk. She was vaguely aware that she was still in a nightgown, but it felt ludicrous to pay attention to that when she could instead focus on the heat of his chest against her back. She could feel him looking at her and twisted her head to meet his gaze over her shoulder. The blazing fire she thought she had seen when he looked at her back in Palermo was back, and she was dazed to realise that she had missed and craved it ever since. His eyes- such frustratingly beautiful eyes- shifted down to her lips and back in the span of a second. She had no doubt he could hear her erratic heartbeat. Some part of her mind was screaming that this was dangerous territory. She was Pride's queen, but was a part of House Wrath. The dynamic was scandalous enough already.

But would it really matter if this scandal got a little more fuel?

A loud crackle in the fire brought her out of her haze, and she jumped back. No, she was acting ridiculous. Wrath was the flame, and she was the splinter of wood it burnt while crackling.

"Emilia-"

"You should put the pot on the flame." Her voice was shaking. Much like my sanity.

Wrath hesitated for a moment, but then did as she asked. They worked in silence for a while, before she ultimately had to tell him to keep stirring every now and then.

~

Emilia felt lost. Everything in this world was so connived. And Wrath, he was as much a mystery to her now as he was that first day in the cave. But he was also her one familiarity here.

He was a flame, yes. But she was finding it harder each day to stay away from him.

Could she not come near enough to let him keep her warm, but not enough to burn?

She watched him, but his attention was devoted to the boiling mixture, a faint smile on his lips. She stared. He was smiling. Not smirking, not grimacing. Smiling. It brought one to her face too. The first real smile since she'd left her home.

She went closer again, this time stopping at a respectable distance. "Time for judgement." She gave him a half-mocking half-encouraging smile. She was glad he didn't bring up what had happened some minutes ago. Grabbing a spoon, she brought one spoonful of the cocoa to her mouth and almost melted from the nostalgia it brought.

It tasted so much like...love. Just like how Nonna and Vittoria always made it. She closed her eyes and relished in its taste. She wanted to savour it as long as she could.

"The verdict, Your Majesty?" She opened one eye and closed it again. Wrath was smirking. Of course he was.

"You're not Emilia di Carlo, but you did a halfway decent job." She opened her eyes and smirked at him.

He rolled his eyes. "Maybe you do belong with Pride, after all."

"The Sin Corridor didn't think so. Keep being an ass and you'll find out why."

"I'm guessing because it knew how truly irresistible you find me. Or have you forgotten your little... hallucination back there?" How could she? It was mortifying.

She pointed her spoon at him as if it were a knife. "Bring that up again, and I really will consider stabbing you in your sleep."

He chuckled. "You don't have to make excuses for coming into my chambers, cara mia."

Cara mia. My darling. She blushed all the way down to her neck. Damn him. But that didn't have quite as much effect, considering their location. So she just glared at him until he chuckled again and got the pot off their flame.

Emilia brought out two mugs, and poured the milk out equally. Almost. She gave herself a teacher's bonus. If Wrath noticed, he didn't comment.

They stood leaning back on the counter, staring at the opposite wall, with a cup of hot cocoa in their hands. If she didn't know the position she was in and the events that brought her there, she would think she had found peace. In reality, though, she had managed to find a spot in the precise opposite of Peace.

"What other treasures such as this one are you hiding in your grimoire?" Wrath didn't have a single drop of milk on or around his mouth, while she was certain she had a whole lining around hers. How did he manage to drink like that?

"If I was hiding something, you'd be the last person I'd tell. But am I right to understand that the mighty Prince Wrath, with all this luxury, considers chocolate milk a treasure? Is that all I need to bribe him to do my bidding?"

"I deal in bargains, witch. Not bribes." He paused, conflicted on whatever he was about to say. As he looked straight into her eyes, all traces of emotion were gone.

"How are you, Emilia?" She started on his use of her name. He made it sound like a hymn. It made her wish he'd say it more often, perhaps in other, more pleasant situations. She shook such thoughts out. He'd asked if she was okay. Why did he care? Did he care? She wasn't expecting this display of...was it concern she sensed? No, it must have been a trick of her imagination.

"I'm in Hell, demon. I would say that's enough of an answer as to how I am." He didn't budge. She muttered a useless prayer and sighed. "I'm just trying to survive. And find my sister's killer while trying to avoid getting killed myself. In the midst of all that, I haven't thought about anything else. But that's not a road I'm prepared to go down tonight. Let me be delusional for a few more hours."

He nodded. "I'll drink to that."

"To delusion." She raised her own mug.

A part of her wanted to laugh at how childish it was to do a toast with hot chocolate. But then again, that was one of the less unusual things she had been a part of. They sipped their drinks in silence.

"I do understand now where Gluttony is coming from." His tone was dry.

She blinked. "How dare you associate my hot cocoa with him? Take your words back. Now."

Wrath huffed out a laugh, and Emilia figured that if a night of delusion meant that she could have a second of pause from her world crumbling around her, she'd take it with open arms.

~~~

Author's note: Okay listen, it's been a while since I wrote anything, so whatever feedback you all have, please send it my way! Don't hesitate at all. I know this isn't as romantic as most of you probably wanted, but I'm just a little hesitant to write elements of romance, because frankly, I don't trust myself much with it and don't want it to be awkward.

And yes, I went through all of Olivia Rodrigo's lyrics to find one to use as the track for this fic. I have no regrets.

Anyway, there...I did it @ghostiewriter . You better act on your end of our bargain now. I'm waiting. 👀

Also, shoutout to @feysandfeels for telling me about the endearment "Cara Mia" which I've been told is Italian for "My Darling". This concept lives rent-free in my head.

@ssardothien @kingandfireheart @evolving-dreamer @bookologist @godscursedd @sirendeepity @gwynlaithlunel @tea-istic @polaroidsintheocean @trowen @effervescent-bean @doesitmatterseriously @deepdive-with-aurelius @wrathscannoli + the 3 people I mentioned at different points above (Liss, Saarah and Luisa...I don't want to spam your notifs more than I have to, so tagging you once seems enough. 😂)

demon gf that insists on making pacts for every little thing

HER SOUL WAS SAFE WITH HIM

All the multiples of 4 for ship questions!

💩 ship that you find disgusting: Mal and Alina from Shadow and Bone. Yeah... disgusting

👅 ship that you find most sexy: Prince Wrath and Emilia. Yeah I love them so much and I'm waiting so hard for Kingdom of the Cursed. If you haven't read Kingdom of the Wicked yet, read it!

💦 ship that is taboo: Clary and Jace from TMI. If you have read the books, you know why this is taboo. Yeah, I know they're not brothers in the end, but bro, they loved each other when they thought they were.

💢 ship that is most misunderstood: Cal and Mare from Red Queen? idk I think they're misunderstood, I mean all fandom wanted Maven to end with Mare

ask me!

Ohh myy dhdhhdhdhdh

The second hand embarrassment is bad for this one fellas,, I can’t even type. It took me 4 tries just to write the first sentence.

I’m reading kingdom of the cursed

And Wrath is bringing Emilia through the corridor of sin

The ILLUSION, i thought it was a dream but nope,, he heard her say his name. I’m dying of mortification for her.

“While your current illusion sounds wildly interesting” BOI IF U DONT STOPP 😭😭🫣 i’m only 33 pages in, how am i gonna deal with both wrath and pride interacting with Emilia😪

Live long enough to hate me for this

@acobaf and @gabriella.bujdoso on Instagram

Emilia x Wrath [ Kingdom of the Wicked ]

" I understood why some thought kissing one of the Wicked was addictive. Each time his tongue touched mine, it felt as if the ground beneath me quaked. Like we were a cataclysmic event that shouldn't be."

Happiest of birthdays to my Becca boo @silvergriff

Emilia and Wrath - Kingdom of the Wicked

Artist: @jemlin_c

“It you’d prefer to stay here, then stay. I don’t coddle.” […] “I won’t comfort. Or tend to your wounds. Emotional or otherwise. I despise —”

“I wouldn’t mind getting to know you better, either. Especially if you’re such a good friend of my Emilia’s.”

“Have you and the human ever shared a bed?”

I rolled up onto my toes, trying to see over the heads of everyone. Wrath startled me by briefly placing a hand on my back so I wouldn’t wobble.

Wrath glanced down at me, his brows drawn together. “Are you all right?”

I stared up at him, speechless at the flash of concern he was too slow to hide. He’d genuinely been worried about me.

I sat up and a blanket that had been carefully placed over me fell away. I glanced at it, frowning. I was almost positive I’d fallen asleep on top of it.

He wasn’t always the most gracious or patient nursemaid. But he was never far, always prowling around near my borrowed room in the ruined palace. Sometimes, when I was in that foggy place between sleep and wakefulness, I saw him camped out in a chair beside my bed. His hair and clothing both rumpled. Once, I thought he held my hand.

A line of sand circled around the tub along with dozens of fragant orange blossoms and plumeria. My favorite flowers. […] As I slipped deeper into the water, I finally understood why he’d brought the flowers. They weren’t meant for the ritual. They were for me.

He subtly watched as I devoured another [cannoli], seeming pleased he’d done an acceptable job at remembering the sort of human food I loved.

Wrath had a serious obsession with providing clothing for me.

“Several human years ago, something fractured the gates of Hell. We’d been told it was part of a prophecy….Then [Pride’s] beloved wife was murdered.” —Kingdom of the Wicked, chapter 30, page 242.

Okay, so I was doing a reread of Kingdom of the Wicked when I noticed this little section. Now I’m wondering: what is the timeline for this story (in regards to the curse)? My first thought when reading that something happened to the gates was when Emilia held both Vittoria’s amulet and her own when they were eight. But considering the fact that Kerri seems to be leaning very heavily into the reincarnation route, and given Nonna’s POV in the prologue, it seems more likely that Pride’s wife and her sister had already been dead for some time. So were the twins being conceived/born what weakened the gates? Especially since as an immortal, Wrath’s line of ”several human years ago” could actually mean “almost two decades ago,” and his mention of the prophecy is in relation to twin witches being born. But something about that just doesn’t really click together for me.

“But yes, I was cursed by the First Witch….My penalty for not aiding her was steeper…” —Kingdom of the Cursed, chapter 33, page 404.

The craziest theory popped into my head as I read this line, and I just have to put it out there: what if La Prima helped kill her own daughters?

Again, I know this sounds wacky, but hear me out. Both in the prologue and in the line I quoted above, it’s clear the First Witch wanted Wrath’s help with something, yet it is never specified what she needed his assistance with. I think the prologue occurs either before Pride and his wife married, or shortly afterwards. Mainly because La Prima never mentions her daughters or their deaths, or even desiring revenge against any of the demon princes. She’s just angry that Wrath has continuously refused to assist her. So what if she wanted his help breaking up Pride and his wife? I mean, who better to ask than the devil himself, King of the Wicked?

Wrath does mention in KotW that La Prima kicked her daughter out of the coven after marrying Pride (I believe he says she actually ripped away her magic, but I’m going to have to double-check that quote). Anyway, if the First Witch was so displeased by one of her daughters marrying a demon to (possibly) rip away her magic, then what would stop her from either orchestrating her daughters death, or outright killing them herself? Especially since part of La Prima’s curse on Wrath promised to take away any sort of happiness he finds, and he does indeed seem to have been happy with Emilia’s previous reincarnation. I don’t think he would have taken Emilia to the Crescent Shallows in the hope that she might remember something if they were unhappy together.

TL;DR There is a good chance that La Prima killed her own daughters because they had both fallen in love with two of the Wicked, based on context clues and my mind going crazy trying to figure every part of this series out. (Also I’m super sorry if this seems messy, I just had this thought and wanted to get this written out before I forgot.)

Next up on my list of crazy theories: why Nonna is actually La Prima.

Wrath and Emilia - Kingdom of the Wicked

Artist: @jemlin_c

This is the second piece I did for @fairyloot I also I did the foiled design on the cover 😁 hope you guys will like it xoxo character is wrath from Kingdom of the wicked by @kerrimaniscalco

“La Prima, as you call her, commanded her daughter to give up her throne, and return to her coven, but she refused. The First Witch used the darkest kind of magic to remove her daughter’s power and banished her from the coven.” —Kingdom of the Wicked, chapter 30, page 242

So I was right, La Prima did rip away her daughter’s magic. Now the question becomes: did she do it solely because she was pissed at her daughter, or did La Prima do it in preparation of murdering her daughters (so they wouldn’t be able to fight back with their magic)?

(Also, my theory about why Nonna is the First Witch will be coming out tomorrow, if anyone is interested)

“But yes, I was cursed by the First Witch….My penalty for not aiding her was steeper…” —Kingdom of the Cursed, chapter 33, page 404.

The craziest theory popped into my head as I read this line, and I just have to put it out there: what if La Prima helped kill her own daughters?

Again, I know this sounds wacky, but hear me out. Both in the prologue and in the line I quoted above, it’s clear the First Witch wanted Wrath’s help with something, yet it is never specified what she needed his assistance with. I think the prologue occurs either before Pride and his wife married, or shortly afterwards. Mainly because La Prima never mentions her daughters or their deaths, or even desiring revenge against any of the demon princes. She’s just angry that Wrath has continuously refused to assist her. So what if she wanted his help breaking up Pride and his wife? I mean, who better to ask than the devil himself, King of the Wicked?

Wrath does mention in KotW that La Prima kicked her daughter out of the coven after marrying Pride (I believe he says she actually ripped away her magic, but I’m going to have to double-check that quote). Anyway, if the First Witch was so displeased by one of her daughters marrying a demon to (possibly) rip away her magic, then what would stop her from either orchestrating her daughters death, or outright killing them herself? Especially since part of La Prima’s curse on Wrath promised to take away any sort of happiness he finds, and he does indeed seem to have been happy with Emilia’s previous reincarnation. I don’t think he would have taken Emilia to the Crescent Shallows in the hope that she might remember something if they were unhappy together.

TL;DR There is a good chance that La Prima killed her own daughters because they had both fallen in love with two of the Wicked, based on context clues and my mind going crazy trying to figure every part of this series out. (Also I’m super sorry if this seems messy, I just had this thought and wanted to get this written out before I forgot.)

Next up on my list of crazy theories: why Nonna is actually La Prima.