Archive of Our Own ^beta

The note was short, but it got the king's attention.

Prince Stolas requires your assistance. The matter is of upmost importance.

Without a second thought, King Paimon used a teleportation spell and once again finds himself within the mansion that one of his sons will inherit. It's hard to keep track of all the names of his many children, but he does what he can to help them if they require it.

Hence why he's here.

As his form takes to the owl form and he sees the imp butler standing before him, Paimon looks down at the butler who stands waiting for orders. It takes a few moments before the Goetia asks, “I have received the note that was sent, Mr. Butler.”

“Of course, your majesty,” Mr. Butler replies as he bows, “His highness is waiting for you in his bedroom.”

Strange. Normally if his children require something of him they would be in a meeting room. But he'll overlook this improper arrangement for the moment as the butler leads him to his son's room.

“A quick question, Mr. Butler,” Paimon says, “Prince Stolas is...”

“The owl boy, sir,” the imp answers instantly.

“Ah, yes...yes of course,” the Goetia replies, nodding his head, “The owl boy.”

“Yes, your majesty,” Mr. Butler simply says, “And his highness wishes for this to be between you two. None of the staff, including myself, have seen him for the past two weeks.”

Hearing that makes Paimon blink in slight shock especially given the upcoming events which will be happening. Mostly the full moon when he needs to read his first prophecies, but there's also the matter of his upcoming marriage to Lady Stella. If he's avoiding the staff and only wished to let him see him, the owl boy must have a serious problem in regards to his health or state of mind.

Whatever it is, the king just hopes that he can fix things quickly and move on given that he has his own duties and other problems to handle.

Upon reaching the door of the bedroom, Mr. Butler knocks on the door as Paimon stood close to it as he waited. Soon, he heard the prince's muffled voice from the other side.

“Yes?”

“Prince Stolas, King Paimon is here.”

“Send him in, please.”

Mr. Butler looks to the king who simply nods as the latter reaches for the door knob and turns it as he proceeds to step into the room. He turns to see the butler who dutifully gives a nod as Paimon closes the door quietly before he turns.

Sitting in the bed is his son, just about average height for an Ars Goetia about to turn eighteen with him holding his red bed sheet over much of his body. The king sees his son looking up at him with a mix of terror and anxiety, definitely something which was unbecoming of a prince. Maybe he should have his son checked out for anything that might need medication just in case it's a problem.

“I've gotten your message, Stefen,” Paimon says as he walks to the bed.

“Stolas, father,” the prince reminds him.

“Stolas, yes, my bad,” the older owl replies, feeling a bit awkward for a moment before pushing past it as he reaches the bed, “What do you require my assistance with?”

Stolas looks at his father and glances away before forcing himself to look back as his body begins to shake. To the king, this simple act speaks volumes.

An obvious red flag that something has happened and requires far more than a simple talk.

“Father, I must ask you something first,” Stolas says as he tries to stay calm, “Please...please don't harm me or think less of me for what I require your help with.”

Definitely something big. It does make Paimon raise an eyebrow, but knowing that this might become a delicate situation means that he should approach it as such. Better to figure out what's going on and the details before simply jumping to a solution to it. Something that Lady Stella's father and younger brother would probably fail to handle properly if put into his situation.

Really, that blessed marquis and his family were a handful at times.

Quickly brushing the thought aside, Paimon closes his eyes for a moment before opening them up as he raises a hand into the air. He keeps it raised as he says, “I solemnly swear that I will not harm you or think less of you based on the reasoning that you called me for.”

Stolas watches and blinks as his eyes begin to water before he nods as he turns down to look down at the bed where his legs are. The king lowers his hand which goes back to be under his cloak as the older owl takes a silent breath as he braces himself for whatever is about to happen.

“Now,” he finally says to his son, “What do you need my help with?”

He remains still for a moment, but a soft hiccup comes from the younger owl as he carefully moves the bed sheet off him to reveal his naked body to his father. Upon doing so, Paimon quickly has his eyes examine his son's body before his jaw goes slack as his eyes widen as he sees his son's belly.

There is a small bump, a key feature of a gravid Ars Goetia.

Oh, this is a scandal. A big potential one, which makes this far worse than anything that he could have expected. After all, a male Ars Goetia becoming gravid and possibly getting ready to lay so soon before his marriage? No matter who sired the egg, it's a massive problem which could easily bring his son to ruin if nothing is done.

Acting cautiously, the king sits down on the bed and gently brings the younger owl with his right arm as his left hand moves to use magic to examine the egg inside his son. However, Stolas quickly covers the bump with his arms on instinct which does shock the older owl though he thinks nothing of it. Paimon has seen many expecting Ars Goetia who have acted in defense of their progeny so seeing his son act like this isn't surprising.

“What happened?” Paimon asks, needing details before he could think about how to act.

Stolas looks up as tears roll down his face – he shouldn't be crying, but he couldn't hold it back – and he asks, “Father, do you...remember that...imp boy you hired for my birthday?”

Yes, the imp he bought for five souls and a condom. He won't mentioned it, but he remembers it as he says, “Yes, the imp who stole all those worthless trinkets. What about him?”

“Well, he...he came to meet me about a month ago...to vent a bit,” Stolas explains as he cries, “We...we had a bit of imp alcohol and...and after a few drinks...I kissed him and...and...”

Instantly, the king figures out what had happened given the state of his son. He isn't even bothered by the fact that the prince might be gay, given that he seemed more attracted to male Ars Goetia than females. However, there is one question he needs to know about this situation.

“Stolas...did he force himself upon you?”

“NO!” the young owl shouts before he immediately shrinks and whispers, “No, I...I asked him to take me. I...wanted to know...what it was like...”

Yep, this is definitely a massive scandal. Even though Paimon trusts his son's word, no one else would and try to use the excuse to ruin the prince while also killing the imp for “harming” him. And even the laws of the Ars Goetia protecting any child – be they legitimate or bastards – could be ignored due to the child's lineage. And that's assuming the egg is viable as even one without any life could be used to ruin the prince.

As his son cries and hiccups, the king gently shushes him and he hugs the prince while gently rubbing their back. Paimon lets out a soft series of hoots and whistles as a form of song to help calm Stolas who lays against his father's chest. The younger owl sucks in air as he tries to calm down and his tears land on the older owl's clothes which he pays little attention to.

When Stolas calms a bit, Paimon takes a breath as he asks, “Stolas...does anyone else know about this?”

“No...I've tried to ensure no one saw me,” the prince says, trying to will his body to not shake as his tears finish falling.

“Then you'll come to my mansion so you can be safe,” the king quietly tells him, “I'll help you through this and after you lay so that you will be okay. Hopefully you'll be better by the time your wedding day comes.”

“O-Of...of course, father,” Stolas whispers, “But...I...I can't imagine Stella would...even wish for it...”

“If you wish, I can watch the egg and raise the child should one be viable,” the older owl states, “I will ensure nothing happens to them. I promise.”

The younger owl simply nods as he slowly hugs the king back which makes the king shiver but he allows it. His son needs him now more than ever and it's his duty as a father to ensure that the owl is safe and healthy.

As they remain there, Paimon gently rubs his beak through the hair feathers on his son's head. They'll need to leave soon, but his son needs comfort before they do so. After all, it's what a father should do for their child.