"It's not just for divination you know," Bell commented while shuffling the well worn deck of cards. Their muscle memory conflicted with their gloves, but they figured they'd readjust in time. "It's a full trick-taking card game."
In the opposite corner of the room, Amdusias was curled up in a pile of cushions. He had stolen them from all over the castle in order to make something akin to a bed for himself in the apparent absence of one provided otherwise. His worm-like body weaved through the gaps in the pile, making it impossible for Bell to know how he was contorted. His head was laid upon a cushion low to the floor. He watched Bell with a curious eye but didn't lift his head from its resting spot.
"I know trick-taking games have fallen a bit out of fashion, but my mentor Cicada did teach me how to play. I was never very good," Bell sighed as they finished their shuffling.
This room was a mostly unused meeting room that Amdusias had converted into his personal quarters. Bell heard he had apparently had an argument with some of the court staff when they had discovered their meeting place had been overtaken by the demon, but they could do little to fight back against him. Everyone in the castle feared Amdusias, he was the only demon fully bound to the castle grounds. The reason for which was only known by the King and Prince Cyrus.
The air in the room was uncomfortable, Bell trying their best to ignore all of it. Prince Cyrus had dismissed them in a fit of frustration, leaving Bell with nothing to do for the afternoon. This was a feeble attempt to "make up" with Amdusias after their encounter in the garden last week.
Bell adjusted themself on their stool and fixed the table runner that was far too small for the table they sat at. This furniture had been pulled in from the hall by Bell so that they would have a place to sit and act.
"Would you like me to do a reading for you?" Bell finally asked. "I can do a standard spread for your past, present, and future."
Amdusias continued to watch Bell, a lidless reptilian stare, keying on on the minute movements of Bell swallowing and the anxious shaking of their knee. He said nothing, making the tension in Bell's neck feel worse.
After what seemed like a lifetime, Amdusias' body slithered out from his cushion pile. His pale white body moved between the fabric in a way that reminded Bell of snakes slipping through grass or sand, disturbing little of the space around them.
He didn't so much as "walk" as pulled his limp body across the floor with his six limbs, his head sunk low so that his hair dragged on the floor. To Bell, he gave the impression of being tired and lethargy, but his gaze remained piercing and attentive. They didn't know what piece of the picture to trust, or even if it was wise to trust a creature like Amdusias at all.
"A mortal play at fate..." He hissed as he placed himself on the table opposite to Bell. There was a playfulness to his tone. His long body coiled around itself to save space. "You know, simply summoning a demon would yield more accurate results. You just have to get one that doesn't lie."
Bell's confidence wavered a little bit. "That might be true, but many don't have access to the tools to safely do that."
The logic made Amdusias' eyes narrow. Just as Bell wasn't used to having demon associates, it seemed Amdusias wasn't used to having people that could rebuke his uncomfortable comments.
"Mortals are so interesting... Using randomness and imagery that are interpreted into facts," Amdusias chuckled a little. "Fine then, give me a 'reading' as you said. I'm sooo interested to know what it will say."
Bell picked up the deck of cards and spread them out in a fan toward Amdusias.
"Pick a card. It will represent your past," Bell said.
Amdusias leaned in and eyed each of the cards. With one of his clawed fingers, he tapped one of the cards. Bell took it out and placed it face down on the table.
"Now pick a card that will represent your present."
Amdusias repeated the process and Bell once again took the card out and placed it on the table.
"Finally, pick a card that will represent your future."
Amdusias seemed to regard the cards with a little more scrutiny this time. Bell was almost worried he could see straight through the cards. They had no idea what powers Amdusias possessed, but x-ray vision didn't seem too outside of the realm of demon abilities.
Amdusias finally picked the card on the far right under Bell's thumb. Bell removed the card, placing it on the table and set the remaining deck off to the side.
"So first, your past," Bell said flipping over the first card. The Eight of Cups stared back.
"Eight of Cups can often represent disappointment or betrayal. It speaks to misplaced trust in others." Bell pointed directly to the imagery on the card. "Look at the cups stacked precariously while the figure walks away. Things came crashing down while you least expected it, and it still hurts."
Amdusias said nothing, causing Bell to look up. They met a cold stare. Bell could've figured all of this without the card. Being a demon in this castle meant that you were summoned and bound to the grounds of the castle to serve the royal family. Some demons in the castle like Bune, Bifrons, or Leraje had grown to find their lives here comfortable despite the initial circumstances. They eventually gained the trust of the court to allow their seals to be modified to allow a greater freedom of movement. Amdusias had been here longer than even Bifrons, however he refused to find any common ground between himself and the royal court.
Bell's gaze drifted downward and to the next card on the table.
"Next is your present," Bell's voice wavered slightly. They hoped there wasn't another personal attack waiting for them to reveal underneath.
The card that lay in the center of the spread was the Three of Swords, reversed.
"Typically the Three of Swords represents draining relationships and bad breakups. However, being reversed means that relationships are getting better and feelings are being mended over the difficult emotional situations you've been put through." Bell's voice cracked toward the end, realizing the meaning behind their words as they were saying it.
Bell looked up and Amdusias' face was always hard to read, but there was a tinge of interest in his eyes. Did this card reference this very moment? Bell coming here to mend what they saw was a faux pas? The brief thought crossed Bell's mind if this reading was for Amdusias or for themself.
Bell felt they were silent for a moment too long and quickly flipped over the last card. Death.
"Your future, Death," they said looking down at the table. "Death? Oh um..."
"I'm guessing it does not mean an actual death," Amdusias finally chimed in. Him breaking his silence during these proceedings snapped Bell out of their swimming thoughts.
"You're right, it doesn't foretell your death, everything is figurative. It can mean the end of something you've been working on, the end of a relationship, or something like that. It is the portent of change in its simpliest idea, because you do not just end things without an afterward," Bell said, their confidence returning. "It is the reminder of the cycle of life and death, the cycle of the seasons, that there is always something afterward. It may be good or it may be bad, but things will pass eventually, in time."
Amdusias made a grunt of understanding. His head swayed in contemplation, eyes averted from Bell while they stared upwards at him.
"I apologize for my... manhandling in the garden," He finally said. "I was curious about the new addition to the castle and when you didn't react in fear or disgust, it just made me even more interested."
"I understand," Bell replied.
"I probably deserved that punch to the snout. Not the first time I've had someone do that while in this castle," He said, slinking back to his corner of cushions. "Thank you, weird little Bell. You've given me some things to think about. Perhaps you can do 'a reading' for me again in the future."
"Yes, I would enjoy that if you'd let me. I haven't been able to do tarot readings since I came to the castle so I'm always eager to do them."
"Also, you should teach me the card game as well. I am not very familiar with the leisure activities of humans," Amdusias' sentence was punctuated by the air deflating out of the cushions as he flopped down upon them. "I'm sure I could make your time spent with me well worth the effort." There was a creeping smile in the corner of his mouth that Bell didn't know how to interpret.
"Yes, I'd be willing to come back if Prince Cyrus releases me from work again," Bell said as they quickly packed up their belongings on the table. They were going to have to leave the table itself, but felt the invitation from Amdusias was enough for them to leave it for the time being.
Reaching the door, Bell hesitated. "Forgive me, I'm a bit curious," they began. "Who else has punched you in the face besides me?"
Bell turned around and could barely see Amdusias' snout poking out from under a freshly assembled pile. The rest of his body peeked out and weaved between the mismatched fabrics.
"Oh, that would be Cyrus," he barely moved his mouth to speak. "He also punched me the first time he met me."
A shiver ran through Bell's body. They nodded and left the room swiftly.