Chapter Text
A Queen Without A King - 1844
Desirée held Jean’s hand , rubbing her thumb along her knuckles as he mumbled. Bernadotte would die , she knew it , there was no way to be positive about this. He’d been bed ridden for 2 months now and he wasn’t getting any better , “Desi?”
The old queen looked up with a small smile , “My love?”
“What time is it?”
“Just gone 9 , my dear.”
The old king sighed , looking over and reaching a hand to Desirée’s face , she smiled , kissing his forehead softly , “Take care of Oskar for me , won’t you , this’ll be the longest campaign I go before seeing you again.”
They let out a small laugh between them as Desirée looked out the window , Jean’s gazed followed hers. She set his hand down on the bed and spoke once more.
“Spring is coming late this year , terribly cold out.”
“That is what we agreed to , wasn’t it , coming up north?”
“I suppose that is true , oh I do hope Julie is okay.”
“In Italy , of course she is , do you not want to visit her?”
“And leave you and Oskar here , Jean , I couldn’t.”
“Desirée , my dear Desirée.”
Desirée sighed , seeing Jean wheeze softly. A small tear slipping from her eyes , a tear she quickly brushed away with a handkerchief. Jean’s hand was cold , colder than cold when she set it down on Jean’s chest and stood up , silently and slowly leaving the room after holding down a clock’s hands.
“8th of March…1844 , at 09:00.”
She took a deep breath , walking out the room to see his closest advisers , friends and generals. She brushed her dress off a bit before nodding. The gentlemen walking it as she held a sob behind her fabric. The king was dead , and Oskar would be to rule.
Warm Welcome
From darkness to a pain in his head , Bernadotte woke up , looking around with a groan before seeing a newly decapitated head by his feet. He screamed , attempting to crawl back away when he felt a body fall on his back , quickly standing up , he huffed and looked around. Where the fuck was he , was this Hell? It didn’t take long for the late King to notice a tail protruding from his side. Jean yelled once more , hearing the sound of gunfire and explosions.
“Jesus Christ.”
He near on immediately ran into a random building , holding his mouth as 2 demon’s walked by. They looked different compared to depictions he’d seen.
“Where’s that screamer?”
“You sure you heard ‘em?”
“Course I did , you think I fucked off for no reason , come on Andre.”
Jean watched out the dusty window as they walked off , briskly exiting the building shortly after and looking up to the sky. But there was no sky , it was like a stone cavern. There was no blue sky or snowy clouds , nothing , he was in an underground realm. He walked around for a bit , watching as other tailed beings with horns hissed and eyed up each other.
Finding solace in a lively and warm looking bar…or was it a pub. Regardless “Ozzie’s Hangover House” didn’t seem too bad for a first night in Hell. Upon walking inside , he heard the sound of laughter and glasses clinking , looking around before sitting down at a stool , looking around with a raised eyebrow.
“And , you’ll have?”
“I-uh , whiskey , please.”
He squinted seeing a blonde demon pull down on a shaft and drawing a pint of whiskey before pushing it to him , “So , Baptiste is it?”
“Excuse me?”
“Ah , what was it..uh-ah yes ‘Jean Jules Baptiste Bernadotte’ right?”
“I..yes , so what is it to you?”
“Joachim suspected you’d be down here.”
“J-Joachim Murat is in Hell.”
“Course he his , look , over there.”
The Aussie pointed to what Jean first suspected to be waitress before seeing a face he knew well , “By God.”
“Heh , don’t spoil that drink of yours , I’ll tell Jo you’re here.”
Jean gave him a nod , taking a gulp of whiskey and coughing a bit , “Eugh…British.”
He looked down at the mug , hearing the in-need-of-tuning fiddles and cellos before feeling a tail flick him in the back , “What th-.”
“Bernadotte , hey , what are you doin’ here?”
It was Murat , of course it was.
“Joachim?”
“Yea , get used to it , what are you doing down here?”
“I-I don’t know myself , one minute I’m in Sweden I’m in…wherever the fuck this place is.”
“Pride ring.”
“Pride?”
“Yea , 7 rings for 7 sins , technically I should be in Lust but since when did demons follow the rules.”
“I am in Hell.”
Joachim raised an eyebrow watching Bernadotte’s tail flick to the side , “I suppose you haven’t seen yourself have you?”
Joachim handed him a shattered mirror , Jean taking it and seeing his new form , dark black hair with Red horns , “I look…younger.”
Joachim rolled his eyes , taking the mug and drinking it.
“Well , glad you’re happy , now you’ll have to meet the others.”
“Others?”
Shortly after a black woman came walking through the door with a turkey in her hand , slamming it down on a table as the bartender picked it up.
“There , that’s Ozzie and Bia , used to be Devils.”
“Devils , I thought demons and devils were the same thing.”
“Devils are demon’s with a higher title and more fight in them.”
“Ohh.”
Jean chuckled , taking the last sip of Whiskey and setting down the mug.
“Let’s hope I get there someday , huh?”
A Devil’s Dictator
He sat on his chair , holding a flask of wine in his hand as he skimmed through the paper , 2 devils coming over to him before a small exclamation , “Oww , that’s my tail you’re standing on!”
The Satan grabbed his tail , petting it as if it were a dog as 1 of the devils sat next to him , flipping his cape to the side and setting his legs on the coffee table , “Francis , your reports?”
The devil still standing nodded and began to recite all he could remember , “Alexander and Napoleon have once more been spotted by Hell’s borders , possibly discussing a plot…”
“Of course they would.”
“…Spring is coming soon and so weather will be about 10°C…”
“Oh yes.”
“Bernadotte is in Hell , dying of a st-.”
“STOP.”
The caped Devil looked up as the Satan held up his hand.
“Arthur…every-.”
“Shut up , Fredrick , what did you say?”
“Bernadotte is dead and in Hell?”
“As in…Jean Baptiste?”
“Yes.”
“Good.”
Arthur took a sip from the flask before setting it down on the coffee table and standing up , “Fredrick , how good are you at taking people hostage?”
He was about to speak when he stopped himself , shaking his head to the disappointment of the Satan.
“Francis , be sure to bring Jean to me alive , and by any means.”
“Yes , sire.”
Arthur nodded at the 2 before retiring to his bedroom for the night.
“‘Any means’?” Fredrick looked at Francis with a confused look , “So , do tranquillisers?”
“Oh no no no , I have a better idea my insolent friend.”
“Hey!”