Just as everyone was beginning to eat again, two newcomers arrived. One looked familiar to Rachel. She looked very much like Lilith with red skin, a serpent tail instead of legs, and goat horns. She also haid black-feathered wings like Maisy and Astaroth did. She wore only a tiny bra made from polished brass and a matching tiara. Rachel remembered that this was Princess Proserpina Morningstar, Lucifer's oldest daughter and the Archduchess of the First Circle.
The other woman had inky black skin and glowing silvery-white hair. Four wings made from a silvery light spread out from her back. Most striking of all, the woman's jet black skin was speckled with countless shiny dots of light that looked like constellations of shimmering stars. Like Rachel and Maisy, she was completely nude.
"There she is, Nocticula," Proserpina said, pointing. "That's Lady Tenebra. But you should probably call her Rachel; she likes that."
"Proserpina! Nocticula!" Maisy called out, waving. "You're just in time for breakfast." She turned to Rachel. "You remember Proserpina from the party last night, right? She's Archduchess of the First Circle. The one with all the stars on her body is Nocticula, Dad's eighth daughter. She's our court astronomer."
"I'm glad this is an informal occasion," Nocticula smiled as she settled into a chair and filled her plate. "I hate having to wear clothes."
"Why?" asked Rachel.
"I can't stand covering up even a single one of my lovely stars," Nocticula said, gesturing at her body and its numerous pinpricks of astral light.
"She's a nightmare for the court tailors," Proserpina laughed.
"Beelzebub's not coming, right?" Nocticula asked nervously. "I'm not staying if that bastard's eating with us."
"Bad blood?" asked Rachel.
"To put it mildly!" Nocticula scoffed.
"Dad made Nocticula the heiress to the Eighth Circle," Proserpina explained. "Beelzebub's furious one of his own children wasn't picked."
"I'm sure it can all be smoothed over in time," said Lucifer. "In spite of all the accusations being flung at him lately, I'm sure that my old friend is an honorable man."
"I still think he'd like nothing better than to murder me," Nocticula sniffed.
"He might be a little preoccupied with me if Baal and Michael's suspicions are correct," said Rachel.
"Yes, I heard about the murder attempt," Nocticula said. "You poor thing!"
"It's always a shock when one of the highest nobility is endangered," said Proserpina. "It shook Hell to its core when a pre-treaty angelic raid killed Archduke Azazel and I became the new ruler of the First Circle."
"Do I really count as the highest nobility?!" gasped Rachel.
"You are officially Lady Tenebra," said Lilith. "You are engaged to my ninth and highest ranking daughter. Few can consider themselves higher than you."
"No wonder Beelzebub's trying to kill you," Enoch remarked.
"Enoch, I have no reason to suspect Beelzebub," Lucifer said firmly. "All signs point to Cruciata being the ringleader of the plot to send the Iron Knights after Rachel and her mother."
"I don't know why you always believe that asshole's bullshit, but whatever," sighed Enoch.
"It's good to see you again, Enoch," said Nocticula. "Where have you been this time?"
"Tokyo," said Enoch. "You should see how technologically advanced it is! It makes Hell look like a joke in that department. It seems to me that we could all learn something from humans."
"Beelzebub wouldn't be too happy to hear you say that," Nocticula smirked. "Not any of his uptight friends either."
"Let the court conservatives think what they will," said Enoch. "The fact is that God was seriously onto something when he created humans."