I’m a proper demon.
Although, I expected this to be much happier. Maybe a cheerful mother? I actually don’t feel any different.
Sadly, Mr. Bushé broke the news that none of my new features actually work. It only lasts for five hours! I sound spoiled; I mean… At least I’m a little more normal. I was expecting this to be permanent.
The doors I was supposed to cross were in the restricted area. To be more precise: The courtyard.
Mother said she sent a demon to take me over the wall. This would be my first time getting a glimpse of the outside wall. Scurrying across the hallways, I can’t help but wonder who would be picking me up. I’m only eleven but what if I’m too heavy? If they can’t pick me up? I don’t need to bother caring about things like this but I still do. It’s all my mind diverts too. It’s my default setting.
❊ ❊ ❊
I pass the restricted area and again, I’m faced with the rows of doors waiting to be explored. I have no idea if mother would let me see every room. Probably not her rooms.
I have to hurry up. Who knows what mother will do if the potion fades away. What if they see me change in front of them? Will mother be angry at me? What if they strip me of my new title?
I have to hurry up. Who knows what mother will do if that happens… Speaking of that… I should probably hurry up.
Still, I wonder what guests showed up to my coronation. Of course, I probably haven’t met anyone. That’s going to be humiliating….
I easily recognize the door that Lundo led me through earlier today. I’m still reluctant. Through the glass doors I see no evidence of life. No demon seems to be anywhere. I assume that they’re behind the large tree mother, who was crying around this evening.
Due to the different time systems, it would stay light for another few weeks. We still would call the end of this day an “evening,” for it would still mark the inevident end of the time stamp, resulting in the number twelve to turn back to one. Demons still wouldn’t sleep until the one day where it would seem more Earthian? Where it would turn dark halfway through the day. We would eventually awake to the darkness of the sky for another fifty human days.
“Prince Damian Von Choclin?” I turn around to see a boy, my age. I immediately recognize him, with the black wings and the new black ring around his head: Mionvoti Lyuoteil, the boy who had committed a series of sins to become a fallen angel.
“Mr. Lyuoteil? Are you the demon picking me up?” The answer to the question would always be no. He was probably just hanging around. Only nobles who turn into fallen angels are able to fly. By the looks of Moinvoti, he’s probably some kind of low-class angel.
“Yes, your majesty.” I wouldn’t want to ask Moinvoti how he managed to fly. Would he be noble? I don’t dare to ask, just in case it would be sensitive information to talk about, especially in Demon Domain.
“Over this way, your majesty.” He points to a padded box, fix for a king.
“Is this where I’ll sit?” I pat the mattress. For a human, this would be similar to those humans who ride those…. those… what did they call them? Was it elephanuos. No…. it was, elephants? Right, that one. That animal was in one of the forbidden books I managed to get a hold of.
I was only supposed to read chapter three, I got a quick glance at the others... I’m straying from the fact. What I mean to say is that it’s a large box with no walls. The top had a hook, which I assume is made for the coach, in this case, Moinvoti.
“Yes sir. If you please, could you climb in?” He glances at his “watch” before continuing, “It’s getting late.” Only now do I realize I had stood there with my hand on the mattress, contemplating. Moinvoti probably thought that I was judging the cloth: pure silk, similar to my robe.
“Right, sorry Mr. Lyuoteil.” This box is taller than I imagined. Fortunately, I managed to get in with some assistance.
The box contains pillows and blankets. As if someone intended to sleep on a ten-minute ride! The ride is ten minutes, right?
“Mr. Lyuoteil?”
“Yes, your majesty?”
“Is the ride ten minutes?”
“To the town? Yea, the ceremony will be held in Demoxia, if you’ve heard of that place.” Demoxia, the town of the greedy.
“Right. Is everyone already there?”
“Yes, your majesty.” Kings are presented and expected to be truthful. If I had to be I would say, Moinvoti saying “Your majesty” is slightly getting on my nerves.
Demoxia was a town perfectly situated 45° northeast of the castle. It was made so at a perfectly situated time, the shadows of the tall castle walls would provide perfect shading in the scorching summer, which, unfortunately, would be every sunny day. Even worse, the night would become penetratingly freezing temperatures. Euothia has various weather conditions. Each kingdom has its own unique climate.
In Kingdoms and Clans with Mr. Chari, we studied some of the main territories. Most major territories are northeast of Demon Domain. One kingdom is said to have snow every day. Being in Demon Domain for my whole life, I have never experienced snow. I heard, from my studies, snow was a cold white substance brought from Earth to Euothia. All I’ve wondered was how it would taste. For, I can’t experience such sensations without being in direct contact with it.
“Your majesty? We’re here.”
“Oh, wow…” I was so lost in thought I never got to see the city from the sky. Nor do I know how we got here.
Surprisingly, we seemed to have stopped in the back of a large building, a dining hall?
With the monstrous amount of distractions, I seemed to have forgotten how much more I’ve been smiling. To be honest, this is probably a record.
“You’re almost late! Prince Damian, what took so long?!” It’s mother, running across the bridge. She’s wearing a black glossy gown, an outfit father would’ve never let her wear. With father missing everyone had a little more freedom.
Mother’s always had a liking to fashion. With her tan skin and her straight chestnut hair, she could easily be mistaken for a human. As I always thought, humans had such a similar layout compared to demons. Sadly, I never got to find out if the information in my books was credible. When mother was younger she wore exactly what a normal human being would wear. Maybe she would remember Earth, like Yehain?
“You didn’t cut your hair?! What happened to Manners and Masculine?!”
“I couldn’t find the scissors with the conditions that were available...”
“Did you forget? I can sense lies, Damian Von Choclin?! Prince Damian, no, King Damian.” I stumble back, shocked when mother puts her long sharp nails up to my neck. She adds, “Why can’t you just cut the ponytail?!”
I can’t hold my mouth shut, resulting in: “I never wanted to! Can’t you see mother?! I like it this way!” I covered my own mouth, even though Mointevoti had already started running toward me to shut my mouth. Both of us know never to talk back to father, even worse, mother.
“...”
“...”
I’ve never shouted at mother like that. I put my hand on my chest. (Demons can die from major heart attacks; we have three main hearts.) I assume mother would never like such a remark, but instead, she grinds her teeth and utters, “ Fine. King Damian Von Choclin. Just remember, all of your actions are led up with consequences.” She smiled at me, heartwarming but a lie, something unusual for her status, especially in front of others.
❊ ❊ ❊
A few minutes after mother walked off, Mionvoti told me to go in. For, Mr. Bushé was already inside getting the stage ready for my appearance.
The door, which I assumed to be the entrance that Mionvoti told me to go through, was almost broken. As if the staff had slammed it constantly, due to the sensation that I’ve gotten from entering the premises. If you were unable to interpret, demons can sense high-level emotions. That’s something I can do, similar to a dark demon. Making me more normal? Would that count? Probably not… Unusually, each dark demon has different specialties. For example mother has a common power: Lie Detector. Luckily for mother, she had been the only one in her class that had been accommodated to their quirk. She was chosen for the job and had secured the title of Queen of Demon Domain. Looking back at everything I’ve known about mother, it had seemed that she worked a tremendous amount to get the position.
Anyway, the room I currently entered was dark; no ballroom insight. I know there is one. The sound fools the aura of isolationism. So loud if you pay attention, you can hear their own conversations.
“Mr. Bushé?”, I whisper. Who knows what powers these demons have? Although, I have no clue, not a single clue, what Mr. Bushé has as a power. Of course, there were some unusual situations where there could’ve been some type of magical source used. For example, when Mr. Bushé serves me my meals, he ends up serving them in seconds flat. Another thing, The Personal Butler for the Prince of Demon Domain, would be one of the hardest roles to be chosen. One would have to have specific qualities and an extremely useful quirk.
“King Damian Von Choclin, is that you?” Surprised by the new title, I stay silent. I assume that is Mr. Bushé.
“Is something wrong, my king?”
“N-no. Sorry, I blacked out.” He glares down at me, making sure he’s talking to the King of Demon Domain.
“It would be extremely unreliable if the King of Demon Domain had blacked out when responding to someone asking only of their own title?” He pats my shoulder, an action that I have since gotten used to.
When I was in my mother’s care, as I assume, Mr. Bushé wasn’t currently hired. Instead, he was currently having his interview session when I was allowed to roam around the castle for the first time. When I started…
Seven Human Years Back….
“Damian, don’t you dare go too far!” Mother always yelled at me. In fact here she starts again, “To be more precise, not outside and not near anyone!”
I never want to listen to my mother. She talks too much. Can you believe it? She gave me a piece of paper, giving me clear rules: Listen to father, obey instructions, and lastly, hide any imperfections to act like a purebred demon. To be even more contradicting, she told me those tasks were simple. I mean, of course, they are! Smile at all times? That’s what a prince had to do? My life should be so easy!
An overflow of pain hit my right eye in a split second, leading me to the ground with a loud thud. I grasp my palm to the eye as if it would affect the pain. I waited on the ground, cuddled up in a defenseless pose waiting for aid.
I don’t know how long I lay there that night, being the second day of darkness there was no light entering through the large windows. My nails, digging into the new bleeding skin. I hadn’t been aware of blood. My body was newly exposed to such pain. I only knew who found me: Mr. Jaswire Bushé, the next applicant for the job to guard me. As mother had explained to me, Mr. Bushé had taken me to her, patted my back, and gotten his job. He patted me on the shoulder when he entered the room, staring at my new found deformities. To this day, I still haven’t found out if he did that just to get the job…
The inevitable happened that day, it was assumed that blood was to come, due to the fact my wings hadn’t sprouted. The next few days consisted of multiple evaluations and doctor’s visits.
The first evaluation terrified me. Both mother and father had come along. I’d never seen them argue like they did that night. Even after the next day, they limited communication with the staff at the castle.
I realized I had been spacing out, again. I quickly respond to Mr. Bushé with “Sorry Mr. Bushé.” He sighs in response, walking off through the curtains. He turns back, glaring at me. I can’t help but assume that he wants me to follow.
The area he’s led us to is dark. I can make out to curtains that probably open up to a stage: It’s time.
“Mother yelled at you…” Started, I turn to get a glance at Mr. Bushé’s reaction. He’s grasping the rope, tightly, i-is he laughing? He shoots his face up, shocking me still. His lips twitch from a grimace to a smirk, just enough to see a sharp tooth poking under his lip. His, like mine, reflects the minimal light appearing through the cracks of the curtain, making it the perfect monster’s smile.
“Mother did that when she was just little. Hah, even after she kissed me, oh we were so little.” His face grows dark. “After she killed him…”
I shiver. What’s wrong with Mr. Bushé? Kissed, Killed? Does he know something that I don’t? Who does he mean by “him?”
I stare back at Mr. Bushé, expecting more information. Suddenly, he jerks himself up, regaining his balance and letting go of the rope. He stares at me like I’m a crime like he’s confused like he has lost a secret.
“W-what have you d-done?”
“Sir?”
“You… just… unlocked….”
“Sir?” The crowd behind suddenly gets louder. Breaking away Mr. Bushé’s train of thought, taking mine along with it.
“Just stand there, your majesty.” I obey his orders as I always do. This time, it feels different. A voice telling me I shouldn’t, a voice calling my name desperately. I shake it off as if it was nothing important.
The curtains open, just as I regain my smile and my position: The crowd silently stares.
ns 18.68.41.167da2
