The boy got rid of Morrigan's forcefield so swiftly that she didn't even register what he did to destroy it. She whirled around and then seized him with her levitation ability. It was rather tough levitating a moving, resisting person, but it was enough to stop the boy from reaching any further.

"Will you stop that? I am not just going let you waltz into my room!" she grumbled, sweat forming on her forehead as she tried to keep hold of the levitation spell. But the boy redoubled his efforts, and Morrigan was forced to drop him.

"Your room? Why would I want to sneak into your room," he retorted.

So he doesn't know these are the King's living quarters? But what else could he be searching for? The Royal Treasury? Could the fallen have sent him to steal some magic gemstones?

"If gems are what you're looking for then you won't find any in this room."

The elven boy paused, narrowing his eyes at her as if to assess whether she was telling the truth. After a while, it appeared he came to an entirely wrong conclusion and sprinted towards the door.

That suicidal little maniac. He's going to get himself killed.

Morrigan turned into a shadow and bolted towards him. However, before she could reach him, the elf lifted his hand and created a glowing orb of light. The glow coming from it was so strong that Morrigan couldn't remain in her shadow form and materialized. The feeling was so abrupt, that she felt nauseous for a moment.

"Wha… What did you do?" she gasped, trying to catch her breath.

"Just created a bit of sunlight," the boy smirked and ran straight into the hallway that led to Morrigan's room. She hurried after him, shielding her eyes from the bright light he still held in his hand. There were currently no guards at the door as it was the exact moment when they changed shifts.

How did he time his arrival so perfectly with the time the guards change shifts? The fallen must have ordered him to do so and given him the necessary information to succeed. But how did they find out? In either case, I have to stop him before he does something foolish and gets himself killed. He's just a child after all.

"Stealing whatever you were ordered to steal will not buy your freedom," Morrigan called, her voice filled with bitterness as she remembered Faenor. The elf had traded knowledge of Morrigan's true identity for his freedom, but Asdeus had sent him straight into the Dead Bog. Most likely, he never made it out alive. The boy stopped and looked at Morrigan with intense hatred.

"So what? Am I supposed to just accept being a slave? Just enjoy being puppeteered by the likes of you for the rest of my life. No way!" he spat.

"So instead you choose to throw away your life on a foolish errand nobody will ever appreciate you for. You know if somebody besides me catches you here, you're as good as dead."

"I'd rather die trying than not have tried at all."

Morrigan opened her mouth to speak when she heard familiar footsteps resound through the hallway. The elf didn't seem to have noticed and kept glaring viciously at her.

Oh no! If Father catches him here then he really is as good as dead.

She lunged towards him and then took a firm hold of his hand. He stared at her in shock and was about to shake her off when Alphegor appeared from around the corner. The King stopped dead in his tracks and stared at the scene before him. The elf visibly paled, sweat trickling down his forehead.

"Morrigan? What's going on?" Alphegor asked, glaring icy daggers at the boy.

"I'm just showing him around the castle, Father," she replied with a smile. Morrigan knew that Alphegor could probably see through her lie, but she also knew that he wouldn't press the matter if she insisted that everything was fine. Probably.

"Showing a slave from the Fallen Kingdom around the castle?" Alphegor arched his eyebrow. Morrigan crossed her arms over her chest.

"Slaves are people too. And this boy is just around my age. When's the last time I actually had a chance to talk to my peers?" she retorted, and Alphegor actually looked a bit guilty for a moment.

"Well… You have many sisters to talk to."

"That's different. I want friends, not just sisters."

"Does it have to be a boy?" Alphegor narrowed his eyes, glaring at the poor elf again.

Oh, please don't tell me he's going to be like one of those dads who never lets his daughters date anybody. I'm not even old enough for that yet.

"It doesn't matter if it's a boy or a girl. Now I will escort him back to his room as it has gotten rather late. Well, shall we talk more tomorrow… err… " Morrigan realized she didn't even know the boy's name, and turned to him for help.

"G-Galandir," he stammered, his eyes glued to the menacing king before him.

"Yes, I was just about to say Galandir. I shall return to my room in just a moment, Father," Morrigan said and began pulling Galandir through the corridors. She felt a sort of menacing aura coming from behind but decided to ignore it and march on. As she led the boy ahead by his hand, she felt him shiver slightly.

Stolen from its rightful place, this narrative is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings.

"I warned you," she sighed. As if coming out of trance, he yanked his hand free and glared at her.

"Don't expect me to thank you," he snarled and then bounded downstairs without looking back.

"I wasn't…" she muttered, and then turned into a shadow, speeding back to her room.

I swear, a little bit of gratitude wouldn't kill him. But it's fine. At least I won't have to witness child murder this evening.

As Morrigan materialized into the shared living room, Alphegor was pacing around it and mumbling something to himself.

"Are you alright, Father?" she said, cocking her head to the side.

Perhaps, there was trouble with the fallen after the dinner. Or maybe he is thinking about the competition. Was there a complication?

"Oh, Morrigan. You're back. That was fast," His bad mood evaporated and he pulled her into a hug. She giggled as his long hair tickled her face.

"Yes, I just showed Galandir the way back to his room," she said. She felt a bit bad about lying, but there was no real need to escort him back. If he managed to successfully locate her room without ever visiting the castle before, then his own guest room should pose no issues. Or the slave quarters that were probably assigned to him for the time being.

"Morrigan, you are still very young. You don't have to hurry with your choice. In fact, it is alright for you not to choose anybody for a hundred years. No, two hundred years," Alphegor held her tiny shoulders and looked at her with unyielding seriousness.

Oh, no! He really is the overprotective sort. This will be tough once I am older.

"Do not worry, Father. You're the only one I need!" she said, and Alphegor hugged her again.

"That's right! I'm so glad you understand, Morrigan!" He patted her hair, and she couldn't help but smile. After a while, Morrigan broke free of his embrace.

"Father, can I ask you something?"

"Of course. Anything," Alphegor said, and sat down on the couch, his king persona disappearing into the cushions as his expression and stature relaxed.

"I was wondering about the competition that happens during the Festival. Deziara and Lady Lily suggested that I participate," she said somewhat timidly.

"I don't see why not. Do you not want to?"

"I'm just a bit worried. Isn't it dangerous?"

"No. It was made to be a fun experience for watchers and participants alike. While some tasks might seem more dangerous than others, there are demons on site that will be monitoring everything. Azrael is one of them."

Morrigan relaxed and sat down on the sofa across from her father.

If Azrael is there as a security measure, then I should be fine. His oath will compel him to protect me in the worst case scenario.

"That's reassuring. Can you tell me more about it?" she asked.

"What do you want to know? I can tell you about the way the competition went the last time, but the tasks themselves change every time."

"Aren't you the one determining the tasks?"

"No, it's the Culture Minister's job to do that. He's done a marvelous job every single time, so I entrusted him with it. Although he is rather old. I might need to find a replacement for him by the time the next Festival comes."

"So you don't know what is going to happen this year?" Morrigan leaned forward.

"I do like to experience some surprises once in a while. But I can still recount what happened during previous Festivals," Alphegor smiled. She thought about it for a moment and then shook her head.

"No. I think I would rather leave it as a surprise. If you say it's not dangerous, Father, then I'll trust you and do my best when the competition arrives."

Alphegor nodded approvingly, "I believe you should be able to win if you're careful and apply your knowledge correctly. You have all the tools you need. You just have to use them properly."

"I shall, Father!" Morrigan said resolutely, getting both nervous and excited.

***

Morrigan woke up with a fuzzy feeling running through her stomach. Despite it being early morning, she could already hear busy rustling and chattering both within the castle and outside its windows. The Festival was here. She rang the bell by her bedside to summon Gunna and other maids.

I have to look my absolute best today. Father is going to give the opening speech and while I won't have to speak, I will have to stand alongside him.

The thought of standing in front of a giant crowd made her nervous, so she took a deep breath and exhaled to calm her nerves. She repeated the breathing exercise until she heard a soft knock on the door.

"Lady Morrigan, it is Gunna. May I come in?"

"Come in," she replied. The nanny had a big smile on her face as she carried the traditional Festival dress worn by nobles and royalty. It resembled a Japanese kimono a little bit, except that the fabric wasn't as thick and restrictive. And of course, it was mostly black with a muted red dragon motif weaving through it. Homage to the first Nactstern King.

"Are you ready for the Festival?" the dwarf woman asked, her eyes shining with excitement.

"As ready as I'll ever be," Morrigan replied with as much conviction as she could muster.

"Good. You have nothing to worry about. Your main task is to enjoy yourself," the nanny hummed as she began to untangle Morrigan's bed head.

"And not make a fool of myself in front of foreign diplomats. Also not to fail the competition to an extent that would make demons look down on me. Also, try not to cause a war."

"Please, do not worry. A crown princess you may be, but remember that you are first and foremost a child. Nobody expects a child to solve international problems. That is the King's job. Your job is to support him and enjoy yourself," Gunna gently stroked her head, and the warmth from her hand helped Morrigan to relax.

"Yes. I'll try to do my best," she said firmly. Gunna hummed and began combing Morrigan's hair.

A moment later another knock sounded on the door, louder and stronger than before, "Morrigan, I am coming in!"

Alphegor strode inside, wearing the light underrobe meant for the Festival. There would be another layer on top – an extravagant red robe with a black dragon motif. Morrigan was sure that nobody would be able to match the King in terms of looks.

"How are you feeling today, Morrigan?" he asked and took the hairbrush from Gunna, who silently moved aside with a bowed head.

"Nervous, excited, worried, anxious and curious," she grinned, and the King laughed.

"I understand. It is your first Festival so it's only natural that you are nervous. But remember no matter what happens, I'll be right there beside you," Alphegor said as he combed Morrigan's hair.

"It is Deziara's first festival too. She must also be feeling nervous. Perhaps you could go reassure her as well," Morrigan spoke up, and Alphegor nodded.

"Yes, I was considering that. I shall go do that while you get ready," Alphegor said, the hair brush gently flowing through Morrigan's hair. "And remember you are the Crown Princess! The highest standing person in this Kingdom besides myself. Keep your head high and your spirits even higher."