Several months passed. On the outside it seemed like everything within the Demon Castle was the same way as before. However, an ember had been ignited and it was sizzling and growing with intensity each day. Each evening without fail Morrigan would talk to Alphegor about the Crown Princess Tour. She would ask him questions about it, trying to figure out more.

She could have asked Viana all those things, however by asking her father about the tour, Morrigan believed that she could subconsciously make him more amiable to the idea of her going. Initially, Alphegor wouldn't even hear of it and didn't answer anything relating to it.

But as time went on and Morrigan persisted with her questions, the King relented and slowly began telling her more and more things about the tour.

"So tell me, Father? What places did you go to when you went on this tour?" she asked during dinner which they always ate together. Sometimes some other concubines and princesses would join, Lady Lily, Lady Viviane, Viana and Deziara being the most common attendants. However, quite often they ate together – just to the two of them.

"My tour… it was so long ago. I can hardly remember it," Alphegor said thoughtfully while cutting the meat on his plate.

"But you must remember something at least," Morrigan said. She knew that demons in fact had a rather good memory. They could remember something that happened several thousand years ago in vivid detail. It only made sense. If they forgot things at the same rate humans did, then they wouldn't be able to remember most of their lives.

"I do remember that it was a very enjoyable time," he said somewhat reluctantly. Morrigan scooted closer to him with her chair, looking up at him with an expectant gaze. He sighed, and it was clear that Morrigan had won this battle. "I traveled all over the Underworld together with people who were closest to me."

"Who did you travel with?" she asked.

"Lucius was there with me, as well as several demons who currently take important positions in my court. And my younger brother as well," he said through pursed lips. The image of Phantom appeared in Morrigan's mind and she wondered whether he could have been that brother.

"I never knew I had an uncle," she said with a chuckle.

"He's been dead for a long time now."

So maybe the Phantom isn't related to Alphegor after all. There are people on Earth who look a lot like each other although they are not even related. It could be that.

"Oh. Well, can you tell me what places you visited?" Morrigan asked.

"There were many places we visited. The main reason why the tour exists is so the heir could learn about the Underworld. Both the good and the bad, so it takes us through various places."

"Who decides what places get visited? Or are the places set by tradition?"

"Some places must be visited as per tradition, however, most are chosen by the current ruler," Alphegor explained.

"So if I were to go, you'd decide where I am going," she said with a wide smile.

"You are not going," Alphegor said with a huff.

"But you promised that you'll think about it!" she whined.

"And I have thought about it. It is far too dangerous," she grumbled, but the words weren't said with the same ferocity as before.

"But you allowed Viana to go," she objected.

"Viana was…" he faltered, and Morrigan used her chance to continue her assault.

"Was Viana better than me?"

"No, of course not. Your magic is unparalleled," Alphegor said.

Good thing that Viana isn't here to hear this. While it is probably true, I bet she would feel hurt.

"So what's the problem? I've learned lots of new spells over the years. I am much stronger now."

"Viana wasn't actively targeted by anyone. You are."

"I can protect myself now. Besides, Azrael can come along," she objected, and then an idea popped into her head. "Why don't I take Haku along?"

"Haku? The dragon?" Alphegor raised an eyebrow.

"Yeah. He's been feeling rather depressed lately, so I'm sure he'd be happy to come. And a giant dragon would be a great deterrent to any would-be attackers," she explained. The King paused and pondered the idea for a moment.

"Traveling with a dragon could be troublesome, but it certainly would deter any lowly scum from attacking you," he muttered more to himself.

This book's true home is on another platform. Check it out there for the real experience.

"Exactly!"

"I still haven't decided if I will allow you to go," he growled.

"Of course, Father. I was just thinking out loud," she said with a brilliant smile. By this point, it was clear that he would let her go. It was only left to determine at what cost.

***

"Gunna, what do you think? Who should come along with me? Apparently, I'm allowed to choose whichever five people I want," Morrigan sat on the sofa of her living room with a pencil and notebook in hand.

"I don't know, Lady Morrigan. It is entirely up to you," the dwarf nanny said with a smile as she bustled about, cleaning up the living room.

"Do you want to come?" she asked.

"Oh, no! I wouldn't dare to be so presumptuous. It is supposed to be a journey where you establish yourself among your people. Taking a slave along wouldn't leave a good impression," the nanny chuckled, and Morrigan's smile disappeared.

"Slavery shouldn't exist at all," Morrigan mumbled. She quite often forgot that Gunna was in fact a slave. After all, it was only her race that differentiated her from the other maids in the Demon Castle. But the maids got paid for their work, they had families to return to at the end of the day and they were allowed to quit if they wished to do so.

But Gunna didn't earn any money. Sure, she always had clean and comfortable clothes to wear and warm food to eat. But she couldn't return to her family like the maids could. She didn't even have a place to call home.

"Oh, there you go feeling all sorry for me again," Gunna chuckled and walked up to Morrigan. "I am happy where I am, child. There is no bigger honor in this world than to see you grow strong and prosper. I wouldn't leave your side even if somebody was beating me with a stick to do so."

Morrigan threw arms around the nanny, burying her into a hug. She was taller than Gunna at this point but that didn't mean that her presence was any less comforting. After all, she was the closest thing Morrigan had to a mother.

"You really should want to have your own life, Gunna. Instead of just watching me grow," Morrigan muttered.

"Oh, shush. I like raising you and even if you are a princess you cannot take this joy away from me," Gunna said jovially, and Morrigan nodded, releasing the nanny from the hug.

"Are you sure you don't want to come along?" she asked.

"I am sure. I've never been one for traveling," the nanny waved her hand dismissively and returned back to cleaning. Morrigan sat back down on the sofa and began tapping the opened notebook with the pencil.

"Alright, I'm definitely going to need Azrael along. There are no arguments about it. Father wouldn't let me go otherwise," she said and wrote down Azrael's name in the notebook.

"Most certainly. He is one of the strongest mages in the Demon Kingdom," the nanny nodded in agreement.

"Hm… Father is the strongest in the Underworld, but I don't think he can come along," she pondered.

"No, the current ruler is not allowed to come. The tour is supposed to symbolize the heir's independence from the previous ruler, after all," Gunna explained.

"Yeah, that makes sense. Besides, he's really busy. I doubt he can just abandon all his duties to tag along," she said with a glum expression. But it didn't stay on for long as she refocused on her task.

"Alright, so I am going to take Deziara. No doubt about that. I know that she's also been itching to see the world outside these walls," Morrigan said and resolutely wrote down her sister's name.

"Lady Deziara would certainly support you no matter what," Gunna nodded as she wiped Alphegor's desk clean.

"Next – I'd like Viana to come along. She'd give me good advice no doubt and she's already been on the tour before," Morrigan said, then added after a moment of contemplation. "But since she has gone before it could also create an odd situation. Some people might take it the wrong way and believe that she actually does want to regain the Crown Princess's position."

"I believe that wouldn't be an issue, Lady Morrigan. Instead of taking her along as your sister, take her along as the next Prime Minister. It would only signify her support for your claim," Gunna said.

"Really? I guess that makes sense. You understand these things rather well, Gunna," she looked at her nanny with admiration.

"You tend to pick up a thing or two after serving the royalty for so long," she chuckled.

"Okay, then I'll write Viana down for now and talk it out with Father later. That means I have two more people I could take along," Morrigan said as she pondered who else to take.

"Didn't you want to take Haku along as well?" the nanny asked.

"I did, but most really wouldn't count Haku as a person. Doesn't he have his own special spot in all of this? Like a familiar? Or a protective beast?"

"I am not sure. You'd have to ask Master Alphegor."

"I'll write him down just in case. That leaves me with one more spot," Morrigan said after scribbling down 'Haku' in the notebook.

"Perhaps another one of your sisters?" Gunna suggested. She thought about it. It made sense to take another sister along. However, while Morrigan was on semi-decent terms with most of them, she wasn't really close with the rest of her sisters like she was with Deziara and Viana. It was also likely that they would refuse to support her on this tour instead hoping to go on their own.

"No, I think I have a better candidate," Morrigan said and wrote down 'Galandir' in the notebook. In reality, it was never a question of whether she wanted him to come. Of course, she did. He was her one true friend. Perhaps her only friend if one were to discount her sisters and Haku.

The problem was that Alphegor hated him. It was likely that the King would have long since thrown him back in the prison if Morrigan didn't defend him. In her father's defense, Galandir was rather conceited, doing largely whatever he wanted to do. After fulfilling his duties, of course.

"Is it that elven friend of yours? I should have known," Gunna turned to look at Morrigan. She had a knowing look on her face, and was grinning happily. Like a mother would when her daughter had just come home to tell her that she likes a boy for the first time.

"Gunna, it is not like that. I've told you a hundred times already. Galandir is a friend. A friend. There is nothing romantic going on between us," Morrigan grumbled. And she wasn't lying. While Galandir had grown up considerably, now being a bit taller than Morrigan, he was still a child. And having been an adult human before, she felt no attraction towards children even if they were her age.

"Well, alright, if you say so. By the way, Lady Morrigan, have you decided on the theme for your birthday party yet?" the nanny asked.

"My birthday…" Morrigan blinked as the information slowly sank into her mind. "I completely forgot about it!"