Queen Yewsher glanced around as she was led through the palace corridors by guards and a woman with a strong presence, with her entourage following closely. The entrances and exits were well-protected, the corridors were labyrinthine, and guards filled every corner. Also she could feel the gazes on her from the shadows.
It was unmistakably the palace of the Demon King. The environment they were currently in contrasted sharply with her own palace’s bright, vivid corridors of porcelain, jade, and gold hues. This place felt suffocating and unsettling, as if it was designed not to hide the underlying intrigue and malice but to emphasize it further.
The queen wrinkled her nose. No matter how much you conceal a beast, it remains a beast. Becoming more refined and social didn’t make demons any less demonic. They had merely learned to mask their vile nature, the reminder of the cursed blood that flowed in their veins. Yet, just as an artist’s inner world is reflected on their canvas, these dark, stifling walls, and the bizarre paintings and sculptures were the primary reflections of their grotesque, graceless, and beauty-lacking souls.
As they turned another corner and she observed the doors locked with rune stones, she thought of the princess they had just met. She wasn’t as expected. Through the spies she had stationed in the palace, Queen had only heard a few things about princess. A little girl who struggled to express her emotions and dealt with matters far beyond her age. A lonely princess, ignored—or even dismissed—by her father, the king, for being born with only one horn and scorned by the nobles.
Queen Yewsher had expected her to be a timid and unsure little girl, though her aggressive demeanor toward her wasn’t out of an attempt to crush her due to her weakness.
However, the person standing before her wasn’t what she had anticipated. She acted much more mature than her age, as if her body had been stuck in her child form for a long time, but deep inside, she was becoming a grown person. Such a demeanor was overwhelming, even for the usually composed queen. For the first time, she allowed herself to be provoked. She lowered herself to intimidate a child. It was truly a disgraceful situation that hurt her pride and honor. On top of that, the fact that this small girl, barely reaching her waist, remained indifferent to her intimidation and responded as if nothing had happened was an entirely different matter. The queen had observed her using her 'mana perception' and noted that the girl’s life force had increased slightly in both the theurgic and physical domains. However, while unexpected for a child, it wasn’t significant enough to take seriously.
So, what made her so confident?
Even her own men couldn’t withstand the slight release of her aura, yet this girl approached her as if it was nothing.
She did not feel fear? She did not sense any pressure in her body? Even after getting that close, she did feel no pain or discomfort?
These were the first things that surprised her, yet they were not what truly made the elf queen feel fear. Neither the girl’s unyielding demeanor, her emotionless gaze, nor anything else could frighten someone centuries old. No, aside from all of this, for a very brief moment, the queen felt something. Something that even made her heart skip a beat.
As the girl glared at her, she felt the weight of another pair of eyes, deep inside within the princess, with a pressure strong enough to burn her soul.
Who are you, really? No, what are you, princess?
Maintaining her composed expression, the queen, with guards ahead of her and her entourage behind, finally reached the wide doors of the Demon King’s throne room.
The wide throne room doors were knocked on three times by the demon woman leading them. At last, a deep, resonant voice called from inside, “Come in!” The guards opened the door slightly, allowing only the demon woman to pass through.
Hmm, the Demon King dares to make me wait.
A few minutes later, the woman returned, giving a slight bow before the queen. Her gaze was calm and steady. “The King awaits you. Only you,” she stated pointedly as she looked at the elf queen.
Queen Yewsher nodded slightly, disregarding the concerned looks of her attendants and child. She then turned to her chief attendant, dressed in purple robes and wearing a veiled face, and whispered in her ear, “Keep your eyes and ears open. Watch over Tee’yhan.” Before entering the room, she gently stroked Tee’yhan’s golden hair, which was reminiscent of her own.
The demon woman stepped aside to let the queen pass, and only after she entered did her eyes, a mix of red and purple, turn to the veiled woman in the purple robes leading the elf entourage. While gesturing down the corridor with her hand, she offered, “How about I show you around the palace?” Her voice was as natural as her gaze.
The veiled woman narrowed her eyes at her before shaking her head briefly in response.
The demon woman’s gaze moved among the queen’s entourage, which consisted of seven people in total, finally landing on the young child who was staring anxiously at the door.
He looks to be the same age as the princess. Perhaps he could become a good friend for her?
Love this story? Find the genuine version on the author's preferred platform and support their work!
Setting aside her thoughts, she also nodded slightly in response to the suspicious look on the elf woman’s face.
Very well, I’ll watch over you from here then.
...
When the queen entered with slow steps, the doors slammed shut behind her, leaving her in the deep silence of the vast throne room. As she continued walking, the first thing she did was begin to observe her surroundings. Each graceful step she took created a faint echo that filled the silence.
The vast room was illuminated by numerous lanterns placed around, casting ominous shadows that formed yellowish patterns on the walls, leaving much to the imagination. It felt as though a ritual was taking place in this immense space. In the parts of the walls that could be seen, there were dark red symbols—almost black—whose meanings even she didn’t know. In several areas, there were tall pillars adorned with multiple horned animal skulls. These skulls, despite the lack of any wind, mysteriously clattered against each other.
Although the queen felt her skin prickle, she didn’t show it. She continued walking forward, keeping her steady and graceful demeanor while narrowing her eyes to scan the room.
"Zytråk Gé'jj-hu da; Dëpgål Ykëw'sher Ræq Dëîl:" When the queen turned her gaze toward the voice, she saw a tall, dark figure at the far end of the room, looking out through a slightly parted curtain at the window.
There was no doubt about who that figure was. The queen couldn’t help but be impressed. Who could have known that the Demon King would know Elvish—which, given the neighboring allied kingdoms, was not unusual—but would choose to use Hyrid, the Elvish tongue, instead of Lidin, the common language mentioned in the Daetrox’s early proclamations. Of course, his rough accent did not suit the elegant language of the elves.
As for the translation, he was saying, “Welcome to my palace, Queen Yewsher Ryk Del.”
As the queen approached the figure, she responded in the demon language, "Iyrn-t'deer, Gax'traj Yuçā Grïy Döhk, Iyrn-t'deer, Hgār'Ra Fooñ, Qhatan Aidz Hū Baūl." It meant, “It’s been a long and tiring journey; I hope it’s worth it, King Aidz Hū Baūl.”
The demon language was not as complex as Elvish; in fact, apart from some interwoven words, it was rather simple. Often, every action was prefaced with "to do, to be, to go, to see" with Iyrn-t'deer, and then the meaning of the action was interpreted through the semi-attached noun and conjunctions, as well as half gestures and hand movements. It was terrible for written communication, and for a language supposedly created by the demons' deity Iblis, it was rather shallow.
His daughter Daetrox had been farsighted enough to develop the common language, Lidin, because she understood that her people would face communication problems with other races and even among themselves in the future. The elf queen thought that these days, only peasants spoke the demon language. When she arrived in the city, she heard almost everyone speaking Lidin, except for a few exceptions. In fact, Lidin could be considered their primary language.
But why did the queen know this language? The answer likely lay in her having too much free time when she was younger and believing that the more knowledge she acquired, the better. In this way, she wasn’t so different from Princess Reagan, who spent hours in the library reading all kinds of books, regardless of relevance. Also, considering they were neighboring kingdoms, she might have learned the language just in case it would be useful in the future.
As for the present, when the queen approached the figure, he stepped back from the window, revealing himself. When she saw him, the elf queen involuntarily held her breath for a moment.
The Demon King… Is this really him?
The figure standing before her was a man whose once broad shoulders had slumped, with long black hair and beard now almost entirely white, and deep, dark bags beneath his eyes. The king, who once appeared in his late thirties, now resembled an old man in his fifties or sixties.
He was not what she expected. The queen anticipated seeing a more imposing, majestic king. She had been told he was intimidating and muscular. Yet, apart from his horns and the dark, ominous aura he carried, he was barely distinguishable from an ordinary old man.
Above all… he was far from the man she had seen in their youth. She seemed to recall him telling her that demons, like elves, never aged and that he would look the same when they met again.
The king’s dark eyes scanned her from head to toe—her ears adorned with different earrings, her golden hair with the two separate braids draped over her shoulders, and the long, intricate braid cascading down her back, woven with skillful hands. The faint red tattoo resembling an arrowhead and leaf on her forehead, her sharp nose, defined facial features, and the green robe that clung lightly to her slender figure, revealing the bare skin of her shoulders and the hint of a neckline, with delicately woven golden embroidery, and also some various rune markings on her arms—finally, his gaze met her sea-green eyes.
Unlike me, she hasn’t changed at all on the outside.
Between the two, there was an understanding not as rulers of different kingdoms but as two elderly beings from different races, perhaps sharing a fleeting moment of common history. They nodded at each other, acknowledging the mutual respect and understanding they shared.
King Aidz gestured to a wide table in front of the window, “Would you sit?” he offered. Queen Yewsher glanced at the table for a moment before nodding, following the king with her graceful steps as they moved to sit.
Each corner of the dark brown wooden table held spheres glowing with purple light. There was no way the queen didn’t recognize these, for these enchanted light spheres were produced in the Elven Kingdom of Awremo'Fyrm. They possessed the ability to change color upon touch. Situated 2,000 miles south of Demon’s Cape Island, Awremo'Fyrm, home to high elves, wood elves, fae, and even humans, was a vast island regarded as the essential trade partner of the Qoūl'qhar Kingdom.
Although both sides harbored disdain or contempt for each other due to the demons’ dark past and the historical animosity between their races, it did not affect the internal and external politics of these nations. Demons had progressed thanks to the teachings of many elven scholars, scientists, chemists, and alchemists they brought. Even in the palace, not to mention the various types of trees adorning the courtyard, many essential books and items that facilitated daily life came from the elven kingdom. Elves truly carried the ancient wisdom, the knowledge and skill of the dragons they claimed as their ancestors, into the present.
This was something that even King Aidz Hū Baūl, above all, could respect.
He picked up the teapot on the table and began pouring hot tea into the two cups. After gently sliding one of the cups in front of the queen, he placed the teapot back in its spot.
The queen softly inhaled the light aroma wafting up from the orange-colored tea as it was poured. It was nostalgic.
After all, he hasn’t forgotten my favorite scent.
Wrapping her hands around the cup, the queen gazed at her reflection in the tea for a moment. In the reflection, she caught a glimpse of her once bright and lively eyes, filled with purity, and a fleeting memory of the past. "Hey, Aiai! Look, do you see that plant?! It’s called the Lens Rose! It tastes awful, but it smells amazing!"
The child, despite his grumpy demeanor, couldn’t hide the warmth in his eyes or the innocent tone in his voice. "Don’t tell me you tasted it, Del! Ahh, you really need to stop doing that, it’s so gross!"
"Hey, I didn’t! It just got in my mouth, okay?!"
Okay?
Okay…...?
Okay...........
As the queen’s distant gaze in the cup slowly began to disperse and her mind returned to the present, she briefly glanced at her dull reflection in the tea before raising her eyes.
The king, meanwhile, was staring out the window with a vacant expression. More than that, he seemed to possess a coldness she never would have expected to see in him in the past. He looked utterly defeated.
Although the queen felt a slight pang of pain inside, she didn’t let it show on her face. Leaning back and crossing her arms, she spoke in a flat tone. "Very well, since I’ve come all this way to meet with you, I hope you won’t keep me waiting long. As a queen, I have my own duties awaiting me back in my kingdom."
The king fixed his vacant gaze on her, nodding slightly before leaning back as well. "Then let’s talk."
The queen narrowed her eyes, waiting for him to continue.
"It’s… about the princess, the daughter of mine," the king stated with a faint sigh, and before continuing, he took a deep, labored breath.
"I want to send her with you."
*