I took advantage of not sleeping by updating my journal and drawing on my sketchbook.

Lapia woke up at around seven in the morning with a loud groan.

“Mhaa...” she shifted under the bed covers with a yawn. Then said in a tiny voice, “I'm in absolute pain.”

I quietly laughed for a few seconds, then brushed her hair. “Well, do you think you can walk?”

She sighed and turned to me, “I can't feel my toes, woman. I need a healer.”

I winced, “That bad?”

She nodded and rubbed her eyes. “My hips, legs, back, and crotch are sore,” she whined.

I bit my lips, “Yeaaah... I should be more careful next time.”

She looked at me with wide eyes and a big frown, “Don't you dare.”

“Hahaha!” I hugged her and showered her face with kisses. “That may be what you get for taunting me.”

“Aaargh...” she groaned and hugged my neck. “I may need to level up more.”

We laughed and kissed.

I tickled her long ears and pinched her cheeks, then separated and looked into her emerald green eyes.

“An elixir?” I offered, retrieving one from my storage.

“Ugh!” she groaned and took the bottle, then tried sitting up. “Fuck! It hurts...”

“Take it easy,” I brushed her hair. “Do you need help?”

She nodded, “Help me sit up, please.”

I got on my knees and supported her back.

She winced and sighed, “I seriously need to level up.”

I nodded and undid the cork, then held the back of her head and brought the bottle to her lips.

She took a sip and then let out a long sigh.

I wasn't particularly happy with the fact she was in pain. The mix of regret and guilt made my gut turn.

“I'm sorry, Lapia,” I kissed her cheek.

“Oh, fuck off,” she laughed. “I'm an adult, I knew what would happen.”

I giggled and helped her slowly drink the elixir.

“Okay,” she stopped my hand. “I'm good.”

“Sure,” I nodded. “Let me know if you need more.”

She chuckled, “I don't want to depend on elixirs. I'll ask Alyssa to heal me later.”

“Fair enough,” I concluded and helped her up.

She limped towards to the bathroom.

I followed her and cleaner her body while giving her a massage.

After that, we sat on the table and chatted until we heard a loud knock on the door.

I raised my eyebrows and turned the sound-proof enchantment off.

More than knocking, someone was banging on the door.

“NATASHA!” the King shouted at the door. He sounded happy.

“Gordon! Calm down!” the Queen's voice followed. She sounded happy as well. “You're being rude to Her Excellency!”

I gave Lapia a look, then said in a quiet voice, “I kind of don't want to open the door.”

She chuckled and nudged my arm, “Don't be silly.”

I groaned and stood up, then went to opened the door.

Gordon was wearing nightwear and a pair of slippers. His hair was ruffled and he had a huge smile on his face.

The Queen on the other hand, was wearing a beautiful dress, high heels, and her crown was on top of her well combed hair.

“Look!” the King cheered, opening his night camisole and flashing me with what was underneath.

I covered my eyes and looked away.

“Dude! What the fuck?!” I complained at the sudden action.

“Gordon!” the Queen chastised him. “Cover yourself! You're the King and we're in public!”

“Right...” he muttered and cleared his throat. “I apologize for my actions.”

More like don't flash people... I retorted in my mind. A sigh left me and I peeked between my fingers.

He was wearing underwear.

I chuckled and stepped aside, “Come in.”

The two rulers shared a look and entered the room.

“Pardon the intrusion,” both said.

I sighed, walking to the table, “It's your palace, for fuck's sake.”

“Natasha,” Gordon began, grabbing onto my arm. His eyes were wide open and I noticed they were a little red. He had a huge smile on his face and his ears were standing at full attention. “I didn't have nightmares last night!”

I smiled and gave him a nod, “I'm glad to hear that.”

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“I also... didn't...” his chin trembled and stopped talking, then blinked a few times. He sniffed and hugged my waist, then cried on my chest.

I put a hand on his back and gave him a few pats, “It's okay. You're safe now.”

The Queen sniffed and approached us, then wrapped her arms around both of us.

“Thank... you!” the King of the nation cried his gratitude in a show of emotions birthed in the liberation from terror. “I... iugh... I...”

“Take your time,” I reassured him and patted his head.

His hair was way glossier than I expected, and the fluffiness of the strands tickled my palms. His sobs and tears continued for a few minutes, accompanied by the Queen's own.

A smile slowly formed on my face. It felt good to help.

At whatever cost and to extreme lengths, I reminded myself, feeling my Halven instincts quiver in joy while giving the man the safety to express his gratitude.

“I dreamed of the day my daughter was born...” he croaked between sobs. “I thought I'd be plagued by nightmares for the rest of my life... Natasha...”

In my arms I held a scared man, frightened and hurt. Not a King, not a father, not a husband. Just a man that had glimpsed into the horrors of Hell not by his own will but by an external influence. A demon that did not belong to this world but was forced to flee into it. A world I was born to protect along with its people.

A small amount of anger surfaced on my mind and I took a deep breath, focusing on the moment at hand. It would be easy to demonize them. It would be incredibly foolish as well. I could not allow my view on them to influence my actions.

Lapia's words had prevented me from torturing the Demon for the most part. My Halven instincts did not see it as a threat as big as the Giganto Cyclops probably due to the difference in potential direct death their actions would cause.

Still, threats are to be removed. If I encountered a Demon that posed no threat, I would ignore it. Maybe ask a couple of questions if I was inclined to do so.

I should ask the Gods about all of this, I concluded.

Gordon separated and wiped his tears.

Josalia hugged him and gave him the support people require in such circumstances.

“We should celebrate,” he announced with resolution in his eyes.

I nodded with a smile, “We definitely should.”

“I agree,” the Queen nodded along with a big smile and wiping a few tears.

“I'll tell the Minister of Foreign Affairs to send invitations to the surrounding countries,” he declared, turning from a hurt man to a man in control. “We'll do a ball and all the fancy stuff.”

I gulped, “Now, now.” A nervous chuckle left me, “Let's not rush and-”

“It's the perfect opportunity for you to meet the Rulers of other countries!” he gave me a victorious smile. “I'm sure they're all waiting for an chance to meet you. It's perfect, I tell you.”

I turned to Lapia with a pleading look.

She smiled, “I agree as well, Your Majesty.”

Betrayed by my lover! I lamented my fate. A thorn that shall remain for a thousand years!

I steeled myself and let out a sigh, then turned to the King, “Sure, sounds good.”

He clapped once with a smile then turned around and walked to the door.

The Queen walked next to him with a hand on his back.

“Ah!” the King turned around again and gave me a deep bow. “Thank you, Your Excellency!”

The Queen bowed as well, “Thank you, Your Excellency.”

I wanted to die. Bowing to others is cringe in my opinion. I could only smile and nod.

The couple straightened and left the room.

I covered my face and sighed, “Fucking hell. What did I get myself into?”

“Politics,” Lapia replied, walking to me. She raised an eyebrow and smirked, “The Khaleezh does indeed chase its own tail.”

I sighed, “Is that some metaphor about fate or something?”

Her face turned confused for a second, then shook her head, “No. It means 'things that should happen, will happen.' It's an Elven saying.”

“Sounds like a fate thing,” I insisted, arching an eyebrow.

“It's about probability of outcome,” she explained with a shrug. “We'll cover it in future lessons.”

I nodded and looked down, then noticed the tears and snot on my shirt. A tiny chuckle escaped me and I changed clothes.

“How long do you think it will take for the Rulers to get here?” I asked her.

She shrugged, “A week at best if they all rush here at full speed.”

I rubbed my eyes, then braided my hair, “Sounds reasonable.”

Lapia looked up at me and into my eyes. “You don't sound excited at all,” she accused me, poking my tummy.

I shrugged, “I'm not. Not really.” I hugged her and rested my chin on top of her head, “Royalty and Nobility are not my thing. Feels off, is all.”

Lapia hummed, “Is it the glorification?”

I nodded and looked down at her, “I was just a simple woman. Some things take time to change.”

She raised her eyebrows, “Like a million years?”

I giggled and nodded, “Like a million years.”

A knock on the door made me turn.

A staff person was waiting outside the room next to a trolley. She came inside and served breakfast, then left.

We took our time to eat, chatting and laughing.

I explored the room for a bit, then found a washing machine contraption where I cleaned the bed sheets from the previous night.

After that, I was itching to leave the palace. My task had been completed and nothing happened during the night. So, we decided to inform the Royal Family and go back to our place.

They expressed their gratitude and we arranged to meet when they sent me a letter, then saw me to the gates of the palace where Alastor was waiting with a carriage.

It felt excessive but I wouldn't reject a ride 'home'.

After a comfortably silent ride, we got off at our destination and went up to our floor after playing with Sonya for a few minutes.

Lapia had the foresight to leave with a key, so we went inside the apartment.

Our companions were in the middle of having breakfast. Thelea, the Goliath, was sitting next to Bonte.

I greeted Alyssa and Yolin with a kiss each, then turned to the giantess and the catboy.

“Yo! What's up fellow sex havers?” I walked to them and raised my hands.

They laughed and gave me high fives.

I stopped next to Pokora and patted her shoulder, “Your time will come.”

She scoffed and shook her head, then laughed, “Fuck off.”

Bromisnar gave me an expectant look, “How did it go?”

I shrugged, “Pretty good.”

They waited for a few seconds and then turned to Lapia.

The Elf sighed, “Natasha insulted Princess Agnes, told Her Majesty the Queen to do whatever she wanted since it was her palace, called His Majesty the King by name at first meeting him, played cards while we looked for a solution to his problems, killed a Demon, and ignored the Ancestral Animals while treating them like annoyances.”

Damn, I recoiled a bit but realized my actions were a bit... questionable.

Their eyes widened with every word Lapia said.

Alyssa's scaly eyebrows knit together and she covered her eyes, then sighed.

Pokora burst out in full-belly laughter.

Bromisnar tried holding the laugh back but failed miserably.

Bonte covered his face with both hands.

Thelea was just shocked.

Yolin clicked her tongue, then groaned, “A Demon? I should have gone with you... Fuck!”