On top of that, Mistress Eliza was smart, observant, and loved talking with me. It affirmed her triumph over young and pretty dolls—if a young guy came to a brothel not for the girls, but for a conversation over tea with the madam, and loudly proclaimed that he wouldn’t exchange that for a dozen beauties...
Not to mention that a madam who found a way to entice a prince would be given a wide berth from both the competition and criminals, which was especially important, as crime had gotten out of hand over the previous few years.
I did remain a virgin, but I made a friend. And who knows what was more important?
Of course, the boys tried to foist somebody upon me, but I talked them out of that. I told the truth to Tom. What kind of intimacy could I have with scales and a tail on my body? As for Rene, I said that each time I looked at a brothel girl, I was thinking who had had her an hour before. Couldn’t get it up. Nope, I wasn’t against prostitution. Let those women make money the way they could—just without me. I wasn’t a prude, I just had my standards, and that was it. Rene accepted my explanation and stopped suggesting girls to me, which was exactly what I wanted.
***
The Sunday dinner at Morinar estate was much more of a success. Count Morinar accepted me as if I were his family—and not in that false manner I had gotten used to at court when they said one thing and meant something entirely different. No, he really had liked my grandfather. During his reign, the Morinar family had been in favor, and Henry Louis Morinar would love nothing more than to gain that influence back—the more, the better.
He also wasn’t kissing my rear and kowtowing to me. He simply treated me like a friend of his son—told a few interesting stories, gave good advice, invited me to visit his house at any time.
Meanwhile, Henry’s wife, a pretty-looking, plump blonde woman in her forties, took a shining to Tom and me. For some reason, she had decided that I was a poor orphan who never got any motherly affection and started to feed me and dote on me.
If Martha had seen that, she’d probably have killed her right there. To consider her darling an orphan! Never!
Still, I tried to avoid talking about my childhood. I told them that due to my brittle bones, I had spent lots of time stuck in my room, that I loved reading...
Was I religious?
I definitely was! So much! After all, I was still alive—wasn’t it a miracle?
The Morinars exchanged looks and unanimously agreed. Yes, such a miracle could only be performed by the Bright Saint himself.
What were my plans?
I didn’t know yet. Just to live my life.
Maybe a career in the Royal Guards? My illness?
Well...it wasn’t bothering me too much at the moment, so I wanted to enjoy life until a relapse.
A fiancée?
Nope, I didn’t have one yet. Why would I endanger some poor girl? My uncle’s family would never stop pestering her.
The countess agreed with me completely, but the viscountess made me promise to dance with her at the royal ball.
I did. She seemed a sweet child—that’s what she was to me, a child. If only I knew how it would turn out...
***
The ball was going full on. Rudolph beamed with charisma, and Abigail and her daughter were covered in diamonds, while her son-in-law was getting drunk. I understood him. Although I probably wouldn’t be able to drink as much as he did. Andre was quite gallant—yet all the time, I felt someone’s eyes drilling a hole in my back.tc
As promised, I danced with Lili Morinar two times and excused myself, leaving her to bask in the glory of her grown popularity. For the court, I was a novelty, a shiny new toy everybody was interested in—for the time being.
Afterward, I fended off a chubby lady who was set on making me entertain her corpulent daughter, had a drink with Rene, and walked around the hall. It was stuffy and hard to breathe, making me lose control. Again.
It all made sense: a crowd, some alcohol, light frustration... I needed some fresh air, but even the garden didn’t give me any peace and quiet. Thanks to my demonic senses, I managed to stumble upon a dozen couples in five minutes. Truly, His Majesty’s court was remarkable for its chastity. I wasn’t exactly against that, let them breed, for all I cared—but really, sometimes you wanted to go to the garden to listen to nightingales and not the moans and gasps behind each and every bush.
I had to return to the castle and find a balcony. And there...
“Let me go!”
“Go on, scream your lungs out, cutie!”
“I will!”
“So what? Everybody will run here, and I’ll just tell them you tried to seduce me. Who will the king believe—me or you? Huh?”
The voices were suspiciously familiar. I had no choice but to draw closer...and I definitely didn’t like what I saw.
Duke Richard—that’s right, the very same one—was pressing Lili Morinar against the corner of the balcony. Despite being pale with fear, she was still holding herself remarkably well, trying to rebuke his drunk attempts to grab onto her and paw over her bodice. He was standing with his back to me. Convenient. So, how about starting the education with my own family? I had complained about the courtiers so much, but here...
Still, involving myself in an all-out fight was unwise. Hmm, what can I do? Bingo!
In one sweep, I tore down a nearby tapestry, quickly stepping forward and, without bothering with such banalities as a cough, a warning, or a challenge, twisted his arm with one hand and used the other to cover him with the old, dusty rag.
Richard squealed like a pig in a butcher’s shop and twitched, but to no avail. After all, it wasn’t easy to turn around if you feel like your arm could break in three places if you try. Lili sighed in relief, looking at me with eyes full of admiration. With my second hand, I gestured for her to be silent. I was afraid she would start shouting or fussing about and draw attention to us.
“Who’s that?” the nobleman finally spoke out.
“Shut up. Or I’ll snap your neck.”
I lowered my voice to a growl, so the threat sounded quite expressive. The hammered duke was shrieking. It turned out, demons were persuasive.
I nodded to Lili.
“Are you all right?”
She hiccupped, tightening her ripped bodice. What a...creep! Well, he had it coming.
Still holding the duke, I led him toward the railing.
It was short enough. That will do.
The only thing left was to give him a little push, and...poof!
Two movements became one, as I let go of Richard’s hand and treated him to a well-aimed kick in the rear. Without making a sound, the nobleman, who was all but entangled in the rag, rolled over the railing and clumsily fell into the rose bushes below. I beckoned Lili to get away from the balcony.
“Let’s go to my quarters. I’ll give you a cloak, then get you to a carriage and tell Rene.”
“Thank you, Alex! Oops! I mean, Your High—”
“You do realize that all of that didn’t happen, don’t you?”
“B-but—”
“Or do you want any problems with Richard?”
“N-no...”
“Then stay quiet. I will explain everything to Rene myself; he’ll decide what to tell your parents. Have I made myself clear?”
She hiccupped again. Let’s hope everything works out. I hurriedly shoved Lili into my chamber and rushed to find Rene. He listened to me with a stony face, gripped my hand, and ran to a carriage, while I returned to my room, wrapped the girl in a hooded cloak and led her away from the palace via the back door. All that time, we had remained unnoticed, which wasn’t surprising at all—as a half-demon, my hearing was much sharper than a human’s.
In the morning, the trouble started. Richard had broken his spine.
***
“Alex, is that your work?”
I gave Tommy an innocent look.
“Why me? I’m a good guy!”
“Because nobody else would dare to
do that. Holy cow, throwing a dirty rag over a duke’s head and kicking him in the butt...”
“Did he say that himself?”
“No. But everybody else knows that already.”
I snorted.
“Tom, I am as innocent as a baby.”
“Fine, that’s what I’ll tell them.”
“Right.”
We exchanged looks. Everything was clear. The less Tommy knew, the less they could harm him. As for Rene bringing us two bottles of almost century-old wine and inviting us to visit them at any time... Why not, really?
It appeared that Richard had been severely injured. A promptly summoned mage healer, after examining the patient, told them that the duke had to spend at least half a year in bed—otherwise, he would never walk again.
Richard was furious, Ruthina was weeping, and the royal couple was quite upset. Andre, however, behaved as if nothing had happened. I continued to live as an ordinary courtier. Nobody tried bullying me anymore, though.
I walked around the palace, visited the city with my friends, dined with Uncle’s family, both in the evening and in the afternoon, if I remembered to.
We had an uneasy truce. Abigail was clearly dreaming about killing me and digging me a grave. It was mutual. Andre seemed to consider everyone who was not a prince to be insignificant bugs. Ruthina was giving me an “eww, peasant” look, while making eyes at me. Well, next to her husband, even a middle-sized seal would seem attractive. I wasn’t about to yield. As if!
I was young and inexperienced. If that creature became my first woman, I’d have to swear them off for life. I’d rather find myself another prospect. A better one.
I didn’t. But I did find Baroness Limirne.
The baroness’ name was Henrietta. She was a tall, slender blonde of twenty-five. That’s how it went down.
I was walking through a corridor when I heard someone crying. Nobody else would hear that, but I had my special senses—hearing, smell, everything. Anyway, I decided to look into it. I pushed the door, and inside...
The baroness was lying on the bed naked and covered in blood and bruises. Eliza had told me that girls whom nobody would miss had been left like that sometimes.
Unlike her body, her face was untouched. I coughed, she shrieked and tried to hide under a blanket. She failed and screamed again, this time, because of a twisted wrist.
“Excuse me, madam...”
“Go away! Please!”
I didn’t go away. Instead, I wrapped a blanket around her and started to think about how to get her into my chamber. There were far too many creeps around to leave her like that.
On the other hand, I was a half-demon, wasn’t I? Distracting a few idiots wasn’t such a difficult task, and everyone was at the royal dinner anyway—that was where I was headed myself. I covered the baroness’ face so nobody could see it and quickly led her through two corridors and three staircases. She was sobbing quietly but didn’t argue.
When Tommy saw her, his eyes bulged out, but I quickly instructed him to go to that room and get her stuff before somebody snatched it. In the meantime, I treated her wounds.
All right, what do we have here?
Yeah, aggravated assault. Careless handling, bruises, scratches, teeth marks, old whip marks, and here... What a swine!
There is a certain skill, taught to me by Henry—hitting a person in such a way so as to leave no bruises but cause maximum pain. That is what had happened to the girl. Beaten, raped, and discarded. But who had done that?
Her answer rendered me speechless. It had been her husband. And she wasn’t lying; I knew that! Her story was as old as the hills.
A poor yet noble family had sold their daughter to a newly rich baron. As for the husband being thirty years older than his wife and his soldier only being able to salute after he hurt a woman... The Bright Saint said a wife was to obey her husband as if he were her God. And who would want you without any dowry!
It was unclear how she had managed to survive until now, but today, her husband had gone all out. He had decided she had been too welcoming and smiled too much while talking to some marquis, which is why he had led her to the nearest room, used her as he had wished, and cast her away. Go on, crawl to me when you come round. And she would have, it’s not like she had anywhere to go...if not for me.
“Tom?”
Tommy confirmed the information. The baron indeed had been known for such proclivities—and had a wife. As for the rest...
What could she do, really? Run away? Where? Her family wouldn’t take her; a convent would return her to her husband; taking a lover was impossible as well, considering her husband’s strict supervision. Life seemed hopeless.
Henrietta had already started to look at a sharp object with a gloomy interest, but then she met me. Somebody who wanted to solve not just her problem, but mine as well.
I had to devise a way to join the army. Uncle wasn’t too keen on sending me there, however, but earning the military’s trust was impossible if I stayed in the palace.
I examined the blue marks on the girl’s neck once again and left for the royal dinner. There he was, Baron Limirne—another one of Abigail’s relatives, a cousin four times removed or something. I took my seat, tasted all the delicious treats, had a few sips of wine—I needed the smell—and when Rudolph dismissed everyone with a dramatic gesture, I lingered, just for a little while. The etiquette stated that princes were the first ones to leave the room, followed by dukes, counts, et cetera. I, on the other hand, was considered by the court to be a square peg in a round hole, which I used to my advantage. I stepped on the baron’s foot, stomping it to my heart’s content, and when he sprang up, outraged, he met my look full of contempt.
“Dear sir, do you consider yourself to be above a prince? Why are you trying to leave ahead of him?”
He turned crimson, while I went on, “So many rabble clogging up the capital. There goes the neighborhood!”
Naturally, after these words, he had no choice but to challenge me to a duel. And seeing as I got to choose the location myself, it took place right that instant, at the same place as the first. The baron held out for three whole minutes. Afterward, it was over. The servants took the body away, the seconds rushed to inform my uncle, and I went to pay a visit to the grieving widow.
Henrietta’s grief was so palpable that she dropped to her knees and tried kissing my feet—I barely managed to a make a run for it. Tommy got her into bed and stroked her hair, while an hour later, I was summoned by my uncle for a tongue-lashing.
Apparently, I was impossible, uncontrollable, and presumed too much.
I didn’t really presume anything! Today, they shoved me, what if tomorrow, they elbow the king? Or even worse, the queen? Away from the treasury! And really, if I was so bad, why wouldn’t they send me back to Torrin? The pirates never complained about me...well, other than to fish, maybe.
Just as I had anticipated, Uncle flew into a rage. He said that if the pirates had never complained about me, then the bandits would probably like me as well. So, if I had excessive energy, I could be sent to the western border, to the mountains of Mirall.
It so happened that the area was teeming with bandits. They had just robbed the second silver mine caravan in a row. Would that be fun enough for me? I was to leave the next day. All right, as a courtesy, two days. They were going to send a squad there, commanded by Abigail’s cousin, and wanted me to travel with them.
I didn’t mind. I humbly reminded them about my illness.
“It’s not like it prevents you from killing people!”
I shrugged. It didn’t.
Henrietta tried to thank me the only way she knew how, but I gently laid her to bed, made her fall asleep, and went to Tommy.
“Will you look after the girl while I’m away?”
“Alex, I have to stay with you.”
“I get it, but the relatives are going to pester her to death otherwise! You’ll protect her from getting robbed or banished to the countrysi
de or a convent.”
“Who will watch your back, then?”
“Tom, I could order you to stay here. But I’m just asking, please see it through, so my kindness won’t be for nothing.”
“What about Rene?”
“So he’d be forced to get married on the spot? Or give up his reputation? My friend can afford to do something that Viscount Morinar cannot.”
Tommy didn’t like this one bit, but he couldn’t argue with me.
“I promise.”
***
Abigail’s cousin was called Count Torne. All decked out, that fop was sitting atop a stallion, whom I felt really bad for—carrying such an idiot probably wasn’t a dream come true. Armor made of hammered gold, outrageously expensive weapons, lots of jewelry—if a band of brigands caught this imbecile, they would be set for life. Even their grandchildren would be.
In the meantime, I was getting by with two horses, one of which was carrying all of my meager possessions: a tent, food rations, a pot, a couple of bowls and cups, a flintstone, and a tinderbox, in a word, everything I needed to survive. We weren’t headed to the wilderness. There were people there.
And really, Henry would have the time of his life with this dummy, driving him as hard as he could on mountain hikes.
The count looked at me with surprise.
“Your Highness? What about your cart?”
A cart?
“It will catch up to us later,” I decided to say. “Are we going?”
“Yes. First, we’re to meet the regiment. It’s stationed in Tyrem.”
Hmm. At least it was something.
Tyrem was a small town on the western border. Our party wouldn’t have to waste tons of time to get there. We simply had to get there and set off. “So, what’s so bad about the local commander?”
The count didn’t reply straight away. Apparently, that man was stupid, dumb, arrogant, boorish, clueless, and a rebel to boot. Translated into normal language, that probably meant that he had refused to roll over and take it and expressed all of his feelings about the king to someone. Somebody had ratted him out; he had been reassigned. After I get there, I should think of a way to help him.
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