Chapter 41: The Princess’s Authority

At that moment, the first carriage door started opening.

Everyone else fell to their knees, and I felt a pressure to do the same, a desire to lower my head. Then a strange sense of indignation passed through me. My body kept trying to kneel, but my mind wouldn’t let it.

‘Why am I stopping me?’

‘Why should I kneel to her?’

‘Because she’s our princess!’

‘I’m Lumisiel’s Next Answer. The one who will end the conflict. For that matter, why do I have Ezkyrath blabbing in my other ears?’

‘Because I need to learn how to act in front of the generals. Now let me kneel!’

‘I am their Demon Lord. I have been chosen by two Gods! They should be changing their behaviors for me!’

‘Why? How am I fighting me? We’re the same mind, and why is the door opening so slowly?’

Olivander yanked my hand downward.

I hit my knees hard enough for my eyes to water, and the door sped up, finishing its swing open.

“Ow,” I hissed.

“Shh,” Olivander whispered, still gripping my hand.

He had never yanked me like that before. Not even caring about hurting me. I held back tears as my gaze fixed against the ground. The square went silent except for the creak of carriage wheels settling, the soft snort of the beast, and the flutter of banners overhead. The beast lowered its massive head as if even he understood royalty had arrived.

The door opened fully.

A girl stepped out. I could see her heels, though not the rest of her, as my head was still lowered. She walked away from the carriage, heading past us. Knights in armor followed her, their footsteps thumping behind her.

“You may rise.”

Her voice was clear, not loud, but it carried. Like Alaric’s sermon voice.

The pressure pushing me to kneel left, replaced with pure embarrassment. I could feel my cheeks blush. What was that? How could I think like that? I was so full of myself and not at the same time. It was like Lucarion’s mind had veered from mine.

No, Lucarion felt more like the real me.

If I thought like I had before, about how my bodies were puppets controlled by me, it was more like the Olive puppet had one of her strings pulled by someone else.

Around me, people began to rise.

Olivander pulled me up with him, still not letting go of my hand, though his expression was worried and apologetic.

As I turned around, I got my first look at the princess.

She was older than me, but not by much. Maybe fourteen. Maybe fifteen. She wore white and gold traveling clothes cut like something between a dress and armor, with layered skirts that moved like petals and a fitted coat embroidered with Lumisiel’s sunburst. Her hair was a soft black threaded with gold ribbons, and her posture was perfect in a way that made my back hurt just looking at her. Her eyes moved across us calmly.

She had stopped in the gazebo at the center of the square, facing Alaric. White and gold flashed between the pale wooden arches, and for a moment, the glass charms above her scattered light over her hair like little pieces of the sun.

“Princess Lirael,” he said with a slight nod.

“Saint Alaric, a pleasure to make your acquaintance,” she said with a curtsy.

Together, they moved away from us toward the church. The town parted for them. People bowed again as she passed.

I would have been one of those people normally.

But my mind was being dragged elsewhere.

Ezkyrath was snapping her fingers, her inky blue gaze fixed on Lucarion.

“Anyone in there?” she asked.

Lucarion blinked. “Sorry?”

She leaned back in her chair, one leg hooked over the armrest. “Was I boring you?”

“No. No, sorry. I was just...” Seeing a princess for the first time? “I was wondering... if, umm...” What could Lucarion ask? “I’ve been chosen by God, so why should I have to kneel? I mean, why do I have to learn? Shouldn’t they change for me?”

Across the square, opposite us, Princess Lirael had reached the church steps. The clergy stepped out to greet her. Emma was there in her pretty white dress. The whole crowd seemed to breathe in at once.

The clergy bowed to the princess, deeply. She curtsied in return, though not as low as with Alaric.

One of her knights turned, searching, and his eyes landed right on me.

“Power,” Ezkyrath said, almost making me jump. “Authority and respect are what guide interactions. It’s all people really care about.”

The princess, her knights, and the clergy moved into the church.

“And that determines, for example, how deeply one bows to another?” Lucarion asked Ezkyrath.

“Yes, and with status. As Demon Lord, you will never have to bow low to anyone, but you may have to bow lower than someone else. There have been ornamental heads of state before.”

Ornamental? Like they could turn me into a statue!

“And how do I prevent that from happening?” Lucarion asked fearfully.

“Respect is something anyone can get. There are many incompetent men who can gain respect through being honest and true. You have a leg up on authority. As Demon Lord, you are in charge of the Eclipseran army. However, without understanding politics, logistics, the economy, and combat itself, you will have a hard time directing your soldiers. Your authority is merely borrowed by Tenebros and will be easily usurped by the generals, as they have greater experience.” She gave a small shrug.

Ornamental echoed in my mind.

Mira tugged on Dain’s shirtsleeve. “Olive wanted to talk to you.”

Now? A princess had arrived. A knight had looked at me funny. Ezkyrath was explaining how Lucarion could be turned into decoration. And now I had to talk to Dain about something that barely seems important anymore. I whined internally.

I turned to Dain with a plastered on smile.

“Hey Dain, umm, crazy a princess came by, huh?”

“Who cares? It’s just a person born into power. I need to go. I had a sword I was wirebrushing when the bell rang.” He started to move away.

“Wait, I wanted to ask you something,” I said quickly, trying to recall what that question even was. “Ummm, well, like... do you remember we had talked about, it was about demihumans not revealing themselves?”

“You want to ask that now?” he said, annoyed.

“So just because a princess showed up, I’m supposed to change my plans?” I retorted.

“Most importantly, power,” Ezkyrath said. “Your ability to enforce your will, even against resistance. Power is the one we will focus on first. It’s the easiest one for you to gain and the hardest to take away.”

He gave me an impatient look. “They tend to hide their identities because there are usually stereotypes about them, which forced them into roles. Can I go now?” he asked impatiently.

I gave him my best apologetic grin and held out my thumb and forefinger close together. “Could you give a little example? Then you can go.”

Dain started talking. “Lizardman are usually hired as guards, or even gladiators in some kingdoms,” he said, the last part with disgust. At my expectant gaze, he continued. “Dwarves are appraisers, gnomes are builders, nymphs are gardeners. They hide their identities so they can do other careers.”

He was already walking away by the time he finished.

“Thanks,” I yelled after him.

So its most likely that Ezkyrath is just hiding her identity so I don’t force her to do a specific job, like maybe she’s good at writing because she seems like ink.

Lucarion looked at Ezkyrath. The idea of having her lying on my ceiling to make it look like the night sky came to mind. I barely held in a laugh.

If she noticed it, she didn’t give it away.

“Tell me which Wroughtborn you have contracted. That will let me know what you need to better acquire power,” she said.

Olivander had walked away to talk to Talla and Reed by the gazebo.

Mira had started talking about the princess’s dress, and considering she had much to say, I did not have to focus on the conversation. I nodded at what seemed like the right moments and let her words wash over me.

“I only have you and Flicker,” Lucarion told Ezkyrath.

She started pulsing, the constellations on her body would explode and reform as she did it. Then she burst into laughter. I was once again grateful of the shade of my skin and became really interested in the armrest of my chair. Which were cushioned though not with feathers. It seems to be a slime of some sort. It made it strangely squishy.

“So sorry, my Lord,” she gasped. “It’s just... you are much stranger than I first thought.”

“What do you mean by that?”

She can’t possibly know I’m not Cole. I mean, if they turn some of they previous Demon Lords into ornaments simply for being incompetent, what would they do to me for being a liar?

She waved her hand, deny any allegation. “As I said, you were already strange for summoning Flicker, and now I find your second summon is a tutor. I mean,” she started to giggle again, “what kind of boy are you? My other summoner had already had numerous soldiers at his command, but you...”

She paused, sort of sobering up at her thoughts.

“You have a barghest who won’t fight and... a tutor who won’t let you summon shades,” she finished sort of solemnly. “We need to summon a guard for you now.”

Her tone made it clear there was no point arguing.

“I am going to get the materials needed. You summon Flickers Shades to protect you while I am gone.”

I really didn’t like how scary she was getting.

“By Shades, you mean the lesser forms from Concentric summoning right?” Lucarion asked to confirm.

“Yes.”

She made her way to the door, then paused with one hand on the frame. “You can do it, right?”

Mira excitedly spoke “The threading hid the leather quite well.”

I tuned Mira out so I could have Olive focus on summoning as well.

The circle appeared in three breaths. Six lesser barghest pups formed in the circle, or Flicker Shades, as Ezkyrath had called them.

Ezkyrath nodded. “Good, I’ll be quick.”

She rushed off.

There was a thud from her door closing followed by a much heavier thud. One of the princess’s knights had exited the church. It was the one who had looked at me.

He started to move towards me with purpose.

I immediately panicked. Had the clergy told them I had been possessed? How did I not think about it? I was on the other side of the square. I could try running, but what I had just learned flashed through my mind. Knights had respect for their oaths of loyalty. They had the authority to give people lawful commands. And most importantly, my eyes glanced at the sword at his hip, power.

I stumbled, almost falling backward, but Olivander noticed and quickly came over. He moved to stand partially in front of me while the knight approached. That’s right! My brother wasn’t a kid anymore. He was fourteen and a member of the Grovekeepers. I noticed his broad shoulders and, most importantly, the wooden sword at his hip.

He must have been training when the church bell rang. He had power and respect too, but he was new, and without a title, he had no authority.

I had no respect. No authority either. I felt my magic swirl inside me, the only power I could wield.

The knight was still crossing the square, moving quite slowly. He had reached the gazebo now, passing around one of the curved railings instead of cutting through it. His eyes never left me.

Borrowed authority! Ezkyrath said Lucarion’s authority was borrowed. Well, maybe I could borrow some too. My dad was the captain of the Grovekeepers. He might not be here, but he was still my dad.

I turned my gaze, feeling like I was underwater. I saw Mira stepping behind me. The clearing had a few other adults, but I couldn’t see another Grovekeeper. That is, until I saw Eric. Our eyes met. I opened mine as wide as I could and slowly gripped my shirt around my stomach to show him I was afraid without letting the knight know.

He glanced at the knight.

The knight sped up, and my shaking legs no longer felt like they were underwater.