>> “Aeshma, I want you to call on Botis. Let him come to my chamber right away.”

Queen Juno asked her personal chambermaid right after dinner. In a quick response, Aeshma fetched Botis to his chamber.

Walking in a brisk pace, Aeshma reaches the chamber of Botis at the far end of the first floor of the castle near the dungeon. “It’s the lich she’s calling to, and seems the queen have thoughts concern on her mind.”

Aeshma’s mind hanged with those thoughts. Reaching the door, she knocks three times. “The Queen needs your presence. Please come out.”

Botis quickly responded and opens the door. The bright lit of torch hanging on the wall beside the door lures Aeshma’s complexion. “Miss Aeshma...” he called.

“The queen needs something from you.” her voice gives a monologue phrase after. He nods and exits the room right after.

“It’s the first time the queen needed my presence...” on the way to the chamber of the queen, Botis speaks out. “Something bothers Her Highness right now; I think she needs your knowledge.”

He nods at the response of the chambermaid. However, on his mind hangs the thought of something.

♦ ♦ ♦

While waiting, Juno comes back to her room and waited for the Lich to arrive. “Who is the person my daughter wanted?” Her suspicion got cleared out; yet, the thought of Astarte to see someone... it’s still far distant to her mind.

“Your Highness, Botis is here...” from the outside of the chamber, her personal attendant, Aeshma calls out.

“Let him come in,” Juno replied. Inside the room are the candles all over the place, hanging in the candelabra. At the center point of the room is a queen-sized bed and canopy.

Large windows displayed and a veranda near the bed located out. And from there, Juno stands as her arms rest on the bars. “Queen Juno...” a soft voice calls out to the queen.

Turning over, she saw a man in his 90’s of age. Wearing a brown colored slovenly robe and hood on its head, the man approached.

“Botis... you’re a well-known clairvoyant since the time our forefathers found this Kingdom.”

“Yes, Your Highness... for I am known as well as a lich who lived for thousands of years since the Kingdom founded.”

With humbleness on his voice, Botis replied. Juno nods at his statement and offers to sit over the chair. Botis followed what the queen asked out with a little reluctance.

“What you wanted to know, my Queen?” Botis asked out.

“I want to know the person who my daughter is interested. She never paid any attention to other nobles who tries to impress her. I’m afraid that she might fall into depravity.”

“Your Highness, rest assured that your daughter is in good hands. Goddess Lenir does give her blessing to the princess since the time she was born.”

His eyes fixed at the queen. The shadows on their faces completely shown up on the candles flicking as Juno sigh.

“You see, I slowly feel that my powers are draining out. Astarte is on her prime now, and that I’m afraid I will leave her behind.”

In the lineage of the demon race, the royalties give birth to their offspring also transfers their powers as well. It causes the older ones deteriorate and depleted out of strength, and makes them weak.

And as their offspring grows up, they become weaker by the very moment. Soon, the Summer Solstice will come and Astarte’s birthday. She will be a fledged adult demon.

“Worry not much, Queen Juno... soon, it will come. The person your daughter seeks will appear. That person is the one betrothed to her.”

Botis’s voice gives frolic vibes as he said those words. “A person will appear?” Juno asked. The old man nods to the sudden response of the queen.

“That person linked to your daughter by fate. At the right time of her celebration of birth in the proper age, that person will appear.”

“How come, I mean... that person, is he a noble? I want to meet him in person and see if he’s good enough to stay with her.”

Juno got eager to know what Botis have said just now. From what the old man said, he seemed assured that person is a good fellow to her daughter.

But Botis shake his head to disagree, causing the excitement on Juno snuffed out.

“The sole reason is that person isn’t from our race. He will come from the lineage of mortals.”

Humans... since the time, feuds between them have never been come to an end. As the war breaks between their races, the lineage of demons deteriorates.

And that causes Mephistopheles, her King, died due to the reign of new heroes on the human realm.

“That does mean, our lineage, the demon race will come to an end?” her voice trembles out. Juno is aware that this cause a problem soon enough.

And by that time comes, she will get weaker in constitution. It’s not possible, that time will come for sure. However...

“My queen, sway your anguish away from this matter. I foresee that the human will be the one who takes the lead to unite every race and end the discrimination.”

Juno shunned suddenly out of astonishment as she heard the old man’s retort. “What...? You mean a mere mortal will...?”

“Yeah, quite bizarre to know... humans have been in deep rage of our race. But that’s what my clairvoyance says so. Even I can’t believe that it will happen.”

What will happen to our race? Will this be the end of our lineage? That thought lures on Juno’s mind while bellowing on what she just learned right now.

Her daughter, the next future queen of the kingdom, is betrothed in by a mortal.

“Your Highness?” Botis calls out. Juno looks at him and shows a smile after. “No, it’s nothing...” she utters.

“It seems that there’s something troubling you. If I may allow, may I know what’s bothering you?”

“It’s nothing; worry not about me, and thank you.”

Botis just nods and stands up on his chair. “I should leave now, Your Highness. Good night...” he then left the chamber of the queen right after, but Queen Juno calls him out before.

“Botis...” she utters. “Your Highness?” Botis turns over. Juno stands on her chair after and goes to Botis who is in front of the door.

“Don’t let Astarte know this, all right? I’m worried that she might get excited and go somewhere to see this person.”

Her expression shows worry and concern on the matter, as Botis nods. “Until the right time to let her, the princess, knows everything, I pledged that this matter will be kept in my heart.”

“Thank you.” Juno mumbled softly. As soon as the mage left, she sits on the bed while pondering on what just happened now.

“A human, a mortal will come to marry my daughter?”

It concerns her deeply. What a human could possibly do? The resentment they give is unfathomable. Yet, at some point... why?

“Your Highness, is something bothering you?” Aeshma attended Juno as soon as Botis left. On her expression shows worry as she looks at the queen.

“Aeshma, I’m just worried about something. My princess... she’s getting married to a human.”

Juno speaks as her voice quivers. Aeshma got astonished as well to the matter she learned just right now.

“I thought that she must find someone before the proper age ritual on the next Summer Solstice; Botis said that a mortal will be her betrothed one.”

“Your Highness, just calm down. I’m sure there’s no way Princess Astarte will choose a mortal to be her betrothed one. We have been in war against humans, right?”

Though, Aeshma is composed to calm Juno, but even she couldn’t believe from this. For their race, the demons, this matter is ridiculous.

“I know, but what if... what if it’s true? I mean, I will accept him gladly and be a part of this lineage, but...”

She concerns about the happiness of her daughter. Humans don’t live long enough... and that might cause Astarte deep sadness on it. Juno couldn’t bear that thought enough.

“My happiness has been shattered since Mephistopheles was gone long time. And I don’t want my daughter to experience that.”

She remembered that time... when Mephistopheles says goodbye; the time he embraced her and whispers the words she wanted to hear; the warmth of him lingering to her.

The last time they will be together... she knows exactly that this is the fate of the demon king even from the beginning.

“Milady...” Aeshma suddenly calls the Queen in such sweet endearment. Juno lifts her face and look at the chambermaid who shows solemn expression.

“The thought of knowing that your daughter, the next queen is betrothed to a mere mortal, would be the way to stop the war between two races?”

On those words she recalled what Botis said.

『 “...I foresee that the human will be the one who takes the lead to unite every race and end the discrimination.”』

That might be the sole purpose of that mortal. And from the day her daughter celebrates the day of birth, he said that man will appear.

“On the next Summer Solstice, the day Astarte will celebrate her birth and become a fledged demon... Botis said that the man will appear.”

Juno utters as her eyes remains fixed on Aeshma. The Summer Solstice will come next season, together with the commemoration of the founders of Kingdom.

“Then, you should—-“ before Aeshma could continue, Juno holds her hand tightly.

“I can feel that my strength depletes. Astarte will be a full-fledged demon on the next season. All of my remaining powers will transfer to her, and become the next ruler.”

Her voice gives a melancholic vibe after stating those words. “Milady...” Aeshma knows that as well, for Juno shows sign of weariness towards her work and duty as the queen.

“It has quite been awhile now, Aeshma. I am glad you look after me all this time and now... it’s your duty to look after my daughter.”

“Your Highness, you shouldn’t speak like that. You’re still strong and do the duties a queen should. I’ve been with you all this time and saw your painstaking dedication to raise this Kingdom and the princess.”

Aeshma’s voice quiver as she holds the hand of the queen tightly. Juno nods at her and smiles, she then leans over Aeshma’s chest and snugged.

“You’ve done your part; this time, let me do mine for you. Please, watch over my daughter and the man she will seek. I want to guide her, but there’s no time for me.”

Juno utters out. Aeshma couldn’t help but let the tears flow down on her eyes as she embraces the queen. “I want to see her happy, smiling always like what she does...”

Her monologue makes the chambermaid’s heart tightened. She just can’t accept the fact that this time will come as well. The demon race has such crucial fate by having offspring.

As the sons and daughters of the royalties grow up, their parents wither the strength and perish. And so, for this time... as the person the queen most trusted upon, Aeshma should do what the queen wanted.

“I promise to you, my queen, to look after Astarte.”

That word reassures the feelings of the queen as she go slumber on the rest of the night.