(This is mostly dialogue that it somewhat necessary as it works on the arising problems and personalities of the till now introduced characters. Oh yeah, if you expect fast romance, go away and come back when ten or so more chapters are out, only for the slightest sliver of romance. Romance will take some more time. Anyway, I hope you enoy the chapter, next one in process already! :D ) + Dumb me forgot the title.

"Father, do you know were that devil is prowling?!", I heard my sweet darling daughter's voice coming from the far end of the claustrophobic room.

Shuffling the towers of papers with utmost care around I tried to get a look at my daughter, standing in the doorframe. Giving up half way as the overlapping plethora of papers overwhelmed me in a sea of white and black dots I could only answer from behind the wooden desk, creaking from the weight of all those documents.

"F-father are you here?", I heard her light voice ask. 'Was it that bad?', I queried myself as I gave a short glance at the work I still had to do and the work I had already done. Monuments made of paper loomed over my head like watchful giants, a single tremble could make them fall and squash cities underneath. I digress.

'My God...', there was still a ton of work to do.

Costs for destroyed plantations and farmlands and their restorations, the bodycount of soldiers and my citizens that lived on the outskirts of my kingdom, prisoners of war, the occupied iron mines in the north, the recovering of silted trade routes and so, so much more. The only sliver of hope that laid between damage reports and complaints was this nondescript and plain document that tauntingly and prone laid right in the center of my desk.

'Treaty of armistice'. 'Treaty my ass!', my mind boiled in rage. Those rabid dogs as kings plundered my lands and killed my people, they wanted to erradicate my kingdom from the map and now? And now they want peace. OF COURSE! Hardly holding in the blood that was right about to spill from my mouth as I eyed the telltale document and couldn't forbear my thoughts circling around the 'devil' that, in the end, saved me, my country and my people. He might have been squired by death and carnage but in the end he got the job done.

Was I a fraud for thinking like that, when I especially wanted to kill him just a dozen hours prior? Probably yes. But I couldn't help but let a grin creep up my face as I thought about the beast that tore through their soldiers and dished out vengeance. Nonetheless fury was still prevalent in my veins as I answered my daughter from behind the piles of papers.

"No, I haven't seen him. Why do you ask?", yeah, him, he was living here now! That darned devil ordered me around, took a chamber in MY castle and is now probably rummaging through my city with his evil intent. I could only pray for my citizens to not anger this devil. As there was nothing for me to do about the current situation I could only dejectedly sigh.

Once again I starred at the papers on my desk and the quill in my hands. I starred those dark blue letters down and let the quill flash through the air. One stack of documents after the other was blighted by my extraordinary workmanship with ink and nib.

"Well, we don't even know his name yet or where he came from.", my daughter asked with inquisitiveness liable in her voice. I thought about it sharply and tried my luck.

"Was it not you that summoned that devil into our realm?", I asked with certainity although I was unsure about how that little, dancing dervish, scoffing devil, treacherous demon -'Haaaah relax Alexander...'- got into our world. I craned my neck back at the rack filled with ancient scriptures, no such demonw as reported in the stories of old.

"W-w-w-w-w-WHAT? I-I summ-. H-how c-could I even summon such a devil, that is impossible!". 'Oh my dear daughter why are you lying?'

Her stutter, trembling voice and depleted magic energy spoke volumes about what has happened. Massaging my temples I stood up from the desk, the towers of paper leaning minatoy forward. Using one hand I stabilized one such tower that was about to squash me underneath. 'Fresh air! I need fresh air.', with quick steps I openned the hinged window. The wooden frame crackled over the windowsill. A glossy gust of refreshening air zoomed into the suffocating office.

My sight wandered over the city beneath, the frightened citizens, murmuring over the events yesterday and the corpses that leaned against the city walls. The sun glimpsed over the edges of the mighty walls, told tales of a better tomorrow.

'This will be a hard time...', I mused and turned around.

Shock, fear, terror, it all dawned onto me as I noticed the grave mistake I had done. The cold breeze, derisive I blowed straight through the documents. Teary eyed I watched as the destruction unfolded, as the wind blowed the papers to the ground, ruind the order I have worked so hard for, smudged the yet to dry ink.

Tears fell on the ground as I slumped on the ground. 'No....', my thoughts pitchpoled.

"Father I think it's better to leave now.", my daughter whispered while closing the door halfway already.

"Help me....", I coughed out with a stretched hand before my daughter vanished behind the ligneous door.

"FUUUCK!", I slammed the ground with my fists and the furniture jumped up.

***

Leaving my father to my his own devices I hurried through the castle and past the innomerous attendants. The atmosphere was glum, new of the disaster outside the walls has already spread and people began to doubt the safety of our fortress. But who wouldn't be leery of our defenses now?

A mass of millions of soldiers was only a few meters apart from our homes and loved ones. A few hours later and the situation would have escalated, thos walls would have been nothing more than a cage to us once the soldiers breached them. It was a dangerous gamble.

"I tell you, a miracle! The Gods have sent their envoy to protect Ysolde!", people praised inside the castle. Yeah, miracle; a demon of the deepest hollows of hell slaughtered thousands and you call that a miracle? 'Certainly it is, but...', I couldn't really find a fault in that logic. For us it was indeed a miracle, who cares about its execution? Smited by holy light or ravaged by dark tyranny, in the end countless lives would have faced the same end.

Exhausted I diverted my thoughts from the fiend, whose name I haven't even heard once till now. I was a bit angry, I won't lie.

I stepped out of the castle's main gate and sauntered through the openning stalls, smithies, tanneries and other workshops. An invigorating air of activity sparked through the atmosphere, those hard working people worried over today and not tomorrow. An ideology which I would be keen to spread through the continent. Carefree they engaged in their everyday struggle, with a smile on their lips they worked their way up.

Cheerful I helped an elderly cuple set up a small fruit stand. I bought one of their fresh, crunchy and sweet yet sour apples. I bit off a large chunk of the big red fruit and let its sour juice clear through my throat. Refreshed I danced through the masses of citizen, a smile unable to part from my lips.

I hummed a jolly tone and went further into the city. People talked, shouted, whispered all around. Wooden crates rattled, man drawn carriages juddered over the stone ground. It was a beautiful mood.

'Now... where is he?', I thought as I stood in the city's hub. 'Ugh... I am an idiot.', I smacked my head and people eyed me puzzled, parents pulled their children closer.

I concentrated on my aether, the force that can dictate the magic in all substance to do its biding. A faint trace of my aether lingered further towards the gates of the city, stationary to my luck. 'Hehe...', I giggled in my mind. 'Found ya!'

With my destination now in mind I walked through the city with purpose, quick steps guided me past numerous inns and taverns. The first drunkards stepped outside but I nimbly avoided any confrontatio, I did not want to repeat yesterday.

Pacey I whooshed past the buildings that reared up into the sky. Tapping I reached a tavern like any other, its sign a bit unhinged but the overall look was warm and homey.

Openning the heavy door I walked straight past the reception.

"Excuse me lady.", a young and jolly girl called from behind the counter. Almost the same age as me I gave her a quizical look. "If you want a table you have to pay here first.", the girl said and gave a small smile.

"Sure.", I did not want to cause any inconvenience. "How much will one table be?", I asked. 'Although I won't stay here...'.

"Ten coppers for one table, the menu should be on your table to browse through.". "Alright", I nodded and fumbled in my leather pants.

"Just a moment.", I said and held a finger in the air. My hands trembled as I searched through my pockets. 'Nooooooo....', I felt myself drawn into an abyss of shame, so much shame.

"Miss, you don't have any money on you?", the girl asked and couldn't help but giggle.

With joy I would now show her the insignia of royalty but she was just doing her job and I was not exempted from the costs, I was as princess but not as citizen.

I felt my cheeks redden. "N-no...", with a meek voice I answered the fidgety girl.

"Then, I am sorry to say this, please leave this establishment.", she said and bowed her head goodbye already.

*SLAM*. "Here ten coppers!", a masculine voice answered me from behind.

Sweat trickling down my cheeks and with great repugnance I tuned around. Two orbs of golden and red stared straight back at me and I shrunk down. 'ARGHHHHHHHH!', I could bite my ass off for what is happening right now.

With a smug grin the devil payed off my table.

The gril's brows rose up and down. "So that's how it is. If you need a room for you two alone just say it.", she winked and disappeared behind a door leading into the kitchen. "-!", I wanted to shout at her but in the end my target was indeed to meet up with this devil. But as sure as hell there was nothing romantic between us!

The devil gripped me by the hand, I winced, and he pulled me towards a table in the far off corner of the tavern, stairs right from us led up into the rooms the girl offered us so 'playfully'.

We both seated down on the hard chairs, the devil right opposite of me. He leaned back in his chair hold a hand into the air and snapped. Suspecting chaos to befall I ducked down, the chair toppled back and I crouched on the ground. I closed my eyes tightly shut and hoped for the disaster to be over. Nothing happened.

I openned my eyes and the devil just smirked, smirked a confused albeit wide smile. Trembling I stood up, the patrons all around gave me commical looks, some even began to whisper.

My face turned red uncontrollably. With my hands I covered the portion of my face and hid my embarassed complexion from the other customers. I sit back on the chair and with a sigh I hung my head down.

"Pfffft...", the devil sneered. He snapped his fingers once again. "One beer please!", he shouted and a "Coming up!", answered back. He tipped forward with his body, leaned his elbows on the round table and tilted his head slightly. "So what do you want to drink? I ask because you seem pretty... broke right now.", he said in a cherry tone, unable to hide his ridicule.

I grit my teeth and my hands balled into fists.

"Why thank you? A juice would be nice.", I answered with a hiss.

"Apple, orange, peach?", he canted his head further and slowly raised his hand.

"Apple please.", I told him with a wide 'smile'.

"Missy, add another apple juice please!", he shouted square through the tavern. "Alright.", was the only answer that came back.

"So... what do you need right now?", he asked the topic I tried to avoid, fear sealed my mouth tight. Whatever I might say or ask could invoke a disaster.

"AHH! Now come on little princess, you think I will kill you?", he asked loudly.

Naturally I bopped my head up and down. 'Of course you will kill me, that's what you tried yesterday!', I wanted to scream at him.

"Yesterday was a, uhhh...., faux pas! Yes, it was all unintentional.", he said and nodded his head with closed eyes and crossed arms. "Yes that has to be it, a faux pas.", he mumbled.

"You killed thousands.", fizzled from my mouth.

The devil only gave a wide smile. "Haven't I did what you summoned me for? Have I not solved your problems?!", he stated as his teeth showed beneath his lips.

"Have I asked you to help us?!", I slammed my fists on the table and leaned closer, looking around and feeling the gazes on my back I slowly relaxed and sat down.

The devil raising his palms in the air and feigning ignorance spoke. "Oh, excuse me! I just thought that killing of soldiers in a war is a normal thing to do?! Ok, next time I will sit down with them while a having a nice cup of tea, is that alright with you?", he said with a 'serious' tone of voice.

"Shut up you devil. It was you who interrupted the summoning. Everything was going straight up until you arrived!", I shouted at him, anger splashed inside my guts.

"Hoho! Alright, I didn't know you wanted to be devoured by that gigantic white, holy, saint and whatnot winged lizard!", again he retorted.

"You idiot! I could have controlled him, there was no need for you!", I so dearly wanted to pummel this man, this devil.

"OHA! Like, how you are controling me?", he asked and smirked.

"W-w-wha-. Th-that is different!", I couldn't vocie any objections, he was right. A summon should be able to be controlled by his summoner but this was clearly not the case right now.

"Don't tell me! You can't contol me?!", he asked and inhaled profoundly, feigned shock visible in his expression.

"Y-you are different! And, yeah, how do you think I tracked you down?!", I asked, victory over this argument so close.

"Tracked me down?! With this?", his body shuddered and shortly after blue wisps of smoke dispersed in the air. "You think I hadn't noticed the stupid leash on me? Pah!", I checked for my aether again but I got no sign from the demon before me. 'Dammit! He got me!', I had lost the quarrel. He was right but I wouldn't accept it just like that.

The girl from the reception walked to our table. A dish with two glasses wobbled on her hands.

She placed the bitter beverage in front of the devil. He gave the girl a little nod and thanked her. Likewise the girl gave me a cup full of ocher-yellow, transparent liquid. I thanked her as well.

"How much will that be?", the devil asked and looked up to the girl. "30 copper all together.", she answered back. He gaave her the money out of a dirty pouch and she hurried back to the kitchen.

Carefully I pressed the glass against my lips and began drinking, my throat was already hoarse from the searing wrath that flooded my insides.

The devil took the clay jar and gulped its contents down in one go. With a satisfied burp he placed the jar back on the table. "Haaaaaaa... I missed this.", his eyes starred into a past that was unreachable for mortals.

Calming down by a large degree I asked light hearted. "Where are you from?", I tried to keep the curses down to a minimum, after all he payed my stay and my drink.

He scratched his chin. "A place far, far away.", he told me and starred in his jar.

'OH REALLY?! I HADN'T KNOW THIS!', the anger, I had to calm down. "C-could you tell me more about where you came from?", I asked with dander trembling voice.

"No.", he answered flat and starred over the edge of his jar into my eyes before he squinted them into content slits. "Why should I?", he asked gibing.

"W-well, you don't seem like a citizen from this world so I just wanted to ask.", it was my honest intention.

"Hum... Do you believe me when I say that my world was only inhabited by humans?", he tilted his head. "Sure, why not?", it was not that unrealistic.

"And those humans drove around in moving blocks of steel and build structures that would be twenty times as tall as your puny castle? Also they flew through the sky in steel tubes weighing many tons and also into space, a place where one dies in a minute or less.", ludicrous I looked at the devil, trying to see the light grin that told me he was lying.

"No, that, that is impossible.", I stated and he just shock his head in disappointement. "Of course you would think so...", he leaned back on his chair and let his words be absorbed by the chattering around us.

"You know...", he straightened his posture. "I don't give a flying fuck about your world or any other world, I just want to have my peace, and fun!", he said and sipped the last longst dried drops of bear in his jar.

"And what is with all this: 'Uhhhh... demon; uhhhhh... devil' shit? Can't you see that I am as human as you are?", he inquired. I felt he was a bit insulted by our words.

"Is that not what you are, devil?", I asked with peering eyes.

"Are you not a princess? But you still see yourself a normal citizen don't you? Ok, wait a moment, let's see how you like that...", he coughed and lolled his body.

"MY GOD, THE PRINCESS! IS THAT YOU?!", he shouted and all eyes focused back on me. His arms fumbled in the air and he jumped up from his chair before he rapidly knelt down. With shock and aspiration he spoke even louder. "I DIDN'T KNOW IT WAS YOU, PRINCESS! FORGIVE MY INSOLENCE!", I tried to pull the hood from my robe over my head but a strong gust of air blowed it down the moment my face was covered, I could only shrink down as I saw the devil's evil smirk.

People around us began to whisper before one after the other they knelt down before me. "PRINCESS!", they shouted and tried their best to keep their half drunken bodies from falling over. From outside even more people flooded the tavern and eyed their twitching princess.

"Y-you asshole!", I whispered but the devil was nowhere to be found anymore.

'ARGHHHHHHHHH! I WILL KILL YOU!', I cursed this traitor.

***

Swiftly I left miss 'Stick-up-her-ass' with her new crowd of fanatics and adorers.

I wanted to laugh but I tried to keep low profile. Strolling through the vast city I found the next inn I would crash. Before entering I gazed into my pouch jsut to see that it was empty. "Tsk!", I clicked my tongue and threw it away. I took it from some unconscious mongrel lying flat on the street.

'What a pain in the ass!', I cried out and summoned myself a neat leather purse filled to th brim with the three colors, copper, silver and gold. It was neither tedious nor time consuming but using magic could make others alert and the last person I would now wish to meet was the stocky princess.

With my most professional smile I greeted the mistress at the counter and relaxed in the warm mixture of alcohol and static background noise.

Those days are God send.

A happy smile flashed briefly over my face before I continued drinking my third beer this morning, trying to deviate my thoughts from becoming to glum. Alcohol proves its worth around all worlds.