ice orb

Three months passed. These were by far the slowest months since Rosa's first arrival in this new world. She wanted to learn to read, write and most importantly – find a way to escape from this world. But she also realized she couldn't just get up one morning and ask Alphegor 'Would you please teach me how to write? And while we're at it, why don't you explain how I can get back to my human body?'. In an especially bold daydream, she demanded him to send her back.

Naturally, that one was quickly dismissed. Imagine Alphegor's outrage if he found out that his most precious heir is actually a human from another world. He would no doubt spear her head on a pike himself. After all, the most dangerous being in the Underworld weren't the secret assassins or the mothers of Rosa's many half-sisters – it was the Demon King.

And so Rosa decided that the best course of action for the time being was to slowly ease everyone into the fact that she could talk. Of course, she had no patience to wait until she was three years old when most children started speaking coherently. Instead she steadily increased her spoken words day by day. Initially it was one word a day, then two, then three.

Alphegor's reaction was much as she expected – he grinned like a fool, praised her to be an absolute genius and urged her to speak new words. His lack of suspicion allowed her to add some extra spoken words to her vocabulary. Gunna was also delighted by her progress, gently correcting her if she pronounced something wrong (demon language was hard). Faenor, on the other hand, regarded her suspiciously once her vocabulary clearly expanded beyond what a normal baby could do.

In fact, whenever she would talk while Faenor was around, he would observe her carefully, making Rosa wonder whether she got too impatient.

But I can't wait for longer. I'll be killed if I just sit and do nothing. There already might be assassins trying to find a way to get to me.

"It's time to read again, Lady Morrigan," Faenor said and motioned Rosa closer. She approached him as always, but he regarded her somewhat differently today. She was about to turn to Gunna, to plead to the nanny to play with her instead, but the dwarf had already left Alphegor's room.

Rosa looked at Faenor and for a second the dark vision of the attacker flashed before her eyes and she took a step back. Seeing her reluctance, Faenor's expression relaxed and he beckoned her to come with his hands.

"It's time for your story, Princess Morrigan," the elf spoke with more eloquence than she was used to hearing normally.

It's alright. It's just Faenor. Why are you being so paranoid all of a sudden?

Rosa waddled over to him, and he put her in his lap as he usually did. His book choice for the day, however, was far from the usual. Instead of a colorful picture book he was holding a thick volume of some sorts, if the numbering on the spine was any indication.

"I thought it would be useful for you to start learning more about this world, so I've picked out a more serious story," Faenor explained and then opened the book. The letters inside were still large, like in a children's book and there were plenty of drawings, but this was definitely something for older children rather than babies who could barely talk.

"Today let's start with some knowledge of our world. It is called Doppelta, the name stemming from the fact that it is actually two worlds in one," the elf pointed at the picture which depicted two planets: one – a blue and green with continents different from the ones Rosa was familiar with, and one black and red which looked completely foreign.

Two worlds in one? How is that possible?

She looked over the two planets carefully trying to find some correlation between them, but then she realized that Faenor was observing her with alarming intensity.

"Ball!" Rosa pointed at the blue and green planet and forced herself to smile widely at the elf.

Don't get nervous. It's alright. Why would anybody suspect you not being a baby?

"Yes, a ball," Faenor said, disappointment clear in his voice. Nonetheless, he continued. "First we have the overworld, the surface or just the top. This is the world under the sun. It is bountiful and full of plants, animals and life. There's vast oceans, tall mountains and fertile fields."

I must act like I understand nothing.

"Sun?" Rosa cocked her head to the side.

"It's a… giant ball of light in the sky," Faenor explained, his shoulders slumping lower.

"Sky?"

"It's like a neverending blue ceiling."

"Wow!" Rosa deliberately over exaggerated her reaction, making the elf slump his shoulders even further down.

"The other world is the underworld, world below the surface or just the underground. This is the world of darkness where the sun never shines. It is without light, so the plants here are sparse and even those that grow here, never gain the green luster of their surface cousins. It is a place of monsters, fire and death."

Great, and I'm the princess here. What does that say about me?

"Princess Morrigan, are you perhaps–"

"Lady Morrigan!" Gunna swung the door open, carrying a large tray in her hands. "His Majesty has sent you some of the new fruit harvest to try. It was picked up just this morning."

"You can hardly call that fruit," Faenor grumbled, his already sullen mood dropping even further.

"Oh, hush! Don't be such a wet sock," the nanny reprimanded and began peeling the dark blueish peel of something that vaguely resembled an orange. Rosa barely restrained a laugh, instead trying to appear excited about the fruit. "See, Lady Morrigan loves her fruit."

"That's only because she doesn't know that better things exist," Faenor said in a voice filled with pity.

Hey, this weird blue citrus might not be the sweetest thing out there, but it isn't bad. It is certainly better than no fruit at all.

The nanny picked Rosa up and began to give her neatly cleaned pieces of the fruit. The dark blue color wasn't very appetizing, and the flavor was something between a blueberry and orange. An odd flavor, but not bad once one got used to it.

"You're in an awfully bad mood today. Did something happen?" the nanny asked as she continued cleaning the fruit. Faenor snapped the book shut and put it down on the coffee table.

"No, I just had hoped…" the elf gave Rosa a significant look, but she deliberately stared at the blueish wedge in front of her, admiring the glossy surface as if it were the most interesting thing in the world.

"Hoped for what?" the nanny with a raised eyebrow.

"Nothing. It's not important. I just got impatient. I'll go down to the library to switch the book. I accidentally took the wrong one," the elf showed the heavy volume to the dwarf woman.

No, don't take it away! I wanted to learn more about this world.

Rosa did her best not to let her thoughts show.

Be calm. Nobody can know that you're actually a human from another world. If God forbid this information somehow gets to Alphegor, then I am no doubt done for.

"Oh, Guide to the World of Doppelta. They had that in the demon library? I thought demons would surely denounce anything created by humans," Gunna said and reached for the book. Faenor handed it to her without any resistance.

"Yes, I was surprised as well. I guess it is just too good to be cast aside."

"Indeed. I still remember how much I loved to study from it as a child," Gunna looked through the pages, but her gaze looked distant – lingering in old, bittersweet memories. "You read this to Lady Morrigan?"

"Yes, but I don't think she is old enough to understand it," Faenor said with a disappointed sigh.

What's with the dramatic reaction? Did you seriously expect a baby that's not even a year old to understand it? Well, I do understand it, but I cannot show it. It's too risky.

"It's not like she's old enough to understand everything that's written in the story books either. It's the reading process itself that is important. Why don't you continue reading it?"

Faenor looked a bit surprised at first, but then smiled.

"Yes, you're right. Even if she doesn't understand it yet, she might still grow to love this book."

Gunna nodded in agreement as she handed the volume back to Faenor.

"Our little lady is very smart, I'm sure it won't take long for her to understand," Gunna patted Rosa's head, and began cleaning more fruit.

***

"Begin Morrigan's lessons?" Alphegor asked Gunna, after she had suggested that Rosa needs proper lessons to improve.

"Yes, Your Majesty! Lady Morrigan is so advanced that I am sure it would not be too early to begin."

The Demon King looked down at Rosa who was sitting in his lap. She tried to appear unaffected by the conversation, instead pretending to be interested in one of his coat buttons.

Act natural! Act natural! Why did Gunna have to bring it up? I know she has the best intentions, but I don't want Alphegor to get suspicious.

"Hmm… I suppose if it's Morrigan then it wouldn't be a problem. She is extremely intelligent after all – just like her father," Alphegor said proudly, his head held high. Then his expression turned to that of contemplation. "Perhaps, it is also time for her to start practicing magic."

"Isn't it a bit early for magic?" Gunna asked nervously, and Rosa wanted to nod in agreement.

Reading more advanced books was one thing, but learning magic? I'm not ready for that. Whenever I think of magic, I instantly remember that horrible night I got attacked…

"No. She already took a shadow form once. In fact, it would be more dangerous if she did it again by accident and got stuck," Alphegor noted, and a chill ran down Rosa's spine.

So I could have gotten stuck in the shadows? That's a scary thought.

Rosa shook her head – she did not want to do that again. Thinking about blending into shadows again just made her queasy. And if there was a chance she could get stuck, then it was all the more reason not to do it.

"It… doesn't seem like Lady Morrigan wants to learn magic…" Gunna said in a somber voice, regarding Rosa with eyes filled with pity. Alphegor looked thoughtful, not saying anything for a while.

"How about this, Morrigan? I'll have a teacher check on you, and then we'll decide whether it's too early or not for you to learn?" Alphegor finally spoke and gently stroked Rosa's hair. The motion was surprisingly soothing, not something she expected to feel from a demon.

Meeting the teacher wouldn't be the end of the world. I could just pretend to be completely oblivious and the matter will certainly be put aside for time being.

"Okay," Rosa conceded.

"Excellent! I'll inform Azrael of his new duties this evening," Alphegor announced with a wide grin. Rosa thought nothing of it, until she saw her nanny's expression. Gunna's face had gone pale, her eyes – wide and even her beard was trembling a little bit.

"Azrael?" Rosa repeated the name in hopes that somebody would elaborate more on this character.

"Don't worry, little one! He's the best magic user in the Underworld. After your father, of course, but I'm not very good at teaching," Alphegor said with a dismissive wave, while Gunna raised her finger slightly.

"I-Is Lord Azrael a wise c-choice? He doesn't strike me as a person who is ready to deal with children."

"He's basically still a child himself. I'm sure he'll find a way to relate to Morrigan."

"A child? Isn't he over two hundred years old?"

Two hundred years old? How long do demons even live?

"Yes, two hundred and eight if I remember right. Such a small age gap between him and Morrigan. I'm sure they'll be on equal footing in a century or two."

A century or two? Rosa struggled to keep her expression neutral, while Gunna didn't bother to hide her shock. Alphegor looked quizzically at the nanny, then realization dawned on his face.

"Oh, that's right. Dwarves don't have very long lifespans. Merely eight hundred years if I'm not wrong."

"Yes, that's right, Master Alphegor," Gunna confirmed with a bow.

Eight hundred years is not very long? Just for how long could demons live? How long will I have to struggle to find a way home?

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The next morning, after breakfast, Alphegor wasted no time and ordered Gunna to dress her in clothes appropriate for training. Well, to be exact she found baby clothes that had the least amount of frills and laces so Rosa wouldn't trip over them. It was refreshing to wear somewhat normal clothes for once, even if Alphegor scrunched up his nose in distaste.

Alphegor picked up Rosa, dressed in plain gray pants and black shirt, and began weaving through the castle corridors. It had been a while since he'd taken her outside of his room – not since the incident. The demons they met on the way instantly bowed at Alphegor's approach while curiously eyeing Rosa. She did her best to ignore the stares and instead focused on trying to memorize the maze that was the Demon Castle.

But after a few swift turns and going down ornate staircases which ended in open halls that led in every possible direction, Rosa felt like all the corridors melted together, and she completely lost track of where she was.

This must be a tactic to confuse intruders. Who the hell could find anything in this place? Everything looks either gray or black with occasional blood red thrown in for good measure.

As Rosa grumbled at her inability to remember the layout, Alphegor entered a large empty room with only weapon racks and training dummies for decoration. It was completely different from the rest of the castle, as it was more like a large cavern rather than an actual room. The walls were rugged stone with occasional scorch marks here and there as well as a few shallow cavities – as if something had been slammed into them.

In the middle of the dimly lit area, stood a tall, proud demon man. His skin was dark grey, much darker than Alphegor's and Rosa's ashy tone, his white hair was cut short while his vivid purple eyes made a stark contrast with the rest of him. He made a little bow as Alphegor approached him.

"Good morning, Your Majesty! It is surprising for you to come to the training grounds yourself," Azrael greeted the Demon King with a tiny, mischievous smile. The demon didn't even bother to glance at Rosa.

Good. The more you ignore me, the higher the chance that this whole magic training thing will fail.

"Of course. There's no way I'd entrust you to remain alone with my daughter without making sure that you'll show her the respect that she's due," Alphegor said in his kingly voice, his eyes as cold as ice.

"Oh! I didn't think that the genius you were talking about was your daughter. From what I remember none of them showed any special magical aptitude," Azrael scratched his chin in thought. Alphegor's eyebrow twitched just for a second and then he smiled pleasantly.

"You haven't met my youngest yet – Morrigan," he stated proudly and put Rosa down on the floor as if she were the centerpiece of an art gallery.

Azrael looked down at her in disbelief. He looked up at Alphegor, then back down to Rosa with his mouth agape. His hysterical laughter echoed through the room, and bounced from wall to wall making the noise all the more annoying.

"Hahaha! I get it, Your Majesty. You're just trying to get back at me for accidentally killing that dragon. I'm really sorry about that. I'll make sure to hold my power back properly next time," Azrael said through laughter, clearing the corner of his eye from tears.

I know that I'm a baby, but even so this is just…

"Rude," Rosa stated flatly and gave Azrael her best impression of Alphegor's cold glare. He gaped at her while Alphegor sneered in satisfaction.

"She talks? How old is she? 6 months?"

"Eleven," Rosa replied with a huff. Azrael's jaw opened even wider.

"E-eleven months? Not even a year old? And she can talk?" the demon gaped, then squatted down and eyed Rosa suspiciously. "Are you sure she isn't possessed by something? Like a thousand year old elven spy sent here to learn our secrets."

Rosa took a step back, supporting herself against Alphegor's legs. The Demon King just shook his head and picked her up again.

"You know that demons can't be possessed."

"Maybe she was exchanged at birth!" Azrael straightened but kept his gaze locked onto Rosa.

"I was present during her birth! Azrael, enough of this. We're here for you to train her to use magic, not to make up some conspiracy theories," the King said firmly, but the other demon just furrowed his brows.

"Your Majesty, let's say that your daughter here is a genius. After all, most babies her age just babble without saying proper words. I'll concede that it is an amazing feat. But magic is a completely different matter. Even I, the most amazing magical prodigy, manifested my innate ability only at age five."

Quite a narcissist this one, isn't he?

"Clearly you're no prodigy then. Go on, Morrigan. Show him," the Demon King sneered, and put Rosa in a darker corner of the room. She stared up at him.

You don't expect me to become a shadow again, do you? The whole point was me not doing magic.

But judging from his expression, it was exactly what he wanted.

"Your Majesty, really. Enough joking around. There's no way she could do it," Azrael shook his head. His scornful attitude reminded Rosa of her mother who always belittled her, saying that she'd never accomplish anything.

I'll show him.

Rosa moved closer to the shadowy wall, as far away from light as possible. She tried to recall how it felt to become a shadow, while ignoring the unpleasant memories of the attack.

"Aww, that's cute! She's actually trying," Azrael chuckled. He walked up to Rosa and crouched down next to her, talking in a condescending voice. "Come on, just imagine melting into shadows."

I am a shadow, I am a shadow, I am a shadow!

When Rosa opened her eyes again, her vision had expanded, it was clearer while the heaviness of her body disappeared. She saw a crouched down Azrael gaping at her with a jaw so wide, she feared it might just fall off.

"I told you!" Alphegor cheered and looked so proud that Rosa would have blushed from embarrassment if she could.

"H-H-How?! She's a baby! Did you somehow do it, Your Majesty?" Azrael jumped up and waved his hands around frantically.

"You have no faith in your abilities anymore, Azrael? Wouldn't you have felt it, if I had done something?"

"I certainly would have but…" Azrael ruffled his hair, then stared at the spot on the wall where Rosa was hidden. "She's a baby."

"Imagine what she'll be able to do once she's an adult…" the Demon King purred with delight, a wide smile on his face. Azrael gasped, and Rosa could see on his face how the cogs in his mind began turning.

Wait… What have I done? I was supposed to appear like a powerless baby. She chastised herself, and then quickly scrambled out of the shadow to gain a physical form again. Both demons gasped.

"She got out so easily…"

"I honestly hadn't expected that. I thought she would have trouble getting out on her own," Alphegor looked surprised, but then he hummed in satisfaction. "She's my daughter through and through."

"Your Majesty, may I request that you leave the magical training of your daughter to me?" Azrael said while bowing low, his previous mock completely gone.

"You must also protect her with your life whenever she is with you, and even when she is not. Many will try to hurt her or take her power for themselves."

Azrael suddenly straightened and drew a large circle in the air with his hand. To Rosa's surprise, blue, glowing lines formed in the air where his fingers had been. He continued drawing an odd pattern in the air – like one of those ominous demon summoning circles in anime.

"I, Azrael Ultimagi, swear an unbreakable oath – from this day forth I shall protect Morrigan Nachtstern. I shall never do her any harm, and do everything in my power to help her develop her abilities."

The circle shrunk down and floated towards Azrael. It went straight towards his chest and then disappeared. The demon opened his shirt and revealed that the circle was now etched on the right side of his chest.

"Very well. Then I have nothing to worry about. I leave Morrigan in your care," Alphegor appeared satisfied, but Rosa noticed that there was a bit of mischievous glint in his eyes.

Had he planned this?

"Thank you, Your Majesty. I'll make her into the most powerful demon this world has ever seen."

Alphegor nodded and then left the room without another word. Rosa and Azrael both watched as he left, until the door slammed shut. Then they both looked at each other awkwardly.

"So I said… but even if you can use magic, you're still just a baby. How do I teach you anything?" Azrael muttered seemingly more to himself, rather than to Rosa. "Hey, can you understand what I'm saying?"

Rosa nodded slightly. She didn't want to give him an impression that she was too competent.

Maybe if I refuse to learn anything, he'll leave me alone. I don't really want to become the most powerful demon. Or even a demon with a middle level of power. I just want to go home.

"Okay. Normally with my pupils, I push them to their absolute limit the first time to see what they are capable of," Azrael stroked his chin, then looked down at Rosa and smiled awkwardly. "But I don't think I can do that with you."

Rosa shook her head vigorously in response.

"Yeah, thought so. But I do need to know your limits somehow…" Azrael looked down at her, then shook his own head. "Nah, His Majesty will put my head on a pike if I make you feel even a little bit uncomfortable."

A moment of silence stretched through the room as Azrael thought. Then he snapped his fingers, making Rosa flinch from the sudden noise.

"I got it. Show me how you become a shadow again," he said.

Well, there's no harm doing that again since he's already seen me do it.

She was a bit nervous about doing it again so soon, but nonetheless Rosa waddled over to the wall, touched it and imagined herself becoming a shadow. A second later she once again was one with the darkness.

"Wonderful! Good job. Now could you try moving to… let's say here," Azrael went further down the wall, and slapped a spot a few meters away from Rosa.

I wonder what he's trying to accomplish.

She willed herself to move closer to him. The feeling was most peculiar, it's as if she was sliding and gliding, yet at the same time she had no weight. No gravity to pull her down and keep her grounded. Rosa reached Azrael much faster than she thought possible and had to force herself to a stop. The movement caused her to feel nauseous, and she unwittingly materialized out of the wall.

Rosa apparently had moved up the wall while in shadow form, and now the gravity was mercilessly pulling her down to its embrace. She braced for impact, but Azrael swiftly caught her.

"Couldn't maintain the shadow form any longer?" he asked. Rosa shook her head and pressed her hands to her mouth, nausea still lingering.

"Oh! You're nauseous. I completely forgot about that. It's normal to feel that during the first few times when you move as a shadow. It'll disappear the more you practice," Azrael assured her with a smile, but it did little to make her feel better.

This is worse than the time I was on that yacht out in the open sea. Oh no… I can't…

Rosa squirmed furiously, trying to break free from Azrael, but the demon held her tight.

"Hey, stop squirming! What's wrong with you suddenly?"

"Let… go…" Rosa uttered, but it was too late. The queasiness overtook her, and she promptly emptied the contents of her stomach onto Azrael's shirt. The poor demon was so mortified that he just stood there stiff as a rock while holding Rosa a good distance away from himself. His face looked like it was frozen in time – forever displaying his disgust and horror.

"Sorry…" Rosa muttered, unsure of how to save the situation. She had tried to get away from him, but he stubbornly held on. In a way, it was his own fault.

"Ghhhhhh…" was the only sound that came out of Azrael, and his eyes seemed to roll back into his skull.

"Sorry," Rosa said again, a bit louder.

If he hadn't sworn that oath not to do me harm, then I'm pretty sure I'd already be dead by now.

Azrael stretched out his arms, moving Rosa as far from him as possible, and then began walking. His movements were slow and stiff, it's clear he did not want any of the… mess to spread or drip. Slowly step by step, they moved forward out of the training grounds and through the many castle corridors.

Servants they encountered, stared in horror and scattered out of the way. The walk was long and embarrassing, and Rosa wished she would have never even tried to become a shadow again.

It's no wonder they call pride a sin. If I wasn't so prideful, I could have acted stupid and none of this would have happened. Now I'm sure he'll start searching for loopholes in his oath if only so he wouldn't be barfed on again.

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