Demon Queen Wants to Paint

Appearing as calm and collected as possible after a long afternoon in Asdeus's 'care', Rosa hurried to find her nanny. She found the dwarf woman cleaning the floors in the hallway in front of Alphegor's room.

"Gunna!" Rosa called out and hurried to her side.

"Lady Morrigan. What's the matter?" The nanny put the dirty washcloth into the bucket and wiped her hands in her apron.

"Do you remember the gift Faenor gave on my first birthday?" Rosa asked through ragged breaths. She threw a glance over her shoulders where her two guards stood, appearing disinterested. However, she didn't trust them one bit and so deliberately kept her wording vague.

Gunna ran her hand through her beard a few times, then she clapped her hands together, "Oh, yes! I remember now. Would you like me to bring it to you?"

"Yes, please. To my room," Rosa replied, and the nanny nodded and hurried away. Meanwhile, Rosa went to wait in her room, away from the guards' prying eyes. She tapped her foot impatiently as she waited for Gunna to come.

After a few minutes the nanny arrived with Faenor's book in her hands. It looked far larger in the dwarf woman's hands than it had in the elf's. Rosa was also relieved to see that the front cover had no writing on it, so the guards or anybody else who happened to see Gunna, would have no idea what was inside it.

"Here it is. Would you like me to read it for you?" Gunna suggested as she placed it on Rosa's table.

"N-No. I just remembered that it had pretty pictures," she hastily replied and then added, "I just wanted to take a look at it again. Now that Faenor has disappeared."

The nanny nodded solemnly, "I understand. You must miss him. I'll leave you to it then, Lady Morrigan. Call me with the bell in case you change your mind."

Rosa nodded and watched the dwarf woman leave. She waited for a few minutes until she was completely certain that the nanny was gone, and then opened the book.

I hope this can shed some light on what I need to be searching for.

Rosa was about to turn to the table of contents, when a small folded paper fell out from seemingly nowhere and slid underneath her hand.

"What's this?" Rosa picked it up, and began unfolding the paper. Once it was fully open, she realized it was a letter. The handwriting was elegant and easy to read, and also somewhat familiar. It was Faenor's.

For a moment she considered just throwing it out the window. She didn't want to read any fake well-wishes for her first birthday from a man who betrayed her secret for a vague promise of freedom. But in the end, her curiosity won over and she began reading it.

Dear Princess,

If you are reading this letter then you have opened my first birthday gift to you without me around to read it for you. It's possible that you have grown up into a magnificent woman now, but more likely than not – I am no longer in the demon castle.

In fact, I have most likely betrayed the trust you've shown me and returned back to my homeland. While I do not have any right to beg for forgiveness, I am going to ask for it anyway – forgive me, Princess Morrigan. I have done the most heinous crime against you, and so I shall try to make it up to you, even if just a little.

If you have sought out this book then you are no doubt searching for a way back to your world. It must have shocked you that I knew that you were actually with a human soul, but know that people from other worlds do occasionally come to Doppelta. In fact, most know of their existence, rare as it may be, and it is an especially well known fact among us elves – who strive to learn as much as possible from the otherworldly visitors.

You, however, have been put in a position more difficult than most travelers and so I hope to offer you an escape back to your home which no doubt is a more peaceful place. The magic you seek is called 'Dimensional Travel' and it can be learned from  one of the rarest gems in our world – a purple diamond.

These gemstones are so rare that only two cases have been known to exist, one on the Overworld and one in the Underworld. While the odds seem to be stacked against you, you actually have the best chance of obtaining the Underworld's purple diamond. 

Previous owner of it was your birth mother, the late Demon Queen Eirwen, and after her death many thought that the ability was lost with her. However, it is known among elves that magical gems of such high quality do not disappear with the death of its owner.

It is very likely that the purple diamond was hidden in the Demon Castle's Royal Treasury, awaiting the day it would be needed. Unfortunately I do not know where the treasury is or the dangers that await those who seek it out, however, you as the Crown Princess are one of the rare people who are allowed to access it. 

I pray that you manage to find a safe passage home. 

Your friend,

Faenor

As soon as Rosa finished reading the last word, the letter flew out of her hands and then burst into flame, leaving not even a single trace of its existence behind. She blinked a few times, not being able to process the information Faenor left for her.

The purple diamond that has dimensional travel ability is in the Royal Treasury. And I am allowed inside it.

Rosa looked up at the dark ceiling, putting her hand on her forehead and exhaling heavily. Faenor had given her the answer she desired served on a silver platter. She wouldn't have to sneak around at night anymore, trying to search through obscure library books.

"But if you're my ally then why did you tell Asdeus the truth?" Rosa whispered and then covered her eyes with her palm. She couldn't fully understand the elf. Was the freedom so precious to him that he'd risk her life for his? He clearly knew that demons finding out about her human soul would bring her horrible repercussions, and yet he had done it anyway.

"Why Faenor?" She wished the elf would be there to answer this question, but Rosa didn't even know whether he was still alive. The horrid bog Asdeus sent him to had looked far more terrifying than anything she'd seen in the Underworld. She didn't know the exact dangers it hid, but his survival was no doubt slim.

I still hope he made it out of there alive. Even with what he did, I still do not wish death upon him. And perhaps the knowledge he left me could be my saving grace?

***

Rosa stared in the mirror in annoyance looking at her own version of Azrael as the real Azrael pointed out all the flaws in the transformation.

"You're lacking a bit of hair volume in the front. I almost look like I'm balding. Also you made the buttons on my suit gray, when they are clearly silver," he prattled, while Rosa listened with her hands crossed over her chest, wishing for the whole lesson to be over sooner.

For two weeks straight Rosa had to transform into Azrael day after day, trying to get his features right down to the last strand on hair. Worst part was, the vain fool kept changing his clothes each and every day, and expected her to get those right too. He claimed it was a good exercise in adaptability.

If you haven't noticed, I am still a four-year old. You should be celebrating that I am willing to transform into you at all.

"Don't use my face to glare at me. It doesn't suit me at all. Better channel that energy to fix my hair," Azrael poked her forehead, and she swatted it away. She closed her eyes and then tried to fix the hair, although at this point she had stared at Azrael's hair so much that she couldn't even make any sense of it anymore. Kind of like when you repeat one word so many times that it loses all its meaning.

"There! Is that better?" She opened her eyes and once again glared at the white-haired demon.

"No."

"What now?" Rosa groaned and threw her arms in the air in defeat.

"You're still scowling," he wiggled his finger in front of her face, and she was tempted to bite it.

I am supposed to be looking for the Royal Treasury, but this guy has been holding me in these stupid shape-shifting lessons for weeks. 

It was a blessing in an odd sort of way – Azrael completely denied Asdeus whenever she tried to drag Rosa off to her 'lessons'. He claimed that it was crucial for Rosa to master shape-shifting as soon as possible to avoid any accidents that could seriously impact her health. 

Rosa believed that Azrael just loved looking at himself too much. Idiot could probably spend the whole day staring at his reflection. And if that reflection happened to be three-dimensional – all the better. Rosa, on the other hand, had seen Azrael enough times to never want to see his face again.

"Can we do something else for a change?" Rosa complained and shifted back into her demon self. She could now shift back without the need to close her eyes – that is how much she wanted to be out of Azrael's skin.

"Like what?" Azrael asked with a mischievous grin on his face.

Like go to the Royal Treasury and get the purple diamond so I could get the hell out of this world before everybody finds out that I am actually a human.

But she couldn't say that, of course. Her glance went to her guards standing by the entrance. She didn't have to worry about them overhearing anything since Azrael made a soundproof barrier around the training ground after the whole kidnapping incident. So perhaps, Rosa could ask him a series of innocent questions that could lure the desired answer out of Azrael. 

"How about… you tell me more about the castle?" She tried lamely, not able to come up with a good question on the spot.

"I thought you hated the castle. Judging by how eager you were to get out of it," Azrael winced, no doubt remembering the nasty run-in with Phantom. He still had to drink the nasty medicine once a day to get rid of the last remnants of the poison.

"Yes, and it was horrible. So I'm trying to find fun places within the castle. Do you know any?"

"Fun places?" Azrael scratched his chin in contemplation. "There is a lot of hidden stuff that could be considered fun."

"Like what?" Rosa asked eagerly, hoping that the Royal Treasury might be included in the list.

"Well…" Azrael drawled, then shook his head. "No, I can't tell that to a little squirt like you. You need to do some growing up first."

He reached out and ruffled Rosa's hair, making it stand up in every direction. She grumbled and tried to even it out again.

"I thought you were the fun guy," she tried to entice the demon. Azrael was prone to causing mischief so surely a bit of teasing could get the desired result.

"I am the fun guy!" he announced and proudly put his hand on his hips and raised his nose up high. "Tell me what you want to do, we'll do it."

That was easy. He really is a kid on the inside.

"How about finding some treasure?" Rosa smirked, but Azrael instantly shook his head.

"Oh, no, no, no! I do not want to get another long lecture from Lucius, just because I am stuck in the Royal Treasury or something."

"The Royal Treasury!" Rosa didn't even have to fake her excitement, allowing her natural glee to give her voice a higher pitch. Just like a child who has just heard of the most awesome thing in the world.

"No! It is forbidden!" He wagged his finger at her, but the gesture lacked the will behind it. 

One more push and Azrael would surely cave in.

"But aren't I the Princess? Can't I go anywhere within the castle? Father said that I can," Rosa whimpered, making her best sad puppy-dog eyes.

"No means no. And those large, cute eyes will not make me change my mind," Azrael crossed his arms over his chest, and stared down at her. She continued staring back at him with her large eyes, turning her lower lip out and making it quiver a little, as if she were about to cry.

Azrael looked away, then then glanced back at her. His expression slowly softened, until finally he threw up his arms in defeat, "Fine, fine! Let's go see the Royal Treasury. But we are only looking! We, namely you, are not going to take anything from it. Do you understand?"

"Yes! Thank you, thank you!" Rosa cheered earnestly. If she had known that convincing Azrael to do her bidding would be so easy, she would have done it right away.