Medicine for the Demon

Finally, the week came to an end, and he was able to relax somewhat. Antsifer had no idea how much he would need to know as an aristocrat. With each passing day, his studies continued to expand, and the abundance of rules terrified the former slave: rules of behavior in the family, rules of behavior in society, how to behave with ordinary people, rules of table manners, diction, and even how to sit at the table and walk with his chin up and his shoulders straight. He had to learn everything that aristocratic children were taught in the Principality from a young age. And how different it was from the aristocrats of the capital. And of course, there was discipline. Albert would enter his room every day at five in the morning. Although on most occasions, Anzifer was already awake. His life as a slave had taught him to rise with the sun. In addition to dancing and horseback riding, he was also taught fencing, foreign languages, music, and singing. However, he struggled with the latter. The young demon's singing abilities were quite mediocre. But a bad teacher is one who doesn't make his student do anything worthwhile. And Antsifer had to suffer in silence. He was particularly interested in horseback riding. Slaves were not allowed near horses. Only specially trained grooms were allowed to handle them in the stables. Antsifer entered the stables and approached the stall where Whirlwind was kept. The horse raised its head and looked at him intently. The demon carefully opened the stall and entered. The horse jerked its head, stamping its feet restlessly. "Come and try to stroke its withers, my lord," he heard a voice behind him say. Antsifer turned to find a young man of about thirty standing behind him. "It is not in a mood at the moment, so a caress will calm it," he continued. Antsifer approached the horse and gently stroked its neck, patting it lightly and feeling the animal relax. "How did you know he wasn't in the mood?" the demon asked. "If his ears are pinned back or standing on end, he's not in the mood. And if his head and tail are raised, you won't get close to him without a treat," the man chuckled. "I'm going to teach you how to ride a horse." "That's how it is... " Antsifer replied. "And talk to him more often. He needs to hear your voice so that he knows it and reacts to it properly. You can control an animal with the intonation of your voice," the instructor explained. "What kind of treat does he like?" the young man asked. "Apples. Just don't give them too often. This should be perceived by the animal as encouragement, not as part of the diet," the man replied, throwing an apple to Antsifer. He handed it to the horse. The whirlwind exhaled noisily, sniffing, stretching its muzzle to his hand. And the next moment, he felt the touch of soft, slightly rough horse lips and heavy, hot breath on his palm. "Well, consider that we have already met. And consider this, my lord. If he comes up behind you and puts his head on your shoulder, it means he wants to be petted. If you don't pet him, he'll bite," the instructor said. "I'll keep that in mind," the demon smiled. After the first introduction, Antsifer took the Whirlwind by the reins and led it into a large open-air arena. "First, just walk a couple of laps with him to get him used to you," the instructor advised. Antsifer slowly walked around, leading the horse by the reins. "Okay, now let's try to sit down. Hold the reins and the mane with one hand. Don't be afraid, you won't hurt him. Hold on to the saddle with your other hand. Insert your left foot into the stirrup, make a jump and throw your right leg over your back. If possible, gently lower yourself into the saddle, resting on your hips and do not forget to insert your right foot into the stirrup. Keep your body straight, don't slouch," the instructor instructed. Antsifer tried to strictly follow his instructions, but as soon as he was about to throw his leg over the Whirlwind's back, it began to move. The demon felt his foot slip off the stirrup and, losing his balance, he fell on his back, risking to break his wings. His foot got stuck in the stirrup, and if the instructor hadn't stopped the horse, it would have dragged demon along with it. "Are you all right?" the man asked. "I'm fine," Antsifer replied. "If you feel like you're falling, try to group up and pull your leg out of the stirrup," the man explained. "Understood," said Antsifer. He repeated his attempt a second time. This time, the Whirlwind allowed him to mount, but Antsifer sat too abruptly, placing his weight on the horse's rump. The horse reared up, and the demon was thrown from the saddle once again, landing on his back but managing to cushion the fall with his hands. On the third attempt, Antsifer grabbed the horse's mane and bridle with a death grip. He sat in the saddle for a while. "Let the animal know that it needs to move. Tap the sides of the horse with your heels," said the man, who was a little amused by the stallion's playful behavior. The demon did as he was told. The horse began to move slowly. After completing a leisurely circle, it suddenly picked up the pace. Following the instructor's advice, Anzifer gently lowered himself onto the horse's rump, without fully transferring his body weight, but still holding the reins firmly. At that moment, Karmin approached the stable and stood next to the man, watching Antsifer's training. Suddenly, the Whirlwind took a sharp turn, and Antsifer felt himself slipping off the saddle and flying in a different direction. He landed on the sand once again. "The horse is smarter than the rider," Karmin replied, and he walked back to the stable. After a while, he returned on the Favorite. Their partnership looked harmonious. It was as if the stallion's color was specifically chosen to match Karmin's blue-black hair. The rider's proud posture indicated that he was quite confident in the saddle. Antsifer stood up, brushing himself off. "I think that's enough for today," the teacher concluded, "Take him by the reins and lead him to the stable." Antsifer tried to do so, but the Whirlwind jumped aside and galloped in a circle. After running a couple of laps, he stopped dead in front of the demon. But as soon as he approached and stretched out his hand to the bridle, it jumped aside again and started galloping in a circle. "Oh, is that so?" Pretending to be offended, Antsifer walked over to the barrier of the paddock and turned away from the horse. After running a few circles, the horse stopped in front of him. After waiting a few minutes and not receiving any reaction from the demon, the horse slowly approached him. Antsifer felt a slight nudge on his shoulder, but he did not react in any way. The horse nudged him again, and Antsifer continued to ignore it. Suddenly, the demon was startled when he felt the horse chewing on the collar of his shirt and grabbing his hair. "Hey, what are you doing!!!" Antsifer was indignant and turned around, pushing his muzzle away. The horse raised its muzzle high, turning its head so that its mane fluttered from side to side and neighed loudly. "Yes, it's very funny," replied Ancifer gloomily. Then he finally caught him by the bridle and led him to the stall. "He's very fast and playful, but he still has a temper," the instructor remarked. "I've already figured that out," Antsifer replied. He didn't hide the fact that he liked the stallion. After his riding lesson, Antsifer felt as if he had sand in places he didn't even know he had. Sitting in a warm bath, he vigorously lathered his hair, pouring water over it from a ladle. He preferred to do this alone, without the assistance of servants. Then, he lay back and felt himself drifting off to sleep. The water had a pleasant minty scent. However, he eventually had to get out of the bath. As soon as he did, the bathroom door flew open and Mily burst into the room. Antsifer barely had time to cover his privates with a towel and lean against the bathtub. “Tsiry, you have a letter!” the young lady announced happily. Antsifer looked at her, his face flushed with embarrassment. “Mily, could you...” he began quietly, aware of the awkward situation he had put himself in. "Of course I can... I can read it to you. You can't read capital letters...well, you can't yet," she understood his phrase in her own way. "So, this is from a doctor. I ask you to come to the hospital today for an examination," she read. "For inspection... "said Antsifer with caution. "I'm coming with you, so don't worry," Milagros said. Albert entered the bathroom and saved the situation by asking the lady to leave, and helped Antsifer get dressed. As he sat in the carriage, he kept looking out of the curtained window. People would see the royal carriage and bow in greeting. The demon felt like he would never get used to it. Once he arrived at the veterinary clinic, he was immediately taken to the chief doctor's office. The doctor led him back to the operating room and asked him to remove his shirt. The teenager looked at him warily. "Don't worry, I won't hurt you," the doctor said, noticing his tension. "Are you feeling all right now? Is there no pain, nausea, or dizziness? " he asked. "No," replied Antsifer, somewhat lying, because after repeatedly falling from a horse, his whole body ached as if he had been beaten, although he had no idea what these questions were for. "Good," the doctor smiled. He took a long glass thermometer and stuck it under his armpit, forcing him to hold it there for a while. "Your normal body temperature is 38.5°C," the man said, writing it down in a notebook that was made of several sheets of dark, rough paper that had been sewn together. The doctor took a small tube with bells at the ends and, placing one of them against Antifer's chest, began to count, looking at the minute sandglass. "The heartbeat is 97 beats per minute," he said, making notes. "What kind of bruises are these?" the man asked, noticing the results of his training. "Riding a horse. The first lesson was today," the demon explained. "Try not to get injured. The operation will take place in three days," the doctor said. "In three days."..So soon," said Antsifer, startled. "Don't worry, the operation is not complicated. I have already warned His Majesty about this," the man said. Then he pricked his finger and took some blood. He measured his height and weight. In general, the examination didn't take long. Afterwards, Antsifer and Mily decided to take a walk around the city to calm down a bit. As she had heard that her brother was about to have an operation, the girl was also worried. As they slowly walked through the streets of Arcadia, demon didn't immediately notice that a child's voice was persistently calling his name. Turning around to the sound, he saw the same five-year-old demon girl who had been in the same cage with him running towards him at full speed, her full skirts flying up. "Antsifer, Antsifer, look at my beautiful dress," she said, catching her breath and then twirling around. She was wearing a blouse and a full skirt, as they didn't know how to make clothes for demons here. "You're beautiful," the young demon replied with a smile, picking her up. " And you know what my name is, you know...well guess," she smiled. "Marie," he said thoughtfully. "No," the demoness replied, and cheerful sparks danced in her purple eyes. "Loretta," said Anzifer. "No, no, you didn't get it, you didn't get it," the little girl laughed. "Celia," she replied proudly. "It's a beautiful name," the young demon replied. "My brother's name is also beautiful, Ne-tan-zel," she said, pronouncing the difficult name. "That's wonderful," said Anzifer. "Is it true that you're a prince?" Celia asked. "It's true now," the demon replied. "I knew you were a prince, a demon prince. An evil sorceress turned you into a slave, but you were freed by a princess who fell in love with you at first sight," the little demon said. Antsifer smiled in response. Suddenly, he heard a woman's voice calling out to the girl behind him. The guy turned around and, seeing the same woman who had been the first to take the children away from the square, put the child down on the ground. The child ran to her, shouting "Mama." Adelina, seeing the royal family, made a slight curtsy. Anzifer bowed in response. He believed that it was thanks to her that the demons had a new home, rather than new owners. As she watched them, Milagros noticed that her brother had an easy way with children, which amused her a bit. "I want to find him," he said suddenly. "Who?" Mily asked. "The guy who saved us. His name is Lucio, I think, and he's a hunter," said Antsifer decisively. "We'll find it if you want," Mily said, and they returned to the carriage. After some questioning from the townspeople, they were told how to find the Benozh hunting family. There were ten houses in a row, all occupied by close relatives who were all engaged in the same trade—hunting, which provided work for tanners and shoemakers, as well as for the fresh-meat and game merchants. They found Lucio Benoj's house easily. Antsifer got out of the carriage and walked toward the high, heavy gates of the estate. "You go on ahead, and I'll stop by my father's house and come back for you," said Milagros, and she drove off. He knocked on the gate with a hammer. After a while, Gaspard opened the gate. "You... " he said in surprise. The man had heard the rumors that had stirred up the entire capital, and probably the entire principality. The prince had adopted a demon slave. "Your Grace," he quickly corrected himself, "How can I help you?" "I would like to see Lucio," the demon said. "Well, come on in," said Gaspar, waving him into the manor. The wide courtyard was filled with the sound of dogs barking. Antifer tensed instinctively, backing away toward the gate. The memory of being hunted by dogs by those who had been on his trail when he had escaped his master was still fresh in his mind. The feel of their fangs tearing into his clothes as he fought desperately to escape. He remembered their fierce, threatening growls and the sharpness of their fangs on his skin. The bloodhounds were trained not to harm their prey, so they didn't hurt anyone, but it was scary enough. Gaspard shouted at the dogs and they calmed down. "He's over there in the forge," he said, pointing to a low, squat building from which a monotonous knocking was coming. He entered a dimly lit room. As his eyes adjusted to the darkness, he saw a blond-haired teenager with his back to him, pounding a hammer on an anvil. The teenager lowered a completed crossbow bolt head into a vat of water, and the metal hissed as it cooled rapidly. "Hello," Antsifer greeted his savior. The teenager turned and gave him a hostile look. "What do you want?" Lucio asked grimly. "I wanted to thank you for saving me," said Antsifer. "Saving you??? Saving you!!! " He flew at him and, grabbing him by the clothes, began to shake the demon like a wet rag. Antsifer was perplexed by what could have angered his savior so much. "You...you've ruined my life. I've become a laughingstock because of you," the young hunter shouted at him. "I don't understand why you're angry," the demon said in confusion. "Don't you understand?" With that, Lucio grabbed his arm and dragged him into the house. In the large hall on the first floor, he pointed to the heads of animals hanging on the wall. "These are all the trophies of my family from the first hunt. This is my father, uncle, cousin, grandfather," he said, pointing to the effigies, "And I'm supposed to hang your head here." Ancifer stood with his eyes downcast. He did not expect that their lives would be more expensive than valuable trophies, but for some reason it became a shame. This was not how he had imagined their meeting.

* * *

"Papa, may I ask you a favor?" said Milagros, sitting on her father's lap. The man smiled, preparing to listen. "Well, why not? I don't think it's a bad idea, and they deserve it," he said, after listening to his daughter's request. She jumped off his lap. "Thank you, My Lord," she said, making a deep curtsy and left the study.

* * *

The prince's carriage arrived at the main house of the Benoît family. The coachman knocked on the gate with a hammer. Gaspard opened the gate again. "You must have Mr. Antsifer," he said. When the hunter saw the young princess, he bowed and let her enter the courtyard. The old head of the family and Boliver and his son were there, and they also bowed to the young lady. Suddenly, Lucio came out of the house. "Get out, I don't want to see you anymore!" he said sharply, pushing Antsifer in the back, ignoring the presence of strangers. Gaspard froze in fright, looking at his son. To publicly disrespect members of the prince's family. At best, they were threatened with expulsion from the capital, at worst correctional labor in penal servitude, so that they would know how to behave with representatives of the highest nobility. Milagros looked coldly at the young hunter. The man was stunned, and turned pale when he realized what he had done. "Forgive him, My lady," pleaded a gray-haired old man who approached her. She did not even look at him. "Which of you is Lucio Benoj's father?" asked Milagros, her chin raised proudly. "I am, Madam. My name is Gaspar," the man replied with a deep bow. "Gaspard Benoît, by the grace of our great prince, accept this as a gift for saving his loyal subjects," she said, handing the man a heavy purse. He stared at it in amazement, then took it from the girl's hand. "Thank you, Your Grace," said Gaspar, when he had regained the power of speech. The Princess looked at the young hunter with a significant expression. He came closer and bowed. "Lucio Benog, I believe," she said coldly. "Yes, Your Grace," he replied, barely able to breathe, without raising his head. "Accept this as a gift for saving the third son of Prince Lavedania, Antsifer Villamain," she said, and a heavy velvet purse of money fell into the young man's hand. "Thank you, Your Grace," Lucio stammered. In the next moment, he received a painful blow from a heavy fan on his still-bowed head. The young man involuntarily winced and closed his eyes. "This is for disrespect, disobedience, and insulting the princely house," Milagros said sternly. The teenager fell to his knees. "I'm sorry, Your Grace," he said quietly, sweating profusely. "My lady, do not be angry with this foolish child," the old man said. "Foolish child? At his age, people rule kingdoms and command armies. So it's time to get smart and keep your mouth shut," Milagros replied coldly. "It's not me you should be apologizing to," she said to the teenager. He looked hungrily at Antsifer, who was standing next to him. "I humbly apologize to Your Lordship for the misconduct," Lucio said. "Yes, I..." Antsifer began, taking a step towards the kneeling young hunter. But he was stopped by Milagros' fan and the stern gaze of her blue eyes. Demon had to remember what he had been taught. The main thing for the royal house is to preserve dignity and honor in any situation. "By leveling with them, you will not gain their love, but rather lose their respect," he remembered the prince's advice, and for some reason, the truth of his words made him feel so sad. "This time, I have forgiven you," he said as calmly as possible. "Thank you, Your Grace," said Lucio. His father and grandfather repeated the words of gratitude. "Yes, I almost forgot. The Benoît family will be responsible for the next royal hunt," the princess said, handing over a scroll with the order, which was tied with a ribbon bearing the royal seal. This news once again left everyone in the courtyard in shock. The family of hunters who participated in the royal hunt were granted a special status, but the Benoj family, despite their importance to the capital, did not have this privilege. Instead, they were outmatched by the royal court's supplier, who somehow managed to provide the prince with rare animals. However, this did not save Lucio from receiving a scolding from his father. "You wanted to be friends with him," Mily realized as they returned home. Antsifer sighed heavily and looked out the small window of the carriage at the changing landscape. "Don't worry, that fool will come running to you soon enough," Mily chuckled. "I didn't want to use my position in such a way," Antsifer said. "Your position is your position, get used to it. And he should be respected by everyone, regardless of titles or social status, and regardless of their attitude towards you. You may not be loved or even hated, but they have no right to disrespect you. After all, you saved him and his father from hard labor. This is the punishment that awaits those who show disrespect to the princely family in any form. This law applies to all social classes. It will be interesting to see how the father's advisors will react in this situation. Your appearance in our family will be a good test for these pompous turkeys," the princess chuckled.