Medicine for the Demon

In a huge hall with ancient tapestries, about a dozen men of various ages were sitting at a long table made of dark wood: the youngest was barely forty, and the oldest was in his sixties. All of them were richly dressed. The fingers of their hands, resting on the armrests of their chairs, which were upholstered in red velvet, sparkled with precious stones in their gold rings. " This is unheard of. The prince did not just make this slave his pupil, but his son, with all the relevant documents and legal succession, gave him his last name. He is the third son of Antsifer Villamain. At first I thought it was a joke or an evil prank, but it turned out not. And we have to put up with this?!" the youngest of the men was indignant. "I wish I knew why he did all this. I can't believe I just went along with my daughter. My heart feels that the prince is up to something. Maybe it's to test us... and not just us, but the whole nobility," said an old man sitting at the head of the table. "Lord Beltre, don't jump to conclusions. Maybe we're worrying for nothing. Well, after all, Aldo wouldn't deprive his own son of the right to the throne for the sake of a demon. A demon prince and a former slave are unacceptable. We've been telling Karmin all his life that he's the rightful heir to the throne. We've been grooming him to be a future prince, instilling the right mindset in him. We've surrounded him with our own children, even finding a suitable match for him. But now this demon could ruin everything," said another. "And we're supposed to keep quiet?" Can't we really comment on this? The youngest member of the princely council continued to be indignant. "And what do you say?" According to the law of the principality, adopted children are equal in rights with their relatives. He might consider it an insult to the House of Villamain. Or are you, my dear, eager to try on the shackles? Beltren grinned. "But what are we going to do?" The old man sitting next to him asked. "Carmine has disliked him since the moment he arrived at his house, and that is certainly to our advantage. He is too fixated on aristocratic pride and his future title. If he feels threatened, he will do the dirty work for us. We will guide him on how to do it and assist him discreetly," Beltren replied.

***

In the morning, after breakfast, Dr. Marcos was called to Antsifer. He examined the wings. The redness on the seams was natural, but he didn't like the fact that in some places they were in the form of bluish-purple spots. This meant infection. The doctor prescribed some powders and extended his stay at home for up to a week. "Don't worry, Your Grace. As I said, bed rest is only for two days. You can walk around the room for the rest of the week, but don't leave it. If you lose consciousness, say, on the stairs, and break your wings in the fall, all our efforts will be in vain. So be patient and take your medication," he said, seeing the patient's dejected state. Antsifer nodded in agreement. As usual, Milagros came to his room from school, bringing his homework and the latest gossip. "Ciri, have you ever flown?" she asked after a short, thoughtful silence, when she had finished her long story. The demon thought for a moment, remembering. " When I was a gardener and I was about seven or eight years old, I climbed almost to the top of an apple tree and jumped off with my wings spread. After a few awkward attempts, I managed to glide a little. The old gardener saw me and scolded me. He said that if people saw me, they would cut off my wings. But that night, he and I climbed to the top of the castle. He grabbed me under the arms and took off. He was also one of those demons who were born free and saw Cocytus with their own eyes. Then he told me to spread my wings. And when I managed to catch the air currents, I let them go. I didn't fly very far or high, and landed quite well, crashing into a haystack in a barnyard. But the old man strictly forbade me to do it again. That was the first and last time I flew," said Antsifer. "You're lucky." I would like to too, but people can't fly," the girl sighed sadly. "If I ever manage to learn this, I will definitely take you for a ride. Let's fly together," the demon promised. "Promise?" she asked, her eyes burning with anticipation. "I promise," said Antsifer. The next day after school, Milly entered his room in high spirits. "Guess what the main topic of discussion at school is right now?" Milly asked with a mysterious smile. "The new dress style," Antsifer suggested, as he remembered what the girls had been discussing during breaks as they left their classrooms. And demons always had exceptional hearing. "Well, you're almost right," the young lady said, slightly disappointed. "Everyone is talking about what they're going to wear to the Flower Ball." "What is it?" asked Antsifer. "Well, it's like an adult ball that's held twice a year, at the beginning of summer and the beginning of winter. Everyone who's turned fifteen from all over the Principality will come to the ball, which is organized by the Council in Arcadia, to receive a congratulatory letter and a gift. At the ball, everyone who has a talent of some kind shows it off. Artists decorate the hall with their paintings. Musicians play their instruments. Singers sing. And, of course, there will be dancing. By the way, you'll be there too. You're also fifteen. And Lassie will be the host of the ball, as my father has already arranged with the Academy's management. This is another news that is being actively discussed at school, especially among the girls," Milly smiled. Antsifer remembered his clumsy attempts at dancing and turned noticeably pale. He especially didn't want this, in his opinion, shameful event to be witnessed by Alesion. "But you can't refuse," he said softly. "You can't. Representatives of the princely family are always present. Others are optional. Although rarely anyone misses the ball. This is a good opportunity to make themselves known to other classes. By the way, peasants dress funny: brightly and pretentiously, with an abundance of cheap jewelry. But there is no dress code at the ball, so everyone dresses up in everything," Milagros said. "I wonder if Lucio will be there," he suddenly thought about the young hunter, whose first encounter with him had not ended well. "Why haven't I ever met Lucio at school?" the demon wondered. "He must have followed a simplified, shorter curriculum, lasting only four years. During this time, they primarily learn to count, write, and read. After that, the curriculum becomes more complex, and only the aristocrats and merchant children remain, if they choose to." Peasants rarely continue their studies, as their parents believe that this is enough for their children. They need to learn crafts, continue their parents' work, and so on," the girl replied. " That's how it is..." Antsifer sighed. "But you're not in danger. As a prince, you'll finish the full course of school anyway, plus additional classes at home," his sister reassured him. The demon sighed heavily. He had already experienced what it was like to take extra classes at home. The week dragged on for an eternity, and all the while, Antsifer worked hard to keep up with the others. And all the while, Albert spent his nights in Antsifer's room. In the morning, younger prince would let him sleep in his own room. Milagros would visit him every day, and she would spend most of her weekends with him. Finally, the week was over, and demon took off his straps, sighing with relief as he spread his wings and held them high in the air. Antsifer spent a long time in front of the mirror, examining his wings. The patches didn't differ much from the color of the main wing, and it was incredibly pleasing. " Well, shall we try to fly? " He suggested. "What, right now?" the girl was surprised. "Well, the stitches don't hurt anymore," said Antsifer. They went up to the landing of one of the extreme corner towers of the castle. Antsifer walked to the edge of the wide parapet and looked down between the high battlements. Milagros did the same. The girl suddenly turned very pale and trembled. She rushed to the demon, clutching at his clothes. " No, Ciri, don't. You're going to crash! Stop it!" she pleaded. "Milly, calm down, nothing terrible is going to happen," he replied, trying to break the circle of her embrace. "You're going to die!" Milagros persisted. "Milly, it's going to be okay," he assured her. "Please don't do this. I'm scared," she whispered, wrapping her arms tightly around his waist. "Okay. I won't do it if you don't want me to," said Antsifer. The girl let go of him, relieved. But the next moment he jumped onto the parapet and fell like a stone. Milagros rushed to the parapet, but it was too late. "Tsiri!" he heard her cry out in desperation. The world seemed to have stopped around her. She couldn't see what was happening below due to the width of the parapet, and she didn't want to. She began to shake like a leaf, and slowly sank to the stone floor of the tower. Large tears rolled down her cheeks. She buried her face in her bent knees and wept uncontrollably. The fall had been swift. After a couple of seconds, he opened his wings, keeping them parallel to each other, and his speed slowed down. As he caught the air currents and remembered how to keep his body parallel to the ground, the demon began to glide slowly away from the castle walls and windows. It was an incredible feeling of flight. The wind blew through his body, causing him to breathe deeply, filling his heart with an indescribable sense of excitement and freedom. This continued for a few more seconds, until he felt himself beginning to descend. However, another problem arose: The speed was quite high, and he didn't know how to brake. This time, there was no haystack in the park where he was flying. He had no choice but to fold his wings, curl up, and roll on the ground. He lay there for a while, feeling a bit dizzy. His stitches ached again, unable to withstand such a sudden impact. Through the ringing in his ears, he could hear footsteps and shouts as people rushed towards him. But that feeling of elation, the frantic beating of his heart that wouldn't calm down, made him smile through the pain. Servants surrounded him, helping him to his feet. As the dizziness subsided, he slowly made his way back to the house. When he entered Milly's room, he found it empty. He then ascended to the same tower from which he had jumped. She was still sitting there, staring blankly at her knees. He knelt beside her and touched her hair. "Milly," he said quietly. The girl looked at him with the same blank expression, slapped his hand, and got up from the floor without saying anything. A sense of unease crept into the demon's soul. "Milly!" he called out again, stopping her and taking her hand. "Let go," she said, trying to push him away. But he wouldn't let go. "Let go, you fool...You're a fool! I hate you! How could you deceive me like that?" The young lady threw her fists at him, and tears of resentment welled up in her eyes. Despite her fierce protests, he held her close. "Please forgive me. I didn't think you'd be so afraid," he said softly. The girl began to cry again, burying her face in his shoulder. He stroked her hair and spoke softly to calm her. Soon, she pulled away from him and walked away without even looking at him. "Milly, please don't be angry," Antsifer pleaded. The young lady marched down the corridor of the women's wing, ignoring his presence. When she reached her room, she entered and slammed the door in his face, making it clear that she did not want to see him. "Milly, please forgive me," he whispered as he stood outside her room. He was reprimanded by Lady Sophia as soon as he returned to his room. He had to apologize again and promise that it would not happen again. The doctor who came to the call also contributed to the scolding of the negligent demon. "Your Grace, you have acted very unwisely. It's a good thing that the seams didn't split and I didn't have to put staples. It's too early for such a load. At least for a couple more months. Now this period will have to be doubled until the skin of the wings finally heals and gets used to this neighborhood," said Marcos. "Milly wanted me to fly so much," said Ancifer, although he understood that this was a weak excuse. "Whether you will fly or not depends solely on your skills, which are apparently mediocre. So forget about flying for four months until the seams get rough. Focus on your studies, dance lessons, and good manners. As far as I know, you will be attending the next Flower Ball," the doctor was saying. Ancifer stood with his eyes downcast, and realized that he had no choice but to obey. The next day, he went to school and was greeted warmly by his classmates, except for Renat. However, others believed that he was simply jealous of Antsifer. The young demons were intrigued by his wings. During the long break, which signified that half of the lessons had passed, he sat under a tree in the garden, on an old bench, his preferred spot, far away from the gazebos where the students often gathered. He tried to read aloud from a thin children's book with large letters and bright illustrations that he had borrowed from the prince's library, ignoring the other children who were passing by. There was a group of girls about fifteen years old in a nearby gazebo. They kept talking among themselves, glancing in his direction every now and then. His sensitive ears carried snatches of phrases to him.: "Look, it's him! The prince's adopted son." "He's weird." "Awkward and tall. Although the eyes are beautiful." "He's going to be at the ball, right?" "That would be amusing," came a suppressed giggle. "Who would dance with such a one. Unless it was some peasant woman who could only stomp on his feet." The girls laughed together. Their remarks did not offend Antsifer, but he even breathed a sigh of relief, thinking that he could avoid such a torture as dancing. "Alession is another matter. Here's someone to dance with," they continued the conversation. "I saw him once from afar. He rode through the city on a gray horse. He was so handsome!" One of the girls was saying enthusiastically. "It's a pity that the only prince who will be at the ball will be him. Who could possibly like a demon?" "They say that Alession will be the head of the ball. So he doesn't have to dance at all. He will make a speech, present gifts and leave, as the Grand Duke did before, or he will sit on the throne and be bored." "Noelia, what do you think?" "Maybe." "I would give anything for one glance of his sky-blue eyes in my direction," another girl replied. "Noelia!" There was an indignant exclamation. There was no reply. Soon, Antsifer heard the sound of light footsteps approaching him, and the rustling of a long dress. "I am sorry, my lord, for disturbing you," he heard a beautiful, melodious voice say. Antsifer looked up from his book. In front of him stood a young girl, the most beautiful he had ever seen. Tiny legs in satin shoes, a slender figure, a delicate face with translucent skin, beautiful platinum-colored hair curled in the latest fashion, a delicate blush on her cheeks, red lips, and large brown eyes framed by long eyelashes. The beauty was dressed in the latest fashion. Her dress was made of blue, thick fabric, as per the school's rules, which prohibited wearing overly elaborate or colorful clothing. However, it fit her perfectly, with the grace and sophistication of a member of the upper class. "My name is Noelia Bissonette," she said, curtsying slightly. It took Antsifer a while to recover from his shock and figure out what this strikingly beautiful woman wanted from him, especially after the unflattering comments her friends had made about him. Eventually, he remembered what he had been taught and stood up from the bench, bowing slightly to introduce himself to the young lady. "Your Grace will not consider it impudent if I ask you a question," she said in a somewhat indifferent tone. "Ask away," the demon replied. " Is it true that Alessio will be the master of ceremonies at the next Flower Ball?" she asked. "Yes, it's in the plans, but I can't say that they won't change," Antsifer replied evasively, trying not to forget about the correctness of the sentences. "Will you come to the ball alone or with a lady?" there was a further question that baffled him. "With a lady..." he thought, staring at the girl in amazement. Milagros had not warned of anything of the sort. "One," replied Antsifer, blushing for some reason. "I know it is an unheard-of impertinence on my part, but would you be so good as to be my escort to the ball," Noelia suggested. Antsifer stared at her in surprise once again. His heart skipped a beat as he looked into her deep brown eyes. Suddenly, out of the corner of his eye, he noticed Milagros walking past on the path. She stopped, gave them a cold look, and continued on her way. "I'm sorry, my lady, but I don't want to embarrass you with my inexperience, so I must refuse. And I hope you won't be angry with me for this," he said, just as his manners teacher had taught him, and he strode off to catch up with Milly. "He refused... he refused me," she thought, stunned. She was the most beautiful girl in the capital, and she came from a high-ranking noble family. No one had ever refused her anything. Her admirers swarmed around her, ready to fulfill her every wish and fight each other for her favor. Often, the beautiful Noelia, despite her young age, became the cause of a duel. And then he, a demon and a former slave, dared to refuse her. "How dare he!!! He'll be lying at my feet begging for forgiveness, but I'll think about forgiving him!" she thought, turning purple with anger. "Noelia, what happened?" One of her friends asked her, seeing that the girl was furious. She quickly regained her composure and smiled warmly. "It's nothing to worry about," she said, grateful that none of them had overheard her conversation with Antsifer. He stopped Milly by grabbing her arm. "Milly, please stop being mad. I promise I won't do that anymore," he said. "I don't believe you," Milagros said. "Please, I have already been punished by your displeasure," the demon coaxed. The girl looked at him seriously. "Don't talk to me in memorized phrases," she said and walked away, making it clear that she was still angry with him. "Milly!" he called out to her. "Let's talk at home," she replied, stopping, then continuing on her way. After dinner, he found her in the garden. She was sitting under a large apple tree, hugging her knees. It was cloudy, and a cool breeze was blowing away the cumulus clouds. Anzifer sat down next to her without saying a word, gently touching her hair. She didn't react to his touch. "What can I do to make you forgive me?" He said softly. The girl looked at him. "I thought you'd be different...And you only think about yourself the same way...like Karmin and Lassie," she said sadly, looking in front of her. "I wasn't thinking about myself, Milly. I wanted to learn how to fly as soon as possible so that we could fly together. You can't imagine what an incredible feeling it is, like becoming the wind. I want you to experience it too!" he said enthusiastically. The girl slowly leaned into him and wrapped her arms around his waist. "You can't imagine how afraid I am of losing you," she whispered softly. The demon embraced her in return and smiled. "You will never lose me," he promised. It started to drizzle, just as the magic tower had predicted. As the raindrops began to fall on her clothes, she suddenly felt a darkness enveloping her. Milagros looked up. Antsifer had opened his wings, forming a dome over their heads. The rain began to patter on the large leather membranes. The girl smiled and leaned against him again, listening to the music of the growing rain. After a while, it became cold and wet, and they had to return to the house.