The Remnant

Chapter 8

"Congratulations on your glorious triumph, Your Majesty," said the red-headed Marquis as he raised his glass.

"Thank you very much, Niklas."

Niklas? I thought his name was Nicholas! Oh, whatever... just another bum demon lord trying to get on Valtair's good side.

I watched with boredom as more and more demon lords raised their glasses to honor the triumphant Demon King. Five hours had passed since the duel, and I was currently partaking in the customary feast that was put on to celebrate the outcome of the Crown Duel. It was basically a ceremony where all the demon nobles gathered together to express their "sincere congratulations" and "boundless fealty".

To put it simply, a clown show!

"Mother, do I really have to be here?" I whispered so that only she would hear me. I was beginning to grow restless from listening to the bullshit that was spewing out of these demons' mouths.

"Your father just survived a very dangerous duel, Lucian. As his family, we ought to be showing him love and support."

"Just because I don't want to be here, doesn't mean I don't love or support my father."

"Lucian," Cynthia said, her voice deepening as a warning. "That's enough."

"Fine," I sighed and sunk into my chair.

As I finished drinking my glass of milk, I noticed someone move into the empty seat beside me.

"Miss me?"

I put down my glass and noticed that Princess Thalia had moved over to join me. Her hair was freshly washed and styled in a new way, and she wore a red dress. For some reason, she seemed more mature, as if she'd aged a year or two. I couldn't help but imagine the countless admirers, from barons to kings, who would undoubtedly flock to her side in the years to come.

Unfortunately for you, princess, I'm not one of those suitors.

"Not really."

"Meany..."

I shrugged and grabbed a bowl filled with grapes. "What do you want?"

"Is that any way of talking to a princess?" Thalia sighed, feigning a face of disappointment.

"I can speak to you however I want, princess. May I remind you that I'm also a prince?"

Thalia's lips curled into a smile, a fire igniting in her gaze. "I'm only letting you off the hook because of what you did earlier today."

This freaking girl. She's gotten way too comfortable with me, and we've only known each other for a couple of hours. Maybe I shouldn't have saved her...

"Thanks, kid."

"Kid?! Who are you calling kid? You know I'm older than you, right?"

I grabbed the last grape from the bowl and lobbed it into my mouth. "You should try the grapes here. We have the best grapes, you know."

I watched with amusement as the princess closed her eyes and took a deep breath to calm herself. It was honestly hilarious how easy it was to get under her skin.

So, Thalia. What is it you want?

"I wanted to thank you," she said, as she opened her eyes. Her gaze was much more composed than it had been a couple of seconds ago. "For saving me, that is. I never really got the chance to say this before."

I opened my mouth to say another joke but decided against it. It was best to leave the teasing aside, for now.

"You're welcome, princess."