"18 court members, I don't know if it is a lot or not in this world..." Prince Kael thought.
"Mother, how strong are the 18 court members?"
"The 6 Demon Generals and Demon Lords are at the Spirit Gate realm at least; it is the 8th step in cultivation."
The boy didn't know how high the 8th step in cultivation was, so he decided to try asking about his mother's progress, "And what is your level?"
The Empress got a playful smile on her face, she laughed and said, "This is a secret, son. You will learn soon enough, in the royal family, there are a lot of secrets."
"Then what about Demon Kings?"
"Demon Kings are just as mysterious as I am... They are all masters of their factions, heads of families, schools, or species."
"Who is the strongest among them?" Kael couldn't contain his curiosity.
Vespera fell into thought, and only after a while, she replied, "The strongest out of the Kings... I would rather say who I'd avoid in a direct confrontation, and that is the Bone Sword Demon King. He is the oldest one; he served the previous Emperor too."
"Bone Sword Demon King..."
"Yes, he spends most of his time in his Sword Graveyard, one of the forbidden places in our empire. He trains, cultivates, and nothing else. For who knows how long he has been one of the strongest experts in the Demon Race."
"Will he be present during my official ceremony?"
"He will be; he is loyal to the throne and always answers the call."
"I am very interested to see him in person."
"Ha-ha-ha, maybe if he likes you, you can take him as a teacher. With your talent, it should be easy, rather it should be his honor," the Empress said proudly.
"We will see."
Vespera laughed and rubbed her son's nose; there in the bathhouse, she wasn't the Abyss Queen, a cold-hearted Myriad Demon Empress, but just a loving mother.
Returning to his room, Kael opened the door and saw wings. Feathered black wings and a woman, she was wearing silver armor and had a long sword on her hip. Her face wasn't covered by any helmet, so the Prince could see her golden eyes, pale rose lips, and sharp, well-defined features.
"Who are you?" the Prince asked.
"Your Highness, she is Selene, the Head of the Palace Guards," Hisha answered first.
"Greetings, Your Highness!" Selena said loudly and bent her knee, "Selene is at your service."
Kael could see her eyes burning with passion.
"I'm pleased to meet you, Selene. Hisha and Aisha told me about you, thank you for your service to the empire."
"Your Highness," Selena's voice trembled, previously she showed respect to him because he was a Prince, but after his words, his acknowledgment, she felt closer to her lord.
"I will serve you with all my heart, My Prince! I will ensure your safety with my honor and life on the line."
"Thank you..." Kael didn't expect such a reaction; he saw how her wings were trembling, "Well, I am planning to have some rest, so please, leave."
"Yes! I will be standing guard by your doors. In case you need me, you can ring the bell!"
Selena bowed her head and walked out of the room, Hisha and Aisha followed after her.
Once again, Kael was alone. He lay on his bed and closed his eyes; he felt much better now. He relaxed; it was very exhausting to maintain his image of the Prince. Although he was used to being served and people running around him, pleasing and complimenting him, being a Prince was a completely different matter.
"Let's have some rest, I'll think about the future tomorrow," he thought and then quickly drifted into sleep.
Kael's dreams were vivid, for some reason filled with visions of the Bone Sword Demon King and his Sword Graveyard. He saw himself standing in front of ancient swords embedded in the ground, their aura pulsating with immense power. The Bone Sword Demon King, an imposing figure with skeletal features and a grim aura, stood before him, appraising him with cold, calculating eyes.
Meanwhile, in a different corner of the palace, in a much grander room with countless exotic flowers flying around, a woman was sitting in a light silk robe. In her hand, a glass of red liquid resembling wine, her legs on top of a small cushion.
Several maids stood beside her, one was pouring her glass with more wine and the other fed Vespera with fruits.
"Eminence, Selena met with the Prince and is now standing guard beside his room," a man materialized beside her, his face covered by a plain black mask.
"Good, tell your shadows to be extra careful, especially before we assign a palace to the Prince. The birth of my son is a secret for now, before I make my arrangements nobody should know it except for a few palace personnel. According to information sent from the border, the Human Alliance is making preparations for their expansion."
The Empress played with her glass and stared at it for a while, "The Monster Clan is also in unrest, I am afraid in a few years there will be war."
"We will make preparations; shadows will increase their information-gathering speed."
"I am happy to hear that; make sure I know everything about the Monster Clan, every piece of information, especially if they are negotiating with the Human Alliance."
"You think the Monster Clan may unite with humans?" the man wondered.
"There is no enmity in this world which cannot be ended with money. Even the murder of one's family can be easily forgotten..."
"Their feud exists as long as both races, same with us. Monsters and humans..."
The Empress didn't let him finish, "Dragons and humans hated each other too, but 3 thousand years later, they are the closest of friends."
"If not for Descending Dragon, nothing would've changed."
"What makes you think nothing like that can happen with the Monster Clan too?"
The man could not find any words to say.
Descending Dragon is a famous expert of the human race; he was previously the Head of the Human Alliance and is now an elder. His cultivation path is a magnificent story. A person born to a dragon and a man. His father, a low-born, had been exiled from his village, betrayed by a loved one and then saved by a dragon.
An ordinary dragon girl, who was training in a nearby sea. For some reason, she took pity on him. She was an orphan, her parents had been killed by fellow members of the Dragon Clan. How playful destiny can be, each one hates their own race.
Later, these two fell in love, Descending Dragon's father and the dragon girl, both decided to live an ordinary life together, cultivating quietly away from any trouble. Finally, giving birth to a child of destiny, the first person born from a union of a dragon and man.
However, both races learning of this affair couldn't leave it alone. On one hand, dragons felt it was a disgrace to their noble race, wanting to kill the child, and on the other, humans wanting to obtain this special bloodline. Cultivate a new powerful weapon for Human Alliance.
Who would imagine that Descending Dragon would survive this ordeal. His father's sacrifice gave him time to train and become a powerhouse in his own right. There was nothing stopping him from taking revenge against the ones who had taken his father away. Nothing except his mother... Mother who survived during the pursuit, survived because a human took pity on her and let her go.
"Kindness exists in a person and not a race..." the phrase whispered by Descending Dragon and now repeated by the Empress.
"I will keep it in mind, Your Majesty. Another thing to report, all members of the Demonic Court have been notified, we are awaiting their response."
"Hm," Vespera nodded, "The sooner they get here, the sooner I can announce Prince Kael to the world."
The next morning, Kael awoke to the gentle light of dawn streaming through his windows. He sat up in bed, feeling much better from yesterday when he was on pins and needles. Treading the path carefully, now he felt as if he is truly the demonic prince.
Kael reached over to a small, ornate bell on his bedside table and gave it a soft ring.
Moments later, Aisha and Hisha entered the room, bowing deeply. "Good morning, Your Highness. How may we assist you today?" Aisha asked with a serene smile.
Selena entered the room later and greeted the prince as well.
"Good morning. Please prepare my clothes for the day. I wish to begin my training as soon as possible. Will you assist me in that, Selena?" Kael instructed.
"As you order, My Prince! I will prepare a private training ground for you, so nobody can disturb us," Selena took the order and left the chambers.
"Good, now breakfast, bring me breakfast."
"Immediately, My Prince, they are already preparing it," Hisha joyfully started setting up the table.
"Great, after breakfast, we all go to the training ground."