My Demon King

I will never judge my alcoholic father ever again. I was horribly dazed from the night before; I didn't think it'd be this hard holding the troubles of the kingdom on your shoulders. It's not the way one human should live, especially not sober. I rubbed my eyes tiredly, squinting and groaning as the horrid headache plagued me once I tried to raise my head by an inch. I groaned in pain, reaching for the alarm clock that I barely heard to turn it off. “f**k,” I groaned, wishing I could stay in bed all day but that was unfortunately unrealistic for who I've become. These people are only granting me pity because it has only clocked a year since their true leaders died on their cruise. Bastard ship, I should have died alongside them instead of being trapped, ruling this place of utter boredom. There wasn't a day that passed that I didn't think of my parents, especially when I wanted to break down in tears, or when I actually did, from the workload. But today was different. This very day a year ago, I buried them with my very hands. That same day, the crown was handed down to me at the dreadful age of 22 years young. Me… “...Lavinia Elora, Queen of Gomore,” I sighed, trying to remind myself of my status in the mirror as I stared at my puffy-looking face paired with my black hair that wasn't quite looking its best even if it extended below my bottom. I did that every morning, reminding myself that this was the best time to exhibit elegance, wisdom, and grace in all I do. I wasn't a free-willed young adult anymore, I was now a queen, the only daughter born of the great King Fredrick Elora and exquisite Queen Laveen Elora. It was my turn and responsibility now to keep up their good name and only show their great upbringing and not my young-minded, curious side. I made myself look a bit more presentable while releasing subtle grunts of pain each time I moved a bit too much. I have a class scheduled with Mr Kelly today, “Just a few more months, a few more and you'll not have to bother waking up by 4 am just to further your education,” I tried to motivate myself. “It's lovely to see you this morning, Queen Lavinia,” Mr Kelly greeted once he walked through those doors, a cheerful look on his charming yet cruel face, “How did you sleep?” “Quite horribly,” I croaked, “I want to just crawl back into bed but I can't. I used to be able to but I can't anymore. After this, it's off to the next ball, meeting, gathering,” I sighed, “it's always something.” “I understand your plight, Queen Lavinia. The duties of a queen for such a kingdom are never-ending; unavoidable as well,” he tried to encourage me, but his words were barely able to stick in my brain with how horribly tired I was. I groaned, resting my head in the space I had made with my arms on the table, “How do you even manage to come here so joyfully so early in the morning to put up with some brat? Is there a substance I don't know of?” I questioned, genuinely curious. He smiled to himself, shaking his head, “When you're getting paid the way I am just for teaching something I had learnt for all my life, you dare not let that smile drop from your face.” “Plausible,” I teased, “Let's just get this over with; I can already hear my schedule being drafted.” I groaned. He smiled, pulling out our necessary supplies before starting our dreadful classes. My mind was everywhere but on what he was saying, as about now, that's the last thing on my mind. My head aches with a dreadful headache, that was enough to put me out of it. As I tried my best to comprehend what he was trying to lecture me on, every atom of my being hated the impulsive decision to drink last night when I had a horrific glimpse of what today could be like. Finally, as the clock struck 8 am, he assigned me my projects and made his humble way out, not looking even an ounce tired when the last five lecturers I had hired this year looked like they had just gotten back from war each time they were to leave my house after those dreadful four hours. But Mr Kelly knew very much how to handle me; he entertained my thoughts and curiosities and didn't get tired of snapping me back to reality; he really is the only lecturer that can handle this busy sole-ruler brain. And as my schedule was being narrated to me, all I could wish for was for my parents to have been immortal so I never inherited such responsibility, with no partner as well. After the briefing, I was informed that I'd be attending a ball tonight. After fittings and outfit choosing, out of boredom, I called for the aid of my best friend, Victoria. I was feeling rather lost and confused at such a time and I believed she'd be done with classes right about now since it was far into the afternoon. Sluggishly, I joined my driver tiredly into the car, placing my glasses on my face and a flattering hat, hoping not many people would see it through my heavy windows. I made it through the halls without anyone seeing me luckily, up until the very last step as I was about to enter her room, “My queen,” they bowed, looking very much older than me. Nervously, I waved, still not getting the hang of my age mates and, even worse, my elders, greeting me with such respect. I expected it but it took some getting used to. Now I know what my grandmother was yapping about back then about my mother being the youngest, most frail queen ever for the first few years. I didn't blame the poor thing, she must have been scared to death, running back to her king after every day outdoors. How I missed them so, I understood her plight now. If only I had my king to run to every now and then. “I guess I'll just have to keep disturbing her instead,” I sighed, stopping outside Victoria’s door before swinging it open in excitement and oh how I regretted that instantly, “My goodness!” I exclaimed. They shuffled around, grabbing covers to hide themselves as I shut my eyes instantly, as well as the door. I heard Victoria laughing her brains out, how I knew she wasn't in her right senses and wanted to plan out yet another disturbing event for me. The boy struggled with his pants and belts still, looking as pale as a ghost upon leaving the door, “My queen,” he bowed slightly, “I'm sorry for the inconvenience,” the poor mortified boy apologized. I simply shook my head, dashing him a small smile, “My battle isn't with you, boy. It's with your partner inside–” “She's not my partner,” he defended a bit too quickly. I grimaced, taken aback as I stared at him over the rim of my glasses with a questioning brow, “That was a bit too quick to leave your lips, no? I don't care what label you two have put on whatever that was; I walked in to see you atop her; therefore, she's your partner in my eyes,” I deadpanned. “Anything you say, Your Majesty,” he commented, still pale and worried-looking as he left my sight. I sighed, opening up the room door again to find her stark naked, the smell of sweat and weed filled my nostrils in an instant, making me flinch but it was never dirty with Victoria, “You don't even have the decency to put on clothes after what I just saw?” I complained. “You don't have the decency to knock either?” She smiled, lighting another one to her lips but I took it right away from her, “Hey!” She exclaimed, “It's been a stressful day,” she whined. “Can't be nearly as stressful as mine, trust me. I doubt you even need more; you're pretty well off with your bloodshot eyes if you ask me,” I rolled my eyes, “You could have at least locked the door. What if it wasn't me that entered?” “Then they would have had the show of their lives,” she shrugged, snatching it right from my fingers before she stood up, displaying her nude, model body for me but I wasn't one to complain, “Besides, what did you see that you haven't seen before?” “That doesn't matter. I don't derive pleasure in seeing you bent over every now and then. That boy was so stoned, he had forgotten he had seen me countless times in the same manner, in the same conditions,” I teased. “He does it the best; I wouldn't lie to you,” she grinned, “How's my favourite, stressed-out queen doing?” she endearingly asked. “Is it that obvious?” I sighed, pinching the bridge of my nose after taking off my glasses and hat. I turned to her, raising my head with a worried look on my face, “Yeesh! When did you last sleep?” She frowned, squeezing her face, “You look gorgeous regardless, but damn,” she shook her head, handing me the lit blunt between her fingers. I shook my head, “It's not the best look for a young queen that's only just trying to make everyone like her and adjust to smelling of a stigmatized substance,” I added politely. She shrugged, retracting it and placing it between her lips as she sat back down on the bed, “So how're you doing, love? Besides not getting any sleep, what have you been up to?” she leaned in, placing a hand under her chin. “Oh you know, official stuff, suffering, ball after ball, briefing after briefing, still trying to learn my way around it all, just the usual,” I shrugged, “Asides f*****g our boy John, what have you been up to?” I teased. “Just stuck in this tiny hostel, trying to keep my scholarship,” she shrugged, “School is hard, you're lucky you're not here,” she sighed. “I'll take it over what the hell is going on in my life now,” I sighed, “It's not preferable waking up before 4 am and being seated till 8 am, hearing only one person's voice that soon becomes irritating every business day.” “The horror,” she rolled her eyes, “f**k that; at least you can go shopping for anything you want, have certain privileges, and get to see dukes, princes, kings, a platter of hot, manly men almost every week.” “Those dukes and princes that seem of such high calibre are nothing to write about, I will tell you that,” I grimaced, “Most of them are woman-haters that are looking for a woman to subdue into giving them her kingdom and turn into a baby-making machine.” “And you'd think they'd be the nice ones,” she commented. “Far from it,” I emphasized, “Some can't f**k or are generally bad people; others are under the category which I just explained. They simply can't go for a woman that doesn't have her own kingdom established, there's no difference between them and normal people who try to do the same.” “And if I know you very well, no one will possibly take this kingdom from you unless it's a descendant,” she added. “That's very correct,” I nodded, pinching the bridge of my nose as I felt the headache creep in again, “This whole thing is so tiring. I miss my old life; coming to school, being able to walk around with only a little recognition, going to clubs with you and not being able to move the next day, being free of such heavy responsibility and so many eyes on me,” I sighed. “Unfortunately, we don't have your parents to do all that anymore. May their souls rest in perfect peace,” she said somberly. I sighed, nodding in agreement to her prayer, “You know what? When are you free? Let's go to a bar sometime.” I was sceptical, a bad feeling at the depth of my stomach, “I don't know about that, Vic,” I worriedly rubbed my arms for comfort. “Come on, you don't need to worry about anything. I got you covered always, and you know that. It's a pretty private bar, so not a lot of people would be there to witness us get black-out drunk,” she shrugged. “But there would be people regardless,” I retorted, “I don't think I'll want to see the supposed ruler of my country getting black-out drunk at a bar. Let's just do it at the palace, there's a bar there that has more drinks in it than any bar.” “I'm familiar with your stocked bar, but I want you to have fun. It's all about dressing up and being out in the dead of night, then coming back drunk as hell, not knowing how you got home in the first place, but at least you did,” she persisted. I sighed, “I'll be back from across the continent in the next two days, one of them being the night of the ball, and I'll be back by the next evening or the morning a day after,” I caved in, causing a large smile on her face. “Alright, my queen,” she teased. We spent the rest of the evening catching up on minor things until it was almost dark out, and I figured it was time to go to catch up for my daily debrief and pack. I bid her goodbye, put on my hat and glasses, sprayed some perfume to try to calm the smell down, and then went on my way. I was greeted by the unnecessary chatter from my royal advisor as soon as I walked through the door, asking me where I had been even if I told him before I left. “Why do you smell of,” he hesitated, narrowing his eyes, thinking I'd fill the gap in my head, and I did. “How do you know how it smells, sir Gordon?” I narrowed my eyes, watching him turn pale in an instant so I knew that conversation was over. As I spoke, I noted down many things and replied when necessary, still only getting myself back together after that dreadful hangover from last night. “That'll be all for today, your majesty. Do get some rest and begin your packing, some people have been sent upstairs to help you with that,” Gordon smiled, “Between you and me, I hear this ball is going to be rather eventful and large. You should throw yourself out there a bit, you might catch something of great value, whether it be a great friend or someone more than a friend,” he teased. I sighed, “I doubt. A female friend, maybe, but anything else is not on my mind to search for. I'm highly uninterested in bringing anything into my life that'll try to take my kingdom “ “You may never know, Your Majesty,” he teased with a shrug, “Do have a lovely rest.” His wish snapped me out of my thoughts of what he had earlier said. My heart fluttered slightly at the thought of something valuable but I knew it wasn't going to be easy for me. Absent-mindedly, I replied, “And you too, Gordon.”