Stigmata

I am not Alone

Through a Princess' Eyes.

That was the title of the novel series I found myself inside all those years ago. It was a fairly common story, all things considered. It used all the same tropes and clichés as other stories, but it held a special place in my heart as the first series I read alongside my mother. Every couple of years, we would reread it from start to finish, reliving our favorite moments together. I would always be thankful to my mother for that. If it wasn't for her, I might have forgotten all the important things that would impact my life as Theophania. Even if I had forgotten some of the finer details over the years, I was still familiar with the grander themes which governed my new world.

Cycles played an important role in Theophania's story. Cycles of abuse, of reincarnation, of revenge, but most importantly a cycle of war.

Every time a Demon King was slain, a new one would be born within the following decade. As a result, a new Saintess and a new Hero had to be chosen to fight him. The Saintess and Hero were blessed by different Gods every time, but the Demon King was always chosen by Asgoloth, the God of Darkness. The same soul was sent down again and again to fight the same battle against different foes. It was a little heartbreaking to think about, even if the Demon King was the one to kill the original Theophania. I couldn't really blame him for that, anyway. Even I, as a Saintess, was bound to my role.

And, unlike Theophania, I planned on playing it properly.

That was why I didn't scream like she did when the person who opened the carriage door had horns growing from his head. This was my first time seeing a demon in the flesh. Aside from his horns and his pointed ears, he didn't look all that different from a human. I was sure anyone else who looked at him saw a kindly old man like any other.

He smiled at me, revealing pointed teeth not unlike a shark's. "Welcome, Your Highness. Please, allow me to escort you."

I took his offered hand without hesitation. "Thank you."

After almost four days stuck in a carriage with Frederick, I would take any hand that would free me from his company. It felt like I became a child again whenever we spoke. I didn't like it. Or him, for that matter. The sooner I put distance between us, the better.

"I am Roan," the demon escorting me said softly. "Head Butler of the Duke's estate." Truth.

The Duke's estate was run by a demon? Well, then. Wasn't that interesting? Just how far had the Demon King's forces infiltrated? Theophania was a timid child who never learned how to look up after a lifetime of watching people's shoes, so she only noticed one or two demons while living in the palace and immediately reported them to her father . As Roan led me into my uncle's grand manor, I spotted many more than that. They were dressed as servants and acted like them, too, but I was loathe to trust that appearance.

"Is there something wrong, Your Highness?"

I smiled in response to Roan's concerned expression. "Not at all. I've simply never seen a place as lavish as this."

I wasn't lying. When I looked over the marble staircases and vibrant tapestries, all I could think about was how expensive it all had to be.

Roan coughed into a gloved fist. "Ah, I see. Well, I am sure you will become accustomed to such things soon, Your Highness." He was probably right, though I wasn't sure how I felt about that. "Please, follow me to your room. I will have the maids prepare a bath for you." Truth.

How kind. So far, nothing he said rang hollow. I turned to look over my shoulder and was surprised to see that neither my uncle nor my cousin had followed me in. I stopped at the bottom of the stairs and Roan looked at me with confusion.