The orphan who tamed the demon

Sebastian's past

Demons and love don't seem like something that would fit in the same sentence. Yet, in their human lives they fall in love with one person, at the very least. This one so very special person never leaves them. For demons they have remnant of their human lives, that sometimes fade. Their lover stays in their hearts forever. Sadly, our lives are so long that, our lover dies and we are left alone.I was unlucky. My lover died before I became older than 17. I didn't get to live on with her.

I remember walking the streets on a field trip for school. I had been a noble at the time. We had a party to plan and I had already gotten everything I needed. My friends were beating a peasant who seemed homeless. I pushed them away to find a small bony girl in rags. She had long white hair that covered her shoulders like another coat. They bounded away and I waited until I was alone with her. I took the apple from my lunch and left it for her. She put a small flower in my front pocket as thanks.

It was rare for me to see her again but I tried to. I brought extra food anytime I went into town. I'd find her in a dark ally way hidden away. She fiddled with flowers, making little crowns and trying to make one to fit me. She would tell me my fortune based on what was 'painted' on the sky by the gods. She told me it was a blank canvas in the early morning and by sunrise the painting was finished.

That was just one of her stories. I longed to hear more. As a noble money was the only beauty in my parents world. I almost thought I lost the chance to hear her stories when my Nanny found me in the ally. She promised to pack my lunch extra big and to keep my secrete. Then she would nag me about other ways I could help her. One was to have her be a servant but I couldn't bare to see the torture my parents might inflict upon her if she was caught out of line.

Winter came and so did my favorite story. With her curled up in my lap and me using all my power to keep her warm she told me this. "Its always a terrible tale of a noble and peasant in love. All end sadly. But I don't think ours will. Here's how it will go. There will be cloudy day for us where we cannot reach the light that is us. That will be long like the dead of winter. Yet after what may seem like years we'll smile again when the sun comes back. Thought day might not look like it meets night. But ours will be in the slivers of dawn and dusk. Which will last more than one life time." She yawned. "You'll keep me warm... right. Be my sun for I can't stand cold, dark days."

That day was colder and darker than any other. My nanny came and dragged my home as fast as possible. I was busy all week with final projects and parties. My 17th birthday was Saturday. Friday was my leisure day and I planned to have a picnic with her. Money from my dead grandparents secured many gift for her. My life had been full of disappointing birthdays with parents who showed me off and never said smiled my way. Today was by far the worst.

Buried in her wet snowy rags she laid blue faced. A flower crown frozen to her head. A wordless story. Her stories were happy. She promised me more than a lifetime, yet she barely survived her. I couldn't stand it for long. The week after my birthday my nanny helped me burry her secretly. I planned to give her a big fur coat on our picnic. Now its what she rests peacefully in.

This was my cloudy day that lasted longer than winter.