Abnegation

Rebirth for a Demon

                                               -Lora and Percival arrive at Castiel that evening...-

The princess stands before her dad as the paladin leaves to send the camels back... Earnest frowns as he asks "Wos this venture successful? Did you find your contact?", Lora replies "Yes father... but...". The king and queen stare skeptically until she replies "He couldn't... or rather didn't want to come back with us. He wos just betrayed by close-friends... and WANTS to help... but he's afraid we might hurt him...", Olivera squinted her eyes in disappointment... "Dear...  I can't help but believe you have been tricked. Or at least you're being strung along... Whether or not this contact has good intentions, he sounds very... strange.."... she says, then turns toward her husband "Earnest, I understand the situation, but: this adventurer seems little more than a unfortunate-person who's unable to keep up with wot he's said..". The king replies, not turning toward his wife... "True... too true. But I shall trust Lora..", Olivera and Lora stare in surprise as he explains "She moved this far by her own decisions, and I'll trust her judgment now... IF this contact IS unreliable however: understand that he'll be cast aside... regardless of the trust he has in you or you in him.". The princess replies happily (as this could have went much worse...) "Thank you father, I'll make sure he shows his face, soon!", Earnest smiles as he replies "Good, on another note...". Olivera sighs and looks at her device again as he asks "I've noticed Percival's attitude towards this mission: has everything went smoothly during the venture?"... Percival happens to the throne-room, after sending a lower-ranked-paladin back with the camels... He stops just at the doorway as he heard Lora's answer... "Yes father, and Percival was excellent at his job. In fact, I'd like him to accompany me again, IF the contact doesn't work out!". Earnest looks surprised... then replies "Yes... as you wish, darling.", Percival blushed slightly, but then shook his head and calms down, before waiting for the princess to leave and giving his oral-report...

The next morning: Lora excitedly gets ready to go to the lab! She again, sneaks out of the castle alone, and into the castle-town! Wit follows in her clothes again " Alright we finally got the shit!" he exclaims, she replies "Yes... that wos complicated, but I think we shall be able to go to Cailtte together!". The white demon looks away "Yeah... um...", she looked up as he asks "Why do every single paladin seem to be.. ya know, so fucking nice and shit to you?". Lora looks back at the lab as they near it... "I'm not sure..." she starts "I assume it's just the stereotypical idea of a knight marrying a princess: they all want to...". She stopped her sentence "Wait... I never thought about it... It's in fairy-tales, but I never thought THAT actually happened... it could be because it's their jobs?" she wonders, Wit sighs "No... or they'd all like Percival, but even he started bein' chill an' shit!". The princess blushed slightly: the idea that they all might've had any romantic-thoughts never crossed her mind until now... she then quickly says "Forget it! Um... they only want me to have good things to say about them, so they'd get used by father again!". Wit looks away... She notices jealousy strewn across his face... and almost comforts him, when she noticed they've entered the lab!

Lora then takes off her hat as she goes further inside... "This place's always empty... I guess there's not that many people interested in alchemy..." she thought as she came closer to Edmond's lab... The alchemist notices her immediately "Ah, Princess and my new BF: Wit!". The white demon drops from the ceiling angrily "I'm not even your damn friend!" he retorts, The alchemist chuckled until Lora says "We brought a Cacto... cactus-monster..." she finished shyly... Eddy laughed "Say it with pride! It's gonna catch on!", he then looks around asking "Where IS  my subject?". Wit reaches up behind the archway and pulls the gooey, mangled-carcass off the ceiling... The alchemist laughs "What the heck?! If ya were gonna bring the whole thing, maybe it could been in one piece!?", Wit sighs "Not when the thing fucking punched my dick!".