The Start Of Deviousness

She opened the double doors and left, her words still lingering in the air. Her last words before she left sounded like a warning. There was something about her words that he couldn't quite grasp, some hidden meaning behind it. Finally, Daemon let out a breath, a breath of relief and something. He couldn't quite make out of it. He didn't bother to see if she had left. If she can enter without anyone noticing, she can do the same while leaving. 

Instead, he quickly rushed up the grand steps to his office, taking two steps at a time. He burst through the doors of his office and threw himself down into his stone chair padded with luxurious cushion of red, violet and gold. He started looking through the reports sent by the commoners. Frustrated at his result of having no solution to their problems, he swipe them all down angrily. The reports clattered as they hid the stone cold floor. Then he buried his head in his hands, thinking and thinking. 

He thought about the words she said. The weeds and grasses she talked about. And the apple tree. Daemon suddenly had a light bulb moment. He finally understood her words. He stood up and look outside. He realized he had been thinking over it for one day and one night. Excitedly and eager to put his new idea into use, he summoned his Left Protector. 

"White Cloud! Come here now!" He bellowed. White Cloud came running over. "My lord, what it is?" He curtseyed with one knew up and another knew down. He yanked open his table drawers and took out his token - a symbol of authority of The Demon Emperor. Seeing this token was equivalent to seeing The Demon Emperor. 

He scribbled something down on a piece of scroll. "Take these and give to Minister Fayes. Let him announce it to the public," 

White Cloud looked confusedly at the token and the scroll. Never had he seen his lord so excited and full of vigor. 

 He took the token and scroll hesitantly, unsure of his lord's behaviour. His lord had been acting strange since last night. 

"My lord, are you okay?" White Cloud tried to study Daemon's facial expressions. But Daemon waved him off. 

"I'm fine. I just need some time to think, some time to relieve myself," he took a deep breath and then exhaled slowly. 

"Relief? What relief, my lord?" 

"Never mind that. Do you know the woman who was here last night?" 

"Woman? What woman, my lord?" Immediately White Cloud imagined Daemon flirting and kissing a beautiful woman. He shook his head and dismissing such inappropriate thoughts. "My lord! You were with a woman last night!? No wonder you're so full of energy!" 

Damon shot up at that remark. "What are you talking about, Mighell!? Where has your brain gone to!? I meant, last night a woman in black intrude upon my grand hall. She even sat on the grand steps!" Daemon clenched his fists to show his anger. 

"Oh! But no one came to visit, my lord," Mighell White, codenamed as White Cloud said, suspicious of his lord. He thinks his lord illegally smuggled in women to play with. After all, it was not uncommon. 

"Then who is she?" Damon and White Cloud exchanged looks. 

"Are you sure you didn't....." Mighell trailed off hinting to Daemon about illegally snuggling women. 

"No! What's with you!?" His mind began to have multiple thoughts at the same time. 

Who exactly was that mysterious woman? And why did she have me such a hint? Daemon wondered. He had finally understood her words last night. 

"Perhaps you can tell me how she looks. I'm sure the imperial guards will be able to find her," Mighell suggested.

 He, too was in wonders of this woman. He rubbed his chin thinking. "Bring me the royal artist! And White Cloud, get to work!" He commanded with newfound strength and vigor. 

"Yes, My lord!" Daemon for the first time in his life, had such a devious and shameless idea. 

-------------------

And that was five years ago. Five years ago and he's still fighting against the other ministers and officials. But silently, in the dark. Both sides didn't want to disturb the peace or it'll cause panic. It was a game of cat and mouse. 

Oh, how Daemon remembered so vividly when he first came to High Moon Palace. He was scorned, look down upon, stepped and spat on by the other demon lords and ministers. He watched those people treated citizens like trash, worthless dogs. He watched how they humiliated him, mocked him and his father. 

"Your father must have been a fool to have raised a bastard useless dog like you!" And they all laughed at him. Daemon hated anyone who insulted his father. In his eyes, his father was a hero who saved him and his sister from that fire. That was his sensitive spot, and he'll kill anyone who touches it. 

In a fit of anger, he tried to fight with them using fists. But it was no use! They beat him up badly but made sure not to take his life. The purpose was so that they could still have a punching bag to play around with. He was weak and useless! He scolded himself, losing all self-confidence. 

But now, it was all different. He had changed. Everything had changed. He discovered powers he never known he had. Now he wants to make them pay. Yes! Pay for all the humiliation, pain and suffering they inflicted upon him these past five years. Pay for all his broken bones and blood he shed. 

The once innocent naive little demon has now changed into the ruthless demon emperor! And he's back with something powerful, something nasty and bad. He'll take back what is his! Rightfully his! If not by persuasion, then by force! The throne is his and no one can take it away from him! 

"You can hide, but you can't run!"