Recurring memories

Recurring memories

In the royal palace of the demon kingdom, a young boy sat in front of an old man, whose irritation was evident on his face. It seemed that the usual debate between the old man and the young lad had started again.

The man had small horn-like protrusions on his head, and the young boy looked like a human with no demon features. This made him easily distinguishable from the demons and also made him an easy target of the demons.

If not for his grandfather, the demon king, who protected him after the death of his mother, he would have been long dead with no one to care about his remains. A human, living in the demon's kingdom. Quite an amazement to still be alive.

"Why do you think humans are not to blame for the incident involving your mother?" The old man with horn-like intrusions on his head asked, frustration evident in his voice and his face, as his forehead wrinkled like a crumpled piece of paper.

He was tired of the endless arguments with the young prince every day after class. The young lad, Prince Leonel, always questioned him, even though he was hired as a tutor, not a debater.

Earlier, he had asked the young prince to explain the last incident between the human race and the demon race, which led to a huge war between them, and the young lad had shared his mother's story, making the humans the victims instead of showing that the humans were at fault. The old man hadn't expected him to bring up his mom, but he did.

Stubbornly, he continued to argue like a mule refusing to budge from his position, that the humans were not at fault. Was it because he had some human blood in him? Wasn't it confirmed that his demon blood was stronger? Shouldn't he defend the demons, even if they were at fault?

"No, my dad didn't lure her. My mom and dad were in love," he had stated, further frustrating the old man.

"And where is your father, who supposedly loved your mother so much that he let her die and abandoned his beloved son in the grasp of the demons?" the old man asked sarcastically.

The story known to all was that the human who deceived the princess did so for selfish reasons and was killed by the king's guards when their relationship was discovered.

Their unhealthy conversation was interrupted by an unwanted guest. The guest, who seemed to have been running from a distance, stopped to rest when the guards guarding them stopped him.

Observing the intrusion and the guest's attire, which indicated he was from the king's palace, the old man stood up to inquire about his problem.

"Why have you come?" the royal tutor asked the man, who was catching his breath and resting his hands on his knees.

"My lord, I'm deeply sorry, but the demon king requests the young prince's presence," the man said. He had been running from the king's palace as soon as he heard of the request.

Without a word, the royal tutor stepped aside to let the young prince, who was already standing behind him, pass. Leonel had stood up as soon as he heard his name and the king's request. He wondered what could be wrong, why his grandfather had called him in such a hurry, especially while he was studying.

His grandfather had always emphasized the importance of taking his lessons seriously, as it was the only way for the subjects to forget all his mother's wrongdoings and accept him as a wise and capable king. Since the death of the princess, the young prince had been groomed to be the next in line to the throne, as the king had no other successor.

________________

In a spacious room, a bed was situated in the far western corner. On it lay a man with his demonic horns resting dimly on his head whose health seemed to be deteriorating. The king's countenance appeared devoid of life, while his body exhibited a noticeable lack of energy and vitality.

Hadn't the royal advisor announced that the king had secluded himself? Why did he look like this? Weren't people who seclude themselves supposed to appear refreshed and rejuvenated, even if they were previously ill? Shouldn't he look healthy? Was something secretly going wrong?

Various thoughts raced through the young prince's mind as he observed his grandfather's frail condition. He had always been the one lecturing him about not letting anyone see him at his weakest, but how ironic it was that his grandfather now resembled exactly what he had warned him against becoming.

Approaching his grandfather, he bowed respectfully to greet him, bending one knee. "Good day, grandfather. You requested to see me. I hope everything is alright?" he inquired, rising to his feet after receiving permission.

"Come closer. I'm sorry to let you see me like this, but I had to. I will pass away one day, and there will be no one here who will love you as much as I do," the demon king weakly uttered, extending his hands towards the prince.

Seeing his outstretched hand beckoning him, the young prince moved closer.

"Take this," the king said, handing over a golden ring. "Wear it. It should protect you after I'm gone," he added.

Examining the dull, shimmering ring in his hand, the young lad pondered what his grandfather had done to give him this. Without further hesitation, he slipped the ring onto his finger and, to his surprise, it fit perfectly.

Raising his gaze with a questioning look to meet his grandfather's, he was met with lifeless orbs. Shocked, his eyes widened as he observed his grandfather's condition. Once, there had been a glimmer of light in those eyes, but now they were devoid of any life, dark and empty.

As he grieved in his heart, conflicting thoughts plagued his mind, questioning the reality of what he had witnessed. Suddenly, a faint voice reached his ears, "Leonel! Leonel! Wake up!"