My fate is to be a demon king. Just like my father, and his father before him. But I don't want to be a king. I am a demon, but I just want to live a peaceful life. Kind wizard, what do I do? Can you help me change my fate? -- Anon Guest
[AN: There is a difference between Actual Demons, who would never say this thing, and Hellkin, who are called demons by the ignorant public]
"The one in Whitekeep changed everything. Pax Infernus allowed my father to announce his truth. And mine. They've had a few years to get used to 'demons' in charge. At least they're not calling us 'teufs'," The young prince sighed, reaching for a charm that was no longer attached to his right horn. "I never wanted to be king. The longer my father sat the throne, the happier I was and then..."
"The plague," said Wraithvine. "It hit the Hellkin hard. You were lucky to escape it."
"I won't ever escape my truth, but I'd rather escape the blame. People have decided that I'm grasping for power. That I somehow made the plague hit while I was in a boarding school on the other side of the continent. With very thin resources, mind."
The specifics of that statement told everything about the rumours already going around. Wraithvine had only heard the milder whispers on hir way to the seat of the crown.
"The easiest thing to change your fate is to abdicate in favour of a replacement to your title," said Wraithvine. "That very Whitekeep king you mentioned has... numerous heirs. They might wish to send someone to... at least assist." Wraithvine broke formality to say, "King Kosh has been shockingly good at applying power with a light touch. Further, he's an excellent teacher."
"I'll write a letter to him. Offer the price of the transit circles from my own purse. I've been living off rations for a while. I can live that way for a while longer."
Wraithvine remained as advisor, but did not mention that the Prince Ozarkas may well be the kind of king his people truly needed.
King Kormwind "Kosh" Whitekeep IX sent a daughter and a small cohort of advisors. Some may be Lutemen, though Wraithvine couldn't pick them out at all. What struck hir notice was the fact that Prince Ozarkas and the Princess Optimism were fairly close in age.
Since the two Nobles were both Hellkin, the people had a space of time to decide which 'devil' they wanted. The one they knew, but suspected; or the one they didn't know and feared.
In the end, they got both.
[Photo by Sarah Penney on Unsplash]
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