"We have the Flying Amazements circus troupe from Germania for entertainment, Nightcrawler. I asked specially for them."
This simple statement had the power to snap the demon from whatever train of thought he was following and propel him towards Amanda; he was in front of her in a split second.
"Flying Amazements? Wunderbar! Really? Oh, I can perform with them again, it'll be amazing. I was the best trapeze artist they ever had, along with Stephan and Jimaine. Just you wait, it'll be fantastic..When are they getting here? Did you say you asked specially for them? Danke danke danke danke schon" He'd picked her up and spun her round, filled with exuberance at the chance to meet his family again. Suddenly he dropped her, and started celebrating; flashing up the wall and swinging on the huge chandelier, which easily bore his weight.
"I hope Mutti and Papa are there, and my sisters, when are they here?"
"Tomorrow," choked out the Princess, shocked at being thrown around like that, and wondering why she'd enjoyed it…til he dropped her, anyway. She hadn't known that Kurt used to work in the flying amazements, and so challenged him to explain how the Flying Amazements fitted in with the story of Raven VonWagner being his mother.
"Oh, she wouldn't have kept me." Replied the demon off-hand. "She loves the Duke more than me, I don't mind that though, Mama Wagner said that she had Seered to try and find the best choice to make. It was to leave me with the midwife; so Mama Wagner reared me, when the village started having problems with me being there I came to this country, where you captured me, and here I am."
"Why was a circus member midwifing a Duchess?"
"She is the best to be had, is why."
: Rat-tat-tat-tat :
The door swung open to admit an under-apprentice bearing clothes to be adjusted. Amanda immediately began berating the unfortunate girl.
"Where is the head seamstress? I shall not be fitted by the lowliest person they could find, I demand you fetch me Mistress Waker. Now!"
The young maid bobbed a curtsey nervously. The talk of Lady Amanda being softened by her pet demon didn't appear to be true.
"M'ladyship, Mistress Waker is workin' on 'er Majesty t' Queen's dress at t' moment, but you prob'ly have t' better end of t' deal; me bein' t' best they've got for adjustin' and so forth, natteral talent she said."
": Sigh : Alright then, continue. Kurt, you can go for some food if you like, this will take a while." Kurt didn't feel particularly hungry, and so decided to stay and watch. "Demon, I said leave." He reviewed his decision and elected to go. His owner obviously didn't want him there.
Amanda looked at herself in the full-length mirror that adorned her wardrobe-room wall. The dress she wore consisted of a cream under skirt, covering her feet with a slight train. Over this was an indigo skirt about a foot shorter, so the cream showed. It had a beautiful maroon and gold phoenix embroidered on the left side. Over this was a dark green swathe of material that was almost touching the floor at the back, and connected to the bodice in the front (You know, the bit that looks like this from the front: l/\l ) Gold coins dangled on thin black ribbons along the edge of the cloth, tinkling faintly whenever she moved. The top was the same maroon as the phoenix, the sleeves stopping at the elbow with layers of white lace from there; longest next to the arm, shortest on the outside. Her hair would be mostly loose with the top pulled back and curled into ringlets, some pinned up, the rest hanging. It was no wonder that the final fitting took an hour to put on, before any pins even touched the thick fabrics.
Kurt returned from the kitchen much later, having snacked on a pastie, a jacket potato with tuna and a salad. He sneaked his head round the door, not sure if they'd finished yet. When he witnessed Amanda in her Ball finery, he was gob-smacked. She looked amazing... he realized that if she knew he'd seen her, there would be sparks flying before long. Angry sparks. The Forest Demon stretched until the bones all along his body cricked. Then he folded his long legs into a window seat, puzzling over what made him that shape, the standing on the balls of his feet pose, the tail- he waved it around a little- and what was the point of blue fur?
Aside from looking incredibly cool. he thought, grinning. That started his ponderings down another path. How to welcome his family to the castle. They wouldn't like his captivity, but Kurt couldn't think much of leaving anymore. The problem is, that could be part of the Binding spell, and not just because I like the food here. And Amanda.
The demon jerked. That was the first he'd thought of liking her. Usually he just distracted and entertained her, making her laugh or smile only so she'd be bearable to live with. But liking her is quite a bit different. Ja, and it's not just because she looked pretty in her new dress. Gott, I know not to judge by appearances, it's given me enough trouble. Why do I like her? Strange. Oh, Ich kann's kaum erwarten I can't wait, my family will be here soon. Maybe I can go home with them... No. I am stuck with Amanda forever. Verdammt! Maybe I don't like her.
Kurt was distracted from his thoughts by a summons to have his final fitting. He took a shortcut.
: BAMF :
: POOF :
Later, when his clothes were finished, Kurt began questioning the heir to the throne on the Ball, namely, how he would have to behave.
"I flatly refuse to scare people, have to eat anything raw,-"
"You want warm salad too?"
"No. Or do anything demonic."
"Don't worry, just act tamed. Be normal. To be precise, always hungry, upset or annoying. Really annoying for Juni."
"What do you mean upset? You're supposed to be too conceited to notice! What a lot has changed, Princess Amanda has noticed someone else's emotions!"
"I didn't say you should be annoying now; just at the Ball." The young woman had pre-empted Kurt's comeback, for when she should have told him off. Kurt decided she was getting too quick for him.
NEXT DAY
As the gaudily painted caravans and wagons were positioned in one of the many fields closest to the castle, two families found themselves in a royal's presence. And standing next to the well-dressed young lady was
"Kurti! What are you doing here? Did you come to help our act? Wow, we haven't you in ages, Flockige! Fuzzy!"
"No, I'm afraid I've been doing my Demon Act for the Princess the last few months." That drew their attention to the leather collar circling his throat. As one the two families seemed to draw him into their fold, bristling at outsiders. Lady Amanda was rather affronted, but said nothing in case they tried to take her demon away. Luckily she'd quit with the leash weeks ago, if it had been present she wouldn't have lasted five minutes. Instead, Kurt spoke up for her.
"Don't worry, she's been getting better lately. Killing less peasants when bored, feeding me every now and then, you know how it is."
What looked like a sister shook her head. "Honestly Kurti, you could melt the heart of a rock." He grinned. "Ah, Katja. How little do you know."
"More than you!" was the sharp reply. "Well...do you have the rig up yet?"
"Ja! But if you go on it we'll never get you down!" Amanda decided to leave him there with his family. She bid the people goodbye, and walked off to the kitchens. She wanted to make sure they had meringues for pudding. A minute later, Kurt appeared beside her with a :bamf: ; grabbed her hand, and ported back to the rig.
"Mein Dame, you will have to stay whilst I practice, I can't be on the rig if you walk to far away and drag me along with you, it would be too dangerous."
"This Binding is getting annoying."
Kurt just laughed at her frustration and shoved her into a seat. Then he leapt up to the rig and began living up to his showname, Die Fleidertuefel.
THE GRAND MIDWINTER BALL
Horse drawn carriages collected at the castle like bees round a honey pot. Elegantly dressed nobles massed in the foyer, before making their way to the grand hall.
The hall was shrouded in heavy tapestries and glittering candles, soft lights glinted off the delicate jewellery that adorned the many ladies and princesses present, not to mention some of the actual queens. Spun glass ornaments hung on wires above the congregation's heads, turning gently on the breeze that entered via the open stained glass windows. Long mahogany tables were scattered about the room, holding up the weight of the many delicious canapé's there for the visitors to snack on.
The King and Queen sat on their gilded thrones; the best dressed of all, which was saying something. From their seats they greeted each family as they were announced. When all had arrived Princess Amanda would make her entrance, accompanied by the tamed talking demon that would raise their prestige so highly.
In her chambers, Lady Amanda tried to calm the nervous Kurt. He was fidgeting with his clothes, worried about being shunned or avoided for an entire evening.
"What if I miss my cue for the display? No, that'll never happen at least. But the priest of the Storm goddess, what if he tries to exorcise me? And I don't go?"
"Teleport. They will think you've exploded or something."
"WAS!"
"You leave a puff of smoke and a stink of sulphur and brimstone whenever you 'port. It's the best impression of exploding I've ever seen."
"Danke! Hmm, maybe there's no problem at all. I can swing this, it'll be cool. Let's go boogie!"
"Boogie?"
Ah, mein Dame, have you not heard the Elementals band? From Germania? They had this amazing new music and instruments. Oh well, let's go waltz instead."
Amanda shook her head exasperatedly. The now-visible spell weaving bounced off her face. They had made it noticeable so that certain weak-minded ladies of the court wouldn't be as scared of the demon.
Thankfully the herald let it be known everyone had arrived at that point, so Kurt had no time to get nervous again. Shaking out her skirts so that the solitary crinkle disappeared, the princess swept out the door. The Forest Demon made to follow, stopped, and scaled the wall, crawling along it smoothly. When he caught up with Amanda she smiled at him.
"Grand entrance? Go through the door from the ceiling, that will be pretty impressive."
Kurt smiled happily. He was in his element when he was showing off; it had come naturally to him when growing up in a travelling circus in the summer.
Princess Juni Katherine Amelia Pryde was not going to let the vicious, arrogant tart that was the South Realm's excuse for a royal princess ruin the Ball for her. The fact that Amanda had a real demon on a leash, when Juni had to lie dreadfully to keep up her pretence of having three in the forest, not that lying was a problem thanks to that sorceress having a grudge, was just too many times being topped. It just wasn't fair.
That was when the seed of an idea was born. Juni immediately began expanding on it.
"Princess Amanda Juliette Tarynn Southton, heir to the Southern Realm, with her tamed Forest Demon, the Nightcrawler!"
Amanda regally glided into the Ballroom, catching everyone's attention as she traversed the aisle that had opened in the crowd to gracefully curtsey in front of her parents.
Kurt's entrance was showier, and no one stifled their gasps when he appeared.
Juni craned to see, her diminutive size not helping her view. But the fact he walked in upside down, clinging effortlessly to the ceiling, meant she had no trouble seeing; though this slipped her mind as she stared mesmerized at the demon.
He was blue! Covered in short blue fur, his hands had only two long, thick fingers and a thumb each, he moved on the balls of his feet cat-like, and a long spaded tail swished behind him. Standing tensely on his feet only then, the Nightcrawler dropped from the ceiling; flipping a somersault on the way down somehow slowed his descent, and the acrobat executed a roll as he touched the floor, effectively eliminating the force of his landing. Standing the right way up now, he smoothly bowed to the King and Queen, then disappeared with a puff of smoke and a :BAMF: sound.
Everyone gasped anew, his dramatic first impression causing one lady to faint. People began looking around to see where the demon had gone, when Princess Amanda clapped her hands sharply for attention. Standing by her side was the Nightcrawler, flashing fangs at those closest him as he grinned. Now that she was closer Juni could see that his ears were pointed, and as they looked in her direction, that his eyes were golden.
That's it. I'm stealing it from her. Let's see everyone being so like, fawning at Amanda when she doesn't have her pet demon, or whatever.
As the Ball resumed, the King and Queen hid smiles.
"That's quite the theatrical flair you've got there, young Nightcrawler." Said the King in a mock-sage tone. Kurt grinned even more. He liked Amanda's father; he was very easy going.
At that moment, said princess entered the throng and set off towards Princess Amara.