Prologue — The Setup

"My name is Luna Blackwood. First Princess of Demon King Ash… my father.

I was asleep in my room, trapped in a strange dream full of voices I couldn't make out.

STOP! HOW DARE YOU DO THAT?! I BELIEVED YOU…

I woke up with sunlight beaming across my face. I sat up and looked around my room. Everything was normal.

Purple drapes.

Black walls.

My room looked exactly the way it always had.

Then I heard footsteps outside my door.

They stopped.

The door flung open.

My fifteen-year-old little brother, Exe, ran into my room and jumped onto my bed.

"Luna, good morning!"

I hugged him back.

"Hey, good morning."

A small demon rabbit popped out of his jumper and jumped onto my chest.

I stared at its red eyes and white fur.

Exe said, "His name is Hair… and he goes around the castle for me."

"You know you shouldn't snoop around on others."

Exe pouted.

"Hair saw brother Drago talking to some humans…"

I quickly covered his mouth.

A moment later, our maid entered with a bowl of warm water for me to wash my face.

I leaned close to Exe and spoke quietly.

"Don't talk about big brother's movements unless you have proof."

Exe pulled against my hand and shouted, "But he said something bad!"

I covered his mouth again and forced him to get up. Then I placed his demon rabbit on top of his head.

"I'll see you in the dining room for breakfast."

Exe gave me a mean stare, grabbed his boots off the floor, and walked toward the door.

"I believe in Hair more than Drago."

I sighed.

"Look again. Don't talk about big brother Drago like he's plotting against us."

Exe finally left my room.

I rolled my eyes and sat near the edge of my bed.

The maid looked toward the door and said, "Your brother doesn't sit right with me. He's planning something."

As I rinsed my face, I looked at her.

"Serenity, you've been my maid ever since I was a child. Do you believe in Exe too?"

She nodded.

"Yes, but at my own discretion."

Her voice lowered.

"I still have my own children to take care of."

She cleared her throat.

"This is just a warning from your maid, the one who has been serving you ever since you were a small child."

I grabbed the towel from her hands and gave her a scowl.

"Just get my clothes ready, please."

Serenity nodded and went to gather my dress and undergarments.

I went into the bathroom connected to my room and washed up.

As I showered, I found myself thinking back to the dream.

"Just what was that?"

After I rinsed the shampoo from my hair, I thought about what Exe had said.

"I trust my older brother. He helped me control my Ichor. Without him, I wouldn't have been able to control my own power."

I raised my hand in the shower.

A blade crawled to life from my own blood, forming a moonblade.

I grabbed it and examined it.

Serenity knocked on the door.

"Princess, your clothes are ready."

I let go of the moonblade and watched it sink back into my body.

After I got out of the shower, I put my robe on and dried my horns.

I looked into the mirror while drying my body until Serenity called out again.

"Princess, Prince Drago is here to see you."

I came out of the bathroom wearing my robe and towel.

Drago stood by the entrance of my room, leaning against the doorframe while facing outside.

I clenched my robe tighter.

"Hey… good morning, Drago. This is kind of unexpected, big brother."

He didn't enter the room.

Drago stayed near the doorframe and turned slightly toward me.

"After breakfast, I need you and Exe to take care of a dungeon for me. It spawned downtown in the Demon Empire."

Serenity raised a wall of dark magic between us, blocking Drago's view while I changed.

As Serenity helped me, I said, "Isn't that kind of your jurisdiction? And isn't that area really far?"

Drago answered calmly, carrying the authority of an older brother.

"I'm needed here. Father wants to speak to me about my rise to the throne in the next few years, so I'll be staying behind."

Serenity finished zipping up the back of my dress.

As she dispelled the black wall between us, I said, "I guess it can't be helped. I'll do it then."

Drago nodded and turned to leave.

"Your fiancé will be there as well."

"Oh? Really?"

I paused.

"Why is that?"

He answered while leaving.

"He really wanted to finally meet you. And as my closest friend, I believe he is the best suitor for you."

That made my stomach turn.

My father had only proposed the engagement a few days ago. So why was my fiancé already in the downtown district?

The only people who went down there were demons looking for under-the-table jobs.

I started walking out of my room while Serenity completed my makeup.

"What's for breakfast?" I asked.

She told me the menu as we made our way to the dining hall.

When I arrived at the entrance, I saw Exe sitting far away from Drago. They were both eating while glaring at each other.

For a moment, I thought I saw a beast-like afterimage behind Exe.

A red aura pulsed around Drago.

I sighed and went to my seat.

"You both need to get along."

Drago drank from his cup and said, "I'm just showing tough love to my younger brother."

Exe kept eating and gave Drago an ugly look.

"Why am I related to you?"

Drago slammed his hands on the table.

"You little—"

"Enough!" I snapped. "Or you'll ruin my appetite."

They both quieted down and continued eating.

Neither of them broke eye contact.

After breakfast, Exe followed behind me while I held up the back of my dress, annoyed that I didn't even get to enjoy my meal.

We arrived at the large obsidian door.

Exe grabbed the back of my dress.

"Why are you wearing a dress to a dungeon?"

I looked at him.

"Oh, you think this is just a dress?"

I pulled open the door and grinned.

"Come, little brother. Let me show you how your older sister handles a dungeon in a dress."

As we walked down to the gate, our servants held the doors open for us.

Exe sighed.

"I don't think it's wise for us to leave."

Annoyed, I stepped into the carriage and took a seat. Then I reached my hand out to Exe, thinking I was encouraging him.

I didn't realize I was leading my little brother far away from the castle.

My older brother would now be alone with my father and mother.

I grabbed Exe's hand.

"Come, Exe. Let's finish this and come back."

He entered the carriage with a nervous look on his face.

As we got closer to downtown, the trip took longer than expected.

Exe looked at me.

"Why do you look so fancy?"

He pointed at my dress.

"A young demon woman like yourself will attract unwanted attention in the dungeon, Luna."

I looked into my pocket mirror.

For a moment, I realized I had never truly looked at myself.

I had grown into a stunning demon woman. My athletic build, natural curves, and thin elegant horns gave me a regal look, though the base of my horns grew thicker and rougher near my head.

I lowered the mirror as the carriage slowed.

"You don't look half bad yourself, Exe. For a small demon boy with cute little black horns, anyway."

I wrapped my tail around him and pulled him into a hug.

He used his own tail to push my head away before I could smother him with kisses.

"You're ruining my shirt and my demon farmer jumpsuit."

He shoved himself away from me.

I gave him a playful grin as the carriage came to a complete stop.

We looked out the window.

A purple-black portal had swallowed the front of a house. It looked demon-made.

Exe opened the carriage door.

"Let's get this over with."

He stepped outside.

"Now that's the spirit," I said. "That sounds like a Demon Prince."

I grabbed his hand, and we walked toward the portal.

It had taken over the entire house.

Half my body had already passed through when Exe pulled me back.

I looked at him.

"What's wrong?"

He looked toward the horizon.

"I have a bad feeling about this."

I tugged him harder.

"Let's finish this already."

Then I yanked him inside.

A second later, the portal closed behind us.

The carriage turned back…

Leaving Exe and me behind.