Epilogue (Patreon)

Weeks passed since Morrigan defeated Asdeus and her army. Those who had entered the city were quickly apprehended by demon soldiers, while those outside tried to make a run for it. Some of them were captured, but unfortunately due to Underworld's structure most of them managed to disappear into the dark. This led to an enormous operation across the whole Demon Kingdom with the purpose of finding everyone who were involved with the uprising.

Initially, it had been suspected that the fallen were Asdeus's main allies but there was no evidence to support that theory. Not to mention that there were no fallen found among the enemy forces. Instead they mostly consisted of drow and duergar who after extensive questioning involving a few truth potions admitted to being mercenaries paid by Asdeus.

This only led to more questions like where did Asdeus get the money to hire all of them. Unfortunately, before anyone could interrogate the demoness, she bit off her own tongue in an attempt to kill herself. The healers of the Demon Castle managed to save her life, but the damage she had done to herself was so severe that she could not speak anymore afterwards.

But currently Asdeus and the aftermath of the attack was low on the list of Morrigan's priorities. She, Alphegor, Azrael, Viana, Lucius, and Galandir were all in the King's office. Or was it the former King's? She wasn't sure. Morrigan would have an official coronation in several months (although her becoming the Queen still hadn't sunk in yet), but according to demon laws, she already had full authority as the Queen. 

"So you're telling me that Morrigan and this elf have exchanged their magic and that he was not just an elf, but rather a half-angel?" Alphegor asked, looking first at Azrael, then at Morrigan and Galandir. The feeling was extremely unpleasant—like they had been caught doing something illegal by their parents.

"Yeah. It's easy enough to confirm, Your Majesty," Azrael said, shooting a glare in Galandir's direction who just glared back at the mage.

"Without Galandir's magic, I wouldn't even have been able to destroy the orb. You'd rather that we be defeated?" Morrigan growled.

"You should have waited and taken the magic from someone else!"

"Who? All the demon soldiers had their magic drained away. Deziara was unconscious, and your magic wasn't enough," Morrigan grumbled, and Azrael looked to the side, unwilling to admit that her logic made sense.

"Give me your hand, Morrigan," Alphegor said sternly and Morrigan stood up from the couch and walked over to Alphegor's desk behind which he was sitting. He took her hand gently. "Now channel some magic into me."

She did, letting through just a small trickle. Alphegor furrowed his brows and released her hand. "It's not the same anymore. Your magic is so much brighter now."

"Is that… bad?" Morrigan asked with a lowered head.

"Yeah, it's bad. Demon Queen's magic should be pure darkness, yet yours is now saturated with light," Azrael growled.

"Your Majesty, what should we do? If people were to find out…" Lucius said, his eyebrows furrowed with worry.

"Father, Morrigan is still young. Perhaps, given time her magic would return to its original state," Viana said hopefully.

"If it had been a normal angel she'd exchanged magic with, then perhaps. Unfortunately for us, he just had to be the Light King's son," Alphegor grumbled and rubbed the bridge of his nose. After a moment of silence, the King got up from his seat and walked up to Galandir.

Morrigan feared what the King might do to him, however, much to her and everyone else's surprise, he bowed before the boy.

"I thank you. You've protected my daughter and fought with the demons when it was not even your duty. Our Kingdom is indebted to you," Alphegor said and bowed before Galandir. Morrigan smiled while everyone else in the room also bowed.

"I… Yeah. Sure. No problem," Galandir said somewhat awkwardly, scratching the back of his head.

"Your debt is now repaid," Alphegor said.

"Wait… repaid? Does that mean…"

"You may return to the Overworld."

Morrigan's smile waned. Of course, she was still happy for him—that's what Galandir has been working so hard for all these years. But in her mind, she thought she'd have much more time left together with her friend. The realization that he'll be leaving soon stung.

"I… Yes. Thank you, Your Majesty," Galandir said, somewhat stupefied. There was a conflicted smile on his face, as he was no doubt feeling the same thing Morrigan was. 

"That's great news, isn't it?" She bit down the hurt in her heart and forced herself to smile. "You'll be able to go home."

"Really? You're just gonna let him go after he muddled Princess's magic like that?" Azrael grumbled.

"Since when have you become so prim and proper?" Viana asked with a raised eyebrow.

"I have always been proper when it comes to the things related to magic. What if his light magic makes it more difficult to use her shadow abilities?" he grumbled.

"I haven't noticed any difference," Morrigan said and slipped into her shadow form under the couch. It felt just as comfortable as it had always been.

"But can you remain in your shadow form just as long?"

"Enough, Azrael. What's done is done, and I believe the result is better than what it would have been if Galandir had not shared his magic with Morrigan," Alphegor said.

"Indeed. I fear to imagine what would happen if that black orb were not destroyed. How did you even know how to do that Princess? I knew your paint magic was impressive, but to just erase things out of existence. You will truly be a queen to fear," Lucius said.

"She already is the Queen," Alphegor corrected with a proud smile.

"I still can't believe it. My little sister is the Queen already. I thought I'd take over the Prime Minister's position first," Viana said and threw a glance at Lucius's direction who pointedly looked away. 

"I think it's time for the younger generations to take over the reins, Lucius. We can always support them from behind the scenes," Alphegor said and put a hand on the older demon's shoulders. Lucius looked a bit conflicted at first but then nodded.

"You may be right, Your Majesty." He nodded.

***

"Gunna, Gunna! Have you seen my pendant? I swear I left it on my nightstand, but I can't find it now," Morrigan rushed about in her room, running from one side to the other, looking in the wardrobe, under the bed, inside all the drawers. Half a dozen demon maids ran after her, pleading for her to stop.

"I feared it might get lost so I took it for safekeeping," the dwarf nanny emerged from the adjacent room, holding Morrigan's pendant in her hand.

"Oh, thank the Darkness! I worried that I might have lost it in my haste," she said, quickly securing it around her neck.

"Your Majesty, you should wear much more impressive jewels for your coronation. Every noble house in the Demon Kingdom has come to watch," one of the maids protested.

"Then let them see it! It is a token from my father, the Demon King himself. See them say anything bad about it," Morrigan glared at her. The maid flinched back in fear and bowed profusely. She sighed and sat down in the nearby chair. The coronation hadn't even begun, yet Morrigan's nerves were already all over the place.

"Lady Morrigan, you must refer to your father as King Regent now," Gunna reprimanded softly and took the brush one of the maids was holding, running it through Morrigan's hair. Previously the demon maids would never let Gunna act as if she were the one in charge, but ever since Morrigan was announced as the Queen, they all showed deference to the nanny.

"Odd to hear it from you, Gunna. You always call us Lord or Lady," she noted, relaxing a bit and letting the maids return to the preparations. They instantly began buzzing around her dress, making sure that not a single fold was out of place.

It was probably the grandest dress Morrigan or anyone in the Demon Kingdom had ever seen. Sleek and fitting around her waist and torso with a long, skirt black and red layers, matching black sleeves while leaving her shoulders exposed. Everything was embroidered with gold, some gold chains hanging from the extravagant belt that was encrusted with rubies that matched her hair color. In short, it was a dress fit for a queen.

"That is because that is how a dwarf would address someone they deeply respect regardless of their station," Gunna explained.

"Really? I never knew," Morrigan said, a smile escaping her lips.

"Now you do. You are ready now, child. It is time for you to go to the cathedral," Gunna said. Morrigan's heart began beating like crazy and she took a deep breath. She felt like she wasn't ready for this role at all, she had said so much to her father. However, Alphegor had insisted that it would be the best decision for the Kingdom. 

She had been the one to save it with her own power and the demon people had witnessed it with their own power. There was no better time for her to take, especially after he had failed them. Morrigan had wanted to argue that he had not, but he firmly denied that. King had to be able to overcome every obstacle no matter how impossible it seemed. He failed to do that.

Morrigan thought that it was ridiculous for him to step down just because he was unable to prevent something that was completely outside of his control. But in the end, he promised that he'd be ruling alongside her as King Regent until she was old enough to rule on her own. She agreed to that.

She took another deep breath and looked at Gunna. "I'll be going then." 

"Good luck and congratulations!" She said and the maids quickly joined in with their congratulations.

"Thank you!" Morrigan closed her eyes and imagined herself standing at the entrance of the cathedral of the Old Town. When she opened her eyes that was exactly where she found herself. The crowd of demons gathered in the plaza erupted in cheers.

It looked completely different from before. With the creation of Sphere of Light as it was named, the Old City became relevant again. The surrounding buildings were restored at record speed and now everything looked fresh and clean.

"Are you ready?" Azrael asked softly and offered his elbow out for Morrigan. The white-haired mage was dressed in a grand white and purple suit, looking like an actual nobleman for once.

"As ready as I'll ever be." She forced out a smile and took hold of Azrael's elbow.

"Good enough," he chuckled. Morrigan chuckled too and waved at the people gathered outside. Afterwards both of them turned and walked inside the cathedral. It was filled with demons too, but these were of higher stature, noblemen and others taking up high positions. With two notable exceptions.

Haku had his head poking in through one of the larger windows while Galandir stood next to him. That was the only way the nobles would tolerate the elf's presence—he was supposedly necessary to keep Haku in check. That was a lie, of course, but they didn't know that.

A grand red carpet was laid down in the center of the cathedral with black flower petals scattered about. Morrigan walked forward, trying her best to keep her head high and not show her nervousness. Her nerves relaxed a little when she noticed Viana and Deziara, sitting in the front row and smiling from ear to ear. Their mothers were right next to them, Lady Lily looking like she was about to cry from joy. Lady Viviane however looked like she was about to cry from sorrow.

The sight made Morrigan chuckle and she herself regained her nerve. She looked at Galandir and Haku who were both smiling proudly. One could ask how a dragon could smile widely, but Morrigan could see it—the happiest draconic smile the Underworld had never seen before.

Finally, she looked straight ahead and her eyes met with Alphegor's who stood next to the Sphere of Light. He was dressed with a royal black and golden garb, however one notable thing was missing—the black crown. Even without it, he looked as happy as he had ever been—a wide smile on his face.

"Today is a glorious day!" Alphegor began once Azrael had led Morrigan to the altar. The mage gave her a last goofy smile and retreated to sit in the first row. The speech from the King Regent lasted for a while as he recounted the event that happened in the capital, thoroughly accentuating every brave feat that Morrigan had done and skipping out the parts where she had taken magic from Galandir. 

"Morrigan Nachtstern, do you swear to protect the people of the Demon Kingdom?" Alphegor asked.

"I swear," Morrigan answered.

"Do you swear to uphold just law and punish those who disobey it?"

"I swear." 

"Do you swear to rule with dignity and honor?" 

"I swear." 

"With this, I present to you all your new ruler—Queen Morrigan Nachtstern!" Alphegor said and carefully put the black crown on Morrigan's head. Then he whispered to her. "I'm so proud of you." 

"Thank you, Father," she whispered to him.

"Long live Queen Morrigan!" Alphegor announced in his loud, amplified voice and then bowed low before Morrigan.

"Long live Queen Morrigan!" Others began chanting and also bowed. Even Haku lowered his head and closed his eyes in deference. 

***

A few hours later, at the official royal banquet in the Demon Castle, Morrigan sneaked away from the grand feast, turning into her shadow form to avoid the eager nobles who were now rushing to get into her good graces. But she was not in the right mindset to try to decipher the hidden messages behind their words. Instead, she was worried about another important event happening that evening.

Oh, please, don't be late!

She rushed to Haku's stables as fast as she could, making it there in record time. Much to her relief when she entered the stables her elven friend was still there, several bags standing on the ground next to him. Azrael, Deziara, and Gunna were also there chatting with Galandir.

"I made it!" Morrigan announced, materializing out of her shadow form.

"And here I thought I would have to leave without saying goodbye," Galandir snickered. They both knew he wouldn't have left before then.

"Okay, the Princess is here. Now let's get this over with," Azrael said and conjured up a portal right in the middle of the stables.

"I'll miss you, young lord Galandir," the dwarven nanny said and gave him a hearty hug.

"Thank you, Gunna. I'll miss you too," he squeezed her back.

"Who will look after Haku now?" Deziara said, trying to appear annoyed, although she obviously felt sad about his departure.

Morrigan looked down at the ground, torn whether she should really do it. But there would be no better opportunity. "Galandir will take care of Haku, of course."

"What do you mean by that?" Deziara looked at her in shock, as did everyone else.

"Do you mean to—" Azrael began.

"Yes, Haku should go together with Galandir."

The dragon nuzzled up to Morrigan. "But then I'd have to leave you."

"It's better that way, Haku!" Morrigan said and pressed her forehead against Haku. "Underworld is not a place for a dragon. You should be free to soar the bright blue skies."

Haku didn't reply to anything. They both knew how stifling the Underworld really was for him. He would soon outgrow his stables once again and the once vast Demon Castle grounds seemed like small enclosure to him now.

"Oh, I'm going to miss you both so much!" Deziara burst out into tears and threw her arms around Haku.

"We'll miss you too," Galandir said with a sad smile, patting Deziara on the shoulder.

"Good luck to you in the Overworld. I made sure that the servants packed everything you could ever need," she sniffled out through tears.

"Thank you." 

Haku padded up to Azrael and nuzzled against him.

"Yes, yes, I'll miss you too," Azrael grumbled, trying to keep up a calm front, but it was clear that the mage was getting emotional as well.

"Would you all mind giving us a moment alone?" Morrigan said. Gunna and Deziara nodded and left the stables, waving Galandir goodbye. Azrael gave them booth a suspicious look, but once Morrigan glared at him, he left too.

"There was something I wanted to give you before you left," Morrigan said and pulled a little box from a hidden pocket in her dress.

"You really shouldn't have," Galandir waved his hand.

"But I wanted to," she said and offered the box to him. He took it with a smile and opened it. Inside sat a pendant similar to the one Morrigan wore around her own neck. 

"A pendant?" he asked, somewhat bemused.

"I painted it myself, trying to imbue the same magic communication ability that my father's pendant has, but imbuing objects with special abilities is still beyond me and Azrael refused to help," she said with a pout. Galandir took the pendant and then sprung open the mechanism on the bottom. Inside it was a little portrait of Morrigan herself. "I thought it'd be nice to put my portrait in there. So you wouldn't forget me after several thousand years have passed." 

Galandir smiled and quickly put the pendant around his neck, hiding it underneath his clothes. Then he walked up to Morrigan and took her hand, gently kissing her fingertips.

"There's no way I could ever forget you," he said, and her heart clenched. Her vision grew misty as tears appeared in her eyes. She had promised herself she wouldn't cry, but in the end, she couldn't control her emotions.

"I'm sorry… I didn't mean to cry. I'm… I'm just going to miss you so much. I'm going to miss you both," she said, trying to wipe away her tears. Galandir pulled her into a hug and held her close. She wrapped her arms around his waist and for a while, they stood like that with Haku watching over them.

"I promise that one day, we will meet again. I don't know when, maybe a hundred, or even a thousand years pass, but we will meet again," Galandir said. The strength that she saw in his ruby eyes convinced her that his words were true.

"I'll be waiting for that day!" 

Galandir secured both of the heavy-looking bags onto Haku's saddles, then threw a last glance in Morrigan's direction. 

"Until we meet again, Morrigan." 

"Until we meet again, Galandir and Haku." 

And then he and Haku disappeared into the portal.

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