I was a bit of a nervous reck near mid-day. It was going to be my Presentation in about an hour and I stood on a fancy box a few inches off the ground as a man stuck needles in a gown. Wouldn't he need longer than an hour to finish this thing?

  I had protested the long, puffed skirt, tight bodice gown at first. It was lovely, don't get me wrong. A real demon's princess dress of black and red fabric in all sorts of layers... but it was heavy, and awkward to move in. And apparently designed to constrict breathing. I did not want to wear it, but Garris assured me that it would only be for the Presentation section of the Ball. It was tradition, he said. So, I begrudgingly aloud them to put the straight jacket on me.

  "You look magnificent." Smiled Garris, looking rather amused if I had to say so.

  I glared at the older male. "I always look magnificent. I just usually pull it off while also being able to breath and walk without fear of tripping."

  He laughed. "You are right, of course. Luckily, you will mainly just be standing at the end off the courtyard as the other Queens present you with their gifts. You will not need to move too much."

  "Or even breath that much." Added Felicity as she danced into the room looking like a gothic princess in a long dark grey dress with her white hair done up in tight curls.

  "Oh yes, very funny." I sighed, then winced as the corset pinched me.

  She smiled brightly then stood next to Garris and Kieran. "I was wracking my brains, trying to figure out what to give you these last few days you know."

  "You don't have to give me anything." I said quickly. "No one does as a matter of fact. But especially not you. You took me in with out even a second thought! I can't say I would be as open minded if a strange woman on the back of a dragon showed up on my door step, half naked and claiming to be from another world you know?"

  Felicity waved a small, dismissive hand. "It is customary for all to bring a gift to aid the new Queen in starting her new life of independence! Most give money, after all, you can get all you need with gold, but some like to put more thought into it. And I didn't just want to give you gold!"

  "Alright." I sighed, resigned, once again, to this who debacle. "Lay it on me then, what did you get me."

  Felicity giggled and winked. "Well, last night I had an epiphany and checked with Kieran to see if I was correct. He spends the most time with you now after all. And he confirmed my suspicions!"

  Confused, I looked to the butler. He too looked confused and surprised.

  Felicity continued. "And then I went and spoke to Garris to be sure it was alright. He said it would be fine in his opinion..." The older butler smiled, not looking confused or concerned whatsoever. I wasn't a fan of guessing games in the slightest, so I hoped she planned on getting to the point soon. "I wished to gift you something useful, both in your life as a Demon Queen, as well as in your adventures on Hearth. So, I decided to gift you Kieran! He may continue his duties, but as your butler rather than one of my own!"

  "Huh?" I said rather stupidly. Did she just say that she gifted me a person? Wasn't that, like, illegal? Human trafficking or slavery or something. Then again, I wasn't up on my demon laws...

  My eyes shot to Kieran once again. I expected him to look horrified, or at least hurt! His Queen was using him as a present after all. But he was neither: his eyes were wide, but he wore a smile, if anything he looked hopeful and excited.

  "You are a Queen without anything to your name after all." Continued Felicity, clearly unaware of the ethical dilemma playing though my head. "It is not uncommon for new Queens to take in demons from families led by Reihee until they are fully established. Some even keep them on until they pass. And you would even be able to act as a true Queen to Kieran!"

  "W-what do you mean?" I asked, brain landing on the one question amongst a thousand rushing through it that may not offend the young queen.

  "Well, the reason the queen-less ones do not fare well is that the other queens can not share their mana Gift as they would be able to with one of their own line. But you seem to have little trouble at all, sharing your mana with much of anyone or anything."

  "That's true... Are- are you sure about this though?" I finally asked, really hoping not to offended anyone in the room. Mind you the tailor was plugging away at his work like he was deaf and determined. Nothing was going to stop that demon. "Its just that, where I am from anyway, its illegal to 'give' people to other people... morally wrong I guess. I would be more than glad to have Kieran with me. His ability aside, we get along better than most people I have met since I died, and he is dependable and smart. But..." I looked at the man in question, concerned. "Would you really be alright with this? I really am pretty sure I would not make all that great of a queen now. Also, I am not even planning on staying here in Demonia! In a couple weeks I am hoping to be back on Hearth, and your magical abilities will be much less there..."

  Kieran approached me than immediately got down into a kneeling bow, his right hand clawed over his heart in the demon show of respect. "Please, Lady Sin, I would beyond honored to accept this position for how ever long you would have me. I would serve you with dignity and diligence, being sure to uphold the standards of your clan with my very life if that is what it takes."

  Well shit. How the heck was I supposed to refuse that? He seemed sure... anyway, if he decided, down the road, that he wasn't happy being my butler anymore, I could always just let him go. Surly I wasn't a slaver if I made sure not to conduct myself as one, right? He would be my assistant rather than servant... Demon instinct was telling me this was all well and good... but thirty plus years as a human from Earth was screaming 'BAD, BAD, BAD!'.

  I sighed, then smiled. Oh well, I was a demon after all. "Very well, then I would be pleased to have you on board. Your ability alone would be of great value to me in all honesty." I looked at Felicity and smiled again. "Thank you for your generous gift."

  Felicity clapped happily. "You are welcome! This is good. I was worried." She laughed then turned to Garris. "I will need your help supervising the final preparations. People should be arriving very soon."

  Garris left with his queen leaving Kieran and I alone, with the diligent tailor, who was now pinning something up on the back of the dress. Kieran got to his feet and smiled at me. Since he wasn't too much taller than me , I was about an inch taller than him on the box.

  I sighed and spoke my mind. It was something I was mostly good at. "Are you sure about this Kieran? I wasn't lying, I'd be happy to have you along, without a doubt. But I see no benefit for you. I am essential hopeless you know... I forget to eat as much as I should, I am easily distractable, and clearly do not think things through as well as I should. And I have no clue how to be a queen to you either."

  "I am sure." He said with all seriousness. "I am sure, and I am glad. Queen Felicity does not need anymore butlers you know. I would work but I would not be needed, I would not be of any great use. And for a butler it is our greatest desire to be of use to our queens. With you, I would be of great use, I am sure of it." Now he smiled, a mischievous one that I was becoming familiar with. "I have already been reminding you to eat, even if you never realized it. I have been keeping your mind on task and slowing you down when you appear ready to just charge into something without thinking it through first."

  I blushed Because I was pretty sure he was right, and I was just realizing that he had been doing it. It was his job, but it was embarrassing all the same.

  Kieran chuckled. "Most queens are as you described so you needn't worry. And as for not knowing how to be a queen, well, you are not really planning on being one right away are you? So, you can take your time and learn. It is how all queens start out after all. Queen Felicity has been thrust into her responsibilities at a very young age, but most don't really start their clans till they are five or more decades into their lives. Some even longer. You have been a demon for all, what? Three months now? You have time. And in that time, I would be honored to be your butler."

  I sighed, giving in. I wasn't about to keep arguing. "Well, you better not complain, that's all I am saying."

  He laughed and ran a hand through his dark hair. "I will do my best, Sin Andra."

  It wasn't much later when Kieran assisted me out to the courtyard in my miraculously finished, gorgeous, death trap of a dress. I stood next to Felicity, who was the Queen hosting the event. Garris stood to the left and a little behind her and Kieran took his place to the right and a little behind me. I could hear the commotion outside the open gates and waited nervously for the first Queen to be announced.

  According to Garris, each queen would be announced in order of arrival. They would come, introduce them selves to me, present their gift, then either be escorted into the ball room where food and drink awaited them, or they would go to the sides of the courtyard and watch what the other queens were giving me. Apparently it was a chance for the queens to show off to one another, as much as this was a chance for them all to get to know me.

  One of Felicity's guardsmen, holding a ceremonial pike and wearing a dress uniform, appeared in the gate way, stood at attention, and announced. "Bri, Queen of Herdeara." Loudly, then spun on his heel so he had his back to the door and took four steps backwards, clearing the way for the Queen.

  Kieran leaned forward slightly and said quietly in my ear: "She is called Queen of Herdeara because her clans call the desert of Herdeara their home. They are praised for not only surviving in such a harsh area but for thriving. They are amongst the wealthiest of the clans." His explanation finished; he stood back up straight.

  Bri was short. Very short, in fact. I would guess she was five foot tall at best. But short or not she was beautiful, with reddish skin and thick, wavy chestnut hair that framed an elegant and girlish face. She had Very large horns that sort of curved like the number six above her ears, the tips adding another half a foot to her height. She entered the courtyard with two massive males of her clan. Clearly the woman's height was not passed on to her children because these men dwarfed their queen by a good two feet.

  She approached me and curtsied. I did the same. Then she waved for one of the men to step for ward. I saw that he was holding a wooden case with a latch on it. The box was made of a pretty, white wood and had a stunning, interlocking pattern carved into it.

  "I bring these for you Queen Sin." She said and her voice was very musical. She reached out and opened the case, revealing five stones in black velvet. Each was round and roughly the size of a large marble. They looked expensive to me, and I was sure they were probably more expensive than I thought. There was a clear blue one, then a gently green colored one, next to that was a stone of bright yellow like a topaz, then a deep red colored gem, and lastly a stone of the deepest of blacks. "Five gems of greatest quality, each enchanted with a spell of power upon them. We often use such gems in my clan as pommel stones in weapons or as adornments in armour. It is my hope that they can help protect your clan in the future."

  "Thank you, Queen Bri. These are beautiful and most welcome. You honor me with your gift." I said with a slight curtsy of my own. I was told that it was expected of me to thank the queen personally, compliment, then tell them that the gift honors me. I was sure it was going to get repetitive before the afternoon was done.

  The Queen beamed and bowed. One of felicity's men accepted the gift and took it to the designated area around the corner and out of sight where several other men stood guard. Assuring the other queens that no one could steel their gifts, despite the fact that it would be utter madness for anyone to try anything with literally nearly every queen here. It was kind of terrifying to know how much power was here. Now that I had been doing so much practice with my mana, I was more attuned to the mana around me and the air here was fairly humming right now.

  Once Bri had stepped over to the side, opting to watch with her guards rather than head in right away and eat, the guard at the gate announced the next queen. "Jillian, Queen of Hearts."

  "She is named this way, because she is known for her beauty and for her fondness of charming males. She takes many mates but does not choose to breed with most of them. Her clan is relatively small for a queen of her age." Whispered Kieran.

  Queen Jillian was, indeed, a beauty. She stood at about five and a half feet with immensely long black hair she literally had to carry or risk dragging it in the dirt. Her skin was pale as snows and her eyes, though still red, were of a darker color that I had seen so far. She had short horns, almost as small as mine, but hers were on her forehead and pointed out straight rather than up. And her tail was a long black dragon looking thing with a sheen to it that made it look a bit like the rainbow colors of an oil slick.

  Like Queen Bri, Jillian approached with two men in tow, both holding a handle of a large heavy chest. She presented me with it, showing it contained a lot of gold and precious gems. No doubt it was a damn fortune. I thanked her and she walked away. Unlike Bri, Jillian didn't bother to wait out in the sun to watch but headed right into the cool castle.

  This continued for a good hour longer. Most of the women did bring me money as I was told they would. One gave me a selection of elegant perfumes that I wasn't sure I would wear any time soon, but I did pick up one of the small bottles to sniff it and truthfully told the queen that it smelled amazing. She left to join the growing crowed with a smile. Another Queen gifted me with several bolts of gorgeous silks, another with a case of rare ores for crafting.

  One Queen, named Winona, Battle Queen, made a gift of what I had at first thought was more silk. It turned out to be no ordinary silk at all. It was a case of dragon silk. Apparently, this queen, known for having males very dominant in battle, was also known as being able to turn dragon scales into an incredibly tough and light weight silk. It was a fabric able to be turned into armour as strong as steel yet as light as cotton. According to Kieran, she had gifted me enough to outfit at least five warriors. He sounded amazed by this so I could only imagine that it was indeed a queenly gift and thanked the queen heartily. It would be put to good use I had no doubt about that. The moment I had the chance I was getting a new outfit. The queen of dragons wearing dragon scales. Seemed appropriate.

  I was getting tired, but I knew we weren't even halfway done yet. Still, I never had a birthday party before, in fact my parents barely acknowledged I was alive much less celebrated the fact. So, this was a warm feeling, people coming to celebrate me and giving me gifts. So, despite the fatigue I held in there. I wasn't about to snub all these important people's kindness after all.

  "Cristine, The Summer Queen." Said the guard. He looked just as fresh as he had at the start of all this. He had my respect.

  "Cristine is one of the newer queens." Said Kieran. "She was born about six hundred years ago and only has a small clan right now." He hesitated then continued. "Some of the other Queens look down on her. She is not as well off as most, having dedicated much of her wealth to aiding the demons without queens. She lives a simple life compared to most and the others tend to think she is fake and falsely concerned for the less fortunate demons."

  I resisted the urge to wrinkle my nose in distaste, sounds like this girl was a better person than me. And of course, a group of girls would bet catty. Way to set the women's movement back a few years girls. Did demons have a woman's movement? I rather doubted it seeing as how it was a female dominated society.

  The woman who stepped forward was close to six feet tall with honey colored hair that she had done up high on her head. She had red horns that stuck up high on her head and a tail that was thin and whip like, but half as long as mine. She did wear a dress that looked less extravagant as the others, but she didn't looked poor or sickly. She looked pretty and sweet.

  She stepped forward and suddenly there were a few horrified gasps. I was confused at first, till two relatively short males of about six feet walked into the court, each held a rope, and at the other ends of those ropes they led two horses.

  Now calling these horses was like calling a tiger a cat. I have only ever seen pictures of a Clydesdale horse but these were easily as big as those massive steeds, but without the furry hooves. If I had to call any horse a war horse it would be these horses. They were both red, a red as deep, rich, and dark as blood, with long black manes and tales. And their eyes were as black as night. My eyes widened as they were led up to me. I barely even heard the whispers and snickers of the others, but I could see the young queen blush and saw her men's faces grow hard.

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  "I have brought you these, Queen Sin." She said in a small voice, and I could tell that she was second guessing her gift choice. I never thought I would see a demon cry, but she looked close to it. "My clan lives on a great plain. And these are the greatest beasts upon it. As Demons, I know we do not have great need for land mounts, but these are powerful and noble creatures. I have brought you a bonded pair, so that, should you find them useful, you may breed them and..." She sort of tapered off and I felt horrible for her. She must have been so embarrassed.

  "I do not know about most Queens, Cristina." I said breaking from the traditional response. If someone had a problem with it, they were free to voice it at their own risk. "But my wings are a little strange. I am honestly not good at long distance flying, yet I plan on doing a lot of travel. I guarantee that these will be very useful to me. May I ask what they are called?"

  "Oh, um they are Andra Horses. Dragon horses, that is. They were named as such for their size, their omnivorous diets, and for their intelligence and bravery. An Andra horse will never through its rider and yet will only carry those they deem worthy."

  I looked at the horses again and saw they were looking at me with some intelligence behind the black eyes. I also saw the sharp canines poking out between their lips. Horses that ate meat. Awesome. "Dragon horses for the dragon queen..." I mused.

  Cristine chuckled. "I thought it was poetic. Also, I heard that you were a tamer, and thought that they would make good partners for you. Unlike most horses, these have a stronger fight response than a flight one."

  I smiled widely at the Queen. "I love them." I spoke. "I am honored by your gift."

  Cristine joined the crowd looking much happier than she did when she fist got here. Two of Felicity's men led the horses away, looking a little nervous. I was planning on taming the pair as soon as I had the chance. They were beautiful and I had always wanted a steed to ride. I could fly, but it was exhausting with my heavy wings. Besides, once I got back to Hearth, I would likely be traveling with people who couldn't fly. So, horses were a must, and these would indeed impress and intimidate. I wondered if I could get someone to make them good saddles and armor...

  As it turned out, Cristine was not the only Queen to bring a monster for me. About half an hour later a Queen Victory, The Jungle Queen was announced. She was a dark beauty from every angle. Her hair was short and curly, the color of dark chocolate, and her skin was more along the line of coco powder. Her horns were a dark grey and shaped like a ram's, but only the size of a fist. She was also the first demon I saw with long fur on her tail, making it look a little like a black lion's tail. Her coloring made her red eyes pop in a dangerous and exotic way.

  "Queen Victory is one of the oldest queens still on Demonia. Most of the elders have moved to the moon. She is also known as one of the most beautiful queens of all time. She has ruled over the Avian Jungle for as long as most can remember, holding the entire forest for herself." Hissed Kieran. I could tell by his tone that he held a great deal of respect for this woman. Though weather it was because he knew her personally in some way, or just because she was a very old Queen, I did not know.

  Victory was also the first to approach unaided, with not a male to be seen to escort her. As she neared, I realized that she had the feint traces of lines under her eyes and around her sultry smile. It was the only time I had yet seen the signs of age in a demon queen. "I have brought you this as a gift, Sin Andra." She purred, a hint of a warm accent around her R's.

  Queen Victory Turned to the side, lifting a chocolate arm, and waving something forward, making a sharp clicking noise. What I noticed first was the paling of the guard who stood at the gate. He hastily took several steps back, banging into the door, looking horrified. It only took a second to see the reason: A massive cat like monster prowled it, causing several queens to gasp or make disapproving noises and step farther away. I even felt Kieran's energy tense behind me.

  But I was not afraid, I was enamored. This cat was nearly as tall as me, with silky black fur, a feint hint of a darker stripes flashing in the sunlight. Its head was bigger than even Vale's robust torso the saber like fangs it wore were as long as my hand. Each paw, placed in elegance and complete silence on the ground, were as big as my head and its body was at least as long as me. And that wasn't including the four-foot tail, thick around as my arm. But it was the eyes that were most captivating; the were large and a blazing green color, almost seeming to glow.

  Taking a deep breath in anticipation, I stepped forward without fear, eager to meet this magnificent beast my self. I stood next to Queen Victory, who still held her hand out to the large black tiger and didn't even notice that her eyes were now on me. She smiled as I too, held out a hand to the beast.

  "She is a native of my lands." Purred the Queen, her voice barely above a murmur yet still very audible. "There are untold numbers of dangerous monsters in my jungle, but none are as silent or efficient as the Pangar Tigers. They have long since fascinated me and so I have trained several to obey me. This one is in its prime, fast strong, and fierce."

  "She is beautiful." I breathed, the tiger stopping before us. I reached up and slowly and respectfully, ran a hand through her silky fur on her forehead. Her fur was incredibly thick and silky, and she was warm.

  "Normally I would not trust one with another demon." Said Victory softly. "They may listen to me but have nothing but contempt for others." She chuckled, watching me pat the cat with no repercussions. "Well, most others, but I have heard that you claim to be a tamer?"

  "I am, yes." I said, still totally captured by the cat beneath my hand.

  "they say you tamed none other that Rougier the Death-Bringer himself. I was there during the battle that took the lives of four of our sister Queens."

  I frowned then and turned back to the Queen. I was surprised to see we were the same height. For some reason- perhaps because she had such a large presence- I had thought her to be taller. She didn't look upset or angry, just curious. "I did tame him. And I did so, knowing what he had done. Though, perhaps not in exact detail, but I knew he had done things that were cruel and thoughtless. But weather he wishes to continue those things or not, I would not allow it."

  "You restrain him?" She asked, and I couldn't place the tone she used right now but it didn't set off any alarm bells, so I continued.

  "I can. I could make him mindless and nothing more than a puppet, much the same way our kind are bound by those who call themselves demon summoners."

  "But you do not constrain him like that, do you."

  "No." I said simply, returning my eyes to the cat. "Rougier is rude, and self entitled, but he is now my dear friend. As much as a servant can be a master's dear friend at least. He bad mouths me, I call him names, then we both eat. I like the dynamic and have seen no reason to change it. But if you fear he will run rampant, I assure you, he will not."

  "He is not with you now?" She asked, now sounding amused. I glanced back at her and saw that her eyes were roaming the courtyard.

  "Tch, I was told he should not be here right now. Not that he listens very well." I added with a soft chuckle. I turned my back on the cat and pointed up to the top of a decorative statue of a bird above the main entrance to the castle. "He is hiding up there being nosy." I laughed.

  The Queen turned as well. In fact, many shifted their gazes to the stone bird. I saw Felicity glare and I suppressed a smile. She had threatened the dragon to stay away lest he cause a ruckus. It took a few seconds but eventually the dragon poked his tiny purple head from around the bird and glared at me. Clearly, he was not pleased about being found out at all. He rumbled a little then took to the air, gliding down and settling on my shoulder.

  Victory looked taken aback; she blinked a few times at the mini dragon be fore speaking. "But- this is too small to be the Death-Bringer." She gasped, confused and maybe a little offended. Maybe she thought I was lying.

  "I shrunk him." I said. "It costs mana to do, more than anyone, not a queen, would have trouble with... But it makes it easier to take him places. He spends much of the day in his true form, but I spelled him to his current size so that he would not disturb anyone. I could have sent him away, but I didn't want to." I said stroking his head with a finger.

  "Indeed?" She breathed, bent over, and looked the dragon in the eye. "You are not nearly as fearsome as I remember, Death-Bringer."

  "And I do not remember you at all." Quipped the dragon, making me sigh. His rolling, rumbling voice making many of the on looker's whisper.

  "Could you not insult everyone you meet?" I asked, giving the dragon a small, rough shake. "You clearly caused this Queen some trouble to say the least. Don't you think you should apologize?"

  Rougier snorted, glaring up at the dark Queen. "Why? Surly one should not apologize unless one means it."

  "I should nail you into a small box and burry you in a hole." I snapped. "Maybe then you could learn some manners. Honestly..." I sighed, but then ruined my rebuke by petting him affectionately once again.

  Victory laughed. "Fascinating. I admit, when I heard the beast had been released, I was worried. But then I heard that he had been tamed. Tamed by a queen no less.... Did you know," She asked, giving me a mischievous smile. "That there has only ever been one other Queen who was also a tamer?"

  "No." I said, shocked. I had not known that at all. Yet suddenly my mind conjured up an image of my Grimoire. A Grimoire that was able to come to the demon world. I had thought that it being tied to me made it able to come here, but my tames were tied to me. Tied to me by a soul binding blood pack, yet they couldn't come here at all. Was the mysterious former owner also a demon?

  Queen Victory nodded. "It was a very long time ago though. Ages and ages have passed, so much that it is but a feint memory..." She sighed and shook her head sadly. "Anything longer than a thousand years or so tends to get fuzzy in ones mind when you reach an age such as my own. I hope you get to experience the frustration yourself in the future." She added with a husky chuckle.

  "I am afraid my mind still hasn't accepted the fact that I will live such a long time... provided I don't get myself eaten first." I said eyeing the beautiful tiger.

  "I am sure I can prevent anything smaller than myself from eating you." Sighed the dragon setting himself comfortably around my neck. Comfortable for him at least; for me it was like wearing a rocky boa around my throat. But I missed having Drogin there, so I didn't complain.

  Victory raised a rather dignified eyebrow at the fearsome scarf. "Most things are larger than you at the moment."

  Rougier glared at the queen. I was pretty sure that had he been anything other than a dragon- an incredibly dangerous one at that- the glare would have gotten him in trouble. As it was the Queen simply laughed.

  I sighed and decided that getting the focus of the Death-Bringer in the courtyard was probably the safest thing to do at the moment. "Is she safe to be lead away? Or shall I tame her now to prevent any of Felicity's good men being eaten while we continue here?"

  "I am sure I wouldn't be the only one who would find that a fascinating thing to watch." Mused Victory, a dark nail looking more grey than black next to her rich skin. "But if you would rather not have people see the secrets to your magic, than I can just keep her by my side till you have a private moment."

  I thought for a moment than settled on just doing it now. We had already broken from tradition with this long conversation, not to mention the Rougier interruption. What was one more disturbance? Besides, I really would rather not risk any accidental kitty snacks.

  "So long as no one objects, I would rather just do it now." I said, eyeing the gathered royalty. None looked overly annoyed, most seemed curious and some seemed a tad exasperated at the break from tradition more than anything I suspected. "It will only take a moment after all."

  I stroked the cat once again and she sat patiently. I could see an intelligence in her eyes yet she made no attempt at any sort of language. I was sure that if she had then my Linguistics skill would have translated for me. I turned to Kieran, ready to put his skills to work for the first time under my rule. "What rank is she Kieran?"

  He bowed his head to me then stepped forward, offering another bow to Queen Victory and Queen Felicity, before setting those gifted eyes on the tiger. I didn't notice a change in his eyes or presence but I did feel a slight shift in the mana surrounding Kieran and within him. "She is B-ranked my Queen. Dark magic elemental with high physical attack skills and the special skill known as Shadow Step."

  I smiled at my new butler. Damn, but his eyes were handy to have around! I still wasn't wholly comfortably with him being given to me... and that thought suddenly made me feel a little off about the monsters being given to me as well. After all, most monsters that I tame seem quite intelligent and self aware. That made them people too. I decided that I would have to put those feelings to the side. Besides, if any of these people or monsters ever told me they did not want to be mine than I would set them free in a heart beat. I was no slave trader. The only exception being Rougier at least. Just setting that dragon loose would be a potential disaster after all, even if he seemed far less monstrous than I had been told he was. I would not keep him against his will, but I may have to find a way to rebind him to his mountain prison. Or something like prevent him going full scale demon hunting...

  "Rank B? This should be easy then," I said cheerily. I went to reach into my bag for my grimoire before realizing that my hand was now in several layers of skirts and not my usual bag. Right... the bag was back on Hearth, and I was dressed to the nines. But to my everlasting shock my fingers closed around a spine and I felt the familiar heft in my hand. I pulled my hand out from behind my back to find the familiar dark leather tomb in my grasp. "Hello Book!" I said with a happy laugh. I guess it could just appear when needed? It was tied to me after all and couldn't be far from me. No point questioning magic. Especially convenient magic!

  Normally I got down on the ground to do this but given the swanky gown and the audience, I decided that standing up was probably for the best right now. I flipped the book open to a blank page and drew the memorized circle with a finger I pricked with the tip of my tail. I tried not to get stage fright with the audience. As one of only two demon tamers (apparently) I was sure most, if any besides maybe Victory, had ever seen this magic before.

  "I need a drop or two of her blood." I told Victory.

  She blinked in surprise but instructed the cat to lift and flip one huge paw, so her pads faced up. "Why? I was not aware that taming was a blood art?" She said and pricked the cat's paw with one of her own claws. The tiger made a low growl but other wise stood its ground and did not become aggressive.

  I dipped my own claw into the crimson ink and held it above the page, racking my brain for a name. "It isn't normally." I said, eyes locked on the page held out before me. "But I am not one to do things normally I guess."

  Apparently, thinking of names while under the pressure of several dozen eyes was hard. Only one name kept cropping up and I was getting annoyed. For one, naming a magical tiger Shere Khan from 'The Jungle Book' was way to cliché, and for another: that was a boys name. I tried rolling similar sounding names around in my head and finally landed on one that seemed to fit. I scrawled it above the circle then placed my hand on the tiger's massive head.

  "Seal. I name thee, Shinra." I intoned. Instantly there appeared a red circle under the cat, making Victory and Kieran take a step back, closer to Felicity and Garris. I felt the mana leave me and estimated it to have cost about what it took to tame Vendaval back in Elswell Forest. But this time it was much less taxing as I had a great deal more mana to work with. Going back to having just twenty thousand when I returned to Hearth would be hard. And wasn't that a crazy sentiment? Only twenty thousand? That number was considered staggering, even by demon Queen standards. At my age at least. I would have to be careful though, that I didn't over use my mana without taking in the eighty percent decrease when I got back.

  Shinra roared and got to her impressive feet, causing several gasps from the crowed. Out of the corner of my eye I saw a few butlers reach for their charges, in case the tiger attacked. She did not attack, however. But she did begin to change: Her claws seemed to elongate and acquire a serrated quality, two short horns the same black has her stripes budded out of her fore head above her eyes. What was most surprising was the fist sized, round, dark blue gem that grew between the horns, looking a little like a third eye.

  Once the shifting of her skin settled, Shinra shook out her fir. Then she stretched in true cat style: Back arched, claws digging gouges into hard stone slabs, and a big yawn displaying those huge saber teeth. I smiled at the behavior, but judging from the worried glances of others, they were more nervous than amused.

  "How are you feeling Shinra?" I asked as she settled back onto her rump, eyeing the crowed around her in the courtyard.

  "I am well Mistress." Said the cat but her mouth did not move. But given the gasp from Victory and felicity as well as others in the audience, they too could here Shinra speak, so it wasn't like she was speaking into my mind. Perhaps a type of thought projection? "I am honored to have received my name."

  "Of course. I am glad you like it."

  "This is a marvelous magic." Gushed Victory, walking in a circle around Shinra. "Come." She ordered, pointing to the spot near her feet. Shinra did not move. "Amazing. Just like that she obeys only you. I expected that of course, but this blood magic of yours is truly wonderous. It is a true binding?"

  "I don't pretend to know how it all works," I told her. I was planning to tell the queens as a whole at tomorrows meeting about my origins, but for now they were in the dark so they wouldn't understand much. "But yes, it is how I tame all my monsters. Once I bind the two horses to me that Queen Christine gifted me, then I will have a total of six tames."

  "Truly fascinating." She turned her gaze back to me then bowed. "I have disturbed these proceedings quite long enough, I think. Thank you for humoring me, Queen Sin Andra."

  "Not at all." I said, giving the other queen a short bow of my own. As she stepped away and went to enter the castle, I removed Rougier from my shoulders and set him on Shinra's back. "You two head off. I will see you both soon, but I mustn't keep the other Queens waiting any longer. It would be rude of me to say the least. Keep an eye on him." I added to the cat, glaring playfully at the small dragon. He grumbled, but let the large tiger walk him off and around the corner.

  "Is it really okay to let the tiger just go?" Asked Felicity quietly as I rejoined her back in my spot, ready to receive more guests.

  "You have no problem with Rougier fluttering about the place." I laughed quietly. I placed the grimoire into Kieran's out stretched hands and he grasped it, stepping back next to his father. "He is far scarier than Shinra. No need to worry, they wouldn't do anything they know I would disapprove of. I guess you can think of it like how a butler would not dream of disobeying his Queen?"

  "Oh." She said. "I guess when you put it that way..."

  The rest of the Presentation went smoothly, and without any further monster interruptions. I met many Queens. In fact, I was willing to bet that nearly every Queen from Demonia was here! It was exhausting, yet also fascinating, to meet so many varied and interesting people. And the gifts they gave were just as wonderous. I received more gold than I was really sure I knew what to do with, and bolts of fine silks and furs. I got seeds to rare and valuable crops and fruiting trees, finely crafted weapons in all shapes and forms, something called a Hoarding stone that Kieran explained was used to turn a defined space into a vault of sorts. No one could enter without expressed permission and I could use it to even make a gate between the room and a pack or sack with a special spell. I would be able to call forth any item withing the vault at will and use the bag to add things to it as well. A heck of a sight better than the old bag I had back on Hearth. Another Queen gifted me a set of Portal Stones. I would be able to use the stones to set up a permanent portal between any location in Demonia to any location in Hearth. I may not have told all the Queens about my past yet but clearly the rumor mill was at work if these people not only knew that I was a tamer but that I also intended to go to Hearth.

  Still, rumors or not, I was grateful for all that I received. And it was a lot. So much that I was glad for the vault magic so that I would have a place to store it all!

  By the time I had seen the last Queen: Daisha, The Ruby Queen, with hair as red as he skin and four short horns, two above each ear, and a twin whip tail, I was well into the after noon. Nearly evening really. And I was starved. I wasn't the only one either. By the time I had seen everyone there were barely any demons in the courtyard anymore, they had all gone inside to eat and relax. And I was very glad that I was about to go going them, even if that meant that I now had to sit through a party.