-- Lilith POV --

  There was a certain irony to it. Her cell had to be one of the most secure in this land. Two rows of iron bars. Two cascading doors to get past that. And all of that in a room with yet another door that could be locked.

  Now people had come to break a hole in the wall of her cell.

  She sat at her table, fully dressed and wearing the jewelry which she had been given and watched the process with some weird amusement. The workers had set up a sort of bench to stand on because the hole supposedly had to be high up in the wall. The one was now holding a massive looking chisel into the crater that was to become a hole and the other one hit the chisel with a heavy sledgehammer.

  The wall was certainly as massive and resistant as anything in this prison.

  At a moment she had to grin at the thought of having her own personal breakout subcontractors, payed by the royals, till she remembered her own instructions. Sit there and appear noble, royal even. Far above any mundane work. Princess Lisa was adamant that anyone below had to be treated as invisible and non existent. So she sat there and tried to do both, watch the two work on the hole and appear completely uninterested in them and their work.

  Her cell slowly became a home, like an actual place to live. She had a bed, one of the best she had had so far, a table which was bigger than the tables before, two stools which was one more than before, and installations for personal hygiene so she didn't have to call the guards to be escorted to some bathroom anymore.

  Even some privacy due to the fact that there was a room around all that, with four walls and a door with just a small window for the guards to check on her. Usually closed with a shutter.

  And now she got a stove to heat her cell in winter. That's why the craftsmen were here and why they tore the hole into the wall. A hole for the stovepipe.

  Meanwhile the workers had managed to break through, there was light coming in through the hole. And they were now working to make it bigger. A small heap of broken wall stones had accumulated on the bench and some had dropped to the floor.

  She was somewhat sure that now, with the structure of the wall impaired, she could tear a much bigger hole from the small opening just with her hands and claws. Yet she didn't feel inclined to do so. Instead she played what she called by herself, the royal pet and fashion show, wearing on display all the investments that the royals had made in her, and trying to look as royal as she could. Princess Lisa herself, more than once had instructed her how to keep a proper pose.

  It all seemed so surreal, but it was her life now.

  After a while she got bored though of just sitting and looking like a royal pet and decided to spend some time on the other thing she was supposed to do. To practice her rune crafting. And there had been an old idea that she had almost forgotten over the weeks since she had been kidnapped. Runes as body paint. Her hands needed some help for delicate work.

  So she opened the reference tome and browsed the page with the dexterity rune. She needed it on her right hand, because that was her dominant hand. But she couldn't draw runes with her left very well. So the procedure was therefore a bit hilarious. Paint dexterity and accuracy runes on her left hand, using her better, the right hand. Use the improved left hand to draw dexterity and accuracy runes on her right. And then actually be able to do proper work with her fingers.

  She checked the reference page and the instructions once more, opened the ink well, dipped the brush and began the first stroke on the back of her left hand. Black ink on alabaster skin. The ink as black as her claws. Sir Frederik had purchased good quality ink. She let the stroke dry and dipped the brush again to start the next stroke.

  "Hey demon, aren't yar hands pretty enough yet?"

  Now the stroke was ruined and she looked a bit angrily at the man who had shouted, "My hands are pretty!"

  They undoubtedly were.

  "Why are ya doing manicure then?" The man inquired.

  "I'm not doing manicure! I draw runes", she corrected him. And the rune she just had started was ruined now because he had interrupted her mid-stroke. She would have to wash it off and start anew.

  "Huh, why? Demon magic?" He came a few steps closer, and the other craftsmen behind him paused their work.

  "Rune magic. I need to improve my hands", she pointed a claw of her right to her left hand.

  "Ha! Not pretty enough. I knew it." The man certainly knew how to be annoying.

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  "My hands are pretty! But they are not made for delicate work, not the work I want to do." She sniffed, "I can barely hold this brush."

  "Ya, tiny thing looks like it will break any moment in your hands."

  She got up to wash her hands in the sink and the craftsmen returned to their work.

  She dried her hands with a towel, returned to the table and sat down again to make a new attempt at the dexterity rune. Mid of the first stroke, the wooden door that led into the room with her cell burst open and crashed against the wall just to swing back with equal momentum and to be pushed open almost as forcefully once more.

  Then three men came through, carrying a rather massive looking stove.

  She sighed. Today was not the day for runic body paint. She washed her hands and the brush once more, returned to the stool and got into the royal pet and fashion show routine again. Just sitting there and trying to look impressive.

  The stove was set up under shouting and negotiating how to move it best and once they were pleased with the placement, pipe clamps got hammered into the wall, which reminded her unpleasantly of shackles.

  Then the stove pipe was brought in, cut to length, an elbow piece fitted to it and then a shorter pipe that led outside through the hole in the wall. The clamps held it in place and the stove had to be moved again with much shouting to fit it to the pipe.

  Her private fire. A bit sad it had to be contained in the stove, but Sir Frederik had been right. A pity if her bed caught fire. Better to be careful. She had her cell to be safe from the world outside, the fire had its own cell. It seemed acceptable this way.

  Eventually smaller pieces of broken wall stones were fitted around the pipe which lead through the hole and then sealed with plaster.

  "Demon, I've never installed a stove in a prison cell before." The one man addressed her again, "Someone high up must favor you a lot."

  "I work for the royals", she let him know while trying to look as royal as she was supposed to.

  "For the royals? In a prison cell? You must be kidding me", the man challenged her.

  "I'm not always in here. And my actual work hasn't started yet. Probably tomorrow or the day after", she tried to stay calm and friendly.

  One of the other men punched the speaker lightly and mentioned, "Man, didn't you see the Princess walk the demon on a leash? And she beat Jorgenson in arm wrestling."

  "The princess beat Jorgenson in arm wrestling?" That was the loud man again.

  "Nah, idiot. The demon did and the princess held the leash", he was informed.

  "Is that the work that the royals have you do?" Now she was addressed again

  "That's what earned me the stove. But the actual work will be to carve runes into weapons forged for the royal guards", she tried to explain.

  "With those hands?" The man pointed at her hands.

  "With my claws. It's one of the few things but hunting and killing which they are good for", she felt a sting to admit that, but at least she could point out a positive aspect.

  The man took half a step back, "You've killed a man?"

  She shook her head, "I didn't kill him, but I hunted one."

  "And now you are in prison for it?" He certainly could be annoying.

  "No, I was in prison even before. I was allowed to hunt him. They let me out just for that." Couldn't hurt to scare him a little more.

  "Then, what are you in for?"

  "Nothing. Just because I am a demon. Well, officially I am in here to be protected from bad people who try to kill me. That's the better story and it's true as much. Tell that one if someone asks you about me." She definitely liked that idea better and Sam Olsen had confirmed it was at least part of why she was here.

  "And now the royals make you work for them?" The man was pointing at her.

  "They do. But the way you say it makes it sound bad. It's not quite that bad. I like to work at the forge. I like the fire. It's more a reward for me than a chore. And I did that work before, just in another place. For a little while I lived in a town, a house, almost free. But it didn't feel that good. Every day another person popped up to let me know how much they hate me and that they want me out of town. Sure, there were friendly people too, even more. But it ruins ones day pretty much just to be hated because you have horns and hooves and a tail and get told so again and again. It's not that bad in here actually. It can be boring, but it's safe and rather peaceful often. And now I can even heat the place."

  He nodded, "Right, got ya. Heating ... one thing about the stove. Don't fire it up today or tomorrow. The plaster needs to dry some first. The stuff around the pipe up there."

  "I'll wait. Don't got any firewood or coal either yet. Thank you all for the good work with the stove." She tried to grant them all a friendly smile.

  Meanwhile the other workers had swept up the remaining stone fragments and cleaned the corner where they had been working. One gave the stove and the pipe a quick wipe with a cloth. It seemed to be the type of stove one could also cook with, the top had a metal plate which she assumed was made to set a pot or two upon.

  "Yo, we're done here. Enjoy your new stove. Apologies for ruining your manicure."

  She gave him a sour expression for a moment but then nodded and tried to look friendly again, "Thank you for installing the stove. It's appreciated. I'd show you to the door but I'm afraid that will anger the guards. So have my thanks and greetings."

  He laughed, "Would be a good excuse though to see a little more of the world. Anyways, have a good time!" He waved and they left her cell, and for a while all three cascaded doors were unlocked while no one at all was there to look over her. They became careless. Or did they eventually trust her?