The Cursed Prince

Harlow was soon led by the waiter out of the restaurant and found a nice inn in the city center. It was a huge inn with many rooms and decorated nicely. It also seemed to cater to a lot of travelers. The waiter that took the princess there soon asked her opinion about the place.

"Is this place accommodating for you?" the waiter asked politely. "Do you like it?"

Harlow smiled and nodded. She looked back at Icecube that followed her and the waiter. She could already see where her beloved ice dragon could stay. 

"Yes." Harlow nodded. "I think I'll be staying here because they have a big stable for my companion."

"Excellent choice, miss." the waiter said and bowed her head. She was polite and helpful. Harlow was grateful that Julian talked to this woman to help her. 

"Thank you," Harlow smiled.

The waiter added, "The people in charge of the inn will be the ones who will take care of the accommodations and any questions. Please enjoy your stay in the demon realm miss."

"Will do!" Harlow wanted to shake her hand, but was before she could touch the waiter, she saw the woman suddenly disappear in flames of fire.

The princess' eyes widened while Icecube snorted some snowflakes and was unimpressed. Harlow turned to her beloved dragon and clicked her tongue. "She just disappeared."

Icecube shrugged as if he understood what Harlow was saying. The princess rubbed her back and then spoke to him again. "I will have to go and rest in my room. They will take you to the stable. Be good there, okay? You should rest and eat. I'll see you again tomorrow morning."

She followed the innkeeper who her dragon the huge stable at the back of the building. After making sure Icecube was enjoying his own place, Harlow went inside the inn to see her room. 

It didn't take too long for the princess and Icecube to become settled in the inn. Since Harlow didn't know how long they were staying, she ordered two rooms for her and Julian.

The room she got was more than adequate for her. It was nothing compared to her room in the palace that was fit for a princess, but she found the room cozy enough. She sat in her bed and laid down for a moment.

"I guess this is nice…" Harlow stared up at the ceiling and let out a soft sigh. This was the rare time for her to be able to catch her breath and actually be able to rest on a soft bed and not the back of Icecube or her tent.

However, instead of being able to relax and doze off, Harlow was instead feeling anxious.

"This guy said he couldn't bring me because the people he'll be meeting are dangerous," Harlow said. "He must think I'm soft or something."

The princess no longer felt comfortable staying in the room and waiting for Julian to simply come back. She was actually more interested in going out. Harlow glanced out the window.

It was silly because they were in the underworld and leaped off from a canyon in a mountain to come here, but from her window, she could see a sky in the demon's realm. It was dark..

"Is it night already?" Harlow noticed that it was a lot brighter earlier when they were betting on the demons earlier but now it felt like a couple of hours had gone by. "Hmm… I just can't stay here and wait for him to return."

***

There was a lot to discover in the demon's realm and it was up to the princess to figure them out by herself instead of relying on Julian to act like some kind of tour guide.

Harlow got up from her bed and packed away some of her items. She slung her quiver behind her back and also took her bow.

"Okay, the first night here in the demon realm and I'm off to explore and look for information about the demon king," Harlow said to herself and looked at her reflection in the mirror.

Harlow shook her head. She looked like a princess. Her soft skin was glowing, and her appearance, no matter how much she presented herself as a carefree and tough woman, still look feminine and pretty.

  Maybe that's why Julian called her princess on their first encounter?

Harlow sighed and rubbed her face roughly. She must look more intimidating since she was now in the demons realm and would be meeting countless ferocious monsters or demons.

She then stepped out of the inn and headed into the streets. Who was she going to ask about the demon king? Random strangers in the street?

No. They might get annoyed and pick a fight with her. She didn't know the habit and culture in this kingdom. The demons might hate being bothered by strangers. She must be careful.

Even though she tried to be mindful of her surroundings, Harlow was fascinated by the world. She decided to sightsee a little and take in the sights of the demon realm. From what she had seen so far, the demons were just like another race, but they were also unique.

Not only did these demons look different and varied from Harlow, but even their environment was also made in a way that was unlike the human realms. The architecture was different and incorporated more sharp edges and older materials.

It wasn't strange for Harlow to see something shaped like an old witch's crooked hut amongst the buildings of dark wood and iron forges. She also saw places and dens that were filled with raucous laughter and light.

Bars, pubs, and taverns were plentiful in the demon's realm.

Harlow actually wanted to step in there to check out the place but she was worried about not fitting in there. 

  "They're probably all too drunk to answer questions anyway," she muttered to herself.

If there was a place that fitted her desire to gather information and still be on the safe side, the princess had one place in mind. Harlow smiled and eyed what appeared to be a rather nice restaurant.

It was not the same one where she and Julian ate lunch earlier, but what could go wrong in a restaurant?

***