In an illustrious stony garden , surrounding the shadow of a daunting manor, sat a young girl. This girl, however, had the hairstyle, clothing, and sex of what appeared to the average person who knew nothing but the rigid structures of the gender binary, to be a boy. Despite this, she sat there daintily, legs crossed, with a small frown. Anyone who mistook her for a boy (which was really anyone who was taught that there were only two genders and that they were not interchangeable) (which is unfortunately, most) would come to understand with a polite, yet firm ‘That’s incorrect.’ This young girl could forgive mistakes, but not if they were made on purpose.

The most in the previous paragraph also accounted for her parents, who misgendered her monthly, daily, hourly, every damn minute they could. The young girl came to loathe them at a young age, which wasn’t saying much, as she was 12. Just the very mention of them made her seethe under her cool exterior, which was dressed in an ill fitted suit. The slacks, the boxers, even her short hair put her in a constant state of pure hatred. How she longed to rip it all off and exchange it for something more girly, desperate to go to the extremes to demonstrate her gender identity.

Interrupting her fantasies was the voice of her maid, Reina.

“Mortimer!”she called. “Young Mast-er, Miss!” She stumbled up to the girl like a newborn foal. Panting out her words, she fell to a halt. “There you are! Everyone’s been looking for you!” Mortimer smiled at Reina, who was an absolute delight to be around, even if somewhat clumsy. For one, she used the right pronouns. When it wouldn’t get her fired.

“Oh Morty, don’t you remember? Today is the big day!”

“What day?”

“The day you’re introduced to the family demon, who’s responsible for your livelyhood and everything you see before you.” She pointed out the opulecent grounds, littered with semiprecious stones and exotic animals. “Today is the day you are sworn is as an official heir to the Barion Family name.” She explained.

“Oh yes.” The girl was reminded of a previous conversation with her father, a proud and bull-headded individual. She stated that she would only be sworn in if she were to be crowned in as an heiress of the family. Things got heated, and her father retaliated by pointing to her genitals with his fat fingers and saying that he would be a boy forever. She calmly explained that if she could bear the pain, she would rip it off at that very moment and aim for his face. The night ended in tears,her which of a mother crying over dear daddy’s shoulder, wondering why she couldn’t just please them for once.

The last part she tacked on, but still knew it to be true in her heart. Reina nervously ran in place, frantically checking the time. “Oh Mort, we have to get to the basement in five minuets! Here, is your outfit ready?” She began to pat down the 12-year old’s hair, much to the annoyance of the child.

She pushed away her hand as soothingly as possible.

“Reina, it’s fine. It’s not like the demon cares about what us humans look like.” Unconvinced but still accepting, she made one last attempt to brush invisible specs of dirt off her suit.

“I know but your parents…” She trailed off nervously. Her out of shape bundle of hair swayed in the breeze, and heavy grey clouds rolled in. Reina stared at them as if they didn’t belong in a picturesque scene such as this. A drop of rain on her cheek brought her back to reality, and she dragged Mortimer inside. “Let’s get in, quickly!” She tripped over the back steps. “If anything is even one inch out of place, they’ll fire me for sure.” The young girl gently grabbed her hand to re-assure the nervous adult, and lead her through the maze that was the Barion mansion.

They passed by portraits of old, with vases that belonged in a museum rather than a house. Every servant was as nervous as Reina, a few physically trembling in their wake. All on their way to the theatre that acted like a basement. Hidden from Reina’s knowledge, the girl had a pink tiara squirreled away in her pockets.She put in on slyly, thinking it brought out the beige in her suit. She smiled at her cleverness, or at this one last desprate stab at her parents.

They decended marble stairs, down a grand hallway and up the aisle to the stage. There stood her parents, waiting grimly as Mr. Barion summoned the demon with great exertion. Reina pushed her up the stairs as a mother pushes a chick out of her nest, and stood in the empty seats with pride. It was only too late that she noticed the pink tiara nestled comftoarbly on the girl’s head. Her tired eyes looked on with despair, hoping Mortimer knew what she was getting into.

The girl slid up to her mother with a smirk and waitied cheerfully as she peeked over her father’s shoulder. She was able to catch a glimpse of red candles and sigils before her mother, who was casually smoking, turned and gasped.

“Just what,” She plucked the tiara off, “is this?” She sneered. “Mortimer, how could you? Even after the talk we had-” Her eyes looked for someone to share the blame, and they landed on Reina. “Reina! You let this happen, didn’t you!?” She threw the tiara down with as much force as she could muster, which was in fact, not that much.

` The sudden clang of metal on wood awoke Mr. Barion from his summoning. “What’s all the fuss about-” He saw the article in question and the horror on his wife’s face. “Why you little tramp! You think you can just come in here, and deliberately disobey me-” he faced the girl, who stood bravely in the face of her parents and the outnumbered Reina.

“You’ve mortified us, I hope you’re proud-”

“Of all the scum in the world, you’ve got to be top ten , or hell, even five-”

“Please, Mr. and Mrs. Barion, can’t you just accept who he-she is?”

As the one sided battle raged, a portal to The Place opened up, and a bony claw reached through. Slowly, making a show of it, out stepped a demon with the coloring of a fresh scar. His wings unfurled to their full length, and his horns glinted polished in the stage light. Proud of his performance, he shot a jet of flame to wow his unfocused audience.

Mr. Barion gasped and turned, bringing his wife and dragging his child front and center.

“O-Octavian, you’re here,” he huffed. Octavian raised his eyebrows.

“Yeah. Am I in the middle of something or….” he trailed off, guestering to the pervious conflict.

“Nothing. Nothing at all,” Mrs. Barion said, forehead beading.

“Nothing except for this little brat, who was misbehaving.” Mr. Barion eyed Reina, wordlessly implying what was to come. “Here, here’s your new partner, and heir to the Barion family.” He shoved Mortimer forward, almost into the circle.

Octavian held out his hand, “Pleasure, I’m sure.”

The girl did the same and shook heartily. “That would be Hieress, if you would be so kind.” She said it like a poised heron just above the fish.

“How dare you!” Mr. Barion yelled. With one swift hit he sent her down with a nosebleed and several bruised limbs. “I’ve had it up to here mister! Now you sign under a man’s name, or so help me God-”

“Funny thing is, your contract’s up.” The demon interjected.

All eyes were on him. “W-what do you mean?” Mr. Barion stuttered.

“It’s really weird, how a thousand years goes by so fast, huh? Give or take a few, since I was nice enough to give you a grace period. Sorry, I thought you knew.” He brought forth the archaiac and tacked on many times piece of paper, to have them look it over with fishbowls for eyes.

The Barions were stunned, but the biggest bomb had yet to be dropped. “So, I uh, guess this means I get the souls of whoever this contract ends with. No biggie, right?”

Mr. Barion jumped into action, realising his very being was on the line. “W-Well here! Take this good-for-nothing, we don’t even want him any more!” he grabbed the girl by her collar and dragged her forth.

“Nope. Nu-uh, that kid dosen’t have a name on here.”

“T-Then the maid!” Mrs. Barion pulled Reina by the hair. “I-It can be just any soul, r-right? I mean we’ve known each other for so long-”

“Listen lady, the only souls I want are yours. End of story. Kaput.” Octavian opened up a portal to somewhere particularily hot. With a flash of lightning, the previous Barions were on the ground, dead. Their souls apeared, wailing in agony. He threw them like a fastball into The Fire, just a planet away from The Place.

The portal closed and the repressive heat stopped, replaced by the dusty air of the theatre. Octavian stepped out from the circle and picked up the tiara. In a flash it was turned to gold and ruby before the girl’s eyes. He gently replaced it, smoothing out her hair and wiping away her blood.

“Go. be the princess you’ve always wanted to be.” He kissed her on the forehead. In a ball of flame a red card appeared in his hand. “Here’s my number. Call me anytime to renew the contract. The candles went out and left a smoky trail that could be followed to the celing. He teleported back to The Place, leaving behind the faint smell of roses.

Reina stood in silence, not daring to speak. The girl looked at her hands, her heart racing, the bodies of her parents not even leaving an impression in her mind.

Finally, Reina vanquished the silence with a few brave words. “M-Mortimer, what are w-we going to do-” A finger shushed her.