"Only those things are beautiful which are inspired by madness and written by reason."
             ---Andre Gide

Not many children of Courtesans spend their lives in the palace of their sire, but not many are born from a Sheaim spy and Perpentach himself. The day Tila's mother discovered her imminent arrival was the day she was discovered to be more than a pretty flirt who had caught the Clown Prince's eye. There were supposed to be magic wards around her to prevent pregnancy from interrupting her mission. She doubted that she could keep Perpentach's favor in this state, and maternal instinct made her want to avoid putting the new life growing inside her in danger. She most certainly could not keep his favor, however, when he discovered her making her last report to Tebryn through an enchanted mirror. She attempted a return spell, but the entire palace was warded against it. Chained in the dungeon and promised a swift execution, the spy had one request: "Please, please, just spare my... our child." Contemptuous disdain was replaced by amused malice on Perpentach's face.

"Oh my my my, what to do? Death is surely too good for you! A child, though, is a means to my end-- where death would break, this pain can rend-- your soul in two for my delight, shall I make him a slave, or set him alight? Mayhaps my offspring a tool I'll make. Your archmage lord? His life he'll take! Servants attend, this wench to give-- tender care, for she must live-- Upon the birth of our dear child, revenge can bloom, oh joy, how wild!"

Thus did the Balseraph ministers carefully observe the spy, until the birth of her daughter. They awaited Perpentach's orders. They never came, their leader seemed to have forgotten the entire matter, and no one wanted to remind him of his embarrassing dalliance. They dare not let harm befall the daughter of their mad king--but similarly, they dare not appear too involved in the child of their master's enemy. Powerful conjurers were assigned to keep her safe from the day she was weaned from her wet nurse, but they were instructed not to get attached to her. Thus her only companions from the time she could toddle away from her room were the wizard's summoned slaves, bound to protect her. She learned to talk from imps, danced with djinn, haunted the hallways alongside nightmares, and rode Sand Lions before she saw a horse.

Yearly, her only playmates would vanish, to be replaced by new summons. In her eighth year, she begged of 'Puppy' the imp, "Please don't leave me this time. I like you best!" It would later be debated whether it was due to actually befriending a servant of hell, some scheme of the mischievous beast, or her magical parentage, but the imp turned to her and smiled. "Milady Tila," he rasped, "I enjoyed our time together, but I must return to my masters... unless perhaps you could ask them?" And so the child, whose only friends were monsters from the mists, learned to summon them herself. The next time her father was out, wandering out visiting festivals as he was wont to do for weeks or months at a time, his ministers met. They always did, to determine which of his insane orders they could subvert without his noticing and which they must carry out. This meeting however, was interrupted by Tila and a Balor, flanked by a pair of pit beasts. "Giggles," the girl said to the beast, "tell them that I'll be in charge for awhile."

The Balor roared.

~RP~