Page 1 of Their World (Her Royal Harem: Lily #2)

Chapter

One

Being teleported to another world was the start to several adventure movies I had watched growing up. I never thought it would happen to me, though.

I stood atop a ridge overlooking what must have been grasslands before it had been set on fire. There were a few trees that dotted the ridge and the field below, but they were blackened husks.

The demon world looked like it was dying, or had been burned significantly and left to die. I didn’t see any water source, which worried me. I needed water to survive. Did the demons not drink water?

This was definitely near the spot the hellhound pup had come through that we’d had the video of. When he’d run through, several hellhounds and a humanoid had been there, so it was probably a good idea to get away from this area. I wasn’t sure how the portals worked, so I didn’t know if one would open here again or not.

The spell that had paralyzed me had stopped working as soon as I came here, so I was able to stand and move again.

Taking off at an easy jog, I headed towards the large spire that I had a suspicion was a castle.

There wasn’t cover in this area, so I moved as quickly as I could across the burnt and desolate lands towards what looked like an area that used to be a forest and would provide me at least a little cover.

“I hope everyone back home is safe,” I whispered to myself.

A screech from my right alerted me just before a bat-demon flew towards me and tried to grab me with its sharp talons.

Ducking down and rolling to the left, I avoided its talons and resumed running.

“Back off or I’ll eat you,” I threatened. “I don’t know when I’ll get a meal and you’d fill my belly for at least a few days.” It was a hollow threat. If I ate it, I’d have to lie still while I digested it for at least a day, which would leave me very vulnerable.

The forest of burnt trees loomed in front of me, and I ran straight in without inspection. The trees provided enough coverage to help me hide even as burned as they were due to their height. The only problem was my footsteps were extraordinarily loud due to the crispy burnt pieces of bark on the ground.

A familiar yip caught my attention and I slowed as the hellhound pup ran to me, barking and jumping around in a circle happily.

“Hello, boy,” I greeted. “How did you find me so quickly?”

He trotted around me and started in the direction I had been headed, looked over his shoulder at me, and barked while wagging his tail.

“You want me to follow?” I asked.

He bobbed his head and jogged away.

I resumed my jog, this time following the hellhound pup, and cringed at how loud I was compared to the pup.

“I might as well be an elephant,” I grumbled.

“An elephant would be much more quiet,” a deep, male voice said from in front of me. A male humanoid demon stepped in front of me, forcing me to slide to a stop.

“I didn’t come here willingly,” I said, tensed and ready to fight. “Just let me find a portal and I’ll go back home.”

The pup sat down between us, his tongue lulling out his mouth as he looked at both of us, completely unbothered by this demon.

The humanoid demon canted his head, his horns sparkling in the low light that filtered through the trees. “The necklace brought you here for a reason. I don’t know what that reason is yet, but I’m not gifted with premonitions so it is not for me to know.” He shrugged, and I realized I recognized his armor. He was the one that had had a spiked club. He was the one I’d thought was going to kill me right before the necklace teleported me here.

“My family and friends … are they alive?” I asked, my throat tightening as I prepared for possible bad news.

He straightened. “You may not know much about demons, but let me tell you this, demon warriors, such as myself, have honor. I did not kill any of your people.”

Exhaling in relief, I gave him the distraction he needed to run forward and wrap a strange silver chain around me. As soon as it was around me, I couldn’t move or shift or do anything.

Instead of letting me fall to the ground, he caught me and picked me up in a bridal carry. “Now, let’s go to my home, so we don’t have to continue traipsing through this dead forest. Come, pup.”

The pup yipped and followed obediently.

“You have to eat,” the demon who had grabbed me two days ago said sternly.

“I don’t have to do shit,” I snapped back and hissed at him for good measure.

The hellhound pup I had rescued and who I felt had slightly betrayed me, lay on the floor, whining at me with his ears flattened against his head.

“Even Dhun is worried about you,” the demon said.

After tying me up in a weird rope, he’d carried me to the spire, which had indeed been a castle made of a strange rock that seemed to absorb all the light around it. All of the demons, no matter their size or shape, bowed to the warrior demon and averted their eyes from looking at me. One demon had peeked at me and the warrior demon had released a vicious growl that had sent them all scurrying away.

The warrior demon put me in a room that rivaled the best hotels I had ever stayed at with a fluffy mattress, huge claw-footed tub in the connected bathroom that had indoor plumbing, and a chaise lounge chair that was perfect for relaxing on.

I continued to stay curled up on the chaise lounge, ignoring them both. As far as I was concerned, the pup was a traitor who had failed to protect me from getting kidnapped by this demon.

“Would you prefer live food? You are a snake shifter from what we saw, so I could find you live food to consume.”

There was absolutely zero judgment in his words, just genuine concern.

Was I going about this all wrong? Should I be trying to make him my friend or ally? He hadn’t done anything aggressive since bringing me here. If he really wasn’t my enemy, then I needed to alter my plan.

Sitting up, I asked, “When can I go home?”

He shrugged. “That’s not up to me.”

“Who is it up to? Let me talk to them.”

“It’s up to fate,” he answered. “The necklace will send you back home when it’s time, or a portal will open in front of you.”

Dropping my head into my hands, I sighed dramatically. “If I eat food here, will I be stuck here?”

“What? Why would you be stuck here?”

“There are stories of people eating food after going through a portal and then being unable to return to their home. I just want to make sure that’s not going to happen here,” I explained.

“That’s absurd,” he whispered. “What kind of worlds have you been to?”

Looking up, I saw his horrified face and burst into laughter.

He stood on the plush grey carpet before the chaise lounge, watching me curiously.

“What’s your name?” I asked once I’d stopped laughing.

“I am King Jolmach of the Demons, First of my Name, Fourth to Reign.” He bowed with a flourish.

My eyes widened as I realized that, of course, the man who lived in this tower and had the demons bowing would be their king.

“It’s an honor to meet you, King Jolmach,” I replied.

“May I know your name?” he asked.

“Oh. I thought you knew already,” I admitted and stood. Why did they know about me, but not know my name? “I am Princess Liliana Rubyserpent of the Hybrids, adopted daughter of the King and Queen of the Hybrids.” I curtsied, but kept my head raised as I had been taught never to bow my head to anyone except my king and queen.

He reached out slowly, took one of my hands, raised it, and kissed my knuckles. “It is an honor to meet you, Princess Liliana Rubyserpent.”

My heart beat a bit faster, and I took a moment to study his face, noting that while it wasn’t traditionally handsome, he wasn’t bad looking either. Once again, I got the feeling that he was like me, a hybrid shifter, or something because there was a weird connection between us. The same strange connection I felt to Dhun.

“Will you eat?” he asked. Glancing at Dhun he said, “He won’t eat until you do, so you’re really punishing both of you.”

I had a feeling he was playing at my emotions, but I nodded, then pointed at him and said, “But if I end up stuck here, I’m going to make your life miserable.”

He smiled and said, “Noted.” Walking over to the door, he pulled it open and bowed as he waved me through. “After you, Princess.”

Dhun hopped up, ears perked and tail wagging, and trotted behind me as I walked out of the room and into the hallway lined with torches along the wall in grooves that had been cut into the strange stone. Some of them had mana stones at the bases as well.

King Jolmach walked beside me, arms lose at his side, but his body was rigid.

“So, where is your queen?” I asked. “Or prince or advisors?”

The castle was eerily empty as we walked down the hallway and entered a kitchen, also empty of others.

“I have no queen and no spawn. I have military advisors, but they are in a room together discussing strategies to present to me, so you can meet them later.” He went to a rectangular stone box and opened it, shocking me as cool air like a refrigerator came out.

It seemed we were completely wrong about the demons. If I was stuck here for who knew how long, it would be the perfect opportunity to learn more about them. To have an accurate record to somehow send back home.

“So, you cook for yourself?” I asked. “You don’t have a chef to do that for you?”

He pulled out a box of my favorite brand of chicken nuggets and a bottle of ketchup that was definitely from my world. At my shocked expression, he asked, “Did you see the desolation of the lands before the forest and what remains of the forest?”

I nodded.

“That’s how ninety percent of our world is now.”

“Is that why you’re invading our world? Because you don’t have resources for your people?”

He frowned, put the chicken nuggets back, and said, “Let me show you something.”

Heading out a side door I hadn’t noticed, the stone all looked alike, so it was hard to see the seams. He led me to a balcony that overlooked a city made of small houses and a few two to three story buildings. Demons in all shapes and sizes, including children with their parents, walked or flew around the city.

“This is our main city, Obselk. One of three cities that remain now. We used to have dozens of cities. Millions of demons. We’ve tried everything, but our world continues to die. We continue to try to take things from your world and plant them here, but it’s to no avail.”

“Take things from our world?” I asked, frowning. As far as I knew, no one had ever mentioned demons taking things back through the portals.

“If you aren’t looking for something, it is easy to miss, Princess. When a portal opens and we go through, we aren’t doing so aimlessly. We take food, useful items, and plants.”

My eyes widened. They had been stealing things to sustain their people?

“So far, every plant we bring back dies after it’s planted and even if we bring a potted plant here, it will die within a few days, leaves burned. Our environment is no longer habitable for plant life.”

“The portals opening in the city, you go into the stores and take items,” I realized.

He nodded, and we walked back to the kitchen. He held up the chicken nugget box. “Like these.”

“Why not try to speak to our kings to work something out? Why attack our people?”

Scoffing, he shook his head. “Your people kill mine before a chance is even given. It wasn’t until we were able to see you that we realized there might be another way. Even then, your people killed dozens of mine.”

All of this seemed like a huge misunderstanding that could be worked out with communication and aid. One thing he’d said bothered me, though.

“See me? How did you see me?”

“Our Grand Advisor was able to use his powers to find you, to show us images of you, and advise me that you were the one we needed to learn about the other world.”

They wanted to use me to learn about our world? Why me?

“You will meet the Grand Advisor soon, but he is not available currently.”

“How do the portals work?” I asked. “Do you choose where they open? Is it you that opens them?”

Jolmach sighed and shook his head. “No, I have no control over the portals. My people are spread around, watching for the portals, for their chance to jump through them and grab supplies from your world.”

Jolmach shook out some nuggets onto a metal cooking sheet, exhaled fire onto the nuggets, grabbed a plate, and put the now cooked nuggets onto it. “I know it’s not the most luxurious meal?—”

“It’s great, thank you,” I said and popped a nugget into my mouth.

He watched me as I ate, brows furrowed. “You’re no longer angry?”

Wiping my mouth with the back of my hand, I explained, “I thought you were holding me prisoner. So I assumed you were my enemy.” Canting my head, I said, “However, it seems that we could be allies, and I might be able to help you.”

“You would help us take over your world?” he asked and arched a brow.

My brows furrowed. “Take over the world?”

“How else will my people survive?”

“What if we can help you without that being necessary?” I asked.

He shook his head. “This world is dying. We must leave.”

“Have you seen any other worlds through the portal?”

“No, only yours.”

“There has to be another way, other than you taking over my world.”

“The council and Grand Advisor are certain that we must take it. They said if there were another way, they would have thought of it already or been shown it by the gods. None has been presented.”

“And yet, a princess of that world is here, something your council didn’t know would happen previously. There is almost always another way.” No matter what, I had to convince him not to continue with this path. I had to protect my family, my friends, and my world.

I would protect them no matter what it took.

“Come, you must be tired,” Jolmach said, clearly wanting to end the conversation. “I’ll take you back to your room.” At the room, he paused by the door and said, “While I am not keeping you prisoner here, I am keeping you here for your protection. Not all of the beings are as intelligent as me or Dhun. Those who did not see me with you will not know to leave you unharmed. If you wander alone, you will be in danger, so please, let me know if you wish to go somewhere, okay?”

Smiling, I nodded and said, “Understood.”

He frowned, clearly not believing me. “Is there anything you need before I retire?”

“A notebook or paper and a writing utensil?” I asked. “Oh, and water.”

Opening the door, he whistled and Dhun ran out. He squatted, said something to Dhun, and stood. “Dhun will fetch the items you need. Please stay in the room while he is gone.”

“Thank you. Have a good night, King Jolmach.”

He bowed and said, “Have a good evening, Princess.”

Sitting back on the chaise lounge, I went over my four new goals.

One, learn as much about this world and its people as I could. The more information I had, the more prepared I would be.

Two, get in touch with my family and let them know I was safe for now. Knowing my family and friends, they were freaking out and trying to rescue me.

Three, find a way to prevent the demons from trying to take over my world.

And the most important goal.

Four, stay alive.