“Lord Damien?”
The demon lord looked over from his post at the window, brow raised. “Yes Anna?”
The girl clasped her hands behind her back and rocked back and forth on her feet. Her eyes sparkled innocently as she waited a moment, pondering if she would ask her question or not.
“What is it, Anna?”
She stopped rocking and looked up at him. “Will you play pretend with me?”
Damien looked at her in slight wonder. Pretend was something he had never played. He had never played at all before. Now that he had the chance to play, with this young human girl at his age, would he take it or not?
Anna blinked up at him, directly under his face. “Lord Damien?”
“Alright Anna. I will play with you.” Damien was suddenly hugged tightly around his thigh area. He smiled and patted the child on the head.
She grinned and grabbed his hand, tugging him away from the window. “Let’s pretend...that we’re a princes and princess! I’ll be the princess and you’ll be the prince who has to come and save me from a high tower!” Anna climbed up on a table. “This will be my tower!”

And suddenly, they were whisked into a fantasy land. Anna was wearing a pale blue dress, her black hair loose and flowing. The tower, made of weathered grey stone, rose above Damien sixty, seventy feet, its top tickling the fluffy white clouds above. The lord himself was on the ground standing next to a snow white steed, his chest plate having a purple crescent moon in the center. His silver-white hair was pulled into a ponytail, hanging down his back. He gazed up at the princess, amber eyes shining.
“I have come for you, my princess! Do not fear, for I shall save you from your confines!”
Anna leaned out the window to look down at him. “My prince has come at last! Oh what joy! Please hurry sir knight!”
Damien’s armor clanked together as he approached the tower, searching for a door of some kind. Finding none, he came back and stood in his original spot. He studied the wall before him and his surroundings.

Anna jumped off the table and landed with a soft “oomph” on the carpet below. She ran over to a cloth lying on the floor from a maid’s earlier cleaning and hurried back, handing it to Damien.
“This can be your...” She thought for a moment about what the item was called. “The claw thing that you throw to climb walls.”
“I see.” Damien smiled slightly and began twisting the cloth to resemble a rope. “So I’m climbing the wall to save you?”
She nodded happily and climbed back onto the table.

Prince Damien placed a hand over his heart, gazing up at the princess. “I am coming for you!”
As Princess Anna looked on, he swung the claw around his head and released it, letting it fly towards the window. It caught and he pulled the rope tight, assuring himself that it would hold as he climbed.
“Oh do be careful, my prince!” Called Anna as he placed a foot on the wall. “I don’t want you to be injured!”
“For you I would die a thousand deaths to save you from this tower!” Damien began climbing up the wall, hand over hand up the rope, each step careful. He neared the window, Anna’s face drawing closer.
Anna leaned out the window, smiling widely. But as she leaned a little more, she lost her balance and began to topple out the window.
“Princess!” Damien cried, eyes widening in fear. “No!”
The princess screamed in fright, heart racing, as she plummeted towards the ground. Damien let go of the rope and dropped after her, landing easily on his feet, arms outstretched.

Anna laughed hysterically as she landed in Damien’s arms after her short tumble off the table. Tears of mirth rolled down her flushed cheeks.
The lord smiled down at her as she calmed. “Are you alright, Anna?”
“I am.” She grinned at him happily.

The princess gazed into the prince’s eyes adoringly. “You have rescued me from both my tower and my death! Thank you, good prince!” She leaned up and placed a small kiss on his cheek. “I am yours forever and ever.”
“And so you shall be.” Damien placed her on his horse before mounting behind her. “Off to my castle to live happily ever after.”
They rose off into the sunset, the horse whinnying loudly.

Damien placed Anna on her bed, smiling at the girl’s tired yawn. “And so they did, until the end of their days.”
She rolled onto her side, closing her eyes with a smile. “Thank you for playing with me, Lord Damien.” And with that she fell asleep, a small smile still on her lips.
“You’re welcome Anna.”