text: I was deemed the most "normal" of Malkmuth's Legion, and as a result, I was also deemed the guardian of their one and only child. The deal was simple. I would take care of his daughter, and all my expenses would be taken care of, every frivolity that I desired would be given to me. The only catch? She could never know who her father was. He had said to me no child should be part of the Legion, no matter how impoverished or needy they were. It was why he kept his Legion as child-free as possible. I had always assumed he thought it a weakness, to desire a family, to know that love. And maybe he was right. On her first birthday, Malkmuth brought a single black gift box sealed with dark purple ribbon to the house he had put us in. It matched his daughter, Violetta, so-named for her raven hair and strangely violet eyes. He didn't stay to meet her, and he told me to not tell her that her father gave her this gift. So I did the next-best thing: I told her someone from the dark lord's Legion gave her this gift. She was one, so she didn't seem to understand either way. The days came and the days went, and soon enough, it was Christmas. It was snowing, by some miracle, and we were watching it slowly drift down from the sky in heavy flakes when a familiar black-robed, purple-masked form came up our driveway... carrying in their hands a single black gift box. He looked our way, and little Violetta looked his, and while it was impossible to say with the mask he wore, it looked like their gazes connected. I quickly covered Violetta's eyes and pulled her away from the window, and the doorbell rang. I set her down in front of the television with some children's show with children who had giant heads and little bodies, and briskly walked to the door. When I opened the door, I took the gift box and scowled. "What happened to our agreement?" "I am your Lord, and you dare to be so vitriolic?" Malkmuth asked, a chuckle hidden in his words. "You said she can't know who her father is," I countered. "Does she?" "Well she's going to figure it out if you make a habit out of coming over!" "Children are not nearly so clever." I frowned at that. "You do not know much about children, my Lord. I am the youngest of six, I can tell you, children are indeed that smart..." "Nonsense. Give her this gift." "I'll give Violetta this gift. But you should be careful, if you really don't want her to figure things out." I closed the door before he could get another word in, shaking all over. Never had I been contrary to the dark lord, and to know he could end me easily if he so wished it terrified me. Such was his power. On the other side of the door, he marveled, "Violetta... what a lovely name you gave her," in a low whisper before turning and heading back down the path to his car.