Karl started his plan for the day with a combination of [Evolution] and [Beast Form].

The idea was that it should trigger beast form to give an appearance that would mimic their natural bloodline, in a form the same or higher than the bloodline that they currently possessed, while favouring the beast.

For Rue, that would be a Shadow Dragon.

If it worked, it would be perfect, and both of the skills were common enough that it wouldn't be horrifically restrictive to cast.

The combination created [Greater Beast Form], but as he finished it, Karl realized that he might just be able to use [Unholy Beast Transformation] on Rue. Shadow Dragons seemed like the sort of unholy magic attuned sort of creatures it would like.

So, Karl made plans to try both on her to see which one worked.

But he couldn't in good conscience try out new spells on the Princess without knowing what they would do.

He obviously had to try them on himself first.

First, Karl double-checked that there was nobody else in the suite with him, then blocked all the entrances and windows with an opaque barrier.

Now, he could try [Greater Beast Form].

The spell shimmered over his body, and Karl found himself back in a familiar furry state, as a Cat Demon. Only, this time, his claws radiated power, and his body seemed to pulse with mana, moving it through his lungs with every breath.

It was an incredibly efficient meditation form, and the amount of mana that he could use at one time would be even more impressive than it was before.

Totally worth the effort to combine the skills.

He wasn't sure how effective it would be on Rue, as he didn't know what [Beast Form] turned her into. But there was a chance it would work, so he would try it as soon as they were finished training for the day.

Fortunately, that would be soon, as Karl realized the sun was already setting, and he had lost most of a day while intensely focused on altering the spell.

It was entirely too easy to lose track of time when working with certain skills, he noticed. Runecrafting was the same was as Spell Merger, in that he could get started and then just finish his work days later without noticing the difference.

It must be how Immortals and the Ancient Dragons felt.

Karl quickly changed back to Tengu form so that he didn't confuse the others when they returned, then lowered the barriers so that he could go check on the state of Rue's training.

Cara was still next door in the illusion, so there shouldn't be any issues. But as he should have expected, there were far more than three people in the room when he arrived.

Cara and Rue had recruited all the children of the staff here to join in on the training as a group effort, and they had turned the day into an impromptu party.

"Karl, welcome back to the land of the living. The kids are just about done with their spell practice, and then we were going to head down for dinner. It will be in the formal dining room, which is just down the hall and on the main floor." Prince Lukas greeted him.

"That works for me. I think that I have a spell ready for Rue to try, but it can wait until after dinner, in case it needs some tweaking. I know what a hangry dragon is like."

The staff giggled at Karl's assessment, and then checked the trays of snacks that they had brought to the training room for just that reason.

Dinner at the castle was a very different experience to dinner at the Palace, as it was just the six of them at the table, seven if you counted the nanny who was helping feed a fussy hatchling.

Cara had encouraged her to fly around the training area all day, and while she had been worn out to the point of needing a third nap for the day, she had no intentions of stopping to eat now that she had found a spot she could fly.

No young dragon could resist such temptation.

Once the maid gave up on trying to make her eat any more, the little one came to land on Karl's shoulder with her tail wrapped around his necks for balance. The large feathered wings of a Tengu made it easy to balance her weight, and gave her a perch for her back legs, as well as a much better viewpoint than her chair.

Karl absently stroked her head as he finished his meal, then rose and gestured for Rue to join him.

"Let's get to the last trial of the day. I want to try two different transformation spells on you tonight, with the hope that one of them will make you a Shadow Dragon.

If that works, I will teach you the skill, and then you can use it to improve your status within the Royal Family.

Being half dragon might make them look down on you now, but if you can transform, then they will start to see you differently. I know that the bias is unfair, but such is life, and if you want to fulfil that goal you stated, it's necessary to play along with their rules for a while."

Rue smiled as Karl tried to ease her into the idea of being a dragon.

Her eldest half brother had already given her the speech, and he had been quite convincing with his explanation of how and why it was important for her to be seen as equal to the other Princes and Princesses.

Even if Karl had to evolve her into something more dragon than she was now, she would accept it for the sake of revenge.

She followed him back to the training room, and Karl motioned for her to stand in the open.

"Alright, first up, I will try [Greater Beast Form] on you, and hope that it turns you into a Shadow Dragon. If it does, we're good to go. If it doesn't, then I have another option, that may or may not work."

Before she could answer, Karl cast the spell, and Rue found herself expanding.

Her dragon form wasn't large, but it was a dragon.

Her keen eyes spotted Karl nodding in satisfaction, then a System Message appeared in her vision.

{Champion Karl offers knowledge.} [Greater Beast Form] will be transferred to the Vengeful Princess Rue.

{Accept}? Y/N

Rue cheered as she accepted the spell, and laughed as Lukas picked her up under the wings to spin her in happy circles.

"Good work, Rue. You're a true Shadow Dragon now. At least in appearance."

Rue nodded in agreement. {And I will show them that I'm worthy of being one by birthright as well. What do I look like? Am I cute as a dragon? Do I look mighty? Imposing?}

Prince Lukas laughed. Calling her dragon form anything other than adorable, with the hint of baby fat left in her cheeks, would just be wrong.

"Adorable for sure. You'll grow into a mighty and imposing dragon later, there is plenty of time for that."

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