"Sister." Viktor responded.
The townspeople gasped the mayor looking at the two without any idea on what to do.
Eric was the one taking the news the hardest. Truthfully over the past year and some he had not actually believed that Viktor was a prince to the Grishan Empire. Whether it was a child telling a story of he was something more like a servant of honor, Eric truly just couldn't believe it. But there before his eyes was Alyssa Kirchner, eldest daughter of the Kirchner family calling the boy he had been with for years brother.
Alyssa's face mirrored her confusion. "What are you doing here, Viktor?" Her voice was quiet but firm. "Charles… Charles said you we're killed. Your body burned to ash."
"I...I don't know, Alyssa," Viktor replied, his own confusion echoing hers. He looked at her for a moment, his mind racing. "Charles lied... I couldn't save Emeline, and I was grabbed by one of the Crows."
"Ken'Bu, yes he told us this. So what you weren't burnt alive and instead were dropped off here?"
Viktor thought for a moment racking his brain. "We were flying for a few minutes, he's very fast by the way. I pushed him off me and fell into a forest. That forest bordered Hoff Village. It's where I've been living since then.
The crowd around them fell into a hushed silence, the tension in the air palpable. Even the guards seemed taken aback by this new revelation. Alyssa's eyes widened slightly at his words but she quickly regained her composure.
"Then why didn't you return?" Alyssa asked, her brows furrowing in confusion. "We mourned for you, Viktor. Father was devastated."
Viktor's eyes held a cold gaze. "What a load of crap, you want me to believe you people cried for me? Ever since I was two you people made my life hell. You, Karl, Grant, Hanna, Noah, and even Nickolas. Charles had the decency to at least treat me like a person." Do you remember what you all called me? Every second I was in that castle?"
Alyssa didn't truly know how to respond in a way favorable so she simply went with the truth. "Cursed child…"
Viktor nodded a small smile on his lip. "All because my mother was killed, can you believe that?" He asked looking at Torbin who recoiled at his gaze.
"No, I can't" Torbin replied, his voice barely a whisper.
The villagers looked on, their faces reflecting countless shades of disbelief, shock, and even fear. How could they have known that the damnable prince of the Grishan Empire was living among them? The cursed child, as they used to call him. The prince who was supposed to be dead.
Alyssa remained silent for a while longer, her face unreadable. But then a soft sigh escaped her lips. "You're right," she admitted, finally breaking the silence. Her voice seemed void of any emotion. "We were... cruel to you."
This admission did nothing to ease Viktor's anger. He just stared at her with his icy gaze. Alyssa sighed again, looking somewhat uncomfortable under his gaze. She turned to Eric and Torbin next. "And you two," she began, her eyes narrowing slightly, "How much do you know about all this?"
Before either of them could answer, Viktor stepped forward cutting them off . He turned to face Eric with a stern look. "It doesn't matter what they knew or didn't," he said assertively before shifting his gaze back to Alyssa. "They've been more of a family to me than you ever were."
There was an audible gasp from the crowd at his words but Viktor ignored them completely. He walked over to Eric and offered him a small smile despite everything that had happened.
"Well," Alyssa started after an awkward silence, her face as blank as a slate now. "Isn't that touching?"
Viktor's smile faded at her sarcastic tone but he remained unfazed. He simply shrugged, his cold gaze never leaving his sister's face.
"Could we possibly discuss this inside?" Torbin finally stepped in, gesturing towards the town hall. His voice was shaky but firm enough to break the tense silence. Alyssa looked at him, her gaze softening a bit. She gave a curt nod before turning back to Viktor.
"Yes, that would be preferable," she acquiesced, giving her brother one last look before following Torbin into the building. The crowd parted for them like the Red Sea, their whispers loud in the silence of the village square. They watched their prince with a newfound reverence and fear, unsure of what this revelation meant for their peaceful lives.
Viktor stood there for a moment longer, watching as Alyssa disappeared behind the heavy oaken doors of the town hall. He turned back to Eric who stood frozen in shock.
"I... I can't believe..." Eric stammered, still staring at where Alyssa had disappeared. "You're... You're..."
"A prince," Viktor cut him off gently, his voice barely above a whisper. "I am a prince."
Inside the town hall, Torbin nervously shuffled around as a couple of guards set up a temporary throne for Alyssa. The princess looked around the humble room with well-concealed distaste before sitting down.
"Now then," she began once everyone was settled in. "I think we have much to discuss."
Back outside, Viktor took Eric's hand and gave it a reassuring squeeze. "But that's not important right now," he continued, trying to ease Eric's shock. "What's important is that you remember who I am, not what I am." He turned his gaze back to the town hall. "And that I can trust you."
Eric stared at Viktor for a moment, his expression unreadable. He was quiet for what seemed like an eternity to Viktor, before he finally spoke. "You're my family, Viktor," he said, his voice firm and resolute. "You're… my family. No title will change that."
Viktor let out a sigh of relief and smiled, a genuine smile this time. He clapped Eric on the shoulder before making his way to the town hall. As he walked through the heavy doors and came face to face with Alyssa once again, he felt a sense of calm wash over him.
He was ready to face his past.
Inside the town hall, everyone fell silent as Viktor entered. The guards looked uneasy as they watched him approach the makeshift throne where Alyssa was seated.
"Sit down, Viktor," Alyssa commanded coolly.
"No need," Viktor responded with a curt smile, remaining standing. His gaze then shifted towards Torbin who seemed oddly uncomfortable under his stare.
Torbin cleared his throat and tried to stand straighter under Viktor's scrutiny. "My lord," he began, trying to keep his voice steady despite his obvious nervousness, "it seems there are many things we must address today."
"But first," interrupted Alyssa, her gaze fixed firmly on her brother. "There are certain truths we must accept." Her eyes glinted with an intensity that suggested she wasn't going to back down from this conversation.
Viktor took in a deep breath before nodding in agreement. "Alyssa, Torbin," he began, his voice steady and strong, "I was born a prince but chose to live as a commoner. I've seen more hardships in these woods and this village than any of you could possibly imagine."
He paused and glanced around the room, his gaze lingering on the guards standing at attention by the door, on the somber faces of the village elders, on Eric, who was sitting silently in a corner, his eyes fixed on Viktor. He continued with a gesture towards Eric "He took me in when I had nowhere else to go. He treated me with kindness… something that I never received growing up in that castle."
"Cursed child," Alyssa repeated softly under her breath, her eyes unfocused as she remembered their childhood. The phrase echoed around the silent room. Alyssa frowned slightly and looked at her brother again.
Viktor met her gaze squarely. After a long pause, he said, "Yes… Cursed child... That's what I was to you all. But to the neighboring village, the place I've been for so long-Hoff…" He gestured broadly around him. "There, I am just Viktor."
There were murmurs from the villagers present in the hall. Alyssa looked troubled, she studied Viktor for a long moment before speaking again.
"I wish to see this "Hoff" Village." She said.
Mayor Torbin quickly stood up. "May I remind you why you're here? It was so we could discuss things in our village." He emphasized. It would make sense, he had no need to speak about Hoff Village.
Alyssa whispered something under her breath with prompted a twisted smile from Viktor as he began to take a step back from the man.
Noticing she had ignored him Torbin spoke up once more. "Your highness their are things I nee-"
There was a sudden flash of light followed by a small shockwave that shock the building. Where Mayor Torbins head had been was now replaced with a mangled set of teeth, tissue, and a few scrapes of bone.
The townspeople hadn't even been able to tell a spell had been chanted as they looked at the now headless Mayor.
A horrified gasp echoed throughout the hall as Alyssa slowly lowered her hand, a cold smile on her face. Blood pooled around the fallen mayor's body as the nearby guards scrambled into action. Some already started reaching for their weapons, their eyes darting between their fallen comrade and the princess who stood unflinching.
The room broke into chaos. The villagers began screaming, some pushing past each other to escape the hall. The guards looked torn between protecting the villagers and confronting the princess. Alyssa simply watched it all unfold with a chilling calmness.
"You..." one of the guards choked out, pointing his sword at Alyssa. "Murderer!"
Viktor stepped in front of Alyssa, shielding his sister from the guard's accusation. "Enough!" he barked, his command silencing the room. "This is a family matter." His eyes bore into each of theirs, daring any of them to challenge him.
"But she--" another guard started, trembling with anger.
"I said enough!" Viktor repeated, this time more forcefully. He turned to face Alyssa, his expression softening slightly as he looked at his sister. She hadn't moved an inch since Torbin's execution.
Alyssa met his gaze unblinkingly. "He was starting to get on my nerves," she explained simply, as if discussing why she had chosen one dress over another instead of murder.
"And executing him was your solution?" Viktor asked incredulously. He could still smell the metallic tang of blood filling the hall. He glanced at Eric who had gone deathly pale and was staring at Torbin's lifeless body with wide eyes.
Viktor hated most of his siblings with a burning passion, with the exception of Charles. Yet on the other hand he and Alyssa found a very large common ground as they spoke the exact same language-
Merciless, Cruel, and Unprejudiced violence.
Alyssa merely shrugged, "I had to make a point. I wasn't about to let anyone question my authority nor my intentions."
Viktor sighed as he looked at the villagers surrounding them. Their faces reflected fear, shock and grief.
He was an outsider here, a cursed prince who had chosen to leave his royal life behind. It seemed that Alyssa's ruthless methods were about to drag him back into the world he had tried so hard to escape.
The room fell silent for a moment as everyone absorbed her words, the horror of the situation slowly settling in. Eric finally managed to tear his gaze away from Torbin's body and looked at Viktor with an unreadable expression.
"Viktor…" he began, his voice barely above a whisper. "What...what are you going to do?"
Viktor turned to look at him, his eyes softening ever so slightly. "The same thing I always do," he replied, meeting Eric's gaze without flinching. "I'm going to protect our home."
"But she killed him, Viktor!" someone from the crowd shouted, their voice filled with fear and confusion. Alyssa simply ignored them, her attention solely on her brother.
"Let's get one thing clear," Viktor began, his voice steady and calm as he addressed the room again. "Torbin made a fatal error by trying to challenge someone who outranked him in every possible way. Alyssa might have been... rash, but it was not without reason."
He turned to look at Eric once more. "I will not let anyone harm my family. That includes you, Alyssa."
There was another chilling silence as the words echoed throughout the hall. Finally, Alyssa smirked in response. "That's more like it," she said approvingly, her tone as cool as ever.
"What about us?" a villager dared to ask from the back of the room.
"You… I don't know, shut up." Viktor turned his gaze to the villager who had dared to speak. His piercing eyes roving over the scared faces of his people. He could see his response had not been comforting for them. They were still reeling from Alyssa's unexpected brutality.
He sighed once more squeezing the bridge of his nose. Walking outside he met the royal guards who quickly got to their knees.
"Take Alyssa to Hoff, it's about a days journey. I'll meet you all their when you've arrived."
The guard didn't know how to respond. Most of them had never even encountered the boy so they did not know if they were supposed to listen to the child who had just entered his teens or wait for further instructions.
Alyssa was now behind him, she simply shook her head and walked past Viktor, nudging the guards aside. "Do as he says," she commanded, her voice leaving no room for doubt or argument. The royal guards hesitated for just a moment longer before scrambling to obey.
With one last glance at the chaos she had created, Alyssa followed the guards out of the hall, her regal bearing never faltering. Viktor watched her leave, his mind a whirlwind of thoughts and emotions he didn't have the time or energy to sort through.
As soon as she was out of sight, Viktor turned to face the villagers once again. Their expressions ranged from fear and confusion to outright hostility.
His gaze finally landed on Eric who seemed to be still processing everything that had happened. Viktor walked over to him and put a hand on his shoulder. The action seemed to pull Eric out of his daze as he snapped his gaze to Viktor.
"You should go home," Viktor said, keeping his voice steady despite the turmoil inside him. "You don't need to be involved in this."
"But...what about you?" Eric asked hesitantly. "Alyssa..."
"I'll handle Alyssa," Viktor cut him off firmly. "Go home, Eric."
Eric didn't argue any further. Nodding slowly, he turned and walked away, leaving Viktor alone in the echoing silence of the hall.
For a moment, all Viktor could do was stand there amidst the blood and ruins of what was supposed to be a peaceful gathering of villagers in their humble hall. He could still hear Torbin's voice echoing in his ears, thanking him for saving his town.
He glanced around at the people who were looking at him expectantly, silently pleading for reassurances he wasn't sure he could give.
Taking a deep breath, he moved towards the center of the room. The chatter died down as villagers turned their attention to him.
"We are in uncharted waters," Viktor began, his voice echoing in the tense silence. "But we will not be defeated by fear." His gaze swept across the faces of his people - young and old alike.
"Torbin was a leader who cared for this village," he continued. "His death is a tragedy that we will mourn together-
"Your sister was the one that killed him!"
"Yea! And you just let her walk away like it was nothing!"
The voices of the villagers grew louder, their anger and fear coalescing into a cacophony of resentment. Viktor raised his hand, asking for silence once again.
Yet before he could speak out of nowhere a spear was thrown at him. One of the town's guards had been watching from the window and decided to take action. The spear ripped through the air towards Viktor, its sharp tip glinting ominously in the dim hall light. But Viktor was quicker. He sidestepped, the spear barely missing him as it crashed into the deteriorated wooden wall behind him.
The room dissolved into chaos as villagers screamed and started rushing towards the exits, trampling over each other in their haste to escape. The guard who had thrown the spear was already making his way down from his perch, a menacing look on his face as he unsheathed his sword.
Viktor felt a surge of anger fill him. He wouldn't allow this betrayal. Not now. Not ever.
A deafening roar thundered over the chaos, drowning out all other sounds. The man's eyes flickered to the guard who was now only a few feet away, his hand raised and ready to strike. In an explosion of splinters and flying debris, the once-sturdy town hall crumbled into pieces in the midst of a violent whirlwind of wood.
But amidst the destruction, something incredible happened. With a simple gesture, Viktor compressed the two-story building into a tiny ball of compacted wood, no larger than a child's toy. The display of power and control was both mesmerizing and terrifying.
The townspeople stood frozen, their faces contorted in a mix of fear and awe as they gazed upon this terrifying display of power. The ground beneath them seemed to tremble with the force emanating from the figure before them, who stood tall and proud, radiating an aura of command. Whispers filled the air, voices hushed in disbelief at what they were witnessing.
Nobody dared to move, afraid that any action would invite the wrath of this formidable being. It was a moment that would be seared into their minds forever, a testament to the raw might and authority held by this individual.
Viktor sighed inwardly as he spoke to himself. "You know what they say, Fritz? That you don't know what you have until it's gone?"
No one answered as the boy was practically talking to himself. However, he could not contain the giddy, childish joy building up inside him.
"I think I really miss this…"
Next Chapter:36-Storm On The Horizon