by Jessica Snow
“I could not tolerate this. Cole was a subordinate trying to undermine my leadership. At this point, I began to think that Cole should be relieved of his duties and his role as a Knight of The Rose. But despite my misgivings, I was loath to act, because though I hated to admit it, Cole was a very fine knight. And so his antics continued.
“But soon I had more than I could bear of the bastard and went to the King to inform him of my decision to expel Cole from his service. But unfortunately for me, the King had heard about Cole’s valor from the townspeople. Instead of letting me send him away, he demanded that I make Cole my second in command.
“Cole was delighted. If I thought Cole’s disobedience was bad before, it got worse...far, far worse. He would try to thwart my every decision, my every order. It did not matter what it was. Soon, we grew to argue in front of our men, something that was totally unprofessional, and I began to have murderous thoughts involving my new lieutenant.
“Meanwhile, the King had suddenly fallen deathly ill. So ill that priests were called to give him his last rites and his eldest son, Kale, was told to prepare to take his father’s place as king.
“I was fraught with panic over this sudden calamity. If the king died, I would be at the mercy of Kale, who was a cruel and sadistic little monster by all accounts. I knew if he was crowned king that I would be ordered to do unspeakable things to the local populace.
“Unbeknownst to me, though, I needed not worry about Kale. There were horrors untold that awaited me, by the hand of the very king whom I so loyally served.
“Several days passed and on one beautiful afternoon, King Viktor was told by the royal physician that he would not live to see the next dawn. As one of his last wishes, Viktor called me to him. He asked that I track down one of his former mistresses that he used to dally with when the queen was still alive.
“It was an odd request. What respectful king would want a whore beside his deathbed? But I was the king’s loyal servant. I had to do as he asked, so I did. I searched every whore house in that city for the woman, asking for her whereabouts at every corner. To my chagrin, no one had seen her in years.
“But then as night fell, and as I was giving up my search and saddling up my horse to return to my king empty-handed, I was approached at by a stranger. A beautiful woman, in fact, garbed in a red satin gown and a cloak.
“‘You have been looking for me,’ she said matter-of-factly. ‘Take me to Viktor now.’ This woman had strange eyes, and the way she looked at me made me feel even stranger. I felt like I had to do whatever she said. Seeing as how I only bowed to the authority of the King, it was a very unnerving feeling.
“Regardless, I took her back to the palace.
“Before we could enter Viktor’s bed chambers, the wise men and advisors that surrounded the king immediately objected to this woman’s presence. It was unconscionable, they said, for a whore to be seen at the king’s bedside. I was completely flustered. As Captain of the King’s Guard, it was neither my place nor my authority to send these men away, but the king’s order had been implicit. He wanted to see this woman before he died.
“But to my shock, the woman looked at all the men and told them all to leave...and they did." Theon snapped his fingers, making Kat jump. "Just like that."
"What happened next?"
"She commanded me to stand guard at the door, and slay anyone who tried to enter, even if it was the king’s son himself.
“As before, I felt honor-bound to obey her commands. Then she went into his chambers and did not emerge for several hours. When she did come back out, she had an odd smirk on her face. Then she walked past me, not saying a single word, and left the castle.
“Suddenly free of the strange woman’s compulsion, I nearly broke the door rushing inside Viktor’s chambers. I did not know what I expected to find when I went inside.
“Viktor was lying deathly still in the royal bed, all the color drained from his flesh, his face gaunt and eyes sunken in. Panicked, I rushed to his side and checked his pulse. There was none. Misery filled me. At that moment, I broke down into tears. Viktor had been a great man and an even greater king, and I would miss him dearly.
“But most of all, I wept for what Viktor’s death meant for my own position. I was absolutely sure that if Kale became king, I would no longer be able to serve the royal family.
“After I had gotten ahold of myself, I began to cover Viktor’s face with the royal blankets but stopped when I notice two puncture wounds on the left side of his neck. They were odd markings to be sure, two red dots, and had not been there before I had left. I pondered over this strange occurrence for a while before I shrugged. The king was dead. What did it matter if his body had a few odd markings on them? I covered the king and left the chambers to inform his closest advisors that he was no more.
“When I arrived in the council room, all the men looked more than a little disturbed. You see, like me, they were alarmed at how a simple woman had ordered them to leave the king’s side and somehow forced them to obey.
“Before I could open my mouth to tell them that our great King had died, Viktor walked into the chambers, very sickly-looking, but very alive. It was miraculous, I tell you. Here was this man who had died, but had somehow returned to the world of the living...or so I thought at the time.
“The king’s men were amazed by this, as was the entire court. It was a divine miracle, they all said. God had sent our great king back to us because he still had a royal duty to fulfill.
“A great celebration was prepared for the king’s honor. Oddly, the king asked that the celebration be held in the dark of night, and over the next few days, I began to note some sizable changes in him.
“His emaciated appearance that he had when he had fallen ill remained. Not only that, but his skin remained white as snow. Truly, Viktor looked like a walking corpse. Another oddity was that he absolutely shunned the sunlight. He claimed that it irritated his flesh and made him sick, and he decreed that the windows of the castle be boarded up at all times.
“The members of the court were not happy about this, but the king’s word was law. They would simply have to live with it.
“But the eccentricities did not stop there. The king began ordering that young girls be brought to him in the dark of night. Usually, when a king asked for this, we all knew what it was for. But this was for a far darker purpose, and it would not be long before I found out the true horror of what had really happened when I had led that strange woman to the king’s bedchamber.
“As disturbed as I was at Viktor’s behavior, I was just glad that he was back, and I quickly found myself turning a blind eye to his bizarre behavior. Then, as the anniversary celebration for the king’s coronation neared, Viktor summoned me one dark evening and made an order that I found absolutely appalling."
"What did he ask of you?" asked Kat breathlessly.
"A king and queen, Thomas and Elizabeth, from a neighboring kingdom, and a valuable ally to Viktor, were among those expected to attend the celebration. Thomas and Elizabeth had a seventeen-year-old daughter, Violet, beautiful as the Greek goddess, Athena, or so the rumors said.
“It was on that night that Viktor revealed his desire for Violet to me. I was aghast by this, of course. Was Viktor mad? There was no way he could have her. He was old and sickly, while she was a barely blooming flower. Besides that, both Thomas and Elizabeth had their eyes on their daughter marrying Kale.
“As aghast as I was by this revelation, what the king asked me to do next nearly sent me into a tailspin."
"What did he ask?" Kat whispered. A feeling of dread filled the room.
"When Thomas and Elizabeth were leaving the city the day after the celebration, the king wanted me and a squadron of my men to attack the royal entourage and slay them all, except Violet. After that, I was to bring Violet to Viktor to be his bride."
"What a nut job!" Kat exclaimed.
Theon nodded. "Indeed, he was. I argued long and hard with Viktor over this.
I could not do something so evil. ‘This could start a war between kingdoms,’ I argued.
“But Viktor did not care. He wanted Violet, and killing Thomas and Elizabeth were the best means to that an end. I did my best, trying to convince him to abandon this insane plan, but he would not listen. In the end, he ordered me to do it at the cost of my life.
“I left the chambers angry and confused. How could my king ask me to do such a horrible thing? In all my years of service to the man, he had never shown he was anything less than a shrewd monarch, but this...this was complete and utter madness.
“I vowed to get myself out of the predicament somehow, but as the day of the celebration approached, I found myself unable to act. Eva was close to bearing our child and her words were coming back to haunt me. If I disobeyed Viktor, Eva would be left for no one to care for her or our baby.
“The day of the celebration came. King Thomas and Queen Elizabeth were among the most ardent celebrants. Little did they know what Viktor had in store for them. The day after the celebration, when that royal family was leaving our city in their carriage, surrounded by their entourage, Cole, my men, and I lay in wait just outside the city’s gates.
“Just as the carriage was nearing our hiding spot, I had a revelation. I was not going through with Viktor’s plans. Though it would cost me my life, I could not go through with such a sinister plot. I stood up and ordered my men to return to the palace with me.
“But as usual, Cole decided that he would challenge my authority. He told the men to never mind me and to carry through with the ambush. We argued violently, but the procession was fast approaching.
“Then, against my orders, Cole and a few of my men rushed to attack. The rest of my men and I watched in horror as Cole and his men made short work of the guards surrounding the royal carriage. Before they could get inside, however, I was spurred into action.
“I rushed forward and began slaying my own men in an effort to save the royal family.
“‘Kill him!’ Cole yelled at my men while he struggled to break into the coach.
“I was surrounded, cut off from Cole. Through the ring of soldiers, I saw Cole grab Elizabeth out of the carriage and slit her throat while her daughter screamed. Filled with fury at this sight, I cut a devastating path through the men blocking my way.
“Just as Cole was about to run Thomas through, I was able to drive my dagger through Cole’s armor, with great pleasure I might add. It was definitely a fatal wound.
“‘Run!’ I yelled urgently at the king. ‘Take your daughter and be gone from this place!’
“Thomas needed little prompting from me. Grabbing his still screaming daughter, he mounted one of the horses while I cut it free of its reins. Then, with one last look to his dying wife, he fled off into the forest.
“I rushed to the Queen’s side, only to find her not breathing. She was dead. I turned on Cole in rage, but he and a few of the surviving turncoat guards were gone. It was no matter, I thought at the time. The wound I had delivered to Cole was fatal, and I was sure he would trouble me no more.
“So, I returned with what remained of my men and the remains of Queen Elizabeth to the palace. The King demanded to know what happened when I entered the throne room. At first, I had every intention of telling him the truth, but as I thought about what would happen to me if I did, an idea formed in my head. Cole was most likely dead, and my men would back up my word.
“‘We failed, my King,’ I lied to him. ‘The men Thomas had at his side proved to be more than a match for us and he managed to escape into the night with princess Violet.’
“Viktor glared at me suspiciously, glancing at the cloak-covered body of Elizabeth. ‘And Cole?’
“‘Dead, Sire,’ I said. ‘Killed by King Thomas himself.’
“Everyone knew that Thomas was an elderly man, though skilled in battle. Saying that Cole, a young man in his prime, was killed by a feeble, old man, was my way of getting one last dig at my former lieutenant.
“Viktor grew very quiet, appearing deep in thought. After a long time, he ordered his servants to remove Elizabeth’s body to the catacombs beneath the castle.
“After questioning me a bit further, he banished me from his presence. I was filled with relief. Viktor had bought my story. I would live. But then I quickly grew worried about the consequences of the attack on King Thomas and his family and knew that my time by my king’s side was fast growing shorter. I needed to get out before it was too late.
“I went and had a talk with Eva, telling her what happened. Like me, she was horrified that the king could have ordered such a vile attack, and was angry that I had not told her about the king’s wishes sooner.
“‘You must submit your resignation immediately,’ Eva pleaded, her hand on her swollen stomach. By this time, she could hardly get around. Our precious child was due at any moment. ‘And we can leave from this place and start a new life.’
“I was overjoyed by this prospect and I told Eva I would do so, but when the time came to tell the king I was stepping down as his captain, I did not do it. For some reason, I feared that Viktor would discover my betrayal when I tried to leave, and order my execution on the spot." Theon clutched his right hand into a fist, his eyes flashing pain. "But not leaving turned out to be the biggest mistake of my life."
"What happened next?" Kat whispered. She knew that whatever it was, it was something very evil.
A deep sadness seemed to pour out of Theon and into the room. “The beginning of my descent into eternal darkness, something I shall forever be haunted by."
Theon raced down the hall, knocking several serving maids and page boys out of the way. The castle was under siege by King Thomas’s men, and though Theon’s first duty should have been ensuring the safety of his king, he had a far greater duty to see to. He had to get his pregnant wife safely out of the castle before it fell.
His boots pounded the stone floors as he sprinted down the halls, and he cursed his heavy chainmail armor for reducing his speed. The sounds of the fighting outside reached his ears as he raced past several windows, only spurred him along faster.
A moment later he crashed into his wife’s bed chambers, breathless from his run. "Eva!" he cried. "Eva, we must leave this place now!"
He looked around the room and paused. The room seemed completely still beside a soft breeze flowing through the open window, billowing the curtains.
This was odd given the fact that a siege was going on below. Eva should be about, fraught with worry about the safety of their unborn child.
"Eva?"
A mocking chuckle rolled through the room followed by a clucking of a tongue. "My most prized Knight, running to his bed chambers with his tail tucked between his legs when he should be defending his King’s honor."
Theon whirled around and his jaw dropped with surprise. There was King Viktor, standing by the wooden table near the wall on the far side of the room, a golden chalice in his hand, garbed in royal finery, appearing unperturbed by the battle raging below in the courtyard.
The gaunt king looked sicker than usual with hollowed out eye sockets and his snow-white skin, his lips stained blood-red. It was still hard for Theon to believe Viktor was able to walk. He looked like a walking corpse.
"My King!" Out of habit, Theon kneeled in deference quickly and then stood. "What are you doing here?"
"The better question to ask; is what are you doing here?" Viktor deflected. "You, who are supposed to be down below, seeing to the defense of this castle."
Theon nervously glanced at Eva’s bed and licked his lips. "My apologies, sire. I came to see about my wife first. She is due with child at any moment, you see. As soon as I made sure she was safe, I was going to see to the castle’s defense."
Viktor chuckled with amusement. "Lies."
Theon’s heart began to pick up speed as he shook his head. "I would never lie to you, my King—"
"Just like you lied to me about the ambush on Thomas, which is the very reason why
he is here, at my doorstep, seeking vengeance."
Theon froze. He knew. Viktor knew. He immediately cursed his men, thinking one had betrayed him. This enraged Theon, because they all had given their word to him that they would keep the truth of the ambush secret. After all, they all had agreed that attacking Thomas was madness from the beginning, and had wanted nothing to do with the crazed plot.
Viktor’s grin morphed into a scowl at Theon’s expression. "You think I didn’t know, fool boy? I knew the minute that you came back."
Theon took a step forward. "Sire, please—”
"As a Knight of The Rose, you took an oath to protect me and carry out my every command. A man, let alone a knight, is nothing without his word, and yet, you betrayed me, boy."
Theon glanced at his wife’s bed again and he felt an overwhelming fear settle over his bones. Something was wrong. There was no way Eva was sleeping through all the commotion. "Sire, we can deal with this matter later. The King’s men shall take the castle soon."
"And they’ll all be dead once they step foot inside these walls!" Viktor shouted, suddenly filled with fury. "They are all fools! Just like you!" Then Viktor calmed down just as quickly. "And they will receive their rewards."
Theon scrunched his face in confusion. Rewards? What was Viktor talking about? The old man made no sense, and not for the first time since Viktor had returned to life, Theon began to wonder if the great King had gone mad.
Viktor nodded to the curtained-off bed. "And yours awaits."
Theon’s eyes locked onto the bed. Something in Viktor’s words sent a chilling tingle along his spine.
"Go," Viktor urged. "Go and see what reward awaits you for your treachery."
As if in a trance, Theon made his way to the bed and pulled the curtain aside. A pained gasp escaped his lips and he collapsed to his knees at the sight of the gory mess before him. Eva lay there in a pool of her own blood, sightless, staring up at the ceiling, her womb torn out.
