Nicholas
Three hours passed.
She must be asleep by now. I decided to go back to our chambers.
I felt like a coward after walking out on her when I knew she needed me the most.
I am indeed a coward, just like my mother said once.
Thinking about that vile woman boiled my blood again.
But how could I face my princess after I saw the sadness and fear in her eyes?
The sadness which I had caused by almost killing her father.
I slowly opened the door and walked inside. The room was dimly lit and as I had expected she was asleep.
How was it possible that she looked more beautiful every passing day?
She was perfect unlike me and I could have lost her today.
I could have failed her just like I had failed my brother all those years ago.
I failed to protect him!
Thinking about my little brother brought back those bittersweet memories which I had tried my best to forget.
No matter how hard I try to push my past away it all comes back to me in moments like these.
"Nicholas! You are back" I heard her sweet voice.
I didn't turn towards her but I could hear her getting off the bed and walking towards me.
"Nicholas, talk to me"
She tugged on my arm, pulling me towards our bed. She made me sit and kneeled in front of me.
When our eyes met, she gasped. "Your eyes are....bloodshot"
She moved closer to me and sniffed. "Have you been drinking?"
She cared for me!
I just stared at her, admiring her breathtaking beauty.
"What's wrong? Please talk to me" she begged as she took a seat next to me.
"Princess, it's nothing.... You must go to sleep"
"No Nicholas! You cannot shut me out again.... not today. I want to know what is bothering you" she stated stubbornly.
"Is it.... your past?" she questioned hesitantly.
I sighed and gazed at her gorgeous face.
She has a right to know.
She might hate me or look at me differently after I tell her but I cannot hide the truth from her anymore.
I rested my head on her lap and stretched my legs out. She ran her fingers through my hair, providing me comfort with her soothing actions.
It really amazed how her simple gestures managed to calm me down within seconds.
In her embrace and soothing touch, I am helpless and weak.
And yet I do not mind it.
I'd rather be weak than never be in her arms again.
"Yes it is about my past, princess and I am ready to tell you all about it"
******
25 years ago
Two-year-old Nicholas was playing with his toy horses and soldiers.
He handed the toy soldiers, their tiny swords and commanded them to use their swords only to kill the bandits and evil Kings.
Just then, somebody barged in.
It was a maid. "Young Prince, your mother just had a baby boy. The Queen and the King are expecting you"
She curtsied and left.
His mother had told him he would soon have a brother or a sister and little Nicholas was happy.
He would now have someone to play with him.
He did not have any friends as his father would not allow him to have any.
His father, King Silas Balinos ruled the lands of Arcane with cruelty and terror. People feared him and never dared to question him.
The neighbouring Kingdoms readily became his allies and one such Kingdom was Elysian.
Nicholas knocked on the door hesitantly.
He was not close with his parents. They never spent any time with him unlike the other parents he had seen across the kingdom, who loved their children more than anything else.
His mother, Queen Helena Balinos was the daughter of a nobleman. She was deeply and madly in love with his father ever since she met him.
Nicholas often wondered if his mother and father loved him at all.
"Come in" he heard the deep gruff voice of his father.
He took small steps as he walked inside.
His mother was half asleep and his father was sitting across the bed in an arm chair. His father's gaze was fixated on a tiny figure lying next to his mother.
Nicholas peered at the figure and saw it was a baby. He was peacefully sleeping without any worry in the world.
"You both are my heirs but only one of you will be the King" his father said grimly and walked out of the room without another word.
Nicholas moved closer to the bed and stared at the baby.
His hair was blonde and unlike him and his father, the baby had inherited the features of his mother.
The baby slowly opened his eyes and something inside him stirred, a feeling of love and affection surged through his veins.
My little brother, he thought.
He vowed then and there itself that he would protect him, love him and give him all of his toys to make him happy.
He would happily give away the throne to his little brother rather than fight him.
"Your father has named him Theo. I hope you both will not be a disappointment to your father when you grow up" his mother said, interrupting his thoughts.
"No, mother. We will make father proud"
Nicholas and Theo were inseparable since that day. They were with each other in every waking moment.
Theo turned out to be soft spoken, caring and kind while Nicholas turned out to be arrogant, mischievous and short tempered.
They were the complete opposites, yet their bond grew only stronger over time.
When Nicholas turned five, things changed for worse.
The young princes were playing in the garden, when a guard informed them that the King had ordered for Nicholas.
"It's awlight brother, we will play later"
Nicholas laughed at how Theo misspelled words.
"I will be back soon Theo" saying that Nicholas ran inside the castle.
But nobody knew that Nicholas' life would be changed forever that day.
"You will begin your learning from tomorrow. Lord Harvey will be your teacher and General Atticus, your trainer"
His father's words shook him.
Nicholas had not expected this at all.
"And one last thing Nicholas, you are not allowed to see your brother henceforth. I believe he is turning you soft"
This came as a thunderclap to Nicholas. His heart broke into a million pieces as his father's words repeated in his mind.
Tears streamed down his face as he struggled to wipe them. Then he felt a stinging pain on his cheeks.
His father had slapped him hard, across his face.
"Do not cry like a girl, you imbecile. If I see you crying again, I will throw you in the dungeon full of snakes"
King Silas knew Nicholas feared snakes.
"I am s-sorry, father. I will not cry again"
His training started the very next day. Theo wondered why Nicholas had not come back yet.
As for Nicholas, he was not allowed to go back to the chambers which he and his brother shared.
He now resided in the Warrior's Quarters.
General Atticus was a nightmare for little Nicholas.
He made Nicholas run fifty laps around the huge field, without stopping and if Nicholas stopped, the General lashed his back with a dreadful whip.
Nicholas stumbled on the ground and cried out in pain.
"Get up, you lazy brat. You are good for nothing" he used to say.
By the time he completed the rounds, he was utterly exhausted and drained.
The General then showed him a few moves of combat.
Nicholas wanted to make his father proud, so he tried hard. He tried his best to learn whatever the General was teaching him.
When it came to weapons, Nicholas struggled to hold the heavy sword, let alone swing it.
For every mistake or weakness he showed the general beat him with the whip.
After his training, he had to go meet his father.
The General and Lord Harvey would report his progress to the King.
And that was the worst part for Nicholas.
He had never expected that his father would beat him. All these years his father used to just ignore him and he was fine with it.
That day, King Silas showed no mercy on poor Nicholas.
"Who is your father?"
"WHO IS YOUR FATHER, YOU MORON?" he raged,
"Y-You, the all-powerful King Silas, are my father" Nicholas replied in fear.
"And this is how my son is supposed to be? Frail and feeble?" he sneered at little Nicholas,
"I am sorry, father" Nicholas replied, trying hard not to cry.
His father's fist collided with his face and he fell down on the ground from the impact.
"You are worthless. Get up, you bastard" his father pulled him up on his feet and threw punches on his stomach hard.
"Arghh....stop"
One, two, three......sixteen and then Nicholas lost the count.
He collapsed on the ground crying in pain as there was only so much a five-year-old could take but that didn't stop King Silas.
He kicked the little boy's already wounded stomach until he spewed out blood.
Nicholas groaned in intense pain,
"Please father.... I promise to do well.... Please stop..."
But his pleadings had no effect on his father who lifted him up by strangling his neck.
"You are a disgrace" his father spat on his face.
Nicholas struggled to breathe and his face turned red. King Silas dropped his injured body on the ground and walked out of the room without looking back even once.
He couldn't move or speak. Every inch of his body pained intensely.
Nicholas had no idea why he was being treated like this.
******
She looked at me sadly, with her big doe like eyes.
I sat up almost immediately. "Stop giving me that sorry look, princess" I snapped angrily at her.
I hated pity! I got it all my life and I didn't need it again, especially not from her.
"Nicholas...." she started but I cut her off,
"I DO NOT NEED YOUR PITY! DO YOU UNDERSTAND" I growled at her, grabbing her shoulders roughly.
"Nicholas, stop... you...you are hurting me" she whimpered as I unknowingly dug my fingers into her soft skin.
Soon, I realised what I was doing and quickly backed away from her.
"FUCK!" I cursed loudly.
"I am sorry, love....I didn't mean to hurt you"
"I am not pitying you, Nicholas. I am sorry that I always assumed the worst of you, I am sorry that I could never understand why you are the way you are and I am sorry that I wasn't there for you when you needed me the most" she said with teary eyes.
Bloody hell!
"Princess, you are not the reason for my sufferings" I stated.
"But haven't I caused you pain knowingly? Didn't I hurt you with my words?" she questioned, accusing herself of the crimes she had never done.
How do I tell her that her mere presence erases all my sufferings? THAT I LOVE HER WITH EVERY FIBER OF MY BEING?
Yes, I am in love with her ever since I laid my eyes on her but I did not deserve her. I brought her here with force and she's far too good and perfect for someone broken like me.
"You have never hurt me, love and if I hear you saying something like that again, it won't be good for you" I warned her.
How could she possibly hurt me?
She is the happiness and light in my dark world. She brought out the pieces of my soul which I thought I had lost forever.
She made me capable of kindness and mercy.
She made me capable of love.
******
The next morning, Nicholas woke up with excruciating pain.
Just then someone barged inside,
"General Atticus is expecting you, Prince" the guard said and left.
And it was just another day which he did not look forward to.
Months passed and things grew terrible for Nicholas. He had grown to despise everyone around him. He hated General Atticus and most of all he hated his father.
After his training in the morning, he never looked forward for the evening lessons, even if he was interested in gaining knowledge.
King Silas showed no mercy as usual after his teachers reported to him. His beatings had grown worse than ever.
The room would fill with loud cries of pain and anguish. By the end of the ordeal Nicholas' fragile little body would be lying on the ground, almost lifeless and covered in bruises and wounds, long blood red marks.
Every single day when he woke him, only one question lingered in his mind.
How could it be possible that I am still alive?
One day, he secretly visited his mother, hoping that she would feel sorry for him after seeing his injuries and bruises and help him.
But all she did was let down his hopes of being saved.
"Nicholas, you should be focusing more on making your father proud. You are a coward who wants to escape your duties which your father has given you" she said and continued,
"Now, what do you think about this gown? Will your father like it?" she asked him, holding a fancy looking dress against her.
After his mother dismissed him, he went up to his chambers broken and disheartened.
Theo missed his brother. He became lonelier than ever.
He then decided that he would pay a visit to his brother, no matter what the consequences were later.
Nicholas was sitting on the bed of his tiny room in the Warrior's Quarters when someone sneaked inside.
"Brother!" Theo exclaimed in joy after seeing Nicholas,
But Nicholas grew worried.
"Theo? What are you doing here?"
"I came to see you. I missed you a lot" Theo replied and hugged him.
Nicholas smiled for the first time in a very long time.
"I missed you too, Theo but you should not be here. Father won't be happy about this" Nicholas said with fear in his voice.
Theo raised his tiny hand and placed it on his brother's cheek
Nicholas winced in pain.
"You are hurt. Who did this to you, brother?" Theo demanded angrily,
"I did" a voice said from behind.
Nicholas froze.
His father was standing by the door and he stared at them murderously.
"Your brother will be punished for this" King Silas said to Nicholas.
"Father, it was my fault. I brought him, here. Punish me" Nicholas said without any fear.
He was ready to put himself in hell rather than risk his little brother's life.
******
She looked scared.
"What happened next, Nicholas?"
I stood up and hastily unbuttoned my shirt, exposing my chest and she lowered her eyes at my actions.
Even during this moment I couldn't help but think how adorable she looked when she was shy.
"You asked me about this scar, didn't you?"
She frowned as her eyes ran over the long scar on my chest.
"I will tell you how I got that" I said gritting my teeth.
******
Nicholas was dragged to the throne room by his leg.
That was the day King Silas had arranged a meeting with the Kings of the neighbouring Kingdoms.
They witnessed King Silas dragging the little boy without any remorse.
"This is Prince Nicholas, my imbecile, pathetic and good for nothing son. Let me tell you this gentleman, I do not tolerate a weak person, even if it is my own son"
Saying that, King Silas slashed his sword, making a deep cut across Nicholas' chest which would permanently leave a scar.
Nicholas screamed in agony as blood gushed out of his wound.
Some of the Kings looked at him in pity while some Kings seemed least bothered.
"Is there anyone who would like to help this weakling?" King Silas questioned everyone present in the room.
None of the Kings spoke up against this cruel act of child abuse.
Nicholas, even when in pain, looked at the faces who didn't help him and vowed to never forget those faces.
"Throw him in the dungeons" King Silas ordered the guards who carried the bleeding body of their Prince out of the room.
******
She hugged me tightly and cried. Those tears were hers, but the sorrow in it was mine.
She was crying for me.
"Shh, love. Look at me"
I met her enticing emerald eyes "See, I am alright"
She ran her fingers along my scar and I relished the feeling of her soft touch on my skin.
"Does it hurt?" she questioned sobbing,
"No, it doesn't hurt anymore, love" I replied and lifted her chin."Because, I have you now"
"No sorrow or suffering in the world can hurt me as long as I have you" I stated,
"And whoever tries to hurt you, I am going to make them wish they were never born" I vowed.
******
The dungeons were cold and dark and the cell he was thrown into was full of snakes.
Nicholas was trying his best to stop the bleeding and he had not seen the snakes crawling towards him in the darkness.
It was when he heard the hissing sounds, he knew.
Suddenly he felt a burning sensation on his leg. The Snake must have bit him.
He knew the venom would soon spread across his body and he would die.
Before any other snake could bite him, he arranged the haystack around him and grabbed the dimly lit lamp and broke it. The fire soon spread around him and the snakes cowered back in fear.
Soon, the exhaustion kicked and he fell asleep on the ground awaiting his death.
He woke up the next day in his tiny room.
He sighed and got up. He was used to the pain by now. His deep wound was stitched up and the area where the snake had bit him was treated.
His father had not let him die in the dungeon.
Why?
It was not because he loved his son, it was because he was not done with him yet.
To be continued!
Nicholas had a dark past.
Well writing it out was hard for me, I was in a shitty mood for two whole days.
Please do vote and comment.
I love you guys❤️
(Not edited)