[Author's note: Yeah... You can probably guess what I am going to say... This chapter is from Uranus's perspective. Just kidding. It's from Simon's perspective. I almost got you, didn't I?]

I clutched my sword so hard my knuckles began to turn white, "You mean by helping me, you sent that predator to attack me once I lowered my guard?!"

Her eyes grew large in surprise, but she was completely speechless.

I forced myself to speak even though everything was screaming at me to slash and kill. "Do you even realize how humiliating that was?! Was that your goal all along?! Make me believe you love me, that I am safe and protected, all while having that man destroy my last shred of dignity?"

She lowered her head. Her messy hair covered her face and shielded me from seeing her expression.

I spoke in an icy tone, "I don't care who I have to manipulate, who I have to hurt, how often I have to lie. I am never- NEVER going to be taken advantage of again. Not by you, or anyone else."

With her head lowered, she began to laugh in a crazed manner. She turned to look at me with a distraught grin, "I always knew your father would send someone to kill me. Who would have guessed it would have been you!? Yes. I let him take you away from me. I let those in the army torture your mind and body. It was me. It was all me."

I felt my resolve shake. I knew it to be true, but…

Now that she is admitting it, I don't know what to feel.

I could only force out the word, "Why?"

Her eyes bore met mine, "It was because from the very beginning I knew you would become just like that despicable father of yours. A monster could only have a monster for a child! Even though you are so young, you are an exact replica of that ruthless King!!!"

I shouted in anger, "I am not like him!"

Her smile mocked me, "Oh, my darling Simon. You cannot deny it! You are exactly like your father!!"

"I AM NOTHING LIKE HIM!"

KILL HER

KILL HER

KILL HER

KILL HER

MAKE HER SUFFER!!!

I was consumed by the darkness in my heart. In a flash, my body acted on its own.

I froze and looked down when I felt the feeling of my sword striking through flesh. My mother held the sword gagging and coughing out blood. The sword had gone straight through her abdomen and pinned her to the wall behind her.

She was in unimaginable pain.

I looked at the wound of hers that slowly dripped blood onto the ground. I had always thought it would be hard to kill her. In the end, she was still my mother. However, now I see that it was too easy.

Killing really was too easy.

Even to this day, there was one thing that would haunt me.

It was the look on her face and the reflection of myself in her eyes. She wore a twisted smile that seemed to mock me. She appeared to taunt me with her facial expression, but in her bottomless eyes was endless sorrow. Even with her smile, tears began to crawl down her cheeks.

It was a truly unsettling image.

I spoke ignoring her disturbing look, "The Holy Empress has been charged with treason against the Sanki Kingdom. She conspired with the Imperial King to have a child in order to bring destruction to the Sanki Royal Family. As such, she has been sentenced to death by the Sanki King."

Her mocking laughter jeered in my ears while her tears continued to fall, "You are such a fool. The Sanki King will lose his head one day. On that day you will think you have gained everything, but truthfully you will see that you have lost the world. This is my solemn vow as a messenger of the Gods!"

I ignored her, "Where is the child?"

She cackled, "You will never find him! And I will never tell you! His TRUE father will protect him!"

A sadistic grin crossed my face causing her jeering laughter to stop. I chuckled, "I honestly don't care if you tell me or not. You will see. I will be the one who kills him. And not because who his true father is. I will kill him because I want to."

I pulled out my sword spraying blood along the walls. My mother collapsed on the ground gasping and holding her wound.

Before I left, I took one last look at my mother. The mother who had abandoned me. The mother who gave up everything for her youngest child yet handed me over to become a child solider.

I paused in the doorway, "Burn the place down. Make sure no one escapes alive."

I stood outside and watched the flames engulf the building. I felt nothing as I watched that building burn. I didn't feel exhilarated about getting my revenge, but I didn't feel sad either.

Maybe I really was the monster she thought I was.

I watched as a shadow jumped from a burning window covered by smoke to the building beside it. The small figure paused on the rooftop to look at me. His sharp golden eyes pierced through the smoke as they glared at me as if to challenge me. Then, the figure turned to leave. As I watched the small body scramble to escape by the rooftops, I felt something spark inside my chest.

Well, it is not fun to kill a defenseless child. I enjoy a challenge after all.

I smiled sinisterly, "Run along little boy. Go and get strong. Let me watch you struggle to survive and entertain me a little longer."

I forced myself to turn away from the building as it burned. The two men walked beside me. One spoke, "Your Highness, what are your orders?"

I looked ahead at the large Palace on the top of the hill overlooking the Imperial City. I answered calmly as I put my bloodied sword away, "Send a message to the King and say we have completed the first objective."

"What should we say about the child?"

"Say that the Holy Empress must have hidden him somewhere. We will find him, but for now we are moving forward with the next phase."

"Yes, your Highness."

__________

I stood in the abandoned window looking outside with a blank face. I saw someone appear in the reflection behind me. I spoke calmly, "Well?"

"The servant dosed the King with a sedative. He will be too weak to fight back."

"And the servant?"

"She has been killed as requested from your Highness. The King does not know anything."

"Good. Then we will go forward with the plan. Go get in position."

The plan was simple. The Imperial King was supposed to make a public appearance today. On the secret route he would take, a group of men would ambush them and overpower the Knights. This will force the King to run away at request of his Knights. He would be led down a series of alley's until he found himself stuck.

Then, I would appear before him.

I quickly changed into my outfit to hide my identity. I set off to go hide among the rooftops with my sword in hand. Once I was there, I was pleased to see that everything was going according to plan. The King heaved as he forced himself to keep staggering down the alleys. The medicine was working. He was so dizzy that he barely had the strength to walk.

His loyal Knights stayed back to fight the assassins. However, they were overpowered by their strength. The King soon found himself at the end of an alley with no possible escape. He turned back but found that the assassins were now blocking his path. There were far too many. Perhaps if he was not drugged, he could fight them.

As one raised their blade to strike him down, I jumped down from the roofs landing directly in front of the King. I blocked the attack effortlessly but pretended to be knocked backwards. Under my mask, I looked at the men I had been instructing with sadistic eyes.

I grinned from the feeling of superiority.

The men who had followed me frowned, "Who is this?"

"No matter! Just kill him!"

The King shouted, "Kid! Run!"

I ignored the King and charged to fight the other men. They were far too weak and their swordplay was too easy to see through. In reality, this battle was far too easy for me. However, I couldn't let the King think that.

Instead, I pretended to act like I was having a hard time fighting them. I made sure to use my hybrid version of fighting so that no one could tell my moves were from the Sanki Kingdom. As I fought the men I had brought along, I pretended to be knocked backwards.

One jumped to kill the King.

I threw my body in front of him.

The blade pierced my shoulder in a spot I had already preplanned. With one last stab, I slashed down the last remaining assassin.

I collapsed to the ground to pretend I had fell due to exhaustion. The King sauntered over and removed my mask, "K-Kid! Are you alright?!"

I looked at him with a pained expression, "Ah… You survived… I am… Glad..."

I pretended to faint.

Once I "woke up", I found myself in a lavish room. I sat up and looked around. A servant noticed me awake and exclaimed, "Ah! You are awake!"

"Where am I?" I asked groggily.

"You are at the Imperial Palace!"

I hid my excitement, "The Imperial Palace?"

It seemed that my plan had worked.

After days of recovering, someone knocked and entered the room. "Now that you are better, the King wishes to speak to you."

I raised an eyebrow, "The King?"

I was led to a lavish audience chamber where the King and Queen were seated. I bowed to them, "You Majesty's… Please forgive my humble self for interrupting."

The Queen smiled sweetly, "You were the one who saved my husband? But you are so young."

The King spoke proudly, "But you should have seen his swordsmanship! He could actually hold off against that many men!"

I spoke humbly, "Your Majesty praises me too much. I was still too weak against them."

He shook his head, "Nonsense! You were excellent. Where did you learn the sword at?"

"I am self-taught, your Majesty."

Queen Luna's eyes grew large, "Self-taught?!"

The King burst into laughter, "Self-taught he says! No wonder it was so sloppy! With proper training, you could become the best in the Imperial Kingdom."

"I thank you, your Majesty."

The King nodded, "That's why from this day forward, I wish to appoint you as my personal Knight."

I looked up in surprise, "Your personal Knight?"

Well this is going even better than I expected.

Queen Luna looked at her husband cautiously, "Are you sure that is a good idea? He is a foreigner. What if someone is plotting something?"

The King waved her off, "That's nonsense. Why would he kill the assassins who attacked me and almost die in the process?" He turned back to me, "Well? What do you say?"

I looked away humbly, "But, your Majesty… I am too weak to be considered as your personal Knight."

He broke into laughter, "Too weak? Nonsense! You are merely an unpolished blade. Of course, I will only have you at my side once you become polished. However, I can't wait forever. So you better work really hard!"

I bowed multiple times feigning excitement, "I will work very hard, Your Majesty! Thank you! Thank you so much! I will not disappoint you!"

As we conducted the Knighting ceremony, I remained respectful and gave nothing away. I bowed deeply, "I vow to never hurt the King and to protect him at all times."

That is, until the day I take his head.