Chapter Twenty Three ▪︎

Thank you for 2 k reads. This extra chapter is my gift to you, along with completely re-editing the beginning of this book. I have already edited everything up to chapter six.

Again, thank you. I hope you actually are enjoying the book.

Flashback

e wasn't too excited for today. It was going to be another long day of labour, and his mother wasn't feeling too well. Snow was pelting down at the ground from the heavens, freezing him to the bone.

His old coat was soon soaked. He couldn't understand why the gods were punishing him and his people with this everlasting storm.

What have they done to deserve it?

The king had another lavish ball planned, making his work three times more complicated and stressfull. He walked into the palace through the servant's entrance and hung his drenched coat next to the door on a hook.

It was a bit warmer inside, but it still wasn't too pleasant. He dried his hair with an old rag he kept in the pocket of his torn pants and changed into his work clothes.

They were immaculate, as always- after all, the king couldn't have dirty peasants working in his castle.

He hated the old man. He was unfaithul to all of his former wives, and killed any bastard child that was ever born of his scandalous affairs.

He never did anything for the country, but spend it's gold and jewels on these lavish balls. The city was full of homeless children and elderly people were throw out on the street because they didn't have enough money to pay for their taxes.

"Alexander, could you bring some logs from the outside for me, please?" Ms. Amelia asked him. He always had a soft spot for her because she reminded him of his elderly mother.

"Of course, miss." He smiled at her and walked out to the gardens. The snow was shovelled but he was still very careful because there was a layer of ice over the stone steps.

He walked to the wall of logs and pulled back the green tarp keeping them dry to take out as many logs as he could.

He turned around and placed the logs in a wheelbarrow next to him. He repeated the process until no more logs could fit.

He grasped the handles and drove it to the entrance. By now the snow had stopped falling and he could go outside without getting soaked.

He knocked on the doors and they opened, revealing two guards who Alexander was very familiar with. He greeted them with a nod and they took the logs from the wheelbarrow and took them inside. He did the same, and once there were no more to carry, he returned the wheelbarrow to it's spot.

He walked inside of the castle and slipped off his large boots and put on the leather shoes.

He came inside of the kitchen and started cutting the various vegetables for the vegetable soup on the menu.

***

Seconds turned to minutes, and minutes to hours.

Alexander was zoned out, thinking about his worries and problems when someone grabbed him by his shoulder and turned him around.

He was faced with one of the king's generals. He immidiately bowed his head, following the strict protocol.

"The king has requested your presence." The general spoke. He said nothing more as the two guards behind him dragged him violently to the king's quarters.

The doors opened and they pushed him to the ground, kneeling before the king.

"What is your name, peasant?" He sneered from above him. He didn't dare look up as he answered, "My name is Alexander, your Highness."

"And what day were you born on?" He questioned.

"The second of September, your Highness."

Alexander was confused. What did the King want from him?

"Bring me the seer!" He roared angrily.

After a few moments and the king's angry mumbles, a screaming woman was dragged into the room.

"No! Get me away from him! Please, stop, don't do this, I beg of you!" She pleaded. Alexander spared her a sideways glance, curious about who she was. He saw purple eyes with tears streaming from them and long black hair surrounding her.

She was so peculiar. He had never seen a Seer in his life, but he didn't expect her to look like this.

"Silence!" The king roared.

"Is this the man?" He asked her.

Her wide eyes and facial expression seemed to be a yes to him.

"This scrawny peasant is supposed to take over my throne?" He laughed at her.

She paled. "You don't know what I do." She spoke quietly with a dazed look in her eyes.

"Your Higness, I can assure you, I have no plans of taking over your throne-" Alexander tried to reason before the Seer cut him off.

"The throne belongs to you, by blood and by power. The king is your father." She looked at him. Alexander couldn't seem to look away. Her dark aura was dragging him in, whether he liked it or not.

"He is not my son, I have no idea what you are talking about. You have gone mad, the darkness finally took over you." The king spoke to her in a dangerous voice.

"I can prove it. You were with his mother exactly nine months before he was born. You planned on marrying her but she fled the city and you never saw her again. They recently came back here because she got misteriously sick." The Seer talked as her eyes turned to a blazing gold.

"And what was her name?" The king asked.

"Evelyn DeLaCrosse." The Seer spoke as her eyes turned to their normal purple.

The king paled at the name.

"That is not my mother, her name is Ruby Dimitrov and she has never been in this city before, your Highness." Alexander reasoned. The Seer must have gone mad.

Suddenly, she lurched forward and took Alexander's hand in her left one and the king's in her right one. Her eyes blazed golden as Alexander saw memories of the king with a younger version of his mother. They were holding hands and kissing in dark places, presumably because they were trying to remain hidden.

The Seer let go of their hands and dropped down to the floor on her knees. There was blood coming out of her eyes and mouth as she collapsed and let out her final breath. The king was startled as he looked back from her to the bastard son of his in front of him.

"Kill him and take her body to a Priestess to cleanse her soul." The king spoke.

Alexander's eyes widened in fear. He couldn't die. Who would take care of his sick mother? He didn't care about losing his life, he didn't have much to look forward to, but his mother was an angel. He couldn't be selfish enough to die without even trying to help her somehow.

"Your highness, please let me live! My mother is sick and she has nobody else but me, please, I will go to the other end of the world if I must!" He begged the selfish king.

"She may have gone crazy, but the Seer was always correct. She said you would take my throne no matter what, and I am not willing to risk that. Aldrick is the only son I have, and this kingdom's next ruler. But, today I am feeling quite generous, so I am going to kill your mother as well to end her suffering. She may have lied to me and fled, but she was my first love. Now, please hurry up. I don't want to listen to his pleas any longer." The king laughed cruelly.

"No!" Alexander bellowed as the guards holding him down pushed a sword through his chest, piercing his human heart.

His last thought was a prayer to the mother goddess.

***

Three days have passed since Alexander was killed. The king's guards dragged his body out in the forest, leaving to be buried by snow or eaten by wild animals. The snowstorm was at it's peak and nobody was crazy enough to go digging a grave for the corpse of a peasant.

No animal was out at the time of day, and so, Alexander's body was covered by a blanket of snow.

The Goddess watched his poor fate. She couldn't help but feel sorry for his death. He was a selfless young man, caring for his mother till his last breath.

She didn't know how to help him, so she made sure his mother was safe in heaven before the guards disturbed her soul.

They left her corpse in the bed she died in, not bothering to move her or even close her eyes.

She had a plan for him long ago, but she knew his life was going to be full of misery and loneliness. His followers wouldn't be able to live happily with the overbearing gift of immortality.

So, she gifted them soulmates. His soulmate was many years away from being born, but she made sure there was no way for him to cut his life short. He had to wait for her, but until then, he would conquer the world and his beast would take many lives before they found peace.

Her curses were cruel and gruesome, but her gifts could be even worse.

It was up to him how he would handle it, though she knew the ending.

The author always spoiled their stories for themself.