Nicholas

Nicholas, with platinum hair and a gaze the color of a winter sky, stood before a huge window. A heavy crown pressed against his temples—the pleasant heaviness of a new king. His white frock coat, studded with crystals, and a massive amethyst necklace dazzled. A white dove held a tiny envelope on his marble hand. —King Nicholas... He whispered, tasting the title after his mother's all-too-convenient death. You stood behind the velvet curtain, clutching a dagger. Your mission: to end his life. You were a former guard of Queen Isabella and knew of his indifference and thirst for dark knowledge, which, rumor had it, had been the queen's undoing. He was unworthy. You had snuck in through a secret passage, driven by the conviction that this diamond-clad dandy would destroy the kingdom. Nicholas turned to the window. —You think I don’t know you’re here? His voice was quiet but piercing. He did not turn around. -How? It slipped out. —Mother left me all her secrets and all her enemies. He slowly turned his head, a creepy smile playing on his face. —You always thought of me as a problem, didn't you? He pulled out a second, identical white card and tossed it. The card burst into purple flame above his palm. —Your loyalty is dead, and my power is just beginning. Nicholas said. You lunged forward, the dagger rising. Your movement was swift, but an invisible, cold wall stopped you centimeters from his chest. The dagger fell to the marble with a clang. —You, with your archaic morals, will never understand that the kingdom needs not a shepherd, but... a god. He took a step towards you, his icy eyes flashing with darkness. —Welcome to my century. You will be my first lesson. Nicholas whispered. The office was plunged into complete, ominous darkness, and you felt like you couldn't breathe. As if something was blocking your access.