Just Perfect
A BTL Side Story
By Chibi Hime
King Berkov heard a knock on his study door.
"Come in," he called out, not really paying attention.
An ashen guard stepped in.
Berkov looked up at the man. The soldier seemed quite terrified of something.
"Well, what is it?" the king asked, impatient with the incompetence of his underling.
"Someone to see you, sir," the guard bowed his head and exited, taking care to avoid the person standing behind him.
The king frowned. He disliked surprises of any kind, especially as of late.
He especially hated the surprise that awaited him on the other side of the door. A dark, eerie figure stepped into the room.
"Hex!" Berkov gasped.
The wizard looked up with a feigned start.
"Berkov!" he responded.
"What are you doing here unannounced?" the king asked, somewhat wary.
"Why do you look so surprised? You asked me to come have a look at him, didn't you? I've come to do that," the wizard seemed to find his fingernails more interesting than the king.
"What seems to be the trouble?" the wizard asked, sounding strangely concerned.
Berkov gulped.
"Ilsa...I..we were wondering if there was anything that could be done about his...condition. You know, now that he's older," Berkov said brokenly.
Hex raised an eyebrow.
The king caught the smirk.
"I had hoped you would have given me a little advance warning. He's got a somewhat antagonistic attitude, you know?" the king commented flatly.
"Like you?" Hex asked lightly.
Berkov shot him a slight glare.
"Go right ahead. He's upstairs, as usual,"
"You're not coming?" the wizard asked inquisitively.
"Come now Hex, I'm sure you can handle a child," Berkov chuckled.
"Yes, I'm quite sure I can,"
Kevin opened the door of his room.
He cast his mismatched gaze one way, then the other.
The coast was clear.
He took a few steps tentatively outward and a strange sound met his ears. It sounded like footsteps.
But he had stopped walking.
Those footsteps weren't his!
Kevin froze. There was someone in the hallway. There was a stranger in the hallway by his room...somewhere strangers were never supposed to go. He was supposed to be able to move around up here, to not have to worry about hiding.
Hiding...
He wasn't hiding. That stranger was looking right at him. He'd been seen.
It was too late now. No amount of diving or scrambling would hide him. Nothing could disguise him while he was out in the open like this. It wasn't fair. He'd done exactly what he was supposed to and he knew he would still get in trouble for it!
Kevin felt goose bumps spread up his legs. This wasn't right.
The air felt cold and heavy.
Something was wrong.
Kevin swallowed and tried to at least walk slowly away...but his feet wouldn't move! He tried again and found they wouldn't budge from the floor. They seemed to be mystically held there.
"What's the matter? Got somewhere better to go?"
The stranger's voice was smooth and ominous.
Kevin looked at the visitor.
The man looked him up and down before walking up to the prince as if he were anyone else. It was the most surreal experience of Kevin's young life.
"Hello, Prince Kevin," the stranger said, his voice deep and reverberating.
Kevin felt his mouth go dry.
"H-how do you know my name?" the strange child stammered.
The dark stranger placed his icy hands on the boy's shoulders.
The chill spread through the prince's body and Kevin found he was unable to move, as if this man held a strange hold over him that he did not understand. He felt it reach down under his skin and clench at the core of his being. He hated it. He wasn't in control of the situation and he hated it! Kevin didn't hide the shudder that passed through him.
"Oh, my dear boy, where I'm from, everyone knows who you are. You're famous. We all love you," his deep voice seemed to vibrate Kevin's bones.
The prince felt sick at the man's touch. Everything was wrong with it.
"You're very important, don't you see?"
His breathe stolen by the stranger's contact, Kevin could only shake his head.
"Let's have a look at you,"
Kevin felt his heart hammer against his chest.
No...
One of those terrible icy hands brushed the prince's hair out of his face and held it back. Kevin felt terribly exposed and humiliated. He tentatively looked up at the man's features. His eyes were dark, yet brilliant. They seemed to glimmer amidst the black decorative markings of his smiling face. Smiling? Why was he smiling? Kevin looked down at the floor and shut his eyes. He could still feel the open air on his face and despite having his eyes closed, could "see" that terrible smile leering at him.
Kevin suddenly wanted to cry. Who was this man and why was he here? What was he doing? Why wouldn't he go away?
Kevin sniffled.
"Let me go. Leave me alone," he mumbled, trying to pull away, his feet still seemingly glued to the floor.
One of those terrible hands touched his chin, turning it upwards. Kevin looked up into those terrible eyes again.
"Oh, I'm sorry," the man's deep voice purred.
The man's other hand cupped Kevin's cheek.
"You poor little thing. You don't realize what you are, do you?" he asked.
Kevin swallowed. No, he didn't. He didn't know. No one ever told him anything. He hated all of them! He hated all of them for keeping him in the dark...for leaving him here alone with this terrible person.
"It is a secret. A secret only I know," the man patted Kevin's head affectionately.
The stranger leaned over and whispered sharply in his ear.
"You are just perfect,"