Disclaimer: I don't own anything. Original story line by Kristin Cashore, and all the characters belong to Hidekaz Himaruya.
Kiku was barely eight years old when he killed somebody for the first time, but it was only on accident.
It was what announced his grace. Before that, Kiku had know clue what it was. It obviously wasn't sewing, or singing, or anything like that. He wasn't even a graced cook, even though he was pretty good at it.
The man he killed was some distant cousin that was visiting the court. Kiku hated him from the start. The way his gaze followed the servants' movements, both boys and girls. . . . It made his blood boil.
"What beautiful eyes you have." He said to Kiku. Kiku didn't say anything, knowing that the next thing that came out of his mouth would be something that would make his uncle, the king, very angry with him. His mouth was a pencil-thin line as glared at the man.
"Usually graced eyes can be so unattractive, but you're a lucky one, aren't you?" Kiku never thought of his eyes anything other than just a burden, because of how the graced were thought of across the seven kingdoms. But it was true that his eyes were in fact quite a sight. His right eye was chocolate brown, while his left was sparkling gold. Quite a sight indeed.
"What is your grace, little one?" He asked. "A graced painter? Mind reader? I know, you're a dancer!" Kiku scowled on the inside. Even if he did know what his grace was, he wouldn't want to share it with the likes of this cousin.
Kiku turned to walk away, but felt that his hand slid to Kiku's leg. Before Kiku could even process what happened, his fist was connected to his cousin's nose. Kiku hit so hard and so fast, that the bones in his nose was pushed up to his brain.
There was a few screams of the ladies in the court. When he was lifted from the pool of blood, he was already dead.
Everyone in the court - including the soldiers - stared at Kiku in fear. It was perfectly fine to eat the food of a graced chef, or be treated by a graced doctor. But a little boy graced in killing? No, this one wasn't safe.
Most kings would had banished Kiku, or even had him killed. Regardless of Kiku being the king's sister's son. But Kiku was merely sent to his chambers for weeks as punishment. King Xiao was a clever one. He saw potential in Kiku's grace, and knew that it could be put to use.
When Kiku was allowed out of his chambers again, everyone stayed out of his way. He didn't make conversation with anyone even before they found out how dangerous he was, but it still hurt to see fear whenever he looked someone in the eyes.
"Stay clear of the one with brown and gold eyes." They'd whisper. "He killed his own cousin, and just because he complimented his eyes!"
Prince Yao, the king's son and Kiku's cousin, was the only one who didn't feel the need to fear his dear cousin. "You didn't purposely kill him, did you Kiku?" Yao asked him, and Kiku shook his head no. "What happened, aru?"
Kiku thought back to that moment. "I ferlt I was in danger. I think I onrly hit him so he'd back away from me. . . ." Kiku slowly answered. ". . . Technicarlity it worked?"
A small smile briefly tugged at the corners of Yao's lips, but he quickly became serious again. "You need to learn to control your grace so something like this doesn't happen again." Kiku stared down at his hands. "I don't know how to controrl it. . . ."
"You should ask Elizabeta to help you, aru." Yao suggested. "Father's spies know how to hurt but not kill." Yao was eleven, three years older than Kiku, and in Kiku's young eyes, very wise. He didn't hesitate to take Yao's advice.
Kiku went to the king's captain and spymaster, Elizabeta. She was no fool, and knew to fear the young graced boy. But that didn't mean she wasn't curious. What if Kiku was just as shocked as everyone else at his cousin's death? She'd often wonder the question, becoming even more curios the more she thought about it.
So, Elizabeta started to train Kiku. He would never practice on her, but on dummies that Kiku made himself. He practiced every day, learning his own speed and force.
After a while he began to practice on the king's soldiers - ten at a time, all heavily armed while didn't even have a dagger. It was mostly just Kiku knocking them down with his hand or foot that they didn't see until they were already sprawled on the floor.
But that wasn't all, Xiao even had him kill prisoners that were already sentenced to death. Kiku hated all of it, but knew he had to control himself, and obey the king.
~Characters~
Katsa - Japan/Kiku
Raffin - China/Yao
Oll - Hungary/Elizabeta
Randa - 2p!China/Xiao
Just so you know, I had the actual book with me the whole time while I was writing this .3.