A/N: Okay, so this is my first fanfic. But I'm excited to see how this goes, and I would really appreciate feedback! Also, I'm going to say this again, there will be an eventual slash boyxboy pairing. Thanks, and here's the story!
The boy's hair was finally its natural black again. He had dyed it blond for the month before his current identity, and reddish brown for a few weeks before that.
It had been far too long since he had felt even remotely like himself. If he even knew what that meant anymore. All his life he had donned different disguises and claimed quite the collection of false names. Identities that weren't his swirled around in his head. It was a miracle he even remembered the name he had been born with or the hair color his thick mop took when left alone.
At the moment, Aleksander was truly alone. He had parted ways with his mother for the second long-lasting time three years ago. The first time they had done this, it had been because together they often drew unwanted attention to themselves. Separately, it was so much easier for each of them to blend in.
The moderately wealthy Ravkan family he was working for knew him to be Iliya, an orphaned Grisha with an unusual talent for controlling darkness. Little did they know just quite how powerful his unique ability was. And that was the way he had intended for it to remain.
But it hadn't mattered in the end. The middle-aged man drank vigorously, and his wife had a bitter temper. They had two spoiled teenage brats who preferred to pretend that Iliya did not exist rather than spare him the physical abuse their parents gave him. Aleksander had never been in such a situation. He would use the Cut to kill them all and get away, but the clever daughter had discovered that he needed his hands, and they were now kept constantly bound.
He had sought this family out with easy work and easy escape in mind. He never would've predicted that they hated Grisha so much that they would use his abilities to mock him. The torture he endured daily had been unimaginable before this.
Today had been different. The son had slapped him awake and dragged him to the room in which the family greeted guests. Aleksander had only been there several times before. The first time, he had been the guest they were greeting. A few times after that, he had been dragged there by his "masters and mistresses" to impress guests with his abilities. He showed them the tricks he had learned as little more than an infant. The simple-minded people oohed and ahhed, and he saved energy.
They could break his body all they pleased. Aleksander healed quickly, and his spirit would never be broken by ignorant fools. They had been given less than a taste of what he was capable of, but he would give them quite a show the moment he had proper use of his hands again.
"Iliya," began Boris, the man of the house, "We have two very important guests joining us today. Crown Prince Sasha and Princess Natalie of Ravka are spending the night here opon their way back to Os Alta. They have been in Shu Han for the past fortnight, and we will provide relaxing entertainment and shelter for our royalty." The man oozed self-indulgent pride.
Considering the Berdichevski family estate's location just outside of Poliznaya, it did make sense that the royal siblings would seek them out on a return journey from Ravka's southern neighbor. Aleksander couldn't help but wonder if the two were aware of "Iliya's" presence. How did they view Grisha? In recent years, the powerful individuals have been receiving more attention than usual, of both the positive and negative variety.
Boris's wife was called Inna, and she was prone to random and unnecessary violence. For example, she stormed into the room, clearly stressed, and dragged Aleksander to where she intended to sit by his bound wrists. They all knew that he hated any kind of discomfort anywhere near his arms and hands.
Maria and Stepan, the two teenage brats, snickered lightly, but otherwise they paid him no attention.
Aleksander had changed since he had been thirteen years old and betrayed. That had been one of the rare, rare times he tried to show himself to others. Even his own kind had either feared his abilities or wanted him as an amplifier for their own. Lev and Annika had been proof of that. He had sympathized with a girl trying to protect her family. In fact, he had offered to protect them for her. But she had tried to take his life in order to do the protecting herself. At least Lev hadn't tried to hide his violent intentions. After nearly dying, Aleksander had vowed to make the world a better place for Grisha. But he had learned that that was easier said than done. It would take lifetimes to accomplish such a thing. But he had lifetimes. Eventually, he stopped aging. Aleksander would look about nineteen years old until someone killed him. Or until he killed himself, but he was stronger than that.
The Berdichevskis ignored Aleksander for the rest of the day. This was good, because he received no more physical, mental, or emotional torment. Unfortunately, nor was he given food. He was simply locked in the cellar with his hands bound.
At some point, he heard the sound of several carriages approaching the estate. Loud voices and laughter soon followed. After at least half an hour had passed, Aleksander saw the familiar sight of the cellar door opening. It was time for the evening's entertainment.
Stocky Stepan, as Aleksander thought of him, was the one to fetch him. "Do not speak unless spoken to," the boy reminded him irritably. Or perhaps he was perfectly happy. It was so hard to tell with that one; he always sounded and looked as if he had just missed the best day of his life.
For a moment, Aleksander wondered if the visiting royalty would care that his once-flawless face was now bruised. Then the moment passed, and the boy wanted to laughter out loud at his own foolishness. He had learned years ago that no one truly cared about him. No one had ever even met the real him except his mother, and she was hardly an ideal example of a tender, loving parent. No, the prince and Princess wouldn't care. They would most likely laugh right along with Boris and Inna.
A/N/: And that's a wrap for today! Again I would really appreciate reviews! Thanks for reading :D