Yuuri shielded his face as a blinding white light exploded all around him, and squeezed his eyes shut to keep out the intense glare. When he sensed that the brightness had finally dimmed, he lowered his arms and looked around, finding himself surrounded by empty white space. He looked around cautiously, expanding his senses in an effort to pick up any clues as to where he was. Although the situation felt eerily similar to his dream encounter with Kami Sama, he did not sense any omnipotent aura. He began walking around aimlessly, hoping for something…anything…that would reveal his location to him. Suddenly, he felt a tingling sensation tugging at the corners of his awareness. His brow furrowed as the sensation grew stronger and more familiar. He focused all his efforts on the feeling, eyes widening in recognition as one word…a name…came to mind; Viktor.

Immediately, the setting changed. The whiteness faded away and was replaced by a scene of pure splendor and opulence. He was in a royal room of sorts, the décor and architecture clearly indicative of a castle in Occidentis. He looked around in awe, drinking in as many details as he could. He was very intrigued by the stark differences between the royal styles of east and west. In Orientalis, nature was the predominant theme in royal castles. Cherry blossoms, wisteria, and chrysanthemum were the most commonly used plants, and the focus was on harmony between the elements. In Occidentis, it seemed to be all about precious metals and gems. It was a blatant display of wealth and power, meant to awe and intimidate. Although Yuuri could appreciate that everyone had their own unique style, the Occidentis designs were simply too outlandish for his liking.

His ears picked up on the sound of a door being unlocked and he turned his head in the direction of the source. Two heavy wooden doors were pushed open, and a pair of armored guards stepped through into the room first. They quickly scanned the room before returning to the door and standing guard at either side. A woman stepped past the guards and into the room, and Yuuri's jaw nearly dropped to the ground when he caught sight of her. In had walked the most ethereally beautiful and stunning woman he'd ever seen outside of Orientalis. His mind was telling him that she was a mere mortal woman, but his eyes could have sworn that they were looking upon a goddess. She had pale skin and long silver hair that almost reached the ground. It was worn loose around her shoulders with only a crown and sprigs of Japanese wisteria adorning it. Yuuri paused for a second, unsure as to how he knew without a shadow of a doubt that the flowers in her hair were Japanese wisteria, given that the woman was still too far away for him to have known for certain.

The rustling of robes drew his attention back to the woman, and he resumed his admiration. She wore garments that were clearly of high quality, their splendor adding to, but not overshadowing her natural beauty. She wore a long floor-length garment with long sleeves and a high collar. Yuuri racked his brain as he tried to remember what kimonos in Occidentis were called. Dress? Yes, that's what they're called. He recalled hearing about dresses and gowns from Minako after one of her many undercover missions. The Queen's dress was elegant and beautifully fitted to her frame. It was mostly a black color, with a panel of a different colored material down the front, on the high collar and sleeves. The material was a deep purple color, and matched the same shade of the wisteria flowers in her hair. It was a rather simple gown, looking slightly at odds with the excess and lavishness of the surroundings. The woman walked until she reached a trio of ornately decorated chairs, which Yuuri presumed were thrones. Upon reaching them, the woman sat herself down on the middle one.

Yuuri carefully approached the throne, eager to take a closer look at the regal monarch. He was quite sure by now that this was just some kind of vision he was experiencing since the woman did not react at all to his presence. As he neared the fair lady, he was able to look more closely upon her features. He was finally near enough to glimpse into her eyes, and as he did so, he instantly recognized the familiar sapphire orbs. They were a slightly different hue, darker and richer, but still absolutely unmistakable. He put everything together: silver hair the color of luminous moonlight…eyes like the deepest depths of the sea…he knew then that he had to be looking into the face of Viktor's mother. His hunch was verified a few minutes later when the doors opened once more and the guards announced the arrival of the royal Prince. Yuuri watched, transfixed, as a younger version of Viktor walked stoically into the room.

Boy Viktor was wearing sleeping garments, and his long silver hair swayed hypnotically as he took measured steps toward the queen. From the moment he'd first laid eyes on Viktor, he'd been entranced by the man's handsome and exotic features, but seeing him now with long hair caused him to be struck even more by his beauty. The boy stopped to look over his shoulder at the guards still waiting at the door.

'I'd like to speak to my mother alone, please. You are dismissed.'

Yuuri's eyes widened in shock, startled when he realized that he had actually understood every single word Boy Viktor had spoken. The guards looked over to the queen, and she dipped her head in acquiescence. The two men bowed deeply toward the two royals and then backed out of the room, closing the doors once they'd crossed the threshold. The moment the door was closed, Viktor's entire demeanor changed. He relaxed his stiff posture and a huge heart-shaped smile lit up his entire face a split second before he launched into a run. The queen's smile matched her son's as she opened her arms wide, ready to receive him. Boy Viktor catapulted himself into his mother's waiting arms, nuzzling her neck affectionately as he crawled into her lap and made himself more comfortable.

'Mama, I've missed you!'

The queen looked down lovingly at her son, petting his hair as he snuggled in closer to her body.

'I've missed you too, Vitya.'

Boy Viktor pouted prettily as he stared up into his mother's face.

'I wish you didn't have to waste all day meeting with all those smelly and boring old people. I wish that you could get away and come spend some of that time with me.'

The queen sighed dramatically before looking around the room conspiratorially and leaning in close to her son's face.

'Can I tell you a secret?'

Boy Viktor nodded eagerly, making a gesture akin to sewing one's lips shut.

'I wish that I didn't have to waste my whole day meeting with smelly and boring old people either.'

The young boy burst into raucous laughter, hands flying to his stomach as he nearly doubled over with mirth.

'M-m-mama! Shhh! If father finds out, he'll have a fit!'

'Well, that's why I said it was a secret, silly boy!'

The woman winked cheekily at her son, her lips forming into a heart-shaped smile as she did so. Yuuri watched the exchange in awe, his eyes darting back and forth between mother and son. Children often turned out to be a mix of their parents' features, commonly taking slightly more after one parent than the other. But Viktor looked so much like a near carbon-copy of his mother, that it was uncanny. The two then fell into comfortable conversation, the Queen showing keen interest in how her son was progressing in his studies and training. Soon, Boy Viktor's eyes began to droop and he started yawning frequently. His mother gently nudged him off her lap and then got up from the throne.

'Come zhizn' moya, it's time for bed. We have a big day tomorrow and you need your rest.'

The young boy nodded sleepily as he stifled another yawn, reaching out for his mother's hand as they walked toward the doors. The Queen extended her right hand and made three rapid successive knocks on the door. Both doors immediately swung open and they were greeted by the same two guards.

'Thank you both for your loyal service. I shall be escorting my son to his chambers now. If the King comes looking for me, please let him know that is where I will be.'

The two guards stomped their right foot on the ground twice before bowing to the Queen and acknowledging her request.

'Yes, your majesty!'

The queen and her son walked down various hallways, with Yuuri following closely behind and drinking in as many details as possible. Any staff members that saw the pair coming their way immediately stopped what they were doing, and smiled as they bowed first toward the Queen and then to the Crown Prince. The pair eventually stopped in front of an oak wood door decorated with a golden crown flanked by two steely dragons. Underneath was the word 'Виктор' and Yuuri instantly knew it to be Viktor's name. Although Anglicus was the common language spoken by all the unified kingdoms of Occidentis, each kingdom still had their own native language. Yuuri had never been schooled in this language, and he'd only heard it for the first time at the start of the vision. He examined the characters with interest, fascinated by how they resembled certain letters of the Anglicus alphabet, but did not make the same sounds. He would have to look into this fascinating language a little more when there wasn't an impending apocalypse waiting for him in the real world.

The Queen turned the knob and pushed the door open, ushering Viktor into the room. Viktor's eyes were practically little slits by now and he was only still standing because his mother kept him moving around. She pulled back the blankets on her son's bed and nudged him gently until he crawled in. She tucked him in and placed a kiss on his forehead before turning to leave the room. A small hand gripped her arm and she paused to look down, seeing that Viktor was still awake.

'What is it, Viktor?'

'Sing me a song, mama. Please?'

The Queen lifted a hand to stroke her son's cheek, deftly combing some stray hairs away from his eyes with her fingers.

'Zhizn' moya, aren't you a little too old for lullabies?'

'I don't care about lullabies, mama. I just want to hear you sing. You have such a beautiful voice. It…soothes me.'

The Queen sighed, knowing that she simply could not deny her son such a simple request.

'Well, I suppose I could sing a little something for you. But only one song, that's all you get, and then it's off to sleep with you. Agreed?'

Boy Viktor nodded enthusiastically, burrowing deeper under the blankets and making himself more comfortable. He brought the blankets up until they covered half of his face, his eyes wide with excitement and his whole body trembling with anticipation. The Queen took a deep breath and began to sing, her angelic voice filling the room like a flock of nightingales. Yuuri was instantly captivated by her beautiful voice, and especially thankful that he could clearly understand her words. She sang about the moon and fairy tales, and of rivers flowing in the mountains. The lyrics praised the strength and prowess of the King, extolling him as strong and battle-hardened. Then came a verse about the day Viktor would take over his father's mantle, mount his own horse and take up the sword. Her voice grew soft and took on a hint of sadness as she sang about the sorrow, fear, and worries that were sure to come when this day arrived.

Boy Viktor had started drifting off to sleep around the second or third verse, so Yuuri surmised that he was being lulled by the melody and not really aware of the meaningful words or his mother's distress. The song carried on, the Queen crooning about how she knew her son would become a hero, but that she would watch him go with sadness in her heart and worry about him being in strange and faraway lands. The last few lines of the last verse were her pleas to not be forgotten. Yuuri was moved to tears. He had been kept from his mother for most of his childhood and hadn't been able to form any meaningful connections with her. Seeing such raw love and concern for her son pouring out from the woman before him touched something deep inside him. Viktor and his mother shared a true bond, and he was simultaneously happy and incredibly envious all at once.

The scene shifted and he found himself outside in the middle of what appeared to be a royal caravan of sorts. Chaos erupted all around him and as he looked around, he saw a contingent of royal rear guards taking on a swarm of demons. A man, his armor clearly that of a general's, left the maelstrom and raced to the ornate carriage at the front of the caravan. He dismounted his horse and opened the door to the carriage giving Yuuri a glimpse into its occupants. Inside the carriage were the King, Queen and a now-teenaged Viktor. The general asked them to come out, stating that they had been ambushed by demons and was there to ensure their safe return to the castle. There were three other guards with horses, and each member of the royal family was to mount one of those horses in order to be taken back to safety.

The King stepped out first, and then assisted the Queen with her disembarkation. Viktor was left to exit on his own, but stayed close to his mother, the confusion and worry clear on his face. The three Royal guards approached the three monarchs, presumably to brief them each on what was going to happen next. Yuuri felt a roiling wave of malice wash over him and he was immediately drawn to the red-haired guard on the far left. His eyes immediately narrowed, glowing gold as they peered into the man's heart. His power activated and he realized with dismay that the man had been corrupted. His heart was black with malevolence and encased in a demonic glow. This man is dangerous, he should not be so close to the Royal family!

The General had assigned the red-haired guard to the Queen, but he strode purposefully toward Viktor instead. Yuuri shouted out a warning, desperate to catch someone's attention. It was all in vain however, he was simply an observer there, and powerless to stop anything that was about to play out. He watched in horror as the guard drew his sword and aimed it at Viktor's heart. Everything happened in slow motion, as if the flow of time had nearly come to a halt. Viktor reached for his sword, but Yuuri knew that he would not be able to draw it in time. And then, Viktor was being forcibly pulled backward, and a body stepped protectively in front of him. Yuuri watched in horror as the Queen placed herself in between Viktor and the traitor, taking the blade that was meant for her son. The traitorous guard's eyes widened in shock when he realized what had happened, and tried to reach for a dagger at his hip. He was too slow however, for the other two guards were already on top of him and tackling him to the ground.

The Queen's body trembled, and she fell backward, sword still lodged in her chest. Viktor reached out to catch her, but her weight and momentum were too much for him and they both tumbled to the ground. Viktor's anguished cry cut through the thrum of turmoil, shouts and scuffling.

'Mama!'

The King was then there down on the ground with him, taking his wife's hands into his own.

'Katya my love, dorogaya, hold on! We'll get you to the healer, we can…'

The Queen was clearly in a lot of pain, but was valiantly trying to keep her composure and remain as calm as she could. Her lips formed a sad smile and she shook her head weakly. When she spoke, her voice was low and breathy, the strain a direct result of struggling to breathe with a sword lodged in her chest.

'We both…know there is…no hope…for me, lyubimyy. I'm sorry.'

Tears streamed down the King's face as he bowed his head and brought his wife's hands to his lips for a kiss and held them there. Viktor's shaking hands cradled his mother's face in his lap, his own tear-streaked face twisted in agony.

'Mama, no…don't leave us! Stay…I need you! Please'!

The Queen's eyes softened as she tilted her head back to try and look at Viktor's face.

'You will…make…a great…King…one day. The greatest. Make…me…proud, Vitya.'

Viktor bent over, touching his forehead down to his mother's. Father and son wept quietly, offering their solemn support to the woman that meant so much to them. The King carried on raining down kisses onto the woman's hands, while Viktor gently stroked her cheeks with his thumbs. The Queen was surrounded by her two loves, and although death was coming for her, a warm smile played upon her lips. Her breathing slowed and grew shallower until finally, her body gave one last shudder and she exhaled her final breath. Yuuri covered his mouth with both hands, devastated by what he'd just witnessed. He could have never guessed that Viktor had experienced such heartbreaking tragedy at such a young age. He wished that he could reach out and take the young Viktor into his arms and console him, hating that he was powerless to do so.

The King lowered his departed wife's hands to her body, placing them on top of each other on her abdomen. He tapped Viktor on the shoulder and the young man looked up, eyes red and swollen from crying. The King stood up and motioned for Viktor to do the same. The man brushed the dirt from his clothes and straightened them up before looking toward the General.

'Altin.'

The general was immediately by the King's side, his own eyes red from an outpouring of grief. Yuuri realized that the name was familiar, and when he looked closely upon the man's face, he knew instantly that he was General Otabek Altin's father.

'Yes, your majesty.'

'I'm sorry friend, but I am going to require the use of your cape. '

The General nodded, immediately unclipping it from his shoulders and handing it over to his King. The monarch walked back over to the Queen's corpse, and recited a short prayer before gently pulling the sword out of her chest. He gave the sword to the General and asked him to hold onto it for a bit. Then, with Viktor's help, he was able to wrap his beloved's body up in the General's cape. He placed a kiss on her forehead before bringing the cape up to cover her face. He then picked her up and walked over to the carriage, lovingly placing her onto the velvet-lined seat. When he turned back around, the tender softness was gone from his face, fully replaced by menacing darkness. He took the sword from the General and strode over to the traitor, stopping in front of him to stare down at his face in contempt.

Yuuri did not pay attention to what was happening between the King and the traitorous wretch, choosing instead to focus on the Crown Prince. Young Viktor looked absolutely shell-shocked, his eyes glassy and full of pain. He stood there, looking back and forth between his father and the carriage, clearly at war with himself. Yuuri's heart went out to the young man, no one should ever have to watch a loved one die.

A scream of sheer terror was heard and Yuuri turned his head just in time to see the traitorous guard be eviscerated with his own sword. The King reached out with his left hand and a blue glow erupted from it. The traitor's entrails instantly froze, solidifying halfway in the man's body and halfway out.

'You are the worst kind of scum, and as such, unworthy of a quick death. I will draw out your pain and suffering for as long as it pleases me.'

The King then pushed his way past the group and headed toward the guards fighting the demons, the General hot on his heels. Yuuri followed them, curious as to what was going on.

'Your highness, surely you can't be…'

'Altin, now is not the time. Support me or get the hell out.'

The General nodded and bowed toward the King.

'Yes, your highness.'

The two men made their way to the raging battle, arriving just in time. The guards, as skilled as they were, had started to become overwhelmed as more demons seemed to be popping out of the woodwork. The King strode purposely toward the skirmish, reaching for his waist and pulling out his sword. Yuuri immediately recognized it as the God Claw. The King stopped abruptly and swung his sword in a high arc. The moisture in the air froze, causing snowflakes to manifest out of thin air. Those flakes immediately melted in the warm weather and fell down to the earth as rain, covering everyone on the battlefield in a thin sheen of wetness. The King then grabbed the hilt of the sword with both hands, stretched his arms out in front of him and raised the weapon above his head before driving it into the ground. The water on the ground seemed to come alive as he did so, turning into ice and racing up the legs of every demon that had been marked by the rain. Yuuri watched in astonishment as the ice completely encased every single demon on the battlefield, rooting them to the spot. The human guards were spared, their humanity protecting them against the powerful magic. The King removed his sword from the ground and placed it back in its sheath. He then clapped his hands together and every single frozen demon exploded into a billion shimmering shards of ice.

The King doubled over, and the General was immediately there holding him up.

Yuuri could see that the monarch was panting and sweating profusely, likely from overexerting himself and depleting all his ki at once. The General stayed with the King until he'd recovered enough to walk back to the carriage on his own. The caravan then took off returning hurriedly to the castle.

The scene changed once more, and he was back in Viktor's room. An unchanged Princess Babicheva was there with him and Yuuri realized that her people must experience time differently than humans. Both were dressed in mourning clothes. Viktor's hair was tied back in a low ponytail, and he was currently holding it in his left hand. He picked up a dagger from a nearby table with his right, and in one smooth movement, sliced off his flowing locks. He laid the severed hair on the table and then sat down on a nearby chair. The Princess walked up to him and draped a sheet around his shoulders, then used a pair of shears to trim and style Viktor's hair into the one he currently still wears to this day.

The next scene showed Viktor at his mother's outdoor funeral, offering his hair to her as a sign of mourning before placing it on her funeral pyre. Yuuri looked around, feeling quite certain that the entire kingdom had shown up for their beloved Queen's funeral. The scenes changed frequently after that, highlighting certain memories and events in Viktor's life. One memory, in particular, cut Yuuri so deeply that it felt as if it had actually happened to him as well.

Viktor looked a few years older as he stood next to his father's bed, the man currently laying in it a haunting ghost of his former self. His eyes were sunken in and he had grown thin and weak.

'Father, what is the meaning of this? I nearly had to fight my way into your room just to be able to see you! We have important matters to discuss.'

The man turned dead and emotionless eyes toward his son, lowering them the second he actually recognized who was talking to him.

'I am tired, leave me be.'

Viktor took a deep breath and let it out slowly.

'You don't have to do anything, just listen. I'll take care of the actual work. Just, please…don't shut me out.'

The King shifted on the bed until he was lying on his side with his back to his son, the move a clear act of dismissal. Viktor's fists shook at his sides and Yuuri could see that he was furious.

'I miss her too, you know! You're not the only one still grieving here! Unlike you, I haven't had the luxury of shutting out the world and hiding from reality in my bedroom all day and night. Someone needs to run the kingdom, and since you're not, it has to be me.'

The King reacted to Viktor's words, immediately sitting up in bed and turning to face his son.

'The kingdom can go to hell as far as I'm concerned! My desire to rule it died along with Katya that day.'

The King's face scrunched up into an angry snarl as he pointed an accusatory finger at his own son.

'And YOU, curse you for having Katya's face! Every time I'd look at you, I was brutally reminded of what I've lost! I haven't been shutting you out, I could simply no longer stand to look at your face.'

Viktor was visibly shocked and Yuuri could see how hurt he was by his father's callous words. He looked so vulnerable then, the rejection and confusion playing out clearly on his face. When Viktor didn't speak, his father carried on.

'May the gods punish me for saying this, but I wish she hadn't taken that sword for you that day. We would have mourned your loss, certainly, but we would have moved on eventually. We could have had another son, other children together perhaps. Any heir would have been good enough to fulfill the Rite of Succession, but Katya was simply irreplaceable.'

Yuuri gasped, appalled at how a father could ever dare to say such a horrible thing to his own son. He turned to look at Viktor's face, the heartbreak and devastation on it clear as day. The prince lowered his head, his hair obscuring his eyes and hiding his facial expression.

'I…see. I'll be taking my leave now, then.'

Viktor stood up and turned around, walking out of the room and leaving his father alone in his chambers. Yuuri followed Viktor out and walked beside him as he made his way to another section of the castle. His face was unreadable, but Yuuri could detect a slight tremble in his lips. He knew that Viktor had to be on the verge of tears, but was doggedly fighting them back. When Viktor turned down one final hallway, he bolted into a run, pushing his way past the last door on the right. Inside the room was Princess Babicheva, startled by the sudden intrusion into her quarters.

'Viktor? What the hell?'

Viktor trembled where he stood, his whole body shaking violently as he finally allowed the tears to fall.

'I hate him…I hate him…I hate him!'

The Princess didn't ask any questions. She walked up behind Viktor and closed the door. Then she turned back around and took him into her arms. She held Viktor tight, swaying him gently from side to side as she began singing a familiar song. Yuuri watched, his heart in his throat, as the Princess sang the same song he'd heard the Queen sing for Viktor that one night. Its effect was immediate; the tension seemed to drain right out of him. A few minutes later, Viktor's sobs died down and he finally stopped trembling.

'Thank you, Mila. I don't know what I would ever do without you.'

The King died not long after that, and Yuuri noticed that the news of his passing didn't evoke the same level of surprise and mourning as the Queen's. He was given a funeral on the same level of grandeur as his deceased wife's, but clearly not attended by as many people. He witnessed Viktor's coronation and the day he visited the temple of his god to perform the Rite of Succession so that he could receive the power of the Ice Dragon Magic Clan and wield the God Claw. The last thing he saw was Viktor standing in front of a life-sized painting of his mother, fierce determination shining in his eyes.

'I will make you proud, mama. Please continue watching over me.'

Yuuri looked on as Viktor vowed to be twice the King his father was. He wished that he could tell this Viktor just how great of a man he would become someday. How they would go from complete strangers to taking on the Demon King after forming an alliance. A warming sensation burst forth in the Emperor's chest, a pure wave of emotion that caught him completely off-guard. The more he thought of Viktor, the more the warmth intensified. He brought his right hand up to his chest, smiling as he came to the realization that he truly cared for Viktor, genuine feelings that were coming straight from within him and uninfluenced by any outside sources. He had closed off his heart long ago, locked it away to keep himself from getting being hurt. But Viktor's presence had started poking little holes in his defenses, and his façade was starting to crack. The feelings filled the Emperor with warmth and hope, and a little seed of love took root inside his heart.

_terminology_

Жизнь моя (Zhizn' moya) – pet name meaning 'my life'

Казачья Колыбельная Песня (Kazach'ya Kolybel'naya Pesnya)– Cossack's Lullaby - I came across this Russian lullaby in my research online and found it to fit absolutely perfectly with the story, theme and situation. It was first published in 1838 by Mikhail Lermontov, but for the sake of this story, we'll just pretend that it was around during Viktor's time and perhaps the lyrics were only passed on verbally through the generations but were only written down in the future.

watch?v=cAurt7dzU70 – you can listen to a modern cover here

You can see the Russian and English translation side by side here: /en/kazachja-kolybelnaja-pesnja-%

Note: "Bayushki bayu" is an expression to lull a baby to sleep in Russian.

***The only thing that I would modify on this version is the line "And take the gun" (И возьмешь ружьё). I would change it to "And take the sword" (И возьмешь меч). So please just think about that if you end up looking at the full translation.

дорогая (dorogaya) - sweetheart, darling, dear, dearest (for women).

любимый (lyubimyy) - beloved, darling, dear (for men).

Queen Katya's dress: . (the front of the hood is the collar in the story, no hood)