CHAPTER 7:

NO TIME TO REMINISCE

Hey, guys. I worked really hard on this one and I hope you guys like it and I hope you find some of Frederick's back story a little bit intriguing. As always, have fun reading.

{Frederick's POV}

I gave Elsa one last look and left the room. I teleported myself to the same cliff. I stood there for a few seconds when I walked over to stand at the precipice. I peered over the edge. I stared down at the water for a few seconds. I had told Elsa something I haven't told anyone; I never talked about myself. I sat down, my legs hanging by the edge. I coughed a few times. I hadn't talked about myself in such a long time, it brought back memories.

I lifted the sleeve of my left arm. As always, there were the blackened veins but I wasn't staring at them. I was staring at the horizontal cut on my wrist. It was still there. It never dimmed over the years but nobody could ever notice it, they would be too distracted by the veins. I stared at it with such contempt, I was so weak once. I remembered when I had done this, the memories were still so evocative.

It had been nearly a year since the revolution I had started, a year since I had overthrown the previous monarch and become the new ruler of Erebos. These people believed in me, they had followed me, entrusted me with their lives and I wanted to repay them for their efforts but I couldn't, not yet. I had a clear image of what I had to do, how I could save these people. I always believed that this world had fallen into an abyss of hate brought on by the circumstances life had thrown at us. People born with less envied and resented those who had more; a circumstance neither one had a control over. Irrational hate had devoured this world and I believed that I could end it. I could force these people into unity; they would realize that the circumstance that had divided them could be overcome and the integrity that I had envisioned for them could be theirs. But, alas, it was not as easy as it sounds. What stopped these people from achieving that integrity was authority. When people put their faith in a man who stood on top of a pedestal, they entrust their futures into a man who could be prejudiced against someone, a person that can be corrupted and that man could never bring the unity the people deserved. They needed to learn that they cannot rely on a figure of authority but rather on each other; as one they must move forward or scatter among the desolate land, never truly going anywhere.

I had sought to show these people the folly of their misguided faith in authority by demonstrating it first hand. I had hated doing so. The pain I caused and the anguish I created. At times I questioned if what I did was right, the doubt I had was ostensible but I would always shrug it off. 'It's for the greater good.' I would always tell myself that, reassure myself that all this misery was not for naught. But, sometimes the guilt was a bit overwhelming and my cowardice would reveal itself and in a moment of weakness, I decided to end it all and I tried killing myself. I grabbed the knife from the tray of food that had been delivered to my chambers and I had slit my wrist, but it wasn't a very deep cut. In that moment, I had seen how weak and feeble I still was and I could not allow myself to carry on like this. 'What you're doing is the right thing', I told myself over and over again. 'For the greater good', I repeated to myself, it had become my mantra.

The moonlight glistened on the water as I gazed upon it. My legs rocked back and forth. I needed something to keep myself occupied. I looked around, trying to find something interesting. Immortality may seem endearing but once the boredom sets in, it's a living Hell. My existence had gotten much more bearable since Elsa came into it but that didn't change the fact that I still felt so alone. How did I ever manage to survive all those years by myself?

It had been 10 years since my death and I was in a kingdom of Corona. It was a lovely place that had prospered greatly in the past few years. This kingdom was a world away from my own and I had gotten here by simply walking. I didn't have much else to do, no one to talk to, nothing to share my existence with. I had expected that my life was going to be like this and at first, I was at peace with it but now it had become tedious.

This kingdom was all abuzz with the pregnancy of its queen. They were giddy to say the least. But some grim news took all that joy away as it seemed that the queen was ill and it was highly likely that she was going to die. Now, the once happy kingdom had been turned upside down and the people were now filled with a sense of dread. To my surprise, the king had ordered a search party to be sent to the forests near the kingdom, this seemed familiar. They were ordered to find a plant that had been made from the essence of sunlight and, according to legend, it could heal anyone. Why had I never heard of such a thing? I walked with the search party, wanting to see this plant for myself. After many weeks of searching, they had found it. It truly was a magnificent flower, it glowed with the same radiance as the sun. They used it to make a vile that would help the queen recover and to my shock, it had worked, the queen had been completely healed and she had given birth to a healthy baby girl who, unlike her parents, had blonde hair. The magic may have transferred to the baby. At that moment, I had realized, I knew so little of this world, the wonders it had to offer. I had found some purpose in this dreaded existence, I can learn.

And indeed, I had learned a great many things. I had learned to control forces that were beyond my own limited imagination, I had learned the existence of many beings that I thought could not have been but realization dawned on me, what was I doing this for? I could never pass this knowledge on, I could never use it for what I wanted. It was a waste.

But it wasn't.

The wind was blowing gently, the moon shone brighter than ever and there was, for a moment, tranquility. I had always enjoyed the night time more than the day. I felt that the crisp air and the dim light made the world seem more serene. A time of peace in a day of madness. These were the only times I could be at some peace but it never lasted long, not with those blasted visions. They never let me be.

53 years, 4 months and 27 days. I didn't remember the exact time when I died but I could never forget that day. 42 years, 6 months, 13 days, 18 hours and 32 minutes since I realized that this existence could have a purpose. But my resolve was no longer so strong. In the last few decades, felt so much longer, I had assimilated so much knowledge, I had gained so much power. In many regards, I could be considered a god but what god can't carry out his will? There were times were I wanted to carry out my 'wrath' and just destroy but I couldn't. I couldn't do anything. With all my strengths and knowledge, I could do so little, my command was so minuscule. My purpose was to learn but to what end? I can never pass it on nor could I use it in a way that befitted it, befitted me.

I had made it to a clearing in the middle of a forest. I had lost track of where exactly I was. I coughed a few times as I walked. My physical condition never improved and as I grew more stronger, I gathered more power, I became weaker. My heart had been consumed by the dark magic and was being ripped to shreds. Too bad I can't die. It was night and it was unusually dark, the moon was obstructed by some clouds. The crickets chirped, the owls hooted and my path was illuminated by the faint flashes of light created by the fireflies. Serenity. My eyes then caught sight of a young woman, maybe in her late 20's or early 30's. She had with her a lantern so I was able to see her clearly. She had red hair and fair white skin but what really stood out was that she was wearing a blindfold over her eyes. Strange. I walked past her and as I did, I began to cough.

"So much coughing gets annoying, doesn't it?"

What? How did she hear me? She shouldn't be able to see me. Who was this woman?

"You can hear me?", I inquired, my tone holding steady. She simply smiled.

"No, I can't." This caught me off by surprise. This can't be right.

"Well, that's a lie since you're answering my questions so you can clearly hear me.", I rebutted. She simply shook her head.

"I don't need to hear you, I know what you're going to say, Frederick." How did she know who I was?

"Enough of this, who are you?!"

She got up and she picked up her lantern. She hung the lantern up on the tree branch near her. I tilted my head as I watched her. How was she able to see? She turned her attention back to me.

"My name is Kassandra.", she said with a smile as she bowed a little bit. Kassandra, I've heard that name before.

"Believe me when I say, I can't hear you, Frederick. But I know exactly what you're going to say."

"How is that possible?", I inquired, my voice holding a hint of intrigue.

"I was cursed by the gods to be able to see the future and to never have any of my predictions believed.", she said with a sad smile. She continued,"I know how this conversation is going to go, Frederick, I've seen it happen so many times."

She can see the future, foresight. I know who this is. I coughed.

"Apollo, Apollo, God of all ways, but only Death's to me...", I recited and this made her frown.

"Don't patronize me." I mentally chuckled. At least she can't read minds.

"Well, so you know exactly how this exchange is going to transpire, why even have it?"

"Just because you know what's on the path, doesn't mean you don't have to jump over the obstacles.", she said matter of factly. I looked at her with curiosity. What else did she know? But then realization dawned on me, how was I able to believe her? Her curse forbade anyway to believe any of her words.

"How is it that I believe you?", I asked simply. She smiled once more.

"I'm not really talking to you, am I?", she said with the utmost glee. In an odd way, it made sense.

"Frederick, this event, us meeting, is the result of millions of other circumstances taking place, this was meant to happen. You need to fully understand the gravity of this situation.", she explained in a hurry. This was pre planned. I had no choice in the matter. I coughed a few times.

"This", I gestured between us,"was pre planned? So it didn't matter what I would do, this was going to happen?", I said with annoyance.

"I know that you don't like the idea of fate, but you have to understand that this is an event of great significance.", she paused for a second. "You have to take this curse away from me."

Now this was interesting. The power of foresight, with it I could see all that is meant to be... but for what impetus?

"And why would I do that?"

"You and I have both lived an accursed life. Both immortal, both living with a great power but to no use, but with this power, you can do something. You can change things, allow for the world to move towards the greater good."

'For the greater good'. My mantra still there.

"What change? I can do nothing. My form restrains me, all I can do is watch as the world around me deteriorates, how would knowing the future change that?", I said in a voice angrier than I intended.

"Unlike me, you have great powers and a strong will. You want to create a better world; most men with your power would be a bit more selfish. Your powers combined with this ability can make you more powerful than you can imagine.", she responded quite calmly.

I chuckle.

"So I get to see the path the world will move in, realize that I have no free will, that nothing was ever in my control? No, thanks."

"Tell me, when you look at a map, you can see where you have to go and you can see all the different ways you can get there but that doesn't mean you don't have the choice to choose which direction to take, right?" I contemplate her question, she was right. Wise old bat.

"It doesn't matter that you know how things are going to happen, it matters that you can now control them. You can now choose what events should transpire and what path should be taken. You'll be a god, Frederick.", she said with great desperation. She wanted to be rid of this curse. Does she know that I'll take it from her? Those 'circumstances', did she create them to allow this meeting to take place? That kind of power is... tempting.

"I could've given this power to many people but I chose you. I've seen what you would do with this power and it's apparent that you are, by heart, a good person. And that's why I know that you'll take this curse from me, you won't just stand by and let me suffer." My gaze at her intensified. She took away my choice in all of this and still expects me to do good by her. It's insulting. But still, the power she offers and if what she says is true, then maybe I do have a purpose in all of this.

Her face screamed of desperation, her voice pleading. She truly was suffering. Maybe this conversation goes many ways and she doesn't know which route it'll take. I do have a choice.

"I accept." She breaths a sigh of relief and smiles at me with appreciation. She clasps her hands together. "Thank you."

I open my eyes and see that it was now morning. The sun had begun to rise. Had I been lost in my own thoughts the whole night? This wasn't any time for me to reminisce. I had a job to do.