A/N: This next chapter is dedicated to FuckTheReaper who really helped me out recently when I was in a bad place.
Since Noxymis has really taken a central role in this story as our main baddy, here is an actor I had in mind when writing him so everybody can have a similar visual: Tom Hiddleston. Shouldn't take much effort to envision him as a villain ;-)
The two now reunited sisters talked for what felt like forever.
Trina was pleased to hear about Victoria's relative good fortune of being raised in the palace. She was not perturbed by her status as a servant because their family came from farmers, so they were simple folk that valued hard work. Quite the opposite. Trina was actually impressed with how Victoria and the princess became fast friends and how the king himself entrusted her with his only daughter on a constant basis.
The older sister began to notice something as she observed her younger sibling talk. Whenever the subject of Princess Jadelyn would come up, an indescribable light and energy manifested in Victoria. Being so close to living things that could not speak made Trina extra sensitive to sounds and signals that the body (intentionally or unintentionally) give away. Everything from Victoria's eyes to her hands were saying more than her words ever could. Perhaps such signals would make it past a layman but the more observant Trina began to assemble in her mind a puzzle that her little sister wasn't realizing was offering the pieces to.
Victoria was a kind soul that cared for many people as she had quite a few in her life. But none seemed to be held in higher regard than this princess. It was strange how quickly she would begin to discuss the princess and just as quickly change the subject. Almost as if there was a secret about her that Victoria was worried to reveal but could come up with something else to talk about.
Trina figured it out. Beyond the strange gestures and body language; she finally deciphered that spark she spotted in Victoria's eyes and tone of voice. Euphoria. A cacophony of pleasant feeling, normally associated with falling in love. Trina had been conjuring for years. She has an unspoken, mystical understanding with the animals and trees around her. She witnessed the impossible more times awake than anyone would in a lifetime of dreaming.
The idea of her sister having affections for another girl did not shock her in the slightest bit.
As the days pass, Victoria began to feel much better and was finally able to get herself out of bed.
"Trina," she said to her sister.
"Yes?"
"I have told you about me but I still do not know much about you."
Trina was conflicted. She wanted to tell her about the truth, but the other side of her made her hesitate. "How could I explain to her how her own mother did not want her?" she asked herself.
Sometimes as an older sibling, it is your duty to protect your younger kin. Especially when it comes to their emotions. Trina took a deep breath and opted for the condensed version of her history.
"There is not much to tell. Mother gave us up because she felt we would have a better life elsewhere. But while you were discovered by the king's entourage, silly child me got lost in the woods. And I have been here ever since."
Victoria nodded. "It must get awful lonely for you."
Trina took a glance as she heard what Victoria said and saw a butterfly land on the window sill.
"Sometimes," she smiled.
Victoria looked a little more eager, almost desperate. "What of mother? Father?"
"They...um...past away. A long time ago."
The younger sister sat down and took all of this in. Trina was proud of how strong Victoria was; she assessed news of this caliber with grace and maturity. But she felt bad that her sister was forcing herself to be brave in the first place.
"I suppose you are all the family that I have," Victoria sighed.
"It would certainly seem that way," was all Trina could say.
Trina was startled when Victoria's hand touched hers. More like grabbed hers.
"Come with me. Please."
"And do what exactly?" asked Trina.
Victoria shook her head. "You should have seen when that Noxymis appeared. I could feel it in my heart. It was as if all the happiness in the world had vanished. Who knows what he might have done to Beckett and the others."
Trina then closed her eyes and touched her temples with her fingertips. After about a minute, she stopped and opened her eyes.
"My vision is obscured. Normally, I could see such things but when that bastard took my crystal, so went most of my power."
Victoria started pacing the room.
"Then we can only assume that they have gone. Which means two things. One, I am the only one left from Reinhart to get the Princess back from Rosym. And two, most importantly, taking her by force is no longer an option. We need to somehow sneak our way into Rosym and escape with Her Highness."
Trina crossed her arms, "We?"
"Please, Trina. You must help me. I cannot do this on my own. Who knows what they have protecting that castle."
"I...I...have not left these woods in so many years."
"Listen," Victoria said. "I help lead you out of the forest and you help me make it inside Rosym. We will help each other through our ordeals."
The older sister took a deep breath and looked at the floor in contemplation. It took less time than anticipated.
"We will need supplies," Trina mused. "And maybe some new armor for you." She pointed to a pile of what looked like tin cans in the corner of the living room. "That suited you ill."
Victoria thought for a moment and snapped her fingers. "I know a place."
"Very well," Trina said. "Let us get ready for a long journey."
"So what changed your mind?" Victoria asked.
"I have always wanted to know what became of my baby sister. Now that I have you back, I am not about to lose you again. We will make it into Rosym together and we will make it out together."
Victoria smiled.
Noxymis picked up something covered with a dark cloth and carefully placed in on a raised pedestal. He pointed to a young man holding a guard's spear.
"You there, boy; I want the knights to report to me at once."
"Y-Y-Yes," he stammered as he ran from the blood-soaked throne room.
The dark sorcerer sat back down onto his ill-gotten throne and leaned back as he waited for his court to arrive. He then figured to check in on the other soldiers in the woods. Noxymis held up the crystal as he closed his eyes. In a flash he got a vision of Beckett and his men. They lost a few from that bottomless sinkhole but the majority of them made it safe from it.
Noxymis was pleased with this. He would have his battle after all. Now he was really anticipating the audience with his men.
Sure enough, there they arrived. Their expressions ranged from horror to complete disbelief. It is not everyday you are asked to meet with a mass murderer and are forced to wade through his victims. Many of them were recognized as men they've known. They were disgusted to say the least; they have seen battle at one point of another but this was almost animalistic carnage.
But they held they tongues. They did not want to find out first hand what this madman was capable of if he could expel the king and two scores of his guard single-handedly.
"You asked to see us?" asked Clios, a tall muscular man who normally would have made short work of such a shrimp as him. But he was a sorcerer of unknown potential so he played his hand carefully.
Noxymis figured since he spoke while the others remained silent that he was the elected leader of the group. Makes sense since the captain of the guard's corpse is here somewhere.
"What is your name?" Noxymis asked.
"Clios," the man replied.
"These men seem to follow you. Do you lead them?"
"I can."
"Excellent," he grinned. "My friends, we have outside forces looking to storm our beloved kingdom. We must amass a defense quickly. Their numbers are small but they are resilient. Let us not give them any opportunity to turn the tide. I want them all dead before they get within spitting distance of the castle. Do I make myself clear?"
Clios had nothing but contempt for the whelp before him but he had no strategy for disarming him. Not at this time.
"It is understood."
"Very good," the pale man nodded. "And do spread the word around your men to refer to me as King Noxymis."
Closing his eyes and taking a deep breath simultaneously, Clios uttered the filthy words past his lips.
"Yes...my king."
His already deep voice would normally echo but the weight of those words carried particular resonance. Demian, Clios' brother, turned to him as they felt they had walked far enough away.
"Brother," he whispered. "What do we do?"
"Remember, Demian - as we have seen - empires do fall. And if we ever want to see the day that murderous wretch falls, we most hold onto as many tomorrows as we can. And that includes following orders."
"But the others..."
"Tell the others that they need only to listen to me. Let me shoulder the burden of taking direct orders from the acting king."
"I wish the rightful heir would..."
Clios covered his brother's mouth, slamming him against the wall.
"Listen to me, Demian. That is the most volatile secret we have left. Noxymis must never know of the child king."
"Where is he now?" Demian asked.
"Secreted away once we became under attack. Even I do not know where he is. But rest assured, I will know him when I see him. He is the spitting image of his noble father."
Demian nodded as he is released and follows his brother close by, "My he rest in peace."
Noxymis unfurled the cloth over his precious spoil of war to reveal the king's severed head. His eyes were still wide open, nostrils flared and mouth agape from meeting his end in the heat of battle. The last expression of this man frozen in time.
"I hope this sordid matter does not put a strain on our relationship," the dark lord chuckled. He rose up and begun to pace around the lifeless head, continuing to talk to it as if nothing had happened.
"But you see...all of...this...was absolutely necessary. I have been your friend and confidant for years. I thought that we had an understanding. Your wife, the queen, could not bear you any children to inherit the throne. Whom was to rule Rosym when you..." he extended his hand as if to show the king his own demise. "Died."
Noxymis stood, looking away from the head for a short while before continuing.
"You promised that I, the king's advisor, would be the logical successor if there were to be no blood heir. And then what would happen the following spring? Her Highness finally became pregnant. Pity what happened to her."
He thought back to the queen in pain during childbirth and brining her an elixir of his own invention to ease her suffering.
"You...killed...her" Noxymis heard in his own twisted mind.
He looked back at the still deceased head as if it had actually accused him.
"It was NOT my fault! Do you have any idea how many women die in labor? Whatever was wrong with her, there was probably nothing we could do." He began to pace around once more. "You just stood there, the mighty king, frigid. Fearful. I alleviated her suffering. And what is my reward? You accuse me of poisoning her. You have me banished to the forest forever. Brought shame to me own name."
Now Noxymis has stopped pacing around and got right in the dead king's face.
"And what's worse - you took my throne away from me. Do you want to know what I think? I think you used your wife's death as a catalyst to get rid of me; so that you could back out of your promise. It is rather fitting that I separated you from your backbone. Heaven knows you barely used it."
The dark king sat back upon his seat of power.
"But no matter because now I am more powerful than ever. When you knew me, I was a mere conjurer at best. A stone's throw from being a magician. And now I will not only take what is rightfully mine but I will overshadow your legacy. Through my own intervention the quiet rivalry between Rosym and Reinhart ends in a loud and glorious bloodbath. I already know that their forces are outnumbered at least five fold. And I do hope that they send more."
Noxymis laughed and sighed.
He thought back to his exile how he found his way to Reinhart. Disguised as a spider, he went in and out of the cracks of the castle walls spying on King Helmond. Nothing of too great of significance until he saw Princess Jadelyn. It was then he hatched the idea of killing the king's daughter and framing Rosym. At first he had wanted to destroy Rosym; serve them right after what they did to him. But then he began to notice this unusual servant girl. Watching her closely, Noxymis discovered that she had an affinity for the princess.
After being turned down repeatedly for either an alliance or simply a bargain for the jewel, Noxymis began to dig deeper into Geolia's past. Using a potion, he tried to find out if she had any family. There was. A sister. She had never mentioned her and certainly was nothing but alone whenever he saw her. Perhaps she did not know about her. Imagine his delight when he saw that the estranged sister was the servant girl from the palace.
Then he had an epiphany.
Instead of sending a war to his beloved Rosym, he would do something more underhanded. The plan was now to kidnap Jadelyn and make Rosym to blame. He knew that this servant girl with her taken heart and interest in knightly things would naturally pursue her. Leaving the princess alive was key because it offered Victoria hope; hope that she could be found and returned unharmed. Just killing her would only devastate her. Unlike Noxymis, revenge is not a vice this servant girl embraces.
And once the girl was lured out of the kingdom, disguised as one of the king's soldiers, all Noxymis had to do was acquire her. And that was the leverage he needed to get Geolia to finally relinquish her precious stone.
He thought about the witch for a moment. Of all the people that could come after him and topple his plans, she would come the closest. But he was confident because with the jewel, her power was reduced dramatically.
Noxymis sniffed and kicked the pedestal, sending the king's head slamming onto the floor as it rolled to his foot. The new king sneered and placed his foot on top of it. He put pressure on it until he could hear the skull shatter and feel his foot touch the floor.
"And he never looked better in his life."