Chapter Text
The boy knelt gracefully, a placid expression on his face. In the same motion, he respectfully lowered his head. He showed all the proper respect due to the Queen, his motions practiced and graceful above all else. He was too calm for someone his age, especially after what he’d done. His manner didn’t betray even a hint of nerves.
The other aide seemed to have mistaken it for shock. Lesser men had been struck with the horror of lesser actions, and Victor might have been inclined to agree, if he were anyone else. But Victor wasn’t just anyone, and neither was the boy in front of them.
It was the fire in those crimson eyes that betrayed the boy. His body was at ease, and a righteous fury burned behind that fathomless, pretty smile. And oh, what a pretty smile it was: the smile of a villain, one of the so-called ‘cursed’. The boy was young, only 14, but his hands were singularly stained with blood, and he showed not a single shred of remorse. It was truly something to behold.
William Rex already displayed the regal air of pure-blooded nobility. His handsome features still had a boyish roundness to them, but it only made him all the more endearing. Victor noted pale, silvery hair and eyes like pools of freshly spilled blood. One could drown in those eyes, in the steady, unshakable gaze.
Faint, barely visible to the untrained eye, was the suggestion of bruises around the boy’s jaw and neck. In the information he’d gathered, he’d learned that the boy had been muzzled off and on. There was no need for such things here.
To Victor’s right, the Queen sat gracefully in the throne overlooking the young man. Her voice was clear and strong as she spoke, “So, you are the late Lord Rex’s son, William?”
“Indeed, your majesty. I am honored by your request to meet with me, after the unfortunate and shocking passing of my father.” His voice was clear and high, soft-spoken but not timid.
“Is that so? I was under the impression that the circumstances were anything but shocking to you, of all people,” the Queen said, and Victor could hear the statement for what it was: a sharp, incisive cut.
The room had been emptied of all guards and personnel, save for two of the queen’s aides. This was not a social call. It was a private trial in all but name, secret to everyone but a select few.
“Someone has been quite naughty, from what I’ve heard,” Victor chirped. The other aide, a stuffy older gentleman with grey peppering his brown hair, narrowed his eyes at Victor. Sir Arthur Penn was a military man knighted for his heroics in the line of duty. The third son of a decently well-to-do family, he valued tradition above all else. To someone like him, speaking out of turn was unforgivable.
Unfortunately for him, Victor wasn’t just anyone. He smiled blandly at Sir Penn, then looked back to the boy still kneeling on the floor.
William dared to look up, a hint of insolence on his solemn stare. “Have I?” he said, innocently enough.
Victor fought valiantly against a smile. William amused him more than expected.
“Quite so. Rise, William Rex,” the Queen said sharply. Admonished, William dropped his gaze and slowly stood, maintaining an image of grace and serenity that seemed unnatural in a boy his age. “What you have done is beyond the pale. It goes against the laws of nature and proper society. Have you anything to say for yourself?”
William cocked his head. “I apologize, Your Majesty. I’m afraid I don’t entirely understand. What have I done wrong?”
Sir Arthur made a disgusted sound. “Have you no shame? No filial piety? Murdering your father, and only moments before a parliament session, no less, is considered a crime in every sense of the word,” he said sharply.
“As I recall, he slit his own throat, didn’t he?” William replied. Instead of looking smug or upset, he simply looked bored. “Not that the world isn’t better off for its loss.”
Victor met William’s gaze, and his smile got the better of him.
Oh, yes, William had a proud dignity to him, even with the scars kept hidden just below the surface. It was fascinating. They were the same, and they both knew it at a glance, cut from the same cloth. A single moment of eye contact had told Victor everything he needed to know. Of course, that didn’t satisfy his curiosity one bit.
Queen Victoria clicked her tongue and leaned forward, her veil hiding her face entirely from sight. “Playing coy doesn’t suit you. Not when we already know about your curse and the true nature of your deeds.”
William cocked his head the other way, like a curious pup. That much had seemed to take him by surprise. And yet, William’s expression was quickly, carefully schooled back into practiced neutrality. “If you know that much, then I’m surprised the three of you came in here without taking precautions. You even sent the guards away.”
“I wanted a conversation,” Queen Victoria replied. “It wouldn’t be so easy to do that if you were still muzzled, would it?”
“Indeed,” William said, eyes flashing. His expression was inscrutable, but Victor could hazard a guess well enough— amusement, mixed with a genuine curiosity and a drop of fear. “Well, you’ve piqued my interest, then. What would you like to talk about?” He folded his hands gracefully in front of him, fingers long and delicate. Pianist's hands. A killer’s hands.
“Why kill your father? I’m sure you had a good reason for it, but I am curious what that might be,” the Queen said.
William gave her an evaluating look. “If I may be so bold, would a good reason change anything at all? If you are aware of my crimes, then I will not shrink away from the consequences of my actions, should you wish to bring them against me. It is the truth that I have killed my own father. There’s no sense in pretending a good reason will save my soul from damnation. I will die and face judgment for it, no matter what.”
Victor laughed. The boy looked so serious, so grimly aware of his own fate. There was something endearing about seeing that expression on a face like William’s. One could mistakenly believe that William never experienced hardship or suffering, and yet he bore a heavy weight on his shoulders without flinching at his burden. The threat of judgment didn’t scare him.
Sir Arthur Penn glared at Victor, but the Queen sat back in silence, thinking. She lifted her chin. “Indeed. But indulge me all the same. I would know your reasons.”
William smiled blandly. “Of course, Your Majesty. If you insist. The simple truth is that my father is a monster. The world is better without him in it. I suffered under him since my youth, but I had accepted this much, and resolved to bear it in silence. I believed he was moral and just, and that he knew what was best. I truly wanted to be a filial, proper son. Then I changed my mind.”
“What changed it, then?” Sir Penn asked.
William watched them for a long time before speaking, so long that Victor had begun to wonder if Sir Penn was being ignored. Then William closed his eyes and slowly opened them once more, gazing away into the distance.
“This might sound hard to believe, I’m sure. Tell me, have you ever heard of the Golden Butterfly?”
Victor maintained a perfectly calm demeanor, even as shock rippled through him. Sir Penn was far less composed, visibly flinching at the name.
Victor could hear the way the Queen smiled. “That’s quite an interesting name. Where did you come to hear it?” she said evenly.
“My father was a member. He kept it a secret, but I discovered the truth and extent of his crimes. You’re aware of them, then?”
Queen Victoria nodded. “I am aware of them, yes. They trouble me greatly, but cutting them off at the top of their organization is easier said than done. The breadth and severity of their crimes make them a great threat to society, and yet their secretive nature and status make it difficult to pursue them.”
William nodded. “I assumed as much. When I learned of my father’s crimes, I pondered for a very long time what action could even be taken against him. If I reported him to the police, my father would have simply bought them out and brushed the matter under the rug.”
“Yes, this is the primary difficulty with combating crime within the nobility,” Victor agreed. “So you took matters into your own hands?”
William’s smile tightened. “I confess, even this wasn’t the tipping point for me. It was just another weight on the scale that contributed to my resolve.”
“What, then, served as the tipping point?” Victor asked.
William’s stoic mien finally cracked, betraying a deeper emotion that lurked deep beneath. “My father murdered a… close friend of mine. After that, I realized that doing nothing was as good as condoning his actions. Every bit of violence I allowed to happen was my own fault, for not doing something to prevent it. I wouldn’t stand to let him commit any more evil acts, even if it required one of my own. Even if I had to commit the unspeakable crime of killing my own father, I thought… that it was the only way to fight back. The only way to send a message.”
Victor’s eyes widened. William’s voice had turned hard at the end, but the words rang clear. “Sending a message?” Victor murmured.
“If it makes the rest of them hesitate, hide away, and stop their crimes, then the threat did its job, right?” William said, with a childlike combination of innocence and self-righteousness. “Staining my own hands would be an acceptable consequence, if it was done in service to a higher principle. That’s what I believe, anyway, and that’s why I killed my father in such a way.”
Victor fell silent. He couldn’t deny the weight of William’s words, nor the logic behind them. Time would tell if the idea was a sound one or not, but in the end, did that matter? William had done what Victor had not.
He leaned back, meeting William’s gaze, and he broke into ringing laughter. It left Will staring, startled, but Victor couldn’t restrain himself.
Even the queen let slip a small, amused sound. “I’ll have to thank you, young Rex, truly. Your perspective is an interesting one, for sure. But tell me, what would you think if I told you that I already knew of your father’s crimes?”
“Then I would find myself wondering why you chose to do nothing about him,” Will said. “He and his ilk trample on the freedoms of others with impunity. And yet it was a mere child that brought an end to his crimes.”
“A singularly unique child, though, wouldn’t you say?” Victor replied with a wide grin.
“Precisely,” the Queen said. “For all that I and my aides have worked to eliminate them, it was, indeed, your actions that ultimately tipped the scales. And for that, I thank you. However, this matter is not so easily dismissed just like that. Additionally, the circumstances still beggar belief, in many ways. Victor? You had a request?”
“Ah, yes,” he said, stepping forward. “I’ve been wondering, your power, would you use it on me? Her Majesty wishes to witness it in action and I have gladly volunteered my services.”
Will looked visibly taken aback. “You want me to use it on you? Why?”
“Because it is novel and fascinating to me. Because I do not fear you, William. Because I am curious. There are many reasons,” Victor said amiably. “But truthfully, more than anything, I too want to witness it for myself. The power to command men utterly and completely with only a few words… A heavy curse to bear, for certain, but one with great potential.”
William’s look turned scrutinizing and suspicious. “Potential? And if I chose to wield my power for ill? If I commanded you to slit your own throat, you would be helpless to resist. Yet you would still give me such power over you willingly?”
His gaze flickered to the queen briefly, not as a threat, but with a hint of fear and worry.
Victor smiled tightly again. “Of course. I’ve seen the eyes of all kinds of killers, young William. I’ve seen men who have hungered to kill, others who have killed when they thought it their only hope. In your eyes, I see resolve and nobility, not savagery. I see a man who believes in freedom. No, I trust you will do the right thing.”
William tipped his head. The silence hung heavily on the air, and for a moment, Victor could see something like fear flitting around in the depths of those crimson eyes.
“If you wish,” Will said tiredly. He met Victor’s gaze with a burning intensity, and his voice seemed to shift just a bit, almost unnoticeable. “Stand on one leg and clap your hands five times.”
Suddenly, it was as if Victor’s body wasn’t his own. It moved without his own guidance, as if directed by another, someone pulling the strings like a puppeteer. He fought against it, but Victor couldn’t do anything to resist as his body rose up and lifted one leg. He clapped five times in quick succession. Then, finally, his body was his own again.
Victor was immediately struck by the enormity of William’s power, the control that only a few words could exert on the listener. And yet, despite the innocence of the order, William looked to have silently resolved himself to the consequences of his actions, like an animal that knew it was about to be beaten.
It was heartbreaking. To see a boy like William consigned to a life of tragedy, especially when there was such a noble pride about him, made Victor mourn the man William could have become. Someone like that would be an asset to the Queen. His power could do so much good in the world, given the right usage.
“So this is the power you command,” the Queen said. “Is there any limit to it?”
“I must be making eye contact, but I’ve yet to find a command someone will refuse. Apologies, Your Majesty. I do not have a wealth of experience using it, and what little I know comes from learning to avoid using it unintentionally.”
“Hmm,” the Queen said quietly.
Victor studied William with a contemplative look. “This power of yours… would you be willing to use it again?” he asked.
Will’s eyes flashed. “To what end?”
“Your Majesty, forgive me for speaking out of turn,” Victor said. “William, your father was not the only person on our list that we couldn’t eliminate. The Golden Butterfly is far-reaching and has its roots twisted deeply into society. Many politicians and nobles are entrenched within it, and we need someone to deliver judgment for their crimes. You, William, could be just what we need.”
“Preposterous,” Sir Arthur said, sounding aghast.
“You’re asking me to assassinate more people?” William said, before breaking into an incredulous laugh. “You must be joking. I thought I was invited here to deliver my final statements before I was executed, not to be given the job of executioner myself.”
“Actually, it is not an altogether terrible idea,” the Queen mused. “Nor am I surprised that you, of all people, would suggest it, Victor. Elaborate on your idea, if you would.”
“Your Majesty—“ Sir Penn began, but Queen Victoria lifted a single hand to silence him. She nodded toward Victor.
Victor grinned. “Like I said, evidence for William’s crime is… hazy at best, and easily buried. Provided all of this is approved, of course. His power is singularly useful to this situation, should he be willing to lend us his assistance. How else could we hope to extract complete confessions from the guilty? How better to send a message than to wipe them all out swiftly and harshly, just as William suggested earlier?”
William fidgeted under the heavy looks. For a moment, the noble bearing faded, and Victor was confronted with a child once more, one who was out of his depth and ignorant to so much of the world. Then William looked up once more, and he nodded. He must have found his answer.
In a clear voice, William spoke, “I will do it, of course. There is no point in pretending my hands haven’t been irrevocably stained by my own actions. If I can use these hands, this power, to enact a change, then I will do it without hesitation. If I can serve Queen and Kingdom, if I can be of use even under the auspices of evil, I wouldn’t think twice.” His voice was firm and unwavering.
Despite his youth, William held his head high, unflinching in the face of duty.
“Your Majesty, this is utter nonsense,” Sir Penn said. “Surely you’re not actually considering something like this. There is no way this child should be responsible for eliminating the Golden Butterfly. He should face punishment for his crimes, not be given free reign to commit more!”
Queen Victoria shook her head. “I disagree. I see merit in this idea. There are good men who have fallen victim to the darkness which has corrupted the highest echelons of society. Our attempts so far have barely served to prune the outermost thorns of the organization. In this way, fire must be fought with fire. Perhaps it will take evil to ultimately eliminate evil.”
“If that is your wish, I will not hesitate, Your Majesty,” William said, kneeling again. “I am willing to do whatever I must to prove my worth, if it means eliminating those who would trample on the freedoms of others. I believe strongly in this ideal, and I will fight to protect it. Please, Your Majesty, give me a chance.”
Victor could almost hear Queen Victoria’s smug smile in her tone. “Then I will have Victor make the appropriate arrangements and contact you in due time. I assume it doesn’t need to be said, but… do keep this between us for now, yes?”
William inclined his head. There was a moment of silence, and that young look returned once more. “If I could ask something of you, Your Majesty, you said you knew about my power, my curse… How did you learn of it?”
Victor slowly smiled. “Do you think you’re alone in this world? The only one who has experienced something like this? My dear young lord Rex, the truth couldn’t be any more different.”
This must have been news to William, because his eyes went wide with shock. “There are others?”
The Queen nodded. “Of course. Few are aware of the cursed, to be sure, but they are the basis of many stories. In fact, I believe your particular curse was put to print not long ago, inspired by legends of others who bore your curse before you. Have you heard of Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland?”
William cocked his head. Victor moved to picked up a book from a nearby table, holding it up for William to see it. “The Curse of the Red Queen. Complete obedience, at a single command. A tremendous power, but at a terrible cost. After all, what always happens to the villain at the end of a fairy tale?”
William puzzled over it for a moment before he slowly smiled, as if an enormous weight had been lifted from his shoulders. “So… my life was always going to end in tragedy, wasn’t it? Somehow, that’s comforting to me. If someone could use a power like this without repercussions, it would be too unjust. But if there is a price, if my fate is written in stone…” He looked serene.
“Great power comes with a great cost,” Queen Victoria said solemnly. “Yours is a terrible sin that you must bear: that of unrepentant self-righteousness. I can see plainly the way it affects you already. The more you use your curse, the more it will twist the way you think and behave. Knowing this, would you still agree to assist Victor in eliminating the Golden Butterfly?”
William was still looking up at the book in vague awe. He nodded to the Queen. “Without hesitation. If I could make a single request… May I borrow the book?” he asked.
Victor nodded. “It’s from my personal collection. I will allow you to borrow it.”
“Thank you for speaking with me today, William,” the queen said. “It was a pleasure to meet you. You have much to consider, I’m sure. Should you choose to accept all of my terms going forward, we will disregard your crime and give you leeway to act as you see fit in the elimination of targets associated with the Golden Butterfly.”
“This is absurd!” Sir Penn protested. “You can’t just give a child free rein to murder his fellow lords!”
“I won’t. Victor will assist him and oversee his work,” she said.
Victor masked his surprise. “Of course, Your Majesty,” he said quickly, bowing to her. Behind her shoulder, Sir Arthur Penn glowered.
Victor wasn’t remotely surprised when Arthur turned on him the moment William Rex had been dismissed from the room. “Your suggestion was utterly out of line,” Arthur hissed. “I don’t care if that boy has magical powers or not. How can he succeed where we have failed?”
“Arthur,” Queen Victoria said in a measured voice. He immediately stood at attention. “I understand your discomfort with the idea. After all, Rex is the only Cursed you’ve ever met, correct?”
William Rex was certainly the first that Arthur was aware of meeting, at least. When they read the official documents regarding the case, kept secret inside the innermost depths of the Royal library, he’d been fascinated instantly by the breadth and scope of the powers that William’s curse had granted him. Meeting him had been even more enlightening by far.
This was all proof, perhaps, that the world was always so much more fascinating than anyone could ever know. This tale certainly had been almost too audacious for most to believe, but the proof was plain. Victor knew the Cursed were real, and, if the royal records were to be believed, there were many, many more curses than they could ever imagine.
What other gifts would those afflicted possess? What sins would manifest? It was almost unbearably fascinating.
“Indeed, Rex is the only one I’ve ever had the pleasure of meeting,” Sir Arthur hissed. Victor smiled wider. “Even if he does possess some heretofore unknown ability to compel men with words alone, he is still a child, and a murderer at that! Are we to look past patricide now, to bring the Golden Butterfly to justice? There is no way any of us could predict what he might do, what untold havoc he might wreck on the world!”
The Queen tutted. “Thank you, Arthur. Your concern is admirable, but in this, I will not budge. The Golden Butterfly has run rampant for too long. If this is what it takes to bring the organization to its knees, I am willing to take risks, however bold. And I, for one, find him in truth to be very predictable.”
“In what way?” Victor asked. He had been taken aback by William’s unflappable nature. It seemed a surprise to imagine that Queen Victoria had not only anticipated it, but expected it.
“My family has known about the Cursed for some time, and the boy’s curse in particular is a known quantity, as much as these things can be known and understood. His is the sin of self-righteousness, which makes him the perfect candidate for this task. So long as he believes his actions to be just, he will not hesitate. A child’s sense of right and wrong is a simple thing. I fully expect the nuances of his beliefs to change over time and make things more… complicated. But I could see plainly, and I believe Victor did, as well. Didn’t you?”
Victor grinned. “I did, Your Majesty. In his eyes was conviction. It was a hunger for freedom. I am certain that his judgement of the Golden Butterfly will not budge, not so long as they trample on others with impunity. I can, of course, guide him as you see fit, and keep him pointed at the right targets, but I fully agree in your assessment. I believe that he will prove to be quite the useful weapon in your arsenal.”
“And if you’re wrong? If he goes out of control?” Arthur demanded.
“Then Victor will step in and… simply clean up the mess. It’s what he’s here to do, after all, and he has done his job commendably thus far, wouldn’t you say?”
Victor’s heart almost swooned in delight. “Thank you, Your Majesty. It is truly an honor to be held in such high regards by you. I will not squander his talents, believe you me. If he does become a problem, I will eliminate him without hesitation.”
The Queen nodded. “Thank you, both of you. I enjoy hearing your positions on these matters for my own consideration. It is my hope that we might finally see the end of the Golden Butterfly.”
William expected a prison cell. He had expected a noose and a rope just long enough to swing.
He never expected this.
It left him unsettled. His heart had never stopped pounding in his chest. There had been a fluttery little thrill gathering within him, one he’d never felt before. At times, it felt like he couldn’t even breathe.
A curse, they’d called it, accompanied by the sin of utter, unrepentant self-righteousness. As he rolled the thought around in his head, he found the term suited him like a well-fitting coat. Self-righteous, indeed. Who else but the most self-righteous of men would take matters into their own hands and slay their own father for his crimes?
When the extent of the Rex family patriarch’s crimes had finally come to light, the moment William had seen his father for what he truly was, there had been not a single trace of doubt. His actions were just, even if they did not adhere to the letter of the law. After meeting with the Queen herself, William was only more convinced that he was right.
How many lives would have been ruined, had William let his father continue as he had?
William knew what would happen when he handed his father that knife and said those fateful words. He knew there would be questions, an inquiry, and likely his own death, if the truth came to light. He knew all this, and yet he doesn’t hesitate, not even for a moment. And why would he?
People would live because his father had died.
Yes, William was a murderer now. He would forever stand outside of good society, forever beyond the gates of heaven. But every single fiber of his being screamed that he had done the right thing. Doing what he had done had set people free. Not only himself, but everyone who suffered from his father’s actions.
Now he knew that he wasn’t alone in believing this to be true. The Queen herself saw merit in his vision. Not only her, but her aide as well, the man named Victor. For the first time in his life, William truly felt seen. He felt understood.
While Queen Victoria kept her face hidden behind a veil, Victor had no such covering. Looking into Victor’s flinty eyes, William saw someone who looked at him and truly saw him. Not as some cursed thing, a monster, or as the sole heir to his father’s lands and titles. He saw William.
The book was heavy in his hands. He looked down at it, feeling a little lost in his own thought. He read over the title again and again as if it would give him the answers he sought. Things had become so complicated, and yet so simple. If the Queen wished for him to continue this bloody work, he would.
A frantic knocking startled him from his thoughts. “You may enter,” he said warily. He was relieved to see a familiar face. Ethan had been the one to support him through this all, his rock in the storm.
“I take it things went better than expected?” Ethan said.
William didn’t answer immediately. He took a breath to steady his nerves. “I won’t be condemned to death, at least. But I have a great deal to consider. I had believed my actions were enough to soothe my conscience and my beliefs, but it isn’t enough. There are still people out there hurting others, and my father’s death won’t be the end of it.”
“My Lord, it would be best to leave such matters to the police, correct?” Ethan said.
William shook his head firmly. “No. Like my father, the culprits are too wealthy and too well-connected for the police to deal with. The only one in a position to move freely and operate within the scope of their power is me. The Queen herself is inclined to agree. I’m well aware of the risks involved and the price I will pay, but I believe my best option is to do what I can.”
“Why go to such lengths, though? Your father can trouble you no longer, and your life is yours to do with as you please. Wouldn’t it be better to focus on your schooling and leave this nonsense to someone else?”
William was quiet for a moment. Ethan supported him as no one else ever had. He wanted the best for William, in a way William’s own father never had. He could see why Ethan might think this was finished, now that his father’s body was cold.
He shook his head, smiling to himself. “It would not be better, not as long as I know what can and should be done to improve the lives of people In England. Maybe that’s just the price I’ll have to pay, given my nature.”
He held the book in his hands, eyes lingering on the cover for a long moment. He was more sure of himself now than he had ever been.
Resolute, he looked back at Ethan, more determined now than he’d felt all day. “This is what I was always meant to become. I was born to become a villain, so why shouldn’t I embrace my nature? If I should bear the Curse of the Red Queen, then I should become the King of Villains. I will strike fear into the hearts of anyone who dares oppose Her Majesty.”
Resolve was indispensable, but it was far from the only ingredient required.
In the days that followed his meeting with the Queen, there was a seemingly endless string of tasks to accomplish before he could make a move.
Victor had told him to wait, and so William did.
He gave his father a proper burial, as society demanded, even though a part of him wanted to toss the body out to sea, or sell it to surgeons. He closely watched all the men who came to the funeral proceedings. There was no telling who among them had been complicit in his father’s crimes. Many of their faces were familiar to William, and he watched them say their goodbyes with his eyes narrowed and suspicious.
He formally inherited his father’s title and lands, to the extent that an underaged young man could, until he formally came of age. As the only son and heir, all of this was mere formality, anyway, and he had no true executive control until his 21st birthday. William found it all very tedious. And still, Victor told him to wait.
By the end of a week, William was tearing apart his father’s office, searching for any clues he could find. That was when Ethan interrupted him, looking fairly harried himself. Breathless, Ethan informed Will that he had a visitor, one who had only given his name as ‘Victor’.
William looked up at the door, eyes wide. “Would you be willing to bring him to the parlor and serve him tea? He can have anything he requests. I’ll be in quickly as I can.”
Ethan nodded his head. He exited the room without another word, leaving William alone in an office in complete disarray. He took a breath to steady himself. There was a mess around him, so he hurried to gather up everything that had seemed even remotely useful and collect it into an organized pile. With everything in hand, he swept out of the office and hurried down the hall to the parlor.
He opened the door and tried to act calm. He drew up short when he saw what was inside. Ethan looked distinctly uncomfortable, with Victor chattering away at him and not giving him even the slightest chance to excuse himself.
The moment Victor noticed him, a massive smile erupted on his face. “Ah, the young Lord William Rex has arrived at last! I hope you’re excited, we will have to move fast.”
“What do you mean?” William said.
Victor took a generous sip of his tea. His eyes were sparkling. “I mean, we have work to do. Believe it or not, I've been extremely busy the last few days assembling information on every member of the Golden Butterfly that we could find and their locations. We will need to strike swiftly and mercilessly if we want to have any hope of putting an end to all of this before anyone can disappear on us. I need you to have them tell us the names of all of their accomplices before we quietly execute them. With any luck, we can take all of them out without leaving a single one."
Apprehension warred against Will’s anticipation. He stared at Victor, almost stunned. This was a total reversal from yesterday.
“We’re taking all of them out now?”
“Of course;” Victor said with a grin. “Don’t tell me you’re second guessing all of this, young William.”
William’s eyes flashed, and he stood up straighter, his hands clenched into fists. “Not in the least. Let’s get moving. Where do we start?”
It was gruesome, bloody work. Any sane, rational man should have struggled with this. Maybe a piece of William was broken. But as he looked around the blood-spattered room, all he felt was a vicious, righteous joy that seized him utterly and completely.
“Are you alright?” Victor asked, a bit more gently than expected.
William’s eyes flashed and he turned to face Victor. For the first time tonight, he felt himself drawn up short by that dazzling, warm smile. He looked away, back at the limp corpse of the filth they’d taken out. The man had given them a list of names and known associates inside the Golden Butterfly before slitting his own throat, entirely under William’s command.
He should have been sick to his stomach, not elated beyond belief. “I truly am a villain, aren’t I?” he murmured. He looked at his hands, spotless and pale, and yet the metaphorical blood covering them was only getting thicker.
Victor grinned. “Do you consider me a villain?” he asked lightly.
William tipped his head. “Of course not. You’re the Queen’s Aide. How could you possibly be a villain, when you have earned the Queen’s trust so implicitly?” And at such a remarkable age, as well. William had thought all aides and advisors were supposed to be stuffy, older men with years of wisdom. Not a man perhaps only ten or fifteen years his senior. Someone youthful, long hair tied at his nape and tossed over one shoulder with careless abandon.
In an instant, Victor looked truly wicked, his delight alight in his face and naked with a cruelty William never could have expected. “I am the Queen’s aide, yes, but I have another title as well, one far less well known, that I have only recently acquired for my service. Tell me, have you heard tell of the Queen’s Grim Reaper?”
William felt his blood chill. “The Grim Reaper? I’ve heard my father mention the name once or twice in the last year or so. The Queen’s assassin, although he wasn’t entirely convinced that it was one person.”
“It is, indeed, one person. Me,” Victor said with a pointed smile. “I killed plenty of men by the time I was your age. Only those who deserved it, of course. Only those who presented a threat to the Queen’s life. But I have killed all the same. Does that make me a villain, to kill in the Queen’s name? To kill for the good of others? You said it yourself, if bloodying our hands is what protects someone else, the price we pay is worth it.”
“So we are both villains,” William said. “But villains serving our Queen, all the same. You are right, of course. Does the list of names we have now match against the information you’ve already collected?”
Victor consulted his own list, comparing it to the names he took down, and nodded. “There’s a good amount of overlap, but several new names I didn’t have before. We should keep moving. Once bodies are found, others will begin to go into hiding. We will need to take out as many as possible before that happens.”
William nodded once, picking up the blood-soaked dagger from where it had been clutched inside the Golden Butterfly member’s hands. “Where do we go next?”
“Thankfully, nearly everyone is in London for the season. I have plotted the names to create the most expedient route, and will add our new names accordingly. Once we get to the carriage, we can get moving.”
As Victor had said, their next target was only a few streets away. They slipped in past the servants and caught the man in his bedroom. Their work began again.
Again, again. They broke into each house, using William’s power and Victor’s cunning to avoid detection. Each time, the list of new names became smaller, fewer members previously unknown to them coming to light.
Something in William changed with each one. He could feel it inside him, something dying and being reborn as something new. Something unknown. Something that scared and excited him in equal measure.
His power unfurled within him.
“Stand still and stay silent. Tell me the truth. Are you a member of the organization known as the Golden Butterfly? Confess your crimes to me. Tell me the full name of every member of the Golden Butterfly that you are aware of. Now slit your throat with this dagger, slowly. Even slower than that.”
He’d never used his power so much before. In a single day, he gave more commands than he had in the rest of his life. Each time, something inside him grew stronger. Every dying gasp left him thrilled. Every crimson spill fed into that self-righteousness within him, stoking the fires inside him to burn hotter, brighter, more intense than ever.
As dusk fell, their work continued late into the night. Each name crossed off the list led them to the next. As judge, jury, and executioner, William passed swift judgement on each one. And Victor oversaw it all, guiding him, teaching him, feeding into that twisted thing inside of William that fed off the darkness.
“Stunning, William, you’ve done a splendid job so far,” Victor said. Praise had never sounded so good. It had never burned inside William’s chest so feverishly. He had never felt so heady, so giddy, so utterly drunk off it.
With the night came new struggles. Whispers of missing lords and ladies spread in William’s wake, and it was only a matter of time before their bodies were discovered. It was only a matter of time before their targets went to ground.
Some of their targets began to move out of an abundance of caution. Rather than staying home, those who fled took to the night, leaving Victor and William to hunt them down in the darkened streets.
That was the first time William was truly able to bear witness to a taste of Victor’s abilities. Like a shadow streaking through the night, Victor darted down the alley, chasing after the cloaked figure. He moved like the shadows themselves, graceful and swift, his long black hair a fan in the air behind him.
William was entranced.
In a single deft motion, Victor struck, brutally crushing the lord to the wall and pinning his arms behind him, head turned toward William.
William stumbled forward, quickly giving the man a command to stay put. He swallowed hard, his heart beating faster.
He was still breathing hard after the man was dead, the body hidden away.
“We make quite the team, don’t we?” Victor said brightly, dusting off his clothes. “Perhaps this mission doesn’t have to be the end of our partnership. What do you think?”
“Pardon?” William said, startled by the comment.
“I simply mean that evil will not be entirely eradicated after tonight. The Golden Butterfly is not the only source of crime, simply a particularly pernicious and thorny one. The Queen would surely have need of your abilities, and you seem to have taken a shine to this kind of work.”
“Really? I… suppose so,” William said thoughtfully. It was true that he felt more alive than ever before. He felt right. “But if the Golden Butterfly is gone, what more will there be to do?”
“Plenty! There’s always crime afoot, and no shortage of people in need of stopping. The police do their jobs admirably, but there are times when their reach is limited. That’s where we can step in. Your abilities are singularly useful and your nature is well suited to this work. You don’t shy away from what must be done. It is a favorable situation.”
“You wish for me to continue using my curse?” William said thoughtfully. The praise had warmed him to the tips of his ears. Something in his belly fluttered like butterflies, eager and nervous and hungry. He licked his lips, throat tight.
“If you’re willing, of course. I’ve never seen anything quite so amazing before, truthfully. It’s marvelous, William. You have a flair for this dark work. Being a villain truly suits you.”
“Perhaps it does,” he murmured. “Is it me or my curse, though?”
“Who is to say? I know so little about this curse of yours, other than that it is truly incredible. It is said that those who bear a curse are themselves reflections of their curse. But no one knows if it is a kind of personality which causes the curse, or if the curse causes a kind of personality. So as far as I’m concerned, you and your curse may as well be one and the same. If you can do good with your natural gifts, why not use it?”
William considered it in silence as they stepped into the carriage.
“Victor, are there other cursed like me?” he asked.
Victor chuckled. “None exactly like you. But your particular curse is known, and there are many other curses and other individuals inflicted with these sins and abilities. It’s just a matter of finding them. Why?”
William looked out the carriage window. “Just curious. If being cursed makes us uniquely suited to this kind of thing, then perhaps others may be, too. Others who are doomed to suffer from their own sins may want a higher purpose in life, before their sins consume them completely.”
Victor cocked his head, eyes bright.
“Then perhaps we should begin searching for these other cursed individuals. After the Golden Butterfly is dealt with, of course,” Victor said amiably.
Sometimes, when adults agreed with William, they gave off the air of simply trying to placate him. They didn’t seem genuine or remotely interested. Victor was different. Victor listened, and in his words and tone, he made it clear that he was genuinely interested in what William was saying.
“You mean that,” William said, with no shortage of surprise. “You actually think we could?”
“Why not?” Victor replied. His easy smile was distracting. “I think it’s a great idea. So little is known about cursed individuals. Forming a group of villains would kill three, no, four birds with one stone.”
William cocked his head. “Four?”
Victor held up a single finger. “Creating a team of skilled villains able to fight evil with evil, in a way that the police aren’t able to.” He held up a second finger. “Ensuring that these villains are on the Queen’s side of the law.” A third. “Allowing cursed individuals to meet others like them.” And the fourth. “Learning everything we can about the cursed. How curses are inflicted or gained, how the sins are related, and anything else there is to know.”
William sat back, nodding slowly. The day was wearing on him, and sitting down made it harder to keep his eyes open. Exhaustion made his limbs and eyelids feel heavy. “It would be nice to know more. There’s so much I don’t understand. But I don’t want to force anyone into anything they don’t want to do. If they join, they must be willing.”
“Of course,” Victor said. He laughed softly. “Oh, but we’d need a name for our little group, wouldn’t we? The Queen’s cursed forces doesn’t roll off the tongue all that well, now, does it?”
“No, we need something better,” William murmured. “Something dignified, for those who serve the crown.”
“Go ahead and sleep if you’re tired. You look like you can barely keep your eyes open, and we won’t be to the next target for a while yet. Rest while you can, it will be a long night.”
The warm, rich tone of Victor’s voice carried William off to sleep.
When he woke, it felt like he’d barely closed his eyes. Victor’s hand on his shoulder felt heavy. William blinked slowly, lifting his head and realizing he’d been leaning against Victor. Embarrassed, he sat up quickly and looked around. “Are we here?”
“Yes, we are just pulling up now. We need to get ready, there should be several targets together in this house. Does your power work on multiple individuals at once?” Victor asked.
William thought back to the last time he’d used his power completely by accident, a few years ago. He’d ended up freezing multiple house staff members in place when he’d lost his temper. Of course he quickly gave them their freedom back, too ashamed of himself to pay attention to his actions at the time.
“Yes, I can,” he said quietly, and his nerves rattled inside him. “I won’t have any trouble. Is everyone here guilty?”
“It’s very likely,” Victor confirmed. His flinty eyes twinkled in the low light. “Are you ready, William?”
“I’m ready,” William said with a slow exhale. The carriage pulled to a stop, and to William’s surprise, they went straight for the front door, rather than around the side.
As if they were invited guests, they were led inside to a small gathering inside a parlor. The thick smell of tobacco filled the air, as several of the men puffed on pipes.
To William’s surprise, one of the men in the room was Sir Arthur, the queen’s aide who had stood opposite Victor at Queen Victoria’s shoulder.
Sir Arthur sneered when he saw William. “You actually brought the brat along?”
A smile touched Victor’s lips— a bit playful and quite mischievous. “I said I would, didn’t I? Do you have it?” he asked vaguely.
Sir Arthur grinned. “Oh, indeed I do.” He reached into his coat, and William tensed. “You think you’re so clever, brat. So self-righteous, with a child’s sense of right and wrong. It’s time you learned how the world truly works.”
With a flourish, he brandished a small stick of incense, which was swiftly lit. The smell quickly filled the air, something unrecognizable and thick.
William’s mind was racing. Had Victor betrayed him? Were both of the Queen’s aides involved in the Golden Butterfly? But it didn’t make sense, if Victor was a member, why would he go to such lengths to eliminate the others?
“Not a fan of that now are you?” Arthur said with a cruel laugh. “I saw the documents. You Cursed may be powerful, but you have a critical weakness that is terribly easy to exploit.”
The other men chuckled, all of them looking toward William with superior smirks. A weakness?
Victor turned to William with a grin. “Well, William?”
They were all looking at him. William grinned. “Stand still and put your hands up. When I point at you, you will answer my question truthfully.”
All of the smirks immediately fell, and their hands slowly rose in the air.
Sir Arthur’s expression twisted into an incredulous snarl. “What? What is the meaning of this? Why isn’t the incense working?”
“Oh? Perhaps I slipped the wrong document into the pile…” Victor said thoughtfully. His eyes landed on Will, looking immensely pleased.
William felt his chest tighten, a flutter of pride and delight seizing inside him. He had read the situation correctly, it seemed. This had been Victor’s plan all along.
William pointed to Arthur. “Speak openly and honestly. Are you a member of the Golden Butterfly?”
“I am a member of the Golden Butterfly,” Arthur said through clenched teeth. “Shit, why did I say that? Damn you, you little shit,” he hissed. “Victor, what have you done?”
“I’m only doing as my Queen asked of me,” Victor said. He nodded to William.
William took a step forward, and the righteousness within him burned hot and bright, almost intoxicating. “Answer truthfully. Have you been covering for the crimes of the Golden Butterfly?”
“Yes,” Arthur hissed. His body jerked, desperately trying to fight the inviolable command he was under.
William narrowed his eyes, throwing a knife at Arthur’s feet. A flicker of fear flooded Arthur’s gaze. William smiled.
“Pick up the knife.”
“Please, god, no,” Arthur begged. His body slowly knelt, taking the blade in hand. “I’ll do anything. What do you want? Money? Women? A kid your age, surely you’ve been looking at women with lust in your eyes, there’s no way you haven’t. Victor, call him off! Don’t do this. We can talk this over!”
His voice grew increasingly desperate.
William closed his eyes, relishing in the sound of begging. “You’ve held the Queen’s trust, and you chose to turn against her. You know it’s wrong, you know people have been hurt by their actions. And yet you’ve let them get away with it. Tell Victor the names of all your known accomplices.”
Arthur grimaced, glaring furiously as he began to list off names. The others in the room began begging as their names were called. To the side, William watched as Victor began to check the names against his own list, nodding as he did so.
The list went on and on. The Golden Butterfly was an entity with many, many roots, but Arthur needed to know names to filter information. Out of everyone, he knew better than most about those who abused their positions.
When it was finished at long last, William stared into Arthur’s eyes, relishing this moment. With a smile on his face, he commanded, “Slit your own throat.”
Cursing loudly, Arthur lifted the blade to his neck. No matter how he screamed and begged, he couldn’t stop. The others in the room began to scream with him. Blood spilled out in a sudden spurt.
William glanced their way. “Silence yourselves. Stand beside him.”
The men jerked and shuddered as they all moved to stand beside the quickly dying Arthur. William watched dispassionately at the knife fell from Arthur’s hand. He collapsed to the floor.
One by one, he ordered each person in the room to kill themselves, collapsing into a pile in the middle of the room.
When at last, it was silent, he turned to Victor with a raised eyebrow. “You didn’t think to tell me your plan beforehand?”
Victor laughed. “Did I need to? You figured it out, didn’t you? And perhaps I wanted to test you just a little bit. There was never any danger to you.”
“What was the incense he lit?” William asked.
“Clove,” Victor replied easily. “I may have left a note on one of the documents noting that the scent of clove neutralizes the power of the cursed. I honestly wasn’t sure if he believed it!” He laughed spritely.
William couldn’t help but laugh along. “Really? He bought that? I can’t believe it.”
“It is quite foolish, isn’t it?” Victor said. He looked down at the pile of bodies. “There shouldn’t be any servants in the house tonight. They wouldn’t want to be overheard. But we should still check and make sure that there wasn’t anyone who could hear the screaming.”
William nodded, and they split up, searching the house quickly. Victor lingered in the office, collecting documents and paperwork.
“Who is left on our list?” William asked.
Victor set his new papers aside and retrieved his list. “There are a few new names, but we’ve taken care of nearly all of them now. We should be finished before sunrise.”
William sighed and nodded. It would be a long, long night.
The rest of the night was a rush he could barely remember. As the first hints of dawn began to creep over the sky, he collapsed in the carriage, completely exhausted.
Victor smiled at him. “You’ve done well tonight. I’m sure you’re tired, but you’ve carried yourself admirably.”
His eyelids fluttered heavily, looking at Victor through his lashes. His eyes slipped shut, and he was soundly asleep.
He didn’t remember returning home, nor getting himself to bed. But somehow, he woke up late the following afternoon in his own room. He sat up, feeling distinctly confused and more than a little lost. His mouth was parched. He slowly rose out of bed and pulled a robe over his bed clothes.
He crept out of his room, looking around. Ethan was quick to arrive, finding him in the hallway.
He bowed respectfully. “It is good to see you awake and well. You returned late, so I chose to allow you to sleep. Are you hungry? I can have food prepared for you.”
“A little,” William murmured. “I don’t recall getting home.”
He and Ethan walked to the kitchen. “You were soundly asleep and carried to bed. I attempted to rouse you to put on your nightclothes, but you barely stirred. Did everything go alright last night?”
William nodded tiredly. “Yes, things went according to plan, as far as I can tell. I sincerely hope that this is the end of things. There is still evil in this world, but… hopefully one source of it has been snuffed out.”
“Indeed,” Ethan agreed. Will sat on the edge of the counter, watching with heavy eyes as Ethan prepared a quick, simple meal. Beside the food, Ethan placed a scone that must have been baked in advance.
William ate in silence for a while, before looking up from his plate at last. “The scone is delicious. Did you purchase them from a bakery?”
Ethan shook his head. “No, Victor left them when he dropped you off. I tested one of them to ensure they were safe to eat, and was surprised to find how delicious they were. Please let me know if you’d like for me to fetch another one.”
William hummed to himself, nibbling at the scone thoughtfully. The flavor was buttery and delicious, just the right balance of flavors and a perfect consistency. He would have to ask what bakery Victor bought them from.
“Your father’s country estate is being made ready for the end of the season,” Ethan said once Will had finished.
Will hummed to himself. “I think I should like to stay in London just a little longer. There is still so much to do, after all.”