Victoria Tiger
Later, after meeting Natasha, what she said really stuck in my head.
"Stealing kids, huh?"
It lingered. Haunted me, even. So I decided to investigate.
I cancelled my presence and slipped back into the slums. I wandered from shadow to shadow, gathering whispers and watching carefully. When the sun began to set, I headed home. But the next day, I returned. And the day after that. And the day after that.
Don't worry, it wasn't for nothing. I learned a lot.
I found out that Natasha ruled the slums, in her own way. Her name carried weight. People respected her. Her place was one of the safest around. And then, finally, I got a lead—someone said the kids were being taken near the city's edge.
So I shifted my focus there. Every day for a month, I watched.
And then—finally—something.
A little girl, six or seven at most, was taken.
I'd been using her as bait. Cold? Maybe. But I made sure knights from the castle—those on break—passed by her regularly. She sold charms with her mother. They'd arrive early, just as the sun rose. Her mother, pale and thin, would hug her daughter before leaving. Sick, probably.
The girl would sit there alone, all day, selling. Then her mother would return to pack up the stall.
This time, her mother came too late—after dark.
The girl was gone.
I followed the kidnappers.
They carried her through the alleys, toward the edge of the slums, and entered a small house. I approached the door, close enough to hear their voices through the cracked window. I could feel something stirring inside me. My curse... reacting.
"How many did you catch?"
"Nine."
"Nice. Today we did well. What time's the carriage coming?"
"Late afternoon."
"We better move. The Division Knights are getting close."
"They're nothing. They lost too much power in the Great Grudge War."
There were eight of them. I pulled my hood lower, hiding my face. Slowly, deliberately, I opened the door.
All eyes turned to me.
My lips curled into a smile. My heart was racing. Every sense screamed one thing:
Kill.
"Hi!!" I chirped, waving like I belonged there.
"Who the hell are you?!" one of them barked, already drawing his sword.
"Oh, who am I?" I asked, tapping my cheek. "I don't know... do you?"
"She's crazy."
"Doesn't matter. Just kill her!"
Five of them charged. One stayed in the back with the kids. As they came, I drew my daggers.
Time to play.
The first guy was skinny. He slashed horizontally—I ducked, stabbed him in the gut, and kicked his legs. He fell backward. I slit his throat.
The next three paused—shocked.
I didn't wait. I slashed the second man's stomach open. That snapped the others out of it. They tried to surround me.
Bad move.
"True Weapon Art – Great Tiger Technique: Rampaging Tiger Claws."
The Hashi inside me surged wildly. My body glowed blood-red. Speed, strength, hunger.
One of them thrust at my head—I ducked, cut his wrists clean off. He screamed, stumbling. Another was smarter—he channeled Hashi into his blade.
So I threw my dagger into his eye.
He screamed again—music to my ears.
He dropped his sword trying to yank out my "gift." I grabbed his fallen blade to parry the next attacker, then let it go. He'd thrown all his weight into it. When I stepped aside, he fell forward.
Perfect.
My dagger sliced his throat.
"BITCH!"
Eyepatch guy lunged at me with my own dagger.
Wrong move.
I threw my second dagger into his forehead. Silence.
I plucked my daggers from his hand and skull, then walked over to the wristless man bleeding out on the floor. My hood had fallen. My face was exposed. I smiled brightly—like a child in a candy store.
He looked up at me, eyes wide with horror.
The room was soaked in red. Walls, floor, even the ceiling.
I blinked. How did blood get up there?
I looked at myself—coated in it.
Then the door burst open.
And there she was.
Dark skin. One long braid. Purple eyes.
Natasha.
She stared. I stared back. My smile faded. I flicked my daggers clean, blood spattering across the floor.
I picked up the little girl.
"Fun's over," I muttered.
As I passed her, Natasha finally spoke.
"Victoria... what are you going to do with that girl?"
"I'm returning her to her mom," I said, too tired to play games.
"Thanks," she said. Sincerely.
I smiled weakly. "Sure."
After that, I made the little girl my personal attendant and moved her mother into the castle. A small way to pay back the debt.
Three months later, there was a ruckus at the gate.
A boy demanded to see me.
I let him through. The first thing he did?
"Thank you for saving me back there."
"Huh? What do you mean?" I tried to play dumb.
"In the slums," he said. "You saved me from those kidnappers."
"Oh? Are you sure it was me?"
"Yes. I remember the red edges of your hair... and that smile."
I chuckled. "Is that all?"
He bowed so low his forehead touched the floor.
"If there's any way I can repay the debt... just say the word, Your Highness."
My eyes widened. Then a grin spread across my face.
"So be it. If you truly feel in debt, then it's simple—be my knight. Swear your loyalty. Swear your life to me."
"I would do that gladly."
"What's your name, my knight?"
He lifted his head.
"My name is Lennon Cove, Your Highness."
I grinned—not with amusement, but with interest.
"Lennon," I repeated.
He looked up at me with light in his eyes—light I didn't have.
I stood from my chair. Only the three of us were there—me, Lennon, and my little attendant.
"Lennon, remember what I said. Swear your loyalty... and your life."
Sweat ran down his face.
"Yes, Your Highness."
He was afraid. I was radiating killing intent.
"Raise one hand," I ordered.
He raised his left.
I began conjuring a Hashi Art. One I'd seen Killian use. A binding art.
It would ensure three things:
He could never lie to me.
His loyalty would be absolute.
I'd always know where he was—and he could always sense me.
Oh, and if I ever wanted to?
I could kill him instantly.
I'd practiced it. Perfected it.
"Hashi Art: Seal of Undying Loyalty."
A red glow filled the room. A symbol formed on the back of Lennon's hand.
Smiling brightly, I patted his head.
Now I had a knight I could trust. And an attendant too.
I told Lennon to keep the seal hidden at all times.
Later, I introduced him to Her Majesty Flora. She approved. My attendant began training with the other girls. Lennon began training with the knights.
And just like that... my court began to take shape.