Excalibur's Seven | ? [LGBT]

~ 32 ~

He noticed the shimmer of her skin shining just a little brighter than before. He tried not to get his hopes up, but he didn't dare underestimate the princess, either.

The Seelie let out a yelp as she was pulled to her feet next, the men dragging her to the noose.

"Stop!" Morgana cried. To Kit's surprise, they listened. Once all eyes settled on him, he continued. "You will not enjoy the consequences of killing the Vernal Princess. Killing her alone could get the whole lot of you killed."

"He's a pixie, don't trust hi-"

"Enough," Wylan bellowed, cutting off the Knight. "Leave her. We can keep her contained. Take the boy."

The Knights dropped Giselle, but Kit couldn't even think about his relief anymore. They were taking his son now, up to the platform to be hanged.

"No," Kit breathed. "No, no, you can't do that! Stop, he's just a kid!"

The village was filled with murmurs, and the murmurs rapidly grew into chaos.

Kit looked to see a familiar face at the front of the chaos, fighting against the restraints of the knights keeping the circle back.

"He's a child!" she cried. "The rest can be examples, but not the child!"

A loud blow of trumpets silenced the village, and Wylan motioned to the Knights. Léona fell to the ground at the King's feet, looking up at him with fire in her beautiful brown eyes. Kit's heart tugged at the sight of her, more fearless than he'd ever seen her.

"My dear Léona," Wylan hums. "You used to be such a wonderful woman. What happened?"

Léona's eyes flickered towards Kit's, locking with his for a moment. "I saw the truth," she said, then looked back up at the King. "I realized how much of a privilege it was that I knew where my next meal would come from. I realized that my own people were suffering at the hands of a greedy King. I realized that a perfectly good Prince was cast aside because he had more of a heart than any of you fools, and that scares you."

Wylan laughed. "Is that so? What are you going to do about it?"

Léona's gaze never faltered. "I'm going to do the right thing."

In one swift movement, Léona stood up, pulling a blade from her skirts and lodging it into Wylan's sternum. The King fell back, but the knights didn't hesitate to plunge a blade into the woman's side in return. The fire never died from her eyes, even as her body fell limp to the ground.

Kit stood and watched as the villagers ran forward, crying out in protest. His heart shattered as he watched his people fight for him. And they fought hard, but they were hungry and unarmed and no match for the knights. Regardless, they damn well tried.

The world went quiet around him as he watched his people fall. Bodies lay out before him, cut and bleeding, their last thoughts on rebellion. Their last moments would not be sweet. They would not be peaceful.

And their deaths would all mean nothing.

Kit couldn't hear himself screaming, but as his people fought, and as his son was stood upon the stool, he cried until his voice ran dry.

He watches the stool fly from beneath the boy, watched his feet hang in the air, watched as the world fell into chaos.

With a bright flash of light, Kit felt something hit his chest and send him careening back. His head landed against a hard chestplate and the world went dark.

When he awoke moments later, the village was on fire, and everyone was on the ground. Everyone except for Lionel.

The boy stood at the platform, eyes glowing as bright as the sun, hair a pale silver. Around him were charred streaks against the wood and stone, and he was at the very center of it.