24 Backstory: Antonio (1)

Antonio Abbadon de Reandra, Son of the previous Empress who died giving birth to the 8th prince.

"You killed the Empress!"

"He's the Eighth prince that killed the Empress..."

"Well, trash is trash haha."

"He's so stupid, acting all nice when he was the one that killed the kind Empress, Cordelia."

People only spoke of what they heard, no one listened to me when I spoke up. I was treated like an extra burden by everyone around me. I felt so empty, lifeless, and everything was moving so slowly. Then, the little girl with black hair and shiny blue eyes visited the palace. I watched as she was complimented by everyone, including the cold Chancellor. I wanted what she had, the love she emitted from her very being was so alluring, that I wanted it for myself.

"Louise..." Her very name was so magical, it was like fairies were coming out of my mouth once I said it. I wanted to meet her one day, until the day she planned to move to Ferissia and evacuate its prince came.

"I'd like to go there personally, I want to protect the prince. He's too young to understand what's actually going on. May I?" She asked in a chirpy voice, her big round blue eyes were filled with magic, it was almost visible, to me that is. There was a glint in her eyes, [how could she be so excited for risking her life to save a stupid prince?]

The Emperor never paid attention to all his children, I was the only one that was left behind. The Maids in my palace never paid attention to me, I had to learn how to cook on my own, how to clean, sew my own clothes and to wash myself before I even learned how to speak. I was the last prince, and the only prince that would live like this. [I don't even know my mother's face...] I thought, the servants in the palace mocked me while the other princes envied me for my eyes.

My eyes were a beautiful amethyst color, crystal like real jewels would look, and ones that looked exactly like my mother's. My Mother unilke my father, had pink hair and purple eyes, whilst my father had white hair and blue eyes.

"He's to be named Antonio Abaddon, remove him from the imperial palace and give him his own." The Emperor ordered one day, he left me isolated for such a long time. The Maids that were supposed to come with me left me, but were still getting paid. So did the butlers and cooks, everyone else had left me.

[I want to meet her...Maybe she can give me what I want...]

I ran into her while she visited the castle, I'd learned illusion magic which was only part of the wind element, it was the easiest one I could learn, since I didn't know how to read.

"I wonder if I can find even cuter kids! Ack! I shouldn't be saying that, I'm a kid as well! But if you sum up the numbers from my past life and now, I'd be around 30 years old!" The girl squealed, her hair was now disheveled as she had rubbed it way too hard. As she struggled with keeping up with her own mind, I disguised myself as a boy with white platinum hair and normal blue eyes, My clothes were kept the same. Until she bumped into me, "Sorry, it's my fault, If you ever need anything you can call me whenever you want, I am Louise de Baudelaire. Just not something illegal, I did mess up your toes, so I should at least do this much." She spoke softly, [no one's ever spoken to me like that...] I pondered lost in thought, I couldn't help but stare at her. Her eyes were so bright and innocent, she reminded me of a pomeranian* dog.

*cute small dog with beady eyes*

"Hmm...Can I ask for a favor?" She asked as I stepped back a bit because she had gotten a bit too close, I nodded, "As long as it's something within my reach." I declared, putting my small short arms across my chest, She smiled brigtly and giggled scarily.

"..?"

[Why do I have a bad feeling about this? This girl is so weird…]

"Can I touch your hair? And pat your head?"

"I'm not a dog!" I barked

"I know but your hair looks so fluffy and nice!" She teased her smile was so contagious that I almost found myself smiling as well.

"What?"

"It's something you can do for me right?" Her eyes were literally begging me to let her or I'd regret it. I couldn't take her puppy eyes anymore and sighed nodding. "Fine, You'll still pay me back after this."

"Anything you need I'll give to you if it's withing my power," She grinned, I lowered my head with my arms still across my chest, until I felt something heavy wrapped around my waist. I opened my eyes to find the girl clinging onto me, hugging me. "Hey! That wasn't a part of the deal!-"

"Hehe, then I owe you big time for this. You're just so warm and fluffy!"

[What is wrong with this girl? Why does she keep invading my personal space? but...I want to stay like this even for a little while longer...]

"You're Louise?"

"Yep! that's my name!"

"I'll remember that but please let go of me, I have a job to do." I shrugged her arms off me, She nodded even though she herself was disappointed.

"Yes yes…" She replied silently, My eyebrows creased near my forehead as I sighed and walked away from her silently.

[I hope we meet again someday...]

"You stupid brat! Didn't you know you couldn't go out of the palace today?! Thanks to you my salary was lowered!" A Maid shouted as she kicked me harshly to the wall, purple bruises on my face were marked and I threw up the very little food I had eaten earlier. She then grabbed me by the rim of my shirt and managed to slap me with the little strength she had.

My eyes widened in shock as I looked back up at her, I remember her face as clear as day. She had a wide nose, thick unbrows and small eyes that looked just as empty as mine. I just clenched my teeth and stayed silent until she finished beating me up for the day.

"Useless trash..." She mumbled before taking her leave. The room was now in a mess and I was to clean the palace all over again from head to toe, I sighed and a small smile spread across my face, [I wonder when I'll be able to escape from this again...I hope father doesn't find out...]

18 years old--

"Wow! He managed to slice all those monsters within a meter!"

"Is that the prince? He's so handsome!"

"Isn't that the eighth prince? I thought he was cursed with an ugly spell but he's so handsome!"

"Huh? I don't see anything on his face?"

"I know, they must have spread awful rumors about him because they were jealous." Noblewomen murmured and giggled as they watched the heroic Antonio slice through the bodies of Minotaurs within a single hit. He huffed and puffed, trying to keep his distance.

[I'll have to work a bit harder today, I might burn out in the middle of war someday if I keep going on like this...] I thought and walked away from the borders where nobles were crossing to arrive at the capitol.

"What the hell?" I looked up to see a dark purple light being emitted from inside the forest, I looked around and people were frozen. Not in fear but as if they didn't see anything, as if they'd been frozen in time except for me. I narrowed my eyes at the dark light and sighed walking towards the source in the middle of the forest. As I stepped on twigs and branches I finally managed to find the source of all the light in the eerie and violent forest. The animals were also frozen in time, So I looked around for anything that could be moving just like me, but there was none.

[What exactly is going on here?] I scanned the place but there was nothing but plants, animals, and insects that were frozen in time. I walked to the dark light in the center, there was a sword in a stone with words engraved on it.

[To you, whom may wield this sword some day, only the brave may take.]

"What? What type of stupid logic is this? This is preposterous!" I exclaimed in agony, [I'm not brave...Why would I take the sword? But considering that it is the reason that everything is frozen in time I might have to take it. But wouldn't that mean that just about anybody can take it?]

I waltzed over to the sword in the stone casually and pulled it out with very little strength, it started a tornado as soon as I touched it, A sweet and alluring voice called out, "Will you take responsibility, for the lives you will take with this heavenly sword that was made by Hephaestus, the smithing God?" The voice echoed through my head rining constantly, I shut my eyes with all my might and yelled, "NO!"

"What?!" The sword shouted, it was enraged, "How could a human like you, ever come to order me around! Don't you want absolute power?!" The sword exclaimed, almost as if the sword itself was in question. " I said No!" I replied with a loud shout, everything else around me was back to normal and the sword started to chuckle, "What a peculiar human indeed. I'll be in your care!" She squealed, the irritation in her voice was gone and now it was filled with the curiosity of a child.

"We shall see each other again, Great Devil..." The sword mumbled as it went back to its original state, I walked out of the forest still processing everything, [what does she mean we'll see each other again? I don't wanna see it again! Tch. this was all against my own will. What's with people always going against everything I do?] I brushed the bushes from my face as I saw countless men lying on the ground dead, my comrades lying on the ground.

As I walked between their bodies in shock and horror, One of them reached for my leg and said, "A-Antonio, run a-away..." Until his grip was loosened and the life was sucked out of him. "P-Peter?" I queried, tears started forming around my eyes, I tried to push back my tears for the friends I had made.

"Hey buddy! Let's go drink a bit! It'll cheer you up!" Peter would smiled brightly at me, and took care of me when no one else did. [what did I do wrong to deserve all this? What did I do to feel suffer like this?] I cried, I kneeled besides peter's big body, his scrawny uneven short beard that always tickled my face when he rubbed my head, his big tummy that he would put my face in, the huge hands that taught me how to swing a sword, and that huge smile that taught me how to love. All these things always escape from my arms, why did it have to be me? When will I finally be able to live in peace with the people I love?

[WHY???] It started to rain as my tears fell from my face, they rolled down like a child would on a hill, I clutched my heart yelling in pain, "AGHHHHHH!!! WHY!? YOU DAMNED GOD!!" I shouted for hours and hours with no end. until I finally felt nothing...

I made a grave for all of my friends in the forest and walked away, my legs were wobbling as I did. I ooked down with longing but then there was this emptiness in my eyes, and a glint of hatred.

"HAHAHAHAHA!~ They were THAT weak I tell you! Ey! you know the fatty? He was begging for us to not go into the forest! He was begging us to leave his friend alone! Ha! That pig should've just stayed quiet! BUahahaha!~" I heard mocking voices, Laughter and joy. I clenched my teeth and looked down at the pendant peter had left behind. [this is for you peter...] I darted towards the men that were withing the forest walking towards the borders, I unsheathed my sword and spotted the two men with bottles of beer, one of them caught eye of me and took out a staff releasing a spell.

[tch.]

"Oi! Who're you? ya sure he ain't one of those the pig was travellin' with?" The mage said, first directing at me then at his comrade, I grew angry and fought off the levitation spell he'd cast on me. Getting up from the ground i darted towards them again at lightning speed, the mage couldn't keep up with me until he cast another spell, I managed to destroy his staff and stop him from casting anything.

My eyes burned with hatred, they were magenta the moment I became violent, "I'd love to see your blood pain this forest, now wouldn't that be nice?" I grinned, as I caught both of them off guard against a tree, they were both trembling and quivering like rabbits would in front of a panther. "UWAGHHH! N-no! P-please! have mercy! you can have me money if that's what y-you're looking for!-" I grinned maliciously and sliced both their heads off as they rolled along the grass, I walked away form them and sighed slightly in relief and then in anguish.

[I never wanna loose anyone ever again...can't i just not love anyone then?]

"Antonio..."

[what was that?]

"You idiot! how could you ever say you'll never love again? with that handsome face of yours, even I could love you for all eternity!" I heard a girl giggle, my eyes were in shock, I looked around and found no one. it was as if the voice was ringing in my head.

"A Villain either needs redemption or has to be a smart, hot and handsome one! hehe...If you want I'll take you in!" The girl's voice still rang in my head, [make it stop!]

[is this all because of my deep desires? I don't want to--]

"only love can thaw a frozen heart..." I heard the a voice say, it giggled and talked as if it knew me, but I never came to know.

Because once I found her it drove me insane, just looking at her calms me, touching her relieves me. [I want her...I still do...but does she want me..?]