That push of regret was everything. But it happened, and now things were forever changed... -- Pixels By Kris
The regrets of the past poison the decisions of the here and now. Valiant Stormwight Hallowfine Whitekeep, third of the name, had watched his older brother Purity roll himself in debauchery and excess. There wasn't a girl in all the Earldom that he hadn't sweet-talked into a bedchamber or, in extremis, an alley. And why not? Bastards of the Earl's line were a guaranteed pension for the lifetime of the child.
Valiant, aged only fourteen, had had to listen to Father yell at Purity about his excesses.
"I haven't put my blood to the oathstone and why should I bother?" slurred Purity, drunk again. "I've done the maths. I'm going to sire the next demon lord and after that, what do oaths matter?"
Valiant swore he would never be like that. He would not sire a demon lord and swore to it with his blood. In five years, he would be mourning his brother, marrying his bride, and thereafter inheriting the Earldom he had never anticipated ruling.
All because Purity attempted to join the defenders of the North Wall, and did something stupid with one of the mangonels there.
For the brief space of years between his wedding and his crowning as Earl, Valiant considered all to be well. Then came the event that spoiled it all. The Whitekeep curse came to land on him. Twisted his firstborn heir into the very image of a demon. The ninth such beast to come into the Whitekeep line.
Valiant could have blamed himself. He could have easily blamed himself. As it was, the memory of a hundred parental chidings filled his head. How dare you invoke the curse! How dare you go this far astray!
It was all Purity's fault. Of course it was. If Purity hadn't been such a raging hedonist and kept it in his pants, or at least kept himself sober, then the line would have continued through him and then Valiant could keep his vows.
Purity was dead. Uninfluenced by Valiant's rage.
Next in line for his fury was his wife. Emmalaina. She had to be at fault! The result of infidelity when in association with the Whitekeep Curse was, of course, begetting a Hellkin. Though her innocence was proven when the little beast was tested and proven a true heir.
If only, if only... If only his father had warned him. If only his brother had shared his mathematics. If only the gods had listened. If only his wife had suffered some accident or flaw, and the demon had not lived its first day...
If only the demon child hadn't made him forsworn by existing.
Other if only's came later. When the beast was grown into an insolent, grinning devil who managed somehow to hold all the cards. And hold all the power.
The seat of the Earldom had always chosen who sat in it. Beyond all logic, beyond all reason, it let a Demon Lord reign instead of him.
If only the Hellkin had died during his adventuring phase.
It had to be a lie. The biggest lie there ever had been. Something so huge and enormous that only Valiant could see it. He was still the Earl. He still had power. He could outlive the beast if he just worked at it...
Everyone else believed the Demon Lord ruled. That creature had to have some trick. Some lie. Some foul and corrupted magic over everyone. Something that made everyone else call the Demon Lord fair and just and righteous.
Nobody would listen. Nobody would accept the truth only Valiant could see. Nobody would obey Valiant, the true Earl.
It had to be all their fault.
Valiant had sworn a sacred oath. That was everything. Anything else didn't matter.
And yet, the last time he tested himself on the seat of power, it had told everyone that it was Valiant who was the bastard.
If only...
If only...
[Image (c) Can Stock Photo / Jurij]
If you like my stories, please Check out my blog and Follow me. Or share them with your friends!
[75 remaining prompts] Please don't send any more prompts for now. Thank you.