The Fall of a Kingdom

authors apology/missing chapter

Hey guys It has come to my attention that I had Damian formerly Damien hand chopped off and then never mentioned it again. So here is a little something you can pretend happened right after the coup but before he forced the seer to tell him about the prophesy.
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Damian sat on his bed seething as he looked at the stump that was once his hand. The bandages that were once white were stained red with his blood.

He hoped that boy was dead for if he ever found him he would cut both his hands off and feed them to him.

"Your Majesty the castor you requested has arrived." In front of him stood a small girl with short brown hair and dirty rags for clothes. Probably close to 13 years in age though she could be younger based on her size.

The girl kept her face towards the floor shaking in his presence. Afraid of what he might do in his anger.

"Good, send her in." His words were laced with promises of death if they were not headed immediately.

Watching the girl scurry away like a mouse would have brought him joy at any other time, but here he sat with one hand and thr princess missing.

His thoughts were sinking further into madness as the moments ticked by without the castor present. He was about to call for someone and demand that she hurry when the door opened without anyone announcing their arrival.

In the door study a woman of elderly age. Her grey hair and hunched back attesting to her age. She used a cane to walk farther into the room, each step labored.

"A hand cannot be regrown, but I can give you something better." When she smiled Damian could see that her gums were almost bare of anything even slightly resembling teeth.

"I just want my hand back, are you saying you cannot even do that?!" His barked the words in the old womans face but she did not even flinch.

Stepping closer she dropped her voice into a whisper as if the words that would come out of her mouth were secrets that she did not wish for the walls to know. "I can make it look like a hand, but it will be a weapon. Something that is a part of you and yet not. However everything comes at a price, my only question is if you are willing to pay." She shuffled over to the table that was set up with tea and sweets quickly stuffing cake into her mouth uncaring of how she would even chew it.

"What kind of price?" Damian stared at the woman who seemed too pleased with the snacks on the table to even spare him a glance.

"It will be something you want most, but you shall never have it. It will be something that you do not even know that you want." As Damian listened the parts he held onto was that it was something he himself does not even want right this second.

"Fine whatever it takes. Just fix me!"

The older woman gave a toothless grin in his direction. "Then so it shall be done. This might hurt a bit but you are a big strong man so you can take it." She winked her aged face contorting in a strange manner.

"Come here boy, I have the materials." She began to pull things out of her sleeve as if there was a bag within. However the things she pulled out could not fit inside her sleeves.
First was 5 long metal rods then a jar with what looked like human flesh packed inside. There were many weird instruments and apparatus that he had never seen before. There were other jars filled with unknown liquids and materials pulled out and lined up neatly sides by side.

"Give me your... *cough cough* nub sir." She flashed another grin that made his skin crawl. Nonetheless he showed her where his hand once was.

She grabbed it with more strength than he would have thought her frail looking hands capable. "This is gonna hurt." Before he could utter a word blinding pain shot up his arm. It felt as if he was being turned inside out one molecule at a time. He had spent years in battle receiving many slashes from swords but this pain was more than he could handle. He began to see spots, each breath struggling to pass his lips and grace his lungs with oxygen.

Opening his eyes he reached up to hold his head as aftershocks of pain ran rampant through his body. Looking around he saw that he was lying in bed not another soul in sight. He looked down at his lap where his hands lay and then did a double take. He had two hands!

He turned it in every which way but could see no difference between the hand he once had and the one he now has. He ran his hands through his hair in amazement feeling each strand as it crossed his skin. He felt great, all the pain dissipating as if it were just a bad dream.

Beside him sat a note that read:

Mr muscles make sure you take it easy the next couple days. The pain may come and go the first couple days but will be gone completely within the week. It may look like a normal hand, but is anything but. Give it 2 weeks and then say the word blade as you flick your wrist. I think you will like this surprise.

There was no name signed but he knew it was the old castor. He flexed his hand again lying back in bed with a smirk on his face. A surprise from her should be a good surprise indeed.