Broken

From dingy, dirt-filled streets, a man gazed up at the approaching spires of a grand palace. He had been called many names in the past, but he had cast all those aside. Now, he was simply Nick. A simple name, well suited for the simple life he led nowadays. Both his name and his new life seemed a little small for him some days, but at least both were safe.

For more than two decades, Nick lived the sort of life that would never require him to go anywhere near such a marvelous palace as the one he was headed towards. But he had known the whole time that one day, he would have to make the trip.

Most passersby didn't give the palace's tall, smooth-hewn stone walls and sky-piercing towers a second glance. After all, it was something the residents saw every day. Visitors to the town were easy to spot thanks to their wide-eyed stares at the fine architecture. Nick was different, though. The grand building filled him with conflicting emotions. When he could bear them no more, he turned his eyes downward to the cobblestone street. He could almost believe that the palace wasn't even really there.

Nick was so caught up in his thoughts that he didn't notice the commotion behind him until he was almost trampled by it. The thundering of marching boots and clacking hooves finally pulled him back to reality, and he looked back just in time to realize he needed to move, and fast.

"Make way! Make way for the queen! Step aside for the Lady Chainbreaker!"

The call came from an imposing man in full plate armor, riding atop an enormous warhorse. The crest emblazoned on the colorful tunic he wore over the armor clearly identified him as the captain of the royal guard. Nick leapt to the edge of the street, earning an impatient gesture from the captain for his late reaction, but nothing more.

Following behind the captain was a whole procession of people. Most of them were soldiers in full armor, and a few members of the royal court who trailed behind, but what drew Nick's eye was the litter the guards surrounded, carried by impressively muscled laborers.

Atop the litter was a woman of unsurpassed beauty. Nick gazed at her, and began following the procession without even realizing it so he could keep her in his sight. Her olive skin was flawless, her hair tumbled over her shoulders in perfect chestnut curls, and her tall yet delicate frame was held in a relaxed, self-assured manner that clearly marked her as royalty. She was slightly too old to be called a young woman, but she had an ageless quality that could only come from having immortal blood.

All of these things Nick noticed, but most of all he was drawn to her eyes. The eyes tell you the true nature of a person, and these eyes weren't what he expected. Her eyes weren't kind, or wise, or even proud. They were fierce, even harsh, and uncompromising. And, deep down, they were bitter. Part of Nick wanted to look only at her eyes, but the rest wanted to look anywhere else. Even if one were to be fooled by the rest of her, one look at her eyes confirmed that the title "Lady Chainbreaker" was perfect for her.

One of the soldiers took notice that Nick was trotting alongside the procession, and shoved him back. He tumbled head over heels, and the procession went on without him.

Nick dusted himself off as he climbed to his feet. He had hoped to make his trip to the palace while the queen was away, and security was lax. This complicated things. Briefly, he considered coming back another day, but he dismissed the idea quickly. It was important that he did this today. He'd just have to improvise.

He ducked into an alley, and focused. It had been a while since he'd used much magic, but before long it flowed just like it used to. His whole appearance changed: nondescript blond hair became orange, his tanned skin grew pale, and even his clothes followed, from rough, itchy wool to finely woven cotton.