Fathoms Below Progress Log

⚠️Leona Kingscholar

⚠️TW: Abuse, accidental murder, shunning

This is my personal rewrite for Leona Kingscholar's backstory.

Leona came before a scene bright with colors, the sounds of life and laughter in it before it faded to grey and the cheers were replaced with yelling and screaming. He remembered this all too well.

"From the moment I was born, there was a rock on my shoulders, but I didn't need to move it." He tried to keep a stoic expression as he saw his younger self play with his brother, mother, and father. It was a happy memory for him, even if he was a toddler.

"Mama! Mama!" Young Leona toddled happily to his mother. "What are you doing, my little lion?" Leona's mother chuckled happily as she picked Leona up. "Pouncing so I can be like you!" "Hm. What do you think, Themba? Should we let an old pro teach Leona and Fikile how it's done?" Leona bounced up and down happily. "Yes, mama, yes! Teach me and Falena!" Leona could not pronounce Fikile yet, so he called his brother Falena. Fikile, or, Falena, chuckled. "I want to learn too, please mom?" "Okay, thank you. John, turn around please." John laughed as he turned around before Themba, Fikile, and Leona tackled John and laughed together as a family. "We're a family, right?" Leona asked. Fikile, Themba, and John nodded at Leona's question. "And we'll always be together, right?" Fikile nodded. "We'll always be here for you, Leona. We promise." Themba agreed. "And let me tell you something my father told me. The great kings of the past look down on us from the stars, so if you ever feel lost afraid, or alone, look to the stars. They will always be there to guide you and so will we." Leona nodded and reached out to grab the stars happily, as though he could reach them with his tiny hands.

"I remember when life and laughter echoed the palace halls, I didn't care about not being the king as I wished to just be like my mother and do good for the kingdom. I knew there was much I could do for my country and people and I hoped to help those in need, until the rock became a boulder." Leona mused to himself as he looked back on this memory, he couldn't bear to watch as he shielded his eyes.

"Come on, Leona! Let's go play together!" Fikile beckoned Leona to come play with him, as he had a surprise for him. Themba was coming home from her diplomatic mission early. "Okay, Falena!" But then an unexpected tragedy struck. There was a flood from a nearby river and Leona got trapped in it. "What's-what's happening!?!? Mama!!!!!! HELP!!!!!!!!" Leona screamed for help as he tried to swim to safety. "Leona!!!!!!!!" Themba bravely called out to Leona and dove after him, hoisting him out of the water and to safety, only to get caught in the flood herself. "MOM!!!!!!" Leona shrieked in terror. "Falena!!!!! Go get help!!!!!" Leona shouted to Fikile. Fikile nodded and sprinted to the palace, only to turn back as he saw Leona attempt to save Themba by redirecting the flood as his unique magic manifested for the first time. "King's Roar!!!!!" What he didn't expect was that the spell would backfire horribly and the whole river would turn to sand with Themba still in it, and that she would turn to sand as well. Leona and Fikile locked eyes in horror before John and a huge crowd showed up.

"Leona! What have you done! How could you do this to your own mother!?" John roared angrily, as Leona desperately tried to explain himself. "I didn't mean to! It was an accident! Don't hurt me, papa, please!" "I should have you banished from the kingdom forever for this! To think there's a murderer in my own family!" "I'm telling the truth, papa! Falena saw it! You have to believe me-AGH!!!!!" John slapped Leona across the face, hard, and a cut appeared around his left eye as several members of the crowd turned against him. "Deception!" One yelled. "Disgrace!" Another shouted. "An outrage!" Yet another sneered. "He has never been one of us!" Someone else growled. Despite this, others looked on sympathetically and tried to defend Leona and advise people against jumping to conclusions. "He is a child! Most children aren't capable of murder!" One insisted fervently. "Wow, the Queen just died and all you can do is blame a literal baby for her death? For shame." Another scolded those who blamed Leona and assumed the worst.

"It was only because of the mercy of a select few that I was spared and allowed to keep my title and place in my home. 'We'll always be there for you.' Yeah right. My own father turned on me and became cruel and mean while my brother said nothing to defend me and I became hated and feared because of his silence, he only spoke up for me when it was too late. The damage had already been done even if I had been pardoned."

"Crown prince Fikile is such a bright and cheerful young man. I don't understand why his younger brother has to be so moody all the time." One of Leona's attendants gossiped snootily. "And he possesses such a terrifying power! Imagine being able to turn anything to sand! It's a pity he was found innocent for Themba's death when we all know the truth!" King Kendrick of the Kingdom of Heroes responded snobbishly. "Both of you, cease this conversation at once! That's mean! Besides, what if he hears you!?" Queen Éliane of The Sunshine Lands scolded the two for their rudeness.

"I bet this is what people would say if they knew the truth about what happened: 'Prince Leona is a judicious young man— look how he controls such powerful magic! I don't understand how Fikile could have just remained quiet when their father turned against him!' This was never because I was born second. It was because my brother did nothing when I needed him the most. Our father has run the kingdom to the ground since. What's more, because I was unfairly blamed for my mother's death, the people, rival monarchs and nobles, the council, and even the servants would try to find fault in me no matter what —just so they could use it as a pretext to praise my brother. No matter what I do, I can never prove my innocence." Leona then recalled the last time he and his brother spoke, it was an argument.

"Leona! Why weren't you at today's ceremony?" Fikile demanded Leona, who had been napping in his room. "Ceremony? Ah, you mean the self-indulgent party where you show off your son to the people? Yeah, sorry I missed that. I fell asleep." Leona responded sarcastically. "Showing the people the face of their future king is an important affair." Fikile insisted stubbornly. "Yeah, it's a happy day for sure—also known as the day the despised second son loses what little claim he had to the throne forever." Leona buried his face in the covers. "Do not frame it in such terms! You may never become king, but you are still wise. There is much you could do for this country, Leona." Fikile tried to reassure Leona. Leona got up abruptly and his eyes held barely restrained anger. "Must be nice to be the firstborn, huh? You can spend every day staying silent and doing nothing regarding politics and family issues yet still become king. Maybe if this country selected its kings on whether or not they speak up to defend their loved ones and what they believe in instead of holding their tongue when their voice is most needed, I'd be motivated to do something with that wisdom. Now if you'll excuse me, I have someone I need to speak with." Leona left the room as Fikile called after him. "Leona, wait! Leona! I'm sorry!" Fikile fell to his knees and wept and as Leona looked back on these memories, he wept too.

"Why do I have to spend my life feeling this way, just 'cause I was blamed for something I didn't do? I only wanted to be king and prove I'm the best so I could prove my innocence, make my mother proud, and escape the abuse I've endured my whole life, but no matter how hard I study, no matter what I say or do, I'll be considered my mother's killer from the day I was born till the day that I die. Being the king won't change anything and deep down, I know this, but there's no other way out. It was either win the Spelldrive tournament, which would allow me to run away through getting a career in Spelldrive, or become the king and use the authority that comes with it to shut down my abusers, and now I don't have any means of escape. Why...why...why...why is life so unfair!?"