The Hidden Jewel

Viktor: Fleeing Into The Night

Night hanged outside still young, but Viktor was wide awake. He ran through the corridor, tripping over his own feet, struggling to keep up with his father. The grip on his hand was so firm that he was sure it wouldn't give for anything, even if someone came from behind to tear him away from his father. The grip on his hand may have meant to be reassuring, but it only inspired more fear. His father never held him like that before. He looked up to his father who never looked back to him. They just kept running past people and walls filled with paintings and art he had seen all his life.

"Papa-" He meant to sound mature with no fear, but his chest was too tight to keep that act up. He'd ridden horses and practiced with swords since he was little, but he was out of breath now.

"Keep up, Viktor."

"Where are we going?"

He didn't answer until they were in the drawing room. His father had told him stories many nights in front of a roaring fire while he sat on the rug. His father sat in his armchair as he told stories of when he was a child like Viktor before sending him off to bed.

He only let go of his hand once they stood by the far wall. His father shoved aside a book case, almost tipping it over with the amount of force he used. Where the case had been, there was a panel of wall only a little bigger than Viktor was. His father pushed on the panel and it sprung open. He pulled it completely open and pushed Viktor to it.

"This leads outside," he said quickly. "Get out, find somewhere safe."

"You have to come, too!"

"I'll find another way out," he reassured him. His father was too worked up to remember how to lie though. He knelt infringing of Viktor and pulled something out if his pocket. "Take this."

Viktor saw the light from flames outside reflect off a metal piece that was pushed into his hands.

"Keep it safe."  He pushed Viktor's fingers around the small trinket. "Remember who you are. You are Viktor Yakevich Nikiforov, Tsarevich of Russia." He quickly hugged Viktor and the boy froze. His father whispered one last thing in his ear before gently pushing him into the passage way in the wall and closing the panel behind him.

Viktor was sealed in darkness. He'd never been in this passage way before, he hadn't even known it had existed. And despite having been in the servant passages before, he hadn't ever been alone. Yuuri had always been with him, leading the way as they ran through the passages that lead all throughout the palace when they were younger. Being one of the many servants in the palace, Yuuri knew all of the passages by heart. They were ways that only the servants used to get from room to room quickly. Now that Viktor was on his own, every piece of knowledge he had ever had about the passages fled to the corners of his mind. It didn't help when he began to think of Yuuri. He didn't even know where he was. He assumed he was asleep, maybe he had been doing one of his duties late. He only hoped he was able to get out. Maybe the servants had a way to get out that he didn't know of and they were all safe right now.

Viktor put the trinket his father had trusted him with safely into his pocket before he leaned forward. He went forward through the passage on his hands and knees. Years ago he was able to run through the passages, but now he would have to crouch and go slower. Even though he could go faster crawling, he went about half the speed he might have with Yuuri in front of him. He thought it was a few meters down when his ran into a rough wall. He pulled his hand back, grimacing at the pain that was only heightened by his fear. He reached the same hand out to his right and found nothing there and continued that way.

He couldn't hear anything besides his own breathing and the scraping of his clothing against the rock surfaces surrounding him. The walls were very think rock, that's the only solution he could come up with.

As he crawled along, he wondered where his father was at that moment. Was he running out of the palace with everyone else? Had he just sent Viktor through here to get him out quickly? But, then why hadn't he come along as well? Maybe he was giving him time to get out ahead of him. He would meet him outside the palace walls. This is what Viktor convinced himself of, even though he knew that there was a chance he would never see his father again.

The passage began to slope down, but luckily not enough for Viktor to start sliding down.  It seemed several minutes later when he finally reached an end. His same hand hit something solid, a spike of mild pain running through his hand. He gently knocked on the surface and heard the familiar sound of wood. He pushed against the wood, hoping it would give way to the darkness and reveal the moonlight outside. His hand felt slick with liquid that he hoped wasn't blood from hitting his hand on the walls. The wood panel gave no indication that it was any closer to moving. Viktor pushed closer and put both his hands up against it, using his body to force the panel open. There panel slipped, but Viktor didn't lean back quick enough before it flew open. He flew out, falling for only a second before hitting a cushion of snow. He sat wide-eyed for only a moment and looked up. He'd fell a few meters, enough distance for his body to have spun in the air so he landed on his back. He rolled over and pulled himself to his feet, quickly dusting off snow before he saw his hand. His knuckles were scraped up, blood already spread over his fingers without the flow ceasing. His breath picked up as his chest tightened. He clenched his jaw and thought quickly.

He tugged on the scarf around his neck until one end came out of his jacket. He pulled on his scarf until a decent amount of it was at his disposal. He held his bleeding hand straight and wrapped the end of his scarf as tightly as he could around his hand, covering his knuckles. He only hoped that the bleeding would stop soon.

He forced himself to look away from his hand, swallowing the panic and fear that now consumed him. He lifted his foot up and took a step in the deep snow. After that, his steps came one after another and didn't stop. He knew where he had to go, where his father had told him to go. He knew the place, it was only a matter of traveling across the city without attracting attention to himself.

Viktor pulled the remainder of his scarf around his neck and pulled it over his head as a hood. He ran to the back edge of the palace land to avoid the rioting crowds. Running into the streets of St. Petersburg, he made sure to keep distance from everyone, and in the cover of darkness, he fled away into the night, only thinking about his destination and not what he was leaving behind.