The Toy Prince

14. Niklaus

The impact of the nutcracker breaking hit Niklaus like a ton of bricks. It was nothing like he'd expected. For starters it hurt. It felt like someone had stabbed every inch of his body with red hot needles and was wriggling them around to be extra cruel. Had it hurt when Axel first imprisoned him? It had been so long ago that he couldn't really remember he wanted to scream out but he had no voice with which to do so. The pain had stolen it.

He had to get this under control. Ursula was alone with his Father which was not a good place to be. She needed him to get a grip and open his damn eyes. He tried but it was no use.

The pain was too much.

The only thing he could think about apart from the pain was Ursula. When had she become so important to him? She had been his anchor in the vast darkness that had nearly consumed him. Only she had pulled him back from the madness. His only regret was that it had taken him so long to do so. Too long and now she hated him. He couldn't blame her. After all she'd hurt her beyond anything that could heal. The best he could hope for was that they could be friends.

He needed to get back to her.

That was the final push he needed to fight through the pain and open his eyes. He was confronted with the concerned face of his Father. He turned his head, searching for Ursula. She stood a few paces away from him. He had never seen something so beautiful in all of his life. Unfortunately he couldn't lie there forever and just gaze at her. He had to get up. He rolled onto his side with a groan and pushed himself up.

"Son? How is this possible?"

"What are you talking about?" Niklaus asked because everyone was looking at him strangely. Everyone except Ursula that was.

"You're OK?" she asked, rushing at him and enveloping him into a hug. It felt so good. "I was worried it hadn't worked. You were gone for so long. What happened?"

"It hurt. A lot. It took all of my senses for a while but I got through it," he replied.

"Son?"

His Father's voice was more insistent now, demanding that he turn around and pay attention. Niklaus turned reluctantly to face his Father effectively ending the hug.

"Looks like you are still good at making a nuisance of yourself. Kidnapping is a new low for you, don't you think?"

"You haven't aged a day. I can't believe it," Conrad said, completely ignoring the question.

Niklaus walked up to his Father so that there was barely an inch of space between them. He may not have aged a day but his Father certainly had. He was putting on a good front but Niklaus knew all of his tells. Conrad was favouring his left leg, probably an old injury coming back to haunt him. It would be so easy to know him over. He was sorely tempted to do so. Only Ursula's hand on his shoulder made him not. His Father finally noticed the interaction between them and his eyes narrowed.

"You two know each other."

It was a statement not a question.

Niklaus nodded. "We do and she has my full support as the future Queen of Konigreich. You've all seen what she can do. There's more where that came from!" the last part he raised his voice so that even the furthest person away could hear him. "If you're wise you'd surrender now before Axel's soldiers get here."

"You're being foolish son. Don't throw away everything we've worked for just because you've fallen in love with a girl," Conrad spat, his face turning an unnatural shad of purple.

"I think you need to calm down a bit Conrad. You're not looking so good," Ursula said. "Johan, can you cut the others free please?"

"What?" Conrad spun around in time to see Axel's soldiers moving in and surrounding him. Conrad turned back to them. He was so mad that he should've been spitting fire. All Niklaus wanted to do was laugh in his Father's face.

"What? Got nothing to say?" Niklaus said, not even bothering to temper his smile.

"You're a coward. Weak willed and under the thumb of her. She's in your head, twisting your thoughts until you've betrayed me. I don't even recognise you. You're not the son I lost all those years ago."

That was when Ursula slapped him.

"You're right. The Niklaus you knew is dead. A better version stands in front of you and you better take a good long look at him because you won't see him again for a very long time."

At some point during her speech her hand had made its way into his. She squeezed it softly, a reassuring gesture that calmed the anger he felt at his Father's taunts. He squeezed it back.

"What will it be Father? Surrender or a fight?"

He knew the answer before he even asked the question. His Father wasn't going to surrender. He would fight and there were enough idiots who followed him who were spoiling for a fight. It didn't matter that they would lose. They had to fight or they would look like cowards. Niklaus wanted to try and prevent that.

"Please don't do this," he begged. He was desperate to do anything but fight his Father. He would if he had to but he wanted to be able to tell himself that he'd done everything he could.

Conrad gave him a sad look before his features took on a hard aspect.

"Attack!" he screamed, giving the signal for the battle to start.

Niklaus' first instinct was to get Ursula somewhere safe. Luckily he still had hold of her hand so he could tug her away from the main fight. She didn't argue as he pulled her towards the nearest building which happened to be a dressmakers. They weren't the only ones who'd chosen to take shelter there. Ursula's Oma was there too with a badly injured Felix and an anxious Josephine.

"Oma!" Ursula embraced her Oma in a bone crushing hug. "Are you OK?"

"I'm fine honigbiene. Felix is more injured than I am," Annelie whispered. "I could murder a cup of tea though. Those heathens didn't even have a kettle."

Ursula laughed despite their dire situation. "You might have to wait a while."

"Not really. My Father's forces are outnumbered. They're good fighters but they can't hold out forever," Niklaus said and immediately regretted it. Having eight pairs of eyes suddenly trained on him was disconcerting. That some of those eyes weren't friendly didn't help either. The battle outside was suddenly a much more appealing place to be.

"Thank you for helping my Granddaughter," Annelie said emphatically, taking one of his hands in hers and squeezing it. "I cannot thank you enough."

What should have made him feel better only managed to make him feel guilty. As soon as he could he extricated his hand and looked out at the battle. As he'd predicted it was fierce but slowing down. His Father's men were getting beaten back by Axel's soldiers. Niklaus searched for his Father among the fighting. He couldn't see him but he saw plenty of people who needed his help.

"Can I trust that you'll stay here?" he asked Ursula.

She nodded. "Where are you going?"

"To help them."

Immediately she sprang to her feet and grabbed his arm. "You don't have to. You've only just been released and you're not strong enough to fight yet." She stepped closer and lowered his voice so that only he could hear her. "You have nothing to prove. To me or to anybody else."

He smiled at her and then he took a big risk. He quickly leaned in and kissed her cheek. Then, whilst she was frozen in shock, he ran out into the thick of the battle.