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Colby had continued to practice for hours on end, trying so hard to gain control of his powers. He didn't understand. He had had it. Kat sat watching him, noticing that he was acting different. She walked over to him and sat beside him.
"You okay?" asked Kat. "You don't seem as focused as before."
"Maybe I should go back," said Colby, hanging his head.
"What!?" shouted Kat. "You can't go back. You're free here. You really want to live a life in solitude!?"
"Maybe it's for the best," explained Colby.
Kat stood up firmly. "This is because of Sam isn't it!!" she said angrily. "You have to let him go, he's holding you back. You're stronger without him and you know it."
"Why would you say that!??" said Colby, offended. He stood to meet her. "He's my brother and he comes before everything, even my powers. I realize that now."
"You're really gonna leave this all behind?" said Kat.
"I have to," explained Colby. "You wouldn't understand." Colby turned and began to walk towards the door of the palace.
Kat watched him in disbelief. "It's always the same song and dance with you royals," she said mockingly.
"Yea? Well get used t-." Colby let go of the door handle and slowly turned to face Kat. "How did you know I was a royal?" he asked in surprise.
Kat had a worried look on her face. "Don't you remember," explained Kat. "You told me when we first met."
"I never told you that part," said Colby. He slowly backed away from her when he saw an evil grin spread across her face. "Who are you?!"
Kat laughed. "Oh Colby, I'm surprised you don't remember me," she explained. "After all..." her eyes turned a glossy white. "You're the one who made me like this."
Colby didn't have time to react as Kat flung him against the wall of the palace. He fell to the ground in pain. She approached him, her hand outstretched and her eyes glowing white. He struggled to get up as ice chains shot from the palace walls and clamped around his wrists, the cold burning his skin. Colby struggled against them, falling to his knees.
"You won't break those," Kat began. "You're not strong enough." She slid her finger menacingly down Colby's cheek. "I made a few upgrades to this place over the years."
"You lied to me?" asked Colby.
Kat laughed again. "Not like it was hard," she started. "You were so broken. It was almost too easy."
"You didn't answer my question!" said Colby. "Who. Are. You?!!"
"You really don't remember, do you?" asked Kat, standing up to loom over him. "I'm not surprised, honestly."
Colby looked at her curiously, not sure what she meant.
"That night, the one where you wounded those travellers?" she started. "Bet you didn't know they had children with them, did you?"
"What are you talking about?" asked Colby, still trying to free himself from the chains.
"Those travellers you wounded," started Kat. "They were my parents." Colby eyes went wide.
"Yea, that's right," she continued. "They tried to protect my brother and I that night. But it was no use, you had struck us all. I watched as your parents grabbed you and your brother, and took off running, how you didn't bother to try and help us, to see if we were alright. My parents died later that night, out in the cold, freezing. They died because of you."
"My parents were scared," replied Colby. "They weren't thinking straight; they didn't know what to do."
"That's the best excuse you could come up with!" shouted Kat.
"Kat," started Colby. "Listen to me."
Kat formed and icicle in her hand and slashed Colby across the cheek. He winced in pain as blood rolled down his cheek.
"Shut up!!" she yelled. "You cursed my brother and I with these powers for eternity! We were forced to leave our village, we were resented by our people, they said we were monsters, devils, wicked, all the while you lived your perfect little life inside those castle walls, with your dirty little secret. All these years, acting like it never happened!!"
"It was an accident Kat," explained Colby. "I'm sorry."
"You're not sorry about what you did!" she said angrily. "You're only sorry you got caught. My brother and I spent years mastering these powers when we left. Growing stronger, every minute of every day, preparing for this moment."
"Why now?" asked Colby. "Why wait this long?"
"Because you were preparing to take the throne," explained Kat. "The thought of you ruling a kingdom, knowing what you had done, that was enough for us. We grew stronger by the minute. Even taking down that ship was easier than we thought."
Colby shot his eyes up at her. "Ship?" he questioned.
"You killed my parents Colby," she started. "I thought I should return the favor."
Now Colby was angry. Colby used all his strength to try and break free from the chains, pulling as hard as he could, his eyes glowing white, but the chains kept hold.
"My brother and I watched you for years, waiting for the perfect time to strike," Kat explained. "Everything fell perfectly into place. The only thing left to do, was to figure out how to get your attention. That was the hardest part really, but then, we witnessed that night at the fjord. We finally saw your weakness."
If looks could kill, Kat would've been dead. She beamed, loving how she taunted him.
"The rest was simple really," she continued. "I had my brother sneak past the castle walls, and get a rise out of you, now that we knew how."
"You said your brother was dead," replied Colby.
"I said a lot of things Colby," started Kat, "and you were stupid enough to believe me. You were so easy to manipulate. Brennen knew it the moment he saw you that night."
"The boy from the coronation," said Colby. "He's your brother?"
"You catch on quick," said Kat smiling. "He knew your only option would be to leave, that's where I came in."
"So now what?" asked Colby. "You kill me."
Kat laughed once again. "Kill you? No, no, I'm not gonna kill you. I want you to suffer like we did. I want your people to know what you really are; and when your kingdom freezes over, they'll know exactly who to blame; the king that abandoned them and became so corrupted by his power."
Colby sneered at her. Kat couldn't help but smile when she saw she was getting to him.
"And imagine how they'll feel when they find out that you've killed the only family you have left," she said mockingly.
"Leave them out of this," pleaded Colby. "They've done nothing to you."
"Wrong!" snapped Kat, lowering to her knees to be at eye level with Colby. "They're just as guilty as you are for going along with this little charade. The trap is set, and then together, Brennen and I will finally end your bloodline, once and for all. Then, when you have nothing left, when you've felt what it's like to suffer, and to be hated by your people, then maybe, just maybe, I'll put you out of your misery."
Kat rose to her feet, heading towards the door. "It's a shame really. Sam seems very sweet." Kat opened the door, stepping out into the cold.
