Rat King Boyfriend: Volkhard (complete)

Once upon a time, a princess was kept in a tower. She had a very rare and strange ability to grow the hair on her head very, very fast - so fast that by the end of the year it would reach halfway down the tower. The princess was held by a goblin who would constantly shear the princess’s hair and spin it into gold. 

Unable to bear the goblin’s captivity anymore, the princess used her own hair to choke him to death. She threw the body from the window, because if her hair hadn’t killed him, the fall would. Then she waited until her hair grew again and used it to climb down the tower, never to return. 

Afraid of being caught, the princess decided to hide away, making her home in the underground sewers of a large city. There she remained, only emerging when someone came to the grates, tossing her a gold coin with a note wrapped around it. The princess would perform the job written on the note, receiving the payment of her choice thereafter. She garnered a reputation for being able to get any task done, no matter how difficult, but if you did not pay her, she would seek revenge by taking an even greater payment than before.

“What kind of payment, Mama?”

“Hm?” I look down at the small shape in the bed, her large green eyes peering over the edge of the blanket. I smile at her, smoothing down the blankets so she’s nice and snug. “Of course, the princess would prefer money,” I say with a grin. “But there are other things she can take, things that mean much more to the people who cheated her.”

Her nose appears, and she giggles. “Like my dolly?”

I look to the patchwork doll by her side, its mismatched button eyes gleaming in the candlelight. “Perhaps.”

She quickly takes hold of her doll and hugs her tight.

“But I would never take anything from you. You pay me every day with that smile.” I kiss her forehead and push my fingertip into her dimple and she titters happily. I ease her back down onto her pillow. “Now go to sleep, my gumdrop. Tomorrow is a busy day.”

“Yes, Mama.” Ebba snuggles down into bed. “Goodnight.”

“Sleep tight.” I blow out the candle and leave, keeping the door ajar as I go into the next room. I sit down at the table, pulling my hair over my shoulder to gather it in a bundle. I chop it off as close to the tie as possible, then stuff the wad of  hair into a basket with a bunch of others. 

With a heavy sigh, I slouch over the table while rubbing my eyes. Ebba will learn the truth one day - that I am not really a princess, nor was my escape from the tower as easy as it seemed. She will discover I am not the hero I make myself out to be. I do the jobs that no one wants, and I am looked down on for it. For as long as possible, I want Ebba to look at me with those big green eyes in admiration. I want to be her hero for as long as possible.

I am lucky Ebba is a heavy sleeper. Ever since she was a baby, she could sleep through anything as peaceful as an angel. I slip out of the sewer at night to complete jobs that have been given to me through the drains.

Lately the city has had a rather nasty rat problem. Each night, I go to a different home and lead the rats away. Sometimes there are other jobs I will have to perform - debts to collect, passions to convey. It matters not to me as long as I get paid for a job well completed. Leading rats to drown in the river is relatively easy compared to slaughtering a man. Sometimes it feels like the same thing. 

Tonight I lead another batch of rats to the river beyond the woods. I despise how long it takes to get through the woods with the rats in tow. Playing the flute, navigating the trees in the dark, and keeping the procession going is extremely hard work. I sit by the river for a moment, taking a rest as the rats wash away. My hair is starting to feel heavy again, and I contemplate shaving it at the scalp one more time. As I ponder, I hear something in the woods. 

Looking up, I see someone stand by the riverbank and look down. He’s huge, frighteningly so. I stand up and reach for the dagger on my hip. I consider myself quite tall, but this man, or creature, really makes me feel small. He must be close to eight feet, maybe nine feet tall. His shoulders are broad, his chest wide. His stomach sticks out, but I bet if I were to punch it, the flesh would be hard as stone.

“So that is what is happening to my rats.” The voice comes out in a steaming hiss. 

I step back, keeping myself silent as he shakes his head. The hood he wears seems rather large, and obscures his features as he turns. In the dark, he is perfectly hidden. “Never would have expected someone like you to be sending them to their deaths.”

I scowl, keeping my stance strong. I’m not going to back down, not even if he’s twenty feet tall.

He chuckles, his shoulders shuddering. “What do you expect to do? Throw me in the river as well?”

“I...” I swallow the lump of fear growing in my throat. “I haven’t been paid to, so what would be the point? If you attack me, I will throw you in to defend myself.”

“Who has paid you for this service?” He extends his hand, and I see he has extra digits - by my count, eight fingers in all.

I stiffen. “I am not at liberty to say.”

He steps towards me. “How much for the list?”

I smell a waft of chocolate in the air. “What would you do with such a list?”

He laughs. “Just a reckoning for what has been taken from me.”

I cock my brow at him. “For the rats?” I ask. “You keep rats as pets?”

He leans back slightly, as if looking down his nose at me. I can’t be certain, because I can’t see any of his features. “I consider them my family.”

I hold back a laugh. “Mind if I ask who you are?”

“Only if I can ask the same of you. I have heard tales of someone known as the Princess of the Gutters, but I didn’t believe such things.” He presses his hand to his stomach and makes a slight bow. “Baron Volkhard, at your service.”

The hair on my neck stands on end. I’ve heard tales of a Baron Volkhard. He lived in this city long ago, but was chased away due to his proclivity for beautiful things, mostly people. He amassed a harem of gorgeous men and women, using his wealth to keep them happy, entertained, and within reach. Considering him a vile piece of trash, the city chased him away, leaving his estate empty.

“When did you return?” I ask.

“That’s not important.” He holds his hand out to me. “Your turn.”

“Ludwina,” I answer quickly. It’s one of the many names I use, perhaps the most common. It rolls off the tongue nicely. 

He motions for me to say more. “And?”

“And?” I sniff. “What else is there to add?”

“What are you?”

I shrug. “It doesn’t matter.”

Volkhard snickers as he reaches into his cloak. He pulls out a velvet bag that he tosses into the air before catching it again in his large palm. “How much for the list of names?”

I eye the bag a bit greedily. They say Volkhard was overwhelmingly rich. The bag does seem quite heavy, but I wouldn’t be able to tell without holding it myself. I glance back at his shadowed face, wondering if I should trust someone who remains hidden like that. 

“I’ve been told that you name your price - or you take your price.” He throws the bag, and it lands at my feet. “Go ahead and take it.”

My heart lurches up into my throat, and I stare suspiciously down at the bag. It falls open and gold spills out. I lick my lips, wanting so badly to take everything and run. “I don’t have a way to give you the list.”

Volkhard chuckles again. “I have a good memory. Just tell me, little Ludwina.”

I stoop, picking up the bag and inspecting the contents. Nothing seems out of the ordinary. I look back at him and take in a deep breath. “It’s quite a long list. Are you sure?”

He sits down on a stone and nods. “Trust me, I have been waiting for this moment.”

I ramble off the list. Most of the people I name are very well-to-do. It occurs to me that these families were the ones who chased Volkhard from the city years ago.

When I finish, Volkhard stands and bows again. “That is all for now, Ludwina.” He says my name as if he knows it’s a fake. “Perhaps we will see each other again - maybe in the light of day.” He disappears back into the woods.

I dunk the bag into the river, rinsing the coins just in case he has done something to them. I make my way back home, slipping into the sewer and checking in on Ebba in bed. She is sound asleep, peaceful as can be. 

I go to the table to count my loot, but as I start looking closely at the gold coins in the candlelight, I notice something strange. The coins have an odd imprint, something I don’t recognize. I bite down on one, and the foil peels away. Inside, it is chocolate. “Motherfucker,” I whisper to myself. I try all the coins, finding that only a few are actual gold. 

I want to toss everything in my sight and break it against the stone walls. But then I see a rat sitting on the counter. There is a blue ribbon tied around its neck with a note attached. 

I grab the rat, taking the note from it before dropping it. I read, “By now I am sure you have discovered my ruse, but you have accepted your payment. Consider it retribution for what you did to my rats. I know, though, that you were only doing a job. I know the true culprits were the ones who hired you, and they will be taken care of. If you wish to take the payment you think you are due, don’t. I know of the precious treasure that you keep snug and warm. Do not press me, or that treasure will be mine.”

I rush back to Ebba’s room, touching her face and feeling her breath on my palm. I sigh with relief and sit down by her bed to finish reading the letter.

“I may have jobs for you in the future, ones that will not be paid for in chocolate. I do look forward to seeing you again, little Ludwina, and I hope that, in time, the two of us can become friends. Volkhard.”

I grimace, unsure I would ever want to work for him again. I hang my head as I crumple the letter between my hands.

“Mama?” I hear a soft yawn. 

I look up as Ebba pats the top of my head. I capture her hand and kiss the center of her palm. “Good morning, my sweet. Did you have good dreams?”

She nods. “I dreamed you got married,” she says sleepily. “You were in this big white dress and looked so pretty.”

“Did I?” I giggle. I kiss her forehead. “I wonder what made you dream such a thing?”

I pull back her covers and she slips out of bed. “How did your job go?” she asks me, setting her doll on the pillows. “Did you make a lot of money?”

“Don’t you worry about it, my love. Worry about what you want for breakfast.”

“Mama, look!” Ebba sounds positively excited when she walks out of her room. For a moment, I think she’s seen the chocolate coins, but when I follow, I see a massive rat sitting on the table.

“Stay away from it, love.” I move her behind me as I approach the creature. It, too, has a note wrapped around the neck with a blue ribbon.

“But it’s so cute, Mama!” Ebba comes up beside me, and I quickly snatch the note away before she sees it.

“At least you think so,” I grumble. “Now, shoo.” I try to push the rat to the floor, but it stays, doing something strange with its forepaws.

“Mama,” Ebba whispers to me, “can I keep it?”

The rat looks at me, its pink nose twitching as it stretches. “No, love, I’ll find you something better to play with.” I pick up the rat by the nape of its neck and set it down on the stones.

While I distract Ebba with breakfast, I step aside to read the note. It is from Volkhard again, and he wishes to meet with me this evening to discuss an opportunity.

I decide to meet him after Ebba goes to sleep. He asks that we meet in the forest again, in the same place as before. Once I arrive, he is already there with a dozen or so rats at his feet. He’s tossing them candy, and they take it and happily scurry away, only for more to appear.

“You made it.” He turns slightly, but I still cannot see under his hood. “I’m glad.”

“I wanted to hear you out before I told you no,” I sniff. “Now, what is it?”

He stands from the boulder and dusts off his hands. “Now that I have returned to the city, I feel as though all eyes are on me. My reputation has become the stuff of fairy tales, and of course no one likes me.”

“What does this have to do with me?”

“I’m getting there.” He lays his palm against his chest. “In exchange for room, board, and a nice stipend, as well as an education for your precious treasure, I would like for you to be my bodyguard.”

“What?” I squint at him in disbelief. “You need a bodyguard? You? You’re quite possibly three times my size.”

“But you are faster, smarter, and more devious than I could ever be. I don’t need someone to be my shield, little Ludwina, I want someone who can silence.” He clenches his fist tight before me. “I know your work, and how you kill, no matter what is asked of you.”

I sniff and rub at my nose. “So you want me as an assassin, not a bodyguard.”

He tuts at me and wags his finger. “That’s not all there is to it, Ludwina. You will be my constant companion, you see. Standing beside me, joining me for meals, watching my every move.”

I grimace. “You’re going to have to make this deal much sweeter if you’re going to add all these stipulations.”

“Is what I have laid out not enough for you? You no longer have to hide in the sewers, little Ludwina. You will live in a mansion, have everything you want at your fingertips. Your precious treasure will be given the world. You will have me.”

My jaw goes slack, and I cup my hand around my forehead. “Are you proposing marriage to me?”

“I have bad knees, so forgive me for not kneeling.” He folds his arms behind his back. “Be my bride, and I am yours however you shall want me.”

“This...” I start to laugh. “What made you think this was a good idea? Who are you? Show yourself to me!”

“If that’s what you want...”

He removes his cloak and I suck in my breath. The vision under the hood nearly takes my lungs through my throat. Sitting on his shoulders is a skull-like visage with bulging red eyes. Around it, there appears to be four more heads, smaller than the main one. Each face is different, bearing the same shape and coarse fur. 

My eyes dart over him, and I screw my mouth into a tight line. “No wonder you kept covered,” I mutter under my breath.

Volkhard chuckles. “I know it’s shocking,” he says, each mouth moving in unison. “But what curse isn’t?”

I roll my eyes. “Of course it’s a curse. Do you think my true love’s kiss is going to free you?”

“I’m not so worried about breaking the curse anymore. I gave up on that long ago,” he says with an indignant sniff. “I wasted my youth on it, and I don’t wish to squander my remaining years. Be my bride, Ludwina, kill for me, come home to me, and I will call you master.”

“Please don’t.” I take a shaky step back. “I have enough problems.”

Volkhard grins at me and nods. “Then let me give your precious treasure the world instead of leaving her to slumber alone in the sewers. She will have an education equal to any royalty, the ability to travel and see the world. She will grow with culture, and with any luck, her mother’s own strong will.”

I can’t help but agree that would be the best thing for Ebba. I can’t hide her from the world forever. “And if this is a so-called marriage, do you expect to share a bed with me as well?”

Volkhard clasps his hands together. “It will be warmer that way. But you work at nights, correct? I usually sleep nights. Will that be such a bother?”

I frown. “Do you expect me to perform marital duties?”

“Only if you expect me to perform them as well,” he laughs. 

“I have done worse things in the past.” I cross my arms. “So we marry, and as long as I do as you command, you are mine?”

He nods. “You have full rule over me.”

I hate how much I like the sounds of this. “I can take as much of your wealth as I want? I can ask you to buy me anything I please? You will do everything I ask with no question?”

Volkhard bows his head. “Within limits, my dear, but yes.”

I contemplate how ridiculous this all is. “Six months.” I glare up at him. “Six months to play at this. If at the end of it I want to leave, I shall. If I decide to stay, so be it.”

“But you will not be allowed to touch my fortune,” he warns. “You will be given an allowance, and anything more you will have to ask for.”

“Fair,” I say with a nod. 

Volkhard extends a key to me. “This will allow you into the grounds.”

The key is heavy in my hand. It almost feels as heavy as Ebba was as an infant. 

“Keep it safe.” Volkhard reaches for my cheek. “Come tomorrow whenever you like. I will have everything ready for you and Ebba to enjoy your stay.”

I grab his wrist to intercept him. “Ebba likes music and books. She doesn’t care for clothes, but she still likes pretty things.”

Volkhard’s smirk grows. “Oh, do not worry, she will have everything her heart could possibly desire.” He moves his hand so that he can kiss mine. The sharp feeling of his teeth is strangely thrilling, but not enough to transfix me.

I return home, where I start packing the few essentials I wish to take with us. Once Ebba wakes, I explain to her the deal that Volkhard and I struck. I only gloss over a few details.

“So you’re getting married?” There is a glint in Ebba’s eyes.

I try to be firm, but it is hard. “Not yet, this is merely a test for the next six months. So I don’t want you to get your hopes up, Ebba.”

“But Mama! Remember? I dreamed about you getting married!”

I place my finger over her lips. “You keep that dream where it belongs, my love.” I run my fingers through her hair. “You may not end up liking Baron Volkhard. So if you don’t like him, I don’t like him.”

Ebba furrows her brow. “Is he handsome?”

Of course she had to ask that. All I can do to keep from laughing is look away. “In a certain light, I’m sure he’s very striking.”