Thane. He never had a last name. Since his birth, he was simply called Thane. Thane of Mucktown.

He grew up fatherless, motherless and had no one on his side. He was no different than Kraus. No, he was even worse than Kraus. Kraus knew his mother. Thane did not.

He had no one. And he had decided that he needed no one.

He worked his way up from the slums and bought his freedom. When the slavers denied him his freedom, he simply pushed him to his death.

Then he became the slavers.

Slaves were expensive. Slaves were profitable. So Thane became the best slavers there was.

As low as a slaver could be, no one could deny how profitable that job was. Noble despised slavers but they bought slaves all the same. Merchants spoke of fair trades but would not hesitate to use slaves because it was cheaper than workers.

But Thane knew that as long as he was still a slaver, he would never reach his hands out of this muddy soggy ground. There were things that coins couldn't simply buy. Things like influence, power, and respect.

So when he gained enough coins. He sold off all his slaves and returned to Mucktown, the place that he had abandoned long ago. His homeland.

There, he used the coins to build a circus. Magicians, dancers, actors, strongmen. He collected them all like chess pieces to make his Beaumort circus.

He became successful with his circus. The coins he made were incomparable to his slaver day, but still, it gave him a new coat of paint. A facade that people would respect.

There he got acquainted with Germort De Beauvoir, an actual high noble of the upper class. Germort found Thane amusing. That man would be ready to sell every last thing he owned for a tiny fraction of dignity.

Thane would do everything to impress Germort. So Germort took him in. He became a servant for a witch.

A weak witch that was inconsequential to the politics of Eldoria. But here in Mucktown, Germort was king.

And Thane was his general.

Thane made up his last name from Germort's own name. The Bailiff didn't seem to mind so he used it.

Thane quickly became a half-noble in this land. He was able to buy his citizenship but was faraway from becoming an actual noble. But in Mucktown, he was THE noble.

On a faithful day sixteen years ago. He saw a beautiful baby on the snow. That baby was adopted by one of his main dancers at the time, River.

Thane didn't think much of it. As long as River could take care of the boy without causing trouble, he didn't mind another slave under his wings.

That boy showed to be exceptionally smart with a face that every woman craved for. He had talents as well and an unyielding passion for acting. Soon, that boy became the most attractive prize under Thane's possession.

People would come from all around the kingdom to see him. To see the angel of snow.

He could smell the coins coming in and an opportunity. A merchandise this good always had the right buyer.

That buyer was Lyara Starcrow. A young witch of one of the greatest clans of Eldoria. Thane knew he had the buyer immediately. Now he only needed to propose a right price for the possession of this merchandise.

Lyara didn't haggle much. She agreed with everything Thane asked. As long as he could help her get Snow's heart. Figuratively and literally.

As he had learned, the coming-of-age ritual of a witch could affect their entire future. The more successful and intense the ritual was, the more powerful she would become. And she needed a heart that loved her fully.

But this ungrateful brat was extremely smart. He smelled the danger from Lyara and distanced himself.

Even with the help of Thane, Lyara couldn't get closer to Snow.

One day, he had decided to apply a more extreme method to achieve this task. Lyara the teenage witch was more than happy when she heard Thane's plan. It was a perfect spotless plan.

Kill his mother. The only he held most dear.

Pushing him through mental and physical torture for months.

Defecating his name and stripping him of his honor.

He would break sooner or later. And when he did, he would be yours to command.

That was what Thane had always done to his slaves. He broke their body, their spirit, and their identity. Then he would possess them.

But the brat made a different choice. He chose death over surrender.

The Bailiff cooperated and ordered him to be hung for the murder of his mother. A crime they all knew he did not do.

Snow disappeared. No one knew where and how. The two guards were killed that night. They were killed flawlessly and with little resistance.

Someone had rescued Snow. Thane couldn't sleep for days after that. He's afraid that whoever saved Snow may come for him.

A week later. Nothing.

A month later. Nothing.

Six months later. Nothing.

Thane felt like he could finally return to enjoying his wealthy life when suddenly, eyes were upon him.

A glance there. A stare here. Men in the shadows and in plain sight watched over his every step.

Something was going to happen. Thane could feel it. Someone was coming for him.

Germort laughed it off when Thane told him about it. The witch was blind in his power. Thane had walked far and wide to know a witch like Germort was nothing in the big cities.

The circus owner hid himself in the circus, amongst his most capable bodyguards and trusted men. He slept in the day when everyone was awake and stayed up all night when everyone was asleep.

That way, no assassin would be able to jump him.

For some reason, he kept remembering River's death. The death of a useless merchandise that lost all of its usefulness.

And he remembered Snow. The day he appeared in the circus under the white blizzard of that winter. How did that baby survive? Who brought him here? Who saved Snow?

Questions and questions filled Thane's mind with no answers.

That day, something happened. The people of Mucktown were still enjoying the show. The guests and nobles from other towns were laughing and chattering.

But then the commoners of Mucktown all ran away from the circus in a panic. They ran back to their houses and shut their door tight. Thane grabbed a commoner to ask them but they pushed him away and continued running, leaving a sentence behind.

"There is an attack on the Bailiff's Manor!"

"An attack? On the manor?!"

Thane wanted to say who was stupid enough to do so. But the words were caught in his throat.

There was a play being performed in the circus. The bright illuminating light shone on the stage and bathed the actors in attention.

Dread filled Thane's heart.

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