The Good King was a made-for-tv movie in the early '90s which starred Jonathan Brandis as Wenceslas (yes, that Wenceslas) and Valentine Pelka (Kronos on Highlander) as Brother Paul. Eliza requested a kiss for the LJ comm wish_kisses. The result was too long to count for the community, but Eliza liked it well enough. The title is taken from the carol, "Good King Wenceslas."

A place of miracles, the local peasants called it, but Kronos felt the pulse of a new-made Immortal stirring inside the church and knew the truth of the matter. He unsheathed a knife in case dear murdered Wenceslas had been buried with his sword, and moved to claim another head.

It was late and bitter cold, which meant the church was deserted despite its reputation. He found Wenceslas' crude stone sarcophagus in one of the side chapels, and smiled as he heard a muffled thump and the pulsing feeling spiked. Wenceslas was awake.

Holding his knife ready, Kronos reached out to grasp the stone. He wished fiercely for Silas as he heaved, but he managed to lift the edge up and aside. An unexpectedly fine-boned hand curled over the stone from beneath, and he heard a litany of gasped words, a prayer in some bastardized tongue that incorporated both Latin and the local dialect. The voice, too, was unexpected. Kronos had been told Wenceslas died young; it had not occurred to him to ask how young.

Between them, they managed to get the cover of the sarcophagus pushed far enough aside that Kronos could reach down and grab Wenceslas' fur collar. He dragged Wenceslas up and out easily enough --had he even finished his last growth before death?-- then propped the man up against the sarcophagus. In the candlelit dimness of the chapel, Wenceslas' hair glinted gold around a face pale as southern marble.

It had not occurred to Kronos to ask if he was beautiful, either.

Wenceslas stared at him with eyes dark as sapphires, then whispered, "Brother?"

Kronos did not believe in signs, but he did believe in satisfying his own curiosity. He crushed his lips to Wenceslas', tasted pain and old blood, and slipped the knife into Wenceslas' heart. He would still take the boy's head, but not until it suited him.

~END~