The two men who had centuries of history together cut ties the moment Krampus broke through his sacred binds. "I can't agree with your beliefs. You've grown too vain for my liking."

"My, my. This coming from a demon?" the king taunted before tapping Krampus's cheeks, "How cute."

"Cut the bullshit and let me go." He could already feel his voice trembling in disgust.

His Majesty let out a snicker, pressing his fingers against the demon's jaw. "Well, you heard the man; let him roam free."

A snowman looked up. "But Sire-"

King Santa turned his head to the guard and stared at him, daring him to speak. "Speak another word and you may not live another night. Now, I'll say it one more time; let the man go."

"...Understood." After that sentence was muttered from their snow-frosted lips, they slipped their arms from around the prince and saluted the king.

Krampus was utterly speechless as blood dripped from his healing wound. He has the entire town in the palm of his hand and no one's doing anything about it! At that point he held no hesitation towards dethroning the king.

He turned around with a huff, his hooves scraping against the hardened floor when he walked away. I need to stop him.

"Oh, you want to know why I brought you back?" King Santa started after swallowing a truffle, "because I knew that you wouldn't be able to do anything. So just stay in your place and go babysit the little fuckers."

Krampus tightened his fists and refused to respond. I need to kill him.

When he slammed the chocolate door open, the only words his ears could pick up from the other side of the hall were, "Clean this up."

The goat demon let out a ragged sigh when he caught Jack Frost leaning against the chocolate caramel wall with a smirk plastered on his frozen face.

"What's so funny?" Krampus growled, not in the mood for tricks or treats as the door closed behind them.

"You. It's hilarious― you, the great Christmas devil, restrained by a couple of snowmen while Sandy Claws cut you open like a can of tuna."

The prince marched to the blue man and snarled, "Whatever mind games you want to play with me, I'm not interested."

"Alright, alright." Jack rose his hands in defense. "But just so you know, if you have any intention of harming the king, I will destroy you."

Krampus's tail was already swinging in frustration. "I'm not in the mood, why can't you understand that?"

"Ah, but if you really weren't, then why are we even talking? Tell me, were you filled with nostalgia at the sight of me?" He traced Krampus's goat ears, sending shivers down the demon's spine.

Krampus flinched from the trail of snow that his finger left on his ears. He grabbed Jack's arm and took a step back. "Don't touch me."

Jack chuckled. "Oh, having a change of heart, are we? If I remember correctly, you used to touch me all the time when you were in your ru-"

Krampus covered the creature's mouth before he could finish. "That didn't mean anything. You know how goats are!" When he saw the man's ice-blue eyes shimmering in amusement, he removed his cold hands.

"No, I only know how you are. That's how it should stay."

Krampus grimaced, keeping his side slit eyes anywhere but on Jack. "Guh, stop. You're being disturbing." He turned around, heading to the exit when long arms draped over his shoulders.

Jack whispered in his ear, "Never turn your back on the enemy. It might cost you your life one day," then presumed to press an ice shard against his back.

Krampus sighed before kicking him back. "You aren't an enemy." Probably.

"How are you so sure? I tried to kill you this evening."

He laughed at the question and turned his head towards the man. "Well, my back wasn't turned on you that time." He then bowed before opening the door to let himself out.

Tim's spear was what greeted him when he was outside. "You've got a lot of nerve, kid."

"Calm down, Tim. I think he's gotten his fair share of a good beating from the king," Yuki said while gesturing towards the gaping wound in Krampus's stomach.

Tim scratched his head, letting snow fall to the ground before turning his stone gaze to the goat demon's stomach with wide eyes. "Oh. What? Shouldn't you be ―I don't know― dead?" he wondered, cringing back at the sight of his visibly cut organ.

"I get that a lot, it seems," he muttered while staring at his stomach and the blood that colored his fur auburn. "Oh, this? Yeah, me and Santa were just wrestling around. He only cut my omasum*. My other three bellies are still kickin'."

Yuki narrowed his eyes in suspicion. "Interesting. Anyways, we'll make sure to mention the corpses in the yard to the king."

Krampus clicked his tongue and snapped, "Don't worry; he already knows," glaring at the castle for a moment before walking away.

Somehow, I need to find a way to free Elsva from this disaster of a monarchy. If I kill him now, they'll know it's me. By now, all of the guards know how much hatred I hold for that bastard king.

He looked at the snow as he wandered aimlessly through the streets of the abandoned town. There has to be something. Traps? Arrows? Sleeping spells? He stopped walking. Oh, poison! Vanilla mentioned flowers before― I have to see her.

Once he recognized the tall white building that held all of the prisoners in its clutches at the end of town, he ran to it. The wind howled at him, determined to drag him to the snowy ground as it threw broken snow crystals in his eyes and scars. The brush of snow burned his healing wound without any mercy.

The smashed windows and wrecked furniture were rapidly being coated in ice when the wind grew louder, almost as if it was screaming in his ears. Krampus stomped his hoof and grinded his teeth.

"Stop it, Jack!" He's playing around too much.

The wind's cries grew louder, making Krampus regret throwing away his clothes. It chuckled around him and whispered, "As you wish. Just giving a friendly warning: don't let the frost bite."

The prince smirked. In other words, don't get caught.

"You got it!" he yelled to the wind, provoking a chortle from the ubiquitous being. Just as sudden as it started, the wind ceased, allowing the snow to drift at its own pace.

Now that he was without distractions, Krampus dashed through the snow until he was at the doors that smelled of vanilla. Haha, Vanilla. I bet she hates this place.

After pulling them open, he wasted no time in reaching the elevator, his hooves clicking against the cream-coated floor while he ran. Once the doors closed and he was alone, Krampus let out a groan. So many revelations in the span of an hour... Before even thinking about killing Santa I need to rest. But I can't, not yet.

That damned Santa Claus, taking advantage of the innocent. He licked his lips just when the doors opened. Sounds delicious.

"Vanilla!" Krampus called once he stepped in front of her cell. She bolted up with a startle, flipping out from under her blanket rather ungracefully.

"What the hell, Krampus? Do you know what time it is?" Vanilla pulled her pillow over her head with all of her might, her eyes closed to shut out the dim light.

"No, not really. Time is irrelevant in Hell." Although I do remember spending nights nestled in Mother's fur as a kid whenever we visited earth, even then I only cared about her and Father.

She folded her arms and moaned. "Well that's great and everything, but what do you want? Hurry up so that I can go to sleep."

Krampus snickered. "All right; let's cut to the chase. Where's the damn flower?"

Notes:
*Goats have four components in their stomachs. The rumen, the reticulum, the omasum, and the abomasum. Krampus is just too hot-headed to remember it cx