-Katherine- It felt strange not being shot daggers at as I ventured through the castle. It was only nobles who did it to me in my former life, but they barely even looked at me and Darius. We were like air to them now, but maybe that was because he was still the Dark Prince, the one everyone avoided, and I was no longer queen… meaning no pressure! I couldn’t believe how refreshing it felt, even though I had to die to experience the freedom of it. Darius seemed very content as well. I understood, of course, he liked this world. He enjoyed the past… future… the life he had created for us, but I couldn’t forget. It lingered in my mind… I died. I was killed. I was still young… Darius thought it was best to let it go, but I wasn’t sure if I could. I didn’t speak of it though, as he led us to the dining hall. We were the only ones there, sitting down and grabbing something to eat. Darius seemed happy to serve me the food almost, bringing lots to my plate, pouring me some fresh water, able
-Katherine-“You’re pregnant. Like you were a few days ago,” the physician said after holding my hand.He knew just from touching me. His healing powers were incredible. They originally came from earth powers, but they didn’t come out in the sense of talking to animals and such. Even though our powers were given by the elements, they could be expressed in many ways. Just because you had water powers, didn’t mean you could freeze things.“You’re sure?”He chuckled a little, because it was the third time asking him. But after a ten-year marriage with no kids, I was still finding it hard to believe. I mean, three years Darius and I had been together in this life, and he had managed to get me pregnant. Was there something wrong with Acan? Or did he just not want to get me pregnant?“Look here,” he said.He had drawn a little blood, putting it in a small glass vial, and I watched as he held it up, using his powers to make me see something the eye couldn’t see. Soon my blood glistened almos
-Katherine- I didn’t really want to leave Darius I realized as he kissed me and walked away to meet his brother. He was comforting, especially now with the whole new life thing, and me being trapped in a world where things seemed to have been turned around. I knew only small things had been altered. Or maybe it wasn’t small. My marriage to Acan was one of the greatest events there had ever been because such big families were joined together. Another memory sprung forward, and I saw how big Darius’s and my wedding was as well. I couldn’t quite remember yet why it was I had ended up with Darius. I was a princess. Shouldn’t I have been given to the king? Or future king at least? I thought it over as I went to join Silver and the others in one of the big common rooms used for the queen and her ladies. They were lying around, laughing, floating plates of goods around them. They had pillows and blankets everywhere, books and clothes placed around the room, and small birds were sitting by th
-Darius- "You and Silver seem quite in love as well," I said, and my brother looked at me confused, turning in his saddle a little. "What?" "Why do you almost sound surprised by it?" he asked. "Well, eh…" "I know you don’t like her, but you know I have loved her since we were kids, and she has loved me." "What?" I didn’t mean to blurt out the word, but as he spoke of loving Silver since they were kids, I was learning something new. In our old life, he had never confessed that to me. He had never even shown Silver the same interest he showed Katherine, or the interest I thought he had shown her. It seemed now all to be an act. Maybe he had tried to make Father happy, or maybe because he knew he was stuck with Katherine, he tried to make it work. But he had eventually killed her to free himself of her. It was crazy to think about. I had never seen my brother as a cruel person, and even now, despite knowing what he was capable of, I felt no darkness. How could that be? I knew it was
-Darius-My brother didn’t appreciate my words, and I understood, but he needed to see that it wasn’t going to end well if he thought going after the Dark Ones was a good idea. At least not if he thought of striking them in their own territory. It would only end up with him getting killed."But you spoke with me once about how you might get even stronger if you fought on their land," he reminded me, as if I could remember that conversation."Me, I would get stronger. Not the rest.""But it might be enough?""Am I going single man?" I asked, thinking that was an even worse idea."No, you wouldn't, but you could guide the rest of us through it all.""Brother, I don’t think it’s a good idea. Listen to me. They are too powerful on that side," I explained.He sighed, leaning back and seeming disappointed. Was my brother a man who liked wars? Who liked to be known for something "great", which was really just bloody? I couldn’t believe it, and I didn’t believe our father had raised him to be
-Darius- When I came back early to the castle, I was surprised when I stepped into my bedroom and did not find my wife in bed. I walked a little further into the room, trying to search for her, and found her on the couch, passed out. I smiled at the sight of it and even walked over to the armrest, grabbed it, and leaned over her. She looked so beautiful. I could just look at her forever, and it made my heart go crazy inside my chest. But why was she sleeping on the couch? I reached down and stroked her cheek, and she slowly stirred from her sleep. Katherine looked up, seeming so relieved, though, like she had been scared without me. "Morning," I said. "Oh, thank the Goddess!" She got up from the couch and then went to hug me. I was surprised by the intensity of the hug, but I certainly didn’t ask her to let go. "Is everything all right?" I asked. "Never leave like that again," she mumbled into my neck. "Why? Did something happen? Did Silver do something?" Katherine pulled back,
-Katherine- I was very interested in knowing how Acan was different. Maybe it would give me some answers, and I really wanted answers. I wanted to know what I had been so blind to for years, and it seemed like Darius had now learned some things about his brother. It made me very intrigued. “Different how?” I asked. “He seems… hungry for powers.” “What? Acan?” I asked, still finding it hard to believe that he could ever be hungry for power, but then I remembered how I died and then it didn’t seem so weird. “Yeah, I was surprised by it too, and he told me about his love for Silver and hers for him since they were young.” “I’m sorry?” I asked, even more shocked by this. I knew they were close, but this sounded so new. Since they were young? How young? When? Why? How had I never noticed any attraction between them? Friendship? Yes. They communicated well, but I began piecing things together as Darius spoke. I moved away from him a little and I felt his eyes on me, as I began thinkin
-Katherine- Silver thought we should all go shopping in town the next day, and we walked down the busy streets, guards behind us, and looking at dresses and jewelry. She looked at many things while talking to her ladies, and I stayed in the back, glaring at her. All this time, I thought, you fucked my husband all this time. I angrily took a bite of the apple in front of me, the only thing I could really stomach with the child inside of me now growing. How the hell was I ever going to pay them back when I didn’t just have me to look out for now? I had this child as well, and as Darius had pointed out, in this life Silver and Acan had never wronged me because they had no reason to. I had married Darius. The Dark Prince, the one who would never sit on the throne because of his bastard blood and being second born. We weren’t a threat. There was no reason to trap anyone in a fire. Though of course, Acan had never tried to kill Darius. He had no reason to. It was just me… just the wife he n