Chapter 2

-Darius-

One moment later and our queen would have been crushed. Sometimes I wondered if the people here secretively planned to do it. There were many people around and yet no one had acted? No one had seen where the pole was going and then used their powers to freeze it, stop it, turn its direction. No, I had to come out of hiding. I had to get the queen out of its crushing way, and instead of seeing the dangers that lurked around Katherine, she said it was a mistake. An accident. I didn’t believe in mistakes or accidents. Not after the things I had seen and heard when no one thought I was there. I knew the truth. I knew what truly lied in people’s hearts, but Katherine was too nice to see it. Too naïve. Too good. It was there for my duty to keep her safe, because it was clear the king was too busy.

Still, the love they had for each other inspired many, and made her blind towards others. I knew it was wrong for me to desire my brother’s wife. We had always been close. We had each other’s back, but in secret I wanted her. I wanted nothing more than to be the one she ran to with love in her eyes and a big smile on her lips. I wanted to sleep beside her, touch her, wake up the next day, make her happy. No one touched my dark heart like she did, and all she had to do was smile. I remembered seeing her for the first time when she arrived in our capital, arrived at the capital. One look at her and I was sold, but she wasn’t watching me. No one was. I always became one with the shadows, even when I wasn’t trying. My brother, on the other hand, burned. His fire drew people to him. How could it not? I didn’t want to be my brother, though, but I would do anything to have his wife. I had never made any advances. I knew what she felt for my brother, and she could never be mine. But having her close, talking to her, those few moments when it was just us, I allowed myself to indulge. I imagined it was us who were married. It was a fantasy, but it was all I had. I shook my head at myself as I put my sword away and joined the happy couple, who were embracing each other, while looking at the festival.

“It all looks amazing. My queen knows how to throw a proper party,” Acan joked.

“Did you ever doubt me?” she teased.

“Never,” he said and kissed her lips, before turning to me. “Darius, when did you appear?”

“He saved me,” Katherine told him.

“Saved you? Was there a fire I didn’t know about?” Acan asked, concerned.

“No, a pole slipped from some workers’ hands, and he was able to bring me out of their way.”

“What?”

Right, slipped, I spoke inside myself.

“It’s fine. I am all right. Mistakes happen.”

Mistakes… I spoke again inside myself, and my brother’s and my eyes met. Even he saw the dangers lurking around his wife, and I could see the true gratefulness in his eyes as he heard I had stepped in and saved Katherine. But to protect his wife's good heart, he acted as if it was a mistake as well. I thought it was wrong. She should understand at court it was easy to make enemies and without an heir and without powers, Katherine wasn’t very loved by the nobles. The commoners liked her, thought she was a good queen, so did the humans, people born with no powers, because she almost represented them, despite being birthed by a witch. But this was where she lived. At court, and here she wasn’t safe. At least not in my opinion. I would have put hundreds of guards on her, but Acan did not think that was a solution and thought it would only push those who were after her to try harder.

“Mistakes, yes,” Acan agreed, running his hand down her back and watching the festival as well. “Well, I can’t wait.”

“Me neither. It’s going to be amazing,” Katherine said. “Darius?”

“Huh?”

“Who are you bringing?”

“Bringing?” I asked.

“Come now, it’s the biggest festival there is and we only celebrate every fifth year. It’s all right if you do not want to bring any lady to our other parties, but you cannot come alone here,” she told me, almost scolding me for not bringing any ladies with me, but there was only one woman I wanted, one who didn’t fear me.

“I think you know I prefer the solitude.”

“No, you don’t. You act like you do.”

“Oh, and you know me so well?” I asked.

“I do,” she said with a proud smile, and it made my heart beat faster.

“Leave him be,” Acan said with a smile. “If he wanted to bring someone, he would have told us.”

“I just think there are so many great women out there and this festival is special.”

“Yes, so shouldn’t I bring someone I cared for?” I asked.

“But you could start caring for someone tonight!”

“I am good, my Queen.”

“Katherine,” she corrected me.

“My Queen,” I repeated.

“Katherine.”

“Queen.”

“Katherine!”

“Enough!” Acan cut it, as we began to argue like children, but we were smiling at each other, or she was, but I knew she could see I enjoyed our banter as well. “You two sometimes make my head pound.”

“Oh, are we that annoying, my King?” Katherine teased.

“Acan,” he joined in on the joke, and we all laughed.

“Really, bring someone,” Katherine turned to me again.

“Can I not just have my fun on my own?”

“That sounds so sad, though.”

“I am good.”

“No, I will make it my mission to find someone for you!” Katherine said.

“Really, there is no need,” I said, not wanting to entertain some lady all night, when I knew there was only one I wanted to be entertained by, and she would be by my brother’s side the entire night, smiling, kissing him, loving him, while I would watch from afar, dreaming of the same thing.

“No, really, I am sure I can find someone.”

I sighed, and my brother saw it. We both knew Katherine was only trying to be nice, but he understood better why I didn’t want to bring anyone. Or he didn’t know the real reason, but knew many did not like my dark side.

“How about you bring Silver?” my brother suggested.

“Oh, Silver!” Katherine exclaimed.

She was a very powerful fire witch. She and my brother had grown up together and were good friends. We had spoken a little, but we couldn’t stand each other. I wasn’t sure what it was, but a dark witch always recognized those with darkness in their hearts, and Silver had something in hers, something I had never felt before. Something truly dark, yet I had never caught her do anything. I was sure when we were kids, she might even try to strangle my brother or I would find her burning some poor lady’s hair, but no. She never touched anyone, which confused me. Often those with darkness in their hearts revealed their true nature to me shortly after I had met them, but not Silver. Either I was misreading, which I could not believe was possible, or she somehow found a way to not listen to the darkness. It didn’t mean we were friends though, or had become friends later. What had begun in childhood with me being certain about her darkness, and she hating my gut for calling her out on it and treating me with hostility, still lingered today. I couldn’t imagine anything worse than her and me spending an entire night together.

“Silver? Really?” I asked Acan, who shrugged, and then Katherine, who I was sure was going to tell me it was a wonderful idea, not believing we were enemies, like I had told her, got distracted as something needed her attention. She ran off and Acan moved closer. “Silver?”

He looked at me apologetically. “I thought it was the best way to get Katherine off your back, but more importantly, you don’t have to act around Silver. You two know you hate each other, and neither has to act.”

My brother had a point, and I knew he could see it in my eyes, as he slammed his hand against my chest, but quickly withdrew his hand, as he felt the darkness lingering beneath my skin, ready to absorb his energy. It wasn’t on purpose, but I was best not to touch my skin directly. The only one I could touch without accidentally making her feel drained was Katherine, but she didn’t carry powers with her, so there was nothing for me to steal. Other humans didn’t have to worry either, but it was rare I entered human kingdoms, and there weren’t a lot of them. Witches ruled this world. My brother, though, had such strong powers that even through my clothes, my darkness tried to reach through to touch and absorb. I didn’t hurt him, but he felt uncomfortable because of it, which I could understand.

“Shall I ask her?”

“Doesn’t she have someone?” I asked, knowing how popular Silver was.

“You know she enjoys coming alone.”

“Yes, because of all the attention she gets, anyway.”

“Exactly!” he said and smiled. “So just take her. Katherine will be happy, and you two can split the moment my wife looks away, and then we can all have a nice evening.”

“I hate her.”

“I know, she hates you too,” Acan laughed.

“Fine!” I exclaimed, and he walked over to where Katherine was, while I watched from afar as he wrapped his arms around her from behind, and I heard her chuckle happily. It always made my heart beat faster, but the joy in her eyes was not for me. It was for Acan.