One Year Later

I looked down at the young woman floating through the trim gardens below with a look of anguish. I knew she was unhappy, because I felt too. The sorrow and remorse, all the bad feelings were bubbling up within me and her as well. They were dragging us down so low, she left abruptly halfway through dinner, retreating to the back garden. I escaped the dining hall as well, but instead of following her, I ascended to the tower at the top of the castle, which was also the darkest room.

My dark eyes followed her movements, watching her glistening silvery hair swish around her petite frame. Her eyes, normally a tad bit brighter, were clouded with grief, and perhaps anger. Her lips quivered, and I could tell she was going to cry. I didn't want her to, but somewhere within me, I wanted her to suffer. The white dress she wore looked almost identical to the one she had worn one year ago...

I never called her by her name, save for public events, such as when I proposed to marry her before the citizens of the Dark and the Light. It has been eleven months and twenty-nine days since I got on my knees before her, the princess of the Light. We were married only a month later. That was the last time I called her by her name. It was always "Princess", or some other formal title I called her by.

I watched her weave in between the hedges and flower beds, preparing to turn around and mourn myself, for the events that occurred one year ago, when I killed my own brother.

I couldn't take my eyes off of the princess as I recalled all the terrible memories from that fateful day in the Doctor's shack. I came with a purpose to kill the princess and take my brother back to the kingdom. But things took a turn for the worse, and he jumped in the way of my blade, and I stabbed him instead. He had died protecting the same woman who was trying to find peace in the gardens below. He died for his love. I regretted killing him, realizing his dreams of fulfilling a silly prophecy were true when it was too late. He truly was destined for something bigger than his own skin. His life was the price to reunite the Dark and the Light, but now, and before I've always wished it was my own life that was the price. My brother loved the princess, and she loved him. They deserved happiness, but I stole it from them.

In a cloud of rage, I stormed down the stairs, leaving my dark sanctuary. Only one thing was on my mind, and I needed to confront it, once and for all.

...

This is my gift to you: Live for your love every day...

...

"Princess!" I shouted, running into the garden. I saw her frail figure sitting on an white oak bench with her head in her hands. "Princess Anhura!"

She looked up, her eyes puffy and red. I could see the tears running down her face, and my heart ached. I stole her happiness...

"You said my name," Anhura said quietly, her voice shaking.

I clenched my fist and walked over to her, the wind tossing my black hair around carelessly.

"Anhura, we need to talk." I told her, trying to keep myself under control.

"What about?" Anhura asked, averting her gaze. She turned her head, looking away from me.

"Adakias."

...

Place your hand on mine one last time, and kiss me goodbye...

...

Our breaths came quickly, our limbs tiring as we pressed on. We didn't speak, or make eye contact. We couldn't. I grasped her wrist tightly, the sound of her inhaling sharply pleasing my ears. Her hand wove its way into my tousled hair, pulling my head to hers. Our lips collided. I pulled back for only a moment to catch a breath before letting my lips crash down on hers again. I let my head sink down; kissing her jaw, her neck, any and every inch of skin I could reach.

Her leg rubbed up against mine in almost a soothing manner, and I allowed myself one look at her face. I cursed myself for it, because our eyes met. The tension in the room seemed to shrink, but grow rapidly as well. I pulled back, off of her and sat up on my knees, looking down at her. She didn't break the stare, but instead sat up as well, her silver hair tumbling down her shoulders.

And then it hit me.

She thought I was him, until our eyes met.

...

Take the love inside my mind, before I die...

...

I broke the stare, looking over her fully. Her radiant hair was like a crystal waterfall, falling over her beautiful skin. Her body was a symbol for the Light, her looks beyond gorgeous. I felt like I was looking at an angel.

But why was I thinking this? Did I like her? No, I couldn't. She was my brother's, not mine. My dead brother's...

But... What had just happened between us?

The princess seemed to realize this too, for her eyes bulged. "Pallis?"

"Anhura..."

"I thought you were him, Adakias," Anhura murmured, covering her mouth with one of her hands. "O God..."

I grabbed her other wrist, pulling her a few inches closer to me. My mind went blank, and I poured it all out, the rage I felt earlier, and the new feeling I felt now. "Anhura, I've been meaning to apologize for what I did. Last year, I mean. I stole your happiness away. I didn't mean to, and I damn well didn't want this to happen, but Anhura," I began stammering, unsure of what to say. "I think I may love you."

Anhura stared at me in disbelief. "But... Adakias..."

"He told us, with his last breath, to live for your love every day. He would have wanted us to be happy. For his sake."

Anhura didn't reply, but instead she placed her other hand on my cheek. I opened my mouth to talk, but she stopped me, by brushing her lips against mine. This kiss felt different from the one we had shared moments ago. There was something beneath it that was just different.

Slowly, Anhura broke the kiss. Her eyes remained closed as she stood up. I didn't know if she then opened them, but somehow she slipped into her silk robe and left the room.

It wasn't any other room now, though. It was the bed chamber of the prince and princess. The chamber we were supposed to be using since we got married eleven months ago, but I suppose we felt it wasn't right. I couldn't blame Anhura for that. After all, I had killed her lover, who just so happened to be my brother.

"Is this what you want, Adakias?" I asked, looking up. I couldn't see the sky, but I knew my brother's spirit could hear me.

...

Please don't cry...

...

The next day, I figured out why she had kissed me, even after the realization it was me, instead of Adakias. It was because she had pretended I was my brother. She didn't tell me, but I just knew it. From the way she looked at me, it was like what happened between us last night in the bed chamber never happened. I felt crushed, but relieved. After all, what was a man to do when he loved his dead brother's lover...?

...

She was moving on. She had come to forgive me for what happened to Adakias. But she hadn't accepted that he was gone. No, she used me as a venting channel, for when she needed to believe Adakias was alive. I knew I shouldn't be fine with this, but I was. Even though now I did love her, I was fine with her believing I was Adakias at night. Does that make me a bad person...?

AN: Stupid paragraph breaks... My mind gets scattered too much.... Hopefully you all enjoyed this. In my opinion, I bombed it, because 1) I don't write dirty scenes. Ever. and 2) I can't recreate the awesomeness that is Razia's Shadow. But I try anyway! Anyway, this isn't a replacement to my Holmes/Todd multichapter, this is just a passtime. I've reached a dead end in it, because apparently my idea of Holmes sucks (my words, no one on here thinks so... I hope). So, while I rewatch the movie and read the short stories, I figured I'd make some nifty one-shots for Razia's Shadow. This WILL be a multichaptered deal, but it won't be like, a consistant story. The only thing most of these one-shots will have in common is the pairing and the time set.

Disclaimer: I don't own Razia's Shadow. Oh, but if only I did...