Only the fools live for the Shadow
/!\ This chapter contains an instance of strong language and a scene of minor risqué material, reader discretion advised.
Next morning's dawn came late, the pale tawny sunlight squeezed through from under a large curtain in Princess Jadis' room. A balcony, that was less and less frequently used. It was the sun. The sun bothered her. Too bright, almost blinding and too hot, to the point where it scorched her skin. The cool and shade of her bedroom, as any part of the interior of the castle, appealed to her taste better.
She pulled herself out from under the black and teal sheets of her bed. She woke up because of her hand. She was in pain.
Jadis kicked her feet over the edge of the mattress. Her feet dangling over a rug that was given to her by her father's second wife, a polar bear skin.
A painful hiss whispered past her teeth as she undid the bandage. The swordsman responsible for this ''wound'' must have been an artist, for I tell you, I have never seen such a detailed picture done by a sword. A long, narrow figure curved around, making the shape of a circle in the middle of its body. What looked like a head was to the side, fangs bared and its tongue long and thin that cut the tongue off in the middle into two little tongues.
The Dark Mark!
The image of the serpent was red like a scalding rod of iron, and it hurt like one too.
It wasn't like this last night! Jadis thought as she rushed to her bathing room, which was connected to the bedroom. What have I done against it?
She filled the basin beside a mirror with cold water that a servant left for her that morning and submerged her hand deep into the sink. Thin lines of steam rose up like fog in a forest from the water. Gradually, the pain began to fade away. The glowing red had died down to a faded grey color.
It doesn't like the fact you were originally Ancient, your grace. The voice was low and clear as it came into her thoughts. The Dark Magic still has yet to adjust.
"Where are you?" The fearless princess of Charn called out, her eyes scanning the entire room for someone, some thing. She recognized the disembodied voice that lurked somewhere around her, for he had paid her many visits this year. Helped her become a greater harvester of magic, a wiser ruler, and (though she did not know it) a colder, heartless woman.
The mirror. Her eyes immediatley flashed to the hanging silver frame that held a picture of glass. She saw herself, pale but beautiful, even now when it was still so early in the morning.
Then, according to the image in the mirror, a few feet from the white tub behind her appeared a dark grey flame of smoke. Blazing furiously, never spreading throughout the room, but remaining in its flame shape. A pair of small, beady red eyes came into view. The cloud of smoke stopped its blaze and fell to the ground, only to be caught and transformed into a black cloak, concealing the body of Dark, as well as his face. But his beady, glowing red eyes remained visible in the open hood.
"Do not turn around. I am not there. You can only see me through the glass." He said this because her eyes started turning in the direction of the bath, expecting him to be there. "It is too risky of a move to show myself in such an extreme of public."
"Why have you come?" Jadis murmured, bowing her head low and kneeling before the great Lord of Darkness.
"Because you were intelligent enough to get the Prince right in the palm of your hand." He sounded somewhat pleased with her work, but it was hard to differentiate under his serious tone. "You have the intellect of your mother, daughter of Lillith. A great follower of mine, she was. Just as you have the potential to be."
"I did not bring him here for bloodshed," She said, realizing Dark's understanding of her plotting was that of assassination. "I invited him for-."
"Power." His hiss sounded irritated. "I know, I can read your emotions. You believe that Emperor Kalecgos will finally succumb to the idea of an arranged marriage between that monster and yourself. That you will be able to hold a power greater than any woman in the realms. An ambitious dream, but it has already been destroyed."
"By whom?"
"Her." Was the slow, bitter response.
As he said this, from under his cloak came an hideous looking hand that bent out an ugly, bony finger. He traced a circle in the air that transformed into a cloud of white smoke. The image of a woman's face blurred into sight. Eyes as green as a well watered bush in spring. Light brown hair with the most perfect curl. And a face that Jadis loathed because of its remarkable beauty.
"Princess Swanwhite?" She said, her voice sounding eerily calm, though her long fingernails dug into the side of the basin.
"Princess?" Dark exclaimed, with what sounded like a low snicker. "You believed him when he told you that that woman was a princess? My young, inexperienced harvester, if there is one thing you must always remember is to never trust anyone who acts as if he is the Nameless Emperor. Outside, they appear saintly. Inside, they act as cruel as I appear in those foolish stories they make up of me." He paused for a moment, and told her again to look into the white cloud.
What she saw was something that never occurred during the night, but simply something Dark made up. He knew the princess of Charn did not just only want to marry the Prince because she was just as power hungry as himself. But, because of an small, underlying feeling. By all circumstances, he had to destroy that emotion while it was still weak and build it up into hate. Pure hate.
An image of Aslan came through the cloud, the back of Princess Swanwhite's head covering most of his face. His eyes were closed and his fingers ran through her hair as if it was the softest material in the world. From Swanwhite, the muffled sound of a moan could be heard through their heated kiss. Jadis felt her head pounding, as if this reality was somehow smashing her head into the bathing room's marble floor. Abruptly, the princess' tongue broke away from the Prince's and she stood back in fright.
"Are you alright?"
Swanwhite didn't move.
"Princess Swanwhite-."
"Don't call me that!" The maiden said disapprovingly. "There is no one here with us. Call me by my name."
"Lilly," He murmured as he pulled her back into his arms. "Tell me what is wrong."
Lilly!
"Do you not realize what we are doing!" Lilly exclaimed, tears rimming her eyes. "You are a prince, heir to the Emperor's throne. I-I'm the daughter of a gardener!"
A what? Again, Jadis took another hard blow to the marble floor.
"Lilly," One of his hands began to stroke her cheek. His thumb wiping away any straying tears. "You won't have to worry of that anymore."
"What are you talking about?"
"We've given each other ourselves, body and soul. Lilly, when we get back to Mohthelieum I want to make you my princess. I'll give you it all. Everything, it will be yours. If you only give me consent."
"Yes!" She exclaimed as she leaped into his arms. "Yes, yes!" And then the scene faded out into the murkiness of white.
Jadis looked at Dark, a rage building in her eyes. "A gardener? The second-highest ranking man in all of the realms, who could barter himself the richest, most beautiful lord's daughter he wants; desires a filthy whore that sits in the dirt! The fool!"
"I agree with you, my Princess." Dark cooed engagingly. "Servants should only be used as they are supposed to be. Working for the will of their ruler. Not trying to equalize themselves with them. Aslan is too much of a fool to understand that. Your ambition may be destroyed, but that does not mean you cannot rebuild it again. There are other ways of gaining higher authority than just marriage, Jadis. I witnessed many. Many you can put to your use. Ferona, she is eldest is she not?"
Jadis lowered her eyes. "Yes, and father's favorite."
"Rightful heir to the throne," Dark went on musing, feeling the rising of jealousy and anger in the princess of Charn. "That can be changed by one simple action. Clean or unclean."
"Kill her?" the princess gulped.
"That would be one way," He said. "Don't make such a face, princess. I can sense the satisfaction you are feeling of having that heavy crown on your head as your people call you ''queen''. With my help, that can all come to be. You will bring terror to your enemies, be respected by your followers, and feared by all. Jadis, Queen of Charn soon to be Empress over all the Realms!"
The power that came with those titles made the Jadis' skin tingle. "What must I do?"
Dark's red eyes squinted in delight. "Kill Aslan."
Jadis made no expression, she did not blink, she did not breathe. The cloaked Magi took it as her say-so. "The night of the ball, I will come to you again to give orders. That night, if you succeed, you will destroy the future bloodline of the Nameless Emperor. Leaving Mohthelieum wounded and sullen. Easy to attack. You will be able to hear the dying breath of that worthless peasant girl and see the look on the Prince's face as you kill her right in front of his eyes."
Dark reached out to her from the mirror. His hand almost touching her shoulder. "Touch my hand. It will seal your obligation to me."
Jadis resisted a moment. Was this what she wanted? To be known as the person who murdered both heirs to the Mohthelieum throne and her sister in cold blood? All she wanted was to become a queen. Did it mean she had to do all of this?
"You know you can't do this alone." Dark hissed.
Her green eyes blinked. He was right. She needed more power, more help to become Empress. Yes, Empress. Being queen would never be good enough. Never. Whatever it took, she wanted the power and the Lord of Darkness was handing her the best offer.
The princess' hand slowly reached out to the mirror. Her fingers twitching with pleasure. All her dreams could come true, in just one more night. Dark's plans were promising. She had no doubt in her master. In moments her fingers touched the image of his hand. A blue light sparked from the glass into the princess' fair skin.
She threw her arm back from the pain of the blue electric shock and examined her hand. The Mark was now black, all the Ancient Magic inside her had vanished. The air grew heavy with the presence of strength and power. Dark Magic was pumping through her body, and it felt-good.
"You have powers as great as the Prince's now. He would have to put up a fairly good fight to take you down." Dark paused a moment, his voice grew stern now. "Jadis, do not disappoint me. You are the only daughter of Lillith that has the potential that I have been looking for many centuries."
"I promise, my lord," She said as she bowed once again before Dark. "I will not let you down."
His cloaked image disappeared and left the bathroom as if the Serpent was never there. His warning echoing even after he was gone: "Do not disappoint me."
Princess Jadis looked at herself in the mirror. She saw herself with the crown of Charn upon her head. Then, herself in battle. Fighting for the throne of the white castle on that eastern shore. Herself being crowned, again, only this time as the Great Empress Beyond-the-Sea. Her sister, the Emperor, the Empress, Prince Aslan, Prince Stelan, and all those against her rule, done away with. Dark promised her great power. She trusted his words.
"Your grace?" a slave murmured as he quietly entered his master's chamber. Jadis could hear him opening the curtain that concealed the balcony outside her room. He was letting in those warm, white beams of sunlight.
The princess left the bathroom and reentered her bedroom, where the slave stood quietly waiting for her to appear.
"Yes, slave?" She called coming into the light from the shadows of the bathing room.
The man's eyes widened in terror. A silent scream made his mouth drop open. He thought at first, his eyes were playing tricks on him or maybe he was actually still sleeping and was now witnessing nightmare. Whatever it was, something was wrong with his master. She looked older, her skin a sickly pale that made her look as if she was dead. Her lips red like freshly sacrificed blood in the temples. And her eyes, pitch black. No soul was in her irises. Horns! Tall, transparent horns came out from her head. A white dress with the skin of a polar bear hanging over her shoulders was what she was now wearing, not the usual bare-armed gowns of Charn's latest fashions. And surrounding her was this thick cloud of black.
The slave fell to the floor. "By the soul of Arknen!" the slave cried. Arknen. The god of the Sons of Adams and Daughters of Eve on Charn. Most of them were slaves. Their uselessness as harvesters of magic made them excel at true, hard, physical work. "A demon! A demon has taken my master!"
"Silence fool!" Jadis scolded, trying to make herself sound less confused as her slave. What was he seeing that made him make these assumptions? Nothing like this happened before. "What are you speaking of!"
"Be gone devil!" the slave screeched as he pointed his finger at her. "Release my Princess! Witch! Witch! Jadis has been possessed by a witch!"
"I said silence!" She ordered furiously, raising her hand out to grab the slave by his shirt; only to realize as she bent her arm out the Son of Adam went flying back into the wall. The force of impact into the stone bricks broke the poor slave's skull. He fell lifelessly back onto the floor of Jadis' bedroom. Blood trickling out of a large gash on the back of his head. His screaming ceased. His life as a slave ended by one smooth movement from his master.
Jadis stared at her arm. She cast no spell, no incantation read in her mind. How did this happen? Was the Dark Magic powerful enough that she no longer needed spells to perform magic? She rose her hand up again, focused on the corpse of the slave and the wall that was now slightly cracked where the slave's body originally hit. Again, he was thrown against the wall only this time the force was far greater. The corpse broke through the stone bricks, revealing the lovely blue sky that her tower barely touched. The slave landed with a loud thump! somewhere down far below.
The Serpent had blessed her with extraordinary power. If a Son of Adam was killed just by the motion of her arm; how much harder would it be to get rid of the others? Plans for the night of the assassination started to come into her mind. How she would corner them. Who was to die first, and if Prince Aslan should be killed slowly or swiftly.
Her blood was rushing at the fast pace caused by the Dark Magic. Her ears were filled with the ringing of ambition. She could not hear that little, saddened voice in her head choke out its last, innocent breath before the shadow of this power overcame it.
What have you done?