Chapter 9: Back to Reality
"Your queen?" The very thought seemed both alluring and absurd at the same time. Violet fought back the hysteria that seemed to well up with in her.
"You have taken me from my home…from my family." Her voice was low, almost a whisper, "You kidnapped me in the night like a child."
Darkness watched as tears dampened her dark lashes and fell. Despite her words he leaned forward and kissed them off her warm cheeks. Violet, despite her words, wrapped her arms around his neck.
"I know that…you and I are so…similar," she whispered against his jaw. "But…I cannot be here against my will…I cannot marry without ever seeing my family again…" She pulled back and looked into her lover's eyes. "This must be a choice between my old life with my family and my new life with you, not a choice of captivity with or without you in my bed."
Darkness knew the wisdom of her words, though, they frightened him. It was so strange to be frightened after an eternity of fearless rule.
He nodded. "I will send you home, to your family. I will return, for your decision in three days." Darkness looked her hard in the eye, "Three days. That's as long as I can spare without you, my princess…my Violet."
The Dancer helped Violet prepare to return home. No, not home, she thought. I'm not sure where home is now.
She barely noticed what she was being dressed in until she turned to the mirror. Her raven hair was pulled up in an intricate braided bun and donned with a tiara of what looked like filigree raven glass. Her necklace was of the same strange material. The dress was an A-line gown made of layers of black velvet, lace and silk with an irregular hem. The bodice was black leather with velvet trim. She looked like the queen of the Shadows, she thought. It suited her.
Darkness entered and stood for a moment gazing at the woman before him. He knew then that if she did not return he would be lost in the shadows for an eternity. The kingdom would be left without rule and would most likely fall into the chaos that prevailed before the rulers of Light and Dark were formed from the cosmic spark. Shaking this thought away, he approached his beloved.
"Your sister, the queen," he began, " You will tell her of my existence and that I will return for you in three days time. They will, most likely, be surprised but if they question you, you can respond that there can never be Light without Darkness."
Violet took all of this in and nodded solemnly, unsure of what to say.
"And…" he hesitated and held out his hand. Inside was the book they had read together the past week. "I thought you should take this with you. Your library has many fine books but not this one…I hope that it will please you."
Clasping the book to her breast, Violet felt tears coming and looked away to hide them. "I'm ready, Darkness."
Violet stepped into her room and turned back to see nothing of the portal that Darkness had created, only her old bed in the shadows. Cold and a deepening loneliness filled her…frightened her. She was alone.