Chapter 2
Titanium's POV
The morning of the masquerade dawned early but Titanium decided to laze in bed for longer than she was used to. There was no one to rush her and she did seem to have all the time in the world to simply pick a dress, a pair of shoes, some jewellery and a mask for the night ahead. Pictures of blurred, masked figures dancing before her in a bright array of colours made Titanium giggle, tonight would be exciting in the context that she had never been to such a party before. As a matter of fact, she had never been to any party on earth before never mind one on her home planet.
"I wonder how it will be?" she sighed and tried, unsuccessfully to imagine what lay in store for her. Titanium decided that she felt too energetic to laze in bed and would rather go through the countless amounts of clothing in the cupboard until she found the perfect outfit. She spun in joy toward the cupboard but came to an abrupt halt when she noticed the red-headed woman standing by the door.
"Well aren't you a ray of sunshine?" she commented, taking another step into the room.
"Who are you?" Titanium enquired, narrowing her eyes. She could sense the hostility which was literally seeping off the female.
"Exousia," she replied, "captain of Chrysos' army." Titanium could not help but feel intimidated as Exousia modelled in front of her with numerous weapons attached to her body.
"What do you want?" Titanium pressed her back against the wall, eyeing the woman out. She had no idea what Exousia was capable of and did not want to, in any way, find out.
"I just came to warn you,"
"Of what?" she demanded.
"The little fairytale you've gotten yourself into isn't real. Chrysos cares nothing for you or your abilities, all he cares about is your status. Once he's in control of Ischyros, he'll dispose of you like he did all his other wives," Exousia smirked, hatred flashing across her face as Titanium's eyes widened in absolute shock. Why was this woman being so horrible toward her when she had never even met her before. What had she done to upset Exousia so much?
"You're lying," Titanium snapped, "why would he have gone all the way to find me if he didn't care?"
"You're the only thing standing between him and conquering Ischyros," Exousia replied venomously, a sly smile working its way onto her face, "of course he'll go out of his way to claim the final free kingdom on the planet."
"Get out of my room," Titanium commanded bitterly, she would not stand for the lies being thrown at her. Chrysos would definitely hear of this woman's audacity.
"If you don't believe me, answer this question; why does he lock you in your room?" Exousia enquired calmly, not budging even an inch.
"To keep horrible people like you away from me!" Titanium exclaimed wishing desperately that someone would interrupt their unpleasant conversation. She had no idea where Exousia had gotten her story from or what her problem was but she wanted badly to escape from the accusations.
"Oh really? Then why does he keep the key on the other side? Surely if he wanted to keep me out he would have taken the key with him?" Exousia pointed out, dangling the key in front of her. Before Titanium could think of replying, Chrysos entered the room and paused as he took in the situation before him.
"What is going on here? Exousia?" his voice was low and dangerous as he set darkened eyes on her. Titanium scurried over to him and he immediately put a protective arm across her shoulders convincing her that everything would be better.
"She's been telling me the most horrifying things, Chrysos," she did not want to sound sulky but could barely help it. The things Exousia had told her had her very close to tears. Titanium continued, "She told me that you didn't care about me, that you were only using me to conquer my kingdom." The tears must have been evident in her voice because Chrysos hugged her tighter, whispering words of comfort into her ear.
"It's the truth," Exousia quickly interrupted the tender moment, clearly disgusted by the display of affection between the two.
"Get out of here," Chrysos hissed as he moved away from Titanium and snatched the key from Exousia's hand. He said something more to her and the sly smile returned to her face making Titanium feel even more uncomfortable. With a final dirty look in her direction, Exousia exited the room and slammed the door behind her.
"Princess," he turned to face her, a sweet smile plastered on his face, "listen to nothing that Exousia tells you. She is an impulsive liar and jealous of you too." A warning bell rang somewhere in Titanium's mind but the sound was drowned out by his musical voice as his eyes entranced her.
"Some ladies will come to your room later to help you prepare for the masquerade. Do you have any idea what colour you plan to wear?" Chrysos played with her hair, sending shivers down Titanium spine.
"No," she started but broke off when her voice vanished, his hand were starting to roam into inappropriate places, "I was about to when Exousia came."
"I shan't keep you then," suddenly he was gone and it felt as though a bucket of cold water had been poured over Titanium, the trance broken. Chrysos closed the door behind him sending a sense of finality into the room. She staggered back onto the bed and wondered if it had really happened or if it had been a mere illusion created by her mind. Titanium did not know if she liked what he had done, feeling violated and exposed though no one but them had been present. Did he have any right to do such a thing before they were even married?
"Don't be silly," Titanium snapped at her own foolishness, trying desperately to shake off the feeling of discomfort that wrapped around her feverish body. As a distraction, she headed for the cupboard and started to rummage through the clothing but her mind was insistent on thinking about it. She cried out in utter frustration and hurled a pair of shoes at the back wall, cracking the glass of the display case. Titanium stared at the destruction she had caused, shocked by the extent of her physical strength. She gulped and moved away from it. What would Chrysos say when he saw what she had done?
"Oh dear," Titanium murmured as she broke out in a sweat. Would he be angry at her?
"Maybe I could make up a story," she babbled quickly to herself, "like, me falling or - or -." Tears threatened to spill from her eyes at the mere thought that Chrysos would dispose of her when he found out that she had destroyed something of his. How could she fix it though? Titanium was still frantically looking for something when the sparkling diamond on her ring finger caught her attention.
"Of course!" she gasped in excitement, hurtling back to the display case. With a devious grin, Titanium started hurling random shoes at the glass and watched it shatter. The pieces fell to the floor in a colourful shower giving it a glossy appeal but she took no time to admire it as she quickly swept it up with her hands, being careful not to cut herself. When the glass was successfully disposed of in an old shoe box, Titanium reached out for the display case stopping where the cover had once been and imagined, in its place, a layer of crystal clear diamond. She stepped back to admire her handy work and wondered why she had never thought of starting an interesting hobby which included her control of diamond.
"I should mention it to Chrysos," Titanium giggled as she turned, with renewed excitement, to the clothing in her cupboard. As she browsed through the selection before her she had to admit that being naughty definitely felt good, something she definitely would not tell her future husband. For almost three hours she went through about a thousand dresses only selecting a few that she thought fit the criteria for the upcoming masquerade. However, even when Titanium had gone through her entire wardrobe, she was not satisfied with the twenty dresses scattered on the floor around her. None of them were perfect.
"Perhaps the right pair of shoes and a little jewellery will make it perfect?" Titanium scratched her chin thoughtfully but doubted it. Her eyes wandered back to the closet and she frowned; the right dress had to be in there and she would not stop until she found it, refusing to settle for any less. With determination pumping through her veins, Titanium started working through the closet again, this time paying special attention to each individual item. Just as time started to run short and her hopes began to dry up she accidentally stumbled upon yet another clothing rack, this one containing only a single dress. Titanium approached the dress with curiosity which, as she took it in, turned slowly to awe. This was the dress. Her mouth was dry as she stripped herself and carefully put it on, afraid that it would not fit or that something disastrous would happen to it.
"Oh," Titanium's eyes stretched in wonder and temporarily she forgot to breathe; it was the most beautiful dress she had seen in this closet. How had she not seen it before? Strapless, the bodice of the dress was simple, made of loose-fitting black satin. Over the bodice was a crimson corset, trimmed with golden, that tied in the front. The skirt hung loosely around her legs, made of the same black satin with a layer of crimson velvet that hung neatly over it, cut out in the front so the underlying material could still be seen. Titanium twirled in the full-length mirror and watched the skirt dance around her, revealing that it was wider than it appeared to be.
"Madam?" an unknown voice called out to her and she decided to investigate, popping her head around the cupboard door. Three elderly women were standing at the door looking at the dresses strewn across the room in utter distaste.
"Yes?" Titanium stepped out of the closet fully, flushing as she realized what a mess she had actually made, "Pardon the mess, I was having difficulty finding the right one."
"You succeeded?" three pairs of eyes were now staring at her and she nodded, motioning to the dress she currently had on, "A wonderful decision, madam."
"Um," Titanium broke eye-contact as she instead concentrated on a blue and silver gown crumpled on the floor before her, "who are you?"
"The king sent us to assist you," the second woman replied in a gentler voice, "we have barely two hours left so I suggest we get started." Titanium started to bend but they showed for her to stop.
"We will clean this up when the masquerade has begun," the first woman said with a soft smile, "for now, our greatest priority is to get you ready." Titanium was ushered to a chair and sat down while they bustled around her. One of them started to comb her hair until it glowed in the setting sun before she pulled it in all directions, attempting to style the unruly ringlets. The second one started to gently apply make-up, starting with base before moving to blush, eyeliner, royal blue eye-shadow, mascara and finally rose red lipstick. The last woman started by giving Titanium a quick manicure and pedicure before applying crimson nail polish to both her fingernails and toenails. When she was done, she hurried into the cupboard and produced a pair of elbow length lace gloves which she slung over the armrest of the sofa. In her other arm she had numerous pairs of stilettos, ranging from different shades of red to black, bedazzled to plain and strappy to completely closed. Testing first to see if the nail polish was dry, she started to try one shoe on after the other before settling on a pair of strappy black stilettos that had a single row of tiny rubies running up the middle strap.
"Get the jewellery," the first woman demanded as she continued to apply the other shoe, tying them both, "is that too tight, madam?"
"No, that's perfect thanks," Titanium smiled down at the shoes, she would probably have chosen them herself if she had been able to. The other two women appeared before her carrying numerous sets of jewellery, holding them out one at a time for her to choose. Titanium decided on a chunky platinum gold necklace studded with large black diamonds, matching earrings and a similar bracelet which had rubies instead. As the same two women quickly attached the pieces of jewellery, the last one gently pulled the gloves onto Titanium's arms before clasping the bracelet into place on her right wrist. They then proceeded to step back as Titanium got up, admiring the work they had successfully completed in two hours.
"The only thing missing is your mask," one of them purred as she produced a mahogany jewellery box which she held out before her.
"I first want to see what I look like," Titanium stated softly as she moved with surprising ease toward the cupboard, the killer heels feeling almost completely natural to her. She allowed her eyes to scan her reflection in the mirror and she felt something stir in the back of her mind; what seemed to be so familiar to her? Ignoring it, Titanium rather examined her hairstyle, turning slightly so she could see some of it from behind. Her hair had been tied and plaited before being pulled into a neat, tight bun set high on the crown of her head. Her fringe hung loosely on either side of her head, framing her face and, though it was extremely simple, Titanium decided that she liked the way her hair had been done.
"Madam?" one of the woman appeared by her side with the jewellery box settled in her hands. When Titanium nodded, she opened the jewellery box and extracted the mask, handing the empty container to one of the others who had also materialised in the closet. The mask, which covered only up to her nose, was also crimson with black lace trimmings around the entire outer edge and also the eyes. In the middle of a single black lace flower, situated at the both ends of the mask, was a single ruby. Protruding from behind each of the flowers were two drooping black feathers. Carefully, the woman tied the mask securely to Titanium's face using the attached black ribbons before stepping back to allow everyone to admire her appearance.
'Let's find out what surprises await me,' Titanium thought as she turned away from the mirror. Finally, she was ready to attend her first masquerade and it would definitely be one she never forgot.
One of the woman had escorted Titanium carefully through the passage within the palace and they had now, after endless minutes of walking, come to a halt behind two large wooden doors. She could hear music being played from the other side and she knew she was probably late; the party had already started.
"Don't worry," the woman smiled reassuringly at her, "we're right on time for your grand entrance." Titanium gulped uncertainly, her mouth suddenly feeling excessively dry. Chrysos had said nothing to her of making any sort of special entrance. She was about to say something in return but the music suddenly quietened down, the woman by her side shushing her.
"Ladies and gentlemen," Chrysos' voice, though muffled from behind the door, was probably echoing clearly through the ballroom, "myself and the lovely Princess Titanio welcome you to our pre-wedding masquerade. We do hope you enjoy this evening as we celebrate the coming together of two great kingdoms. Now, you might ask if the princess is present between us, disguised behind one of these brilliant masks. She is not but that will now change as I present to you, our found Princess Titanio!" The doors before her were suddenly opened and she was bathed in light, temporarily blinded and stunned. Someone gave her a gentle push from behind and she started to walk down the marble stairs trying desperately to appear regal and graceful. Her eyes became accustomed to the light and she briefly glanced over the crowds; she had not expected to see so many people attend. Titanium knew all the eyes were trained on her as she stepped off the stairs, the crowds making a path for her which led directly to Chrysos. She managed to walk the entire way without tripping or falling and once she had positioned herself next to him, the crowds started to applaud.
"Well done, princess," Chrysos whispered to her as he pulled her a little nearer, slipping his arm around her waist.
"Why didn't you tell me?" Titanium asked softly as the music began once more and couples took to the dance floor.
"About the entrance?" his eyes were sparkling behind his own royal blue and silver mask, "I did not want you to fret. Stressing does nothing for your complexion." He turned to face her fully and took both her hands in his own. Chrysos merely stared at her for a long moment before he led her onto the dance floor, pulling her tightly against his body.
"You look so sexy tonight," he growled into her ear and Titanium blushed at the idea that she had caught his attention so efficiently. What she did not know was that she had also caught someone else's attention.
Blackheart's POV
Entering the palace had been fairly easy, Blackheart merely having to teleport into the ballroom when it was filled with enough guests for him to arrive completely unnoticed. The only problem facing him now was tracking Titanium down, a difficult task due to all the masked female figures parading around him in ridiculously puffy dresses. Though a few blonds had caught his attention so far, none of them had turned out to be anything like her from closer up.
'Was I mistaken?' Blackheart thought as he passed yet another blond which resembled Titanium in no way, 'Have I followed false information?' thinking back, he felt like hitting himself for being so gullible. There was of course a possibility that the gossiping women could have had the wrong end of the story, Titanium might not even be close to where he was at the moment. Blackheart decided to hang around for a little while longer hoping that she had maybe not arrived at the party yet. If he had followed incorrect information then he might as well just give up looking for her, it was a wild goose chase on a planet that was similar in size to earth.
"Maybe I'm not supposed to find her," Blackheart mumbled to himself as he faded into the shadows of one of the few dark corners, "I had my chance and I lost it." He still could not believe that Titanium had slipped through his fingers before he had even had a chance. It all boiled down to his own blindness and utter stupidity, the signs had always been present but he had never once thought of looking for them.
"Why would I have?" Blackheart asked no one in particular, "All that mattered to me was defeating my father, taking over his realm and creating hell on earth." Those ideals seemed foolish to him now and Blackheart wished he had only seen the true value right in front of him. A pang of guilt enveloped him as he remembered the night of his graduation, the same night he had taken advantage of her for his own benefit. Now that memory was all Blackheart had to cling to, the only moment he had actually seen her as more than just a rival.
"How I wish I'd never done that," out of frustration he ran his fingers through his hair, allowing his eyes to scan the crowd as a distraction. In the past fifteen minutes, no new people had come in through the front doors and Blackheart guessed that no more guests were due to arrive. Obviously Titanium would not be present and the only thing he had left to do was go home; another of his missions had been a total failure. As he was about to disappear a specific male caught his attention and he paused, deciding to investigate. As Blackheart came closer he recognised the male to be the same one that had been present the night Titanium had gone home.
"Sire! Welcome!" another masked male approached him, briefly shaking his hand, "Where is the lovely princess?" music had started playing as numerous people in the crowd acknowledged the king's presence among them.
"She will be joining us shortly," his voice confirmed who he was to Blackheart making him think that perhaps the information had not been as false as he thought, "for now just enjoy the party." The masked individual nodded enthusiastically before disappearing into the ocean of people which filled the ballroom.
'I'll wait for the princess to come,' Blackheart decided as he shrunk into the shadows once more, a place where he could efficiently keep an eye on the progression of events. The minutes seemed to drag by but still no one else arrived, the king conversing with random people in the room completely unconcerned by the absence of the mysterious princess. He had just returned to the platform when one of the many guards present muttered something into his ear causing him to quickly glance at the oversized clock set above the entrance. It was literally a few seconds before eight o'clock. The king positioned himself in the centre of the stage and waited for the clock to finish chiming eight times before he started to address the crowds. Blackheart paid little attention to what he was saying as he tried to decipher the feeling of anticipation which had clouded the air like a storm.
"-She is not but that will now change as I present to you, our found Princess Titanio!" the king's final sentence caught Blackheart's attention as the double doors on the far end of the ballroom were opened by two guards. The female, a mere silhouette, failed to move into the light as silence fell in the room like a heavy blanket. With a sudden jolt she moved forward, bathing herself in light as everyone stared in complete awe. It was her. Blackheart had found Titanium. She moved fluidly down the stairs, something she had always been able to accomplish no matter how fast or slow she walked. Her presence brought the room to life as the light made her sparkle like a gem on her own; her every movement demanded attention from everyone. Blackheart could tell her face was passive behind the mask and he admired her ability to hold a poker face as everyone watched each step she took, waiting for something unexpected to happen. With grace that would shame any swan or ballet dancer, Titanium stepped onto the stage and took her place next to the king who whispered something, pulling her closer. Music shattered the magic of the moment in a rapid anti-climax and the crowds, desperate to redeem their pride, went on with their business on the dance floor.
'Now that I've found you I must just find a way to speak to you,' Blackheart thought as he watched the king pull her into the crowd for a dance. A plan was already forming in his mind, one that definitely appealed to him as he considered it; she would not be able to decline a dance invitation. He only had to wait for the opportune moment to snatch her away from the king who, to his utmost disgust, seemed to be ravishing her with his eyes. Something about the king seemed off to Blackheart as he watched them for most of the night and he did not know if it was merely his jealousy playing up; Titanium appeared to be happy.
'We'll see,' he thought as he prepared to swoop in for the kill, his prey directly in sight.
Titanium and Blackheart's POV
Titanium was just able to pry herself away from Chrysos, who had been clinging to her for most of the night, when another masked male approached her with a dance invitation. She was about to politely decline when something about him caught her attention. Titanium got the feeling that she knew him from somewhere but had no idea from where, she knew no other men on this planet but Chrysos. Out of complete curiosity, she accepted the invitation and allowed herself to be led onto the dance floor.
Everybody's got something
They had to leave behind
One regret from yesterday
That just seems to grow with time
The slow beat of the song surrounded them as Blackheart pulled her into position, thanking his lucky stars that he knew anything about ballroom dancing. Titanium's eyes were sparkling behind the mask, a mysterious smile plastered on her full lips. The mere sight made him wish he had never let her go, that he had forced her to listen before she had left.
There's no use lookin' back or wonderin'
How it could be now or might have been
All this I know but still I can't find ways
To let you go.
Blackheart knew there was no point in lingering any further after the dance; what was in the past could only remain there. Titanium was no longer available and he had to accept the idea even if it was the most painful thing he had ever done. He would, however, remember this moment for the rest of his life; the last time he had been able to hold her and pretend she was his. Blackheart wondered how he would ever find the strength to give her up and never come back; how would he carry on? Going back to world domination was out of the question; he no longer had a passion for it and he doubted it would efficiently distract him. Leaving the thoughts behind, Blackheart instead concentrated on enjoying the last dance he would ever experience with the one person who had unknowingly taught him to love.
I never had a dream come true
Till the day that I found you
Even though I pretend that I moved on
You'll always be my baby
I never found the words to say
You're the one I think about each day
And I know no matter where life takes me to
A part of me will always be with you.
The world around Titanium seemed to be evaporating into nothingness as she stared into the eyes of the masked man she was dancing with. They seemed so familiar yet also so different, laced with unidentifiable emotions, and once more she wondered where she had met him before. Smoky, distorted images danced in her mind but she could not comprehend what story they were telling, they were just too far and unclear for her to see.
Somewhere in my memory
I've lost all sense of time
And tomorrow can never be
'Cause yesterday is all that fills my mind
The music drowned out all other noises around them as Blackheart and Titanium, entranced by one another, floated across the dance floor. For the moment nothing but the dance mattered as each battled with the individual emotions they were feeling. They were unaware that the evident chemistry between them was drawing attention from the crowds. The king merely glared at the dancing pair but failed to do anything, deciding that he would take Titanium to task later.
There's no use lookin' back or wonderin'
How it could be now or might have been
All this I know but still I can't find ways
To let you go.
I never had a dream come true
Till the day that I found you
Even though I pretend that I moved on
You'll always be my baby
I never found the words to say
You're the one I think about each day
And I know no matter where life takes me to
A part of me will always be...
"Who are you?" Titanium broke the silence between them, not being able to hide her curiosity anymore. The male failed to reply and she frowned; what secret was he hiding?
"Answer me," she demanded, her body stiffening slightly at the prospect of her being in trouble. Blackheart knew he would have to say something or she would slip through his fingers once more but how could he reveal his identity to her in such a packed room? He noticed that, though she seemed angry, her eyes were not as hard and cold as he was used to them becoming. Titanium actually looked more afraid than anything else and he knew that, in all the time he had known her, she hardly ever showed signs of fear. That was when he noticed that her aura had changed into something that was sickly sweet. His eyes flitted briefly to the king, suspicion clouding his mind.
'What did you do to her?' Blackheart thought, enraged by the idea. His anger was dampened when he realised that he was probably just looking for reasons to convince himself to take her back to earth. He brought his eyes back to hers knowing he had no other choice but to speak and hope she would not completely freak out.
"Please, don't hurt me," Titanium's voice was pleading and Blackheart was shocked to see the tears brimming in her eyes.
"I'm not going to hurt you, Titanium," he replied, disbelieving that she thought he would intentionally harm her.
You'll always be the dream that fills my head
Yes you will, say, "You will"
You know you will, oh baby
You'll always be the one I know I'll never forget
"How do you know my name?" she finally spoke after a long moment of silence, his voice had stirred something deep within her. Where had she heard it before? Titanium guessed he had something to do with the memories which seemed to allude her for some reason; maybe he was in some way connected to her past on earth?
"It's me, Blackheart," he whispered back and she felt her heart jolt; she knew that name. The pictures became more insistent as a wave of nausea and emotions sucker punched her in the gut. Suddenly the night no longer felt magical and entrancing; all Titanium wanted to do was leave to somewhere quiet so she could think.
"I don't know you," Titanium said back breathlessly as the world around her swayed dangerously. A feeling of utter sickness and claustrophobia overwhelmed her as she forced her eyes to meet his once more. The look of confusion and pain which laced the blue depths made her mind tip even further into frustration. Why couldn't she remember? Titanium felt as though she was forgetting something important but why?
There's no use lookin' back or wonderin'
Because love is a strange and funny thing
No matter how I try and try, I just can't say goodbye
No, no, no, no
Her words had been like a slap in the face but through the pain Blackheart decided that something definitely was not right with Titanium. How could she have forgotten so quickly? He temporarily shoved the thoughts from his mind as she swayed, leaning all her weight onto him.
"What are you doing to me? What do you want from me?" Titanium's whispers just reached his ears as she closed her eyes, through the make-up he could see she had become pale.
"I came to check on you, to see if you're OK," Blackheart replied hurriedly, worry closing in around his chest, "I wanted to say goodbye properly."
"Check on me? Say goodbye?" confusion clouded her mind, when had she ever said goodbye to anyone? Time seemed to have come to a halt and all Titanium could hear was the sound of her breathing and the beating of a heart from far off. Was it his? From her position against his chest, she found some comfort from the raging storm which was engulfing her, making her feel sick beyond compare. Why did it feel as though she had done something similar before? Who was this man?
I never had a dream come true
Till the day that I found you
Even though I pretend that I moved on
You'll always be my baby
Blackheart carefully watched her, was it his imagination or did she look peaceful? For a moment he allowed his mind to analyse the situation around him; this supposed rescuer and king had done something to Titanium which had made her forget her time on earth. Why?
'Perhaps he wanted her to think she knew nothing better than this,' Blackheart took in the fancy ballroom around him, 'but why would he be so insistent on her return?' his eyes found the king again. What could he possibly be planning that required Titanium's presence on the planet? Was it something so sinister that he needed to keep her blinded to it? Entrapped in a world of fantasy with no account of her life before?
I never found the words to say
You're the one I think about each day
And I know no matter where life takes me to
A part of me will always be
A part of me will always be with you…
"I need to leave now," Titanium suddenly pulled away from him, Blackheart returning his attention to her, "I'm sorry but I really don't feel well." Forgetting to curtsy like all the other woman, she hurriedly moved up the stairs and exited the room. With narrowed eyes and anger in his veins, Blackheart ripped the mask from his face and incinerated it as he teleported after her. There was no way in hell that he was going to let her be used for some other man's schemes; it was something that not even he would do. It was time to find out exactly what was going and he refused to leave until he knew every detail.
Titanium ran down a passage in the palace with only a brief idea of where she was and how to get back to her room. A flash of lightning illuminated her distraught face and through the tall windows on both sides of the passage she saw the raging storm outside. She had to admit that it was a fitting way to end such a confused and messed up night, perfectly displaying the battle of emotions deep within her. Titanium hoped that Chrysos would not notice her absence until she had composed herself; there was no way she could allow him to see her in such a state. It was not something a princess did, they were supposed to be calm and peaceful, gracing the room with their presence.
'Not running from some stranger who claims to know me,' Titanium thought, knowing deep inside that he could not have just been 'some stranger'. There was something about him that made her wonder why she could not remember him even though she was sure she should. The familiar double doors to her bedroom loomed before Titanium and she hurtled toward it, opening them with such ferocity that they slammed against the wall and bounced back.
"Back," Titanium let out the breath she had subconsciously been holding as she closed the doors behind her. While closing her eyes in relief she pressed her back against the cool wood glad that she was finally safely away from all the chaos and commotion. It was then that she sensed the male's presence in the room and she immediately stiffened; how had he gotten there before her? A flash of lightning illuminated the room and Titanium briefly spotted him, hidden in the shadows of the corner to the far right.
"What are you doing here?" she gripped the door handles, ready to burst out of the room if necessary.
"I've come to find out what's wrong with you," Blackheart stepped out of the shadows, now unmasked. Titanium looked at him with wide, frightened eyes, trying desperately to figure out what his true purpose was.
"There's nothing wrong with me," she replied softly, her voice failing her.
"Yes there is," Blackheart was now walking slowly toward her, determination set in his eyes, "the Titanium I know does not forget, she does not let people shunt her around and she definitely does not show fear."
"Well then you must have me mistaken with someone else," she squeaked in return as she attempted to open the door but found that his icy eyes had her frozen, completely at his mercy.
"No, I don't," Blackheart stopped right in front of her, his eyes visibly softening as he took in her fear. Usually he would have fed off it but now he hated the mere smell of it; why was she scared of him? Blackheart reached out and put a single hand on her cheek and she flinched as if expecting him to strike out. He dropped his arm and whispered, "You never used to be afraid of me, you were one of the only people who could almost put me into place. Your sword fighting abilities were something I always admired about you."
"Fighting? No, you see you do have me mistaken for someone else! I've never fought with a sword before! I absolutely hate violence!" Titanium shot passed him, needing to breathe, to think.
"You hate violence? That's a joke! You were queen of violence on earth!" Blackheart laughed sarcastically and she swung to face him with tears of desperation pouring from her pained eyes.
"I do not know you and am not the person you claim to have fought before! Now leave me alone! Please!" Titanium was close to an emotional break-down as she screamed the words, stripping the expression from his face. Sobbing quietly, she turned to look at her distraught reflection in the full-length mirror. Her once neatly styled hair had sprung loose from its binds, falling in ringlets around her head and her original appearance seemed to have lost all the magic it had once held.
"Is this really who you are?" Blackheart suddenly appeared next to her and she glanced briefly at his reflection before looking at herself once more. A gust of wind forced the windows open causing utter chaos as items were hurled around. A bolt of lightning struck the courtyard just outside her room and as it brightened her surroundings, in the midst of the commotion; Titanium saw a woman that looked identical to her replace her reflection. She wore the same black dress and boots that Titanium had discovered the previous day and clenched tightly in her hands were two lethal looking diamond swords. The woman's eyes were the same shade of blue as hers but they were colder and more dangerous, a smirk playing on her red lips.
"Oh my gosh," Titanium stumbled back as the air was punched from her lungs and the colour drained from her face. She grabbed the bedpost for support but as quickly as the woman had appeared she was gone again, the chaos coming to an abrupt end. In the blink of an eye everything had returned to normal but the image was stuck in Titanium's mind. That must have been the woman Blackheart had known but that was not her; or was it?
"Please leave me," she uttered, slowly letting go once she was sure that her legs were steady enough to carry her.
"Not until you see the truth," Blackheart was suddenly looking at her jewellery and Titanium gripped her necklace protectively. Her heart was hammering wildly in her chest and she needed desperately to be alone so she could think clearly. There had to be a logical explanation to everything that had happened. Perhaps she was just dreaming? Titanium pinched her arm and yelped out; hysteria closing in quickly as she realized that she was definitely still awake.
"Why is this happening? Why is my fairytale falling apart?" Titanium sobbed, feeling utterly miserable.
"Because it isn't real! You're here under false pretences!" Blackheart grabbed her shoulders and she cried out, trying to pull away but he held on firmly intent on getting some sense into her, "You have got to listen to me, Titanium!"
"No!" she screamed and shook her head vigorously as she continued to fight him, slamming her fists into his chest and wriggling in an attempt to break free. Out of complete frustration, Blackheart kissed her. Titanium became still almost immediately as her body became taught but as the shock wore off she relaxed, the kiss sending jolts of electricity to every inch of her body and seemingly turned her blood to magma. Everything around Titanium melted away as she pulled herself closer to his solid form, throwing herself into the kiss completely. As it reached a climax, the memory of her graduation night with Blackheart assaulted her senses. One memory after the other, Titanium started to remember everything; who he was, who she had been and what she had done on earth. Though she did not want to, she broke the kiss off and tried to pull away but her legs refused to hold her and instead she was forced to cling to Blackheart for support. For a moment, all that could be heard in the room was the sound of their panting, both acutely aware of how close the other was. As the sparks started to fade and Titanium gained control of her body she wormed her way out of his arms which were wrapped protectively around her waist.
"You need to leave," she murmured trying her best to sound emotionless. Blackheart noticed that, though she did not seem any different, her aura had definitely returned to normal. He could do nothing more. Secretly, Blackheart had hoped that once Titanium had remembered she would have decided to come back with him but it was not to be so, he would have to return to earth alone. He watched her move toward the window and close it, never turning back to look at him, before he made his way toward the door. Sighing, he exited and closed the door behind him not knowing that, at that moment, Titanium had looked back at him longingly, wishing for him to stop.
"It's officially over," the words stung Blackheart as he said them.
"Too true," the presence suddenly became known to him but already it was too late as darkness engulfed him.