(K+) This is the intro. Please move along to the next chapter. It's really good, I promise!
Moon Rising
Book 1: Obi's (Back) Story. Chapter 13 part 2
He thought about her position, about the fact that Zen would likely not want to give her up. There was one more question to ask tonight. "Miss Ilena, what do you think of Master and Mistress?"
"Mmm?" Ilena asked sleepily. She thought for a moment. Then she softly said, "I love them. And, I am glad they love Obi. ...I have always loved and supported Zen. As he has grown, my surety of that has grown with him as well. To stand at his back, and at the side of Obi - these have always and only ever been my goals. As for Mistress Shirayuki, it has been like watching a brilliant red sun rise over the horizon, ever so slowly approaching the sun that has stood in my blue sky for the longest time, and finding great joy in the approaching and in their dance in the sky. What will it continue to look like? ... It is like I am a pool upon the darkened land. When I look into the sky I see the moon I love to gaze upon that is Wellesley brightly reflecting the light of the two suns, and I am glad I am able to see that light. I also wish I could rise up from the earth and be a moon, too. ...To dance with the moon I love within the light of the suns. ...That is my dream." Ilena's voice had been growing quieter, her words coming slower, and now her breathing turned into the soft steady breathing of the sleeping.
Obi held her hand for a long time. Then he picked it up and kissed the back of it gently. Putting it back down, he released it and moved the chair and himself to their proper places. She had supported Zen as Second Prince since he was born because she was the First Princess, and because she loved him as she loved all who she chose - including himself, who had been chosen so many years ago. She had begun to watch over Shirayuki when Zen chose her, the same as she had watched over both Zen and Obi, and she had come to love her as well. How is it in your dream you are the least of the lights? Do you not know you are a sun as well? ...And if I am a moon, how can a sun dance with a moon?
-o-o-o-
Book 1: Obi's (Back) Story. Chapter 22 part 5
Obi smiled. "I told you so. Just because Ilena's Family is full of light, that doesn't mean it doesn't have a dark side, too." His smile dropped and he looked at Foster with a common bond. "You can't live through what we've all lived through and not have one." Foster nodded agreement. Obi all of a sudden realized - that is why Mother is a moon, not a sun. She has a dark side, too. A part of him relaxed, having understood that. He wondered briefly if it was as dark as the bright side was ever so bright.
-o-o-o-
Book 2: Princess of Three Countries. Chapter 16
"I will ask it again. It is my understanding that the Queen of Night has personally selected each member of this House. Is that correct?"
All three of the Lieutenants nodded. "Haah. I have just recently corrected her on this point. The Messenger made his error out of a lack of understanding because she has protected him by keeping him too long in the darkness, away from her light. Even though all of you chose the darkness of yourselves, you chose to follow her because of her light. You honor him because he tries to reflect her light to you, but he can no longer do that for he has of himself forgotten it. When he has learned it again, he will be able to return, if she allows it. However I don't believe it's right of her to protect those she loves by removing her light from them, and have scolded her for it." Every eye was on him. He scanned the room. He was right. They were also starving.
"For too long, the moon that is Ilena has kept it's dark side to you. From now on, her name is not Queen of Night, but Queen of Knight. When she has recovered sufficiently to run the roofs again, I'll bring her to you so you may again see her light for yourselves, and she will repent for her error." The room buzzed with electricity in the same way the safe house had when he had said he would bring her to see them. He turned and looked at the remaining Lieutenant, not knowing his eyes had become the eyes of Father.
That man was staring at him, his mouth opened slightly in surprise. Obi thought he saw the beginnings of tears, then the man shook his head, coming to himself. Even in this place, she can do this, he thought to himself, not at all surprised. She had surely only ever shown extreme strength to these Children of hers, yet they were still her Children just as surely.
"I will submit," the Lieutenant finally said, "but I will hold you to that promise." His eyes were fierce.
Obi nodded. "I'll properly scold her again, so that she may understand the pain of all of her Children. Her love and pride in the House has not faded, and she will be glad that my report may be that it still stands strong."
-o-o-o-
Book 2: Princess of Three Countries. Chapter 23
Ilena looked at him and into him. A faint smile played about her lips and her eyes lit with pride for just a moment. "Very well," she said. "I, Queen of Knight, yield to the Queen's Consort. ...But now you've made me want you very badly, Obi."
He grinned a pointed grin at her. "Good." He rose to his feet. "I'm going to go get assassinated."
Ilena nodded, her eyes hungry again. "Make sure you go by the library after you're done. Princess Shirayuki won't remember to come back for lunch either, since they'll hit you both at the same time."
"Got it," he said, and walked away from her. It was going to be interesting, dancing with this moon, but that suited him too. He really did hate being bored, and the castle wasn't boring any more, not since Ilena had come.
-o-o-o-
Book 3: Regent of Wilant. Chapter 5
When he was in a position of strength, he asked her calmly, "What is it, Ilena?"
...
Ilena showed some concern in her eyes though she kept her face calm. "Obi, there is a thing I think you do not know. I do not show the House the new moon of the Queen, and they cannot abide the full moon of Mother."
Obi looked at her quizzically. "Because they are the House of the Queen of Knight, I thought that was the face you showed to them?"
Ilena shook her head. "The new moon is shown to those outside the House of the Queen, but not to those inside."
"What do you show to those inside?" It certainly made sense that she would show the harsher side to those who would be the competitors or even enemies of the House.
"They see the half moon...the Steward." Her face was somber. "Even as Obi is viewed by those of the night as being both fierce and friendly, the House needs this face from Ilena. The Steward is both cold and compassionate. Only in this way can I keep order in the House."
-o-o-o-
Book 3: Regent of Wilant. Chapter 29
Obi ended with, Please take care of my heart, that I not be lost, lest the war be lost.
Ilena sat up and added. Please take care of my special someone, that the countries not be lost to chaos and the Blood Moon.
-o-o-o-
Book 4: Lord of Tarc. Chapter 14
Obi strode through the market, his guards behind him, and his aura was powerful and dark. He'd not seen the suns in a month and had just drunk of the moon. In the clans of the Tarc that was an expression for one who no longer had the capacity to reason rationally, but Obi was cold and sober. It was his anger that had been lit in that cold space - that cold anger he had been building up, stoking slowly, with every pain from the Lord of Tarc that had been sent his way adding to it. Tonight was the time to let it burn, but not burn wildly. It would burn carefully controlled until it could be unleashed with precision. There was no room for error in his words and actions tonight, and it would not happen. Not now. He had been with the moon and she had still been his. There was no hesitation in him, only strength and resolve.
This series of one-shots for Obi and Ilena, from The Missing Princess series, will be the only place you'll see "Dark Obi", most likely, though he peeks out here and there in the books. I have a lot of Dark Obi (and Dark Ilena too) in my head and need, want, desire a place to put it...so it doesn't go in the books. That's who Dark Obi and Dark Ilena are, after all - the New Moon faces they share, though they don't often show their New Moons at the same time. Not everything here will be dark, though. (I don't think so anyway. The moons constantly turn, after all.)
The stories will be dribbled out over time as the muse hits me.
It is likely to be that many will be rated M for either sexual themes or violence.