At night, her sky was a dark blue, swirled with iron grey and pitchy black. No starts or moon shone to give her hope and energy for the coming day. Her days were filled shades of grey.
No one saw the bruises on her upper arms. Dark blue grey, mottled purple hidden by her sleeves. No one saw the angry red welts on her back. Stripes that would never scar, but would hurt just as much. No one saw the tense corners of her mouth when she smiled. Too blinded by pearly white teeth when she did smile. No one heard the harsh hollowness of her laugh. Hearing only a laugh that hit the right notes to cheer a soul. No one saw the emptiness of her eyes, devoid of the sparkle of life. They were lost in the color, an icy blue grey.
She wanted to go. Every night, she dreamed of falling into the roaring sea or floating in the air like a flag torn from its post. But there were too many eyes watching her. And there was that inexplicable bond with her quiet, overshadowed cousin. She always saw him in her mind's eye. And she wondered if he saw her.
It was the darkest of nights following the darkest of days. Her back and arms were decorated with dark pink and purple, given to her by him when they brought his son from that doomed, empty city of ruins. She wanted to see her cousin alright, that he would live, before she left. One more body wouldn't be noticed. And so, she stayed and tended to the wounded as she kept a watchful eye on her cousin. She cared for the ones with the worst pain so that no one could see the dull grey in her eyes.
Dawn came, and for the first time, her skies shone with vivid gold, swirled with the pink and orange of the sunrise. She saw many things, but only one captured her attention. It should have been impossible to see him for he was a blur in a field of smoking grey, crimson, and black. Yet, she saw him clearly in her mind's eye. Her hidden blessing. He rode a chestnut horse. White streamed from his helmet. In his hand, he held flashing silver and gold. He did not know her, and she did not know him. Yet, the vivaciousness of life flowed from him and touched her empty heart. For the first time, she hoped for something more.
It was over, and he could breathe freely. He could barely stand the sudden joyousness in the atmosphere. People who suffered for months laughed loudly, and it grated his ear. He had suffered for years, not that anyone really knew. His men were more somber than those of Gondor, for they too had suffered. Yet even they smiled more. But then, they did not see or feel what he had. They did not feel a stone, heavier than a millstone, roll onto their shoulders when they found the crown prince. They did not see flashes of all the times his cousin acted more like his big brother than a cousin. They did not see his uncle's twinkling eyes slip into glassy vacancy. They did not see his sister become warier than a hunted rabbit. They did not see that the slimy bastard of a king's advisor track his sister's steps or hiss venom into his uncle's ear. They did not feel the darkness spread into their land as keenly as him.
It was the coronation ball, and he had enough. He had paid his respects to the new king of Gondor and performed the necessary rites of a visiting, uncrowned king. He had waited until the unmarried ladies had declared him a good catch, but exceedingly dull and brutish for their liking. He had waited until the simpering lords who had hidden during the war (who knew that Gondor could have many a brave soul fall, only to have a weak daisy spring forth?) were drunk enough to not notice him. Only then was he able to slip away from the festivities to roam quieter hallways with only the echo of his footsteps to keep him company. Absorbed by his thoughts and his grief, he hardly noticed where he went. When he did, he did not care. Instead he gazed at the diamonds in the sky and the city under the moonlight.
He turned his head when he heard a slight rustle. To his right, he saw a lady gazing at the stars. Her face was empty of emotion. But her eyes, how could one describe them? They shone with a subdued sparkle. It was like she was seeing for the first time but knew how to conceal the majority of her delight at the new sights. He knew she could feel him, for she moved her hands from the railing to her sides.
Then she looked at him, and he dove into the depth of her eyes. She had felt pain in more ways than one. Felt it like he had, but experienced it in a different way. She knew what it was to suffer without anyone who knew or understand that suffering. What seemed an eternity later, he saw a tear slowly escape her eye. It glistened on her cheek beneath the shifting starlight. She closed her eyes and breathed in shakily. As she exhaled, she opened her eyes, gave him a meaningful glance, and turned.
"Wait," he uttered softly, so softly he barely heard himself. She froze, turning slowly as he approached her with swift, purposeful steps.
He did not know her, but his soul did. Without another word, he slowly wrapped his arms around her. She winced slightly, but she slowly relaxed into his embrace. No words were needed as they took a shuddering breath.
No one could understand why the young King of Rohan would ask for the daughter of the Swan Prince as his queen. How and when did they meet? How did they know the other existed? Nor could they believe that the lady in question actually agreed to the match. No one saw the understanding gaze passed between them or heard the quiet whispers of love and assurance in the night. In the privacy of their home, they held each other tightly when flashes of darkness tried to force them apart. It was in the dark that a heart found a reason to beat again and a heart to continue to beat. Few saw their king and queen ride to towards the burial mounds to watch the sunrise. Few saw them watch the sky light up with dancing colors. It was only a whisper of a mystery that they knew wasn't worth solving. The king and queen were whole, and so were the people.
Author's Note: Been awhile, but here's something! Inspired by "In the Dark" by Olivia Holt. It's a really good song. I also apologize for any mistakes; I'm my own beta.