"Once there was a king. He was the last of his line. Over a thousand solars he waited, alone and bound by chains of responsibility. Each solar the realm lost a little more of its colour and he learned not to feel. He gave up hope.

Then one night, a lost princess found her way to his castle. Like a light, she illuminated his darkness." I take Elissa's hand and place her palm against my chest. "She unfroze his heart."

She stares into my eyes, right through me into the empty, dark recesses of my soul. I smirk, yet my nerves twang as taut as a bowstring. She has made me start to feel again and without meaning to, has stripped away my defences one by one, leaving me exposed.

Cradling her hand in mine, I lower my gaze and place a kiss into her palm. Fear prickles through me like needles. I will be devastated if my suspicions are unfounded and yet possibly even more terrified if they are correct.

My other hand falls like a gavel, for judgement will be served. Everything fades as the first note rises up, a bass thrum of my soul's yearning. There is silence, a sickening silence before there is an answering trilling like the delicate strings of a harp. More and more sounds join the chorus as silken strands of music weave around and through us.

Trembling, I break contact and instantly feel bereft. It is as I hoped and feared. She just made my soul sing. Should one person have that much power over me?

My vision blurs and I blink away the moisture in my eyes. This will not do. I need to be in control.

Vulnerable, my instincts are to protect myself and I look to Elissa. Her eyes are a glazed and her lips a little parted. Now I really want to kiss her. She also looks close to fainting, so I slide to the floor and pick up her legs, gently placing them lengthways on the chaise.

Look at me kneeling before her. Yet again, who should I worship if not my future queen?

I restart my tale, "This King was ever so wicked. He could not resist a rose so sweet and was determined to ensnare his princess."

With a flourish of my hand, metal tendrils grow from the frame of the chaise, wrapping around her arms and securing them them in place. A metal rose blooms at each wrist. Elissa tries to move, however, is bound tight.

A wave of her fear washes over me. This is not what I want. I may be wicked, but I am not a monster like Nero. I have never had an unwilling partner nor an unsatisfied one. "Please relax."

"Are you freaking kidding me? How can I relax when you have me trussed up?"

I love the way her eyes sparkle when she is angry. That combined with the slight flush on her cheeks, makes me imagine what she will look like when overwhelmed with passion.

Teasing, I allow tendrils of my magic to ripple across her skin. I sense her magic stir, stretching like a lazy feline. It knows that I would not harm her, otherwise those claws would be out and I would be shredded.

Evidently, she is not at one with her magic, for she yanks against her restraints and pleads, "Please release me."

I hold back a groan. "I can assure you my rose, nothing would please me more than to assist in your sweet release."

"Morpheus!" she chastises. "Why are you doing this?" Her face is a picture of puzzlement as if she has no concept of the thrall she has cast upon me.

"You doubt my interest?"

One of the metal briars unwinds and I capture her wrist, sliding her hand down my body to the one part that is exceptionally eager to meet her.

Elissa's innocent eyes widen when she realises what she has awoken and she blurts out, "Oh my god, you're huge."

"I am pleased that you find that I am godly endowed."

"B-but you can't be interested in me in that way."

"I do believe the evidence is to the contrary," I respond in amusement. "I would be delighted to demonstrate my ardour, alas I do not think you ready."

"No, I'm not ready," she responds pulling her hand away.

She tries grappling with the briar holding her other arm hostage and a metal thorn pricks her skin. My nostrils flare and before I am even aware of even moving, I am looming over her. The scent from the pinprick of blood is intoxicating and saliva runs in my mouth. By the gods, how I want to taste her.

A very wicked thought enters my mind. I pull away and move to the end of the bed where I slip my fingers under the hem of her skirts. "The king was sure that if he peeled back the petals of his rose that he would find nectar."

As expected, Elissa immediately recoils, retracting her legs and hugging them to her body with her free arm. "No way."

I pout. "But I am in the mood to sample something sweet." Trying to contain my excitement at how close I am to my real goal, I shrug. "I suppose if you offered me your blood instead, I could be sated."

She wrinkles her nose and asks hesitantly, "How, how much would you want?"

"Only a taste." A taste is all I require.

She looks up to the ceiling, exhales heavily and nods. The briar unwinds and I pull her to standing, maintaining a hold of her hand.

"Princess Elissa, daughter of Prince Aldebaran of Alfheimr, do you make me, King Morpheus, an offering of your life blood?"

Elissa bites her lip and nods.

"Confirm it." Say the words.

"Yes, I princess Elissa, give you an offering of my blood."

An ornate black dagger appears in my right hand and turning her hand palm up, I reverentially slice her index finger. Barely has the blood started to well before I place it in my mouth. My eyelids shutter in bliss and my legs tremble.

The strength of her bloodline astounds me. I can taste the power of my forefathers, as strong as a pure dark elf and yet the light elf and elemental lines are equally strong, as if she is a triple entity. The cut starts to heal and my tongue curls around her finger, not wanting to let go. After a final suck, I reluctantly slide her finger free.

Ancient words pour from my lips as I make an oath as old as time. All the candles flare up, casting twisted shadows upon the walls. Biting down hard on my tongue, blood wells in my mouth. I thread my fingers through her hair, commanding the angle of her head and kiss her. My offering made, a wild wind whips up, expunging the candles.

Wrapping an arm around Elissa, I pull her to my chest as we fall into darkness. Sight, hearing and taste all fade away and all that I am aware of are the pleasurable waves of magic wrapping around us.

.....

Slowly, reality seeps back and I awake to find myself lying on the chaise with Elissa in my arms. I feel drugged, as if still coming down from some intoxicating high. Elissa blinks up at me, my eyes are black reflected in hers.

I crow, "You are mine now."

"Yours?" Her brow crinkles. "Do you mean to make me your mistress?"

I give a hollow laugh. "I would not bind myself to a concubine. No, you will be my queen."

Elissa pushes herself into a sitting position. "Don't you think that Celestia will have something to say about that?"

"I am sure that she will be quite incandescent with rage," I respond smugly thinking of how I have foiled my sister's plan to commandeer Elissa for her means. "However, there is nothing she can do, for we are blood bound now and I am entitled to a dark queen."

Elissa gestures to her white hair as if that makes a difference. She will make a perfect queen. If Nero supports her, then the others will follow.

I wave her concerns away. "Appearances can be so easily resolved. The blood of dark kings runs through your veins. Think what a powerful heir we will make. We will bring hope to our people."

While I admit that I have been decidedly underhand, no one can not say that I did not follow all the rules of courtship as laid out in the black book. Still, I do not see this going down well with Celestia.

"You are right though. My dear sister may make things difficult for us. We should keep this a secret between us. I have less than a moon before my term at court is up. I shall just have to steal you away to my palace in the mountains."

Elissa appears pale and does not seem to relish my plan quite as much as I do, though I will have six moons to persuade her.

My ears prick and I cock my head, determining that dinner in the hall is almost over. "Allow me to escort you back. It would not do for your father to find you missing."

Outside, I wrap one arm around her shoulders as we walk through the dark grounds. "You really should study the black book. You are going to need it soon."

Elissa audibly gulps and stiffens in my hold, so I clarify, "The front section provides protocols for the dark elven court. You did say you wanted a manual." I chortle. "The back section, you will not need. I have thirteen hundred solars of experience."

Regrettably, soon we are at her father's door and I am left to kiss her goodnight.

"Sleep well, my beautiful rose."

................