Shiiha

I woke up to very loud and obnoxious banging on the door. Instead of answering it though, I curled deeper into the sheets.

The banging faded and I feel deeper into my sleep.

~~~

I woke up again light streaming I'm from an open window brightening the room. The bed was the most comfortable thing I'd ever been in before, and I felt like I'd gotten the most sleep in my whole life.

I sat up groggily my hair frizzy and bedraggled fell into my face. I started to walk into the bathroom when I noticed the door into my room was open. I then turned towards it and noticed a dark figure leaning against the wall.

I squeaked and hid behind a sofa. Well more like clumsily sprawled behind it. I literally squeaked. I felt a blush in my ears and the figure chuckled a little.

"That's cute, you know. The servant came and informed me when you didn't wake up this morning. You've been out for hours. I would've thought you were dead if you hadn't been breathing." The figure walked over to the sofa to witness me in all my shame. I didn't even know why I was blushing. Just yesterday I had been dirty and disgusting in front of the Darkling. But somehow, when putting myself in a similar situation it seemed worse.

"Need some help?" He held out a hand. He was darker skinned his face in a smirk. He was very fit and handsome, the smirk on his face showing knowledge of this trait of this. Ion seemed to make me be more attracted to him and hate him at the same time.

Ooooh man candy. The Darkling sure knows how to pick them.

I don't know, the smirk on his face makes me want to skin him.

Isn't the Darkling man candy himself?

*yawn* oh you all are already up? What'd....... Damn.

I took his hand standing up from my shameful display, trying to hide the blush creeping it's way to my face to reveal my nerves of being in his stature.

It all went to waste when he bent down and brushed his lips against my hand in a swift gesture.

"My name is Abram." He said standing up the smirk still there.

His eyes are a dark color -- almost black -- with a glint of mischief in them. He is wearing a jacket similar to the one Rat was wearing, except his is black with cream lining. It matched his dark skin tone, highlighting his grin and his gold flecked brown eyes.

Honestly can't decide if I hate him or if I want him to screw me sideways with a chainsaw.

..... What's a chainsaw?

"If you'll get dressed quickly, he's waiting for you." Abram pointed to a pile next to the fancy bed then headed towards the door.

' he's '? Does he mean the Darkling, again? I remembered his quartz eyes, a heavy weight in them as he starred at me. It occurred to me then that the voices had been right, he did seem extremely young for someone who had supposedly lived for hundreds of years. His beauty seemed to hold a uncanny feature now.

I stripped from my nightgown and pulled on a light blouse and dark pants. I pulled on a pair of boots, the material made me stunned for a moment - what took to make these shoes?

But I was distracted by the article of clothing that I had originally ignored for the seemingly normal yet somehow formal clothes. I picked up a black jacket with gold threaded designs on it, beautifully crafted. It looked fairly similar to the one Rat wore, but newer, more intricate.

I almost missed the necklace underneath it as I started to put the jacket on. I picked up a gold chained necklace with a black gem. Just holding this made me feel like I was in an alien place. I had stolen jewelry - of course not as refined - like this before, I had traded it for medicine for my sister.

My sister. I remembered her body falling to the ground. What had happened in that moment? Nat, could be dead... And it was all my fault. I should have hidden with her, let my mother die. She might already be for all I know.

I looked back down at the necklace.

I don't want this.

I thought silently.

I walk out of the room and hold the necklace out to Abram.

"I don't want this."

He looked at me and gave me a knowing smirk, making my heart wrench in a different way. Dread pierced the feeling he had cast on me.

"Nonsense, here."

He walked behind me with the necklace and fastened it behind my neck. I felt the weight of it on my chest.

I didn't respond, how could I. I didn't know what to say.

I barely noticed Abram roll his eyes. His beautiful golden eyes, his smirk withholding a secret.

"Come on. The Darkling will be impatient by now." He said turning and being to take wide strides toward the stairs. I rushed to keep up with him.

I gawked at the door to what looked like the Darkling's quarters. The doors where a oak with a very dark - almost black - finish. They were inset with onyx and dark quartz stones outlined with mother-of-pearl. The whole thing created the Darkling's symbol, the sun in full eclipse.

The whole thing looked fairly new, as in the past hundred years the whole little palace had been attacked and burnt to the ground on multiple occasions. The most recent only five years ago. A small group of Inferni thought they could overtake the Darkling.

All that was released to the public was told at the beheading of the individuals who committed the crime. Twenty heads sat on the inner wall of Os Alta until they were nothing but skulls.

The halls were scorched in certain places, in others the looked stained black. Like someone spilled black oil, but could never clean it up.

What do you think happened here?

It's not important now.

Do you know something?

I thought I did.

We neared the doors and Abram knocked twice then stood to the side. We stood there for a good long while, almost felt like an eternity.

Maybe he forgot we were here?

Just then the doors began to open I took a step back as in was direct course for contact with large heavy doors. A short heavyset man stepped into the hallway, never even looking up from notes he was scrawling down.

"The darkling will see you now, miss..."

He trailed off as if asking for my name. The Darkling didn't even ask for my name when he was interrogating Rat. Of course, what should I tell them?

"Shiiha Athalbald."

My real name meant nothing anymore of course, nothing to anyone here anyways.

"Come." He snapped at me and turned around and walked into a large room with a number of maps and a large table in the center. Of course the Darkling was sitting at the table looking at a few documents spread in front of him. The short man walked over to him and whispered in his ear.

The Darkling looked up at me and the corner of his mouth quirked up making my heart do a flip. He dismissed the short man with the quick wave of his hand, I heard the door close and I looked at it to see Abram had walked in and was standing in from of what was the only clear exit.

"'Athalbald', huh? Fjerdan royalty?"

I looked back to the Darkling, he probably only could tell from the root origins of the words. My mother may have been Fjerdan, but I didn't belong there.

"My grandfather's name," The Darkling made eye contact with me as I said it the smile still on his face "Sir."

The Darkling leaned back in his chair, tipping it onto the back two legs and balancing.

"How interesting, I presume we won't have trouble as I believe he has passed his belongings to a, successor. "

He put an emphasis on the last word and the smile from his face dropped.

Did he know my grandfather?

"N-no, sir."

I stumbled over the words and I internally yelled at myself, The Darkling probably thought I was nothing but a quivering child. He was probably going to kill me once he found out I was no use, I wasn't special.

"There's no need to call me 'sir'," the Darkling spoke as he stood up and started walking around the table. "I am your equal, after all."

He now stood in front of me, at least a good four inches taller than me. I felt so small and powerless. I looked into his eyes and we locked gazes. His slate grey eyes seemed to pull me in, and I involuntarily seemed to to get closer to him.

He smirked and turned around to continue looking at his papers.

"Can you read?"

I blinked at the question, I had never been taught anything but how to talk. That was the only thing I knew of any language based subject. I felt disappointed with myself and embarrassment flushed my cheeks.

I could've ask my mother to teach me, but I never did.

"I'll take your silence as a no." He said it in such a light tone, the kind of voice you can almost hear the smile in, full of humor.

A monster imitating humanity.

How did this man ever conquer all of New Ravka.

He so kind to me.

Not for long he will.

"Abram, please talk to a private instructor about teaching her."

With that Abram started to open the door.

"And Shii," I jumped at the use of my name in such a way as the Darkling flashed a smile at me. "I'll see you're dinner, and soon" he paused to look into my eyes, sending a cold shiver down my spine, " I'll teach you everything."

I nodded and started out of the room.

What was 'everything'?

~

Light seems brightest when accompanied by darkness

~~~~~

Authors Note:

8/8/16

~ Auri