The Princess of Light and Dark

6.Thuria

I had promised Elvira I would never take control of her conscious mind without her permission, unless it was life and death. Well, this was life and death.

As I felt the pain radiating in her chest, I knew the mistake I had made. I had believed him too when he said Elvira was his fated, I had believed that when I had felt the need to be around him, it came from her, that even when she had willingly given me control while I sat and talked to Sarnarel for hours, it was because she wanted me to know her fated as well as she did, it never ever occurred to me, that perhaps, the real reason was that he was MY fated.

The pain inn Elvira’s chest subsided and as I reached for the forefront of our shared mind I was met with warm silver eyes filled with fear. I smiled internally, my fated cared about us so much. In the back of my head, deep down I knew his love was reserved for her, not me, he didn’t even know there was a me, but the way his hands held my face softly and his hot breath caressed my nose and cheeks made me feel like I had never felt before.

I had long realised that I was in fact madly in love with Sarnarel, I tried my best not to develop any feelings for him, he was Elvira’s fated, but the more time we spent together the deeper I fell.

“Elvira? Can you hear me?” His deep voice was filled with concern and my heart soared with joy, if only he hadn’t called me Elvira.

“I’m ok.” I replied quietly.

“You scared me” he whispered as he pulled my head into his chest. I inhaled his scent as deeply as I could and took comfort in it. “Elvira, what is going on? Why do you act so hot and cold with me?” He asked, his voice soft and pleading.

“I’m 17 years old Sarnarel. I am still a child.” I knew it would hurt him as much as it hurt me, but I couldn’t let him know the truth. I wasn’t 17 years old; I had lost count a long time ago, but I knew I was long over 2000 years.

“I know Princess. I was stupid to force that kiss. I am sorry.” Sarnarel was an entirely different being when I was around. I had been so lost in the guilt over my feelings for another’s fated, I had not noticed the signs. Elvira was always cold to him, she always grimaced and shuddered when he was around her, she despised him. And he felt it too, he felt the difference between our reactions to his presence. “Elvira, I need you to promise me you will never do anything like that again please? If you had escaped again, my father, he would have had you enslaved. Or worse, killed.”

“I can’t live like this Sarnarel, I can’t be down here all the time, the darkness. It consumes me. It makes me do things. I need nature to stay light.” My voice was but a pitiful whisper as I laid bare my inner fears to him. I was trusting him with what his father needed to control me. But I needed to get Elvira out of this cage, I could live with the darkness, but she couldn’t.

“You can’t. You have to be punished for what you did.” He said coldly, pushing me backwards away from the safety of his chest. “My father does not know that I visit you, or that I have been bringing you things to make your life bearable. If he knew who you truly are to me, he would have all he needs to destroy us both.” He sighed and stood. “I need to go, but please,” He turned, his broad back now facing me, I could clearly see the dark red blood stain in his beautiful silver hair.” Please do not attempt that again.” He walked away, leaving me locked in my cage, alone with just my thoughts.

**

It took Elvira 3 days  to regain back her consciousness, not because I wouldn’t give it back, trust me I wanted to give it back, but because she had been so hurt she actually took herself out completely. She retracted into the back of her mind and wouldn’t come out. She kept rambling on and on about those golden-brown eyes. Finally, when she had had enough, she asked for control back and I gladly gave it to her. I didn’t want to be alert anymore, I wanted to do what she did, and hide in the deepest darkest part of my mind and die there. But Elvira had other ideas.

‘Thuria, we need to talk about this.’

‘Nothing to talk about child.’

‘Thuria, don’t dismiss me like that, please.’

‘Fine, what do you want to know?’

‘The brown eyes?’

‘What about them?’

‘Whose are they?’

‘Your guess is as good as mine’

‘So, you don’t know why I keep seeing them? Why it hurt so much when he kissed me?’

‘No, I don’t know.’

‘Thuria, you are hiding something from me, I can feel it. Your guilt.’

‘It is nothing child, don’t worry yourself.’

‘Thuria, tell me.’

‘No. We need to stop the escape plans for now.’

‘No. We need to be out of here before I turn 18. We don’t know what will happen then.’

‘We can’t.’

‘Is that what he told you?’

‘Yes, but not just that.’

‘Lies, Thuria they are all lies. All he says are lies.’

‘Elvira listen to me.’

‘No! You listen to me. We are going to escape again. I can’t stay here anymore.’

‘Elvira if they catch us, we will be enslaved. Do you know what that means? So close to your 18th birthday? It means that Lord Lupus can mark us as his and use our powers as he sees fit, he can use your body as he sees fit, never mind about a fated bond with Sarnarel, his father doesn’t even know about that. And even if he did, I don’t think he would care.’

‘No, that’s not true.’

‘Elvira, after all he has done, you think he would let us just go?’

‘Thuria, we can’t stay here. ‘

‘We have no choice child. We must trust your fated and believe that he will not harm us. We can be happy here, with him.’

‘Not if it comes at the cost of our soul. The darkness, it’s driving me crazy, I need nature.’

Elvira slumped to the floor, her sobs echoing throughout the dungeon. How I wished at that moment that I had my own arms to hold her in. Elvira fell asleep on the cold floor, exhausted after hours of crying and I let the darkness of her hopelessness envelope me.