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-Darius- I read the tragic news of Silver’s pregnancy. I didn’t like her at all, but I didn’t wish for the pregnancy to end in such a way. One letter was from Acan, talking about it shortly, but then one from my wife worried me more. She spoke of how she believed it was her fault for Silver losing the baby, and I was unsure how to respond to that. I knew Katherine was willing to go far to destroy Acan’s and Silver’s lives, but this was something else. Katherine did write to me that she hadn’t thought that was what was going to happen. When she bought the bracelet, she had seen Silver end up in an accident, but that could have killed the child too. My wife’s anger was blinding her, making her do something she didn’t know she was capable of, and I couldn’t help her because of how far away I was from her. I couldn’t just return home to her and fix the mess she had gotten herself into. Somehow, she would have to figure this out on her own. At least she had removed the bracelet from Silve
-Katherine- Things had changed a lot since Silver’s miscarriage. I noticed the clear cracks between her and Acan. Something dark had settled between them. I couldn’t quite say what it was, and I felt bad for enjoying it a little. I was the reason why these cracks had appeared, and while I didn’t mind seeing the anger shimmering in their eyes as they looked at each other, I did feel bad for the unborn baby who had to pay the price. I had put the bracelet away, though. I had made sure no one had found it or that Silver was even looking for it. I had made it seem less valuable than it was, and she had thought there was no reason to look for it anymore. She had grown quite distant, though, not wanting to talk to many people and drinking more, which only made Acan draw further away from her. I had begun to spy a little on him, seeing if he might be meeting with any women behind Silver’s back, but so far I had found nothing. He and I, on the other hand, were spending lots of time together.
-Katherine- No one said a word through the entire dinner, and Silver was attacking her food with the fork and knife, cutting so hard it made screeching sounds. Acan and I glanced at each other, finding it very weird. I knew, of course, what was bothering her. Acan, on the other hand, seemed more oblivious to it, not able to pick up on the subtle signs of a woman doubting her husband’s loyalty. I saw it, though, and even though I was not ready for a battle between Silver and me, a true showdown, I was happy about the chaos that was evolving. It would explode at some point. We couldn’t avoid it, but I would like to wait a little longer, just to make sure I stood stronger before she came after me. Besides, I didn’t want something to happen to my child. At least she couldn’t accuse me of being pregnant with her husband’s child since I had gotten pregnant before Darius left. Acan did leave before we did, and when it was just Silver and me and a servant taking the children away, she turned
-Darius- A thought had lingered in my mind for a while, and since I was not going to do another attack against the Dark Ones at the moment, I thought of something else. It was a foolish plan of mine, and I was most likely going to get killed because of it, but what choice did I have? I was too scared to make a move at the moment, especially after the wonderful gift of heads they gave us. I had to be the one willing to make a sacrifice now, but I believed it was best no one knew what my plans were. So in the middle of the night, when my own powers were much more powerful because of the darkness, I snuck to my horse, leading him in between the tents instead of through the camp, so no one would see me leave. When I was far enough away from the camp, I got on his back and rode towards the forest. Because I was a Dark One, I could see much better in the darkness, and I had no problems leading my horse there. I got off his back, though, not wanting to take him with me in there. I took off m
-Darius- The Dark One in front of me, their leader, looked at me with an evil smile spreading on his lips. I was unsure if I was doing the right thing here. Maybe I was just giving him everything—the best way to destroy me, the best way to throw Adorna into chaos—or maybe we could help each other. Maybe I had to sell my soul. I was unsure, but I had to figure it out. I missed Katherine, and I did not want all those men out there to die. I did not want to die myself. But it was a good question to ask if I would gain anything from revealing all of this. Maybe I was dooming all of us, but what choice did I have? Another battle would only result in more deaths. Who knew how many were hiding in here? Who knew how many I would have to take down just to get back to Katherine? If there was an easier way, I had to take it. I had to try, at least. "So, you aren’t the real Dark Prince?" he questioned, pacing a little back and forth. "I am, but I am not this time's Dark Prince," I explained. "
-Darius- I didn’t like where this was going. I had hoped for more. I prayed for more. I needed to go home before my wife was completely sucked into an evil world she could never get out of. She had already pushed herself beyond her own limits. She had already crossed boundaries she never thought she would cross, and I wondered how long it would be before she crossed more. Katherine was hungry for revenge, and I did not blame her, but I wondered what was left of her once I returned. I had hoped maybe I could strike a deal with the Dark Ones, making us return home so I could be with Katherine. So I could aid her in her revenge, but I was untrustworthy, like my brother, in the Dark One’s eyes, and I did not blame him for that. It made sense why he would not trust me. I had made it clear I was nothing like them, but I was nothing like the people on the other side either. My whole life, I had been trapped in the middle, much like Katherine, but it was only because no one knew the powers my
-Katherine- I sat in the library for a long time, unsure what to think or even feel. I was so overwhelmed by everything I had learned. Not just about these powers of mine but also about what Darius had done. He had sought out a Dark One… He had spoken to one and tried to strike a deal with them so he could come home. I understood why he did it. I didn’t blame him for talking to them. I didn’t believe we truly understood their powers or what they could do. Just look at Darius. He was nothing like any of the people around us expected him to be. Why couldn’t the other Dark Ones surprise us? Why couldn’t they show there was more to them than a hunger for power? Besides, was Acan any different from those monsters they were pictured as when he was the one hungry for power? What did worry me was the fact that Darius was told no. The Dark One believed he could crush them, and Darius believed the same thing. He too thought it was going to be over soon, and he would never see his home again. I
-Darius- Quinn and I didn’t speak much after what I pointed out. We just stood there in the middle of the camp, unable to form words, because what was there to say? What on earth could leave our lips to make this situation better? Neither of us knew. I didn’t mean to make him sad or feel afraid. I didn’t mean to ruin his night. Everyone had begun to relax around the camp, just enjoying their time as anyone would before battle. But it didn’t seem like we were going to battle for a while. I was scared of making a move, afraid of how much it would cost us, and all those lives would be on me. The generals had retreated. After being shown those heads, they had not really left their tents, and our meetings had grown quiet and still. No one spoke. No one said anything because we already knew who was the winner. It was so obvious, and it filled us with fear. Paralyzing fear that made it impossible for any of us to move. We were scared—terrified even. We didn’t know what to do with ourselves.