Part Five: In The Dark Realm

The Dark King stands at the edge of a peach grove with a frown. He shakes his head taking a peach from one of the trees then another.

"What's wrong?" the Shadow Princess asks.

"I wanted to make peach wine," the King says, "but they're not sweet enough."

"You make wine?" I ask earning a dazzling smile from the King.

"Of course," he says, "Crimson would leave me if I didn't."

"He calls it wine because it's the only way I'll take the medicine," Crimson says, "I'm not an alcoholic it's just we come from another world and medicine shouldn't be that bitter."

I blink at them uncertain of what to say when a wolf comes bounding down the grove. He comes to a screeching halt when he sees the Princess. With a flash of light, the second most attractive male I've ever seen stands before us.

"This is Night," the Princess says a knowing smile playing on her face, "he is our Crown Prince."

Night flashes me a smile that makes my heartbeat as if I were running. It takes me a moment to register that he's completely bare and look up to find his violet eyes with tints of silver studying me. When I break his stare, I find even the King is looking at me a wolf's grin on his handsome face.

"I think you two will get along just fine," Crimson says taking one of the peaches the King was holding and biting into it. She makes a face and hands it back to him. With a wave of her hand Night is dressed in black and violet his hair gets pulled into a bun and black leather boots adorn his feet.

Night frowns, "I prefer to roam about bare."

"We know," the King says mumbling something about being your mother's child under his breath.

The Princess just shrugs and walks away hands clasped behind her back. The King follows leaving me to walk next to Night. Why am I being so hormonal he's just another male who will more than likely fuck the first thing that gets in his path. Concentrate Ruby, you were brought here for a reason and it wasn't to ogle their son.

"Yes, they raised me and that makes them my parents," Night says, "but I'm not their son my parents were generals that sacrificed themselves during the War of Dark and Light."

"But that would mean you're in your hundreds," I say trying to process what he just told me. The War of Dark and Light was fought between the nomadic Unseelie and Seelie courts until the current Dark King and his warriors descended from the old city in the mountains and placed an end to it.

"I'm exactly one hundred and ten I was born on the battlefield," he looks me over as if debating something, "how old are you?"

I blink at him and laugh, "why?"

"Death clings to you like moths to the flame."

"Honestly I don't know," I say, "I was a flower spirit and then I wasn't, my age due to my appearance at that time was estimated to be nine. It's been a decade sometimes I feel older."

Night seems to think this over, "You could ask mother she knows just about everything."

"Would you two hurry it up," the Princess says stands outside a gazebo similar to the one in the Eternal Garden.

Even though none besides the King and Princess can enter there are paintings depicting lavender and rose fields pomegranate and persimmon trees and so much more. Some say that's one of the eight entrances to the Underworld. At least for those that have sacrificed it all for the good of humanity. Many entrances exist all varying on how you lived your life.

Night chuckles before hurrying off to meet her. The smell of honeysuckle wine and various meats wafts over making my mouth water. When I step inside, I find there is, a stone table with plates of roasted vegetables and caramelized beef with scallions, meat on a stick, rice and fried pork covered in a sweet and spicy sauce. The King sets a plate seared scallops with rosemary.

"Wow," I say taking the seat across from Night. The King and Princess sit facing each other.

"Your eyes look like they'll pop out," Night says popping a piece of meat into his mouth, "father never ceases to amaze."

I snap my head to the King, "you made this?"

He gives me a bemused look, "who else would?"

"Servants," I say.

"We don't have any," the King says, "it's just us," he takes a sip of his wine and points for me to eat.

When I bite into the pork my mouth explodes with flavors. It's still crispy and it's the right of balance between sweet and spicy. The beef has a hint of lemon wine and the rice has the subtle taste of coconut and ginger. The scallops are buttery with a slight crispness.

"Slow down," the Princess says a smile on her lovely face, "you'll throw it all up and then it'll be a waste of food."

"It's really good," I say reaching for the meat on a stick. Its smoked chicken the red sauce has a smoky sweetness to it and the vegetables have a good crunch. I hate soggy vegetables the textures all wrong.

"Mother's right if you eat too quickly your stomach will get upset," Night says pouring a cup of wine he offers it to me and I take it. Even the wine tastes better here.

"Let her enjoy herself," the King says biting into one of the chicken sticks, "I am good aren't I," he says with a smug smile.

The Princess leans in and whispers, "you don't know what you've done," she pulls back and says, "I won't hear the end of it."

I take another sip of wine before saying, "I've only ever had food made by vendors or whatever I could catch."

"Why?" Nigh asks as he piles pork onto my rice.

"We lived a nomadic life," I say, "the only times I stayed anywhere were for training and while the food was decent it was nothing like this," I pick up my chopsticks and pop another piece of pork into my mouth. Was the King using magic to keep the food warm?

As if reading my thoughts, he says, "the plates are seating on hot stones allowing the food to stay warm and no I wasn't in your head."

I look down at my food and find Night's still staking meat onto it, "you said to slow down," I say.

He shrugs and adds more beef, "you're too skinny it's unsettling."

"Night lacks certain filters," the Princess says, "stop."

Night places a chicken stick on my plate before eating his food.

"Not that I mind," I say, "but you said war is coming."

"Once we're done eating, we'll explain," the Princess says taking the last of the chicken sticks.

###

The King's study is filled with books and scrolls row after row. Banners depicting battles and other worlds hang behind his desk. A statue of the Empress with a crown of stars and of the Deity of the Underworld handing her his heart wings folded towards her sits atop the mantel. We sit before the mantel flames dancing in shades of crimson and violet. The Princess sits next to the King with her legs folded and her head leaning on his shoulder. Night takes the seat closest to the hearth and I the one next to him.

"You tell them," the Princess says closing her eyes.

The King smiles at down at her his smile full of adoration. It's hard to believe these are the same people that have conquered continents and destroyed enemies without a blink. I doubt anyone besides their people would believe the great Dark King and Shadow Princess can be this normal for lack of a better word.

"Yes, a war is coming but we still have time to prepare," the King says with a wave of his hand the world appears before us iridescent in its splendor. "The Shadow Queen has foretold the Witches will start a war within a year's mark. They plan on using the Vampires as their scapegoat."

The image before us changes from the world to that of a battlefield. Screams fill the room as we become spectators Night and I rise and find we can walk through the images playing out. The King is nowhere in sight but his voice is.

"The Witch Queen Nathalia wants to rule all and is planning on poisoning the Dragon King's mind. She plans on feeding off his greed and turning him into a demon. Killing Empress Qi in the process. The Empress cannot die she will play an important role in all of this for only she can get the King humanity back.

"Queen Galicia will keep her portion of the Undersea out of the war. Immortals and mortals will die," suddenly we are no longer in that battlefield but standing over a cliff, waves crashing below, "you must go to the Undersea and convince Galicia to fight in the war while obtaining a pearl of the blackest black.

"Then you will venture to the Koi Lands where you will ask its Crown Princess for help in the war obtaining the sacred Koi carved out of moonstone. In the Vampire Lands, you will find the heart of the first Shadow Queen deep within the River of Sorrows but careful if you remain in the waters for too long you will be carried off to the Underworld.

"As you travel the world you will remind our allies of what they owe and what they must give. Each item will be placed inside these wooden boxes. You will travel to another world," he says the scene change once more.

We are transported to a world ravaged by war. Buildings made of glass reach towards the sky. The threes that remain are bone dry there is hardly any sign of life. In the distance something seems to glow, "you will go to the NetherRealm," he says my heart sinking at the thought of the prison world. Of seeing Ren's mother's world reduced to nothing.

The world shifts around us and suddenly we stand before a pulsing stone a female lies trapped within crystal sprouts out of her or more like into her, "this is Katalina she gave herself as offering for this world to have a chance," the Princess appears before us observing the pulsing stone, "the mortals didn't know how to appreciate her sacrifice and after a thousand years they destroyed what she gave them. You two will set her free and show her what has become of her world.

"When the time comes you will bring her to our world for her help is needed."

Suddenly we are back in the study the Princess's sits up eyes glowing. "Take this," she extends her hand inside are two obsidian stones Night takes them handing me the second stone.

"You will use them to return," the King says, "no one can know who the two of you are," he stands and place a hand over our brows. I feel a tingle as magic surges when the Princess holds up a mirror, I find my hair is no longer red but rather onyx my eyes resemble fiery cherry blossoms.

Night's eyes are now midnight black his hair is short on the sides and white like snow. We retain our Fay ears but the shape of our faces seems different our features sharper.

"Why must you overdo it?" the Princess asks her eyes no longer glowing.

"I'm an artist," the King says, "this is what you'll look like to the world."

When I look directly at Night, I find his eyes are still violet and his hair onyx.

"Besides us, only you two can see what the other truly look like," the King says.

"These are your new weapons," the Princess holds out curved twin swords towards Night he's about to hand me one when the King stops him. A bow appears in his hands he holds it out to me at my quizzical look he says, "the bow's magic it has never-ending arrows so long as you bind it to you."

Night nods and cuts his palm against his blade once his smeared blood on booth he chants. I bite the side of my palm and smear it on the bow repeating Night's chant. Our weapons glow and then something with changes. My bow feels as if it had a life of its own.

"Unless you give permission no other can wield them, they are now a part of you," the Princess says, "you have one week to get used to them they are an extension of you." With a wave of her hand, we're thrown into a place I know, oh too well. The never-ending shadow caves. "Once the week is up, we'll get you out, now practice."

"Is your mom serious?" I ask already knowing the answer.

"Always," Night says as he starts to walk, "I'll be on the other side unless you can guarantee, I won't be struck by an arrow."

"Honestly," I say, "I have no clue."

He nods and starts walking when something flies past, "fuck!" he grunts out, "Is this necessary?"

"What do you think?" comes the Princess's voice, "how else would you get the hang of it."

"I hate the Shadow Caves," I say barely moving away from the scaly creature, "what is that thing."

"Demon," Night says rotating his shoulders, "it's gonna be one fucked up week."