Arwen and Klaude sit in his enormous guest bedroom today, resting a little after their stroll around Draven Mansion's grounds and then sneaking down to the kitchen for snacks. They're lucky the kitchen staff their admiration of Queen Arwen is stronger than their fear of Cierra otherwise one of them would've rushed straight to her study to tell her and she would surely punish Arwen.
The shadow queen is kept on a strict diet at all times, Cierra starts calling her a dratah if she eats anything else. An old shadow term that roughly translates to pig.
But today Arwen has decided to risk it. Today she is happy like she has been recently. It's so foreign. This feeling of euphoria.
Arwen smiles as she glances at Klaude who is gazing off into the outside distance through his window and eats another sweet that the kitchen gave them. Lemon sherbets. Delicious. At her rustling the small white paper bag Klaude turns to look at her, smiling as he does so.
"Leave some for me dear," he says watching and she shakes her head, a playfulness sparking in her eyes as she snatches the bag away from him.
"If you snooze you lose princeling," Arwen replies jokingly.
"Well as a prince I think I'm entitled to certain privileges not to mention the fact you're in my bed, you really owe me some sort of sweet reward," he says reaching over her waist to get closer to both the bag and her which makes her blush instantly much to his satisfaction.
"Well you see Klaude the issue is that I'm a queen, which trumps a common prince like you any day," she says with a smirk as she slowly put enough sweet in her mouth, "and I'll decide when and how you'll get any rewards."
"Such a tease," Klaude replies with a lazy smile as he rescinds his hands from her waist tucking them behind his head as he leans back on a pillow.
"But you love me anyway," Arwen says to which he nods.
"Of course," he says, "I am hopelessly and madly in love with you."
"I wouldn't joke about madness on this particular island," Arwen replies, secretly beaming on the inside. It makes her feel euphoric every time Klaude says he loves her and when he shows it.
Of course Klaude has been her first and only lover but she never expected the experience to feel so good. Well not at first. But now. She can't get enough of him and him of her.
Klaude just shakes his head in more amusement to her words,
"I'll never get over how different this place is to Valostra," he says, "but I'll get used to it when I'm king consort I suppose."
King consort. Her king consort. She is not sure she's ready for their lives if she becomes queen crowned. They won't be here, where they're usually left alone for the main part. If they move to the Volroy all eyes with be upon them and they will have to deal with a minefield of political intrigue and the corruptness of court.
"Assuming I'll survive the year," Arwen replies.
"Don't be such a pessimist," Klaude lectures wagging his finger at her, "you're incredibly strong and beautiful, not to mention how people already believe you're on omen from the Goddess."
The Goddess. Omens. Arwen has heard those words so many times. So much is expected of her. She remembers being in the town with Ebony and later the Valkovas, the raven symbols everywhere. Her symbol. One that the people chose for her. Strangers that are supposed to be her subjects.
"I can't speak for the rest of the island but in Umbra they certainly have got even more pious lately, have you been into the town recently?" Arwen asks and Klaude shakes his head, "there are raven symbols everywhere, flags, paintings, even clothing, Carmen says that apparently the shadows have decided that the symbol represents me."
"Carmen?" Klaude inquires, "is she the one you said was from a powerful shadow family?" Arwen nods, "and why have people chosen the raven as a symbol, it's not very queenly."
Arwen chuckles at that, "the raven is a sacred animal to us shadows, it is a symbol of luck, another form of the Goddess meant to watch over us, or so the Umbra priestesses say."
As Arwen had just finished her words, the dark mahogany bedroom door swings upon and Cierra steps in.
Arwen instantly gets up from the bed, instantly on edge. Even though Klaude and her weren't doing anything that inappropriate she still feels uneasy. Anytime Arwen has something good in her life Cierra has a tendency to ruin it.
"Well this is cosy," Cierra sneers watching as Klaude always rises up and then her eyes narrow as she turns her attentions solely on Arwen, "I've been trying to find you all day and here you are."
Arwen simply bows her head, "I'm sorry."
"Not good enough Arwen," Cierra says, with more bite in her tone than usual which makes Arwen even more nervous, "when were you going to tell me about my sister and Odessa Valkova's little secret meeting."
Arwen just shakes her head, "I don't know what you mean."
"Don't act like a fool Arwen, I know it comes naturally to you but I know you were with them yesterday, I have spies everywhere," Cierra says, her voice dripping with accusations.
"I was with Carmen Valkova, I have no idea what Ebony and Odessa were doing," Arwen explains which just seems to increase Cierra's ire.
That much is true. And Carmen certainly didn't say anything about Odessa and Ebony's dealings. Who knows what plans Ebony has concocted. Though she is kind to Arwen, Ebony can still be as scheming as Cierra in her nature.
"You've always been such a lying ungrateful brat," Cierra snarls, striking Arwen across the face which makes her face crumple.
"That's quite enough of that," Klaude snarls, quickly getting up from the bed and cutting in between them, pushing Arwen behind him away from Cierra as he squares up to Cierra with rage in his eyes, "if you lay one more fucking hand on her I swear to the goddess I will kill you Cierra."
The shadow only looks amused as she slowly looks him in the eye, tilting up an eyebrow, "what do you think a mere giftless boy like yourself can do to me?" She scoffs, laughing coldly, "I am a Raduron, strength and goddess given power flows throw my very blood."
The amusement and pure arrogance in her tone makes Klaude reel with anger. He doesn't care. He will find a way to destroy her if she keeps hurting Arwen. He'll have his uncle start a damned war with Cierra if that's what it takes.
"I don't give a shit who you are Cierra," he snaps, still shielding Arwen from Cierra's view, "I won't let you harm or hurt the woman I love."
"Love?" She says as if the word is poison on her tongue and then cackles, looking at them both then looking directly at Arwen, "don't be naive my dear, he's lying to you, manipulating you, on my instructions no less, I told him to fake his feelings for you, make you fall in love with him and believe he loved you in return, it was for a political alliance - it wasn't real."
Arwen turns her head to Klaude at this, glimmers of betrayal starting to simmer in her dark eyes but Klaude doesn't look at her, only at Cierra.
"Regardless of how our relationship begun I am in love with her and I will defend her against pieces of shit like you," Klaude says, standing tall against Cierra Raduron, knowing it will do him no good to deny anything she has said.
He only hopes Arwen won't think too low of him. He did what Cierra asked of him but he didn't expect to grow genuine feelings to Arwen but he couldn't help it - for she is unlike any woman he has ever met.
The shadow matriarch tilts her head slowly at that, ignoring the insult as that devious smile etches its way on her face as she addresses them yet again.
"How sweet," she crows softly, "well if that's true let's put it to the test, I know dear naive Arwen loves you but love can sour as easily as this," she says as she picks up a nearby glass, dropping it to the floor and Arwen flinches, anger and worry both evident on her face and she curses herself for her fear. Cierra has always terrified her no matter how hard she has tried to overcome it.
"If you are truly in love as you claim, I suppose I won't hurt her as punishment then," Cierra says slowly, her tone turning cold and cruel, "I'll hurt you," she finishes with a stony smile, shadows leaking from her palms towards Klaude, "yes, hurting you is a much better idea, even as the sting of your betrayals hits her this will still teach dear Arwen a proper lesson."
Arwen cries out as Klaude drops to the floor as the shadows reach him, his veins turning black.
She turns to Cierra in shock, her black braid swinging around with her. The bitch is actually going to do it, slowly killing him. Just to prove a point. Just to punish her. Cierra truly is remorseless.
"Stop," she shouts but Cierra does nothing off the sort, even having the audacity to smirk as she keeps going and Arwen is suddenly filled with a raw anger, nothing like she's experienced before.
Undiluted rage. And she directs it all at her guardian as she grabs Cierra's arm and unwittingly takes control of the Raduron's mind.
"Don't you dare hurt him!" She screeches as her gifts do the rest for her, forcing Cierra's mind to obey, flashes of Cierra's own memories fall into her hand.
Just a handful. Deluded ambitions. Pain. Lack of emotion. That Cierra had inflicted on others. Arwen grimaces as she sees visions of her own abuse through Cierra's eyes.
"Stop hurting him," Arwen demands frantically, black veins crawling up her neck as another part of her gift is unwittingly unlocked.
She is slightly scared but she is more angry. She lets that wrath take charge, even though she doesn't know what she's doing and isn't fully in control. Arwen's gift seems to know what it's doing even if her mind doesn't.
Cierra's mind can barely fight back as Arwen reaches out mentally and crushes it with an enraged iron fist.
"You will stop hurting him," she repeats, more firm this time and Cierra's shadows start to relent, drawing back from Klaude slowly as he begins coughing and spluttering as they leave his body.
"You will leave us," Arwen demands, "and you will forget my interference and go about your day."
As Arwen's control stops, Cierra's eyes glaze black for a moment before returning to their usual cold and paleness.
Cierra doesn't say anything more, she only slowly walks out of the room as if in a trance.
As the anger lessens a little Arwen is left wondering what she just did. Did she actually just take control of Cierra's mind?
No. That's impossible.
Or is it? No shadows have been able to enter or control another shadow's mind in centuries. According to the history books when the shadows were in their golden age, when shadow queens reigned for years and bolstered Umbra's power, some shadows could do this. But only the most gifted ones, like the Radurons and the Valkovas. Every shadow are naturally born with mental defences but all lost the ability to break other shadow's defences ages ago.
What did this mean? That Arwen could one day rival the power of the shadow Queens of Old? No. She didn't want that kind of power. Her gift is already strong enough, dangerous enough, as it is. For Goddess' sake. She is lucky she had the sense to make Cierra forget what this new aspect of her gift did to her. Who knows who Cierra would make her control?
Arwen can't control it and it's only appeared so far in a very stressful situation. And who can even teach her to control it? Not Cierra. Not even Ebony.
Leaving her furious trails of thoughts Arwen zones back into reality, looking down at the floor where Klaude has started to get up, his hands shaky as he does so.
As he rises he catches her eye he has this pleading expression on his face as her own face morphs from worry to anger. At him.
"Arwen," he starts but she raises a hand to silence him.
"Don't," she says coldly, "don't bother trying to talk yourself out of this, I know how good you are with words, that's how you charmed me in the first place, just as you and Cierra planned."
"I was just doing as I was instructed to, securing the alliance and power for my country and myself, you were merely a stepping stone for my own rise in station,"
he explains and her eyes narrow at him icily, "but these plans had one fault,"
"Which was?" She interrupts stonily.
"I had no idea I'd fall in love with you," Klaude says softly which makes her icy exterior break, just a little. For a moment.
"You're lying," she exclaims, "you're just like Cierra, power hungry and manipulative."
He manically laughs at that, throwing his hands up in frustration, "If I was like Cierra my insides wouldn't be tearing themselves apart at the way your looking at me right now," Klaude shouts and she stills.
"I love you," Klaude says, stepping closer to her, "if you're in pain, I'm in pain and I can't bear the thought of you ever hating me."
Arwen is silent for a moment as she considers him.
"I could never hate you," she says softly, her anger fading away into numbness, "I'm not even capable."
It is true. And she hates it. He has the ability to destroy her more than even Cierra. And if he does she won't even be able to hate him for it. And that power is dangerous.
"But this was a mistake, our love was a terrible mistake," Arwen says tearfully, "I feel like I'm suffocating and it hurts that even our love which I clung so desperately to has Cierra's meddling twisted into it, she poisons everything," she says, tears forming in her eyes, "even this, even you."
"Never say that," Klaude insists, "our love is not a mistake, it is my joy and Cierra hasn't ruined me, don't even let that crone take credit for my feelings for you, the feelings we have for each other are ours, not hers, it is ours to control, we are masters of our own fates."
Fate. Arwen hates the word. And she is certainly no mistress of fate. Fate has always kept her in its cold iron grip. A shadow queen. An omen. Born for one destiny. And one destiny alone.
"You may be," Arwen admits, "but I am not, I cannot determine my own fate, it has been chosen for me my entire life and that is why we can never truly be free and happy, you can go as you please, I am trapped forever - you have bound yourself to a cursed queen."
Klaude considers that for a moment. And the weight of Arwen's life and responsibilities crashes down on him. Thoughts he'd already had but dismissed as he thought he couldn't do anything about it. But perhaps. Perhaps they can defy fate. Change their destinies. Orchestrate a alternate outcome to this tale. One where there isn't even the possibility of Arwen dying or the threat of Cierra to keep them apart.
"You are only as trapped as you allow yourself to be," Klaude says carefully, "this island is a queen's cage, it is your home but also your most dangerous threat, and I cannot let you put yourself in harm's way."
"What are you even saying?" Arwen asks, both frustrated and upset, "and why are you talking as if you can prevent my fate, this is the Ascension Year, I'm constantly in harms way and there is nothing you can do about it."
"I'm talking about a way out," Klaude says, "so you don't have to participate in the Ascension Year, so you don't have to be pushed into two fates, either ending up dead and forgotten or queen crowned with Cierra at your side."
"A way out?" Arwen repeats with exasperation, "there is no way out, never forget that I'm no mundane woman, not like the noble ladies in your past in Valostra," Klaude bows his head at that but Arwen just continues, "I can't just go where I will," she says throwing a hand up, "and I tried running away from Umbra as a child, it didn't work because Cierra found me she will always find me, her reach knows no bounds when she has her heart set on something and since I was born she has had one goal, to get me on the throne so I can be a proxy queen in her stead."
Everything she is saying is true. But it is a queen's words, coated in the weight of responsibilities and politics. Born of both fear and logic. However, it is not what is truly in her heart. And it takes a few moments to gather her thoughts and calm her emotions. Today has been too much. So overwhelming.
"But that's my fear talking and after Cierra's stunt today I realise that it's not only myself that is in danger on this island anymore," Arwen admits, "And there's another side of me that wants to believe that we are in control of our own destinies to a degree, the part of me that wants to run away with you and never look back despite the dangers and risks."
He caresses her cheeks at that, "I want to protect you Arwen, I want you to be safe and happy, and you cannot be that on this island as the queen you are now," he says, kissing her softly, "I would give up everything to be with you, please leave with me, let us start a new life somewhere else."
That makes her smile a little and another tear drops from her eye as she clings to him, "if we stay here there's a risk of both of us dying and I won't allow you to die here."
It is very true, the risks of them both ending up dead. She is more at risk of course but suitors have been known to die. Three died in the generation of Katharine the Undead and Arsinoe the White Handed. And who knows how far Cierra is willing to go.
That's why Arwen is starting to believe that they need to leave. She doesn't want to risk it. She originally intended to stay on the island, to win and have Klaude as her king consort but thinking about it more she has changed her mind. It is a impulsive decision but it brings her hopes.
She will change her course in fate and his as well.
Ironic how quickly her anger towards him changed. But Arwen is not a hot tempered person by nature, it is in her nature to forgive. Especially with him. Life is too short and precious to do otherwise.
"I won't die here and neither will you," Klaude responds, taking her face in his hands and pressing his head to hers, "I don't care if we're breaking their stupid sacred rules or forsaking your duty as a queen, I will protect you forever."
"Forever," she repeats carefully as if in a daze and then her tone turns nervous yet excited, "I can't believe it, I never imagined I would ever leave this island."
It is strange to think even as they plan. Arwen will leave her home for the first time, leaving behind everything she ever knew. She will no longer be a queen, no longer a shadow.
It is terrifying because those are huge parts of her identity but it will be alright as with Klaude she has started to discover who she truly is. In that there is certainty. And she truly sees that he loves her now. Genuinely. He is willing to risk everything for her.
He smiles, "I love you so much and I will follow you anywhere, but I have to ask, are you sure you want to leave the island, won't you lose your gift?"
She nods. It is true that anyone gifted who leaves the island will eventually have their gift fade away. The gifts are connected to the very heart and queensblood of the island - to forsake the island is to lose the power the Goddess provides. But it is worth it.
In all honesty Arwen is secretly relieved, she has never liked her gift. It is one of darkness and death. Perhaps it wasn't at first but that's what the Radurons transformed it into as they raised her, even Ebony isn't innocent.
Arwen has killed people with this gift, this power that at times threatens to consume her. And even today when a new aspect of it has been revealed it just reminds her of how strong it is. Giving it up is a small price for a life she's always dreamed of in secret, one of love and normality. And she will finally escape Cierra.
The only ones she will miss are Ebony, Darcia her maid and her horse. And the bats that roam around at night in Umbra, as nocturnal as she is. Arwen wonders if she will lose the ability to see clearly at night when she leaves the island.
"Losing my shadow gift is a small price to pay for the reward of living a normal life with you," Arwen says, kissing him and smiling as she pulls away, "I will love you till the day I die and I can't wait to leave here if you are by my side."
Klaude smiles down at her, hugging her, holding her so tightly like he never wanted to let her go, "I'll arrange everything, I have enough money for it because of my family, but it's money that I own now I'm of age, it will be enough for us until I find work in Centra or Salkades, we can go wherever you want as long as it's not Valostra and Bevellet probably isn't wise either as it borders Valostra in the north."
No. Certainly not Valostra. Klaude's home country with the King, his uncle. They'd likely be found with and dragged straight back to the island. And not Bevellet either, strong allies and neighbours of Valostra.
"We," Arwen says and Klaude's forehead crinkles in confusion, "we will both find work, not just you, I may have been raised to be a queen crowned but I'm sure I can find a trade that suits me."
That excites her. She has never thought about the notion of having a job, well except for that of ruling an island. Perhaps she will try her hand in painting, she's done that a few times at Draven Mansion. Or perhaps carpentry. Baking. She will try anything and everything simply because she will have the freedom to do so.
"Alright," he nods, "so where do you want to go?"
Arwen considers it. Of all she has read about the mainland countries. Salkades is too war like for her taste. Valostra is not an option and neither is Bevellet. So Centra it is. Perhaps one day they will venture further.
"Centra," she says, "it's such a large country, easy for us to disappear and start afresh, somewhere in the countryside perhaps."
"As you wish my love," he says cheerily as he picks her up, spinning her around while she laughs but smiles as well, feeling a little dizzy as he puts her down, her cheeks flushed red and strands of her raven black hair are askew, "I don't care where we go as long as we're together."
Together. It makes Arwen beam to hear him say it. Yes they would be together. It might have been naive of her but some part of her thinks that together they could face anything. Take on the world even.
As they pull apart he raises an eyebrow, "but before we leave I need to ask you one more thing."
"What?" Arwen asks puzzled but still all smiles.
"Will you marry me?"