Crepuscular rays of midafternoon sun peered down through the canopy of bright green maple leaves, while Valarendrik and I sat all cuddled up together against the braided brown bark of the tree's mighty trunk. The peaceful summertime glade we were in was filled with wavering flowers of every color, and the delightful cadence of songbirds chirped all around. The sweet aromas and sounds graced my senses with serenity and brought estival joy to my spirit.
My dainty hand snapped the stem of a yellow black-eyed susan bloom, then with a whimsical giggle, I lifted it up and added it to the many other blossoms I'd already woven into his crown. The pure light of his soul twinkled in his crimson eyes as he softly chuckled at how ridiculous he looked. All silliness aside though, he was downright stunning in the sunshine, with the shadows of the leaves dancing across his smiling pale grey face.
A sunbeam illuminated the back of his head like a halo, while his long raven hair twirled off to the side in the warm breeze. Love and happiness fluttered within my heart as he leaned in and pressed his soft lips to mine. His sharp black claws gently caressed my cheek, as I placed my hand on his muscly bicep to give it an affectionate squeeze. I closed my eyes and melted into his tender touch, feeling his love envelop my soul like a warm fuzzy blanket.
As our dreamy kiss subsided, I pulled away with a wide dopey smile then slowly reopened my eyes... Only, I wasn't greeted by loving crimson eyes, but a vindictive seafoam-green glare instead. Gone was Valarendrik's abyssal monster-like presence and in his place was Justin's handsome human face staring over at me.
"Lucy, Lucy, Lucy... You sure have gotten disgustingly pasty, haven't you? I mean, you like you haven't seen the sun in months. You're a fucking ghost." He scornfully tisked while shaking his head, with his short, perfectly styled, quiff hairdo not moving even an inch.
I screamed in horror.
My eyes suddenly flew wide open as my dream crumbled asunder. The familiar scent of rosewood and black pepper filled my nose while the obsidian sky raged above. I was safely cradled in Valarendrik's loving embrace, disoriented and blinking up at him as we rode upon Sagacor's back. He stared back down at me from beneath his hood with slight concern in his gaze. His clawed thumb affectionately caressed my cheek, calming me with his tender touch.
Phew! Thank goodness that was just a nightmare, and that I'm still in the abyss!
"Lucilia, are you alright?" His brows pinched together as he seemingly inspected my face for any signs of distress. "Your heartbeat sped up while you were sleeping."
My hand awkwardly fumbled to rest over his on my cheek, while a wave of gratefulness flooded my frazzled soul. "Yes, I'm fine. I was just having a frightening dream, that's all." I smiled up at him, giving his large hand a gentle squeeze.
A look of understanding crossed his features. "I see." He curiously tilted his head, no doubt fascinated by, what was to him, the great mystery of dreams. "Was it about a frightening abyssal creature again?"
"No, far worse." I replied with a breathy giggle, earning a look of confusion from him.
A sickly roar suddenly screeched right above us, as some dragon-like beast with scaly tattered wings, razor-sharp talons, and a face like a freaking lamprey flew overhead. The wind from its wings tickled my face, as I quickly sat up in fright and tightly wrapped my arms around Valarendrik. With wide wary eyes, I watched as the beast flew out over a distant valley. And that's when I realized that we were really, really high up on a dark jagged mountainside.
The golden tendrils of my hair twirled upon the abyssal wind while I gazed down at the dark languorous vale below. A sickening fog blanketed the lowlands like a funerary pall, with a splay of skeletal trees and sharp jagged spikes arising from its veil of obscurity. The trees reminded me of deranged corpses reaching their ailing hands out from within the soil, as they crawled up from misty graves. What looked like streaks of crimson streamed across the skies above us like silken auroras of blood, adding to the unsettling image of these phantasmagorical lands.
Valarendrik's fingertips lovingly grazed up and down my arm as he held me close. I softly rested the side of my head against the crook of his neck, still glancing around. "Where are we?" I softly whispered, feeling slightly out of breath from the ghastly yet awe-striking view.
His hand stopped its ministrations to give my upper arm a reassuring squeeze. "We are climbing over the high mountains." The wind blew a few strands of his dark hair in front of his face as he turned to gaze over the valley. "And traveling to a place called the abysmal cremation grounds. There are ruins of an ancient kingdom there, with plenty of winding streams and abandoned fruit orchards to sustain you."
The soft clicks of his crown came from above, as I tried to think of how to respond. The guilt of causing his home to be ripped apart by giant harrowing lizard-things ruthlessly gnawed at my conscience. I wanted to say sorry again, but I had already apologized so many times before falling asleep, that I was worried he might be growing sick of hearing my remorse.
"Oh, that sounds like an interesting spot. I've never seen ancient ruins before." I tilted my head up to gaze at his profile.
He slightly shrugged. "They're quite captivating in a strange sort of way. But, I may have to fix the abode up a bit once we arrive. I haven't stayed there in over two thousand years, so it's probably a bit dusty." His crimson gaze mirrored the swirling red spectacle in the sky as his eyes shifted to meet mine.
"Only a bit dusty? It's been over two thousand years!" I playfully giggled, still somewhat baffled by his age. "I'll bet the whole place is buried in a heaping pile of dust with little dust bunnies burrowing all throughout it!"
He beamed both with amusement and fascination, while his mouth awkwardly twitched, trying to suppress his laughter. "There is an earthly species that burrows in dust?"
"Oh yes, they're small creatures with long fuzzy ears and round fluffy tails who hop everywhere they go. And they not only live in the dust, but they're made of dust too." I bit my tongue while mischievously staring up at him, suppressing my own laughter.
An awestruck expression fell across his features as if I'd just told him the most mind-blowing thing he'd ever heard in his life. "That is incredible! Stories of earth never cease to amaze me."
It was nice that things seemed to be back to normal between us... Well, other than the fact that ever since we'd had sex he effortlessly turned me on. Just being in his arms like this was igniting all sorts of frisky feelings within me.
...Perhaps if I inconspicuously pull up my skirt-
My naughty thoughts were suddenly interrupted as an ear-piercing rumble rolled across the sky, simmering out to a sizzling hiss. I jumped, causing Valarendrik to comfortingly tighten his arms around me. What looked like crimson lightning chaotically buzzed out from the otherworldly auroras, yet it gave off no light, nor did it strike at the ground.
"Is that some sort of lightning up there?" I asked while curiously watching the sky.
"I'm not sure. I've never heard of lightning before. That's called an energy current. They're usually not dangerous unless you're a flying creature... Like Azathoth, who once idiotically tried to see how far he could soar through one and was immediately zapped out of the sky." He casually explained while pointing up at it. "It's a sign that a storm is coming, so we'll have to wait it out beneath one of the many rock shelters on the mountainside." A few loose stones gave way beneath Sagacor's heavy hooves, jostling us a bit as he continued his ascent of the desolate mountain.
"Oh, that does sound a bit like lightning then." I smiled up at him.
Gently, he tucked a few wavering hairs behind my ear while nervously shifting his eyes between mine. "Lucilia, I still owe you an apology and an explanation for not telling you who I truly am."
My heart squeezed with trepidation at his topic changing words. I wasn't sure if I could handle listening to him kindly explain our societal inequalities, but I owed it to him to at least listen. He'd saved my life countless times and cared for me over the past two months after all.
"Alright." I glanced back down toward the dark ominous valley, feeling my spirits drop to its level with the reminder of my lowliness and the ever-growing rift between us.
More of that strange abyssal thunder boomed overhead right before he spoke. "First though, let's find shelter."
-: ✧ :-✧-: ✧ :-
Strange pale stormclouds swirled over the mountain like spirits of pallid dancers, twirling through the aberrational skies to offer the land their grievous gift of lachrymatory. The rain zealously pelted down upon the mountainside, pouring over the wide entrance of the small rock shelter to create a drizzly curtain before us. Puddles formed beneath it, which then streamed through the rocky soil in thin rivulets, winding their way down the slope to cascade over the edge and out of sight.
The shelter was formed by a large overhanging black stone, creating a wide and shallow roofed-over area with a rocky floor. Sagacor cozily laid along the back wall as I rested against his corpsen side, with my knees tucked up to my chest. Valarendrik was crouched down beside me with his thighs slightly spread, rummaging around in the saddlebag.
It was somewhat concerning how often my eyes seemed to drift to the slight bulge in his pants on their own, despite my conscious efforts to avoid ogling his crotch. I couldn't seem to help it though. Every time I was near him my stomach quivered with desire while my core ached to sheath him. And the fact that I had long ago ditched the ratty old pair of panties that I'd worn into this world didn't help. It was as if I'd become some sort of wanton wackjob!
Perhaps I'll start to dance. Then, I'll pretend to clumsily trip over a measly little rock and fall face-first between his thighs. Using the momentum of the fall, I'll hastily pull down his pants. Then before he knows it... Wah-bam! My lips will be wrapped around his cock!... Haha! Genius!
It wasn't until I ceased my plotting and lifted my gaze, that I realized he'd stopped rummaging and had been staring at me while I blatantly stared at his crotch, lost in thought. My traitorous eyes quickly glanced back down... Oh, snap! He's hard! His nostrils flared as I glanced back up to his face, which now held the hungry countenance of a ruthless predator. No doubt he was scenting my arousal. Sexual tension sparked and sizzled all around us, as he pulled an otherworldly-looking chalice out of the saddlebag without breaking eye contact.
Then without saying a word, he stood up and paced to the edge of the shelter. The water looked somewhat silvery against the darkness outside and glistened gold in the dim lantern light, as his clawed hand held the chalice up to the run-off, filling it with clean rainwater. I bit my lower lip and awkwardly strained my neck forward like a weirdo as I watched him, listening to the pitter-patters and plunks of the water pouring into the chalice.
Once it was full to his satisfaction, he began to turn back around. I hastily tried to appear as if I'd been apathetically staring at a little quivering fern off to the side. He walked over to me and offered the drink with what was probably an unintentionally sultry smile. "Here, you have not drank anything since yesterday and must be thirsty."
Oh, I'm thirsty alright... So fucking thirsty...
"Thank you." I graciously smiled while reaching out to take the cup.
Our fingers touched as I took it from him, causing my inner walls to mercilessly clench with need. My nipples pebbled out painfully, visibly poking through the black, silvery embroidered material of my dress. Thunder boomed as he glanced down at my chest with darkening eyes, while little wisps of shadows began to flick out from within his silky hair. Then swift as lightning, he glided to the far side of the shelter.
...Dammit! He got away...
"Lucilia." He sighed while hovering like an otherworldly reaper. "May I explain myself now? I do not wish for there to be any dissonance between us."
A scream of frustration threatened to bubble up within my throat. I knew that we needed to clear the air, but dammit, my pussy was practically salivating for his addictive dick. "Okay, I suppose now would be as good of a time as any." I forced myself to say, instead of ripping my dress off and pouncing on him like a promiscuous panther. "I am curious how a royal prince ended up living in a cave in the woods of all places."
His feet graced the ground as he paced back and forth while nervously running his hand through his hair. "Yes, I suppose that does raise some questions." Something between a slight scoff and a chuckle fell from his lips. "I want to start by apologizing again though. I shouldn't have kept my true identity from you. I hope that you'll understand my reasons once I explain them. But please know that they are only reasons, and in no way do I consider them justifications for my dishonesty."
Dread weighed on my soul, knowing where this was going. I placed the cup to the side and quickly stood up. I began to pace around the other side of the shelter as I spoke, avoiding looking at him. "It's okay, I understand. It would create a royal scandal if you were not only seen with someone from another world, but also with someone as low on the societal scale as I am. I know I'm not a princess or of noble blood, nor am I rich or special. I get it. I'm just the girl who rings up blueberry muffins, and I have no business being with a prince." I turned to look at him with tears threatening to spill from my eyes.
He was staring at me in complete confusion as if I'd grown two extra heads. "I do not think you understand at all."
I lifted my palms while shaking my head. "What don't I understand? Clearly, I'm so far beneath you that we can't even be seen together." My foot scraped across the gravely ground as I kicked a dumb little rock out into the rain... "What the!?"
A thick tendril of shadows suddenly swooped around me, swiftly lassoing my arms and waist to hoist me up into the air like the malicious tentacle of a sea monster. I yelped in shock while kicking my feet in vain. Valarendrik looked like a shadowy phantom as he stared at me with a stern expression, while his hair eerily wisped all around him.
"That is why you have been so upset? Because you think you are unworthy of my affections?" His shadows carried me closer to him as he eerily tilted his head side to side.
"Well, um, yes." I meekly replied. Although, I was starting to think that there might have been a misunderstanding, considering the way he had me dangling in the air like a puppet before him.
"You have misunderstood." His deep abyssal voice confirmed my suspicion. His shadows held me up at his height, making us face to face. "The reason I should not be seen with you is because if my mother ever found out she would see you as a possible way to hurt me, or..." He paused as if unsure how to say his next words. "If she knew we'd been intimate, she might regard you as a potential vessel for the next heir to the Tenverian throne."
I tried to wiggle an arm free but his shadows held it tightly in place. And strangely enough, knowing that I was completely at his mercy only made my pussy throb even more than it already had been. "Oh, so it has nothing to do with me being socially beneath you?" I breathily questioned.
A deep growl rolled out of his chest. "You are not beneath me, Lucilia! And don't ever think that you are!" I gasped as his hand suddenly grabbed my inner thigh, inching its way higher as he continued to speak. "There is nothing I wouldn't do to serve you, regardless of our worthless titles." His tongue flicked out to lick my cheek. "I would travel to the ends of the abyss just to hold you in my arms. I would fight the mightiest of beasts just for your sweet kiss." He softly pecked my lips. "And I would enjoy nothing more than to be able to parade you around by my side for the whole abyssal world to see."
"Valarendr-" My word was cut off as I hissed in a breath.
One of his fingers had finally made its way to my drenched netherlips and began circling around my entrance. Then without breaking eye contact, he abruptly shoved it in, causing me to loudly gasp and arch my back. His crimson eyes darkened further with a wickedly lustful gleam. He pumped it in and out a few times, then pulled away from my center to pop his glistening finger into his mouth, savoring my feminine flavor.
"I may be a prince, but you are no less than my queen. And I shall gladly kneel before you, Lucilia." He slowly sank down to his knees as he spoke, moving with his shadows until his face was just above my core.
I squeaked in surprise as wisping shadows flicked out and slithered up my dress, pushing the fabric up over my hips to give him a view of my wet swollen sex. His eyes fully blackened with lust while his nostrils flared, taking in my sensual scent. An eerie cross between a purr and a growl rumbled within his chest, as his shadows moved further up my body. My arms were forced above my head and secured there, as my dress was removed by the wisping darkness, leaving me completely naked before him except for my flats.
Shadows slinked to coil around my thighs, then slowly pulled my legs wider apart. "I shall bow between your legs..." He slowly dipped his head down until his mouth felt like a light caress of velvet upon my fervent lower lips, causing my heartbeat to speed up in anticipation. "And worship your resplendent cunt."
"Oh my!"
His powerful serpent of a tongue forcefully struck out and plunged deeply into my heat. My hips tried to buck on their own, while I attempted to quickly grab ahold of his head, but his shadows kept my body tightly restrained. Scorching shivers ran up my spine, while my skin broke out in a feverish sheen from the blissful feeling.
I few melodious moans bled from my lips, while the extremely dexterous tip of his tongue slowly circled around the circumference of my inner walls, deep within my core. It was silky yet incredibly strong, moving inside of me as if determined to taste every inch of my tight canal. His large hands wrapped around my thighs to cradle my ass, slightly pricking my cheeks with his black claws.
His sharp teeth grazed over my folds while he retracted his tongue, then thrust it deeply back in. "Oh! Oh my gosh! Vala-Valarendrik!" I screamed as he began to aggressively mouth fuck me all the way to my womb.
The velvety black tendrils of his shadows began to slowly glide over my peaking nipples. They were so gentle at first that I thought it might not have been intentional. But then, they began to swirl in amatory circles around my breasts, licking and pulling at them in the most exquisite way that set my whole body aflame with desire.
Some of the shadows whirled over my quivering belly button, then slithered down between my legs. They wrapped around my sensitive pearl and moved in a tight rigorous circle around it, stimulating me in a way I had never been before. Heat constricted in my lower stomach, building and building, threatening to erupt. Simultaneously, Valarendrik's tongue laved over my sweetest internal spot, tearing a throaty scream from my lust-slacken lips.
The darkness of his eyes seemed to swallow the lantern light, as he stared up at me with primal prurience. He smirked while pushing the tip of his tongue harder against my sensitive area. Then, a thunderous growl-like purr bellowed out of him, assaulting my entire vulva with a title wave of overwhelming vibrations.
I fucking skyrocketed over the edge and got zapped by a fiery bolt of pleasure. My scream echoed through the darkness as my whole body squeezed and convulsed, releasing in the most overpowering wave of erotic euphoria imaginable. Valarendrik's crown furiously twitched while he greedily lapped away at my sensual nectar like a starving man, growling like a beast the entire time.
After a few minutes, his lips placed one final passionate kiss to my core, then he slowly stood back up with an eerie otherworldly purr. His shadows ceased their ministrations, while he leisurely dragged his sharp claws up from my butt and along the column of my back. My body was twitching with tremulous aftershocks as if I had just been electrocuted, while his mouth crashed to mine in a vehement kiss.
I tried to gasp for air, but was helpless against his ruthlessness, surrendering to his dominant lips with their every movement of passion. His wicked tongue forced its way into my mouth, causing me to moan into him as I tasted myself. His kiss then trailed over the side of my mouth and down to the crook of my neck, where he grazed his fangs over my tender vulnerable flesh, forcing me to shiver in delight.
"Valarendrik." I breathlessly moaned as he lightly bit down without breaking the skin.
His mouth left my throat and his roaming hands left my body. I panted as I watched him unfasten his sword holster, then discard his weapons off to the side with a few clanks. He seductively slid his pants down his hips, just enough to release his masculine monstrosity. My heartrate quickened and my pussy began to violently pulsate at the sight of it, making me feel like an addict staring at their drug of choice.
"Now, Lucilia." He began to say while sensually swirling his pointer finger over the tip of his cock, covering it in his delicious precum. I frantically thrashed to get at it. "I want you to know that I could very easily fuck any tenverian woman I pleased. As the prince, they would have to comply to my every desire." Jealousy and rage mingled with my lust upon hearing him say that, but I was far too desperate to taste him to object. "And yet, I chose to remain a virgin for over four thousand years. Because none of them were worth it. You are the first and only woman I've ever considered worthy of my affections." With that, he shoved his finger into my mouth, sending my senses spiraling into a blazing pit of passion. "Never doubt your worthiness."
As if possessed by the unquiet spirit of some crazed and deranged sex maniac, I torridly sucked on his finger and frantically swallowed. He began to pull it away, but I rabidly bit down to keep it in my mouth. "Do you want my cock inside of you, Lucilia?" He growled into my ear, then aggressively licked along my jawline before leaning his head back to look into my eyes.
I growled back at him and thrashed my head like a damn rabid animal in response, still holding his finger hostage between my teeth like a wanton freak... What is he doing to me!? It's as if his dick has turned me into a whacked-out nymphomaniac cavewoman or something!
The searing tip of his cock suddenly pressed up against my dripping folds, causing me to gasp and release his finger. Then quicker than I could think, his shadows disappeared around my arms and he had me pinned up against the rough stones of the shelter. I yelped while nimbly wrapping my legs around his waist. My hands fell to his shoulders, where I hastily tore his jacket off, revealing the smooth grey skin and rippling muscles underneath.
His large hands cradled my butt as he began to slowly sink inside of me. My mouth slackened and fell open, while my body stretched to accommodate his invasion. A hot tingling sensation overwhelmed my weeping pussy walls, causing them to forcibly clench down around his cock, making it all the tighter for him.
Wet feverish kisses trailed along my neck, painting my pale delicate skin with pink petals of passion. My fingers sensually entwined in his hair, as I lasciviously started to grind my hips, trying to take him deeper into my core. With a snarl, he pushed further yet, making my lower back scrape up against the rough stone behind me. The thunder rolled over the mountain, drowning out the sound of my soft mewls as my pebbled nipples scraped against his hard flexing chest.
The moment he was all the way in, his mouth met mine in a frenzied kiss while he waited for my body to adjust to his size. I gasped against his lips, feeling his cock eagerly twitch and throb in anticipation, rooted deep inside of me. Then, he began to pound with short strenuous thrusts, slowly building his momentum with a burgeoning pace.
His shadows swirled beneath me to hold my body up, freeing his hands so they could move to fondle the bouncing swells of my breasts. Each time he withdrew, my core screamed for his return. And every time it did, he gladly obliged by slamming his large powerful body against mine, filling me to the utmost capacity with his hot, hard, masculine flesh. My mind was completely consumed by him, as I frantically held onto his back for dear fucking life, digging my nails into his skin.
Our bodies seemed to fervently dance to a siren's tune, desperate for one another regardless of the deadly consequences this lovemaking might have on our hearts. A melody of growls and moans harmonized with the thunderous booms and rainfall of the storm while our passion raged on, bringing us closer to the cusp of our crescendo.
His thrusts became more rough and powerful, crashing into me with heated vehemence. I screamed from the intensity of it as tears of passion began to spill down my cheeks. One of his hands slid up to the side of my neck, then his lips followed to the other side, leaving a trail of kisses down my jaw in their wake. He rabidly sucked and kissed, scraping his teeth along the delicate crescent of my throat.
I began to violently convulse around him as the height of my pleasure reached its peak. A low throaty moan poured from my lips, while he roared from his own climax beginning to take over. A net of shadows swirled against my womb as he released his abyssal seed, making my toes curl while my thighs tightly squeezed his hips. Pleasurable warmth spread from my center and through my veins, then exploded in a whirlwind of sparks at the base of my tailbone, sending currents of heat rapidly surging up my spine.
Through my elevated state, I watched as one of the small outer bones of his crown ominously lifted up. Then it swiftly struck at his head like a scorpion's tail, covering its sharp tip in thick black blood. Valarendrik snarled and jerked in response, causing his fangs to slightly sink into my flesh and his shadows to momentarily falter beneath me. The stone behind me loudly cracked and I almost fell on my butt. Luckily, his strong hands swiftly swooped down to catch me though.
He seemed consumed by the taste of my blood and torridly sucked on my neck, drinking in the red wine which bled from my throat like a starving vampire. His essence continued to pump into me while I trembled, still desperately holding onto him as he filled my womb. I watched the rain pick up further yet, making the curtain of runoff seem more like a waterfall spilling over the rock around us.
"Va-Valarendrik?" I shakily panted his name, still out of breath.
His arms tightened further around my upper body in response, holding me closely with his manhood still planted deep inside of me. He growled against my skin, licking and sucking away with carnal hunger as if possessed by some ravenous bloodlust.
"Valarendrik?" I repeated while lightly tapping his shoulder blade.
His growling became soft, then he gave my neck a long lazy lick. The lantern light flickered on his features as his head slowly moved back up. He looked at me with a drunken smile adorning his handsome face and a predator's gleam in his darkened eyes. A thin trickle of black blood dripped down his forehead, while crimson eerily dribbled from the opposite corner of his mouth. His lips lovingly pressed to mine in a quick but sultry kiss, then tapered out with a few tender pecks.
"You have the sweetest blood I've ever tasted." He lustfully whisper-purred into my ear.
"Should I be worried?" I half-joked with a nervous laugh as he slipped out of me, leaving me feeling empty inside.
"Of course not. I'd never harm you." He reassured me, seeming to be coming back to his senses.
With one last kiss, his arms held my tremulous body tighter against him, then he carried me over to Sagacor and sat down with his back leaned up against the goofy horse's side. With a soft nicker, Sagacor turned his head to nuzzle against us, then he happily licked Valarendrik's cheek like an excited puppy.
"Ugh! Sagacor!" Valarendrik laughed while scratching under Sagacor's big undead chin.
I giggled and rested my head against his silent chest, with my pounding heartbeat slowly returning to normal. Feelings of love and contentment filled my soul as he gently caressed along my naked back. Then we stayed like that for a long while, cuddling with the occasional loving kiss, as we wordlessly watched the rain from our dreary stone shelter.
"Lucilia?" His soft deep voice finally broke our silent spell.
"Yes, Valarendrik?" I quietly replied while still peacefully gazing at the rainfall.
He nervously sucked in a breath. "Do you still wish to know why I chose not to tell you about my royal heritage?"
My pointer finger lightly trailed along the contours of his muscular bicep. "Yes, I would like to know." In all honesty, I wasn't entirely sure that I did though. It frightened me wondering what kind of circumstances could have made a seemingly honorable prince like him abandon their kingdom... Who knew what could have caused that to happen?
Valarendrik obviously knows, you idiot... The little voice in my head chimed in.
Apprehension flickered within his eyes, as if that was not the answer he was hoping to hear. "Alright, but I believe you will find some things about me upsetting." Shame seemed to drift over him like a darkened cloud.
I reassuringly cupped his cheek with my hand while lovingly looking up at him. "Valarendrik, I owe you my life a hundredfold. You have been more than good to me, and what ever it is, I'm sure I will not be upset." I warmly smiled, feeling confident in my words...
The storm began to let up a bit as he reluctantly began to share about his past. I kept my head down, resting against his chest with wide horrified eyes, realizing that I was wrong. Horribly, horribly wrong. Every little detail he shared was incredibly upsetting. Never in my wildest nightmares could I have even fathomed living through what he had suffered.
My teeth clamped down on my trembling lower lip and tears pricked my eyes, as he explained about watching his mother kill his brother in some sort of brutal ritualistic sacrifice. He told me everything from the way his crown was hammered into his skull as a child, to the millennium of torment he'd received for being deemed an unworthy heir to the Tenverian throne and a mentally ill abomination. About how shadows were a gift of the true royals, yet his were the weakest of his bloodline by a lot, despite the two lines of power over his eye, earning him the title, "The Weakling Price." I wanted to vomit by the end of it when he began telling me about his betrothal, and how they planned to kill him once he produced an heir. He explained how he was going to kill himself to spare his unborn child from the cruelties he'd known. The only good part of the story was hearing about how Azathoth helped him get out of that dreadful place.
"And so, I've been living alone in the wilderness ever since." He casually shrugged like it was no big deal. "Although, Cerindier used to manage to have me captured. They'd like to strap me down naked and have a bunch of decaying whores desperately grab at my manhood, trying to molest my seed out of me and catch it in jars. They planned to use it to impregnate Moryinia, if ever successful."
I barely even flinched. At least an hour had gone by and I was absolutely gutted raw. It all made sense why he wouldn't have wanted to tell me about his past. My teary eyes finally managed to peer up at his face, seeing the worry etched onto his features as his crown softly twitched.
"If your crown is not naturally a part of your skull, then how does it move like that?" I figured I'd try asking a less painful question to start. My hand trembled as I reached up to touch the bones, but he caught it in his, stopping my pursuit.
He sighed. "I have not yet told you the worst part about the crown." Dread immediately pooled in my stomach as he pointed to it with his free hand... Oh, shit. "These bones once belonged to my brother, Aldrinan. His hands were severed before his death to create the crown and uphold the ancient transferal of what's known as The Great Dark Spirit. It is a sinister being birthed from the shadows of Hsarohpem's putrid soul, and the crown is its vessel. I can move the crown, but so can it. It possesses the bones and speaks into my mind. I am literally diademed by death and darkness." He softly murmured.
...Those were his brother's fingers?
I was both sickened and heartbroken. His thumb moved to caress away the tears that I hadn't realized were streaming down my cheeks. "I have made you upset." He remorsefully mentioned.
"Yes, but I'm not upset with you. I'm upset that that happened to you, dammit." I angrily wiped my cheeks while sitting up to face him, even as my tears continued to fall. "You didn't deserve any of that. I can't even imagine how horrible that all must have been." My arms wove around his neck to hug him close.
He immediately returned the gesture, wrapping his arms tightly around me in a comforting embrace. "Shh, it's okay. It's okay." His voice softly cooed into my ear. I felt ridiculous being the one to cry since it was his story and pain, yet I couldn't seem to help it. His claws entwined within my golden hair, as he let me weep on him for a long while.
The storm eventually subsided completely, giving way to the usual black swirling clouds, revealing the dark dismal lands now drenched in grief.