Illuminating the Dark Prince

Tenveriel

The soft glow of the lantern gently flickered over my downcast profile as I forlornly sat on the edge of the bed, watching as Valarendrik carefully packed the few things I had into a small black bag, along with a bunch of letters from the others. Once we had told everyone that I would be leaving, they'd asked if I could bring back letters for their loved ones. I agreed, highly unsure if I'd be able to find everyone's current addresses and whatnot, but I was honestly too shocked and upset to care about all the technicalities just yet.

He could have easily already packed everything with one swift swirl of his shadows. Yet he was moving rather slowly, gloomily taking his time while glancing over at me every so often. Trepidation and sorrow filled my spirit as I gazed back at him, seeing the same grief mirrored in his eyes and weighing down his soul.

"Please don't pack that." I softly said as a tear rolled down my cheek.

He paused, about to put my flower crown in the rumpled bag. "Then what would you like done with it?" He gently asked. His clawed hands tightened around the artificial blooms while he momentarily squeezed his eyes shut as though in pain.

"I'll take it." I brokenly held out my hand. A tendril of shadows carried it across the room and gently placed it within my grasp, looping it over my listless fingers. I peered up at him with glossy eyes, hugging the floral crown to my chest. "Please, we don't have to do this. I don't mind waiting for Azathoth."

Soft skeletal clicks came from his crown and his eyes welled with sadness. "No, I have already caused enough damage, and I will no longer selfishly keep you from your world." He glanced back down and began pointlessly fidgeting with the bag as if to distract himself.

My flats tapped against the cool stone floor as I stood up and walked over to him, with my shadowy cloak fluttering out behind me. "But won't it be bad if your mother possesses the orb? And what will happen to you once I'm gone and she has all that power?" I stood before him and gently placed my hands on his arm to calm his fidgeting. "I don't want you making a foolish decision just to appease me."

He tensed at my touch, looking down to the side away from me. "You do not need to concern yourself with that. Everything will be fine." 

"No, Valarendrik, this is not fine!" My voice cracked with sorrow and more tears poured from my eyes. His jacket sleeve scrunched beneath my tightening grip. "Can we please just talk about this? Kiss and make up, then pretend like it never happened? You mean too much to me to let our relationship end this way!"

"I am sorry, but no, we can not." He stated in a hushed yet stern voice, looking as if the words physically pained him while they fell from his lips. He swallowed hard, moving his arm away from my touch. "There mustn't be any more romantic gestures between us. No more kisses nor intimacy." His shadowy frame morosely turned away from me then glided toward the door. 

"Why not?" My voice quavered as I called after him with weakly outstretched hands.

His crown twitched as he forlornly bowed his head while placing a hand flat on the door, shadows sullenly swirling all around him. "It will do nothing but further hurt the both of us, and there is no point in continuing our doomed dalliance."

"Please..." I sobbed while brokenly hugging my flower crown to my chest in a hopeless attempt to soothe the scathing ache in my heart. "That's not true. Our relationship is worth working this out."

Agony and guilt lurched in his crimson eyes as he glanced over at me, with black tears glistening in the dim light as they threatened to spill. His shadows swirled across the room, carrying my bag and the lantern to him. "We must go. The others are waiting to say their goodbyes."