12: Darken: Resurrection

Chapter seventeen: Daria

I woke in the room I once shared with Thespian. It had been three weeks since I was left behind. I knew they wouldn't bother saving me; why would royals save someone they barely knew. Since the wedding night, Draus had left me alone. I got up and threw on a simple dress, and the maid brought me some food, which I did not touch. If I tried to sneak away, I was sure he would go after the royal family again... after Thespian.

I made my way down to the gardens, just like every morning, the smallest amount of comfort I had in my loneliness. Looking at the roses, I remembered everything I had shared with Thespian, everything we had been through. I sighed and turned around, bumping right into something hard. I looked up—Draus.

"My apologies," I muttered, backing away from him.

Draus's eyes, cold and calculating, scanned me up and down. "You're still here," he said, a hint of mock surprise in his voice. "I was beginning to think you had given up."

I clenched my fists at my sides, resisting the urge to retort. Silence was my shield, a barrier between his cruelty and my fragile strength.

"Good," Draus continued, a sinister smile playing on his lips. "Stay obedient, and perhaps you'll be spared the worst of my wrath."

"Sorry," I muttered, looking away from him.

He smiled, "Are you that scared of me?"

"Of...of course not," I muttered again.

"I hear you have not been eating," he said, actually looking a bit worried. "You need to keep strong, you are no good to me dead."

"I'm no good to anyone anyways," I looked to the ground, "not after..." I shivered.

"You are to join me for three meals a day from now on," he told me. "I will make sure you eat." He turned to leave.

"Why?" I asked, and he turned to face me.

"Why what?" He looked confused.

"Why have you not touched me even now?" I asked, scared of the answer but i needed to know.

"I am not the monster you think i am Daria." He spoke softy, "Astraea was the only one i was ever going to touch that way, because she is identical to her mother."

"You threw me to be raped by every man in the kingdom," i reminded his, "you forced me to drink poison. You are a monster more than anything else."

"That was not to harm you," he said softly, "that was to harm my son, he betrayed me in every way."

"You used me..." i clenched my fists, "you used me like a tool to control him, but now hes free, you dont need me anymore, so please..." i fell to my knees, bowing to him, "i beg you, just kill me."

"I cannot do that," he told me, "if my son returns, i can use you again to get to him, you are more valuable alive."

"and if i decide to go against you for the rest of my life?" I looked up at him.

"Then so be it," he sighed, sitting on the ground across from me. "I did not start out as a villain, you know."

"You, not a villain?" I laughed at the thought. "Then what happened?"

"The desire for power," he answered. "When I first met Alexandria, she was nothing more than a scared girl, pregnant for the first time and desperate to get her father's soul out of her. I helped her... even telling her who she truly was. But seeing the type of power she had when she awakened as the Great Dragon... It changed something in me. If you asked my sister how I was before I met Alexandria, she'd tell you I was a good man."

I looked at him, seeing the faint glimmer of a man who once had a heart. "Is power worth becoming the monster you've become?"

He lowered his gaze, the weight of his actions evident. "It's too late for me," he whispered. "But maybe not for you. Remember my story. Remember how easy it is to fall."

"There's no way I could gain the amount of power even close to yours," I told him. "I am nothing, nothing important."

"You are not nothing, Daria," he looked mad that I even said that. "Alexandria's powers corrupted me, to the point where I became this... this monster. I wanted my revenge, so I used people as tools... even you. For the most part, I am evil, but there are times, like now, that I regret my choices and only want forgiveness. I am sorry, Daria, for everything I have done and everything I will do."

I stared at him, searching for a trace of sincerity in his eyes. His words struck a chord within me, stirring a mix of anger, pity, and confusion. Was this a moment of truth or another manipulation?

"Forgiveness is not something you can simply ask for," I replied, my voice trembling with emotion. "It must be earned, and even then, it may never be granted."

He nodded slowly, as if acknowledging the weight of my words. "I understand," he said quietly. "But know this, Daria: despite the darkness within me, there is still a part that longs for redemption. And maybe, just maybe, you can help me find it."

"I wish I could," I sighed, thinking of the evils he had committed, "but I don't know if I have that strength."

"You are stronger than you know," he smiled in a kind way. "There is something about you that makes me want to try to be a better person..." He leaned in closer to me.

"I...I..." I pulled away, unsure if this was another of his sick games. "I can't do this, Draus. I am married to your son; I love Thespian."

"I know," he looked away from me. "My apologies, truly." He stood to his feet. "Thespian is not here for me to want to hurt him using you, so I do hope I will see you at lunchtime."

His words lingered in the air, a mix of regret and resignation. As he turned to leave, I couldn't help but feel a pang of uncertainty. Was there truly a chance for redemption, or was this just another layer of his manipulation?