The Darkness

Princess Kala stood still, staring ahead into the void through the door ahead. She knew that on the other side of that door, there would be a man waiting for her in the darkness. There always seemed to be only two type of men who called on her; rough men who did not care about her, but only her body, only their own pleasure... the other type usually were men who only cared about the inheritance of her father's kingdom, and could please her in the way that she desperately desired.

She knew that this was the way of her people, that this was the way it was done for hundreds of years. But sometimes she wondered if there was another way.

"It is time, dear," said Kala's maid. Kala turned and looked into the eyes of her maid, but there was no smile on her face. Not any more. All the rush and excitement of entering the darkness to be with a man had escaped her.

Kala slowly stepped forward into the black room, and the door shut behind her. Kala slowly wrapped her arms around her naked body, shivering ever so slightly in the chill of the room. There was no heavy breathing in front of her, no scuffing of feet. Kala frowned.

"Hello?" she called.

Then she heard the faint footsteps of someone walking towards her. Kala swallowed hard, dreading this moment. Was this her fate, to always be chosen by rich pigs who did not care for her as a  person?

Then a hand came from nowhere and touched her face, causing her to jerk back at the shocking touch. She felt a brief moment of warmth on her neck from a breath. Kala's heart was beating, as the man who she had never seen before in her life, who was still masked in shadow, examined her body.

"Who are you?" Kala had never asked any other man that before... but there was something different about this one. Something that she had never experienced before.

Next thing Kala knew, the man took a few steps back from her, and it sounded like he sat on the ground. 

Then a voice, deep and slightly sing-songy with a foreign accent... "Hello, Princess. I am Jathan."

Kala did not know what to say. Every time before this, the men would use her body to whatever means they wished, it was the way it was always done. But this man barely touched her.

"Do you... speak, Princess?" asked Jathan.

"I... I do."

"I am from the Land Of Many Stars, far from here. I heard of you, and your great beauty, and that your father intends to give you away to a man who will strengthen his kingdom."

"It's true."

"I haven't seen you... but I have a decent idea what you look like, just from touching you briefly in this dark room. I would like to get to know you. As a person."

Kala attempted to speak, but the words caught in her mouth. Then she coughed and said, "No other man has ever said that to me before."

"Come, sit  by me, Princess."

Kala slowly walked over and sat next to the man beside her. They were both naked in the dark, and somehow this man was beginning to arouse her in ways no other man had previously. But she knew that everything could come in time; for now, she had the chance to speak with this man in the way that she had always dreamed of.

They began to talk, and it seemed that the conversations flowed naturally. As they conversed, their chemistry grew, and they began to realize the things in common, and the things that were different, between them. But there were no judgements.

How is this man so kind and good? Thought Kala as they talked. And indeed he was. He asked her many questions about her, about her personality, about her life and her family.

Finally, Kala stopped talked, and took a deep breath. Jathan inched closer to her, and once again Kala was aroused by the brief touch of his hand accidentally brushing her thigh.

"Are you alright, Princess?" asked Jathan.

"Yes... but... it is clear now that you are too good for me, Prince. My body has become used by so many men. It is hard for me to imagine a relationship after so much."

Jathan's hand cupped her cheek, and she found herself resting her face against his palm. 

"I think you are... wonderful, Princess," said Jathan. "I don't really care about the inheritance. What I care about is you. I want... you, and everything that you are. The stories are true... you are beautiful and kind, and that is all a man can ask for in a woman."

Kala seemed to lose control of her body as she fell into his arms and kissed his lips passionately, as a new feeling of love and joy rushed through her soul. Jathan kissed her back, and they began to touch and intertwine in a loving embrace. 

But then the Prince paused, and took a deep breath and said, "Princess Kala, will you marry me and become my queen?"

"Yes... yes!" Kala said, as tears misted her eyes. This was the moment that she hoped would come... she had found the man that she wanted, the only man that she knew she could ever want. 

The darkness was lifted. And because of Jathan, she was now in the light.