Descent into Darkness

Chapter 5

Part 1 - Win Her, Woo Her

 

 

When Violet finished her bath, she dried off and wrapped herself in one of the blanket-like towels, not wanting to wear the sticky silk sheet from before. She entered the main room and wondered if there was anything she could possibly wear in this chamber as her chemise was nowhere to be seen.

Suddenly, a movement from the corner of her eye made her jump and lean back against the bathroom door. A figure, dazzling in its darkness, moved gracefully into the firelight. Violet, even in her shock, knew she had never seen someone so elegant in all her life. 

 

It was effeminate in form and yet had no curves to acknowledge womanhood and its face was covered with the same black glittery fabric as its body. It wore a black dress with a large collar that reached upward like the queen collars of old. Long sleeves and skirt tails flitted about as it moved like the remnants of wings.

The dancer moved towards her in a graceful ballet, but still Violet pressed back against the bathroom door. At first she was confused by its bowing and beckoning gestures but then a connection was made between the scene before her and her few experiences in a ballroom. “I…I am sorry but…I do not dance.” She shook her head at it and clung to the towel around her.

At first the dancer continued to beckon then stopped when it realized that the girl refused to respond. After a moment it gestured across the room. Violet’s eyes followed and widened as she saw that the table of food was gone and in its place a vanity that seemed to glow from its own light.

The dancer led and Violet followed to the vanity and both were bathed in a strange glow it gave off. Violet stared at it a moment and saw that it was festooned with piles and strings of precious stones; diamonds glittered like stars, emeralds dripped in silver, sapphires of ever color imaginable.

Violet admired the beauty of the stones but did not touch, no matter how the creature gestured for her to do so. “No thank you…I’d rather…have some clothes,” she gestured to the towel that covered her.

 

The dancer seemed put off for a moment but then bowed and turned to a corner near the bed and gestured. There, where there had certainly been nothing before, was a tall wardrobe in the same black wood as the chairs and bed posts. The dancer went to it and opened the doors. Inside was dark but the dancer seemed to know what it was doing as it shuffled about and finally came forth with a dress that, simply in that it varied from the color scheme thus far, pleased Violet.

The dancer helped her into the dress, removing the towel and drying Violet’s hair gently, and discarding it to the shadows where everything seemed to disappear. The dress fit tightly, like a glove, but was comfortably fit. The cut, an empire waist with a skirt that trailed the ground, lengthened Violet’s form. The lack of straps made her feel bare but she was glad to see that though it showed how ample her bosom was, it did not let her breasts escape. The dress was in two sheathes of fabric, the first black silk, the second, outer layer a sheer fabric the same color of spring violets. The waistline was set with small gemstones that Violet wondered at, trying to find a name for but not able. They were the same color as her eyes if she were to notice.

Once dressed, she turned to the dancer and thanked it as she combed her hair with her fingers to prevent knots of tangles. The dancer saw her hands in her hair and gestured back to the vanity. There, Violet sat and the dancer picked up a brush made of black ivory and proceeded to release the princess’ raven hair from its entanglement. 

 

Violet looked at herself in the mirror with contemplation. Her skin, pale as milk stood out against her black hair and the dark dress. Her mouth looked dark red and she wondered if it was still bruised from the night before or simply stained from the pomegranates. Her eyes lowered to the jewels laid out on the vanity but had no desire to wear any of them and none seemed to match the strange purple-blue jewels set into her dress. 

 

When the dancer finished with her hair, it attempted to wrap a string of sapphires around Violet’s neck but the princess refused and backed away towards the fire. “No thank you, you’ve done enough,” Violet excused. “I don’t suppose you can talk, can you?”

The dancer raised its hands and then dropped them as if to show its inability to communicate. Violet nodded, “Didn’t think so.” She bit her lip then, carefully, climbed up into one of the large chairs adjacent the fire. “It feels like nighttime in here…I suppose it always does…” She spoke softly to the dancer for lack of anyone else to talk to. “At this time of evening, at home, Lily would come home and tell me all about the adventures she’d had that day.”

Violet’s voice held a sadness but she wasn’t quite homesick, just lonely. Then again, she had always felt lonely, even at the palace full of people and family. It wasn’t new to her, only peeked by the new situation. Her eyes gazed into the fire and a sigh escaped her lips. Finally, she realized that what she wanted was company, someone who would speak back to her. She looked at the dancer and tilted her head, “Could…could Darkness come here? If you asked him?”

 

Hearing his name in the abyss, Darkness stirred and followed the sound. A grin crossed his face as he realized that his beloved had called for him.

 

Part 2 - The Lady's Gifts

 

 

Darkness took a moment to take the picture in. Her violet and black gown, the way her damp hair hung about her shoulders, the paleness of her skin almost reflecting the firelight. She was truly his queen and it showed from the glint in her eye to the way her head was held high even in her uncertain surroundings. It made him proud in his choice.

“You called me, my lady?” His voice, even though booming in his chest was almost a purr, a growl of pleasure.

Violet took a deep breath then turned, looking up at him. He could see her uncertainty, her ache and her terror. It aroused him.

“Yes…I…was hoping for some company…” She bit her lower lip and looked away, wondering if asking for him was the right decision.

Darkness settled down in the chair parallel hers. “I aim to serve you, my princess. If there is anything I can do to make you happy…to pleasure you.” He smiled at the words, “Is there anything you want or need?”

Violet looked around the darkened room. It had donned on her that there was one key thing missing from this room that she longed for and would dearly missed if she were to stay here for any extended amount of time. She wondered how to put it into words. “I…I dearly love to read, Darkness.” She said this softly, her mouth forming around his name sent shivers through her body that were only just maintained. “I love to learn…and I miss my father’s library. Could you…” she looked up at him, “Is there any way you could provide me with…at least a small bookshelf?” She hoped it wasn’t too much to ask as a captive.

Darkness took a moment then chuckled softly. “My lady, I will provide you with an extensive library. I have, at my disposal, the wisdom of the ages and would happily give it all to you.”

 

 

As he spoke, his exile, the space and time he dwelled in, imperceptibly flexed and swelled around them until a new door appeared opposite the one to the bathroom. Looking up, Darkness smiled approvingly and gestured with his hand towards it. “My lady, your wish is my command.”

Violet turned, confused at first then understanding dawned on her. She glanced back at Darkness as she slid out of her seat and stepped towards the door. Slowly, she opened it and peeked inside. It was a library that was easily ten or twenty times larger than the king’s own. There was another fireplace, smaller than the main room’s but it, with a few sconces, gave ample light to read by.

Stepping inside, she ran her fingers over the nearest shelf of books and read the spines. Most of the titles she had never heard of, some she couldn’t recognize the language. “These are…beautiful,” she whispered as she took down a large volume and ran her hands over the calf-skin, the gold leafing, the delicate threading. 

 

Darkness followed her and watched with a strange longing. The expression on her face as she looked at the books was that of a lover reunited with her beloved. A distant part of him wondered if such an expression would ever be turned upon himself.

“For you, my lady, anything,” he said softly and touched a strand of her hair. She jumped a little but did not move away from his reach. He could see her blush crimson at his nearness and he wondered if his proximity was having an effect on other parts.

She turned and looked up at him, “Have you read all of these?” There was awe in her voice at the idea.

Darkness nodded slightly, “I know them all.” He ambled over to a large char in front of the smaller fire. “I would like nothing better than to sit, and talk with you about the many subjects entombed in this library.”

Violet carried the large volume to the other chair. She seemed slightly overwhelmed by the library. The very shelves seemed to reach beyond her ability to see. Her hands absent-mindedly stroked the book’s spine.

Watching her fingers stroke the leather made Darkness’ mind wonder at how her hands could feel upon him.