Heart of Darkness

Roxana's life was suddenly very busy but in a good way. She was soon to get married and had been planning the wedding with wedding planners and her family and new family. Having her sister by her side, Angelica and Alexander's grandmother was just wonderful and filled her with so much joy.

Of course, she had to deal with her sister's husband which wasn't easy at all. There were no grounds on which the marriage could be dissolved legally and her husband became resistant when he found out that she would be a future queen's sister. What a better opportunity to grant him wealth.

"We can just kill him," Vitale had said one night but her sister had been horrified.

To her own surprise, Roxana agreed with him in silence. She wanted the man dead, especially when she found out what he had done to his sister. She had bruises and whatever passed between them as a husband and wife in bed, she did not even want to think about. It made her nauseous and she only had to see the look on her sister's face to know what she thought to be normal between husband and wife. If she only knew, that was not normal and she tried to explain to her but couldn't bring herself to do so. She would show her gradually. Give her time away from the hideous man.

Only if she could get rid of him while respecting her sister's wishes.

But someone answered her prayers. A demon. An archdemon. A punisher to be specific. One day when she went to her husband's home with Alexander, she found him dead.

Roxana immediately looked over at Alexander. Not because she thought he would not respect her wishes but because he had been in a dark place and in the mood to kill or eat.

"God, I did want to kill him." He said, darkness swirling in his eyes. "Seems like someone got here before me and ruined the fun," he joked, having very dark humor lately.

"Don't worry. I used your method. You like drowning after all," suddenly Lucrezia appeared. "He likes to drink, so I gave him a bit too much. It looks natural this way and none of you had to kill him so don't worry about guilt and your sister. You are welcome. It is my wedding gift to you."

Roxana felt some guilt because she was happy about it. Maybe she got some darkness in her too, but also because she knew her sister would be sad. She wasn't sure why, but she knew her.

"You should call a physician. Pretend like you are at least worried. Cry. Bury him. Whatever." She said and left them.

And so they did and just like she thought, her sister had been sad. Their wedding was not very soon but Alexander postponed it even further, to show respect and for her to have some time with her sister.

Thankfully, she had uncle Ben and Fanny, her cheerful companies who made life blossom and had helped her through her own hardships. They did not leave her for a second, and soon she was smiling and laughing again. Hopefully seeing that not all men were bad as well.

One day as they lay in bed, "His Majesty truly loves you," she said suddenly.

It was dark and Roxana wished she could see her face to know what she was thinking.

"His eyes change when he looks at you," she continued.

"You will find someone like that one day too," Roxana told her.

"You look happy with him. Very happy and that is all that matters to me," she said.

Roxana tried not to cry but it was difficult and now she was glad it was dark.

They reached for each other's hands in the dark and held each other tightly. "The reason for my extreme happiness is also you. I was feeling empty having the wedding without you and now you are here."

She could feel her smile in the darkness.

"You look radiant too. What do you put on your skin?" She suddenly asked. "You are looking better every day."

Oh well, about that...

The remedy was called "blood". Not sure her sister would have it for any price but God did it change things for her. She was stronger, more beautiful, and energetic which she needed because Alexander was a crazed beast still, which made her think she would have to try her new strategy with him soon.

"It must be called 'love'." She joked and they chuckled.

Now that her sister was getting better, she could focus on Alexander and the wedding again.

She had already been dealing with Alexander a lot. There was the dark mood and the hungry mood. The hungry one was the one she enjoyed too but the dark one was worrisome, especially when she heard the lords talk about it. How he almost strangled his servants and guards. Roxana thought they had been joking about it but she had seen it herself when she went shopping with him once and a man bumped into him.

It was a simple thing that he would normally perhaps even apologize for but instead, his eyes gleamed with death which made the man stumble back in horror. Yet, that wasn't enough and she had to grab his arm and pull him out of his killing haze.

He would also make a lot of threats, usually including butchering, eating organs, torturing, and blood. He would say it with a disturbing smile and a serious tone. The lords would tiptoe around him when they noticed some of his moods. Roxana would just try to talk some sense into him and make him promise he would do no such things.

"Alright, can I do the other things," he said, his eyes changing to the second mood.

Alright. This time she would not let him convince her. She would not surrender. She would complete her mission and not fall for seduction or the pleasure he could give her but God help her because he had learned all the tricks.

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