If you were to ask anyone over the age of, say, forty, whether or not they would want to live their life over again, chances are you would be answered with hysterical laughter. Once the more tumultuous years have been left behind, there are few people who feel even the most shallow urges to regain them. Beyond the allure of bright hair and smooth skin, the specter of perpetual confusion looms, and the perilous emotional landscape of youth is rarely missed by its escapees.
But what if-
What if the strong arms of your vanished prince were holding you close?
What if your slender neck was bathed in warm breath?
What if you were loved?
Even the stateliest of queens might accept raw youth under such circumstances. And a king might not regret a lost kingdom if his beloved was returned. He might forget every obligation at the smell of her, he might lose his pain with just one completely pure kiss.
It wasn't so much beginning again as it was remembering, reshaping, rediscovering. Coming home in the center of a completely alien world.
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They were watching the vidscreen archives together, limbs tangled, sated smiles fading as they delved into their corruption. His new self was as cold as she was vile, and the evil they had perpetrated couldn't be described in words they knew. He shuddered as he watched the hard green eyes of his wife, and she turned cold when she saw his tender mouth sneering at the world.
"Screen off," she said suddenly, her voice stiff with distaste. They sat silently for a moment longer, humiliation still washing like waves as the images played in their minds. The elegance of a royal couple lay shattered, and something foul had taken its place in great haste.
"Look at me," Angel whispered hoarsely. She turned her head, and he sighed with relief. "I needed to see your eyes, see them warm and lively. See your eyes, not that woman's."
She nodded. "But therein lies the dilemna. If there is a palpable difference between us, someone will notice. We could hardly have found anyone who less resembled us, in any of our previous personas. And on this planet, I don't think it's very good to begin acting radically different all of a sudden. That sort of thing could result in dire consequences."
"You're right," he agreed. "But it will be hard. I mean, do you think you can- you can-"
"Hate you?" She grimaced. "I don't know. I don't know if I can play a part for that long."
"Oh really, Aurelia?"
She smiled as she smacked his shoulder. "That was different."
"Different how?"
"Well...I was allowed to love you."
He looked at her for a long moment, and he would have kissed her if they hadn't heard the sound of her outer door opening.
"Mistress? Would you like your breakfast brought into you?"
Their eyes met in confused horror. There was no Marie to smile fondly upon them here, and to be caught in the act of loving when hatred was so obviously in order- well, it would destroy their cover in their new bodies and their new names.
"Just a moment!" Willow's panic made her sound as forceful as the woman she was supposed to be. "Angel, get dressed, now!" she hissed.
"What about you?" he asked, pulling his shirt over his head.
"Don't worry about it- just hurry-"
He had just buttoned his pants when the housekeeper walked in with a tray, her jaw dropping as she saw her furious mistress glaring at her husband with a sheet wrapped around her chest.
"How dare you! My business associates are none of your affair!" Her eyes were as cold as the ones she had watched on the screen all morning, and her husband's smirk was as nasty as any soulless vampire's.
"Beg pardon, my dear, but since our business interests have been united, I think I should have some say in who you choose to 'deal' with."
She arched an eyebrow coolly. "Really? Well, you thought wrong. You come in here still smelling like that tramp Sugar, reeking of sex and looking like trash, and you have the gall to ask me whose bed I was sharing last night? I don't ask who you spend your time with, as long as it isn't me, so get out. Now." She turned to look at the appalled woman who was trying to retreat out of the room, holding out a hand to halt her. "Don't leave- are there eggs? I want some eggs."
Angel shook his head furiously. "Forget about the eggs, darling, I wasn't done talking to you. That gigolo you have the gall to call your business associate has been after my offplanet holdings for years, and you are just the opportunity he's been looking for."
"Opportunity? Darling husband of mine, you flatter me with your lavish praise. Isn't it possible that he wants me for my charm, my beauty, my astounding sexual prowess? Or, more importantly, my offplanet holdings. But don't answer that question before you answer another- which gigolo?"
He paused, looking at her in slight confusion. "What do you mean?"
"I mean which one? Which one of the men with access to my body were you talking about? It's not as if I can keep track of them all by something so mercenary as their business goals. My secretary keeps track of all that sort of thing. I need a name, sweetheart. Or hair color, at the very least."
His haughty face was frozen with disgust as he surveyed her like a piece of meat. "You are such a whore."
She grinned wolfishly as she attacked her plate of food with a fork. "That's right. But you leave out the all-important word 'successful,' which negates the word 'whore' and constitutes the reason you married me. Besides, perhaps you should rethink your choice of names to call me. If I were so dependent on sex, then don't you think I might have touched you, husband dear? No, you know all too well how much alike we are, so don't give me your aristocratic moralising this early in the morning. Now, are you going to leave, or do I need to resort to drastic measures?"
"Like what?"
The grapefruit knife imbedded itself in the wall a foot away from his head, and she smiled sweetly. "Next one's in your eye. You were the one to accuse me of a distinct lack of morals, so it can hardly surprise you that I should have no qualms about pelting you with sharp objects. One of my many skills, I assure you."
He nodded, his frigid smirk in place once more. "Charming. If you won't get rid of him by tomorrow, I will. It's really up to you, which you should enjoy, since the semblance of control is so important to you. Perhaps I should point out that my methods when it comes to disposal are a little harsher than your requisite cold bed and closed legs, so decide whether or not you want him to stay pretty."
He stalked out, and Willow looked up at the housekeeper who was still standing next to her bed. "So nice to have him at home, isn't it? He's such a splendid addition to the household. Honestly, didn't he agree to leave me to my own devices once we were married? I would appreciate it if he would fulfill his half of the bargain."
"Oh, madam-"
Willow looked up at her companion, her green eyes wiped clean of any emotion other than slight irritation. "Is something the matter? If it is a household difficulty, I am sure you will handle it excellently. If it has to do with me, I suggest you put it out of your mind. I know how to deal with Angel, so don't worry about that. By the way, these eggs are excellent. Thank you so much for bringing them."
The dark haired woman just shook her head sadly. "If I may be so bold as to say- that is, to mention- well, It is a shame to see that nothing has changed between you two, even after all this time. Good day, madam." With a curtsy, she backed out the door.
Willow dropped her fork from her trembling hand and fell back against her green pillows. The thrill of success felt much more like a wave of nausea, and she fought to keep herself from shedding any more tears.
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