Dark Secrets Author: Aria Rated: UnRated Chapter 6 Serena opened up her eyes and looked at Darien through her tears. "I remember." He opened his eyes as well and Serena could see tears welled up there. "You knew that soon that you were in love with me?" he reached a tender hand to her face and stroked away a tear. "I have never known that." She looked up at him with new eyes and with just as much awe as she did in the past. "How could I not? You were the most amazing man I had ever met." Serena felt as though a window had been opened to her heart and soul, letting in the light at last. Now she understood her dreams and her instant attraction to Darien. "It makes sense now, doesn't it?" She nodded slowly. "Yes." Starry eyed, she looked up at him again. "You saved my life." "Yes, I did. But you eventually helped me learn to live mine." She couldn't stifle the giggle. "Did I?" "Many, many times." He took her hands in his and simply held them, smiling as if he was holding most precious treasures. "How many times have we met?" "Quite a few times." He counted on his fingers. "In Atlantis, that's one. In Egypt, you were the pharaoh's slave; I was his scribe. That's when I gave you that necklace. In Rome, I was a legionnaire; you were the emperor's daughter. We had some fun sneaking around then." He chuckled, obviously remembering some fond memories. "Then we met again during the Middle Ages, regency England, the so-called 'wild west' and we didn't meet again until now." "Wow." Her interested was piqued. "How do you manage to find me? Have I always been the same?" It was then her questions struck her. Her expression grew pained before she could form the words. "How did you become...how...what happened to you?" she managed to whisper. He closed his eyes and took a deep breath. "During our time in Atlantis, you were...murdered. I...I-" he broke off unable to finish the sentence. Serena was moved at how her demise still effected him. She took his hands in hers and squeezed gently. "You don't have to tell me." He nodded jerkily. "I do." Darien closed his eyes and touched the blade to his neck again. "This is the easiest way to show you." Serena nodded and touched her lips to skin and instantly felt the anguish and the rage flow through him and into her. She didn't know how he did it, but now she was looking through his eyes at his memories. ---- Dal'rien stood at his desk and cleared up the scrolls lying there. When they were tidied, he cleared up his books. He had never been so edgy in his entire life. He circled the desk and nearly swore when his robe caught on the corner and tore. Laughter caught his attention and he looked over to see Ra'ine shaking her head at the door. "It may be a good time for you get ready, highness." He looked at the hole and sighed. "I think you're right." Laughing to himself, he followed her down the hall. Dal'rien looked puzzled when they walked past the bedchambers he had been sharing with Sern'riya for almost a year. "Where are we going?" "Sern'riya wished that you not see her before the ceremony." He stopped on the spot. "Why not? Is something the matter?" Ra'ine shook her head and replied, "No. Nothing is wrong. She just wanted to surprise you that's all." "Oh." He started walking again. "Nervous?" "Just a little." He stumbled over his own feet. "Maybe a lot." He laughed. "I can't believe I'm so nervous!" "And happy." "Yes, and happy." His heart was soaring even as it was fluttering in his chest. "I don't think I've ever been happier!" "It shows, highness." She stopped in front of one of the smaller or his chambers. "All you require is in here. I will get a couple of the girls to help you dress." "Thank you, Ra'ine." "It is always a pleasure, highness." She curtsied and turned to walk down the hall. Dal'rien walked into the room and found gorgeous white robes hanging from the wardrobe and the jewellery and other accessories waiting on the dresser. Within moments, two girls he recognized from his harem appeared to help him dress. He usually let them do all the work, but today he was helping. Dal'rien couldn't help himself. It took him lest than half an hour to get everything on. And when he was done, he even had to admit he looked good. Dal'rien gazed at his reflection for a moment and smiled. He was glad that she wanted to keep apart before the wedding. That way he could surprise her as well. Sern'riya would love it. There was nothing to do now except for wander around the room and wait until it was time. He threw himself back on the bed in a way that had the girls who dressed him cringing. But he didn't care. He was getting married! Dal'rien opened his eyes when he heard shouting in the halls. He was instantly on his feet and heading toward the doorway. Before he could run through the curtain, Ra'ine stepped into the room. He looked at her ashen face and knew something terrible had happened. "What's happened?" she stared at him with tear-filled eyes. Grabbing her shoulders he shook until she spoke. "It's Sern'riya," she sobbed. He didn't wait for another word. He ran frantically through the halls of the palace, calling out to the guards and anyone else who would listen to secure the building. He ran straight to the bedchambers and to the pale body on the floor. A cry of pure agony tore itself from his throat as he threw himself over the lifeless form. "Sern'riya! Sern'riya, come back to me! Please! I need you!" The tears flowed hot and steady blinding him to the crowd of people that had gathered. Dal'rien buried his face against her neck and sobbed. "You can't leave me! Sern'riya! Come back!" Eventually someone took pity on him and pulled him up, murmuring something that sounded comforting but was completely hollow to his ears. He looked at her lifeless body again and the rage began to build. Taking off the robe that was to be worn on his wedding, he spread it over her body, now as a death shroud for the woman he loved with all his heart. "Search the grounds! I want who ever did this found!" The command echoed in the silent room. Over the next week. He had the entire palace and grounds searched for clues to who could have murdered his fiancée and questioned every suspect himself. But no one knew a thing and every lead turned into a dead end. Then there was the funeral to contend with. The elaborate ceremony was held at the temple on an island near the city and all activity everywhere stopped for it. She was going to be their queen and he wanted her treated as such. Only close friends were there since neither had any family. Dal'rien stared at the flames as they engulfed her, the hungry tongues lapping at her wrapped body. He wanted to throw himself on the pyre with her but he wanted to find the killer as well. And that kept him going a little. He kept the investigation going for another few months but nothing came up. And that was when his despair took a turn for the worse. Cursing the gods, he fell into a deep depression. He needed her. He needed Sern'riya, not pity, not anything else. For weeks he didn't eat. He hardly spoke and no one dared approach him. His temper was quick and boundless; anything anyone said to comfort him set it off, eventually no one could bear to be around him. Dal'rien didn't care. Unless they had information, he wasn't interested in what they had to say. He still ran the kingdom flawlessly, throwing himself into the service of his people. No one was wanting for anything. He made sure of that. But the joy and happiness that once flooded from the city disappeared. It was like it had died with Sern'riya. Locked away in his misery, he simply didn't want to live anymore without her. One clear night he had enough. He walked to the far reaches of the courtyard with an ivory handled knife. He walked in the cold for some time before coming to stop at a bench that they used to sit on and chat in the evenings. When he closed his eyes, Dal'rien could almost hear her laugh. He wanted to see her smiling up at him when he opened them again, but she wasn't there. She would never be there with him again. Carefully aiming the blade at the centre of the ache in his chest, he drove it home. Crumpled on the ground, his life seeping from him, Dal'rien saw a flash of light. He looked up to see a beautiful woman glowing with light standing over him. "Who are you?" he whispered. "That is not important." She knelt down and examined him. "You've done quite a job on yourself." He laid his face back in the grass and closed his heavy eyes. "I do not want to live any more. Life without her is not worth living." "And would you want to live if I said I could give you the chance to find out who did it? If you could find the one who stole her life away?" Dal'rien couldn't lift his head. He struggled to even open his eyes. But he managed it. "I see I have caught your interest. I take it you're interested in my offer." Her lips curved into a small smile. "It will not be easy. "A-anything." He pleaded. His breaths were laboured and coming farther apart. The life he was so hurried to be rid of was now slipping from his grasp. He fought for another breath and raised his eyes to hers. "Please." He groaned when she rolled him over and pulled the blade from his chest. She drew it over her wrist and put it to his lips. "Drink." He shied away but she pushed her arm against his face. "Drink, if you want to live." Her words spurred him on and he did as he was told. He drank the first little bit and felt his strength returning. Within moments he was back to normal. Greedy for the power he could feel coursing through him, he sucked harder. She gasped and pulled her arm out of his grip. Dal'rien was on his feet now marvelling at the feelings sipping through is body. Everything became more acute then he thought possible. "I can hear the animals sleeping in that glen." He pointed at the field a hundred yards away. He looked around at the dark surroundings and realized that he could see everything. "I can see like it was daylight!" She shook her head. "Now you must realize with this new life, there are certain restrictions." He head snapped to face her. "Restrictions? You must be joking! I've never felt better." He ran his hand over his chest and saw that the knife wound had healed itself. "Amazing!" "With the good comes the bad. You must realize that." When he just looked at her she continued. "You will live until a stake pierces your heart or you witness the rising of the sun. Until then, you will never age and your strength with grow with time." "I cannot see the sun? Ever?" "Not ever. But that is a small price to pay to see your love again." His heart lifted at the thought of seeing Sern'riya again. "I will see her again? Truly?" "This will be your true test. You will meet many times; you will endure what you have just been through again and again. But believe me, in the end, if your love is strong enough, you will prevail. In that you must have faith in." "I do. We will be together." He vowed. ---- Serena was sobbing now and threw herself into Darien's arms. "Why? Why would you do that to yourself?" She grabbed the knife that had once taken his life out of his hands and flung it across the room. He held her trembling body against his and whispered into her hair as he stroked it out of her face. "Because I couldn't imagine life without you." Serena let him hold her. She needed him to hold her. There was still so much she couldn't remember but the need to be with him was so overwhelmingly strong. Serena knew she loved him and that he loved her. "You should know more than that. It isn't fair for you not to know everything that had happened between us." He pulled back and looked into her eyes. "I want you to know everything." She bobbed her head. "I would like that." "You can start by reading that diary you have in your bag." He winked at her when she jumped. "You forgot about it didn't you?" Knowing that lying wouldn't get her anywhere, she nodded. "We'll continue with this tomorrow night. I'm not sure I can handle much more." Serena noticed for the first time that he was really pale. Even more than usual. "Is there anything I can do?" He shook his head. "No, I just need to...replenish myself and get some sleep." She cringed when she realized what that meant and it was all her fault that he was living like that. "It's not your fault. It's the bastard that killed you. Don't ever blame yourself for what I am." He said it with more menace than he meant and sighed when he caught a glimpse of Serena's slightly shaking form. He pulled her into his embrace again, to try and sooth away her fears. "I'm sorry, but it angers me to think that you would blame yourself. It's not your fault. Ok?" She nodded jerkily. "It's just hard putting everything together, you know?" "Completely." He kissed her hair. "Now get some sleep." "Do you mind if I just sleep in here? I don't think I can make it up to my bed." She was already making herself comfortable. Darien nodded and smiled softly, as he was beginning to do more often. "Of course. Good night." "Will you...be back?" He turned around with an amused look on his face. "Do you want me to come back?" A blush flushed her face. "I think I do." "Then I will return." He nodded and strode out of the room. Serena laid down on the chaise and within seconds was fast asleep. ---- Sern'riya woke up with a huge grin on her face the next morning. She looked around at the splendour of her room and still couldn't believe that her life had taken such turn for the better. Wanting to scream for joy, she leapt out of bed to go find Dal'rien. The same woman from the day before was walking in at the exact moment that she made it to the door. "And where do you think you're going in such a hurry?" It startled Sern'riya for a second to be able to understand her, but she quickly regained her bearings. "I wanted to go see Dal'rien." "You should think about cleaning yourself up before doing that." She spun her around and marched her to the bathroom. "Clean? But I just had a bath last night!" "Yes, and you need to have another one now." Sern'riya just eyed the other woman. Another bath so soon? "Just get in that bath." She sighed when the blonde girl didn't budge. "It is customary here to bathe twice a day. Once in the morning and again in the evening." She looked at her from the corner of her eye. "I suppose if I am to live here, I should learn the customs." The woman smiled then and offered her hand. "I am Ra'ine. His highness has requested that I teach you everything you need to know about life here and your new position." "Position?" she looked up, puzzled. The thought of having to work hadn't crossed her mind. Ra'ine laughed. "Yes. You are now one of his highness' harem girls." "H-harem?" her heart sank. It looked as though Dal'rien wasn't as kind as she thought. She barely heard the one sided conversation. Ra'ine was chattering away probably telling her what she was supposed to do, and all she could think of was that Dal'rien was just like the rest of them. Tears had filled her eyes by the time she was dressed and made up. She had simply traded one life of servitude for another. Suddenly the delight that had her heart singing was gone as she shuffled along behind Ra'ine as she took her to her new master. She saw the curious glances of the people wandering around the palace as she past. The urge to shout at them to mind their own business was almost overwhelming but she bit her tongue. This was her home now. There was no point in making enemies right from the start. Instead, she looked straight ahead and kept walking. Her resolve to not be walked all over, getting stronger with each step. There was no way she was going to let herself become a victim again. Dal'rien was waiting for them when they arrived at the throne room. Ra'ine curtsied while Sern'riya stood stiffly at her side. His attention was completely on her, however. "Ra'ine, thank you." She knew a dismissal when she heard one. Ra'ine curtsied again and swiftly walked out of the room. "Sern'riya? What's wrong?" She shook her head. "Then why won't you speak to me?" She looked up at him with teary eyes, "Am I really to be part of your harem?" He smiled slightly. "Yes." "I see." "So you think I'm as much a monster as your father." "Aren't you?" "I would never take advantage of my position. Or force anyone to do anything they didn't want to." She scrutinized him. "So what's all this about me being in your harem then?" "Well let's see. You are a stranger to the city. Your father tried to rob me. And from what everyone can see, he left you here high and dry in the hands of people you don't know and can't communicate with. I can't leave you out with the public because they will be wary of you, thanks to your father, but I can't have you hanging around the palace doing nothing. So it was either place you in the harem or make you a servant. I thought you might like this better." He had a point. "What do I have to do?" "Nothing." "Nothing?" "That's right. Nothing." "But you just said I couldn't hang around doing nothing." "It will appear that you are doing something, when you are really doing nothing. No one disturbs the women in my harem. You do as you please until you are summoned." "Like chattel." He sighed heavily. "Atlantian rulers are required by tradition to have a harem. Whether or not he chooses to make used of it is up to him." Jealously flared in her stomach even though she knew she had no right. "Do you ever make use of them?" "Never." He looked her straight in the eyes. "I would never use woman like that." "Oh, so you prefer the company of men." She fought to keep a straight face when he spluttered. Dal'rien stared at the girl and couldn't believe her insolence. Then he noticed the barely concealed smile growing on her face and realized, to his amazement, that he was being teased. He couldn't believe it. Here she was in a place she didn't understand with people she didn't know and she was teasing the one person who held her fate! Her spirit was amazing. His lips twisted wryly. "You dare to tease me?" She grinned back. "Yes I do." "I think having you around is going to be great fun."