A shroud of shadows engulfed the cabins and buildings of what was once known as the City of Light. The thick black tendrils worming their way closer and closer to the gilded golden walls of Castle Celeste were proof even the most beautiful places turned black during the infiltration of Lord Sephtis.

A whisper of movement caught my attention and I turned my gaze to see the form of Night, my forbidden lover. Icy fear replaced the glowing warmth I usually felt in his presence. My skin prickled with the deep energy surrounding him and I searched his red eyes for any form of emotion.

There were none.

"The darkness grows," he voiced, standing on the balcony's edge beside me as he watched the ever-shifting shadows.

I could do nothing but agree. For the past two hours I sat watching as the force of evil overtook what was left of the city. A city that was rightfully mine since I was the last living member of the royal family.

It seemed Lord Sephtis would stop at nothing until he had my head on a pike just like the rest of my family. Night's love for me kept me safe if only for a little bit longer. But time was running out. The growth of darkness told this.

"It'll reach the gates before morning," I pointed out softly, gripping the cool cobblestone of the balcony.

He nodded at my words but remained quiet, his ashen features aglow despite the dreary surroundings.

Silence reigned now, but my attention focused on Night. He came to help me find a way to defeat his father's grip of darkness on Luminous territory, and to ward off the impending doom, but I could feel the dark inside him threatening to overtake what little light was left in me.

Maybe I should convert, leave the light and conform to the dark.

Distain filled me at the thought and I bit my cheek, drawing blood. Mother would turn over in her grave if she knew I entertained such a suggestion.

But it was time to be real and painfully honest. As it stood, I didn't see an end to the needless suffering besides surrender. There was nothing left for me to hold onto on this side of the battle. No father or mother, no siblings, no city to rule. The only thing I had left was Night, and my affection for him was what started this damned war.

The love we held was the most damaging thing I had ever known. In its wake, cities were destroyed and lives were lost despite the ecstasy it surged through our beings. It was said to be evil, a despicable happening, but for it to be so wrong it felt too right for either of us to let go. So we remained tangled in it like a helpless month in a spider's intricate web.

"My father won't stop until there are no more Luminous," Night spoke, interrupting the endless mantra of my thoughts. The red of his irises deepened to an unnerving black as he faced me, showcasing his anger and pricking my skin with goosebumps. "I've pleaded for your life."

My breath caught deep in the recesses of my throat like a lodged piece of food at mealtime. "And?"

"He ignored my words, threatening to behead me if I dare ask again."

I hadn't expected any less from Septhis. It wasn't enough to ruin the world of the princess of light, no. He had to completely and utterly destroy it. Every last piece of it, even if it meant killing his own son.

A tiny flutter in my stomach seared my eyes with the sting of tears. Dropping my blurred gaze to the shimmering white gown adorning my body, I fought against the urge to touch where the movement came from. The life growing in my womb was too precious for me to speak of or even show, lest Septhis should come and personally carve it out.

Night's long fingers gripped my chin, tilting my face to look up into his eyes. "You are hiding something from me, Day."

I definitely was. The tears building in my eyes fell one by one like acid rain and there was nothing I could do to stop them, not that I could. I couldn't even bring myself to say anything to him, much less quell tears. Not now, not when I kept my secret for all these months.

"Tell me," he ordered, yet his tone was too soft for a real demand. The red in his eyes flared to a gentle shade of pale crimson and he brushed away my tears with his thumb. "Please."

The way his voice cracked tugged on my heart and I bit my lip harder, my chest heaving slightly with each breath. I knew no other way to tell him other than to show. Grabbing his hand, I slowly guided it down to my round belly hidden beneath the layered folds of my gown. The tiny kicks of the baby tapped against our palms and I swallowed hard in order to contain a sob.

I was afraid, terrified he would lash out in a rage over hiding this from him. If he did, I couldn't blame him. It was his right to know about our creation, yet I hid it out of fear Septhis would find out.

Night stared down at our hands silently, quickly taking the other from my face and placing it beside mine. My heart leapt as awe and excitement shone on his face like a sudden ray of light, and he kneeled down before me before laying his head against the back of his hand.

I ran my fingers through his thick black curls, cherishing their softness as we stood there in silence. The tears still fell but they changed, now glowing with a soft golden hue. No longer were they of sadness and fear, but of joy in the purest form.

Watching Night listen to the movements of our unborn filled my heart with an unprecedented warmth and, for the first time since the war started, I felt the tingle of light spreading through my body as it grew from a spark to a flame.

Each glowing tear falling from my cheeks sent ripples of light coursing over Night, illuminating every inch of him and everything around us as he planted soft kisses on both my stomach and our hands.

Despite the Septhis' darkness threatening to shred every bit of happiness in my life, the light remained. It was here, surrounding not just us, but also Castle Celeste in a shining heat that drove back the shadows swallowing up my city like a double-edged sword.

When Night stood to his feet, he wrapped his arms around me and held on tightly. A mix of safety, love, and hope swirled inside my chest and I pressed my face against his shoulder.

Here in the heart of the darkness, there still remained enough light to push away the dark, and I knew somehow good would prevail. Septhis could try as he might, but he wouldn't win. He couldn't take what wasn't his. Not as long as there was an ounce of light left in my body.

"I'll protect you. Even if I have to sacrifice myself," Night murmured against my neck, his hands gripping my body as if I would disappear into thin air at any moment.

His words held a sincerity so deep I'd be a fool if I didn't believe them. Thus far he was the one curbing his father's wrath and lust for my blood while I sat in the castle planning and worrying as the darkness swept in like an unexpected storm. Until now I hadn't known what to do besides wait, but standing here on the balcony with Night in my arms, I knew the answer.

Love was the strength I felt, and it was the very source of untapped energy and light situated deep inside my core. This positive emotion was more than just a feeling, it was a weapon. One that nothing could take from me, even if something happened to Night, for the product of our love lay growing and moving within the walls of my womb like a beacon of hope in a world shaken by Septhis' evil and death.

A sense of truth and clarity settled inside my bones and gripped me tighter than Night had moments before. It was in the very existence of this child Septhis would be defeated. Perfect love would cast out the darkness, and I knew none more perfect than the living proof of it wiggling around inside me. The very thing I spent so many months trying to defend, was destined to be my saving grace.

Let Septhis come and try his worst. Nothing could defeat me, not Septhis himself, not the Lady of Darkness, not even all of his armies. For where there was light, there was victory, even if the darkness seemed overwhelming.

~

Written February 17th, 2022 for the February Dark Tournament hosted by WattpadDarkFantasy.

Prompt 3: "I'll protect you. Even if I have to sacrifice myself."

Word count: 1,506