The Dark Prince
Is that what her father had in mind? Marriage. Hashna scoffed.
"I'm not going to marry you," She said as she looked unflinchingly in his eyes.
Despite herself, her heart skipped a beat as he smiled warmly at her. She tried to swallow her annoyance as she felt heat climb up her cheeks.
"Is that so?" He asked, his voice a deep vibrato that Hashna could feel in her chest simply by being close.
"I do not need such a distraction," she said as she looked down at Dana, the small doe under her hands. Her nerves were too aware of the large demon in front of her.
"And if it brings peace?" He asked, ducking his head to meet her eyes.
She hated how warm and kind his eyes were as they looked into her own. She swallowed, searching for words.
"And what guarantee is there that peace will result from any such agreement?" She challenged.
"None," he said softly, "We only have one guarantee for sure."
She looked at him with consideration, waiting.
"If we do nothing… war will be inevitable. I'd like to change that outcome if I can help it," he finished.
Hashna looked at Elathan trying to figure him out.
"You're not like the Fomoire I've met before," she said, thinking aloud.
"So you've met many of my kind?" He asked, his eyes widening.
"Well not many, but enough," she said looking away again.
"Enough for what?" He challenged.
"To know that you're different somehow…" she said looking at him.
Elathan laughed. It was a warm, golden sound that made joy unintentionally spark in the pit of Hashna's stomach as his face lit up.
"You're not wrong," he said with a shrug, "My father often admonishes me for being too soft. He says my heart is my greatest weakness."
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As he said this, he looked down at the small doe and reached out a slow hand, slipping a finger behind the little animal's ear, scratching with great tenderness. Hashna noted the little deer's contentment as she closed her eyes and leaned into the soft caress. Different indeed.
"A kind heart isn't a weakness in my mind. I think it takes much more strength to endure with kindness than to be vengeful and cruel," Hashna said in a distracted tone as she watched his lean fingers loving caress Dana.
After a moment, the soft golden light that had been emitted from Hashna's hands slowly died away. She pulled her hand away from Dana's wound which though it would be tender for a while yet had closed up and the bleeding had quelled. She caressed Dana's face as the small deer lifted a soft black nose and nuzzled Hashna's face affectionately.
"So if you're supposed to be meeting with my father, what are you doing walking around the woods instead?" Hashna asked, watching his face for his reaction.
He smiled sheepishly at her, "Well, in all fairness he isn't expecting me until tomorrow. But the woods here were too tempting not to take a walk through them." He lifted his face to the sky and closed his eyes inhaling deeply, "The air here is so clear and even with winter creeping in, and life so abundant here…" He looked at her, his smile deepening as he noted her blush anew.
"Does the Dark Realm not have woods like this?" Hashna asked.
Elathan's response was to laugh bitterly, "No," he said simply.
Hashna looked at him without saying anything. Elathan could feel that she was waiting for him to expand, in response he sighed.
"The Dark Realm isn't so named because it's teeming with life and sunshine. It's dark and rank. Nothing grows there but the blinding darkness," he said gruffly.
"That must be hard…" she murmured, "My people say you were born of the sun."
"Indeed. That's why even if you don't agree to the marriage, I am glad I was able to experience something so alive," He said. She felt like he wasn't just talking about the forest anymore. Even as the blush spread across her face she didn't try to banish it this time as the smile he gave her in response turned his dark features back to light and lively again.
"I still am not going to marry you," she said, though her tone was less convicted this time.
"We'll see," he said with a confident smile.