A.N. - sorry for the long wait, hopefully it's worth it.

Part 2 Royal Spire

We can see the Royal Spire now as we traverse the now treacherous halls of this long forgotten palace. The top is hidden behind dark clouds and even though some distance still needs to be covered, I notice the corruption, which is very close to swallowing this place hole. There is something inside me that makes me run faster, makes me want to tear Ahriman into shreds.

My father use to rule from here with my mother at his side. It was time and place when this land was filled with prosperity, ruled by two people who cared for this place and its well being more then their own. . . it is a time that I will always want to remember. Sadly, those memories are beginning to dwindle and new ones must be set into their place.

But, most important of all, this place is no longer under my father's control. Now the balance of power has shifted and the Concubine governs the Royal Spire. That witch of woman has taken my father's place and now that mother is no longer here he has fallen deeper into the darkness. I cannot blame him for this; he's done so much for me after all, despite what he has given up to do so.

"So, this is where you will rule from, eh princess?"

You and your damn carefree attitude will kill me one day. "This is my father's court, this is his land."

"Sure," you say, a grin quirking your lips upward. You look away from me, head tilted back to stare up into the spire. "We have to climb all the way up there, haven't we?"

I bite my tongue, keeping my retort from escaping from my lips. What do you think? "There were stairs here."

"Well there aren't now. We're going to have to do this the hard way." You step forward, arm outstretched preventing me from moving on. I look at you with a scowl and you don't hesitate to let me know what's on your mind. "I'll go first, but, hey, no staring at my ass. I felt you looking."

My composure slips for a second, and I catch myself before my jaw drops open. This time it is impossible to avoid teasing you. "I though you had lost your ass." I reply, a smirk coming to my lips as well.

"Donkey." Whatever, just admit you don't like losing and get this whole trivial matter over with. As you step forward, however, I find my eyes drifting to a certain part of your body. It's not bad, I must admit.

"I can feel you looking."

Caught. "Just climb the tower." And because of this, I smile. Yes, I like you a little bit too much for my own good.

It's quiet as we begin our climb, but it is not long before we can hear the Concubine. She taunts us, and I hope your thick skull can block out her words. Don't listen to her; don't fall for the illusion.

"Welcome to my court! Do you come seeking favors, or forgiveness, a blessing or something more? Listen, you can hear your time disappearing. I have an eternity, you a last few moments."

I try to shut out her voice, focus on what we had set out to accomplish but I find myself wandering. She is right, our time here is limited and if we fail now, the world will be doomed to be forever engulfed in the night. I did not come here to ask for favors, forgiveness, or anything of the sort. I already have a blessing – a helping hand – and as of right now I need nothing more.

The silence is overwhelming when we reach the top of the spire. We both know the Concubine must be here and that makes us even more tense. Our eyes dart from one place to the next searching for the Illusion.

"Where is she?"

"Close." I can hear her whisper and suddenly I am pulled down to my knees, corruption slithering its way around my body. Tighter and tighter it constricts me. It feels like my ribcage is collapsing, closing in on my heart. Out of instinct, I reach out for you and at that moment I see fear in your eyes.

"Elika!" You take hold of my hand and for a moment I can't take my eyes off you. Your hand is warm, I can tell, even though it is covered by a glove. Your blue eyes study me and I wonder briefly what it is your looking for. This moment, however, is come and gone in an instant and you turn away from me, drawing your sword from its sheath.

"Why would you want a princess when you could have a queen?"

I feel helpless, like some dependent child, like the princess you make me out to be. I'm not naïve. I've seen more tragedies then you could imagine, I've seen kingdoms fall in hours; people devoured by the darkness, children without mothers . . . but since when did this become about me? Perhaps it is this anger within me, to see everyone who is to blame for this wretched fate that has been brought down upon this world suffer like the world itself. I want them to know what it feels like . . . You will learn that I'm not so naïve, not so delicate.

Standing slowly, I stare at you for a moment, really stare. But I forget what to think about for the dance has started again. It's quick, a parry followed by counter strike and so on, but I'm not really following it. This is your expertise after all. I can slack for just a moment, I trust you to protect me in this short relapse of concentration. And just like this fleeting break in reality, I am awake and no longer dreaming.

"You are such a disappointment." She scolds you before disappearing back into the night.

"What is she my mother?"

"She's not coming back to this place." I say, shaking my head in exasperation.

I take tentative steps towards the fertile ground and I can already feel his influence. I nearly laugh at the irony; the darkness is strongest in the light. "I could give you so much more. What does Ormazd offer that I could not possibly replicate? Instead of dying for him, live for me." You're asking the wrong girl. Responsibility holds a very strong part in my soul; purpose is what moves me forward. It's not about my life, it's so much more then that.

"Princess against fake queen, the princess is the winner."

And then there's you, my one break in reality, the out of this world adventurer who has taken everything for granted, lived life to the fullest without any regrets and now I find myself thinking that I wouldn't mind living in your shoes for a while – living without a care in the world, traveling to far off places. This confuses me, however I do not question myself, I question you. "What is it that you want?"

"Huh?"

"She offered you your dreams." She offered you everything.

You shrug nonchalantly, "Sure, and how long would that have lasted? I just want to find my donkey and I want to go home." You turn to me, "What about you? What do you want?"

What do I want? "For things to be as they were." But as I say that I know I could never possibly return to that way of being now that I know of life with you.