Best of Both Worlds
By: xunsavvymuffinx
Raz has always been a strong man. A bit selfish, yes, and maybe also a bit disliked, but he has always been strong. Stronger than Aram, whose skills are honed less to none, stronger than Jeile, whose emotional turmoil hinders him from his true potential. Raz has always been better than them; he has the most potential, the most emotional stability, the most dignity. Yet, such power was robbed from him, power he desired from the depths of his heart.
That woman, so long ago, deprived him of the throne to Astale. Her heir, now lives within the walls of the castle, the captor of little Aram's heart.
Hoshina Airi, her name is, a normal high school student thrust into his world by a spell cast upon Aram. It's heartrending, truly, their tale of love, happiness, and defeat of the evil and wicked, him. He despises the girl, the girl that is supposedly courageous, as she so says. But Airi is not strong; she hides behind fake bravery protected by Aram, by Jeile, by himself. Airi is selfish, much more than even Raz, she is frail and weak.
In the back of his mind, Raz wonders if he would be able to take the throne if he married her, the descendents of the couple supposedly married to inherit the throne. Raz could have been king, even now, if he could take on the opposition, if he could take on her instead of Aram…
He beats these thoughts away, knowing quite well that he hates her, he hates her. She is not his to keep, she is a mere toy flung helplessly between the battling families for the throne.
He thinks of her constantly, she haunts his memories, his dreams. How would his life have changed if she never existed? How would Aram's life have changed if Raz had successfully ended her life? How would he deal if he knew he killed her?
She smells not of mountain lilies or of flowers in general. Jeile is a hapless romantic, idealizing women as the beauty of the garden, venomously denying any faults in women. He is unrealistic, as his ideal of Airi is held almost as highly as Aram's view. Aram sees no fault in the woman, faults Raz can pick out in a moment. No, Airi smells of wind and water, the source of perseverance. She does not deserve to smell so highly and allure everyone in her spell.
Airi is selfish, selfish enough to betray her beloved Aram. She wants it all; she wants Aram, Jeile, even Raz. She wants them all to love her, so if one falls, she still can have two more. Even if she loves Aram the most, he is still 5 years younger and cannot fulfill her lust. Jeile is too troublesome, he meddles and he tells of his meddling, he is too devoted to his brother to attempt anything so real and lustful. Jeile imagines her as a beautiful maiden, a virgin of pure taste, he cannot see the demons she hides.
So she seeks him when her lust is too great, she comes to him when Aram cannot satisfy.
"I hate you," she breathes, fingers threaded tightly in his hair, forming knots. She clutches tightly, panting. Her heart races, he can feel it against his skin. His hands hang loosely around her, her slim figure pressed tightly against him. Their lips are a hairsbreadth away; he can taste her sweetness already. He sits on a chair, it tips and his head rests on the wall behind them. Her hair tangles in his fingers and he tugs lightly.
"I return the sentiment," he replies smoothly. He leans in and captures her lips playfully.
Airi steals the best of both worlds, using him to satisfy her lust, using Aram to protect her and to satisfy her love. In the back of his mind, Raz wants to be all three, but he can't bring himself to do so. She is not his to begin with. She will never be his, so Raz smirks as both of his hands press on her back to bring her closer to him.
Raz will take in the rest of these moments, when Airi is blinded by lust, and steal her away.
Notes: I absolutely adore Raz with a burning passion. Of course, he is a villain, but he is so fun to play with, so therefore, I wrote this semi-dark fic for him. Comments are desired?