41 ELEANOR SWEENEY: SWEENEY
41 ELEANOR SWEENEY: SWEENEY
ELEANOR SWEENEY: SWEENEY
Prince Darlon
Night fell over the palace, but the tranquility it promised seemed like a distant dream. The main hall was full of whispers and laughter, all directed at the new guest: Eleanor Sweeney, my distant cousin. Tall, imposing, and with a smile that seemed to contain secrets, she had arrived with the air of someone who already owned everything, even what wasn't hers yet.
I watched her from afar, sitting in an ornate armchair near the fireplace. My father, always calculating, radiated satisfaction as he introduced Eleanor to some advisors and nobles. She was accurately what he had hoped for: a symbol of the union between two powerful magical and dark lineages. A tool for his expansion, a means of conquering territories without a rebellion.
But for me, she was just another piece on Fondark Sweeney's board. And I, the other piece that he moved as he pleased.
"Cousin!" Eleanor's voice was sweet, but there was a cold determination in it. She walked over to me, holding a glass of wine in one hand and a smile on her red lips. "It's a pleasure to finally meet you. I've always heard so many stories about your beauty and audacity. Look, the reality is much better."
"Stories tend to be exaggerated." I replied, with a drier tone than expected. "I hope you haven't traveled so far just to hear more of them."
She laughed, a controlled, almost rehearsed sound.
"Oh, I came for much more than that. Dad always said you were an interesting man. And I like interesting things."
"Is that so?" I raised an eyebrow. "I hope my father's lands are as interesting as I am, then."
Her smile faltered for a moment, but soon recovered. "You underestimate your charm, cousin."
Before I could reply, I felt my father's presence beside me. He laid a heavy hand on my shoulder, a gesture that was both affectionate and warning.
"Eleanor, please give me a moment with my son," he said. She bowed her head in an elegant farewell and walked away, her graceful silhouette drawing the attention of everyone in the room.
"She's perfect!" my father declared as soon as we were alone. "Beautiful, intelligent, with a territory rich in resources and magic. You couldn't ask for a better ally."
"An ally or a wife?" I retorted without disguising the sarcasm.
"Both. And you know that's necessary." His voice sounded low and cutting.
"I thought we had other plans." I muttered.
"We do, but until the other plan reappears, we'll take care of this one. It's the weight of the crown, son." He said between breaths.
My hand closed into a fist, but I remained silent. He always knew how to use the right words to manipulate me, to remind me of the weight I was carrying. The responsibility of a kingdom, a people, or an entire dynasty.
Later, when the hall emptied and the palace sank into the silence of the night, I found myself wandering the corridors. My footsteps led me to the room that had once been hers. I entered and closed the door behind me. I could still smell her scent when I closed my eyes.
Meridian.
She occupied my thoughts more than she should have. Her presence was a painful and irresistible contrast to Eleanor's calculated perfection. While Eleanor was predictable, Meridian was a storm. Indomitable, dangerous, and, above all, real.
I left the room before my mind betrayed me, and straight ahead, in the corridor, I bumped into Eleanor.
"They say that room belonged to your protector." She murmured, leaning against the wall facing me, a sexy position for any man other than me.
"They say plenty of things." I put my hands in my pockets, being objective.
She walked towards me, the silk of her dress sliding against the stones of the path.
"Yes… They also say that you were a closed man until she arrived, that she turned your mind… You're a divided man, cousin. But soon you'll have to choose, and I hope you make a wise choice." He whispered.
"That tone sounds like a threat to me." I returned in a low tone of voice just like his.
"It's just advice." She smiled, but there was something about that smile. "We both have the responsibility of a kingdom on our backs." She sighed. He sighed. "Good night, Prince Sweeney."
Then she left silently the same way she came, blending into the shadows. I entered my room, feeling a crushing weight. In fact, I have been the same since Meridian came into my life. I didn't know my father planned to marry me, but I knew he planned to put an end to it before Meridian came back, if she came back.
He was right.
It could take years until my son grows up and we take the territory. Immortals don't care about time; they care about the reward.
But I missed her, the smile she gave me, not feeling empty. I learned not to like loneliness, but to like having her as my shadow. Ironically, she was the only shadow I wanted to have at that moment.
I had to marry Eleanor, even though I didn't want to. That was the weight of responsibility, the weight of having the kingdom of Umbra one day.
Would Meridian remember?
Would she remember everything and hate me?
Did she still love me? Did she miss our nights?
Had she become one of them?
There were so many questions… I don't know how I became such a dark man. I was a demon without her, and with her, I became a man. But she was gone, and I didn't know what to do with it.