End of Darkness

I woke as I did every other day as the sounds of the cragcrow chirped its calming tune throughout the town. Kneeling to the edge of my bed I stepped to the window and took a minute to just look out at the city. My father had once told me that each day is another day that you have been given the chance to fix some wrong. He told me that the only way you ever truly understood the world was too look out and spend a moment just absorbing it in as much as you possibly could. I mustn't have been there more then a few minutes when I felt her hand on my shoulder and sadly it was only then that I remembered Leven had spent the night.

"Do you really have to spend so much time staring at this damn window." She rested her head on my shoulder and the way she said it made it clear to me that it wasn't a jab and she understood. She was one of the few who were able to speak honestly with me, as the rest either feined truth, or just outright told lies. The life of a prince was something that you could never take for granted as I got luxeries I knew most of the people could only dream of...but on the other hand there was a genuine loneliness to being royalty. Only a select few told you anything other then how brilliant you were, and even they could only be trusted to tell the truth to a certain extent. It was for that reason that Leven, Jasper, Dylan, and Emmett were so important to me.

"Does it bother you Levia?" I turned myself around and captured her in a brief kiss that the moment after I did I felt bad. I was supposed to be better then this. Kissing Levia was kissing the lips of someone that truly loved me, and I knew I could never give her that kind of love. It wasn't that I didn't think she was pretty or desireable. I had spent the last few days with her in my bed, and I thourally enjoyed every minute of it but...something was just missing from it. I loved her the way a brother loves a sister, which sounds terrible since I sleep with her so much, but I just never want to see her sad. So I give her what I can of myself and keep the guilt I feel deep in myself.

"It doesn't matter to me how you need to spend your mornings." She smiled and returned to the bed sitting in her robe she stared at me more seriously. "'I heard your brother gets let out today."

I hadn't thought of my brother in months. Every time I thought of him this dull headache rose in my head, and I felt a truly dangerous amount of rage. It all was still hazy, but the parts people tell me were that he attacked Amber during the night, and me and him would get into a duel down at Golden Gate. From the fact that he had been in with the nurses for months I had hurt him quite badly, but for the life of me I couldn't remember a thing. It was just a haze. "I'd rather not think on him today if that's alright." It came out harsher then I wanted it too, and I immediately moved towards her and caressed her cheek to tell her I was sorry. Her movement into my hand told me I was forgiven.

We spent the rest of the morning just laying there, and it wasn't until Draco Highmore knocked twice on the door, before departing with his routine "Good morning my prince, may I get you anything". I thanked him and told him I was fine, and the moment after I did he nodded kindly at Leven who hid her naked form under the blankets before he excused himself. Draco had served as my personal guard for years, and over that time he had come to learn the intricacies of knocking. One knock meant it was official business and I had better hurry up. Two meant friends were coming up, and I had five minutes to get dressed before they were up here. He told me that there used to be more knocks but like so many other things around here we had forgotten their purpose. It was barely five minutes later that Emmett came barging through the door, and like everything else he did the gentle bear hopped himself onto the bed barely missing Leven who punched him in the arm in jest. By this point in our friendship Jasper and Dylan had come to realize that there was usually going to be someone in bed with me, but Emmett had the caution of the bears that he was often nicknamed.

"You beat Dylan up here? You never beat him." I had gotten myself off the bed and took to sitting in a chair in the corner of the room that was all together to small for me, but for some reason made me feel closer to whatever it was that I felt seperated from.

"Well today he happened to be unaware of a certain tripping hazard that I may or may not have placed on his beloved shortcut." Me and Leven both laughed as just as he finished saying that Dylan walked in with the residue of what must have been some sort of pie on his face.

"Did you honestly want to beat me here so badly that you were willing to spend all your money to get Will's uncle to plant that damn pie." Jasper entered next laughing as well, but somehow still remaining the calm and centered member of the group through the pie and everything else.

"How do you know I had Christoper do it. I could have climbed the walls and done it myself." I imagined Emmett's massive form trying to climb the Cloud Tower and I joined in the laughter that filled the room.

"I don't even think it would be possible for you to scale the dozen floors to get in through a window. Plus you know even you wouldn't have survived the arrows they shot at you trying to climb it."

"So I cheated. Why don't you get your banking friends to send me the bill."

"They don't send that kind of bill to your sort." With that Emmett grabbed him in a joking way around the neck and the two came to fight as they so often did.

As I listened to my three best friends in the world joke around, and Leven sit on my lap as she also watched on I couldn't help but see how different the group was. We had called ourselves the Shadow Council before Edward had left. Looking at us now I realized that I hadn't thought on Edward for some time. When he was here he was my best friend. Above Leven. Above Jasper. He was my closest friend, and when he left there was just this hole that opened up in the group. It wasn't until Dylan worked his way inside that I started to feel things normalize. Looking at Dylan an Emmett I laughed at watching them wrestle. Dylan the heir to the powerful House Steinmare. Emmett McCarty the honorable son of a poor noble family. These boys just wrestling like there was nothing in the world that could trouble us. Leven moved in my arms and her sweet down to earth smile took you away from the fact that this beautiful girl was the daughter of the Martells patriarch one of my families most trusted banner men to the west. The final member of our little group leaned against the wall a small smile across his face watching as Dylan tapped the ground giving up to the much stronger Emmett. Jasper the rich son of an even richer family of bankers. You wouldn't know it from the quiet way he handled himself but he was the richest out of the group. Richest of course outside of me I suppose.

Where did I fit into the mixture. I was the prince of the Kingdom of the Valley. The Martells, the Hales, the Cullens, and the McCarty's were all something in there own right, but whatever they were was nothing compared to my family.

My family had ruled the Valley since my great grandfather and namesake William Lovie had taken the fight into the mountains and destroyed the Goblins. It's said he controlled dragons back then which allowed him to conquer all within the valley in only a few years. They said so destructive to the Goblins was he that the Dwarves of Lucerne built this very city to reward us for our actions.

For three generations we had ruled over this land, but sitting here I would almost have traded it all to just be able to go off somewhere and be at peace. Emmett, and Jasper stopped fighting at the sound of talking at the door, and I turned myself to see who was here. The door opened and in came my cousins Emma Bell, and Marcel. Emma was becoming quite the beauty and I had heard even now from her father that he was fielding many offers for her hand, but my father had rejected them all despite technically not having the right too. "What brings my cousins to my room at such an early hour of the day?" Marcel was besides my failure of a brother the only other male of my generation and for that I had always kept him close to myself. I had first grown close to him following a series of conversations with Jacob Vorn one of my grandfathers advisors who told me I needed to be constantly thinking of the relationships around me. 

"My mother is sick, and I couldn't watch my father pace anymore."

"What about you Marcel?" When Edward spoke it I took a look around the room and felt this feeling of dread spread overmyself, and knew in that moment I needed to get out of this room.

"Actually Emmett, Marcel is here to join me in visiting Lord Faraday." He gave me a look of confusion clearly not knowing anything about my quick lie, but when he looked at my face he must of understood what I was doing.

"I had hoped you hadn't forgot Will." Following quickly with my lie I stood up grabbing my sword belt from beside the bed before planting a kiss on Levens waiting lips and walking to the door.

"How could I forget the Faraday's." Turning around I could see others wanted to join, and I just needed to get away for a bit. Just needed a little space to think. "I am sorry you all cannot come with us, but my father personally requested that just the two of us go." It was sad that all it took was to add my father to a silly request and suddenly the foolishness of the request was just understood to be driven by a silent understanding that my father was lost in madness.

Leven would move towards me going to kiss me but, I was just so overcome with this feeling of taking advantage of her that I simply moved my head to the left kissing her on the cheek. If she noticed she didn't say anything and without another word Marcel followed me as I left the room making my way towards the stairs "Prince William does your father truly know where you will be going today?"

"Draco, what my father knows is of little concern to me at this moment."

"I understand my prince." Draco had never been anything but understanding. He was the man who should have been my father. He would never have been capable of what I knew my father was.

"As I understand you must tell him that I left today."

"Yes my prince."

Draco was everything to this family, but above all else he was loyal. Loyality to a fault sometimes, but you never for a moment had to doubt what decision he would make. He would always follow the letter of the laws, and if that was in question he would follow the decision that was best for my family and House Lovie.

"Where will you go Will?" There was a caring behind the words, and despite knowing it would only lead to my father recalling me back I felt the desire to not lie to him.

"To be honest I think I'll just put on my cloak and hide out at the lake."

"It still reminds you of her?" I looked down at the mention of her. The girl in my dreams haunted me day and night, but I knew who he wanted, who he believed I was missing. He alongside everyone else thought I was missing Amber Heard, and the truth was that I did miss her. I missed being with her but that was different longing then what I felt for the shadow girl from my dreams.

"I think the lake will always remind me of Amber."

"You know you could write to her."

"If she had wanted me to write to her she would not have left me while I was in a coma."

"I know that she loved you Will."

"I believe you. Perhaps one day I will find out the reason, but as the days move forward it grows closer to a day when my father will present me with the name of the girl he has finally chosen to marry me too."

"Perhaps it shall be Amber."

"My father would never let that happen."

"Be safe my prince."

"I always am." I slapped him on the shoulder and moved towards the lift where Marcel waited patiently talking with Maester Boestel laughing about something. Marcel was outside of my brother the only male of our generation, and unlike my brother he was an honest person. His father had went to war with my father when the Bretonians had been overrun by the greenskin and it was believed for a long time that he had died in the fighting, but like everything else in my family that had turned out to be a lie. Marcel's father and namesake had aparently survived the Battle of Lyons that had devestated the Lucernian forces and ended the human control of France, and instead of trying to find his way back home he stayed with the Bretonians in England. He was married now with a new child. Another failure in our family.

Stepping onto the lift Draco shut the door behind me and Marcel and I felt the lift begin to lower us towards the bottom of the tower. Marcel was reading a book that Maester Boestel had given to him, and I knew he loved reading so I left him to his reading. The lowering of the lift gave me a moment to think, and as always happened when my mind had free time I thought back to the girl. After my coma it had first been nothing more then just dreams at night. A small reacurring dream I would have that felt more like memories, but easy enough to pass off as a reprecution of my coma. 

As we reached the bottom of the tower the lift door opened and the guards bowed to us and grabbing Marcel by the shoulder I pulled him along. I wanted to be alone but it felt selfish to use Marcel and not atleast bring him with me so he was coming with me to the pools where I could just lay and think. Walking down the marbled pathway of the estate I could never escape the understanding of how severely overwhelming my families wealth was as it took us leaving three gates before we were truly out of the House Lovie estates. Marcel still reading his book following a few steps behind me

I walked down the steps watching the girl laughing as she skipped beside me holding my hand. I watched her laugh and felt at peace for the moment. Who was this girl that haunted my dreams I wondered. Always the same blurred face, but the voice remained as resolute as if I heard it everyday. As we kept walking holding hands I felt her stop and looked towards her seeing she had an angry look, and when I looked forward and saw Britney Hemsworth coming towards us I understood. 

Britney was for all intensive purposes my girlfriend at the time, and despite continuing to sleep with Leven, and whoever else I felt like she was the one that I was coupled with. My father loved everything about her, and that fact was never kept far from my ear when I was near him, and maybe that made me like her less. I mean there was no reason to have a problem with her, and the love making with her was beyond anything I had with anyone outside of Leven....It was just something missing.

``My prince, and princess, what brings you to this part of town.`` As I looked around I hadn`t noticed we had gone so far, and I knew we were getting close to dangerous areas of the town. The unfortunate nature of Lucerne was that the northern section was called Lucerne Hold, and in this part of town the nobles and the rich were dominant. But in the southern section. In the southern section the slums had sprung up like insects. My father told me that it was the work of criminals, and that only the glory of House Lovie kept the slums even fed. I didn`t believe him for one second, but who was I to say anything when I had the ability to protect them and I did nothing. Walking into Lucerne proper wasn`t something that Draco liked us to do, but after I resisted him more then once he simply brought along more men when we entered the lower part of the city. I mean not that we were in any actual danger with Ser Draco Highmore guarding us, but it was reckless to put ourselves in this type of situation.

``I could ask you the same milady. You do not have a mighty knight guarding you as we do.`` She chuckled after I said it and the girl beside me holding my army tightly let out a sigh as if disgusted by her.

``I suppose your right on that case.`` As I went to speak the girl clasping my arm spoke up. 

``In the end we were just leaving weren`t we Will.`` I knew this girl for some reason and knowing her the way my mind did I knew her calling me Will was a reminder that I was hers, and not Britney`s. Britney though looked so sad when the girl called me Will that I ignored her. Her voice was like a beacon in the worst storm you could imagine, and yet I had no idea why.

``Yes we were.``Britney`s sadness seemed to multiply until I finished. ``Would you care to join us Milady.`` Upon me saying it her eyes immediately lighted up she nearly jumped beside me taking my arm in hers. The three of us walked back towards the Cloud Towers and just talked. The conversation was fluid between me and Britney but this girl I knew so well refused to even feign kindness towards Britney. Britney told us of her home in Arnor, and the family she had left behind, and I felt a connection for a moment to this girl that I only felt for the girl on my other side. Arriving where she was staying in the Lucernian Academy grounds I took her hand in mine and kissed her goodbye. 

It was a surprisingly tender thing to do when I knew I was luring her into a relationship I could never reciprocate into. But despite knowing that I couldn`t shake her beauty. As I pulled back and took in the ear to ear smile that crossed her face I knocked a pendent that held her hair in place to the ground. Moving quickly to pick it up I felt terribly as she ruined the front of her dress kneeling down in her desperation. ``I`m so sorry Britney.`` She reached out to the sound of my voice and caught my hand squeezing it tightly. When she raised her face she had tears on her face, and I felt even the girl I knew so well behind me move closer to try and comfort this broken girl in front of us. She wiped the tears from her face, before speaking and I felt the girl squeeze onto my back as well as if pulling me away from Britney.

``My mother made me this broach. She made it for me...and now...now its all I have left of Arnor.``

``You shall return home one day Britney.`` I held her cheek up and stared at her. ``I have no doubt that before you meet Glaurung you shall see your home again.`` I knew she didn`t believe in the dragon, but in this land I knew there was no choice but to accept its words or be a leper. It was such a strange thing the way people became angered by the rejection of a god that they had never seen. 

``Its not seeing my home again that worries me William.``

``Then what has you frightened.`` Britney was a Numenorian, or people of Atlantis as they were known amongst the commoners. In all ways that one could see she looked like everyone else, but her bloodline meant she was near immortal in age. It was so strange to see her here looking so afraid.

``You know little of my people. I understand that we must seem almost non-human in our ways, but despite what people say we can...we can die to many things. Many among us are cursed with a disease that ages us, and eventually kills us.`` The broach coming from her mother made me realize of whom she was afraid for.

``Your mother suffers from this.``

``She does...`` I pulled her into a hug and I felt the girl behind me recoil as if struck by fire. Britney rested herself in my chest and her breathing seemed to calm down somewhat.

``I`m sorry Britney. I`m sure she knows how much you love her.``

``You know when I say it, I can barely believe it to be true but...but when you say it I almost believe it.``

I felt the girl behind me pull on the shirt beneath my armor and I turned around to look at her. Her face remained the same cloudy image as always but she finally spoke out to me in a voice that sounded more like an angel then the cloudy human before me. "Will I'm going to go inside." Before I could anwser Britney spoke.

"You don't have to go inside princess. I will go home now." Britney went to walk away and I felt torn between two people one of which I couldn't even see.

"No." She almost shouted it out. "I'm going inside. Will, please walk lady Hemsworth home." Without another word she turned and took the arm of Ser Pontus Lucerne who led her inside. 

There was several moments of silence as I watched the girl walk inside and the guards close the door behind her before several came out clearly preparing to follow me and make sure I survived taking Britney home.

You know I never wanted my feelings for you to cause problems with her. I just....

"Britney I could never blame you for any of the things happening between myself and..." I could feel the words coming from my mouth but I could hear nothing. My brain couldn't feel the words. The memory was broken, and it was in this moment that I realize that I am asleep. There is no changing this. It's already happened. Just living the memory hurt me, but it would be worse to have no memory at all. It was time to play things out.

"She is your everything. What chance do you and I have if she continues to hate me?"

"She's just not used to the idea of me getting married." I wiped a tear from her cheek and she looked up at me. She gave me the same look I saw in levia's eyes. Hope. She had the same desire to marry that Levia did. I would fail both of them.

"Should she get used to it?" I could have told her the truth. I could have let her know that I didn't want to marry her. I could have told her it was time to go home. Time to see her mother again. I could have done a lot of things, but staring down at the open skin of her neck all my mind could imagine was the feel of her body beneath mine.

"William? I felt the arm wake me up from the dream, and the frustration I felt over being constantly so close to finding out who the girl was made me want to lash out at whoever had woken me. Opening my eyes I saw that it was Blake. Blake Cullen was the twin sister of Edward and after Edward had left I had shamefully taken her as a lover. I discovered later that Japser had also taken her as a lover, but there relationship had become more painful then mine and it was now something I didn't bring up to Jasper.

Looking at her though it wasn't difficult to know why she had become the source of so much attention. Blake was famous at the academy for her beauty and while Edward was here the attention had been non existent the moment he left there was no stopping it. Her blonde hair blew in the wind as I pulled myself up from the blanket I had fallen asleep on, and she gave me a smile before handing me a letter.

"What is this?" She didn't say a word just smiled. I opened the letter and read the contents. Dear father. I am writing you from Westbridge as I have left Hogwarts. I have not left in failure so do not worry about that. Hogwarts is gripped by the drums of war, and I have been asked to leave to protect me from what is obviously a coming civil war in their ranks. I have learned all that I can from Hogwarts, and it is time for me to come home. In three days I will be boarding a boat taking me south and I look forward to seeing everyone once I am home. "Is he really coming home."

"I can't believe it either Will." I felt so much as I realized that Edward was coming home. I wondered how different he was. I wondered how different he would think I was. "Keep reading Will." She laughed as she said it, and looking up at her I just playfully gave her a push to the shoulder which made her laugh more. Going back to the letter I saw my hands shaking as I continued reading. I will be taking Hilary back home, but once I have taken her to Brill I'm coming home. I wonder if you could do me the favor of letting my friends know that I am returning. As you know I never found many friends while I was there and seeing Will, and Levia again has been something I have dreamed about for many nights. Please don't let Blake see this letter as I know she will just pass this on so in that regard I'm trusting you to keep this safe. I don't need them knowing I come back friendless.

"He didn't make friends there."

"Apparently he spent all his time with Hilary and someone named Harry Potter. Father says he was too engrossed in his training to make friends, but I think he was lost without you guys."

"In his letters to me he seemed to be having such a good time." Edward and I had wrote to each other once every few weeks at the start of his time in Hogwarts, and while that had gone way down as the years of him being gone pushed on I still thought I knew what was happening with him. To think that he had been keeping all of this to himself made me feel bad for him. He should have known he could come to me, but in truth look at me now. I shouldn't be the least bit surprised that I've disappointed another person.

"He told us what we wanted to hear."

"I suppose he did."

"Want to go upstairs and read the rest of the letter?" I was done the letter. She knew it and the look in her eyes told me exactly what she wanted from me.

"I hate to read alone." I took her by the hand and led her into the tower where I was met by a larger then usual troop of men inside. They were yelling at eachhother but at my arrival they all either disbursed returning to their spots or knelt down. Looking at them I didn't recognize several so on top of the yelling I was wondering what the hell was going on here. Giving a look to Ser Podrik he came immediately over. "Please take Lady Cullen upstairs." Looking to Blake. "I'll be right up Blake. I just want to find out whats going on." She nodded and followed Podrik into the lift, and I walked towards the gathered men followed behind me by Ser Erik, and Gilbert Fouline.

Going straight towards the man who I had seen yelling when I had entered he kneeled before me. "Rise Ser" He rose at my words and I looked at this man probably forty something years old. He had a scar across his neck, and despite clearly realizing who I was I could see the slight tint of anger in his eyes despite him attempting to hide it. "Tell me what was happening here."

"My Prince it was simply a petty argument among guards. I apologize for dishonoring myself." He bent down once again bowing his head before me. Looking to the man he was arguing with I noticed it was Ser Gontiv of Schwartz of whom was a knight under the service of Kieth Schwartz my god father of sorts.

"I am your prince Ser...?"

"Ser Trenlik of Oakheart my prince."

"Of Oakheart?"

"I am a sworn knight to Lord Karlis Oakheart of Tree Hill."

"You have come from the destroyed city of Tree Hill."

"Destroyed city my prince?"

"Yes the city..." At my words Ser Erik stepped in.

"My prince do not press this issue any further. I beg of you to stop." Ser Erik was a loyal man. He had been a constant in my life for years, and in all those years I had never seen the look in his eyes before. I prided myself in reading people, but this look was so foreign to me. A mixture of fear, pleading, and sadness.

"Push what Erik?" Before Erik could continue Trenlik was on his feet and he moved to quick causing several of the house guard to grab him restraining him. "Let the man go." None of them seemed inclined to listen and the look of fear had now spread to almost all of them. "I said let him go!" I don't know the last time I had yelled at them, but it was enough to get them to let Trenlik go. "Tell me Ser the truth of why you are here."

"I am here to gain audience with the king so that I may gain assistance for Tree Hill."

"In the rebuild?" Everyone knew that Tree Hill had been destroyed by the green monsters from France known as the Orcs and following the Orcs destroying the city my father had led a large army to Tree Hill and destroyed them completely.

"My prince there is no rebuild. The city is not destroyed. It remains under siege. It never fell." My father had relieved the city. He had told me those exact words. I had been told that exact thing by so many people. I had been taught it at the academy.

"What do you mean it never fell."

"My prince. What have you been told?" Before I could respond I heard the lift door slam open and turning to look I saw Kieth Schwartz step through. I could read his look. He was angry. Angrier then I had ever seen him.

"Ser Trenlik it is time for you to be silent." Kieth raised his staff and I watched as Trenlik grabbed his throat falling to his knees. Going down to help him he opened his mouth and I could tell he was trying to speak, but whatever Kieth had done had made that impossible.

"Kieth what did you do?"

"He is under arrest. I have silenced the prisoner while he awaits his case being heard by a judge."

"Reverse your Magi Kieth."

"I cannot my prince."

"By my command I order you to reverse it!"

"I arrest him on the orders of the king. You may speak to your father tomorrow and I am positive that he will enlighten you to the crimes of this...of this man. Now while I deal with this Ser Gilbert please escort the prince upstairs."

"I'm not leaving."

"As your guardian, I do have to insist. Ser Gilbert."

"Everything was alright Will?"