In The Darkness 7

A

.D. 999. In the ancient Continent of Drakoonia, fear for the announced end of the world had taken control in every corner and the same had happened in the small Kingdom of Lombrady. King Lockhard died defending the borders of his realm from the neighboring Kingdom of Swabia and afterwards, taking his place was the pregnant Queen, according to the royal law.

Everyone in the realm was praying for the birth of a little girl who would become the next heir of the throne, but after three males, everyone was expecting little chance to have an heir, especially because the war against the Kingdom of Swabia was now taking her away from her husband. He was still leaving the castle to administrate the realm, preparing reinforcement for their army and anything else the soldiers were in need of to resist at the continuous attacks coming from Swabia.

So, when the notice of the pregnancy of the Queen had finally reached every corner of the realm, a faint hope lit the hearts of the entire citizens, pushing away the darkness that had surrounded their hearts and mind. But this little hope was close to disappearing in the last day of 999, when a little girl was born. The happiness of the Queen and of the Prime Minister suddenly disappeared when they discovered there was another baby, a twin brother, which born exactly a minute after the begin of the New Year! Their mind immediately ran to the old prophecy the royal family passes from a generation to another:

"There will be a day when two twins will born. They will bring the fall of the Kingdom, something no one can avoid: it will be the end of Lombrady"

Scared by the prophecy, the first thought of the Prime Minister was to kill the little boy but the Queen, who never had faith in the old prophecies, opposed that decision with all her strength, holding both the babies tight in her arms. Conscious of the fact that the Queen was not going to change her mind about the decision to end the boy's life, the Minister suggested to hide the birth of the twins from the eyes of the whole realm and let the Royal nanny take care of the boy in the secret chambers of the castle. It was the only option for the Royal family to avoid the possibility of fear and sufferance to overwhelm the whole kingdom.

Many years passed from that happy day and the twins grew without meeting each other. Princess Ophala, the girl, grew up in the castle surrounded by the love of her mother and her oldest brothers, learning everything she needed to know to become the new Queen of Lombrady's Kingdom. How a lady should behave in every situation and, more importantly, everything about diplomacy.

On the other side, the young prince had only known the love of the Royal nanny, without ever having chance to meet his family or feel the warm of his mother's hand caressing him, in a small and welcomed sign of love.

But letting the boy live in the secret chamber wasn't enough for the Prime Minister: to let him survive. He demanded that the boy was raised as a girl, just in case something happened to Princess Ophala, especially now that the war against the Kingdom of Swabia had turned so cruel.

Since the first day, the nanny had dressed the boy as his sister, teaching him the same things Ophala learned and sometimes, using the hidden passages of the castle, she had made him look at her, to understand and exactly replicate her attitude and movements.

This was a slow but unstoppable change in the boy's life. But it wasn't only something that interested him. It did involve changing his appearance but whilst observing his sister year after another, he was fascinated by that bright and luxurious world where she was leaving so happily and secretly. He began to envy her and dream for that world, so bright and yet so far from him.

"Why can Ophala have all she wants and I can't?" was the question which ran every day through his mind, creating a bigger distance between him and the whole world outside the secret chambers of the castle.

No one had ever caught any sign of this hidden dissatisfaction the boy was experiencing, even the nanny and the Prime Minister (the only two people authorized in the whole castle to talk and meet with him) had always thought it was all part of his nature, something due to the way he had grown and was bought up.

Secretly, the boy began to follow his sister all around the castle, watching Ophala even in her more intimate moments. He would stare at her perfect naked body in the bath and sometimes at night, while Ophala was sleeping, he would sneak in her room to observe her from a closer distance.

He was now obsessed by his sister, to the point that having her same appearance wasn't enough for him. He wanted to become her! He wanted to be the real Princess Ophala!

And after the departure of the nanny, the only one who had ever shown him what love was, things got worst. The loneliness made the obsession of the boy grow more and more. There wasn't a single day that he didn't spend staring at his sister watching every little thing she did. He learnt from his observations how to impersonate the real Princess Ophala, reproducing even her smallest action.

Of course, this was possible thanks to the attitude of the Prime Minister, who had entrusted every aspect of the boy's education to the nanny, till one day he had stopped visiting them so much. Even if now, with the nanny's departure, the Minister was only visiting the boy once a week.

He was never able to pick up the real intention of the boy, which was to take the place of his sister Ophala!

The Prince didn't know when this was going to happen, but he knew that day would arrive, sooner or later!

Meanwhile, in the Kingdom, another change has begun: the Queen, cursed by a mysterious disease no one in the whole realm and their allied one was able to cure, died, leaving the battle against the Kingdom of Swabia in the hands of her young and not so experienced daughter.

When this happened, Ophala was 19. Even if she had studied every single day of her life to be able to properly rule the kingdom, she wasn't ready to take the responsibility and the future of Lombrady and its citizens on her young and fragile shoulders.

Plus, with her brothers at the front fighting against the army of Swabia, she was now feeling alone and abandoned, even unable to satisfy the expectations of the noble's family and of all the citizen of the realm. But even in the worst moments, sometimes a ray of light shone.

For Ophala, this happens during the funeral ceremony of her mother. Many allies of the realm come to the capital to assist in the celebration of the Queens life and achievements and a young Prince from a neighboring realm tickled her attention.

He was the same age as her eldest brother but what was really fascinating her was the gentle smile he showed to her to comfort her torn soul. A simple smile, to tell the truth, but no one in the court was able to show her one till now...a true one, anyway!

Ophala was surprised about how a simple thing like a smile was able to let her forget the sadness which grasped her heart so badly and in the following days, she had many chances to talk to the young Prince and learn to know him better. He was smart and good looking, but what really impressed Ophala was the way he spoke to her. The nice words he used to give to Ophala some support in her darkest moments.

In the months that followed Ophala's coronation, the two youngster's grew closer until Ophala's heart developed a strong feeling for Prince Henrik. At the beginning, she was fascinated by his pleasant manners and the knowledge he was showing to her, but soon she began to look at him in a new and unexpected way.

It all began the day she caught Henrik training in the armory of the castle. Ophala was astonished by the grace and harmony of his movements, but soon her attention was caught by his sculpted and toned body, till the point she wasn't able to stop staring at that unexpected but pleasant vision the Prince was offering to her. Henrik's skin shone in the light of the dusk, while the mid length long brown hair followed any movement he made, letting him appear like a God in Ophala's mind. A God who was now stealing her heart, in the way of love and attraction!

Ophala stared at Henrik till he had finished his training when he noticed her at last.

"Your Highness," he said, bowing in front of her while the Queen approached him.

When Ophala was right in front of him, the Prince took her hand and lightly kissed it. A usual gesture he did every time they met, but this time it was different for Ophala! That little act of kindness and Henrik's lips barely touching her skin, made Ophala's heart beat fast and she felt her cheeks burn and her whole face flush for an instant.

"Hope he didn't notice it," she said to herself, without realizing that her hand was trembling and Henrik was holding it again, now standing close in front of her.

"My Queen, your presence always raises my spirit and enlightens my day, as the sun torn the darkness of the night." he took a deep breath and looked in Ophala's eyes "I have waited so long for this moment and I can't wait any longer, I can't hide my feelings for you."

"Your...your feelings, Henrik?" she asked, with trembling voice.

"Exactly! Ophala, my sweet Ophala. I have never known a lady as you, with your grace, your beauty and your strength! Please, Ophala, accept my heart and my love."

"I-I...I didn't expect this, Henrik," she answered, feeling her cheeks burning again and more intensely. Her breath turned heavy and a strange sensation bore in her...something she never had felt before! And the more she hesitated to talk, the more that sensation grew.

"Henrik, since the first time we met, deepest in me something happened. I don't know why, but I felt a bond between us and now I know it's stronger than I ever imagined," she swallowed nervously, then continued, "I gladly accept your love and I give you my heart. I know you will protect it!"

Henrik smiled at her words, feeling his heart relieved by them, as if an incredible weight was lifted from his soul. Holding Ophala from her waist, he pushed her close to him in a tight and warm embrace, finally placing his lips on hers in a gentle, endless kiss.

All around them there was only silence, just interrupted by the sweet song of the birds. There were no servants or other people who could disturb them right now or interrupt the idyllic scene.

While the dark of the night had begun to replace the last rays of sun, a shadow watched them, hidden by the friendly walls of the castle, the only witness of his existence. The eyes of that figure were glued on the two lovers while they kissed, staring at their lips and at the naked torso of Prince Henrik. Henrik's arms held Ophala's waist so tight.

Why can't he experience that same sensation! Why had he got to live all his life in the shadow!

Those thoughts began to crowd the boy's mind, making him more and more jealous of his sister and at the meetings of the two lovers, at every kind gesture they exchanged...and the more Ophala and Henrik become intimate, the more the darkness in the boy grew too, till the envy for Ophala pushed over rode all sense and pushed him over his limits. Now, he wasn't just secretly impersonating her, and pretending to be a girl. Now he wanted to take Ophala's place and meet the man who made his heart beat so fast, making him feel alive for the first time in his whole life!

W

hen Ophala and Henrik officially announced their engagement, the whole capital of the Kingdom of Lombrady was overwhelmed by laughs of happiness and by music played at every corner of the city.

The engagement was also important to establish a more definitive alliance with the Kingdom of Romiria or even the possibility of joining together to make a new and more powerful realm able to resist the seemingly unstoppable advances of the army from the Kingdom of Swabia. Of course, this new Kingdom would be ruled by Ophala and Henrik and probably, as Henrik was only a prince at the moment, the heir of the new throne was going to be established, following the same rules of the Kingdom of Lombrady.

Once again, the happiness of Ophala was seen in the hidden eyes of her recluse brother, causing him more pain and envy. The world outside the secret chambers was now attracting him much like a light can attract a moth. He wanted to walk in the daylight and, finally, meet and talk with Henrik, the only man who was able to open a breach in the darkness all around him, bringing some hope in his solitary life.

But till his sister Ophala was in the castle with his lovely Henrik. This was a wonderful and pleasant dream, a dream he wanted to grab with his own hands, but alas, there was always a distance between him and Henrik he was not able to fulfill. The desire to be in his beloved Prince's arms becomes a drug and at last, this strong desire made him takes the next step. A step which was going to cause a deep and inevitable change in the lives of all three of them, once and for all.

The wait was so long, anytime Prince Henrik came to visit his beloved Ophala, they spent many hours together talking in her private room or walking in the royal garden, dreaming about a wonderful future together and planning about the union of their kingdoms. But today was different, something unusual happen. Ophala had to leave the castle to go to a nearby town until the next day, leaving her beloved Henrik alone! Finally, the chance was here, he had been waiting for so long. He just had to wait a few more hours and he could be with his beloved prince, at long last!

For the first time after so many years, the boy didn't follow his twin sister and knowing she was away and for how long. His plan could finally begin! In the late afternoon, he entered Ophala's room, a place he had visited so many times in the past, and probably he knew it as well as the maids in Ophala's service! It was easy for him to collect all the things he needed to achieve his plan: clothes, make-up, jewelry, everything he needed to become her, the so hated Queen Ophala!

In Ophala's room lit by just a candle, he took all the time he needed to prepare himself: he chose an appropriate dress, one not too formal but at the same time not too audacious. He combined it with a beautiful and majestic white gold necklace with ruby gemstones, which fanned tightly round his neck and which was the favorite of Ophala. To complete his transformation, he gathered his black hair in a long braid and used a light but sensual make-up, which made him appear more feminine and sensual.

When he had finished, the image of a girl reflected back in the mirror. It surprised him: his lips covered by the red lipstick made his lips appear full and kissable, the light touch of eye shadow made him look really pretty. Even nature had helped over the years as his sister didn't have such big breasts. They both had a full, round and shapely ass, something that nature had kindly given to him too. He was really fascinated and satisfied by his new appearance, but his plan was far from being accomplished

When midnight finally came, he sneaked out of Ophala's room and using the secret passages of the castle, he reached Henrik's room, avoiding any possible obstacles along the corridors and, most important, avoiding being seen by the guards all around the castle. Finally in front of the secret door which granted access to Henrik's room, he hesitated in opening. He felt a lump in his throat and his heart began to beat fast as never before. The anxiety was strong. For the first time he was about to leave that world of shadows which was his home for all those years. He was about to meet the man who had captured his heart! Still hesitant and with his hand trembling, he slowly grabbed the handle and after had taking a deep breath, opened it, trying to avoid any possible noise. The door emitted a light crunch while opening and finally he was there, in the room of his beloved Henrik.

"Who's there?" a male voice asked in the dark of the room.

"It's me, my beloved. I'm sorry if I awoke you," he replied, moving close to the bed.

Henrik looked in the direction where the voice came and when his eyes finally grew accustomed to the darkness that filled the room, he was really surprised to recognize Ophala's silhouette.

"Ophala! This is... unexpected! I supposed you were away and we couldn't meet till tomorrow afternoon!" Henrik said, standing on the bed.

"I was, but I just wanted to be with you tonight...be with the one I love!" Imposter Ophala replied, moving close to the bed and revealing his girlish body wrapped in a long blue dress with slits on both sides. It revealed perfect long legs. Henrik stared at his Queen, looking at her from toes to head, dwelling on the legs, first, and then on the naked shoulders. He had never seen his Queen wearing such a sexy dress before and that vision, unexpected but very welcome, made his heart beat faster with heavy thuds, so heavy that Ophala could probably hear it, close as she was to him right now.

"Ophala," Henrik tried to say but Ophala, knelt over the sheets, placed a finger right over his lips, smiling at him.

"I know this is not appropriate for a member of the royal family, but I can't resist any longer, and trust me, my love, I have tried so hard."

Henrik grabbed his girlish forearm and suddenly pushed Imposter Ophala down on the bed. He rolled over her and placed his lips on hers, in an endless, deep and passionate kiss. Ophala's full and voracious lips made shivers run all over Henrik's body. He caressed her long and firm thighs, something he had dreamed of for long time. Now that dream was a reality! The strong hands of Henrik over his naked skin, made Imposter Ophala tremble for the first time. This was the first time for her to be touched by someone who was not the old nanny and that sensation was so pleasant, better than he ever thought possible. He felt a fire burning inside him and this was all because of his beloved man, Henrik! Then, when their lips finally became free from each other, tears began to roll from Impost Ophala's eyes.

"Ophala, you don't have to do this if you are not ready," Henrik said, kneeling over his girl and caressing her cheeks, trying to dry the tears.

Imposter Ophala looked at him, with a pretty smile on his lips, then shook her head.

"I'm just a little nervous, my love, this thought has haunted me for a long time and now..."

Henrik's kiss stopped her, pleasantly.

"I dreamed of this moment for a long time too, Ophala, the wait for it has driven me crazy so many times!" Henrik said, just before kissing her again. Gently, Henrik lay Ophala on her back and fondled her thigh, while Ophala was lightly scratching his back.

Slowly, Henrik's hand rise from Ophala's thigh, moving in to her inner side, till it reached her secret spot. Suddenly, Henrik jumped away from Ophala with his eyes wide open.

For a long moment, he stared at his hand, not being able to push away that strange sensation from it then, he looked back at his lovely Queen, with an expression on his face never seen before by Imposter Ophala.

"Ophala...you...you are..." he tried to say with his voice broken by disappointment and looking at Ophala's face, now covered by tears streaming down her face, "YOU ARE A MAN!"

Ophala was shocked by Henrik's reaction but he was expecting as such. After all, it was impossible for him to hide his true nature and form in a situation like this.

"I'm...I'm sorry, my beloved, I know, I didn't tell you the truth about me, but any words I said and my feeling were real, trust me!" he replied, hiding his face in his hands and crying. Looking at him and at how he had reacted to his words, Henrik felt a little guilty for his reaction, but after all, he had hidden a damn important truth about "herself" to him!