SHADOW AND LIGHT (CHIAROSCURO)

WHO AM I?

Injured in the heart, bleeding from my eyes, and grasping for dear life, I stood at the very edge of a cliff.

This was the second time that I was pushed into a corner. I was stuck in a place of peril as I was surrounded by all my enemies and the lifeless bodies of my allies.

There was no escape, none at all. Only death remained.

"Didn't think we'd get you, huh, Your Highness?" a man clad in gold mockingly asked.

*COUGH* *COUGH* I spilt so much blood from my mouth, the injury they had inflicted on me was killing me faster than I thought it would.

With my bloodied mouth, I mustered what little strength I had and asked, "Why?"

"Huh? You want to know why!?" The man in golden armour approached me with widened eyes.

My chest tightened even more, it was heavy and hard to breathe.

The man smirked. "All this time, and you didn't know why we were after your life?"

I painfully mentioned, "I had my suspicions."

"Suspicions?"

"Greed, money, power, who knows? It was inevitable that I'd encounter a few obstacles along the way."

The man sneered and walked away from me. He looked at me from afar, then uttered, "Honestly, you weren't even close to the truth."

"What do you mean? Argh!" I gripped my chest tightly because of the pain.

"What I mean is, we weren't after you because of your status or glory?"

"...Then what?"

The man folded his arms and menacingly said, "This was all planned."

"Planned?"

"I must say, at the time. I thought you would have caught on already, it was pretty obvious if you thought about it."

I gritted my teeth. "I...I don't get what you saying."

The man in golden armour gave way to a mysterious individual in a regal hood with a golden laced robe.

Before the individual unleashed their hood, I already recognized them from their build and familiar aura.

"You...! How could it be you? Why!?"

"Yes, it is I?" replied the mystery individual in a low and flat voice.

The individual approached me and I retreated away from them.

As I looked behind me, I noticed that the edge was getting closer and I was retreating away from the mystery individual.

"No, no, no!" I stopped in my tracks just an inch away from the edge of the cliff.

However, the mysterious figure didn't stop but instead proceeded to push me even closer to the edge of the mountain-high cliff with just a few steps.

"What do you want!?" I yelled before the individual stopped.

I was hanging by the front of my feet strongly on the edge of the cliff, and at this point, I knew that I was going to fall.

"Please ######, don't do this!?"

"Shall I tell you why I truly planned your demise?"

"######, please..." I pleaded.

My face grimaced

The mysterious individual leaned into my ear and whispered, "You were in the way...!"

My eyes widened and my eyes glared at the mysterious figure.

"I... I... Argh!" My face grimaced from the excruciating pain in my injured chest. I was using a lot of my aura just to keep myself awake.

"That's why..." The mysterious person stated as they raised their foot back.

"Argh! W-What...are you going–"

Before I could finish my words, all of a sudden and without warning, "Come back...STRONGER!" were the last words I heard before I received an immense kick from the mystery individual and fell into the dark abyss.

***

*A FEW MONTHS PRIOR*

[I'M COMING!] A raspy voice emerged out of the darkness in a dream of mine.

"No!" I woke up from a nightmare on my king-sized bed, my entire forehead was covered in sweat and my hands were trembling.

"My lord, are you alright? You're sweating, my lord!"

"Ha..! Ha...! Ha...!" I panted as I sat up, I tried to hide my hands under the blanket.

"My lord?"

"I'm fine! ...Ha...! I'm fine, I just need a cup of water, Paige."

"At once, my lord! I'll be back in a jiffy!" said the suave butler named Paige as he sprinted out of the bedroom.

'I had that dream again...' I thought to myself

There was a nightmare that seemed to visit my dreams every night after I arrived at this town; It always began with the darkness but then 'IT' would appear.

I observed my trembling hands and squeezed tightly as I reiterated 'I have no fear. I have no fear. I have no fear.' over and over in my mind.

"I have brought you some chamomile tea, Sire!" Paige had arrived with a pot and cup of tea instead.

"I never asked for tea?" I said as I took a sip of the relaxing tea.

I may not have asked for it but it was definitely better than any mild cup of water but I didn't want to show it.

"So why did you bring tea instead of water? And don't think I didn't notice you slipping my royal title at the end of your previous statement."

He grinned and took a quick but elegant bow to me. "Well, it seems you've caught me, my lord."

"Enough with the pleasantries, have you forgotten what I asked since I arrived here?"

He almost slipped up again. "Yes, Si– I mean, my lord! I remember correctly, you asked that none of us calls you by your royal title."

"Exactly, so I ask once again, why?"

"Simple, because you are the prince of all esteemed kingdom, the crown prince of Gladia!" declared Paige as he took another bow but with one knee this time.

He cheekily continued, "Also, you KNOW you're enjoying the tea~"

"I guess..." I pouted as I sipped the sweet tea.

"However, need I remind you that I am not just the prince of Gladia but as of recent, I am the newly appointed lord of Sterilia."

With his head still lowered, he states, "Why, yes Si–My lord... But! Sterilia is but a town, a village, a small state nothing more than a small part of the magnificent kingdom of Gladia that you will one day rule over."

"Ok, that's enough ass kissing, Paige."

This tanned young man with brown eyes, brown hair and a charming smile was my butler, Paige George. Also known as Paige The Page, well, previously titled, now he's more of a butler and less of a Page.

From what I was told, he was but a common page before he was promoted to a butler to serve me. As a gentleman clad in a butler's suit, black gloves and brown shoes, he definitely fit the position as he had the best personality for it.

Another thing about Paige was his cheeky attitude towards me. "Ah... But sire, I only speak the truth."

"Yes, yes... So you tell me every single morning." I sighed then added, "We both know that I won't be ruling anything in any near future."

Paige raised his head and confidently said, "I beg to differ, you are the crown prince and it is by tradition that the first prince appropriates over the throne after the king–"

"–Don't be so old-fashioned, Paige. Get with the times... All that matters is that someone wise, strong and true, takes the throne." I interrupted.

Paige stood up and took another elegant bow before he said, "Why, I believe that you check all the boxes, my lord..." and left my bedroom to his other butler duties.

'Ah... But that's where you're wrong, I am neither wise, strong and most of all, true...' I thought as I viewed my slightly trembling fists.

"Master~! Your perfect servant is here!" A busty maid entered my bedroom.

'I know that sensual and honeyed voice, I thought I sent her away for a week!? Has a week already passed!'

I faked my smile and greeted her, "Haha! Penelope, my dear maid. Umm, I thought I sent you to get a very important item for me in the neighbouring town?"

"Well, yes, my esteemed master, but I'm back now~!"

I had sent her to get a very rare material called 'aura dust', in the neighbouring town of Mercatus.

'The trip should have taken her three days then another three days to get back, but she got back in two! Two!'

"Master~! I brought you loads and loads of the item you asked me to procure," said Penelope as she suddenly dropped a dozen satchels of aura dust on the wooden floor.

I was surprised, no, more like, shocked at the quantity she was able to collect.

'Wait... Isn't aura dust extremely rare!? Why did the merchants in Mercatus allow her to take this many!?' my thoughts screamed.

"Oh and if you're wondering how I was able to procure this much? Well..." She hugged her bountiful boobs and sensually said, "Let's just say that I was very convincing..."

'The Mercatus merchants emptied their entire inventory of aura dust for...boobs!! Seriously!'

I nonchalantly asked, "Ahem! I hope there wasn't any unnecessary physical contact, right, Penelope?"

She tilted her head in confusion. "Physical contact?"

It seemed that she didn't understand my question. "Ahem! You know..." so I tried to make boob-fondling gestures.

She stared at my hand gestures with naive eyes, and that made the situation even more embarrassing than stating it clearly to her.

"Forget it! Did they fondle your breasts?! Yes or no!"

"Huh? Of course not, master! They barely even saw got a peek!"

"Ha...! That's good then," I sighed a sigh of relief.

"After all... You know that you're the only one allowed to touch me~" Penelope sensually said as she exposed her fair cleavage to my virgin eyes.

'No! It blinds! It blinds!'

With her petite 4 ft 10 tall body, she approached me as she gradually pulled her top down revealing more and more of her boobs, but then...

"Ahem! I've told you to stop teasing me, Penelope. It's...unsightly."

She sighed, reset and retreated with an elegant curtsey. "Very well, master. I'll be good."

'Yeah... But for how long?' I worriedly thought.

My worries were understandable. Why? Because the fair-skinned lady before me with dark hair, rosy full lips, blue eyes and a seductive smile, was a bit...of a nympho.

***

Luckily, I was able to claim the bathroom all to myself. Most times, Penelope would exploit her maid duties to make advances on my virgin body.

But I refused her every single time. Instead, I compromised with her drying my body off and she obediently waits for me just outside the bathroom door to do just that without fail.

'I need a break from my troubles. Ah...' I slowly soaked my dark-skinned body into the large bathtub.

'Hoho! It fits,' I thought, noticing that my feet were able to fit into the bathroom this time.

The bathtub was ridiculously small the first time I used the bathroom. It was tight, cramped and couldn't hold my 6 ft 4 body, unfortunately. Fortunately, I had Paige replace the bathtub with a larger and much roomier one.

While in the well-decorated bathroom and white porcelain bathroom, I took my sweet time enjoying the bath; for a few seconds, I submerged my entire body into the bathtub filled with warm water then I reemerged with my body steaming from the warmth of the water.

'Can't go wrong with a nice, relaxing warm bath...'

[Author's Notes: This is the edited version of chapter one. There will be more changes to improve the writing as well as the story development. Hope you enjoy!]