Aron opened his eyes slowly, awakening from unconsciousness. He was home in his bedroom and was laying on the double bed. A thin white blanket covered his body up to his chest. Small, extinguished candles were placed around the room showing their black tips. The walls and floor were made of wood and the passing of time could be seen. The room had no windows only a door leading to the living room. On the table besides Aron was a cup of water.
Aron felt his dry throat and reached out to take the cup but then he felt a weight on his right leg. Katarina was sleeping on Aron's right thigh.
'She is so beautiful' Aron thought.
He reached for the cup and took a sip.
'Her dark wavy hair is truly magnificent. And her skin would cause envy to even the gods. As blasphemous as that might be.'
Then Aron realised that he was looking at Katarina. He could see her every detail and she was no longer a figure of shadow. Aron had still been half sleeping when he woke up, so he didn't realise immediately. Aron took a breath in surprise, but he had forgotten the water still in his mouth.
*Cough*
*Cough*
*Cough*
The water was violating his air passage, so he coughed with all his might.
*COUGH*
*COUGH*
*COUGH*
Finally, the water left his throat. When he looked up from his coughing fit he saw a hand on his shoulder.
"Aron? Are you well?"
It was Katarina with her beautiful voice. Aron looked at her face, studying it so that he could never forget it. He then looked at her eyes, which were filled with worry. Aron saw his wife again and he couldn't contain his happiness. It came in the form of tears. He was finally normal again.
Katarina sat beside him and leaned his head on her shoulder, while tightly holding his hand. Aron was quietly sobbing. He had to be sure of his eyes being normal again, so he focused intensely on the door of the room. And with enough focus the room turned to shadow. This startled him slightly. Besides him was a purple figure. Aron turned his sight to normal the same way he tuned it abnormal.
He let out a sigh of relief.
*Sigh*
"Aron?"
"Y-yes?"
He said with a partially parched throat.
"A-are you well", Aron could see her glossed over eyes and the redness surrounding them.
"I am. Do not worry anymore." Aron put his arm around her and hugged her.
"I love you Katarina".
"I love you as well", she said whilst shedding some tears.
They sat there in each other's embrace for a while, enjoying each other's existence.
After a while Katarina decided to stand and looked at Aron with a smile.
"I better go prepare something to eat. Will you wait some time?"
"Of course. If it's your cooking I could wait a lifetime."
She chuckled lightly at this and went on her way.
Aron decided to get up as well, he was never one to sit idle.
To the right side of the room close to the night table, was a tall mirror leaning on the wall.
Aron walked towards it and saw himself. He had an unkempt beard, and his light brown hair was dishevelled. He looked to his eyes and as Katarina had said, they were a light shade of black. Aron opened his mouth checking inside, where he saw two perfect rows of teeth.
He closed his mouth and looked at the rest of his body. He had strong body with visible muscles everywhere. Thanks to the rigorous training regimen he had to go through as a knight. He was currently in his undergarments and nothing more. He had several scars on the side of his lower body. Most of them were lucky shots. Aron was all over a handsome fella. He exuded a manly aura that would the turn the heads of most women he met.
'Enough of admiring myself', Aron thought and then went to his drawer where his clothes were. He took some whiteish pants with a rough feel to it. He also took a white undershirt and over it a shirt made of brown wool. Aron looked himself in the mirror and thought his choice of outfit was a success. Smiling to himself he walked towards the door to be with his loving wife.
Speaking of his loving wife, how did he come home?
'How did I end up here? I'm sure that I was fighting those criminals and then… killed everyone present.' Aron looks to the ground.
'How did I land here though? I was alone.'
'There was a voice that I heard say my name. Could that have been Katarina? But what was she doing there.'
Aron then remembers the reason why he was there in the first place.
'I seriously need to speak with her. I can no longer wait'.
"Aron! The soup is ready!"
Aron took a deep breath and opened the door. The smell of delicious soup washed over him, making his stomach rumble.
Aron sat down at the dinner table and waited for Katarina to come with the pot.
She came and placed the pot of soup on the table. She then placed two bowls, one for her and one for Aron. Thereafter she elegantly put some soup in each bowl.
Aron took part at once.
The soup was delicious as always, but all he could focus on was her.
Her black hair complementing her icy blue eyes and the way her posture always portrayed her as most beautiful and serene.
"Something catch your eye?" She said mischievously.
"It did" he said with a serious expression.
This caught her of guard, and she blushed slightly.
"Katarina, I have to ask you something".
"What is it darling", she said with a bright smile.
"Are you a magic user."
"Wha-"
"Don't lie to me Katarina!"
Her once bright smile changed instantly. It was no longer nice, but dangerous.
"So, you knew" she said in a calm voice.
"Katarina how come you never told me".
"Tell you? A holy knight? Bahahah" a sinister laugh erupted from her. It was not like previously, but still real.
"You think I would ever harm you!?" Aron retorted.
"Aron. I don't leave things up to chance."
"Now moving on to more important matters" she said closing the previous topic down.
"How did you know?"
"I have kept my secret hidden for a long time."
Aron decided that keeping secrets was not the way to go.
"I could see it"
"See it?"
"Yes, your magic inside of you, I can see it."
"Do you take me for a fool Aron?"
That question hurt him.
"You think me a liar?"
"What you are saying is simply impossible."
"Then don't believe me. I just thought we trusted each other. I thought you would give your life for me and I for yours."
Then her expression changed to one of pain.
"A-aron. I would move mountains for you" she said at the verge of tears.
"It is just hard for me. This information you have on me is a danger to my existence. I have never given someone something so precious."
She then took a deep breath.
"But if it had to be anyone, I'm glad that it, is you."
She then placed her hands across the table and Aron took them in his.
"I'm happy that you trust me so" Aron said.
"Let us not keep any secrets Katarina. I want you, all of you. The bad and the good, whatever you have to offer I will take."
A silent tear fell from her eye traveling down her soft cheek and drooping down splatting on the table. What she had heard was the love of her life accepting the darkest part of her. A part that goes against everything he stands for as a knight. She was more important to him than any duty could ever be. This filled her with bliss and for the first time she could really let go.
There were no more secrets tearing down her insides each time she had to lie to protect her secret. But one question still remained.
Katarina sniffed her tears away and then began to ask.
"How can you see my magic? It is something that has been impossible since the dawn of time. Humans simply can't do it."
"I might not be entirely human anymore…"
Katarina just frowned at this.
"At least my eyes might not be." He said hurriedly.
"You see I was kind of attacked by a demon, I think."
"Aron! How come I haven't heard news of this?"
"It's classified information. If they knew I was telling you this, they would do all sorts of things to you."
She grabbed his hand tightly.
"I understand", she said smiling faintly.
After thinking for some time Katarina asked again.
"So how does this correlate to you seeing my magic?"
"Ah, well the demon injected my eyes with some sort of liquid."
He said while pointing to his right eye.
"How are you alive?!"
"Eh, I don't follow."
Realising who she is talking to she explains.
"Well, you see throughout history there have been many mages attempting to somehow fuse their own bodies with that of a demon's. The demons have a much higher aptitude for magic and their flesh and bones are inherently magically inclined."
"But it always ends up in failure. What belong to the demon stays with the demon. In all cases there was an extreme reaction with the human cells and demon cells, causing the one performing the experiment to implode in on himself."
A silence followed.
…
"I understood absolutely nothing of what you just said."
Aron said plainly.
He had never heard her wife speak like this. She was speaking like someone of high education.
She then quietly laughed to herself.
"Sorry, I got carried away".
"What I said was basically that human and demon does not go together. If you try to mix the to your insides will explode."
Aron understood now.
'Was the excruciating pain I felt a reacting to the demon's liquid? Then how come I am not dead. How bizarre.'
"What matters", Katarina began.
"Is that you are alive and well. And that you are here with me."
"I share your feelings Katarina, but that is not all."
She went silent and listened.
"When I came to be I was here, in the capital. I had lost my sight, or rather it had changed. Today is the first day that I could see you normally Katarina. Before all I could see was shadow and people's magic."
"That must have been hard for you. I am sorry that I didn't come to the infirmary, but I was preoccupied."
"I believe you Katarina and even if it was false, I would not mind. You are my everything, you are all I have left."
"I'm flattered Aron, I am. But I don't follow."
"Ah, right I had forgotten to mention it. I am no longer a holy knight."
"What do you mean?"
"I have been discharged…"
"Oh, thank god".
"What?"
"Oh, sorry for being insensitive, but I was never really fond of the Order, seeing as they, you know want to burn me at the stake". She said while faking a happy smile.
This made Aron smile.
"You are lovely when you speak", he said.
"Aron… focus on the story", she said trying to hide a smile, but to no avail.
"Okay. Well, that was about it. I am now without any income, so I don't know how we will go by living."
"Don't worry Aron." She said whilst smiling.
"We will find a way, together."
That sounded nice to Aron. To be together, forever. Never leaving each other's side.
Aron was feeling varm and fuzzy inside. A felling Katarina could always give him. Nothing was going to take her away from him. Not even the Holy Father himself.
Then Katarina asked.
"Aron, how come you were laying in an alley?"
Aron had once again forgotten to mention something.
"Well, you see-