I woke to the sound of a ravens call, outside the window of the room I found myself in. I stretched, and winced, every one of my joints screaming out in objection to the movement, my skin tight and tingling. Munira, one of the slave girls, stood at my bedside, silently keeping watch, I attempted a smile, she responded with one of her own. "I expect you would like to take a bath," she said kindly. She offered her hand to me, and I took it, grateful for her steadying force as I gingerly pushed back the sheets and stood.

I stumbled blindly through the days between seeing him again, barely conscious of anything around me, only him. Time passed in a blur, I awoke one morning with the thrill of anticipation in my heart, I was to go to his home the very next afternoon. In his presence I was so very overwhelmed, that I had learnt to enjoy the sweet moments before I saw him, savouring them as well as I could. As usual, I was unable to concentrate on any one thing, flitting between rooms,

Every day I wasnt with him, I felt my heart shrink and grow colder. When I saw him it would swell in my chest and ignite. I saw him rarely over the next few months, and thought I might die, as though I was starved of the life he gave me. My shadow grew weak within me. One dark evening, I walked by the lake; I knew he was near long before I felt the air grow cooler in his presence.

Upon my return home after that night, the night of the sacrifice, I slept, for what must have been a long, long time. For when I woke, it seemed a new season had begun. I waited for a sign, some contact from my prince, and eventually it came. Words, telling me to come to his home that night, I must come alone, leave my shadow behind for once. I felt relief and trepidation; I would be free of conscience, but bound by my yearning, my need.

As I walked along the forest path one evening, the moon dressing the grass under my feet in her beams, her heard a noise, a droning, from deep within the heart of the forest. Curiosity getting the better of me, much to my shadows discontent, I headed in the direction of the sound. Soon, I came upon a clearing, a small circle of grass, flanked by bracken. I stood for a while, trying to decide where the noise was, I no longer seemed to be able to pinpoint its direction; it seemed everywhere,

I am china, I am Glass. I am smooth and cold. Are you alone? Yes just me and my dark shadow I smell them, the men, their darkness, their excitement. Ive been here for hours or days, weeks, seconds, Im not sure They havent touched me, but one came very close, I felt his hot, wet breath on my neck, an almost imperceptible grunt as he inhaled me deeply,

I didnt know when I met my dark prince that it would come to this. I was simply swept away by the romance of it all, as anyone would be. There I was, sitting in the park one day, watching the world go by, when he sat down beside me, and spoke: "I have a fantasy, it goes something like this, you are alone in your room one evening, and I come to you, and order you to take off your dress, which you do,

I wore the key around my neck, on a silver chain; it felt so reassuring to have it there, as if He were with me. When I thought of him, I did so constantly, I felt my heart bleed red, and my shadow wept. I knew that if he were ever to leave, that I would surely die. He requested that I meet him one evening, as I walked into the forest I heard the moaning of the wind as it caressed the branches of the shimmering birch trees that surrounded me.