This tale is borne of one of woe,
A heart was crushed so long ago,
A death for man lies in the Deep,

This is not a happy story. This story is for those of us who've had to carry on after the happily ever after; after the happy when it's just forever. This story is about desperation in the aching heart, it entails deception of the worst kind and betrayal. A love story gone awry. A villain that wins, a damsel in distress with no one to save her, and there is no clue as to if, or when the hero will ever reappear. In a love triangle it becomes dangerous for all involved, the razor's edge cuts at every angle.

As soon as I stepped into my old studio apartment I ran for the bathroom and vomited profusely. I couldn't go back. I couldn't return to my wedding, to the Dark Prince, to my Phoenix. As soon as I had realized that I was already Cove's wife, his brother's wife, I knew I had to escape.

It was only because of the flashbacks of my terrible memories that had made my escape even possible. It was after that, that I saw my black feathery wings and realized I, too was a faery and not the young human girl I had thought that I was. It was my faery magick that had saved me from the happiest day of my life.

Now, I sat sobbing and wailing in my bathroom. My wings were gone and all prospect of hope for a joyful and happy marriage gone as well. All I had now was a porcelain toilet smelling of refuse.

After completely emptying myself, I pushed my shaking form from off the floor. Grabbing hold of the sink to steady myself, I splashed some cold water on my face. I looked up from the sink basin and caught a glimpse of myself in the mirror. It took a moment to recognize my own reflection. I noted the ruined makeup and the red blotches on my skin. Disgusted, I turned from what I saw and went to lie on my bed.

I wept in bitter agony, moaning and wailing dry cracked sobs racking my pitiful form. I went on for hours like this, I didn't know it was even possible for a person, faery or no, to experience such pain and still bear to go on breathing. I didn't want to go on breathing, not without Phoenix by my side.

My beautiful and handsome love with his dark brown curly hair and deep brown eyes, so dark they were almost black. He was so much more than his muscular toned body, so much more than the powerful Dark faery prince that rules the Underground. His beauty and power was as deep as his soul, it came from a light within him that blazed like the sun. Thinking of my abandoning him at the altar, of the hurt I had caused him had me cry out in pain.

"Phoenix," his name came out in an ache that made me feel as though I would throw up all over again. Although, I couldn't imagine anything left inside me to come out besides my bones.

"Why did you leave me, my darling?"

Phoenix's soft cooling voice came, a broken whisper in my ear. I felt his nose brush against my cheek, but I didn't have the heart to face him. At first, all I could do was reply with another sob, knowing he was there with me. He had followed me into the mortal realm from his dark kingdom. He had told me long ago, I had but to speak his name and he would find me.

"Coral, what is it my love? Why won't you speak to me?" His voice was soft and pleading. I couldn't imagine how deeply I had hurt him by leaving without any notice, without warning.

I sniffled and tried to suck in my breath but the air only came in gasps. With words as broken as me I said, "I...re...mem...ber." Another loud heartbreaking cry escaped my lips and I buried my face into my pillow.

Phoenix's arms came around me and although I was relieved that he still loved me enough to try to comfort me, I was again hit by another wave of nausea. To my disbelief I moved quite quickly as I sprinted to the bathroom barely making it to the toilet in time. Phoenix followed me of course, I could feel his hand gently stroking the length of my back as I heaved out a thick yellow bile.

I was exhausted by the time my body was finally finished punishing me. Phoenix pulled me from my crumpled ball on the floor and carried me to my bed. He then brought me a glass of tap water from the bathroom and gave me a small sip before carefully setting it on the bedside table.

He hadn't said anything and I was struggling against the sleep that threatened to take me away from him. "Phoenix, I don't want to be married to Cove," I whimpered softly too tired now for tears.

Phoenix grabbed my hand and stroked my hair. "We'll figure something out. Don't worry my love. In my heart, you will always be my wife." Then he bent and kissed my head. "Rest now, darling. You have been through a lot and your body needs some sleep."

"Phoenix?" I whispered, so softly I wasn't sure if he really heard me. "I'm a faery, too."

I can't be certain, but I believe I heard him say, "I know."

When I woke up in the morning, I couldn't believe my eyes. The first few rays of dawn shown weakly through my sheer curtains, lighting up my dim apartment. It was the first time I had seen the light of the sun in a year and a half. But although that was an amazing sight to behold, the onslaught of memories from my embittered past were too much to bear; memories of the person I once was and the tortures I had once endured. Huddled in a ball on my bed, I was left completely naked inside and out.

I didn't know what happened to my faery wings or my wedding for that matter. I didn't care. I was already consumed by enough worries not to bring in more. A pair of black feathery wings, and even my wedding for that matter, were of little consequence when faced with the harsh reality that I had been but a few minutes away from marrying my husband's brother.

What was more amazing though, was the beautiful dark woman sitting on my bed staring at me. I wasn't alarmed, for I knew this face, it was Anna.

"Anna?" I asked, still unsure if I could believe my eyes. "Anna!" I exclaimed.

But then, the excitement overtook my sick weak stomach and I had to run for the bathroom just as I did the night before. After freshening up, I wrapped myself in my old white bathrobe and walked out into my living room. I found her perched on the armrest of my overstuffed yellow sofa in the living room.

"So, you've finally come 'round, huh?" she asked in her ever present relaxed tone. "I was worried that you might never come back to your senses and be doomed to the mortal life."

Shock crossed my face. I didn't know what to say. I didn't know how she knew anything.

"Coral, it is clear that your mind is still very unbalanced. Your memories have not quite come back to you yet. In fact, they may never come back to you. Only time will tell. The best I can do is help you sort out what you know right now between fact and the fictional life you created for yourself." Anna patted the back of the couch gesturing for me to come take my seat.

I felt unsure of what to do, so I did as I was bade. "Tell me, what do you know of me?" She seemed to be hiding a curiosity in her voice.

"Well," I began, "I know that you are Anna."

"Yes," she nodded, encouraging me to continue.

"You were friends with my sister, Grace." I explained.

Anna shook her head. "Grace was not your sister."

"What?" I felt incredulous. "Of course she was." This seemed ridiculous.

"No," Anna said confidently. "Grace was your handmaiden. She came with you when you fled from the Underworld the first time."

I was already shaking my head. "No, I remember her. I remember her combing my hair as a child. She took care of me after my parents died."

"Tell me, Coral, do you have any pictures of your parents? What schools did you go to? Do you have any yearbooks?"

I felt my mouth fall open. I was speechless. Of course it would have been very normal to have yearbooks or even photos of my parents or my sister, but I had none. Looking around, my walls were devoid of anything. My sheer white curtains were the only things I had hung up.

"Coral, Grace was your handmaid." Anna was resolute and I knew that no matter how hard it was to swallow, she was telling me the truth.

"She did comb your hair as a child. Although she looked young she was ancient in years. She had helped raise you girl. And when she died it was because the light inside her that kept her immortal went out. She couldn't handle the amount of time spent in the mortal world and she turned human and passed on." Anna's tone was somber.

"But how do you know all this?" I asked, perplexed that Anna would even have these answers.

"I have these answers," she said, reading my thoughts, "for two reasons. One, is that I had kept a close eye on you, keeping a correspondence with Grace and even coming to live on occasion in the mortal realm from time to time. The second reason is because I am your doctor. I was the one you would see daily at the Dark Palace while you were still married to Cove. You suffered terrible sexual and physical trauma inflicted upon you by his father, the monsterous King Lucius."

The name caused a shudder of fear roll to within me and I ran for the bathroom again. This time I didn't quite manage to make it all the way there and I soiled the bathrobe I was wearing. I was tired of the endless cycle of sickness, I rinsed my mouth and quickly changed into a pair of satin pajama shorts and matching top. I shoved my feet into my slippers and came back to sit with Anna on my old comfy couch and ask more questions.

"So, if you were my faery doctor that means, you're a witch!" I was both afraid and excited at the news. It wasn't really a question but statement of the obvious.

"Yes," she smiled at me for the first time since she arrived. "You have dreamed up quite a fantastical backstory for yourself. Most of which is a complete fabrication, but you seem to be doing well now that the veil has been lifted."

I was about to ask her more questions, but I was too overwhelmed and ran to the bathroom again, sick with my newfound knowledge. When I came back to sit on the couch again Anna handed me a cool dish towel from the kitchen.

"Thank you," I said, as I placed it over my eyes. The brightness of the rising sun was dreadful. I missed my home in the Underground with it's eternal cover of night.

"You're welcome." There was an obvious glee in her voice and I peeked out from underneath the cold cloth to stare at her.

"What?" I was bothered by the smug knowing grin on her face.

"You are a lot stronger than you give yourself credit for. Even if you weren't before, you are now, or at least you are going to have to be," she said.

"Oh yeah?" I retorted. "And why is that?" I hadn't meant to be so snippy but I was in a mood. I just lost everything I cared about and come to find out I had been lying to myself about everything I thought I knew was reality.

Anna came near and sat next to me on the couch, placing her hand atop mine. I knew she was making an effort to comfort me, but the mere fact that she was trying to comfort me had the opposite effect.

"Coral, tell me how you realized that you were Cove's wife."

Her tone was kind and I found myself comforted by it. I recounted to her what had happened to me yesterday before my wedding ceremony began. I told her all about the nightmares and how it lead me to choose a black wedding dress. How I stood in front of my mirror and the memory of Cove and Phoenix's mother's funeral and how their dad raped me on the colonnade on the way to my room.

It wasn't until that moment, when I stood in front of my floor length mirror in my bedroom suite at the Dark Palace wearing my black wedding dress, that I realized I was the other woman. I was already married, I was the one who had abandoned Cove and our life together, and I was the one who cheated. I was the adulteress who had fallen in love with someone else. I never imagined that I could be his wife.