The Tyrant's Pet

Just an hour after Aries returned to the Sapphire palace, she heard a commotion outside. Watching knights scurry in the dark from the balcony, the side of her lips curled up. It wasn't hard to figure out the cause of this panic. They had realized Roman had escaped.

"He's probably panting after slamming his hands on his desk," she mumbled and chuckled, imagining Joaquin's reaction to this news. "That's what you get for fucking with me."

Her eyes sharpened as they glinted. Her smile lines faded, huffing as Dexter's eyes suddenly crossed her head.

"That's the reason..." she whispered, forgetting about celebrating her win against Joaquin once again. "If that's the reason... then how can I get angry?"

Aries looked up at the night sky, barely seeing the moon with the thick clouds reigning over the sky. Dexter didn't give her the answer — not verbally — but the look in his eyes was enough to understand his reasoning. Aries was so familiar with self-disgust for her not to recognize that look in his eyes.

"Still... it was too much to take in," she continued with a deep sigh, hugging herself, closing her eyes to feel the midnight breeze. "I'm not even sure if I can look at him eye to eye."

When she reopened her eyes, sadness filled them with the thought of Abel. She understood him; she loved him. Therefore, she wanted to accept him. However, she couldn't deny this lingering fear in her heart. And to think she hadn't seen it herself, Aries couldn't just rear her head towards the unknown.

"What should I do...?" she whispered, thinking how she would react if Abel turned to someone like the emperor. This wasn't a matter of acceptance, but it was a matter of that situation she knew she would be in the near future.

Her grip around her shoulders trembled, staring at the sky with conflicting emotions. As this empire came to its inevitable end, she was starting to worry about herself and Abel.

"Never mind." She shook her head mildly and closed her eyes once more. "I shouldn't worry about us for now... I should focus."

Aries huffed and looked at the sky with determination. Her grip on her biceps loosened as she smiled weakly.

"Papa... Davien... Alaric... everyone... the curtains are about to close. I know what I am going to do and had done will never be something that puts a smile on your face, but... I'll kill him." She laughed weakly as heat formed in her eyes. "I'll give you the justice you deserved... even when I might not join you up there anymore."

Her smile trembled, but she was forced to keep it. Deep in her heart, she wished that her family went to the paradise above where they could be at peace. Meanwhile, Aries would surely go to the opposite place with every decision and action she made until now.

"Just remember... I regret nothing." This time, her eyes showed clarity and resolved, huffing the tension swelling in her chest. She stared at the night sky for a moment and spoke her heart telepathically.

"Until then..." she peeled her eyes away from the night sky and turned on her heel to walk back inside her room. "... I'll keep dancing with the devil."

*****

<strong>[ Palace Library ]</strong>

Abel opened his eyes ever so slowly, catching the high ceiling immediately. Even without checking his surroundings, he knew Conan and Dexter had left him alone. It had been hours since Dexter came to taunt him.

"Darling..." he whispered, nearly echoing in this piercing silence. "... what do you think about me?"

He had his eyes closed for hours, but his brain was far too active to get some rest. Dexter's reaction was too vague, but if he would base it on Dexter's personality, the marquess was probably hurt.

"Did you shun him?" he wondered, and then followed by a thick silence. "I should've asked Conan for a coffin before he left. I'm dying already..."

There was not a vestige of sadness in his eyes, nor did it bear fear. If anything, Abel kept a straight face despite expressing his honest thoughts regarding the matter. He was numb, and somehow... he already expected this to happen from the very beginning.

Abel had tons of time to prepare himself for this day.

"If this had happened sooner... she would be dead," he muttered, retrieving his feet from the table. "If it happened a little later... which is now... it's me who would go."

He pushed himself up and sauntered off leisurely. His aura was too relaxed for someone whose heart was on the brink of falling into bits. Knowing the things at hand, Abel didn't want to stay idle and get eaten by the uncertainty. He wasn't the type to ignore his urges, even if that urge was only one percent.

Walking through the hallway, Abel stopped at the vacant sitting room in silence. He headed straight to the balcony, standing in the middle, breathing in deeply, and then breathing it out through his mouth.

A hiss slipped past his lips, grinding his growing fangs as something protruded from his back. In one quick clap, giant wings broke free, shading him from the faint light of the moon.

"Rest in peace, me," he remarked sarcastically, jumping from the balcony before flying up high — higher than the tallest castle in the imperial palace. This had been the easiest way to reach her even in Haimirich, so it only took him a few minutes before landing on the balcony of her room.

As soon as his feet touched the surface of the veranda, his wings slowly shrunk back in, standing in front of the door. His hand stopped as he reached for the doorknob. It was open. Not just unlocked, but it was left ajar.

He looked at it for several seconds before pushing it open, listening to its faint creak. As soon as he entered, his eyes landed on the empty bed.

"I must say those wings are quite huge..." her soft yet stern voice rang in his ear, making him turn his head until his eyes landed on the figure sitting on the settee in this dark room. "... or perhaps it was just the shadow?"

Aries crossed her arms and leaned back, resting her leg over the other. "I've been expecting you, Your Majesty."