The Tyrant's Pet

When Abel left, a small unit of knights came into Aries's room to carry the princesses back to their rooms. Even after the knights worked on it and the servants cleaned up the coffee table, Aries remained seated on the settee.

"My lady?" Gertrude called to snap Aries back to the current lapse. "It's already time for dinner."

"I'm not hungry."

Gertrude pursed her lips into a thin line, looking at Aries worriedly. Aries had been on that same spot for hours now and the sun was about to set already.

"Should I run you a bath, my lady?" she asked, not forcing Aries to eat, knowing she couldn't force her.

"No, Gertrude." Aries fluttered her eyelashes, staring at the empty spot of the divan where Abel sat on previously. "I'll call for you when I want to. I just want to rest for now."

"Alright."

Gertrude didn't probe like usual and walked towards the stand to light up a candle. However, just as she held the match, she stopped.

"My lady?" she looked back at Aries with furrowed brows.

"Leave it," Aries muttered. "Just leave."

"But my lady…"

"I want to be alone, Gertrude." Aries snapped her eyes in Gertrude's direction. "Just leave it."

Gertrude frowned and sighed. "Then I'll, at least, prepare the fireplace."

"No."

"My lady, the night can be chilly."

"It's fine, Gertrude." A subtle smile turned up on Aries's face. "Don't worry about it. Don't worry about me. I'm simply upset, but I'll be fine by tomorrow."

"My lady…" Gertrude bit her tongue and sighed once more. She held her hand in her front, bowing deeply. "If you ever need me, I'll be on standby."

When Gertrude straightened her back, her eyes softened in worry seeing that Aries had looked away. Every candidate could only bring one servant and a knight that wouldn't need to go through the palace's approval. Hence, Gertrude and Climaco had been assisting Aries ever since she stepped foot in the imperial palace.

Therefore, she knew that the only reason Aries was this upset was because of the emperor. No one could upset Aries — not the candidates or any disparaging rumors about her — aside from the emperor. Gertrude couldn't blame them, though.

"My lady, I apologize if I may have stepped out of my bounds by saying this," Gertrude remarked before she leave. "Marriage isn't all about rainbows and butterflies. There were times you won't see eye to eye, but if you communicate, I'm certain everything will be fine."

Aries glanced at Gertrude and smiled subtly. "No, Gertrude." She then slowly peeled her eyes away from her to the window.

"Communication is not the key to a long-lasting relationship," she continued, letting out a faint sigh. "Comprehension is. We can communicate all we want but won't understand each other, and right now, that's the problem."

Gertrude lowered her eyes. "Even so, everything will be fine if both parties are willing. I'll be on my way, my lady."

With that being said, Gertrude walked away as silently as possible. When the door clicked as it closed, Aries breathed out deeply.

"We're always willing, Gertrude…" Aries whispered, keeping her eyes outside as the room grew darker and silent. "... but not now when the emotions are high and cloud our judgments."

Perhaps it was her heart or just the way she wanted to live right now that she didn't understand Abel. Of course, she knew he was afraid of losing her. Abel was older than her ancestor and someone who wouldn't die.

Death had given him an exception on his list. Thus, he was afraid to be left alone. At least, losing her wasn't in his plans right now or in the next several decades.

"Time is the only thing he has…" her quiet voice in this dark room sounded louder than usual. "... I do not have that much."

In other words, Abel could be selfish and only think of his own because he had time. He had many days to correct his mistakes and use mercy. But Aries only had one and because she was a witch, turning her into a vampire wasn't an option.

If the process of turning wasn't complicated for a witch, he would've convinced her long ago. If that happened, they didn't have such an argument. But the situation was different.

Turning her right now could lead to her quick death. A death of no return. They couldn't risk that from happening. The reason Abel was extra careful, knowing turning Aries into a vampire, was a risk he wasn't confident to take right now.

It was not like they were in a hurry.

Even so, Aries was conflicted. She had mentioned she understood Abel, and that wasn't a lie. But should she stop caring just because life was full of twists and turns and uncertainties? Should she feel sorry for not feeling sorry because she didn't regret helping a child at the risk of her life?

Amid the long silence in the room, the faint creak from a direction caressed Aries's ears. Even without seeing in this darkness, Aries knew that sound came from the direction of the shelf where the secret passage was.

"Should I… live in fear just because I can die?" Aries inquired at the person who came in, keeping her eyes on the window where the only light source was coming from. "Was it called living when every step, you have to be cautious of your surrounding?"

"When I discovered Abel was immortal, I was always worried at the back of my head. Back then, I didn't know about the Turned vampires, but there's this thought that immediately came into my head." Aries slowly shifted her eyes towards the other end of the dark room. Despite the darkness reigning in the room, she knew exactly what was in that part of the room.

She blinked, and the flames in the fireplace appeared out of nowhere. The orange flame with a tint of red danced, engulfing the woods and bringing enough light into the room for her to see.

"Do you know what that thought was, Master?" Aries shifted her eyes to the figure sitting across from her. Marsella was sitting comfortably with her leg resting over the other and her arms over the armrest.

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