Ensnaring His Dark Moon

They seemed to be prepared to stand up for her if she said Yes, ''We argued,'' She said without batting an eyelid. 

''Let's go and meet him now,'' King Alexander narrowed his eyes. 

''I am grateful for your concern, Your Majesty. But the Prince would think that I incited you to...''

She did not complete the rest of the words but the man seemed to have understood what he meant. 

''That...." Alexander inhaled a deep breath, trying to be as poised as ever, "I will talk to him tomorrow," After all, he did not want to escalate the lovers' quarrel.

Esme smiled in satisfaction, not feeling a little guilty over pushing the little blame to Aleister. He can think of this as her retaliation for every time he scared her by appearing inside her room like a ghost. 

The entire dinner was rather peaceful with them bringing up small matters and Esme answering them. She knew they were aware that she was living with Aleister, in his room but they did not bring that up which made her relieved. 

King Alexander was the first to leave the dining room as a guard came to whisper something to him. 

''You should go to bed early,'' Duchess Flora whispered meaningfully as she pushed her husband's wheelchair. 

Esme lowered her head in contemplation. Why is Duke Maverick in this so sickly?

She had always wondered about this but it was not her place to ask anyone about this so she has held herself back. 

Duchess Flora smiled, thinking that the little lady was shy. 

Esme curtsied to both the Duke and the Duchess as they left. 

She glanced at their retreating backs and a small frown settled on her face. 

As she walked out of the dining room, she wondered whether Aleister was back yet. Her footsteps came to a halt when she sensed another presence around her. Her expressions shifted slightly when she turned around. 

The man also halted when he noticed her, ''My Lady,'' He nodded and lowered his head as his silver hair framed his face. 

''Mr. Aiden?" Esme recognized this man as the magistrate's acquaintance. 

''You remember me?" He smiled gently as he walked towards her only stopping at an appropriate distance. 

''I do have an impression of you. You resemble someone I used to know,'' Esme glanced at his face quietly.

''I am honored,'' His smile grew wider, ''It's not safe for you to walk around the Castle alone at this hour.'' 

Esme tilted her head to the side, ''I don't think strangers are welcome in the Castle at this hour,'' She said. 

''I am here with the Magistrate, My Lady. You should go back to your room,'' The man's eyes remained gentle as tranquil water as he nodded at her before leaving. 

Esme glanced at his retreating back before averting her gaze. He had her attention because of the way he resembled her elder brother. But she had seen him dying in front of her own eyes and this person did not seem to know what she was talking about. 

A little disheartened, Esme turned to walk towards Aleister's room, hoping to see him there. 

''Leo, is your Master back yet?" She asked as she stepped inside the room but her brows tugged together when she found it empty. She walked towards Aleister's bed, ''Leo... '' A small gasp escaped her mouth when she was suddenly pinned to the table beside the bed. Her heart nearly leaped out of her throat and she tilted her head, ''When did you come here?'' She was exasperated. 

''Does that matter, Princess?" Aleister asked as he glanced at her. 

Esme nodded, ''It does. You scare me,'' She sighed, taking a step back only to realize that her back was touching the table.

''Scare you? How?" He raised his hand and tucked the loose piece of her hair behind her ear.

By the time Esme realized what he did, he had already retracted his hand. 

''You always appear out of thin air...'' She blinked and averted her gaze. 

''I believed you would be used to me by now?"

''No, I am still...'' Esme paused, ''Used to you?" 

Aleister nodded, ''Don't you know what I mean?" His voice was very low and it could have been a whisper. 

''I don't,'' Esme shook her head. Sometimes, he said they were accomplices and at times, he is... She never thought much about it because she can never comprehend him no matter how she tried. And she did not want to decipher his intentions wrongly.

''Did I tell you you look quite beautiful at night?'' He tapped his finger on his shoulder. 

Esme was stunned. ''You... Did you drink?'' She asked curiously. One moment he was talking about something else and the other moment, he was telling her that she was beautiful at... night. With his built, he was completely towering over her and Esme tried to step to the side. 

But Aleister caught hold of her wrist and he surprised her by placing his head on the crook of her neck, ''Stay like this,'' His voice was still dominant albeit low. 

Esme stiffened as she felt his warm breath tickling her neck. 

His weight was crushing her somehow and she was out of breath as she leaned back on the table holding the edge with her other hand. ''Is there something wrong?" She asked when he did not move. 

''Just stay like that. It will be fine,'' He whispered and Esme's neck arched when the tip of his nose grazed on her skin. ''Is it hurting?" 

She shook her head but then nodded, ''A little,'' Her back was pressed against the table so hard that it was beginning to hurt a little. 

''Alright,'' He said. 

Esme blinked. What's right about that?

Before she could comprehend it, she felt his grip on her wrist gradually loosening. And her relieved sigh was halfway through when his palm shifted to her back. It rested at a distance above her bottom and Esme's body went stiff. 

Her gown twirled and in the next moment, she found herself sitting on his lap while he sat on the bed with his back resting on the pillows and his face was buried in the crook of her neck. 

Their position was weird and Esme wanted to distance herself from him but she found something was amiss.. She could feel his uneven breathing on his neck.