The Tyrant's Pet

Although there were downsides that everyone in Dexter's estate had keen eyes, there were still too many things that worked to Aries's advantage. Since no one in this place had ever seen Daniella's face, it was easier to act as Daniella. 

Aries clipped the tip of her hair in between her fingers, sitting on the edge of the mattress.

"I need to change my hair color first," she whispered, snapping her brows as her eyes gazed at the mirror in her new bedroom. "Let's see..."

She pushed herself up, marched towards the mirror, and perched on the stool. She looked at herself intensely, raising a finger to point at her cheekbone. 

"I need to have a little resemblance with Marquess Vandran, but we don't really look much alike." Aries tilted her head to the side, imagining Dexter's face beside hers. Her eyes fluttered countless times, while her frown was growing worse. 

"I need a total makeover. Good thing Abel painted my body, so I can use the excuse I dyed my hair out of boredom." She nodded in agreement, thinking what kind of persona Daniella would have. "Pampered, sweet, and... just a little of everything. Now that I think about it, that man... what does he like?"

With everything that was going on, Aries couldn't help but think of things she knew about the Maganti Empire and the people there. She lived in that hell for two years and several months. Therefore, she knew a thing or two of the royalties' preferences and such. 

"It's fine, Aries... you'll be fine," she whispered, relaxing her grip on the edge of the table attached to the mirror. "It's fine now. You can do it. Trust the process." 

Aries took deep breaths while patting her chest. Every time she thought of the Maganti Empire, a surge of memories would always flash in her eyes. Her heart would then drum against her chest until she was out of breath. Not just those god-awful years would come back to her, but the cries of her people, their determined yells, and the sight of their lifeless body flocking the streets of Rikhill. 

It was terrible. 

But she had to face them now. "You're not alone, Aries." She raised her eyes and smiled wearily at her reflection, nodding encouragingly. 

"Remember. You're not alone anymore. There are people... powerful ones who are willing to help. And you, you have yourself... like always. I got your back, hmm?" she pressed her lips into a thin lip, forcing a smile on her face. 

Like always, Aries would always be there for Aries. She was her only ally in that place. She smiled when a sudden thought crossed her head. 

"Even if I turn my back on myself now, he wouldn't." She chuckled, biting her lower lip while shaking her head. "Goodness, I'm crazy, but he's a lunatic..."

Aries trailed off as she smiled bitterly, shifting her eyes at the glass doors connecting to the balcony. "Abel... I kinda miss him." She planted her hands on the surface of the table, pushing herself up to walk towards the balcony. 

As soon as she opened the door to the balcony, the cool night breeze blew past her. A smile resurfaced on her lips, letting the wind blow her hair back as she entered the balcony. Aries planted her hands on the railings, breathing in deeply before releasing it through her mouth. 

"I think I'm going crazy, Abel," she whispered, opening her eyes ever so slowly. "Really... it hadn't been a day since I left the Rose Palace, but I can't help but think of you." 

Normally, during this time, she and Abel would be wrestling under the sheet. It could be they were wrestling to feel each other's body or just tickling each other. The past week with just the two of them in the Rose Palace was nothing but... fun. 

It didn't matter if there weren't servants to help; they helped each other. Also, it gave them more activities to do together. She wouldn't deny that she slowly got used to that life. Sleeping beside him, sensing his fingertips stroke her spine, inhaling the scent of his skin, and listening to his heartbeat before she succumb to the darkness called sleep. 

"I was happy, Abel," came out another whisper, bending over to lean her arms against the railings. "You and I... were genuinely happy. I know because I felt it, Love."

She gazed at the faraway darkness, eyes in the direction of the imperial palace. Her subtle smile remained, thinking of him and their days together. It was surely a vacation with nothing to think about but themselves; a vacation where she felt so free for the first time in a very long time. 

"I wonder if he is thinking about me..." she trailed off as her smile suddenly faded. "He didn't call women to his bed now that I was gone, right?"

Aries tilted her head to the side. She might've fallen deeper and deeper into the 'abyss,' as what she called it. But Abel was fickle. It was so hard to trust a man like Abel since he was literally a ticking time bomb. 

Out of sight, out of mind. 

Those words suddenly hovered over her head, making her frown grow worse. A glare slowly replaced the affection in her eyes.

"I hope he is behaving himself. It's better if he loses his mind and goes in here," she grumbled, almost on the verge of ripping her scalp apart. "Ugh... Aries, why would you suddenly think like that? Don't you trust him?" 

This time, her expression instantly died. "Of course, I don't. That..." she ground her teeth, straightening her back while balling her hand into a fist. 

"Should I sneak out and catch him on the act? I'll kill him myself..." Aries trailed off when she caught a raven flying to the balcony. It didn't take a long time when the raven landed on the railing. 

"It's you..." she smiled in relief, eyes falling on the letter tied around its feet. "Abel."

Her eyes softened as she reached out to untie the letter around its feet. However, she stopped and sharpened her eyes, pointing a finger at the raven.

"Stay, alright? I need you to deliver a letter to your master." Aries narrowed her eyes before she cautiously took the letter. Seeing that the raven stayed on the railing, she heaved a sigh of relief while opening the small piece of paper. 

To her dismay, the context of the letter was three dots. Yes, just three dots!

"Is this some kind of secret code?" she wondered, clicking her tongue as Abel's letters weren't the usual long poetic ones. They were usually straight to the point, but it seemed he leveled up again. 

"Goodness... what does this mean, anyway?" Another sigh slipped past her lips as she shook her head, snapping her eyes at the raven before warning him again. "Wait for me, alright? I need you to send a letter to him." 

Aries hurried inside her room and headed directly to the study desk. She clumsily picked up the pen and ink, biting her lips as she wrote a short message. The side of lips curled up in satisfaction, blowing on it to dry it up quickly. Once it did, she hurriedly rolled it while sprinting back to the balcony. 

"Deliver it fast, alright?" she grinned while tying the drawstrings around the raven's feet. As soon as she finished tying it, she stepped back as the raven fluttered its wings, flying back to the imperial palace. 

"I really wish he is here," she whispered before going back in to rest as the air was getting chilly.