Beauty and the Damned

33 | The Last Shop In the West

The way he said sounded so easy that for a moment, she believed she could do it. He made it sound like it could be something they could both do. But she knew it wouldn’t be that easy. She has never loved someone and she doesn’t know how to do it.

Rowan must have seen the doubt on her face that she felt his hand on her face. She looked at him and there was every good thing in his eyes. There was comfort, assurance, and hope. She was still on top of him but she’s now clothed. Rowan, on the other hand, has his hands on her waist.

“We can take our time, Ariadne. It isn’t hard to love you,” he said and looked at her in the eyes. She looked at him and she couldn’t understand what she was feeling. She was nervous and confused as to what he was about to say.

“Rowan—“ She was cut off by his finger on her mouth.

“Let me talk first,” he said and his grip on her waist tighten. “It isn’t hard to love you, Ariadne. You’re driven. You’re passionate. And you might not want to believe but you’re kind. Whatever you think of yourself—be it wicked, cruel, or everything bad—I see the opposite. I see someone who is trying to be good. I see someone who tries her best to be kind. For her people, for the few people around her, and for herself.”

She felt her chin quivered as she looked at him. Rowan’s hand caressed her face gently. “You are not hard to love. You haven’t had it before and you resorted to wickedness to protect yourself.”

“But that doesn’t justify every cruel thing I have done, Rowan. I wasn’t kind. I wasn’t merciful. I got attached to the darkness that I wasn’t able to get free. I was the worst.”

“Was,” he said. “It’s all in the past. What matters now is what you’re doing to save your kingdom.”

“The kingdom that I myself brought into doom.” She felt her tears threatening to fall.

“And here you are, making yourself the subject of my brother’s schemes to pull your kingdom back out from the doom,” Rowan said. His voice was heartbreakingly gentle. “Past is the past. It doesn’t matter anymore. No matter how much you dread it, you can’t take it back. What’s done is done. What you can do now is do something in the present so your future would be better.”

She was about to say something but couldn’t find any words. Rowan continued, “And that is what you are doing now, Ariadne. Do not ever try to invalidate everything you have done so far just because of your past.”

Ariadne looked at his hazel gaze and couldn’t help but wonder what she has done to have met someone like him. If he hadn’t gone inside her castle that afternoon, she would have never met him.

“Why are you so good to me?” she asked as she leaned towards his shoulder and rested her head there. It was comfortable and she thought she could stay there forever.

She felt his arms circle around her waist and she heard him say, “Because you deserve everything good.”

Ariadne remained straddling on top of him for a few more minutes before they decided to go out. Fortunately, there was no lady outside of the room and that made her relieved that there wasn’t anyone who has heard her moans earlier. They wandered the city and she could tell how Rowan loves his kingdom and his people. She couldn’t help but be impressed.

When they were at the last shop that stood in the west, Rowan stopped and looked at it. When she looked at the shop, the surrounding was filled with various kinds of flowers. She could almost smell the fragrance of the flowers from where they stood. The shop itself looked cozy and she couldn’t help but have the urge to get inside.

She looked at Rowan as he was staring at the shop. Ariadne grabbed his hand and dragged him towards the shop. Rowan stopped and she looked at him.

“What? You look like you want to get in,” she said. Rowan was silent. “Come now,” she urged and pulled him again. Rowan hesitated for a moment but eventually, she managed to drag him to the shop. It was literally the last shop and if they walk further, they would reach another forest.

When she opened the door, Rowan stopped her again. She looked at him.

“Maybe we should head back—“

“Nonsense,” she said, waving her hand. “We’re already here. Besides, the shop looked cozy.” She peered through the glass of the door and that’s when she saw different kinds of sweets and pastries.

“This shop is amazing. Why is this located in this isolated part when the owner could have made a fortune in the central,” she said and opened the door. The bell above the door sounded and the smell of freshly baked bread immediately greeted her. She already knew the bread would be amazing.

She looked around but she couldn’t see anyone. As if on cue, the door beside the shelf of bread opened, and out came a woman. She looked like she’s in her early forties. She was wearing an apron and she could see smears of flour on her. When the woman saw them, she let out a wide smile before she greeted, “Welcome!”

Ariadne blinked. How could someone be so bright and cheerful? She thought. The woman’s eyes were smiling too as if she was really happy to see them in her shop. Rowan, on the other hand, looked uncomfortable. She didn’t mind him and smiled at the woman.

The woman came closer to them and smiled before she gestured to one of the vacant tables. “Please have a seat. What do you wish to order?” she asked. Her voice was gentle as if she doesn’t know how to get mad. She sounded like she has never been angry all her life. She smiled back and pointed towards the shelf of bread. When she looked at Rowan to ask him what he wants, he just said he’ll get anything she wants. The woman smiled at them before going back to the door where she came out.

She couldn’t help but wonder why Rowan was suddenly quiet. He was looking at the window where they could see the quiet street. “What’s wrong?” she asked Rowan and he looked at her. A look of surprise was plastered across his face.

Then he smiled and said, “Nothing.”

She shrugged and looked at the door when it opened. The woman was bringing them a basket of freshly made bread. Ariadne couldn’t help but close her eyes and let the aroma flow into her. The woman saw her do this and smiled. “It’s best to eat when it just got out of the oven,” the woman said. Ariadne smiled back and picked one piece of bread before taking a bite. And the moment it was in her mouth, she couldn’t help but moan with the rich flavors. She has never eaten bread like that before.

The woman seems to have enjoyed watching her eat the homemade bread. She enjoyed it indeed that she did not notice Rowan was not eating it. When she realized it, she looked at him and asked, “Why are you not eating?”

Rowan looked at her and plastered a smile. “Because I want to watch you eat,” he said and picked up a bread. The woman was on the counter, watching them enjoy her food.

By the time she finished, she was so full. The woman gave them juice and sat in front of them. She couldn’t help but gape at how beautiful the woman is now that she’s sitting close in front of her.

“Where have you two come from?” the woman asked.

Ariadne smiled and said, “We came from the capital. We were just walking around and we come across your shop.”

The woman nodded and then looked at Rowan. It was only brief and her gaze was back to her. “I’m Estela,” the woman said and extended a hand. Ariadne looked at her hand for a brief moment before she took it.

“My name’s Ariadne and this is Rowan,” she said.

The woman looked at Rowan and she could have sworn something passed in her eyes but it was gone as soon as it came. Then the woman smiled at them. “It’s nice to see young couples around. I haven’t had many customers.”

Estela and her talked different things and Rowan remained silent. She knows something is bothering him and she just doesn’t have any idea what it was. Estela didn’t mind, though. Perhaps she also noticed Rowan is uncomfortable that Estela didn’t talk much to Rowan.

By the time it was a couple of hours before sundown, they made their way back to the central. But they didn’t leave without Estela giving them a basket of bread for free.

Rowan was still silent as they walked back and she couldn’t help but wonder why. “Have I done something?” she asked. Rowan looked at her over his shoulder. Rowan stopped walking and faced her. There was something in his eyes but she couldn’t tell what it was. But then he smiled and tilted his head.

“What are you talking about?” He walked closer to her. “Perhaps I am just tired,” he said and grabbed her hand before they started walking. She couldn’t help but wonder if he was telling the truth. Rowan was smiling but she knows there must be something he isn’t telling her.

Perhaps he was just tired. She wants to believe it was the case but then something deep inside her tells her there’s more to it. And she hates her mind for even doubting him. She shook it off and they continued walking towards the Central. Ariadne shouldn’t be doubting him now. Not when he had told her she isn’t hard to love. Not when he’s her only hope.

By the time they arrived in the castle, it was almost sundown. She went straight to her chamber and Rowan told her he had something to take care of. The bread was enough to fill her stomach for the whole night.

Ariadne waited for Rowan to arrive that night. She waited until she has finished the whole basket of bread. She waited until it was dawn. She waited until she fell asleep. When she woke up, there was no Rowan on the other side of the bed. But a knock on the door woke made her get up and wear her robe.

When she opened the door, it was the person she least expected to see.

“Kali,” she said. She did not bother greeting him good morning because he isn’t there to exchange morning greetings with her. She saw how her eyes traveled down on her robed state and she couldn’t help but feel nervous. She made a mental note of not opening the doors before she was even dressed.

She was just too occupied with the thought of Rowan not in the chamber for the rest of the night that she thought it was him knocking on the door first thing in the morning. But she composed herself and eyed Kali until his eyes were back on her face.

“Surely whatever you needed to say could have waited until breakfast,” she said and crossed her arms. Kali looked at him. He looked irritated but he tries not to show it. Too bad, she’s been irritated too many times that she knows what irritated looks like.

“You should not be here,” he said, much to her surprise. She rolled her eyes and leaned on the door frame.

“Isn’t this threat a little too late?” she said.

Kali shook his head. “This isn’t a threat. I am just saying you do not belong here. You are not part of this family and you should never wish to become part of it. This is a warning, Ariadne,” he said and before she could even answer, he walked away, leaving her dumbfounded.

Breakfast came and she made her way to the dining hall where she saw the four brothers but not Rowan. She couldn’t help but get worried as to where he is. She eyed the four men silently having their breakfast. It was the sound of her footsteps that made them look at her. Rowan is absent which means if anyone among the brothers should try and do something on her, she will be all by herself. She should not let them know that Rowan is out and has not come back since last night.

“Good morning,” she chirped and all of them were just silently looking at her as she took Rowan’s seat. She could almost taste Malik’s disapproval but she paid him no mind.

She eyed Kali who was just looking at her with a blank expression on his face as if he didn’t come to her room early in the morning to tell her she doesn’t belong here. Then she met Leo’s gaze as he was looking at her over the rim of his glass. He looks like he wants to say something but refrained himself. She could tell they don’t want her there but why should she care. She swore to herself she would not let anything stop her from saving her kingdom. Even if it’s the four brothers who want to get rid of her.

So she looked at them one by one before she said, “If you wish to get rid of me, you have to do a better job.” She picked up the glass of water and sipped on it. “Because I am sticking here for as long as I want and you can’t do anything about it.”

The dining hall was quiet the moment she let out those words. She could feel the tension in the air. She has faced countless men before and they all feared him. Since the four of them already sees her as cruel and wicked, she figured why not play the part?

She took her time eating her meal while being aware of the sharp stares of the brothers in her direction but it was mainly Malik. She would give them occasional saccharine smiles but the rest but Kali, Leo, and Marcos don’t look like they were roused by her taunting. Ariadne would hear Malik’s occasional mumbles about her who should have not been sharing the table with them. She paid no mind. Just like how the three brothers ignored. She couldn’t help but wonder what’s going on in their minds. Are they plotting what to do next to get rid of her? What could it be? Are they going to kill her just like how they did to their father and their other brother?

However, as she looked at the three of them, she couldn’t help but notice something different. Because rather than looking threatening and menacing, they look more worried than hostile.

* * *