Beauty and the Damned

10 | Vulnerable

Ariadne did it. She really did it. It was a spur of the moment and now that she has come to her senses, she couldn’t help but realize what she just did.

It was a few hours before sundown and she stayed in her chamber mostly. She sat on the door and faced the mirror. After what she did earlier using her hand, she went straight to sleep. Ariadne never felt that way before.

She immediately went to the bath to clean herself. Even in the bathtub, she couldn’t help but think about what happened earlier. It was probably the most brazen thing she has ever done to a man and she did not expect she would do it to a man who just arrived in her castle one day without warning.

Ariadne sighed as she submerged half her face in the water. She couldn’t help but blush as she remembered the feeling of him in her hands. She remembered she almost couldn’t wrap her fingers around him. Araidne felt the heat creeping into her cheeks and then she let herself drown in the water.

But she heard Delilah knocking on the door and calling her name. She sat straight in the tub and cleared her throat before she said, “Come in.”

Delilah came bringing her robe and her towel. She closed her eyes as she rested her head on the side of the tub. Get yourself together, Ariadne. This is no time to be lusting over your prisoner.

She got up from the bath and took the towel from Delilah’s hand. She wore her robe and looked at Delilah.

“What time is it?” she asked Delilah.

“Almost five in the afternoon, Your Majesty.”

“Call me Miss from now on.”

Delilah looked at her, confused. Of course, who wouldn’t get confused at that? She is a Queen and she wants to be called Miss?

“Only if we are alone, Delilah. I just figured Your Majesty is too long.” Liar. It was because Rowan had called her the same and at first it sounded like mockery but then as she heard him say it while she did what she did, it was it became her undoing.

She cleared her throat as Delilah was still giving her confused looks. “Are you alright… Miss?” Delilah asked, not sure of whether she should follow her or not. But Delilah knows it is better to follow what she wants rather than question it.

“I’m fine. I guess I am just a little nervous about what’s going to happen tomorrow.”

Delilah bowed slightly. “I have already prepared the throne room, Miss.”

“Did Rowan have his dinner already?”

Delilah shook her head. “But I already have it prepared—“

“I will take it to him,” she said and without so much an explanation, she walked towards the door and straight to the kitchen where she found the tray of food. Ariadne never had any prisoners and if she had one, her guards would handle it. Having Rowan as a prisoner was something she isn’t sure was the right thing to do. But she couldn’t take risks. The man once pointed a knife at her throat. But then they also shared something steamy earlier.

She shook her head and made her way to the dungeons only to find Rowan sitting on the floor. His eyes were on her the moment she stood in front of the cell. It did not escape her eyes when it roamed her body. She was wearing a simple dress. Not revealing enough but the way his eyes roamed her body, she might as well have stood naked there.

Rowan tilted his head and looked at her. “I suppose you’re here to continue what we started?” he asked as he stood up but she just furrowed her brows and tossed him a handcuff. Rowan looked at it and a grin flashed across his face.

“Oh,” he said as he picked up the handcuff. “You want me cuffed?” Another grin.

“Handcuff yourself. You said you wanted to be in a chamber. I will give you the chamber. But on one condition,” she said and walked closer towards the shelf. “You will stand with me in the throne room tomorrow.”

Rowan looked at her. His grin was still plastered across his face. “Me in a handcuff?” He chuckled. “You’re always full of surprises, Your Majesty. But then again, I did not expect you to do what you did, and yet it happened.”

She rolled her eyes. “Shut up and handcuff yourself. We’re going to your chamber.”

Rowan just gave her a wide grin before he picked up the handcuff and put it on himself. Ariadne immediately unlocked the cell and Rowan slowly walked towards the exit. She took the tray and handed it to him.

“Hurry,” she said as she walked behind him.

Rowan looked at her over his shoulders. “So what, am I going to be standing there behind you while you listen to your people’s concerns?”

She did not say anything. 

“Oh!” Rowan said and then faced her while walking backward. “You’re scared,” Rowan said as if he was so sure that was the reason.

She gave him a look and he just grinned. “You’re scared of what the people would do to you after all that you’ve done for them.”

Ariadne looked at Rowan and was about to say something when Rowan said, “It’s normal. I don’t know what kind of deeds you did that made your people loathe you that much but you swore you have changed and you’re willing to prove it to them. That should be enough.”

She swallowed hard at what he said. “But you can’t blame them too. I’m just telling you now that you can’t win them overnight. Some of them will still hate you and that’s fine.” He shrugged. “And it’s okay to be scared. Sometimes, when we do something out of the ordinary, something new, it’s nerve-wracking. But if you feel that it’s a good kind of new, then go for it.”

Rowan offered him a smile and she made a lot of realizations with what he said.

“You know I made you prisoner. Why didn’t you attack me the moment you had the chance?”

Rowan looked at her and then to the ceiling as if thinking about the reason. Ariadne shook her head as she continued to walk and Rowan was still walking backward. Then he looked at her with a naughty grin on his face. Before she could even tell him not to answer the question, he already did.

“Because for one, what you did earlier was something phenomenal.”

She felt her cheeks flushed and she thanked the dark surroundings that Rowan wasn’t able to spot it. She did not react to it and just kept walking.

“Two, you didn’t really give me a choice. It was do or die. And three, I couldn’t kill you. Not when you offered me shelter and not when I saw the look in your eyes. For some reason, you wanted me here for this Dragon Heart. You won’t believe me if I tell you I don’t have it. What better way to tell you than to show you?” He grinned and she couldn’t help but sigh at that.

She doesn’t really know what the witch meant by Dragon’s Heart. It could be mean literally or metaphorically—either are hard to find. But then she had another clue. The witch gave another clue before and that was to learn to love. Sounds easy but she doesn’t know if it is really easy. That’s why she needs Rowan. He magically appeared in her castle one day. The witch told her he knows something too. It may not be the dragon’s heart but perhaps the witch meant to say she just has to learn to love Rowan and the curse will be lifted and love—it doesn’t come easy, she realized.

They arrived at his chamber and she followed him inside.

She laid the tray on the table and watched Rowan as he sat on the bed. She raised her brow at him.

“How am I supposed to eat with these?” He raised his hand to show him the handcuff. He then tilted his head. One thing she observed about Rowan is that he tilts his head when he is about to say something obnoxious.

“You might have to feed me, Your Majesty.”

She narrowed her eyes as she looked at him. “Nobody ever lived to see tomorrow when they tell me what to do.”

It was then Rowan laughed. “You can pretend to be wicked and cruel all you want with me, Your Majesty but I see you. And besides, you need me. You can’t possibly kill me, can you?” He grinned as he saw how she gave him a dirty look.

“Come on, Your Majesty. It’s not like it would kill you to feed me.”

She looked at him, unable to move with his handcuff. He would stand behind him tomorrow. The least she could do is feed him. She sighed and without saying anything, she dragged the chair in front of him. She still has more a lot of time before the sun sets. She could spare some time.

So she sat on the chair and fed him his meal, ignoring his glances and his occasional grins.

"So what did you do?" asked Rowan out of the blue. She knows what he meant and she doesn't know if she should tell him or not.  Ariadne doesn’t want to answer but then Rowan’s going to be with her tomorrow to face the villagers. The least she could do is to tell him something about it.

She doesn’t really know what the witch meant by Dragon’s Heart. It could be mean literally or metaphorically—either are hard to find. But then she had another clue. The witch gave another clue before and that was to learn to love. Sounds easy but she doesn’t know if it is really easy. That’s why she needs Rowan. He magically appeared in her castle one day. The witch told her he knows something too. It may not be the dragon’s heart but perhaps the witch meant to say she just has to learn to love Rowan and the curse will be lifted and love—it doesn’t come easy, she realized.

They arrived at his chamber and she followed him inside.

She laid the tray on the table and watched Rowan as he sat on the bed. She raised her brow at him.

“How am I supposed to eat with these?” He raised his hand to show him the handcuff. He then tilted his head. One thing she observed about Rowan is that he tilts his head when he is about to say something obnoxious.

“You might have to feed me, Your Majesty.”

She narrowed her eyes as she looked at him. “Nobody ever lived to see tomorrow when they tell me what to do.”

It was then Rowan laughed. “You can pretend to be wicked and cruel all you want with me, Your Majesty but I see you. And besides, you need me. You can’t possibly kill me, can you?” He grinned as he saw how she gave him a dirty look.

“Come on, Your Majesty. It’s not like it would kill you to feed me.”

She looked at him, unable to move with his handcuff. He would stand behind him tomorrow. The least she could do is feed him. She sighed and without saying anything, she dragged the chair in front of him. She still has more a lot of time before the sun sets. She could spare some time.

So she sat on the chair and fed him his meal, ignoring his glances and his occasional grins.

"So what did you do?" asked Rowan out of the blue. She knows what he meant and she doesn't know if she should tell him or not.  Ariadne doesn’t want to answer but then Rowan’s going to be with her tomorrow to face the villagers. The least she could do is to tell him something about it.

She sighed and gently scooped the soup with a spoon. “I once watched a man get stabbed in front of me. Did nothing about it.” She looked at him and he was also looking at her. “I was Queen and I could do anything I want. Nobody would dare oppose.”

Rowan was strangely silent so she went on, “I ordered a man to be beheaded. I killed a woman’s daughter—it was terrible and I deserved the punishment.”

“And what was the punishment?” Rowan asked and she froze. “What was the punishment you so desperately want to—“

“You don’t need to know, Rowan.” She sighed and looked at the watch. “I need to go.” She stood and took the keys. She went closer to Rowan and removed the handcuffs.

“You can feed yourself. I want you to be at the throne room tomorrow,” she said and took the handcuff from him. Rowan just watched and did not say anything. Perhaps he has a lot of things in his mind after what she said. Perhaps he was disgusted. She told Rowan to come to the throne room tomorrow but she isn’t really expecting him to be there. She wouldn’t be surprised if Rowan’s gone by morning and she couldn’t blame him.

So she walked out of his chamber and went to her chamber and waited for the sun to set.

* * *