Beauty and the Damned

14 | Theories and Exploration

When Ariadne was cursed, she also cursed everything. She cursed the walls of her castle covered with different kinds of flowers, she cursed the smell of it lingering through the halls and even to her chamber, she cursed the witch who disguised herself as someone else just to curse her, she cursed her childhood, she cursed her mother and her father, and she cursed herself.

Ariadne ordered to have the mirrors thrown away. She was once the most beautiful woman that ever lived. Someone being sought to by Princes and Kings. Who wouldn’t want a beautiful Queen by their side? But her beauty became a curse and she couldn’t even look at herself in the mirror. When night comes, her body gets covered in fur, her eyes become electric yellow, she grows fangs, and her hands become claws. A beast, as they called her and when she saw what she looked like for the first time, she agreed. She is a beast. Her Kingdom was forgotten and so is she.  

“Are you certain about this, Miss?” Delilah asked while pacing inside her chamber. Then she faced her. “He’s your only chance. What if he gets scared and runs away?”

She stopped brushing her hair and looked at Delilah through the mirror. “Then he is not the one who can help me, Delilah.”

Delilah sighed. “What about the Dragon’s Heart? Does he know about it?”

The Dragon Heart. It was something still mysterious to her. Yet she could tell that Rowan has something to do with it no matter how much he tried to deny it. The witch said so and she will find out about it no matter what.

“I think he has some connection to it. Perhaps the witch meant it as a metaphor. It can’t be a literal dragon’s heart.” She put the brush down and sighed. “I am not only saving myself now. I am the Queen and I also have to save my people.” She faced Delilah. “That is why I have to do this. Marry him and this Kingdom will be saved. I might find answers about the curse in the long run.”

Delilah was silent but she knows she’s weighing the odds. Then Delilah looked at her and smiled. “I know you will make the right decision, Miss.”

It felt good. Someone who would be there and tell her she did great. Because all her life she never once heard someone telling her to do great. She was mediocre but most of the time, bad. Since then, Ariadne stopped trying to be good. 

She did not say thank you. Delilah already knows how thankful she is. She just smiled at her and went back to brush her hair in front of the mirror. Tonight will be the night she will show Rowan all of her. IF he runs, he is not meant to help her. If he doesn’t, then it is worth the try.

“What would you do if he runs away and tells the world about you, Miss?”

Ariadne has given it a thought. She realized the world is a cruel place at such a young age. If Rowan tells other people about her being a beast, there’s a big chance she will be considered a threat and will be hunted down. Before the happens, she will make sure to end Rowan’s life. A shame, but she will have to do it.

She stared at herself in the mirror and stood. Her eyes were cold as she beheld herself in the mirror. “I would have to do what’s necessary, Delilah,” she said and walked towards the door. She knows Delilah knew what she meant. Before she got out, she faced her loyal servant. “And perhaps give up on finding the cure or this curse. I can still be Queen with or without it,” she said and walked out before Delilah could even answer.

Ariadne did not dare go to his chamber. She made a mental note not to do it again with the Prince even as they are about to become husband and wife--should everything go well and he wouldn’t run off like a scared cat after he sees what she becomes at night. She couldn’t help but wonder what has gotten into her that she let it all happen but no matter how much she tries to feel regret about it, she couldn’t. It felt good. Nobody has ever made her feel that good before. Rowan was the first one to make her feel like that. As if he ignited something in her and now she couldn’t turn it off no matter how much she tries to.

But the dreams were still there but unlike before, it isn’t as rampant. Sometimes, she would dream about the feeling of his raw manhood in between her legs, thrusting in and out. She shook the memory away. 

She found herself inside the library. It was where Delilah had kept all the books she ordered to be thrown out before. Apparently, Delilah was secretly hoarding them and putting them in the library. She has read the books that Delilah had placed in her chamber and now she wants more. The book did talk about curses and how to lift them and she realized love was always the cure for everything. If someone learns to love the cursed, it would be lifted but she thought of it as absurd. How could someone learn to love her when she’s hideous inside and out? So she ditched those books and she tries to find something new. Only to find Rowan inside the library, too.

“What are you doing here?” she asked. Rowan did not even lift his eyes from the book.

“I didn’t realize I am imprisoned in the chamber too,” he said and flipped to the next page of the book he was reading.

“How did you find this place?”

He looked at her and the way his eyes roamed her body did not escape her eyes. “Quite simple, really. Your loyal servant told me when I asked her.”

She closed her eyes firmly. Of course, it’s Delilah. She heaved a deep breath. “Leave. You’re not allowed here,” she said and Rowan’s eyes met hers once again.

“You sure?” he said and waved the book he was holding. Then Rowan flipped the cover and read the title. “I was planning on helping you find something about your curse. Perhaps it could give me a heads up on what I should be expecting tonight,” he said. “And I found something interesting while I was reading this particular book.” He stood and walked towards her. She swallowed hard as she met his penetrating gaze that pinned her on the spot. She couldn’t move, nor step back as Rowan made his way towards her. She swore not to get swayed by this man anymore but her body isn’t even cooperating.

Rowan lifted her chin to meet his gaze and she couldn’t help but gulped as she realized how close he is to her. He tilted his head and his eyes drifted to her lips.

“Stop it,” she muttered but it sounded like she was running out of breath. She mentally cursed herself.

“Stop what?”

She cursed mentally. Even his voice sounded so sensual she doesn’t know if it was just her imagination or if perhaps Rowan was purposely doing it so. She felt his thumb caressing her chin gently as if he found it mesmerizing. Then he leaned closer to her that she hitched her breath. She doesn’t understand how this man could make her feel so helpless when she was supposed to be someone who is in control. She is Queen Ariadne and she is someone feared. Yet Rowan could easily make her buckle her knees.

“What should I stop, Your Majesty?” he said, his voice was almost a whisper. She let out a shuddering breath as she felt him too close. Too close that she could feel his hot breath on her lips. He is teasing her. He is playing with her like a cat playing with its food, yet she couldn’t protest for some reason. She likes it.

Rowan took a step forward, pushing her towards the shelf. She heard the books rattle as she hit her back on the shelf. She couldn’t care less and neither was Rowan. His thumb was still on her chin and she could feel his hands slowly snaking their way around her waist, doing lazy circles on the fabric of her dress.

“Do you know what I found so interesting?” he asked and she closed her eyes as she felt Rowan’s breath now on her neck. Unconsciously, she lifted her head to give him more access and when she felt his hot tongue trailing her neckline, she couldn’t help but moan. “I read something about lifting the curse, Your Majesty,” he said and stopped at the base of her neck to suck it this time. She found her hands on clasping his shoulders. She could push him away easily but she couldn’t.

“An interesting theory, I might say,” he whispered when his mouth found her earlobe and bit it. She let out a sound and she could have sworn she felt him smirk. “Love,” he said and pressed himself closer to her. “The book says if some learn to love the cursed and the cursed learns to love too, then it would lift the curse.” She felt him sniffed her neck and the sound he made afterward was her undoing.

“Why are you doing this?” she said, breathless. Then she felt both his hands going down, caressing her legs gently and then back to her waist where he stopped for a while to play with the ribbon that was keeping her dress together. Then she hitched a breath when she felt his hands undoing the ribbon behind her.

“I figured it would be worth it to test the theory,” he said and with one swift pull, he untangled the ribbon and her dress fell to the floor. She saw the feral glint in his eyes as he watched her naked in front of him. He did not say anything and he did not give her a chance to say something as he leaned and sucked her breast. She felt him graze his teeth on her n*****s and she wrapped her arms around his neck, pulling him closer. A sound came out of her mouth. 

While his one hand was busy squeezing her other breast, his other hand was roaming downwards until it reached the waistband of her panties. He did not waste any time and inserted his hands inside to feel the wetness between her legs. She heard him mutter a curse before he went to suck her other breast. With a flick of his tongue, his mouth started to travel south. She gasped and her hands found the shelf to hold for support as she felt like she would collapse any moment.

When Rowan’s lips stopped at her belly button, she closed her eyes and bit her lower lip to stifle her moans even as the library was built to conceal any sound. His hands were still at the waistband of her underwear while he trailed kisses around her belly.

Then she felt his hot breath on the surface of the fabric of her underwear. She was breathing heavily as she looked down on him. When he looked up to meet her gaze, a smirk curved across his lips before he planted a small kiss on top of her core and she did not stifle the moan that escaped her mouth. Her hand instantly went to grasp a handful of his hair as she felt him sniff her essence. It was hot and yet she could feel goosebumps all over her body. But when she felt his tongue playing with her core, she pressed his head closer to her. She wanted more. She wants him to do more of what he was already doing. Rowan moaned as he played with her slit and the vibration of his voice against her skin was something that made her ache for more.

“More,” she said and she couldn’t believe she actually said it out loud. But she didn’t care and Rowan was liking it. She heard him chuckle and with a flick of his tongue on her clit, he pulled her underwear down exposing her cunt. Ariadne shivered as she watched Rowan looking between her legs. Anticipation was building inside of her as Rowan was hovering over her s*x, teasing, playing, and making her ache for more.

“Please,” she rasped and Rowan looked at her. He was already kneeling on the floor and his cunt is only a few centimeters away from his face.

Then she felt his finger tracing her slit. He was indeed teasing her and she couldn’t take it anymore. “Please, what?” he asked, grinning as he was rubbing his finger over her folds. She closed her eyes and bit her lip as she tipped her back, breathing heavily and gripping the shelf rather tightly that her knuckles turned white. She wanted more. She wanted the ache. She doesn’t care if she could get sore. She wanted his sweat to drop on her and she wanted her s*x fluid to drop on him—on his face or in his mouth. She wanted to feel his tongue and his mouth kissing and sucking her folds.

She looked at him kneeling before her. He was looking at her too, grinning as he watched her going crazy for what he was doing with her clit. “I want your mouth, Rowan,” she rasped. “Please.”

Rowan let out a sensual laugh before he said, "As you wish, Your Majesty.”

With a swift motion, he hauled her leg and wrapped it around his shoulder. Before she could even prepare herself, she felt his tongue in her folds.

“Rowan!” she screamed his name as she was breathing heavily. Rowan wasn’t planning on doing it gently. He devoured her cunt as if it was his last meal. He sucked her hard that her eyes rolled back with the sensation. She grasped a handful of his hair and pulled her closer to her. Then one of his hands trailed upward until it reached her breast and he played with her n****e. While her other hand was playing with her hole as his tongue continued to suck on her clit.

She doesn’t remember how many times she called his name and she doesn’t remember how many times she screamed but when she has reached her peak, Rowan’s mouth remained in her p***y sucking every drop of her juice. Her knees buckled with the sensation and she was panting heavily the moment she had her release. But Rowan was not yet done as he continued to give her fold gentle licks. She could also feel him gently sucking her folds.

“Rowan,” she called and tried to push him away but he isn’t stopping.

“You taste so f*****g good,” he said as he looked at her. The sight of him kneeling in front of her with his mouth wet from her juices was enough to set her on fire once again. So when Rowan dove in for the second time, she did not protest and let him play with her.

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