Beauty and the Damned

27 | Silencing the Quiet

She didn’t know how long the kiss lasted. The only thing she know at the moment was his lips on her, kissing her passionately as if it was the last time they would ever do it.

It was her who pulled away first and the moment she did, she was breathing hard. And so did Rowan. Their foreheads touched and her back was against the door.

“What was that for?” she asked, closing her eyes while breathing hard. She could still taste him in her mouth. She could still feel his tongue on the roof of her mouth.

Ariadne heard him chuckle before he said, “Because what we had a good start. My brothers are now spooked. They are threatened not only by me but by you.” He breathed and she could smell mint. “You did great today, Ariadne,” he said and she felt his hand on her cheek. Caressing gently.

She chuckled. Letting him near her. She opened his eyes and pulled away to look into his eyes. They were glinting as if putting the stars to shame. She wondered since when did his eyes start to look like that? She couldn’t bring herself to look away. His eyes seem to pull her close and she did. She crossed the very small distance between them and stared at his mouth. It was slightly open and like her, she’s certain that he could still feel the ghost of the kiss they shared earlier.

“Can we do it again?” she asked. She couldn’t believe how she brought herself to say it. Rowan wasn’t expecting it either but eventually, he smiled as if it was the best thing he heard today.

“With pleasure,” he said, almost a whisper, and the next thing she felt was his mouth on hers.

***

Ariadne couldn’t remember transforming. Rowan made sure she would be too exhausted to even stay awake to notice her body transform. But when she woke up that morning, she was naked and Rowan’s arm is draped over her stomach.

She turned to watch him sleep. Ariadne never once imagined sharing a bed with someone. But what happened to her? She doesn’t know if it was because she likes his company because of the pleasure he could give or was it because of something else? How does she know it’s love? Will she stop transforming one day when she falls in love? When would it be? Shouldn’t there be steps to follow? She doesn’t know. But at the moment, as she stared into his face, his closed eyes, his stable breathing, she thought what they have now isn’t so bad. Maybe she should not rush things, especially something so complicated like love. Maybe what they have now is enough at the moment.

Ariadne stared at how peacefully he sleeps. She was about to touch his face when he opened his eyes. She immediately put her hand down, scared if Rowan had seen that. Rowan smiled and closed his eyes again. “You look like you’ve seen a ghost. You’ve never seen someone who looks as good as me even when asleep?” he said in a low voice and Ariadne couldn’t help but clamp her lips to prevent the smile that was threatening to come out.

She cleared her throat and scoffed. “I’ve never seen someone so arrogant when they have nothing to brag about,” she countered causing Rowan to open his eyes and give her an incredulous look.

“Me? Nothing to brag about?” he scoffed and laughed. “You seem to have forgotten how I can make you scream my name—“

“Oh for god’s sake, let’s not go there—“

“Why not?” His hand tightened around her waist, pulling her closer, and she hitched her breath when she felt his hot breath on the base of her neck. Before she could even answer his question, she felt his lips move to kiss her neckline. She heard him moan and she closed her eyes as she let herself give in to his seduction.

“Why are we doing this?” she asks. She felt Rowan’s lips stop.

“Because we like it, Ariadne,” he answered and she agrees. They both like each other’s company. She liked the feeling of his mouth on her skin. He liked hers. Just like that, Ariadne got the answer she seeks. What they have at the moment is lust. Nothing more.

She did not say anything after that and just made herself enjoy his touches. Rowan is good. That’s one thing she couldn’t deny. He is good at making her feel good. But is he really the one who would lift her curse? What they have at the moment is far from love and just thinking about it makes her scared. She wants to love Rowan but is she even capable of that? If she happens to be capable, is Rowan capable of loving her back?

Ariadne pulled away from him, much to Rowan’s surprise.

“What’s wrong?”

“I need to break this curse, Rowan,” she said.

“I know. I have located the seer I was talking about and we’re going there today. See what the Dragon Heart means.”

She nodded and got up from the bed. She looked at Rowan who was still confused about her refusal. “We should prepare,” she said and started walking towards the bathroom. She did not wait for Rowan to say anything and by the time she was finished, Rowan was not in the chamber anymore.

Ariadne found two handmaidens inside the room though. They were probably sent by Rowan to assist her. And she was right when she saw one of them bring a dress. She did not say anything and let the handmaidens do their job. Her mind was not on the piece of clothing she’s going to wear. It’s on the decision she already made.

When the handmaidens were done, she beheld herself in front of the mirror and she wasn’t even impressed with how she looked. She was still beautiful.

“Thank you,” she said to the handmaidens who only bowed their heads in response. She waited for them to get out but they stayed behind her as if waiting for something. Ariadne faced them.

“You can leave me alone, now,” she said but one of the handmaidens bowed her head lower.

“We were tasked to escort you, Lady Ariadne,” one of them said.

“Who asked you to do that?” she asked and it was the other one who answered.

“His Highness Leo.”

A smirk formed on her lips. Leo. She remembered him as the quietest among the brothers.

“What could he want from me?” she asked but the handmaidens just lowered their heads. If these handmaidens are sent by Leo, Ariadne thought they are only loyal to Leo. She picked up the hairpin with a sharp pin. She could see how the two handmaidens looked at it and lowered their heads even more.

“Of course. Leo looked like he doesn’t like me enough not to tell his handmaidens to address me the proper way,” she said and stepped closer to them. She could see them coiling. Ariadne still knows how to be bad. And she knew when she should be bad.

She brought the hairpin up and pointed the sharp tip to one of the handmaiden's chin. And when the handmaiden looked up, she could clearly see the loathing in the maid’s eyes. She let out a wicked smile as she saw how the handmaiden was wearing an expensive necklace. Ariadne traced the sharp tip of the pin down the maid’s neck and stopped at the necklace that was under the collar of the maiden’s clothes. She took it out using the tip of the hairpin. Ariadne smiled at the pendant and the gold chain dangling in front of her.

One doesn’t need to be smart to know exactly what was going on. She looked at the maiden, eyes now wide in horror as Ariadne discovered her secret. And judging from the maid’s reaction, nobody was supposed to find out about it. But she did. Now, she's going to use it as her leverage. 

“A very complicated arrangement for you,” she said and smiled at the maid. The other handmaiden was still bowing her head as if she couldn’t bear to look at what’s happening in front of her. “You,” she called the other maid. The maid didn’t so much as look at her and she knew she was listening. “Go wait outside the chamber,” she ordered and the maid immediately went out. Leaving her with the woman Leo seems to have taken interest in.

“Tell me, who gave you this necklace?” she asked. The maid gulped and met her eyes but then averted it in an instant.

“Do you want me to guess, hmm?” she pried. But the maid was still not looking at her. She already has a clue as to who gave the necklace to her. In fact, she knew exactly who it is.

“I heard Princes of Cern are set to marry ladies from a noble family. It’s a shame they couldn’t love whoever they want,” she said and looked at the maid, now teary-eyed. “Of course, as I am not from here and I am not bound to any rules of Cern, that isn’t my business.” She let go of the necklace and the maid looked at her. Shocked to see her sudden change of tune.

“Tell me what your Prince want and your little secret will die with me,” she said. The woman looked at her as if doubting what she’s saying. “I don’t lie and that’s a promise,” Ariadne assured and the woman sighed. She took the hairpin away from the maid’s throat and looked at her as she put the necklace under her collar.

“Prince Leo wants you in the library. I don’t know what he wants, trust me. He did not tell me anything about it,” the maid said and met her gaze. She instantly knew she was telling the truth. Ariadne looked at the woman before she sighed and placed the hairpin back on the table.

“Escort me to the library,” she said and walked towards the door. She heard the maid scuttling to follow her. The maid she sent out was waiting outside the door and immediately walked ahead to escort her to the library.

The library was quite far from the chamber as it took them almost ten minutes to get there. She stood in front of the double doors before the maidens opened them for her. She eyed the maiden with the necklace before she went it. When the double doors closed behind her, she immediately took in her surroundings. The library was big. At least as big as the one she has in her castle. A small hallway leads to the center of the library where she could find a wooden table with books as if those books couldn’t be placed on the shelves anymore. The hallway was bordered by tall shelves of books and she walked through it.

The moment she got to the center of the library, she swirled around only to see shelves of books that reached the high ceiling. A huge window was the only source of light from the outside and she couldn’t help but marvel at the interior of the library. But she reminded herself why she was here in the first place.

“I apologize for the late notice,” a voice spoke behind her.

She whirled only to see Prince Leo standing in the hallway where she walked through. Where did he come from? She couldn’t help but wonder. She instantly wore her mask of boredom. She roamed her eyes around one more time before she looked at him.

“Nice library,” she said. “I’m guessing you do all your activities here?” She smiled at him. Ariadne saw how Leo’s eyes squinted a little but it was gone as soon as it came. She meant for her last sentence to be malicious but Leo is smart enough to get caught red-handed.

“I suppose you know why you’re here?” Leo said, walking closer. She did not dare step back. If he is going to hurt her inside the library, she’s not going down alone. When Leo was close enough, he towered over her. She looked up and gave her a saccharine smile before she reached for the collar of his suit.

“Is this your way of getting rid of me?” she asked and traced her hand on his chest. Leo remained unmoving. His face remained blank. She chuckled and removed her hands from his chest. “I suppose not,” she said gave him another smile. “Well, what do you intend to do, Your Highness?” She tilted her head.

But before she could say another thing, Leo pushed her to the table. She groaned when she hit her back on the edge of the table. She looked at Leo who was looking at her with such loathing. The next thing she knew, she was lying on the table and Leo was on top of her. Her hands are pinned on top of her head and her legs are spread. The dress is polled on her hips and Leo’s hand is gripping strongly on her exposed legs.

“I know what you are, slut,” he said and spread her legs wider. “You came here knowing full too well we’ll be alone and you did not protest wearing this flimsy dress.”

She laughed. Leo looked at her with surprise as to what she was laughing about. She knew this was going to happen. By the look of the maid earlier, she knew the maid was scared to tell her everything. She doesn’t know what Leo did to the poor lady but she knew it wasn’t good. But she could see how the maid cares for Leo. Which is something she doesn’t understand.

“Men,” she said. “You never fail to disappoint me.” She laughed again.

“Shut it,” Leo hissed but she looked at him straight in the eye.

“You claim I am a slut and yet who’s on top of who, now?” She smiled when Leo paused. “If I was planning to seduce you, I would be the one on top. Not the other way around, Your Highness,” she said and let out a wicked grin when Leo’s face was filled with surprise.

“I came here because you called for me. I wore the dress because I think it is wonderful. Just how high do you regard yourself to be thinking that I wore this for you?” She smiled, even more, when she felt Leo’s hand loosen around her wrist.

“Rowan is right,” she said and Leo looked at her with so much hate the moment she mentioned Rowan’s name. “You’re all desperate. And what you’re doing now just proved it.”

Leo’s hand tightened around her wrist one last time as if trying to break her. But then his grip loosened again and finally get off her. She stood from the table and straightened her dress.

“Is there anything else you want?” she asked and Leo looked at her with so much confusion in his eyes. When Ariadne realized he is not going to say anything else, she started walking towards the door. But before she could even touch the knob, she heard Leo speak.

“You seem to put yourself higher than men and yet you submit to Rowan,” he said. She smiled to herself and faced him.

“I don’t submit myself to him, Prince. He sees me as an equal. Not a slut,” she said and walked out of the door.

* * *