Beauty and the Damned

8 | An Attempt of Seduction

Two days have passed ever since she put Rowan in a cell. Ariadne did not visit him during those two days. She had Delilah bring him his meals and Delilah come back to her, delivering messages from Rowan.

"He said he's not going to leave. He wants to be put in a chamber, Your Majesty," Delilah said one time she was eating her breakfast. The moment she heard his request, she spat the meat she was chewing and dropped her fork.

She folded her arms and looked at Delilah. "Tell him to tell me what he knows and we'll have a deal." She picked up the napkin and wiped her mouth before she stood and went to her chamber. Ariadne sat on the floor and closed her eyes. She didn't visit Rowan not because she wanted him to know she was serious about keeping him there in the cell until she tells her what he knows. The true reason was that she has dreamt of him again. Not just once but twice! And it was the same dream. She couldn't understand why she was dreaming of such things. Was she that attracted to him? Is he even attractive?

Yes. Very attractive. Her mind shouted and she groaned in frustration. She has met a lot of attractive guys but she never once dreamed of them. Is this desperation? Is she that deprived that she was dreaming of the man in the dungeon?

"Keep yourself together, Ariadne," she mumbled to herself and stood up. She straightened her dress and beheld herself in the mirror. She stood with such elegance and yet in her dreams, it was too easy for Rowan to bend her and pin her to the wall, her back facing him—

"I am going crazy," she muttered as her hands flew to her mouth. She closed her eyes once again and tried to bury the memory of her dream to the deepest part of her mind. When she opened her eyes, she could see her reflection, still standing proud. And yet her face is flushed.

She did not stay for a minute longer in her chambers and walked to the gardens. Strange enough, the gardens let her think clearly. And the more she stays there the more she realized what she had to do.

So without any question, she stormed to the dungeons. She doesn't know where Delilah is but she should be around somewhere.

When arrived at the dining, she saw Delilah who immediately greeted her the moment she entered. She stopped in front of her and looked at the tray Delilah was holding. It had soup and everything. Rowan's breakfast.

"Let me bring that to him," she said and Delilah looked at her.

"Your Majesty?"

"You heard me. Give it to me. And don't enter the dungeon. We have something to talk about. Understood?"

Delilah nodded and she took the tray in her hands. She made her way to the dungeon. It wasn't a big dungeon. She isn't really someone who likes to keep prisoners. Before, she could kill a man with just a flick of her wrist. Ariadne doesn't keep prisoners because she doesn't want to wake up to screaming of agony. Thankfully, Rowan isn't the type to scream.

Her footsteps echoed across the dungeon and she knows that Rowan has heard it. But he did not say anything and just waited patiently for her to arrive.

When she was already in front of his cell, she almost hitched her breath when she saw what he was doing in the dungeon. He removed his shirt and all that was left was his pants. His arms were flexing as he tried to pull himself up with a piece of an iron bar inside. She gulped as she watched his back.

"Your servant was more polite than you," he said. She gritted her teeth. How did he know it's her?

Rowan dropped to the floor and faced her. As if answering her question, he said, "Her footsteps are rushed like she has a lot to do. While you," he closer to the cell, "your footsteps sounded like you have all the time in this world." He rested his arms on his cell and looked at her. She did not tear her gaze away but when she couldn't take the intensity of his gaze anymore, she cleared her throat and walked to the side where she could put the tray. And she knows that Rowan's eyes were following her every move.

"No attempt to seduce me this time?"

Ariadne looked at him. "Excuse me?"

Rowan chuckled and picked up the tray. With a hand, he held the tray, and with another, he used it to pick up a toasted bread and took a bite from it.

"Well, your dress looks so conservative now compared to that slitted dress you wore before."

She wanted to curse herself. Of course, he knew what she was trying to do back then. "I realized you weren't that worth it to be seducing anyway," she said and paired it with a shrug.

But she heard him chuckle as he was putting butter on his bread. He still wasn't wearing a shirt and her eyes couldn't stop drifting towards the band of his pants. She once dreamed of having her hand insert inside the waistband of his pants—

She cleared the thought before it could go somewhere else.

"Then why are you suddenly bringing me breakfast?" Rowan asked.

She stepped closer into the cell and did not tear her gaze away this time. "I told you I need something from you, Rowan. The Dragon's Heart."

Rowan finished his bread before he looked at her. "Listen, I don't know who gave you this idea but if what you need is the literal dragon's heart, then sorry to break it to you darling, but dragons are just myths. If they even existed a long time ago where can you possibly find a dragon's heart, hmm?"

"Where do you come from, Rowan?" she asked and Rowan gave her a puzzled look. Either he was wondering why the sudden swerve of the subject or he was contemplating whether to tell her not. But based on her expression, she could tell it's the latter.

Rowan put the tray of food to where he got it. He then looked at her. His face was gravely serious. She thought he is not going to tell her but then he said, "I came from the land where, according to the myths, dragons existed. So believe me when I tell you that there are no dragons anymore." He sighed. "Whoever told you about the Dragon's heart to cure whatever you need to be cured is not giving you cure at all. Dragons are not real." He sat on the floor with his back on the wall. He was looking at her as if waiting for her to think about what he just said.

Drivers are myths. Even if they existed a long time ago, they’re already dead. Of course. Where the hell could she even find a dragon. Why the hell did she even believe that witch when she told her the answer? It was the same witch who cursed her for snapping a rose into two, which turned out to be her daughter. Why would the witch help her, the very person who snapped her daughter into two? She looked at Rowan was also looking at her and she hates that he was right.

But then she remembered what the witch had said to her in the bathroom.

A clue to the cure.

It was what the witch said. A clue! It wasn’t the cure but a clue! The Dragon’s heart was just a clue. And then she remembered the day she was cursed. Some parts of her memory were hazy but she clearly remembered what the witch said.

Unless you learn to love, the curse shall not be broken. Even if you have an eternity to live.

Learn to love. She has to learn to love! That’s the cure for the curse! But she couldn’t help but wonder what’s the connection of the Dragon’s heart to all of this.

“I love you,” she mumbled and Rowan almost choked on the water he was drinking. He looked at her, eyes puzzling but she has to do it. She stepped closer to the cell and Rowan was just watching her. “I love you, Rowan,” she said again. Rowan’s jaw dropped as he looked at her.

“I can’t believe how monotonous you sound when you said that,” he said and placed the tray down once again. He stood and stuffed his hands inside his pockets and tilted his head while looking at her. A smirk was playing across his lips. She swallowed hard.

“Is this another seduction attempt? If that’s the case then allow me to tell you to be more seductive. Perhaps showing some skin would be effective,” he said and smirked before his eyes explored her. 

He’s enjoying this. He’s enjoying putting me in a corner. She thought. But she is Ariadne and she has a reputation to uphold. She doesn’t back down, whatever it is. So she said, “Yet I can’t seem to fall to your seduction even as you’re almost naked in your cell. I must say that’s quite ineffective too.”

But Rowan just laughed. As if he was sensing something else. As if he knew she was lying.

“Only the seduced says she isn’t seduced,” Rowan said and walked towards the cell, closer to her. She’s within his reach and yet she couldn’t step back. She couldn’t step away. Perhaps deep down, she wanted Rowan to grab her and pull her close.

He did not disappoint. With a swift motion, Rowan grabbed her waist and pulled her close. A sound escaped her mouth as she hit the cell bar. She could feel Rowan’s hot breath on her face. She tried struggling but Rowan’s grip was stronger.

“Let me tell you this, Ariadne,” he said. “Whatever game you’re playing, it isn’t going to work. If you wish to flirt, then say it straight. I would be more than willing to do so. But whatever you're planning by putting me in this cell, I must say you stop it now. You don't want me imprisoned here.”

She hitched her breath when she felt his hand doing lazy strokes on her waist.

“You’re liking this. You like what I am doing to you. Otherwise, you would have stepped away when I removed my hand,” he said and that’s when she realized that his hand that was wrapped around her waist earlier was gone. It was his other hand that was doing lazy strokes on her waist.

Shame crept onto her face as she saw Rowan’s face. He was smirking. She’s been caught. He has caught her red-handed. She couldn’t deny the fact that he is attractive to the man.

“You are one wild woman, Ariadne,” he said, smirking. He pushed him away and she took a step back, her mind protesting as his hand stopped doing lazy strokes on her waist.

“I wouldn’t even wish for it,” she said, almost hissing. But Rowan just opened his arms as if not believing the words she just said.

“I am here if ever you need me,” he said. “Most women I’ve slept with have told me I’m quite good with my hands...and my tongue. Just a heads up so you can prepare yourself.”

And that was it. Because there was a night when she dreamed about his tongue and his hand did something on the thing between her legs. She couldn’t stop the memory of the dream to flow into her mind and she couldn’t help but flush as she realized she’s standing in front of Rowan while thinking about her dream. She closed her eyes firmly and shook the memory away. She has more important matters to deal with and she has to take care of it now.

“You will stay in this chamber until I see what I need you to do. Until then, be a good prisoner and wear a shirt,” she said and walked away.

Rowan chuckled. “Ineffective, huh,” she heard Rowan said and she couldn’t help but blush. She was about to open to take the stairs when she saw Delilah rushing towards her. Her eyes were frantic and she could tell she has something important to say.

Delilah was in front of her, panting. “Your Majesty,” she said, breathing. “Attack.”

“What?”

Delilah swallowed hard and but was still panting. She heard Rowan walking closer to the cell bar.  

“There is an attack. Some villagers are attacking the castle right now.”

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