The Tyrant's Pet

Abel opened his eyes, blinking weakly until the ceiling of the emperor's bed grew clearer. He moved his hand on instinct and arched a brow when he felt a weight over it. Abel turned to his left, and his eyes instantly fell on Aries.

She was sitting on the armchair right beside the bed. Her body was bent over to the edge of the mattress, arms underneath her cheek. Her eyes were closed, sleeping, but still holding his hand.

His eyes softened at the sight of her, noticing her suspending breathing, indicating she cried herself to sleep. Abel carefully slid his slender fingers in between the gaps of her fingers and then peeled his eyes away from her to the ceiling.

Abel kept his lips into a tight and thin slash, breathing carefully. Despite the current state of his body with wounds not healing as fast — a condition of the coven — he couldn't feel the physical pain. However, he could clearly feel the pang in his heart, remembering Aries's desperate cries last night in the great hall.

'Why… did you keep shouting…?' he wondered inwardly, recalling the painful expression she wore last night. Aries kept shouting her lungs out and never once did she stop, even though her words seemed so meaningless and she was already coughing out blood.

But Abel didn't dwell on that further. He already knew the answer before he wondered and asked himself. That was the only thing Aries could do, and despite how painful it was for her to have no power in stopping the night council, she had to do something.

"How pathetic." His voice was rasped and dry, narrowing his eyes. "You are pathetic, Abel."

Perhaps this feeling prickling his heart like a thousand needles was called guilt. While Aries had done everything to save him, Abel had the gall to lose against his demon and let it control him for a moment. It was not like he was cornered, but somehow, he lost control of himself and nearly harmed those important to him.

For example, Conan.

If not for Conan's capabilities to be able to keep Abel at bay, the night council would've disappeared from the face of the world. Not just them, but Conan and everyone in the empire… that includes Aries.

That was just how destructive Abel was.

Abel slowly turned his head in Aries's direction. His throat bobbed, propping his other arm against the mattress to assist himself to sit upright. His other hand was still sandwiched between her hands.

Abel bent over to move her onto the bed and sleep beside him. But just as he moved closer to her, Aries moaned and adjusted. He paused as her eyes cracked open, blinking weakly.

Aries furrowed her brows, pushing herself from the edge of the bed. When the gears in her head started to turn, she blinked twice, staring at Abel.

"You're awake?" was the first words that came out of her lips, glancing at the curtained shut window. The room was dark, but because of the light from the gap in the curtain, she knew it was already morning.

"How are you feeling, hmm?" she asked as she set her worried eyes back on him. Her eyes went up and down, checking if there was any blood on his nightwear to know if his wounds reopened. When she raised her eyes up, locking eyes with him, her expression relaxed.

"Are you hurt anywhere?" she asked once again, waiting for his reply patiently.

Abel, who was sitting up, watching everything unfold right before his eyes, remained silent. He studied her face. Her complexion looked pale, and the slight discoloration under her eyes indicated she barely had any sleep. Her eyes were still swelling, her lips chapped, and her voice was coarse.

Aries didn't look well herself, but here she was, asking him if he was hurt anywhere.

Abel patted the mattress beside him. "Come here."

Her brows rose in confusion, but she still followed as instructed. She pushed herself up, wincing as her legs numbed from sleeping in an uncomfortable position. She then sat on the edge of the mattress, her feet over it.

"What?" she asked in a soft voice, facing him squarely. "Is there something… wrong?"

Aries trailed off when Abel leaned closer in the middle of her sentence, wrapping his arms around her. He rested his chin on her shoulder, tightening his grip around her, but not tight enough to suffocate her.

"Better now," he breathed out; the vibration of his palm on her back indicated many things. "Are you… hurt anywhere, darling?"

The second his quiet voice caressed her ears, her face slightly contorted. She clutched his back, throat bobbing at the tension in it. Her eyes heated as tears formed in their corners.

"I hate you," she whispered, lips quivering. "I thought I will die of worry."

His lips curled into a subtle smile. "I'm shameless for smiling," he quipped in a quiet voice.

"You are." Aries slapped his back mildly, only to freeze when she felt the bandages underneath the thin fabric.

"It didn't hurt," he reassured, sensing the slight panic when her body stiffened. Abel then pulled her closer to feel the warmth of her body. "I'm sorry."

Aries lowered her eyes, telling herself to stop crying like a little girl. However, her eyes betrayed her when a tear leaked out and stained her cheek.

"You should be," she huffed weakly.

"What should I do to appease you?" he asked with a slight smile.

"Don't do it again." Her reply, although weak, it was quick. "If you're truly sorry, then don't do it again. Don't put me in a situation you know it'll hurt me. But if there's no choice, then I'd rather be in pain while knowing the truth than stay at peace because of a lie."

Aries clutched his back, hiccuping. "Don't die, don't keep secrets from me, and don't ever decide for me. This… is my life and if you want me, then stop hurting me. It's so unfair, Abel. I… am hurt."