The Tyrant's Pet

What is life?

That question hovered over Abel's head countless times for years. He didn't get the answer until Aries came into his life.

Life… was Aries.

His answer simply grew solid during his time in the spirit world. Ironically, that world was hers, yet she wasn't even there. He didn't mind being trapped inside that world if she was there, but alas, no matter what he does, she was beyond his reach.

It was reassuring she longed for him just as much as he did, and that was the only important thing for him. There was no need for apologies or explanation; he understood Aries had to do what she had to do even if it meant sacrificing a few years without him.

Now they were together. He wouldn't let others steal her for even just a day.

"Aren't you worried?" Abel inquired, lying on his side, eyes on the opposite person on the same bed. "I took you away from there."

"You're here," replied Aries, sporting a short smile, using her arm as her head cushion. "If you're not worried, why would I?"

"But you were worried about him when you first met him."

"I did." She fluttered her eyelashes ever so tenderly, recalling how busy she was preparing for Maximus. "But I know him now."

"So?"

"I'm afraid of him anymore, Abel."

"Told you." His lips curled up into a cunning smirk. "He's pathetic."

Aries held his gaze silently, not agreeing or refuting it. After taking a shower, both simply lay on the bed, lying on their sides while facing each other. It wasn't even nighttime yet, but they were already ready to sleep.

"Don't you hate me anymore?" she asked after the prolonged silence, watching him shake his head mildly.

"Never did."

"You hated me."

"Not you. It was a natural response to the witch within you." A shallow breath slipped past his nostrils, raising his hand to cup her face. "Staying in that world forced me to get used to it. I think it's the same for you."

It was.

During Maleficent's awakening, Abel was certain Aries would kill him. He might share the same urge, knowing Maleficent's power posed a threat to his existence. It was a natural reaction for two powerful beings who were capable of killing each other.

Funnily enough, Abel had searched for many ways to die in the past. Matter of fact, he had killed himself countless times. But when the time that a being who could kill him rose out of thin air, he got scared. The only excuse he had was that even though he didn't mind dying in Aries's hand, his greed to create more memories with her took precedence over his pride.

Aries's reasoning might be different, but it was almost the same. She didn't want to kill him. She didn't even want him to die. If her sullied hands would take another life, she'd take hers instead of his.

"Even now…" Aries reached out until her fingertips were touching his lean cheek. "... I can feel this sense of enmity in my heart. Yet, I've grown used to it."

"The feeling was mutual."

Being separated from each other for two years turned out to be just the right decision. With Abel in Maleficent's world, he got used to her presence, her scent, and everything. Aries was the same. Since he was in her world, she got used to his evil aura.

"What do you think he will do now?" she asked once again, changing the topic to something else. "Maximus. What do you think he will do now, Abel?"

"The Forbidden Forest is the Grimsbanne's territory. He steps foot here, and I'll kill him. I hope you hadn't changed that law."

"I didn't." Her lips pressed into a thin line, aware of the law he was talking about.

The mainland was just like any other nation that had laws to keep its orders. Aries went through all of them when she arrived on the mainland. There were many laws and practices she found interesting, but considering the citizens of the mainland were vampires, most of them made a lot of sense.

However, what piqued her interest the most was the few law regarding this Forbidden Forest. The Forbidden Forest was said to be the Grimsbanne's territory. Although this forest took up at least one-third of the mainland, even the royals didn't take interest in it.

Not just that, but anyone who died in the Forbidden Forest was considered a case closed. This law could be taken advantage of, such as a person luring the person he despised in this place. However, according to records, there was a case like that happened in the past.

The problem was that even though the perpetrator succeeded in silencing his enemy; he failed to leave the Forbidden Forest alive. It wouldn't matter if someone died in this place had a title or even a royal; their deaths wouldn't be investigated.

In simple words, if Abel killed Maximus in the Forbidden Forest, he would walk out of this place freely. No one would come at him.

"I wonder… why you didn't?" he queried, raising his brows in curiosity. "It's unlike you to keep such a strange law to exist."

"I also wonder why?" she let out a weak chuckle, shrugging. "Initially, I planned to change it or vanquish it completely. But I… forgot?"

Abel chuckled. "I guess you had a busy time."

"I did." Her smile faded, staring at him silently once again. "I didn't have anything to do. I was bored without you around."

"The feeling is always mutual."

Both of them silently stared at each other as if they were afraid either of them would vanish. There might be a good result that happened with their separation, but there were also deleterious effects. One of them was this constant fear they would get separated again, or that this was all nothing but a beautiful dream, and they would wake up with their recurring nightmare called reality.