The Tyrant's Pet

Davien ran through the hallway of the palace. It was especially quiet tonight, hearing his racing heart that synced with his hurried footsteps. He didn't know where he was going or how far he had gone from the king's palace. All he knew was he was running away, feeling stuffy as the memories of his father's indecency flashed in his head over and over.

The man who was kissing and holding another woman… Davien couldn't believe that man was his father. How could his father do that? Even if his mother was the person who suggested it, he shouldn't have listened to her.

His father claimed that his mother was the love of his life. The only woman he would ever love. How could he say all those with such a loving face, when he was fooling with another woman?

Davien couldn't understand nor did he want to understand. For him, it was just wrong. Now, he couldn't stop questioning everything about the man he looked up to all his life. Was his father just deceiving them? Did he love his children just as he claimed? Or was treating them kindly as his only way to quench his guilt?

What else wasn't the truth?

His heart felt heavy until his every breath felt as though his lungs were being stabbed. His eyes started to shake and the coldness that seeped deep into his bones brought buckets of sweat to his back and forehead. He felt nauseous.

'Someone…' he called in his heart, eyes on the empty and dark hallway ahead. '... why is no one…'

His mind trailed off as the door on the side ahead opened. When he saw the person coming out of the door, his steps hastened. When he was near, the young lady coming out of the room turned her head in his direction.

Although he couldn't see her face clearly because of the dark and his current state of mind, he instantly recognized her. Davien skidded to a stop as he had gotten closer until he was two steps from the young lady.

"Davien…?" called the woman with a questioning tone. Her voice was young and soothing and beautiful. "What are you —"

Her sentence stopped as he lurched forward, embracing her as if he found his lifeline. The young lady's eyes widened in surprise, but she didn't push him away. She could feel the vibration of his body against hers, causing deep lines in between her brows. Yet, instead of asking, she slowly raised her hands on his back to pat it. The moment she felt how damped his back upon her touch, she glanced at him.

"Hah…" Davien let out a deep breath, almost catching up to his breathing.

"Did you have a bad dream?" she asked after minutes of silence, patting his back mildly and continuously. "Alaric would always sneak inside my room every time she has a bad dream. Are you having bad dreams now too?"

Davien took a moment before he said, "yes."

"I guess it's that bad, huh?" Aries sighed. "You have too much pride to come running to my room, terrified."

Davien's eyes softened, tightening his embrace but took in mind to not suffocate her. Embracing her like this made him realize he should get himself together. After all, among the king's children, the one who loved and looked up to him the most was Aries.

Aries was a little boyish, but she often said if she was going to marry, it would be either Davien or someone who would treat and cherish her like their father. The man she wanted to marry was someone like their father. Just how disappointed and hurt would she feel if she ever found out that the father they looked up to had another side of him? A side that would change everything about their father?

Davien didn't want to hurt her like that.

"It's alright," she reassured. "You'll be alright. It's just a dream, Davien. It won't hurt you."

If only she knew… how much he wished it was just a dream.

Davien remained silent, allowing her to pat his back in a patterned manner. It took some time to calm himself down, but she was patient. Instead, she kept quiet but made him feel her presence. He closed his eyes for a moment, taking a deep breath. When he reopened his eyes, the corner of his lips curled up into a subtle smile.

Davien carefully released her from his embrace while taking two steps back. His eyes gazed at her long skirt and slowly made his way up to meet her eyes. It was dark, but the moonlight that was filtering through the window shone on her temple.

All he could see was the side of her face, but his eyes were fixed on those warm eyes that were looking back at him. The corner of her lips curled up into a subtle smile, and his heartfelt reassured.

"I will protect you," he whispered out of nowhere, making her brows raise. "I will protect you with all my life, Aime. Do you trust me?"

*

*

*

"Dead."

Aries's cold voice brought Miguel back from his trance. He blinked ever so tenderly, gazing at the person standing in front of him. She was holding the wooden sword with its tip pointing at his throat.

"Am I that unworthy as an opponent that you dare let your mind drift elsewhere?" she asked coldly before retrieving the sword from his throat. "Shall we use real swords instead of wooden ones just to keep us focused?"

Miguel gazed at her quietly, staring at her face which reminded him of the recurring dreams he had been having for years. In those dreams, there was this young lady he would always talk to. Sometimes, the dreams were happy. There were moments that it was sad or just fun. But each of them, that young lady was always present.

The problem was, he couldn't remember her face. No matter how he tried to, he just couldn't remember what she looks like. But in his heart, he was convinced she was important to him. He couldn't even understand why he felt that way, but he couldn't mistake that feeling.

However, now that he was under the queen's gaze, he couldn't stop himself from having this sense of familiarity.

"You…" Miguel took a step forward but paused when she raised a brow.

"What?" Aries inquired, cocking her head to the side. "Is there something wrong?"

His heart clenched slightly as her gaze felt familiar but at the same time, the coldness laced in it wasn't. Miguel smiled and sighed.

"Nothing." He shook his head, relaxing his tense shoulders. "I just have a lot of things on my mind. Forgive me for zoning out, Your Majesty."

Aries didn't answer immediately as she assessed him from head to toe. "Don't make the same mistake." She glanced to the side where a knight was standing on standby.

"Change these with the real ones. I want the sharpest ones," she ordered, throwing the wooden sword in the knight's direction. She then faced Miguel squarely. "Keep your mind with me or I'll make your head roll somewhere else." z