The Tyrant's Pet



"In my eye, Miguel was the spitting image of my brother, Davien. I want to make sure whether it was an illusion or something else."

Asking Samael for Miguel's sketch was an idea that didn't cross Aries's mind until Samael's visit to the royal palace. It slipped her mind that there was someone on her side who had been on the mainland years before her. Thus, she grabbed the opportunity to ask for a favor in hopes she would get some clarity from it. 

Samael accepted the favor, telling her she would receive the sketch in three days. Aries patiently waited day and night. It was silly, though. Her first two years on the mainland passed by in a blur; she barely noticed the time. But the three days wait was burning her rope of patience faster than one could ever have fathomed. 

'Today is the third day,' said Aries internally, tapping her fingers on the flat surface of the desk simultaneously. 'It could arrive any time today. Why do I feel restless? I already ordered Gustav that a letter from the House Grimsbanne will come today and he was the only person allowed to touch it.'

Aries listened to the faint sound of her fingers, eyes fixed on the surface of the desk, but her mind was drifting elsewhere. Aries busied herself for the past two days with the double amount of work to fight her impatience. But now that it was the third day, she couldn't even finish reading one document. 

She was like this since morning, staring at nowhere with her mind somewhere else. She wasn't even sure if she even had tea for the day or ate something. Her mind was simply focused on what sort of sketch she would receive from Samael. 

'What would you do if the face Samael was seeing differed from yours?' her mind inquired, making her tighten her jaw. 

"Then I just have to close my eyes once I carve his heart out of his chest," came out a whispered, eyes glinting menacingly. 

'What if it was the same?'

This time, Aries couldn't answer her own question. It might be a simple question that required the most obvious answer. If it was the same, then she could just convince herself it was a mere coincidence. For sure, Miguel was born before Davien — he was born centuries before Davien took his first breath in this world. 

In other words, her enemies right now wouldn't have imagined Aries and Abel being together back then. Therefore, there was a high possibility that it was a coincidence. She hoped it was, though. 

"I'll still root for him," she whispered, blinking ever so slowly as Davien's beautiful memories she treasured flashed in her head one by one. 

All these memories were memories she treasured and cherished, tucking everything in a part of her brain that she thought no one else could touch. However, when she met Miguel, all these memories resurfaced, filling her brain and overwhelming her dramatically.

"He is not a bad person, but I will never feel bad for being his enemy." Aries slowly closed her eyes, taking a deep breath, and listening to the tap of her fingers. When she reopened her eyes, clarity and calmness shone in her beautiful eyes. "Because I don't think Davien would want me to lose my current family because of him."

That was right. 

Speaking to Samael and hearing his thoughts about this matter cleared up one thing. Aries had already lost her biological family once. She already mourned for them, prayed for their souls, thanked them for everything, and pledged to live a happy life to not worry them wherever they were.

Miguel might look like Davien, but he would never be Davien.

Davien was dead. 

Aries lost her family once. Turning her back on Miguel or killing him if necessary wouldn't change that. The only way she could lose her family again was while focusing on Davien's look-alike. She might end up endangering the family she now has. 

The Grimsbanne. 

Knock Knock!

The faint knock from outside the Queen's Chancery snapped Aries back to the current lapse. She lifted her head, listening to the person outside announcing their arrival.

Gustav.

"Come in," she ordered even before Gustav could finish stating his purpose. 

Aries held her breath as she watched the door open, creaking louder than it should have, as if the hinges were about to fall off. As soon as her gaze caught Gustav's figure entering the chancery, Aries clutched her skirt tightly to hold herself back from losing her poise. 

"Greetings, Your Majesty." Gustav bowed while holding a tray with an envelope on top of it. "The letter from the House Grimsbanne arrived today."

Aries cleared her throat. "Did anyone else try to get a hold of it?"

"No, Your Majesty. They wouldn't even have a chance since the security in the palace was raised," he explained. "I am the person who received it directly from Morro, the Grimsbanne's messenger. Rest assured, this letter from Samael La Crox was the letter he sent you."

"Very well." Aries rocked her head, but was still unable to heave a sigh of relief. "Hand it over."

As ordered, Gustav walked to the side where Aries's perched. He moved the tray closer to her, and then she picked up the letter. Her heart thudded as soon as she got a hold of the envelope. Inside this letter lies a truth she might not be ready for. 

"Here, Your Majesty." 

Aries glanced at Gustav as the latter opened the paper knife.

"Thank you." She flashed him a short smile, placing the letter before her. She then accepted the paperknife, but just as she posed to open it, Aries paused. 

"I want to be alone for a moment, Gustav," she said, casting him a quick look. "You do not have to worry about me."

Gustav pressed his lips into a thin line, bowing. He didn't say anything as he left the chancery while she waited for the stifling silence to dominate the room again. 

Aries took another deep breath and huffed it out quietly, resuming opening the letter that could make or break her.