The Tyrant's Pet

"The best is yet to come. Just watch."

Aries raised her brows playfully, in high spirits at the turn of events. She tilted her head down slightly when Carlos glanced up at her.

As expected, the next several minutes would be filled with the surprised gasped and cheering to persecute the eighth prince after that clean confession. However, the council remained unfazed as they looked at each other before silencing the crowd.

"Carlos will stand in the gallows," Joaquin spoke after a long time of silence. "I don't know what you were thinking, but with that confession, he gave the council enough reason to sentence him with death."

"You don't know that." Aries tossed her head back, eyes on him. "It's too early for you to say that, my husband. Too early. As I've mentioned, having the upper hand isn't always a good thing. People grow complacent; it's saddening."

Joaquin chuckled as he cast her a side-eye. "Are you saying you weren't complacent?"

"I was never complacent, my crown prince. I wake up day by day, preparing myself for the day my dear husband, who never truly trusted me and sees me as his competition will finally turn his back on me." Her tone slowly grew solemn as her eyes sharpened. "You got yourself a crown princess, not just a princess who will wonder what will happen to me when my husband no longer favors me. That is not how a Vandran is raised."

"A Vandran." Joaquin snickered, but Aries simply shrugged as she refocused her attention on the chaotic court hall. "You really think you can turn the tides?"

"Of course not." Aries chuckled as both of them watched the situation from their vantage point. "How can I turn the tides when I'm not the one making the decision?"

"But people's hearts are fickle and words when delivered right can impact someone in a way no one else can expect," she added after a momentary pause. "An empty title isn't as empty since it's still a title. It'll only become empty if the person holding it is a fool. You'll end up as a laughingstock."

Her lips hooked up as her eyelashes fluttered beautifully. Aries and Joaquin remained silent even when they announced a recess until the courtroom calmed down. It was just a ten-minute break, but for certain people, that ten minutes felt like ten hours.

When the trial resumed, Aries faced Joaquin squarely. "Don't be so angry once the verdict is given, my crown prince."

"Ha ha…! I will feel bad about you if you end up disappointed." His voice was low yet playful, studying the confidence in her eyes.

"If it turns out as the opposite of what I believed it will be, you can tie me up." Aries shrugged and chuckled, facing the court hall with a smile. "That only means I failed as a Vandran, and I'm no better than a slave. But alas… I highly doubt that. My pride is at stake, so I would like to clarify it once and for all. It's an annoying issue and not addressing it proved that it'll only grow worse."

"Good luck with that." Joaquin laughed, but he didn't really feel threatened or anything about everything that came out of those lips. He was already convinced that his crown princess was Aries and once this was all over — oh, boy, he had a long list of how to torment her.

Joaquin was confident nothing would go wrong. The majority in this courtroom was his people. Although it was a surprise Carlos pleaded guilty, that wasn't enough to change the outcome. If anything, that only proved the death penalty was justified.

"With the confession of the eighth prince…"

Soon, one of the ministers read what only mattered in this court before reaching the verdict. The lines on Joaquin's face from his smirk slowly faded the more he listened to the verdict.

"The remorse the eighth prince had shown throughout the trial, the majority of the council of the supreme justice court concluded…" the minister continued, dragging all the elements of this deliberation including humanity, morality, gods and whoever legend, and everything to stressed that they thought about this verdict carefully.

"… decided that instead of a death penalty, he will be banished in the land… where he will repent and atone for his sins for the rest of his life…"

Aries looked up when Joaquin suddenly sprung up to his feet, holding the railings as he gazed at the court hall with wide eyes. Seeing the shock dominating his face, Aries smiled. She planted her palms on the armrest, pushing herself up.

"Well, I guess there's nothing much to do here," she muttered, not waiting for Joaquin as she turned around to leave. However, just as she took five steps, a hand grabbed her wrist, spinning her around aggressively.

"What did you do?" he seethed, eyes bloodshot, feeling betrayed by Modesto and the council, who reassured him Carlos would meet a death sentence.

"I did nothing, Your Highness." Aries tilted her head to the side, ignoring the numbing pain in her wrist as his grip tightened. "Weren't we sitting here all along?"

"Aries."

"Yes?" His eyes went round when she answered his call without denying it. "What this Aries can do to you, my husband?"

Aries sneered, taking this opportunity to snatch her hand from him. "Your Highness, I told you, people's hearts are fickle. You underestimate… no, you overestimate your power and underestimated those around you. Therefore, I conclude, complacency is dangerous." She took a step forward, standing on her toes, and whispered in his ears.

"There are many things I can do other than make you cum in bed," she teased, planting a peck on his naturally contoured cheek before she drew away. "Calm down. As I've said, this is far from over my dearest. Sit back and relax. I'm patching up the holes you failed to notice."

Aries chuckled as he bit her lower lip, winking at him before she happily turned her back against him and walked away in high spirits. She stopped after another five steps and looked back.

"This is my last warning, my husband dear. Call me another woman's name, and that'll be the day you lose your wife." She smirked tauntingly, unfazed by his dark eyes. "You do not want to make an enemy out of a Vandran, Joaquin. Especially, not Daniella Circe Vandran."