The Tyrant's Pet

"So he went to see her?"

Abel stood in front of the window, listening to Isaiah's report. He was holding his wrist on his back, tapping it with his fingers mildly.

"And Conan?" he asked, without taking his eyes from the vast expanse through the window.

"He is currently in the barracks with Leon. Roman and Climaco had been sparring with him…" Isaiah trailed off as he recalled the news regarding their last spar.

"It's a good thing that La Crox is here to spar with him. If he spars with those two, he might break them."

"I agree, Your Majesty."

"Let him be for now," said Abel, snapping his eyes as his gaze shifted to Isaiah's faint reflection. "He hadn't used his sword for a long time. He needs practice on who to slay."

Abel slowly released his wrist, moving his left hand in a circular motion while flexing his fingers on his right. He had been doing this as of late and seeing him do it again, Isaiah lowered his eyes.

"That is becoming a habit now," Isaiah pointed out quietly.

"Of course, it will be." The corners of Abel's lips stretched until his teeth were showing. "I hadn't seen my empress for days. I need to recall what her body feels like."

Isaiah drew his lips into a thin line, lifting his eyes again. Abel's back was still facing him while Abel now had his hands in a tight fist, moving them in a circular motion like a wrist exercise.

"The official banquet will be in two days," Isaiah reminded the emperor solemnly. "Should I dig up your sister?"

"Let her be." A glint flickered across Abel's eyes. "I will send her company later."

"Alright."

"And that person?" Abel glanced over his shoulder. "Have you found him?"

"Unfortunately, we hadn't."

"I see. How interesting." Abel smirked, stretching his neck from one side to the other. "Then I have no choice."

Isaiah pressed his lips into a thin line once again. "You do not have to do this, Your Majesty."

"Maleficent is not someone to have existed," Abel argued calmly, yet the lurking darkness in them was clear to distinguish. "It's been a while since I had held my sword, Void. I never thought there will be a time my hands will tremble in excitement with the sheer thought of wielding it again. It had found its match."

"Maximus is making us dance in his tune."

"The music is delightful and therefore, it'll be an insult not to dance." Abel slowly turned, facing Isaiah squarely. "Focus on the banquet, Isaiah. My gut feeling tells me it will be a long night."

Isaiah held Abel's gaze and recognized that sinister look hiding in the emperor's eyes. As someone who had served Abel for many years, Isaiah understood the excitement in Abel's eyes.

Abel would march to death once more… not his, though.

"As you wished, Your Majesty." Isaiah beckoned a neck bow before he silently walked away from the room Abel had been staying in. On his way out, Isaiah glanced at the huge portrait on the wall. It was Aries and Abel's official portrait as the empress and emperor.

His eyes lingered on their faces, letting out a shallow breath. Isaiah stopped by the door, looking back at Abel. The Emperor had already turned his back on him, so his eyes veered to the other items in this collection room.

The wall was full of portraits of Aries; there were huge ones and small frames. Each corner were the things — Aries's stuff — Abel collected ever since she stepped foot in the empire: a handkerchief, strands of her hair, the cup they first shared a poisoned tea, a laced glove, a clip, the first dress she wore in the empire, and everything like an obsessed man.

But aside from those, the most conspicuous of all was the enormous cage on the corner. Everyone thought it was a joke when Abel made that request, but it seemed Conan discerned it wasn't a mere joke. Thus, the existence of that cage.

<strong>'It seemed that cage will serve its purpose soon,'</strong> Isaiah thought, snapping his eyes back to Abel's back. <strong>'Had he always thought this would happen?'</strong>

Another shallow breath slipped past Isaiah's nostrils before leaving the door completely. When the faint click of the door caressed Abel's ears, his expression slowly died and turned plain.

"Ahh… darling," he murmured, closing his eyes while stretching his neck from one side to the other. Abel then turned around, looking around this collection room he was so fond of. This room was even more secured and hidden than the royal treasury.

"My treasure." Another whisper escaped his lips, walking towards the first portrait he put in this room. The portrait of Aries was done with nothing but red colors, but it still looked like her. It was stunning.

Abel raised a hand until his palm was touching the portrait. His eyes remained on Aries, his teeth grinding softly.

"You are making me very, very angry," came out an airy voice with eyes glinting with irritation and unknown emotions. "And at the same time, very amused. You are driving me insane. Seriously. So rude."

<strong>*********************************** BREAK *************************************</strong>

<strong>[ FORBIDDEN MANSION ]</strong>

Sunny was kneeling inside the sandbox she got from Abel so she could make sandcastles. When a wind suddenly blew past behind her, her dirty little hands that were dabbing the small hill she made paused. She watched as some sand grains scatter in the air, and then slowly gazed heavenward.

Thick clouds gathered slowly, covering the bright blue sky and slowly hiding the sun behind it. It didn't take long before the surrounding appeared gloomy as another gust of wind blew past behind her. Sunny snapped her eyes from the sky when the sandhill she made crumbled down.

"Oh no," she murmured, gazing down at the ruined hill before her. "It will rain soon."

Sunny slowly turned her head to her right, catching her uncle, Leon, approaching her. His expression was stiff since Maximus's arrival, but Sunny didn't dwell on it for long. She drifted her eyes to the mansion behind her, setting her gaze on a particular window.

There, in one of the windows, a man was standing while staring in her direction.

"Sunny," she heard Leon's voice when he was closer, but she didn't take her eyes off the man in the window. Leon called her once more, but she didn't respond. Hence, he followed the direction she was gazing at, seeing just windows with no one in them.

Yet, in her eyes, she was holding someone's gaze.

"Sunny…" Sunny whispered, her adorable face sporting a solemn look. "... felt the same when her mama and papa left to find my grandma and grandpa."

Leon furrowed his brows, looking back at the little girl.

"An omen is coming… he said," she added without taking her eyes off of the window where Conan's father was recuperating.

"Said who?" asked Leon, only to see Sunny point at another window. His eyes followed the direction she was pointing, but no one was there. The lines in between his brows deepened, looking back at her, only to hear her speak softly again.

"Him," she said under her breath. "A Grimsbanne will die, is what he is saying."