The Tyrant's Pet

Aries didn't know where Fabian took her, but what she knew was that she couldn't see the glorious Imperial Palace from the house they hid. All she could see from the terrace was a vast garden of the estate. The people in this place were all sleeping. Thus, their entry was smooth.

"Why did you do that?" she asked the moment she heard the door behind her creak. Aries slowly turned to face Fabian, clenching her teeth furiously. She stomped her feet, grabbing the lapels of his clothes aggressively.

"Why did you leave Abel and took me with you?" she continued through her gritted teeth. "What right did you have to decide for me?"

Fabian didn't budge, gazing at her with no emotion on his face. "What can you do with that current state?"

"What?"

"You can barely keep your sanity, let alone fight your enemies. Maleficent's powers were undeniably powerful, but the king was right. What can you do against people like them who knew their powers as an extension of their bodies?" he pointed out sternly. "You can't even undo the spell you cast upon them on your own. How can you save the rest if you allow your emotions to get through your head?"

Aries let out a ridiculing scoff, releasing him in disbelief.

"My emotions get through my head?" another wave of laughter escaped her mouth, staggering back, only to lurch towards him. "MY EMOTIONS?! That's my husband!"

Aries grabbed his clothes and tugged him aggressively, pounding his firm chest with all the strength she could. It wasn't that she couldn't understand his point, but how could she accept that so easily? Between her duties as the empress and her role as Abel's wife, Aries would choose Abel in a heartbeat.

Call it selfish, but Aries lost many people already. She carried each death of her people and was ready to pay for her sins in hell. However, she couldn't take Abel's death. If she didn't rest when Dexter was forced into a slumber, how could she accept Abel's death so easily?

She had to do something that was on her mind. Aries didn't know what she exactly have to do, but she needed to do something — anything, instead of hiding.

"He's the only one I have…" her poundings on his chest grew weaker until she was just clinging to his clothes. She hung her head down while the top of her head rested on his chest. "How can I think of my life when he… when I'm the reason he was vulnerable?"

Tears landed on the top of her shoes as her back trembled. "It was all my fault. They trusted me with their lives and yet I failed all of them."

Fabian's stern face softened as she went on and on, listening to her muffled voice. "Then the more reason you have to keep yourself together."

Aries gazed up at him; she was already hiccuping. Helplessness swirled in her eyes.

"What should I do?" she asked under her breath. "I killed my husband and trapped my people. How can I undo everything? You wielded Maleficent longer, so you must know."

"I have no idea." He breathed out. "Only you can know the answer to your question. What else can you do aside from crying, my lady?"

Aries opened and closed her mouth, but her voice was stuck in her throat. She held his gaze for a long time before releasing his clothes. She then wiped her tears, forcing a brave look on her face.

"I cannot undo it," she confessed, and he nodded. "All I can do is correct it."

"Exactly."

Aries bit her lips as she held her tears back, turning on her heel to face the vast expanse and darkness ahead. She sauntered to the railing, planting her hands on it, and slowly balled her hands into a fist.

"I won't cry," she muttered, holding the tears that were tempting to escape her eyes. But her traitorous eyes allowed a tear to roll down her cheek, which she wiped almost immediately. "This is the last time."

Aries cleared her throat and huffed a deep exhale. She lifted her chin up, shaking her head, throwing the pain at the back of her head, and pretending her heart wasn't bleeding heavily at the moment.

"That's my promise to you, Fabian. If I lose control, you too will be affected." As she acknowledge their connections, a metal band around her wrist and ankles appeared, which connected to Fabian. The latter gazed down at the chains connecting the two of them but was not surprised by it.

These chains… were what bound them. Although it appeared like normal heavy chains, he was certain it couldn't be broken even if they try.

"What can you give me in return?" she asked, turning around to face him.

From his perspective, she looked so vulnerable. However, her eyes were as clear as the sun, illuminating on a still lake. It was enough for him to feel reassured.

"I will be an extension of your body until these chains come off." He raised his wrist, shaking it mildly. "I will not meddle with your decisions from hereon. Whatever it is."

Even when Aries hadn't told him what she had thought just now, Fabian already knew what she was planning. The two of them stared at each other, having this silent agreement.

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<strong>THUD!</strong>

Maximus's brows rose, sitting leisurely on the throne with a beating heart in his hand. His eyes were on Aries, kneeling before the steps up to the throne. It had only been hours since Aries and Fabian escaped the imperial palace, but he didn't feel the urge to come after them because he knew Aries would come back.

What Maximus didn't expect was they would come back this soon. But well, that wasn't a problem. That saved him the trouble of looking for them.

"Help me." Aries didn't beat around the bush, lifting her sharp eyes to the man sitting on her husband's throne. "Help me bring him back and I will do whatever you want me to."