Chapter 35: His Words..

Chapter 35: His Words..Ariana’s face drained of color as she tried to calm her racing thoughts. What had she done? Why had she come here? Why couldn’t she follow instructions? A sane person was supposed to be scared—run, hide, anything—but she had been too curious to see what was behind the door. Just why? She curtsied respectfully, still a little dazed at how this figure had managed to reach for her hand earlier without her noticing. "I am quite surprised my brother didn’t inform you about this, but since he didn’t, I’ll take the honor to notify you—no one is allowed in here," his voice was calm. Ariana nodded. She noticed that although there was a slight resemblance between the two, they were completely different. While Zavren had cold grey eyes, this man’s eyes were brown and deep—almost approachable. His hair was light brown, quite the contrast to Zavren’s ink-dark strands. He was handsome, but Zavren’s looks outshone his by far. But most importantly, why was she thinking about that now? "You are one of a kind, I must say," he spoke softly. Ariana curtsied once more, pressing her lips together, praying he wouldn’t think she was being rude. Did he know about her...? She bit her lip hard as she tried to calm her thoughts. Zekel bowed. "I will be taking my leave now, my queen." Ariana nodded softly as he turned and left. Just as he did, she began to leave as well. Her hands moved to her chest as she tried to calm her pounding heart. ’Would he tell Zavren? Would they punish her?’ Different thoughts clashed in her mind. The moment she entered her room, she locked the door and pressed her back to it. Why was this castle so scary? And why had she gone there? She was taking risks—she needed to understand that any risk she took would not only affect her. She needed to be careful. Extra careful. She moved to the bed, climbed on it, lay down, and before she knew it—drifted to sleep. *** Ariana’s eyes opened slightly as she yawned. She blinked slowly and stretched her body on the bed. That sweet, warm feeling surged through her—she couldn’t remember the last time she had slept this long and this well. A soft smile spread across her face as she rolled on the bed, feeling completely relieved. ’Soo good’ She pushed her legs up, kicking them in the air out of joy. She loved sleeping, and this sleep had been so good. Usually, her sleep was interrupted—by her sister, or her father’s call—but now, oh... A smile formed on her lips as she kicked higher, not minding that her gown had ridden up to her waist, exposing her panties. She was alone, and the door was locked, so it didn’t matter. She kept rolling and rolling until— THUMP! Her body hit the floor. Her mouth opened as pain shot through her waist, but despite that, she kept rolling from side to side. Why was she even rolling? Surprisingly... this was fun. Who knew rolling could be so fun? It was better to do this now, especially since she was finally alone and— "What are you doing?" Ariana’s body froze. Her gown still hiked up to her waist, her legs fully exposed—her panties too. She sat up immediately, quickly covering herself, pressing her teeth together as her face burned with shame. Zavren sat not far away on the sofa, legs crossed haughtily as his eyes bore into Ariana. Something flickered through his grey eyes as he studied her. Ariana remembered vividly—she had locked the door. Then how had he gotten in? "You’ve forgotten this is our room," Zavren said, his eyes flicking to the extra key resting on the table. ’Oh, stupid, stupid, stupid Ariana. Why did you have to disgrace yourself like that? And... oh heavens, your gown!’ She stood immediately, unable to believe he had seen all of that. Why did he have to be there? "Go on, sweetheart. I was enjoying your little show. What is it called? Ballet?" Zavren’s calm voice rang through the room, slow and quiet. ’Ballet? What ballet dancer rolls that way?’ She didn’t know if this man was trying to mock her or something. Ariana turned her face to the side and began walking toward the door. She couldn’t stay here—not after the embarrassing thing she’d just done. "Come back here" Zavren’s voice rang out again, sharp and commanding. Ariana froze. She hadn’t expected that. The intensity in his tone made her feet lock in place. Slowly, she turned around and walked back—her body moving against her will, as if his voice had weight. "Come here," Zavren whispered softly. Ariana didn’t understand him anymore. Just seconds ago, his voice had been so chilling it nearly broke her, and now—he was calm. Composed. She didn’t know what to believe anymore. Still, she moved toward him slowly. Zavren held her waist and guided her to sit on his lap. "You were smiling a few minutes ago," he said. "And now that you realize I’m here, it’s all gone. Tell me, snowflake... do I scare you?" ’YES. You do scare me. A lot.’ She screamed it in her head. But she could never tell him that. So she shook her head. Zavren watched her in silence. "I’ll ask you a few questions about the man you married first," he said calmly. The moment those words left his lips, he noticed Ariana’s body stiffen. Her shoulders tensed, her lips pressed to the side, and her gaze fell to the floor. "I know you didn’t kill him, sweetheart," Zavren said gently. And just like that, Ariana turned to him, her lips trembling as she bit them softly. So... he doesn’t believe the rumors? She whispered to herself, stunned. Her own father had doubted her. She didn’t know why, but hearing someone—anyone—be on her side shocked her in every possible way. She looked at Zavren, searching his face for signs of mockery. No teasing glint. No sly smirk. Just that same calm, unreadable expression. He wasn’t joking. "You don’t have to worry, sweetheart. A few of many even became blood brothers, swearing by those rumors," he said with a small, haunting smile. Ariana looked at him, confused. She didn’t fully understand what he meant, but the smirk on his lips—it was enough to tell her that whatever he had done... it was bad. Possibly even sinister. Zavren spoke again, his voice softening but still laced with that lingering coldness—like a second skin. "If you don’t want to, then..." He paused, noticing the way she finally nodded, signaling she was ready to answer. This could be her chance to prove them wrong. She was surprised that Zavren actually believed she hadn’t killed him. After all, she had lost hope and accepted her fate once even her father believed the rumors. It was then she realized how quickly lies could shape the truth in people’s eyes. She pressed her lips together and tilted her head toward him, waiting for his question—completely forgetting she was still sitting on his lap. "Did he say anything to you before his death?" Zavren asked. The moment the words left his mouth, Ariana froze. Her eyes locked onto his stormy grey ones, searching for a clue—though she didn’t know what exactly. His expressionless eyes gave nothing away. He was unreadable. Unpredictable. ’Why did he ask?’ She nodded slowly, biting her upper lip softly. Zavren moved closer, surprising her, as he reached for a small book and pen. Ariana stared at him, lips slightly parted. "Write down what he said," Zavren instructed, his tone quiet but firm. She turned to him. Normally, when someone asks a question, you can guess why through their words. But now... this felt different. She couldn’t tell what he was trying to uncover. She took the book and opened it slowly. Picking up the pen, she clicked it once. Then again. The ink tip appeared. Her lips parted and closed in surprise—she had never seen anything like it before. Then, she clicked it again, completely forgetting why it had been given to her in their first place. Zavren watched her in disbelief. Was she really doing this—now, in such a serious moment? Click. Clip. Click. Clip. The only sound in the room was the repetitive clicking of the pen. "Ariana," his deep voice echoed in the room coldly. Her body jolted slightly as she realized how distracted she’d been. What is wrong with you, Ariana? she scolded herself. Quickly, she gripped the pen and began scribbling. Zavren observed her quietly, unsure what to make of this fragile snowflake. If only she understood how serious this was. When she raised the book, Zavren read: Stay in here till I return. Once I get back, we are both leaving. His expression remained neutral, but Ariana wondered why those words of her ex-husband mattered so much that the Alpha King asked. Zavren asked, "Did he mention where you two would be leaving to?" Ariana paused to think, then quietly wrote again slow and steadily. She raised the book: Apenths. Zavren’s body froze, his gaze darkening as he stared at the word.