Chapter 37: Rules..

Chapter 37: Rules..Zavren’s body froze—he hadn’t expected such a bold move from her. The kiss was soft at first, but there was something more behind it. Something deeper. Something that lingered long after their lips met. It was like she was trying to tell him something... but what? Or was it— A silent goodbye. A promise of return. His pupils dilated the moment he felt her tongue slip into his mouth. He kissed her back slowly, savoring it, as she gently sucked on his lower lip, stiffening him even further. When they finally pulled away—just slightly—his intense gaze locked with hers, darkening as his hands held her jaw to make her look at him. Not hard, but firm enough for Ariana’s gaze to shift to his. "Tell me," he asked quietly, "who taught you to use your tongue when kissing?" Ariana’s cheeks flushed with color; she too was surprised by what she had done. She raised her hand, and to his surprise, pointed at him. He fell silent, realization dawning. She had been trying to mimic what he had done to her that night. She had kissed him exactly the way he had kissed her. No wonder—the sucking on the upper lip, then the lower lip—was typically him. She had mimicked it so perfectly, his eyes glinted with dark impress. Slowly, Zavren ran a hand through his hair, pushing it back as it fell perfectly around his eyes—eyes that remained fixed on the woman who kept leaving him speechless. "Oh, what should I do with you?" he murmured in a low, quiet tone. He began to turn away, but just as he was about to move toward the wardrobe, he felt a soft tap on his back. He turned around. Ariana raised her hand, signaling for him to bend slightly. As he obeyed, she stepped closer, cupping his face gently with both hands. Then she leaned in and pressed a soft kiss to the tip of Zavren’s nose. His lips parted, caught completely off guard by the gentle, warm touch of her soft, wet lips against his nose. Without a word, she pulled away and quickly walked toward the door. Zavren stood frozen, his cold crimson-grey eyes flashing with something unreadable as he stared at her retreating figure. As the door clicked shut behind her, Zavren chuckled quietly to himself and facepalmed, a lingering smirk still playing on his lips from the unexpected moment. Meanwhile, the second Ariana stepped out, she pressed a hand to her chest as if that would calm the racing of her heart. In truth, she didn’t know what had come over her to act so bold. Her smile widened until it was impossible to keep a straight face. If someone were to see her now, they’d think she wasn’t sane. "Queen Ariana, are you feeling alright?" Leah asked respectfully. Ariana jumped slightly, startled by her voice—she hadn’t expected to see anyone in the hallway. "I apologize for startling you, Queen Ariana," Leah added quickly. The truth was, she had been passing by to inspect the dining area when she saw Ariana exiting, lips stretched in a wide grin. Ariana waved her hands gently to reassure her, then signed slowly: "Could you show me to the garden? I’d like to get some fresh air." Leah nodded with a polite smile. "Of course, Queen Ariana. I just wanted to inform you that lunch will be served in fifteen minutes, so your time in the garden might be shorter than expected." She figured she might as well inform her now that they were together. Ariana nodded. She didn’t mind at all. Leah bowed slightly. "Very well then, Queen Ariana." As she began leading Ariana through the hallway, she spoke gently, "I apologize, Queen Ariana, for leaving earlier. There was a fight between two maids that needed to be handled, but everything has been settled now." Ariana stopped walking. Leah noticed and turned to face her. Ariana raised her hands, her fingers moving quickly. "Settled? What do you mean?" Leah hesitated before answering. "T-They’ve been taken to the Council of Maids." Ariana’s eyes flew wide at her words. If she wasn’t mistaken, wasn’t that the place where trials were held...? Her hands shook ever so slightly as she signed again: "D-Does that mean they’ll be hanged?" Leah looked uncomfortable. "We’re not entirely sure... It depends on how the Head Maid rules the case." Ariana’s brows knit together in disbelief. She knew the punishment would be bad. She remembered vividly Leah saying something about the place being rarely visited—and so, all of a sudden, they were taken there? That could only mean one thing. Her hands moved sharply. "Take me to them. Now." Leah’s eyes widened, caught off guard by the sudden coldness in Ariana’s gaze, but she quickly bowed. "As you wish, My Queen. Please follow me." Meanwhile... "Speak, Zekel," Zavren said in a gravely calm tone that held more meaning than it should. A sweet smile widened on Zekel’s lips. "Oh, brother, you didn’t even care to give me a proper hug for my visit we haven’t seen in centuries, What a lovely, over-caring brother you are..." "Go straight to the point. Stop beating around your useless bush," Zavren snapped, his calm voice growing sharp with impatience. Nearby, the horses were being prepared. Ten more royal guards mounted up while Zavren’s sleek black horse was being checked and lightly fed. Zavren stood outside, arms crossed, gaze hard. Zekel had arrived minutes ago, claiming he had important news about Zavren’s wife. But instead of speaking directly, he kept circling the topic, tossing vague remarks left and right like a confused man caught in the middle of a battlefield. "You know the Queen is wiser than we think. That’s why you should thank your ever-so-vigilant and handsome brother—me...." "The scent of your blood drifting through the air... now, that wouldn’t be such a terrible idea," Zavren said with unsettling calm. He didn’t need to explain—Zekel understood all too well. "Oh brother, you take things far too seriously. Lighten up a bit." Zavren’s piercing gaze shifted to him, and that was when Zekel finally dropped the act. He knew that when Zavren gave that look, he didn’t want his words repeated—his actions would do the talking. "Oh, you’re no fun," Zekel muttered. Then, in a sudden shift, his expression turned serious. "Your curious wife went toward Heer." The moment those words left his lips, Zavren’s calm twisted into something far more terrifying, and a shadow of panic began to creep across Zekel’s face. "You don’t have to worry—she didn’t get inside due to the spell that held her back. I got there before she could do anything." There was an unsettling silence. "Your Majesty, the horse is ready for departure," Lucas announced with a respectful bow, standing patiently for Zavren’s reply. But Zavren said nothing—and Lucas was glad. He, too, was curious about what had just made the ever-playful Zekel turn so serious. "Ehh... about the door," Raven cut in cautiously. "No one can enter. It’s heavily sealed. Its power won’t even let someone touch the handle." Zekel chuckled darkly. "You seriously underestimate the queen. She was able to touch the knob." Raven’s eyes shot wide, his face paling as he turned toward Zavren, whose gaze seemed fixed on thin air, expression unreadable. Zekel paused, his eyes narrowing as if lost in deep thought, then said quietly, "Lady Ariana can open any door. That one is no exception—no matter what spell has been cast." *** Ariana walked softly behind Leah until they stopped in front of a large door. There was a brief pause before Leah slowly pushed it open. As the heavy doors creaked apart, Ariana’s eyes widened. Inside, a young woman trembled on the floor. A sharp-looking older woman stood nearby in a perfectly pressed royal uniform—clearly the head maid. No one needed to tell Ariana who she was. Her grey hair was neatly tied back, and her appearance—disciplined and strict—suggested she was in her late forties. Ariana’s frown deepened as her golden eyes dropped to the red-haired, curly girl lying on the floor. The trembling brunette in the far corner barely moved, yet her shivers were visible. Ariana turned sharply to Leah and signed quickly: "Get her up." Leah’s eyes widened but quickly obeyed. "The queen demands you to stand," she said. The head maid’s lips tightened in a faint scowl, but the moment she realized who stood before her, her posture shifted entirely. Her hand trembled as she bowed low. "Greetings, my queen," she said, eyes lowered. Ariana ignored her and walked straight to the red-haired girl, stretching out her hand. The girl’s body trembled violently. Ariana could tell—this fear wasn’t new. It had settled deep into her bones. She looked around Ariana’s age, if not slightly older. The maid raised her head and quickly placed her hands atop Ariana’s, fearing she might be punished further for disobeying the queen. The moment their skin touched, everyone in the room stiffened. Even the head maid looked visibly shocked. Ariana guided her up, a frown forming on her lips as she noticed the mark on her cheek—it was obvious she had been slapped if not twice or thrice. Another maid stood silently at the far end of the room, head bowed. If this had been a fight between two maids, why was only one of them on the ground? Ariana noticed the freckles on the girl’s delicate face—she was strikingly pretty despite her worn-out clothing. She must have been a lowly maid. But why was getting punished? Ariana turned to Leah and signed again: "Why is she being punished? And why is the other not?" Leah nodded and relayed the question. "The queen demands to know the reason for the punishment—and why it was only her." Still bowed, the head maid replied in a calm, disciplined tone—yet there was clear respect in her voice. "My queen, Olivia was caught by another maid. What we thought was a fight was later understood to be a plea. Olivia was begging for mercy." She paused, then continued. "The other maid, Lilly, caught her breaking a rule." Ariana’s brow arched sharply. She signed: "What rule did Olivia break?" Leah translated again. "The queen wishes to know—what rule did she break?" The head maid remained bowed. "She was caught secretly engaging in a relationship with one of the royal guards."