The first light of dawn crept over the horizon, casting long shadows across the coldstones of the Eastern Courtyard in Demonstone Castle. Rowena and Isola entered together, their faces tinged with a bit of redness, and their skin had a certain glow that made the look even more alluring.
After a moment of heavy silence, Isola finally broke the tension.
"Am I wrong to assume that you wanted to talk about... Asher? Last night...He came to you as well...didn't he?" Isola asked, clearing her throat.
Rowena met Isola's gaze, her expression reserved, yet her eyes could barely contain a hint of embarrassment. Her crimson eyes darted around before settling on Isola once more, "Since you are asking...then it can't only be me who felt something different about him, right?" she replied in a low voice.
Isola nodded, wincing slightly as she recalled the events of the previous night, "I know our husband is the most charming man in the world, but after he came back from whatever business he had to take care of, I couldn't take my eyes off him. Something about him seems strangely different," she admitted, her voice tinged with embarrassment, "And his 'little dragon'...it destroyed me before I could even realize it despite how he gave it such a adorable name. I felt so numb and weak that I had to drink two potions just to get myself up," She smiled softly, adding, "But it felt like the best night I shared with him. What about you?"
Isola felt her heart pounding even now as she remembered Asher suddenly entering her quarters in the middle of the night, possessing an alluring charm that made her even forget the drowsiness she had from working all day.
But what truly caught her by surprise was when he revealed his little dragon that was far from little and more like a forbidden weapon that consumed her soul and body for hours until she literally got knocked out yet in a blissful way.
Rowena blushed deeper at Isola's openness, finding it embarrassing to share the intimate details of her own encounter. All she could remember was feeling tired behind her desk when he suddenly appeared before her, swept her off her feet, and drained her of her essence countless times within her study hall.
The strange thing was that despite feeling numb and weak, the more he ravaged her with his monstrous sword, the more she felt relaxed and blissful. Only in those moments, she felt like she could be herself and forget she was the queen and the burdens that came with it.
She had initially decided not to indulge him and control her own feelings for a few days to teach him a lesson and make sure he knew how to put a leash on his little dragon.
But after he took her by surprise, her initial determination to punish him melted away, and she couldn't bring herself to refuse him.
However, she couldn't help but feel surprised at Asher's stamina, given what had transpired between them. Even after all that, he still paid a visit to Isola?
She hesitantly nodded, meeting Isola's gaze once more, "I could say the same. But..." Rowena frowned, concern etching its way onto her face, "We can't let him get too arrogant after he surprised and overwhelmed us like that."
Isola wryly smiled as she asked, "Could this be because of…Naida?"
Isola already heard from Asher about what happened between him and Naida. She felt touched and sad upon hearing what the two of them had to go through in the Tower of Torment. After knowing that Naida, in the image of Selene, had sacrificed herself so many times for Asher indirectly, she felt that Naida was worthy of his love, especially after learning that Naida didn't ask him anything despite seeing Asher remaining unaffected by radiant mana.
Any other person would have caused a huge ruckus or blackmailed Asher or feel angry enough to make sure this world would crucify him for having some connection to radiant mana.
And so she felt happy for Asher since she felt he needed all the love he could get to prevent him from falling back to the person he was when he woke up in this world for the first time.
But she did feel worried since Naida was married and she was the Lady of House Valentine. There could only be problems to deal with in the future, and if their relationship gets exposed, then it will put both Asher and Naida in serious trouble, which even Rowena would struggle to help them.
She knew Rowena was feeling worried about the same thing and if he might bed another married woman. It wouldn't be an issue if he simply slept with them or had a one-night stand.
But it was a whole nother problem if he fell in love with them, for she knew Asher would never let go of a woman once he had feelings for them.
And so Isola gently held Rowena's hand and said with a soft, reassuring smile, "You don't have to worry. Now that we, especially you, made things clear to him, he won't go after any married woman again. Even what happened wasn't entirely his fault. We both know that it's hard to control our hearts."
Rowena softly sighed as she nodded and gripped Isola's hand as she said with concern in her eyes, "I know. It's just that our kingdom is facing a perilous future. We would need as many allies as we can, including the ones we don't like. Asher has only been the king for a short while. He wasn't born or raised as we were. It will take some time before he understands that we aren't free to do everything as our heart pleases…not when our kingdom is in danger."
Isola's gaze became focused as she understood what Rowena was talking about.
She then said with confidence in her azure eyes, "Fret not for I believe Asher has only grown to care for his duties after his return. You must have also noticed that after his return, he has already initiated plans for Reaping and using Naida's help to strengthen our relations with our allies. Maybe it's not all bad that he and Naida got closer."
Rowena's eyes shifted upon hearing Isola mention his reaping plans, "About his Reaping plans…Did he tell you anything else? All he told me was that he might spend less time here and more time among the humans to grow his cult and do whatever it takes to weaken the humans while strengthening himself. I am just worried how he is going to do all that on his own in such a short while. Even if I ask him, he would just tell me not to worry."
Isola gave a confident nod as she subtly smiled, "We both know only he stands the highest chance of coming up with miracles. We should just let him do what he does best while we can do everything possible to support him."
However, inwardly, Isola wasn't free of anxiety as she knew that Asher was also planning his vengeance while Reaping. She could only pray and hope that nothing bad won't happen after he walked into a world where he would only be surrounded by his worst enemies.
—
The shadow of the ominous black tower titled as 'Hellbringer's Tower' loomed large as Esther approached, its spires piercing the sky like a dark blade.
The calm that had settled over her heart during her journey began to fracture, each step towards the tower echoing the tumult of memories it housed. The air around seemed to thicken with anticipation, or perhaps it was the weight of certain events, of decisions made within those stone walls that now pressed upon her.
With a deep breath, she sought the tranquility that had eluded her, closing her eyes for a moment to still the storm within. Upon opening them, she stepped into the tower, the boundary between the outside world and the realm of shadows that Asher had made his own.
"You are slightly early. Were you looking forward to something? There is no shame in saying 'yes' like you did before," Asher's voice, laced with a mixture of amusement and challenge, cut through the silence, emanating from the shadows. He stepped into view, his presence charming. This secluded haven stood apart from the bustling life of cities and towns, a sanctuary for his darker pursuits, shielded from prying eyes.
Esther's composure faltered for a moment at the sight of him, the memories of past encounters stirring an unbidden tumult within her. Yet, she quickly regained her icy demeanor, her gaze sharpening as she met his, "Did you call me here to waste both of our time or to let me give you what you wanted? I have other duties to attend to, and you wouldn't want people to start asking questions, do you?" Her voice was a blade of ice, cutting through the air with precision.
She wanted to make sure that he would understand that he couldn't just call her whenever he wanted. He can't be that stupid to think he can have her at his beck and call every hour.
Asher's laughter, deep and resonant, filled the space between them, "Don't you worry. I will make sure that whenever I call you, it will be at impeccable timing. But as the king, it's not like I can't assign people to take over your duties whenever I need you, can't I?" Esther's pulse once again quickened briefly as she couldn't even tell if he was serious or trying to unsettle her.
However, to her relief, Asher added, "For now, let's talk business. Show me what you brought."
At his prompt to discuss their business, Esther's gesture summoned a dark blue coffin, materializing with a whisper of power.
The coffin, an artifact shrouded in mystery, appeared before them, its appearance enough to raise Asher's eyebrows in intrigue as he took a peep at what was inside.
