The dressmaker was browsing through the newspapers when he heard the bells chime. With a frustrated face, he turned to the door and yelled: “I told you! No business today! It’s Sunday, for heaven’s sake!”“My, my, what a rude way to greet your customers, Mister Sweedle,” the Queen crossed her arms as Ares closed the door behind him. The dressmaker went pale upon seeing Eurydice enter his store, even with a huge ‘closed’ sign. Eurydice tapped her feet on the wooden boards while carrying a dissatisfied face. “I didn’t know I was so... unwelcomed.”“Oh no! My bad, Your Radiance!” he got onto his knees and pressed his forehead against the floor, hoping she would forgive him. “As long as it’s you, anytime is okay.”“Oh really? As I heard earlier, you seem to be suggesting the opposite.”The dressmaker did not know what to do! He wanted the Earth to swallow him alive and all his embarrassments! Eurydice sighed. “Enough yammering,” she shrugged her shoulders. “I want you to make this per
Eurydice's eyes were blazing and furious, her heart itching to dismember her assassins. They were very weak, yes, but what fouled her mood was that she couldn't get to enjoy her company with Ares because she had considered them. The hooded men scampered on the wet ground, slowly scooting their buttocks back from the approaching Queen. Eurydice's hands were dying to blast them to smithereens, leaving not a speck of dust behind. Their eyes trembled, and their joints refused to move. Dread loomed them as they realized there was no chance for sparing. They dropped their rusty knives to the ground while screaming at her to forgive them, but Eurydice was slowly becoming blinded by darkness. Her eyes were filled with malice and destruction the idea resonated with her body. She aimed her palms at one of their skulls. The man closed his eyes as sweat dropped his forehead. "I suppose you're the first to die.""Eurydice," a firm voice called. Ares grabbed her palm and aimed it at his own ches
Eurydice watched as the orchid-coloured fishes swarmed around her, nibbling her silky legs. She brushed her fingers through the water as if trying to touch the moon reflected. The pond was not very shallow. Sometimes, she would jump into the waters below, trying to drown herself when no one was around. She would close her eyes and allow the darkness to consume her, but then, as always, her servants would find and pull her.One time, there was absolutely no one who came. She had expected that, finally, the time had come for her to die. She waited until she was out of breath, but it never happened. She couldn't die. Not even nature could kill her now. Even Death was doubtful about taking her. Neither heaven nor hell awaits her. She remembered her responsibilities and her little brother when she rose from the water. After that, she never attempted again.She felt like a fool. Though her demons whispered in her ear to jump and join the fishes, her body refused. Not yet, she said. 'It's
The four princes who completed the Trials happened to find each other in the Palace's vast front yards. The maids sparingly glanced at them and squealed as the dashing nobles walked under the bright sun. They were so astoundingly charming that even the married women gawked over the walking men.The princes had woken up early to stretch and jog. Some of them took this as an opportunity to go around the Palace, which they have been unable to do for the past few days. Poor royalties had to review paperwork and attend to business matters even if they were away from their countries.The castle grounds were endless; for some unknown reason- they all found themselves intersecting at one place simultaneously. Prince Yue, Prince Herbert, Prince Kael, and Prince Xavier all looked at one another with awkward faces.Prince Yue, who came all the way from the East, turned right as if he had not seen a single shadow of any of the princes. Between the four of them, Prince Yue was most passive and obs
Tension quelled between the Queen and Ares. The commoner does not back down on the Queen's low sight of him."You really do have a sharp tongue, don't you?""You say that, but you helped me get away with it anyway. Why did you do that?" Ares asked Eurydice as they walked towards the dining hall in the long, empty corridors. Eurydice boredly swung her head to him while she curled the tips of her hair with her fingers. She shrugged her shoulders and took a deep breath before replying."You looked like you were about to burst. You seemed speechless. Is this always what happens when someone asks for your surname?" Ares lowered his head and watched his feet stroll while he followed behind her. The Queen noticed the passiveness of the commoner when they talked about him. It's as if he tries to speak less to hide his identity. Eurydice continued walking- her haunting, mighty heels echoing in the long hallway. She kept her eyes on the path ahead while ruminating about Ares's background.She
Gasping, sprinting, and parkouring- Ares had made it that far from the Palace with just his two feet. He would see the Palace guards being mobilized at the minute of his first step to escape. They loitered on the ground while asking the civilians if they saw him. Ares listened carefully and almost burst into a giggle when he heard how they described him."Have you seen a man that goes swish and swoosh!""Hey, by any chance, did you see a peasant with dark hair?" to which a villager replied, "Almost everyone here has black hair."They were hopeless, and Ares took this opportunity to change his outfit. He removed his first vest and then blended with the people until he could exit the capital. The farther he went, the fewer soldiers looked for him. But even so, Ares knew he was going to be found eventually, especially since he was dealing with the most powerful person inland, Eurydice.Ares slipped his hands into his pockets and drew out his pocket watch."I still have time."─━━━━━━⊱✿⊰━
Eurydice waited patiently behind a pillar while playing with her ornaments when Icarai and Ares approached her. The Queen lifted her gaze at them while slowly crossing her arms. With a stern expression, she asked, "How is he doing now?"The farmer was thankfully saved when the Queen graced generosity to lend her infirmary to him. She wasn't supposed to care, but upon seeing the horrified look of losing someone in Ares's eyes, she decided that she wouldn't want to look at it again as it reminded her of the past. Icarai removed his spectacles and rubbed his temples, "He isn't very good. He is extremely overfatigued, and he has tuberculosis. If you were paying attention to other nations recently, this infectious disease has been rampant, Radiance. We have no medicine in the Palace to cure him."Ares's face became even more depressed. Though he hid it perfectly with a serene, calm face- the Queen could clearly distinguish the loss of spark in his eyes, as if all he felt were nothing but
The Queen froze despite his warm hug. Ares's huge palms covered the back of her head; he, too, couldn't believe that he had just pulled her into a hug. When he found her crying for no reason, his body moved. He just couldn't just stand seeing someone cry.They stayed in that position for a minute before the male slowly pulled away. Eurydice was glaring at him. Ares averted his gaze, "Sorry. It was a reflex.""A reflex? Had you been someone else, I would've cut your head the moment you closed in."Ares pouted. What a way to ruin the mood, "I'm sorry I wasn't paying attention.""Clearly. Quite bold of you to touch me like that."Ares tried to find the tears in her face, but she was back to her sassy expression. Did he just imagine it? He could've sworn he saw her being melancholic. He had been in the courtroom for a few minutes and saw how she paced in the empty room. She was sad."Once the farmer opens his eyes, tell him to meet me in the Doctor's lounge. I'll be waiting for him there.