Kaye…..Kaye….
"Who are you?"
Kaye…come here…
Aria woke up. What a strange dream. Someone's calling her..a female voice, but she couldn't locate its source.
"Are you all right?" Claudius, who had also been roused from sleep, asked.
It was 3 a.m., far too early to be awake. "I'm fine, just a bad dream," she reassured him.
He embraced her, offering comfort. "Maybe you're feeling stressed about what happened at the party last night. Try not to dwell on it too much."
"Yes, I'm sorry if I woke you," she replied.
He responded with a warm smile. "Don't worry about it. Besides, it gives us an opportunity for another round."
She blushed.
He kissed her on the lips. He's turning her on again. He removed her robe and went on top of her. His kisses slowly went down to her body.
"A-Aaahhh..C-Claude..a-aahhh.." she moaned.
"Please keep moaning my name.." he whispered.
He moves faster.
She scratches his back because of the sensation.
"A-Aahhh….a-ahhh..C-Claude..."
She keeps moaning.
He's so good.
"M-Mmmmm..."
She tightened her grip on his back.
Claudius makes it deeper and faster.
"I-I'm.. c-coming!"
They were both panting when they finished.
"Another round?" Claudius whispered to her.
She chuckled.
.
.
....
"Argh.. I can't walk." Aria complained as she sat in her chair.
Claudius chuckled, "Sorry, I got carried away last night."
She playfully hit his arm, and they both shared a laugh.
Hachi came over and hugged Aria. Claudius' expression changed when he saw Hachi.
He calmly sipped his tea. "You're a grown-up now. You should stop hugging your master like that. People might misinterpret it if they see you."
Yes, they are jealous of this boy.
"But I want to hug her." Hachi protested and glared at him.
"It's fine, Claude." Aria gently removed Hachi's arms from around her. "Hachi, he's right. You're a grown-up now. You should not act like a child anymore."
Hachi frowned and looked away. "Hmph. Why are they allowed to hug and kiss you while I am not?"
"That's because we are her husbands, and you're not," Rasheen pointed out.
The other men also came.
"Then I will marry her too!" Hachi said.
"No! you can't marry her!" Rasheen yelled.
"Why not?" Hachi asked.
"Because Aria only loves us." Xerxes answered while smirking.
"Tsk. then how about the Crown Prince? She's not her husband-------mmm!!!"
Aria covered Hachi's mouth to prevent him from saying something inappropriate. "Ahahaha! Don't worry, Hachi. Even if you're not my husband, you can still hug me because I am your master!"
"R-Really?" Hachi's eyes sparkled.
She nodded.
"What about the Crown Prince?" Gawain asked.
Ack!
"A-About him…" she scratched her head.
But their discussion was interrupted when they saw Prince Izekiel strolling through the garden, followed by his butler.
"That's the other Prince, right?" Rasheen asked.
Claudius advised, "Don't mind him; their problems are none of our business."
They all settled down and began to enjoy their tea.
.
.
Izekiel strolled through the garden, where he spotted Aria having tea with her husbands, chatting happily. It was painful to see that Aria seemed to have moved on and forgotten him.
"Ludwig," he called to his butler.
"Yes, Your Highness?" Ludwig responded.
"How many husbands does Aria have?"
"How many husbands does Aria have?" Izekiel inquired.
"I believe it's four, but I've heard that Count Lannister's son is also courting her, and he might become her consort soon. I also heard that the Crown Prince joked about marrying the Princess during their last meeting," Ludwig replied.
"What? My brother said that?" Izekiel was taken aback.
Tss…too many men around her.
He calmed himself down. "Well, I will make sure that she will choose me over them."
He then walked away.
.
.
....
"Brother, is it true that the Emperor has another son?" Hadrian asked as he followed his brother.
"Yes, I'm the one who brought him to the palace," Duke Wolfsbane confirmed.
"I heard that the Crown Prince was furious when he saw the other Prince," Hadrian added.
"Why are you concerned about them? It's their family matter," the Duke responded, seeming annoyed.
Hadrian was always kind-hearted and worried about others.
"B-But..." Hadrian couldn't continue what he wanted to say.
"It's their problem, Hadrian. You shouldn't be troubled. I understand that you want to be friends with the Prince and Princess, but they will never accept you. Just look at yourself. Go back to your room now," the Duke instructed.
Hadrian lowered his head, being pushed in his wheelchair by his maid. He had no choice but to follow him.
.
.
....
The Serolf Family sat down for lunch together, but an uncomfortable silence hung in the air. Aria glanced at Izekiel, who was smiling at her, and then at Mikhail, who was glaring at Izekiel.
Gulping, she continued eating.
Until Mikhail broke the silence, "So, how long do you intend to stay here?"
"I will not go back to that old house," Izekiel replied confidently.
Mikhail retorted with a harsh stab of his steak, "Ha! Do you think I want you to stay here forever?"
"Enough, can we just eat in silence?" the Emperor said.
"Since when did you decide to let him stay here?" Mikhail asked.
"Mikhail, we will discuss this matter later." The Emperor said.
"Tsk." Mikhail put down his knife, causing a loud clatter.
Aria tapped Mikhail's shoulder. "Calm down." She whispered to him.
He composed himself and took a sip of wine. The lunch continued, but the atmosphere remained tense.
After they had finished eating, Izekiel followed Aria into the hallway.
"Aria!" he called to her.
She turned and bowed. "Prince Izekiel.."
Izekiel noticed that she was treating him differently.
"It's been a long time…" he said.
This is awkward. Aria didn't know what to say. Did he and the Princess have a previous connection?
"A-Ah..yeah." she scratched her head.
He took her hand and said, "I know you're still mad at me. I already regret it. I want to apologize for the things I did in the past."
Aria's confusion deepened, wondering about the relationship between Izekiel and the Princess.
"About that..actually, I---" before she could finish her words, Mikhail abruptly arrived.
"Aria.." he pulled her away.
Mikhail warned her, "Don't trust this man."
The two men glared at each other, creating an intense atmosphere.
Aria tried to defuse the situation, "Mikhail, he did nothing wrong. We were just talking."
Mikhail dismissed her words, "I don't care."
"It appears that you've grown closer to each other." Izekiel said.
"Why do you care?" Mikhail said.
Izekiel took a step closer and whispered to Mikhail, "I just want to remind you that I was her first love... not you."
Mikhail smirked and said, "Really? Ah right, I heard from my knight before that you two are secretly meeting each other without the Emperor's knowledge. Unfortunately, the Aria you met before has already changed. She's no longer fond of you."
What are they talking about?
Izekiel clenched his fists, trying to contain his anger. He then looked at her. "Aria, I don't know what he's saying."
Aria was also confused. What would she say?
"I lost my memories from an accident so I don't remember anything from my past." She said.
"What? How did it happen?" Izekiel asked worriedly.
"It's none of your business. It's better for her not to remember you, a trash like you should not be around her." Mikhail grabbed her hand and they left.
Izekiel got pissed, something was burning inside him.
He gritted his teeth. "I will get her back."
.
.
"What's the Princess' relationship with Prince Izekiel? Are they close to each other?" Aria asked as they walked.
Mikhail cautioned her, "You should avoid him. He will try to use you to gain power in the palace. Aria was an evil person from the past, and most people around her are cunning and can't be trusted."
Curious, Aria probed further, "So they were close with each other?"
Mikhail halted, and they stopped walking. "Yes, a knight from the old mansion where Izekiel was staying confessed to me and told me that Aria used to visit him. I don't know why they're seeing each other, but the knight said that the last time Aria visited him, they had arguments, and she never came to visit him again."
Aria pondered, "Hmm… I wonder why the Princess is close with him but not with you?"
Mikhail overheard her. "I heard you." he retorted with a furrowed brow.
She chuckled, trying to lighten the mood, "Hehe, I'm just kidding."
He grinned and kissed her hand. "But that was all in the past."
Her face turned red. He couldn't help but smile when he saw her blushing…she's so cute.
"Aria?"
Claudius appeared, noticing that they were holding hands. Aria quickly withdrew her hand. "Claude.."
He smiled and walked closer to her. "I've been looking for you."
"We just finished our meal with the Emperor." She explained.
"I heard it from Jenny." He glanced at Mikhail. "Thank you for walking her here, Your Highness."
Mikhail ignored him and focused on Aria instead. "I will see you later," he said before departing.
Claudius watched Mikhail leave and then turned his attention back to Aria. "He's been clinging to you lately."
"He's always like that when he's bored." She said.
He stared at her, he knew she was lying. There's something going on between them, he can sense it.
.
.
Izekiel's frustration led him to throw vases around his room, his anger directed at Mikhail. He eventually retreated to his bed, covering himself with a blanket, unwilling to accept any consolation.
Ludwig, his loyal butler, attempted to coax him, "Your Highness, come on, drink your medicine. This will help you to calm down."
Defiantly, Izekiel shouted, "No! I don't want to drink that anymore! I want to be alone!" His outburst left Ludwig sighing in exasperation.
The door creaked open, revealing Duke Wolfsbane. He surveyed the shattered vases on the floor and asked, "Did he throw a tantrum again?"
Ludwig explained, "It seems like the Crown Prince pissed him off."
Duke Wolfsbane took a seat on the bed and implored, "Your Highness, please drink your medicine."
Izekiel, still wrapped in his blanket, grumbled, "Go away! Leave me alone!"
"Did you fight with the Crown Prince?" the Duke asked.
"Tsk, that guy! I want him to vanish from this world; he's always getting in my way!" Izekiel exclaimed in frustration.
The Duke, seeing an opportunity, offered a solution with a smirk, "If you want him to vanish, then be the next emperor."
He didn't respond.
"If you become the emperor you will be powerful, you will have the right to do whatever you want. You can make him vanish from this empire…and you can also have the Princess." Duke Wolfsbane added.
Izekiel slowly removed his blanket. "I can have the Princess?"
"Yes, you can make her divorce her husbands and marry you." he affirmed.
"R-Really?" Izekiel's hope grew.
He nodded.
With a sly grin, the Duke recognized the Princess as his weakness and urged, "So be the emperor…"
"But...father won't give the throne to me," Izekiel lamented.
Reassuringly, the Duke advised, "Don't worry, Your Highness. Leave it to me, just listen and obey me."
Izekiel nodded.
"Now, drink your medicine," the Duke instructed, and Ludwig promptly handed the medicine to Izekiel, who reluctantly consumed it.
The Duke tapped Ludwig's shoulder and whispered. "See me tonight."
Ludwig nodded.
.
.
....
Gawain opened the door of his room. He was so happy to see Aria.
"You came…" he said.
She smiled and went inside. Gawain hugged her tightly.
He smiled and kissed her.
"Come, I have something to show you." He held her hand.
"D-Did you prepare this?" Aria asked while looking at the bath tub. It's filled with rose petals.
"I heard it's more romantic if you do it during bathtime," Gawain said, then hugged her from the back.
She blushed. "R-Really?"
"Yes, did you like it?" he whispered.
"Yes!" she smiled.
He started kissing her neck. They get inside the bath tub. They were kissing when Gawain's hand caressed her breast.
"A-Ahhh…" she moaned.
.
.
...
Kaye…
Kaye…
Aria found herself in an unfamiliar place, shrouded in thick fog. What is this place?
"Gawain? Claudius? Mikhail? Everyone?"
She called out for her loved ones, but no one answered.
In her disoriented state, she stumbled upon a serene lake and saw her own reflection. To her surprise, she was wearing the same clothes she had worn before being transported to this world.
"D-Did I finally return to my world?" Aria pondered aloud.
A soft voice interrupted her thoughts, whispering her name, "Kaye…"
Startled, she turned to find the real Princess standing before her.
"A-Aria?" she gasped.
The real Aria smiled and said, "We finally met."
Overwhelmed by questions, Aria asked, "What happened to you? Are you really dead? Will you return to your body now?"
With a somber expression, Aria shook her head and replied, "I'm sorry, but I am truly dead. I've come here to warn you."
"Warn me?" she asked.
"Kaye… you need to be careful," the real Aria urged.
"What do you mean?" she asked, her concern growing.
"Chaos is coming… those people who killed me want to harm everyone," the real Aria explained.
"But I thought they were already executed..Viscount Milano.." she began.
The real Aria interjected, "No, there is still someone left."
"Who?" she pressed.
"I can't tell you, it will affect the balance of this world…But please, be cautious," the real Aria cautioned.
Seriously?
"Then what can I do to be safe?" she questioned.
"Trust your husbands… Trust your loved ones… but don't trust those new faces…" the real Aria warned.
"New faces? Do you mean Izekiel?" she probed.
The real Aria was taken aback. "Did he finally return?" She asked, her excitement evident.
"Yes, Duke Wolfsbane brought him." she answered.
She smiled. "Izekiel…I used to love him, but he betrayed me."
"He betrayed you?"
"He's a nice and gentle person... but someone led him into darkness. I tried to help, but he wouldn't listen. I hope it's not too late for him."
She can see in her eyes that she really loves him.
I thought she loved Claudius?
Does it mean that the man she really loves is Izekiel?
"Will Izekiel bring chaos to this world?" she asked.
With a bittersweet smile, the real Aria said, "Whatever happens please don't be mad at him. He doesn't know what he's doing…"
Does she mean someone's manipulating him? Could it be…
"Your Highness…I believe you're not evil."
The real Aria laughed. "Hahaha, even I don't know if I am evil or not."
Her form started to blur.
"Y-Your Highness, your body.." she panicked.
The real Aria reassured her, "I don't have much time left. I begged God to let me see you and warn you. I also have a request for you."
"What is it?" she asked.
"Please save Izekiel from the darkness," the real Aria implored.
She realized the depth of the real Aria's love for Izekiel. She vowed, "I will try my best."
With a final smile, the real Aria said, "Please be safe, Kaye, and thank you for taking care of my husbands."
And then, the real Aria vanished.
.
.
....
The following day.
Mikhail was in a foul mood. Aria had not visited him in his room during the night, as she often did. She had spent her nights with her other husbands.
"Tsk. I want to marry her." He mumbled.
Noticing his grumpiness, Philip asked, "Did you say something, Your Highness?"
"Nahh, continue what you're doing." Mikhail brushed off the question.
Philip joined the other knights in training while Mikhail watched them with a stern expression.
"What's wrong with His Highness? He looks so scary." one of the knights whispered.
"Is he glaring at us? Did we make him mad again?" another knight asked.
"He looks like he wants to eat someone." another one said.
Philip couldn't help but chuckle, knowing the real reason for Mikhail's sullen demeanor.