ARIA:
I slept in tears, waking up later at night to pace around the room and sitting on the window sill. Thankfully, the maid had left a glass of water on my bedside table. I took a few sips from the cup before letting out a tired sigh and leaning back into the wall.

I finally fell asleep when I was too tired to sit.
I woke up before dawn, hating that I could barely take a long sleep without waking at intervals or something.
I slipped into a robe and made my way out of my room with the intent of taking a walk around the garden and feeling the dew against my skin on the grass before coming back in.
I'd just stepped out of the Palace when I caught someone in the shadows, speaking to another person. I didn't look at them before hiding behind the pillars and listening, trying hard to keep my heart rate down so they didn't notice anyone else was within earshot.
"Why have you taken time? I asked you to take care of it and you promised you were going to do it in a week!"
Mason. He was the one speaking. I recognised his voice now. But what the hell was he doing out here with someone at this time?

I kept quiet and kept listening as their voice faded in and out with the morning breeze.
"Just give me a little time, Mason. You know how hard it is to achieve this feat."
"One week," Mason replied firmly. Just one week. And if you don't give me what I want, then we might have to fight it out and you know how that ends? With me killing you."
Why the hell were they talking cryptically even with no one around? I mean, shouldn't they have the freedom of speech that they were both alone?

I heard the sound of receding steps and then a throat cleared, causing me to jump and turn, only to see Mason standing there, much to my horror.
Blinking, I clutched my chest and staggered backwards. "Uhm, can I help you?"
"I should be asking you that," He looked me up and down, his eyes darkening like he was about to eat me alive. I wasn't afraid. I knew he wasn't going to cause me any harm but something about him made me feel unsettled. Something about him made me feel like I was going to go mad any moment. "How can I help this pretty damsel and why is she here at this time of the morning."
Swallowing, I cleared my throat slightly before looking over his shoulder as he was taller than I was. "I was going to take a walk. Nothing more."
"And standing here walking? When did they each interchange meanings?"
"I don't know what you're talking about. Can I at least pass or something?"
"No, you can't."
"Then I'll go inside. Have a nice morning ahead."
Just as I turned, I found Lyall standing before me with a frown that wasn't directed at me on his face. He was staring at Mason with a hard glare in his expression.
"Mason." He spoke through gritted teeth. I could literally feel the heat emanating from me. Both of these men hated themselves more than they liked to admit and I hated that I was in the middle of it.
"Lyall." Mason regarded him with a strict nod of his head. "So nice to see you awake and in the garden and definitely not going in search of your whore."
Whore?
The squeeze of my chest told me I was extremely angry and had awoken my wolf. I clenched my fists in order not to let my claws jut out but I could barely control the anger that consumed me.
All Lyall did was chuckle and nod his head. "How do you feel after calling her that, step-brother?"
He shrugged. "Good? I might fuck her someday though. She's too good to be true."
I turned to Lyall with wide eyes, willing him to say something in defense. But all he did was nod.
"That's nice. Would you love to join me at the training field this morning for a duel? I would really love to have one with you."
"Of course, step-brother. Have a good one."
With those words, he turned and walked away, leaving just Lyall and an infuriated me standing alone. I turned to look at him immediately, raising my brows.
"Did your brother or whoever the fuck he is say those words to me without you saying anything to defend me?"
"Who said I wasn't going to defend you?"
"He called me a whore, Lyall! He said he was going to sleep with me someday and all you did was nod your head like you liked the idea?"
He shrugged. "I mean, you're a really beautiful woman. Any man would think that too. Mason is quite good at voicing and letting his intrusive thoughts out. He's no different from the guards and the other men who are at you."
I made sure my hand left an imprint on his cheek. Scoffing, I shook my head at him and lifted my gown to the air before walking back into the Palace.
Tears threatened to spill from my cheeks as I kept walking. I was mad. So mad at Lyall for all he'd been doing for the last few days or weeks since his wife returned. He had completely neglected me, leaving me to be treated terribly by only his wife, but his half-brother!
Shaking my head, I made a mental note to just stay in my lane. I was barely even respected so why did I think Lyall was even going to show an ounce of care for me? He'd denied me several times before everyone so why did I delude myself so much into thinking he was going to even care a bit for me?
Just as I took the first step up, I heard the sound of his booted feet behind me. He walked with so much precision, taking long strides as he followed after me.
"Aria," He called. "Can you at least hear me out?"
"There's nothing I want to hear out, Lyall. It's all clear to me now. You don't care. So why the hell don't you want to leave me be? I mean, it should be easy with the way you keep ignoring and keeping quiet when people speak to me in a condescending manner. Just go!"
I felt his presence behind me before I smelt him. I was overcome with this overwhelming presence of him, bathing in his body heat and almost falling back into his arms as he pulled me by the waist, flush against him.
My body weakened with immediate effect and all common sense and logical thinking flew out the window, leaving me vulnerable once again. Why did he have to hurt me and still make me feel this way?
Why the hell couldn't I just learn lessons and walk the fuck away? Hell, I deserved to be treated better, right? So why was I entertaining less than I was worth? Why was I entertaining everything below par?
His breath fanned my cheeks and my knees weakened immediately, sending me into a state of uselessness as he picked me up in his arms and walked me back to my room.
"Lyall," I whispered as soon as he kicked the door to my room shut and placed my feet on the floor. My palms flattened against the rigidity of his chest. "Just end this. Why is it so hard? You're a powerful man and yet, you keep stalling when it comes to me. You said you love me, didn't you? Or did you just say it to make me calm down because you didn't mean it?"
He smiled and pulled me into his chest. "When I told you I did, you still asked me to get out. You weren't even fazed or the least affected. But yes, I said I love you and I mean it with every fiber of my being. Why don't you believe me, Aria?"
"Because all you have done is lie to me. Isn't it obvious? Oh, I care so much about you, then you go ahead to kiss your wife on the field and make me think there's something going on."
"There is nothing going on, I assure you, Aria." He smiled and stroked my lips with the pad of his thumb. "I mean it. I really do mean it."
"But you have sex with Sheila, don't you?" I asked, teasing my lips against his as I slipped my fingers through the nape of his neck. "Tell me the truth."
"No," He snatched me by the waist and grazed his nose against mine. "I don't have sex with her. I barely touch her anymore. It's why she keeps coming to me. You're the one I want."
"Then prove it. Kiss me."
And he did.