Ariadne turned from the balcony with her long gown fluttering behind her as she walked down the stone steps. Each step echoed in the corridor, but her mind was far from her surroundings.
She couldn't shake off the way Kieran had looked at her. His eyes weren't just angry, they were accusing. As if she had done something terrible. As if she was part of his pain.
But she had never seen him before.
Had she?
Her brows pulled together in confusion as her mind raced. Why did it feel like he knew her? Why did his gaze make her chest tighten? Why were his eyes filled with unexplainable anger and hatred?
She made her way down the castle halls, past columns carved with old runes and stained-glass windows that painted the floor in colors. Her shoes clicked softly as she passed the courtyard, ignoring the greetings of the guards who stood at different points in the building.
Even when the sound of clashing swords faded behind her, Kieran's stare didn't. It clung to her like a second skin, cold and burning all at once.
Two young maids, dressed in simple brown dresses with white aprons, passed her in a hurry. When they saw her, they gasped and quickly bowed.
"Good morning, my lady," They greeted in unison.
Ariadne only gave a small nod, but her eyes had already drifted past them. Her mind wasn't in the present. It was still locked on the way Kieran had looked up at her from the dirt with blood on his lip, but fire in his eyes.
Fire and ice.
She didn't know why those were the only words she could use to describe it. But they were perfect and she didn't understand it. That kind of hatred… It wasn't ordinary. It was personal.
But how?
When she reached the long hallway that led to her father's study, the guards stepped aside without a word. She paused just before the door, straightened her dress, brushed a few stray hairs behind her ear, and forced her expression to calm. With a steadying breath, she knocked once, then opened the door.
She stepped inside, expecting silence.
But instead, she froze.
Odessa was there.
She was sitting casually at the edge of the massive wooden table with her back to the door and her long red gown, draped over the side and touching the floor. Her upper body was turned to face Maximus, who sat at the other end, while her hands were placed on the table in front of her, helping her lean forward slightly.
She was completely oblivious to Ariadne's presence and looked relaxed as if the room belonged to her.
"Odessa" Ariadne blinked and called out, still in surprise.
Her best friend turned immediately with a wide, familiar grin on her face. "Finally! I didn't think you'd show up!"
As she turned fully, her red gown shimmered softly with the soft rustle of the fabric, making a sound. She looked as beautiful and elegant as always and Ariadne could hold back the surprised smile that broke across her lips as she stepped further into the room.
"Odessa, what...? What are you doing here?" she asked, her tone half-laugh and half-disbelief.
"Is that how you greet your long-lost best friend? Honestly, I'm hurt."
Ariadne chuckled softly, her earlier tension beginning to fade. "No, I'm just… surprised."
"Well, It was only proper that I offered your father my greetings before coming to your wing. It's been too long since I saw the Alpha King"
Ariadne hummed in response and turned to look at Maximus who hadn't spoken a word yet. He was sitting in his usual chair behind the desk, arms resting on the sides as he watched the two ladies with a calm expression.
"You do not seem so pleased to see me, Ariadne," Odessa noted, gaining her attention once more. "I thought you would be overjoyed given that we have not seen each other in ages"
"Of course, I am," Ariadne replied with a smile. "I wasn't just expecting to find you here, sitting on my father's desk like you own it."
Odessa laughed, unbothered by Ariadne's pointed words. Brushing a loose curl from her cheek, she slowly slid off the edge of the desk with the long red fabric of her gown trailing behind her.
"Well, I didn't realize the desk was off limits," She said, smiling back at her best friend as she smoothed the front of her dress. "And besides, it was either the desk or the floor, and I thought the desk made me look more dignified."
Ariadne smiled and shook her head. "You haven't changed a bit."
"Neither have you," Odessa said warmly. "Still regal. Still far too serious."
They shared a quick embrace, light and graceful, but filled with genuine affection. When they pulled apart, Ariadne gave Odessa another look, her brow slightly raised.
"You only visit when there is an occasion. What brings you here this time?"
"I missed you. Things have been quiet and dreadfully boring back at Eldvaron. So when Father mentioned he'd be coming to Draventhall for business, I begged him to let me tag along."
Ariadne arched a brow, "And what business brings him all the way here?"
"Something about trade routes and recent unrest near the borders." She replied and went back to lean against the desk. "I had stopped listening after the first five minutes and he didn't say much either. You know how he is."
"Just like my father," Ariadne murmured, glancing briefly at Maximus.
Odessa followed her gaze and, for a moment, her posture shifted slightly. Her back straightened, her smile became a little more delicate, and her hands, with their deep red polished nails, subtly adjusted on the desk as if to appear more elegant.
"He looks well," Odessa said, turning her head slightly to look at Ariadne. "Strong, as always. I suppose he never changes."
Maximus still didn't speak. His expression remained the same, though his eyes briefly flicked between the two young women.
"You still have that fondness for my father,"
Odessa gave a soft laugh. "Well, who wouldn't? He is the first of his name, the mighty ruler of the land of Valdareth, the great Alpha of both Eldvaron and Draventhall—the fallen land of the dragon beasts. He is the one who destroyed the Drakalons and Vampires, the Alpha above all Alphas, and the bringer of death and destruction. His name alone makes the earth tremble, and when he howls, everything that has breath falls to their knees."
Ariadne raised an eyebrow, unsure whether Odessa was joking or genuinely praising her father. There was a strange glint in Odessa's eyes, admiration, maybe even something deeper. And her tone, though playful, carried a weight that was hard to ignore.
"You've memorized his titles well,"
Odessa smiled, tilting her head slightly. "It's hard not to. Your father is a legend, Ariadne. Stories of him echo far beyond the borders of this kingdom. Even in Eldvaron, his name is spoken with awe… and fear."
With another bright smile on her, she turned back to Ariadne. "Anyway, I'll be staying in Pyros' Ember for a few days or months. We have a lot of catching up to do."
"Yes, we do."
Moving away from the desk, Odessa smoothed her gown once again. "Shall we go to your chambers then? I'm eager to hear all about what you've been up to."
"I was about to head to the Modiste"
"Perfect!" Odessa replied and looped her arm through Ariadne's without waiting for her response. "Let's go then."
Before she was led out of the room, Ariadne cast one last glance at her father. As they walked through the long stone hallway, Odessa's laughter echoed off the walls like music that didn't quite belong in a place like that.
"Oh, Pyros' Ember," She said with a dramatic sigh as her eyes roamed around. She wrinkled her nose slightly and continued with a voice full of mockery. "The beasts' domain, as they used to call it. And honestly, I can see why."
"These walls... so gloomy." She waved her finely carved fan lazily as she looked around with disgust. "Even after all these years since their destruction, this place still smells of Drakalons, of fire and ash and filth. They lived like wild animals in caves, beasts, and monsters. And now look at them—all gone. As they should have been from the beginning."
She gave a little laugh, amused by her own words, and then glanced at Ariadne. "Tell me, how on earth do you manage to live in such a horrid place? You, of all people, stuck in this dead, cursed castle? I would have gone mad ages ago."
Ariadne's smile faltered just slightly, but she said nothing as they continued walking through the halls. She had heard those jabs a thousand times before and they were nothing new.
But Odessa didn't stop.
"I still remember when the beasts roared from these towers. It was loud and terrifying, going as far as the whole continent of Virethane," She continued, tossing a loose curl off her shoulder. "Father called them savages, the lot of them. Hissing, snarling, and thinking they were more than animals."
She paused and let out a soft, cruel laugh. "And now… nothing but dust and memory. Your father really is a legend, one I would boast of till the day that I die."