Chapter 5 Busy Ares

[Aimee] The moment the heavy doors of Ares' castle opened on our arrival, I knew I was in the presence of a different kind of nobility. The Hales’ castle was built grandly to reflect my father’s aesthetic sense, but the furnishings were not befitting of a baron. They were flashy and lacked substance. Ares’ castle, on the other hand, had very little furniture. Instead, the space was filled with solemn sculptures and a huge garden, where the bushes were trimmed into identical and unremarkable shapes. Although the castle felt somber, it was clear that it wasn’t the home of a typical noble. As I stepped into the castle, the fireplace in the main hall worked hard to radiate heat, driving the chill away. I had expected a group of chambermaids to welcome Ares home, but none came. Apart from the crackling of the fireplace, I could hear nothing else. Ares was not talkative. He hadn’t said much except for the time I stood up for Alger during the journey. Nervous about the new environment and because I didn’t know Ares well, I sat on the edge of my seat, unable to relax. With my head hung low, I debated whether to break the silence by asking where I could sleep or… “What were you singing the other day, Lady Aimee?” “What?” Ares suddenly spoke, and I looked at him in a daze, his question catching me off guard. “On the night of the full moon.” As his eyes fixed on mine, I trembled and remembered his chilling eyes on the night of the full moon. It appeared he remembered me. Now, it seemed to make sense why he took me away. He mentioned my singing, and I wondered whether he was referring to the time I sang in the wooden cabin when I was scared. How did he hear me? I had too many questions, but now was not the time to think about them. I cleared my throat to answer his earlier question. “I don’t know the name of the song. I think my mother used to sing it to me when I was little, but I can’t quite remember. I just hummed the tune. I’m talking about my real mother, not Lady Leia.” Leia was my stepmother, and she wouldn’t have the patience to sing to me. Ares nodded in contemplation. “Can you sing it to me again?” Why not? I recalled the melody in my mind and hummed it softly. The song seemed to have the power to soothe me when I was scared. Slowly, I began to relax, and my shaking voice steadied. I stole a glance at Ares. He had closed his eyes and slumped against the sofa, deep in thought. I didn’t make a sound after the song as I had no idea whether Ares was asleep. A while later, he opened his eyes. They were clear and lucid. [Ares] I had to say, Aimee had a great singing voice. While her voice was beautiful, her singing didn’t have the same soothing power as it did the other day. It was nothing more than an ordinary melody, incapable of transporting me to a beautiful fantasy. I was disappointed. Did I get it wrong? I was puzzled whether the changes I experienced the other day had anything to do with her. Though I may not be sure, what happened then was real. There must be something wrong with the song she sang that day. In any case, the she-wolf who couldn’t shift was cooperative, and she sang at my request. “It’s getting late. You should get some sleep.” I snapped my fingers, and a maid entered from the side entrance to take Aimee upstairs. Even though the look of surprise on her face was fleeting, I caught it when the maid appeared. Aimee was curious, but she held herself together. It showed that she was a docile and intelligent she-wolf. I was beginning to look forward to the days to come. “Your Majesty, the king has heard that you’ve brought someone home and requests your presence at the royal castle.” The butler appeared and brought me unpleasant news. “Well, isn’t he well-informed?” I sneered nonchalantly and glanced upstairs. “Take good care of her.” [Aimee] I thought I wouldn’t be able to sleep in an unfamiliar place, especially after all that I had been through tonight, feeling on edge and restless. The maid was thoughtful to pour me a glass of milk before exiting without another word. The sweet milk was warming as it went down my throat and into my stomach. After that, I slept until morning light. I got dressed in the clothes the maid brought me and went downstairs, but Ares was nowhere to be found. An old man who claimed to be the butler informed me that Ares was away attending to some matters and that he would be back in a few days. I smacked my head in frustration. I was too nervous yesterday to thank him. Hopefully, he would not take things the wrong way. “Mr. Kerry, is Prince Ares always so busy?” The butler smiled kindly, not finding my question rude. “Prince Ares has his royal duties to the kingdom. He’ll be back once he’s finished with business.” As I nodded, my stomach suddenly rumbled, and I blushed in embarrassment. I had only had a glass of milk since last night, so my stomach was empty. Without a word, the butler arranged for breakfast to be served. After breakfast, I felt refreshed and energized. The butler brought in a senior maid and introduced her to me, “This is Mrs. Cynthia, the housekeeper of the castle. She’ll be showing you around. Lady Aimee, I wish you a beautiful day.” “Sure. Thank you, Mr. Kerry.” Cynthia was solemn but respectful. She kept a distance of half a foot behind me as she showed me around the castle. We strolled until it was nearly noon when I saw an abandoned flowerbed. “What happened here?” “The castle’s gardener is too old to manage the flowers, so Prince Ares had the flowers switched to greenery instead, and the flowerbed has been neglected ever since.” I gave a pensive nod but was struck by the thought that I shouldn’t ask for much since I had just arrived. As such, I went on to check out other spots. After a few days of Ares’ absence, I was in an awkward position in the castle. Although the household staff was friendly and respectful, I felt out of place. I got the old gardener to find me some pots of flowers to put on the balcony of my room so that they could get some sunlight every day. Under my careful care, the potted flowers began to thrive and bloom. They became one of the few eye-catching features of the castle. To me, these flowers seemed to have a life of their own. As the breeze blew, their petals trembled in the wind as if to say hello, like they were vibrant and cute little elves. On the fifteenth day since Ares had been gone, I gently tapped the petal of a flower on my balcony and lifted my head to see Ares looking in my direction from afar. He was smiling, right?