Aries returned to the Sapphire Palace when the night was about to fall. But instead of heading directly to her chambers, she went straight to Curtis's room which was just right next to hers.
Standing by the door, a shallow breath slipped past her lips. Her eyes settled on the person lying on the bed, pursing her lips into a thin line before intruding inside. Aries sat down on the armchair next to the bed, sighing once again.
"I'm sorry." Her voice was incredibly low after a momentary silence. "I promise this will be the last time you'll be in pain."
She reached for his hand, squeezing it lightly. Curtis's head was wrapped in a bandage. His wounds were well-tended and his complexion was better than when she left this morning.
"You did great in resisting him. You made me very proud and happy, Curtis." Her eyes softened, brushing the back of his hand with her thumb.
Aries looked back towards the door when she heard a faint creak. The side of her lips curled up the moment her eyes caught Gertrude entering. The latter flinched upon seeing Aries but bowed immediately. Gertrude had a few fabrics draped over her arm, barely making a sound as she approached the bed.
"Gertrude." The maid kept her eyes on the floor as she stood near the foot side of the bed. "Why are you still here? Shouldn't you be resting or are the servants not taking care of you?"
"It's me who insisted on not taking a break, Your Highness." Gertrude's voice was distant and low.
"Are you upset with me?"
"How dare I get upset with your highness?"
"Gertrude."
"Your Highness." This time, Gertrude raised her head, only for Aries to see the sadness in her eyes. "Was this part of your plan? Forgive me if I am overstepping, but this humble servant is a little confused about what your highness is planning."
Aries studied Gertrude's expression while pursing her lips. When a deep exhale slipped past her nose, she peeled her eyes away from the servant to Curtis' on the bed.
"I expected this much," she confessed. "Joaquin is someone who will stop at nothing to get what he wants and even when it appears that our relationship was in perfect harmony, it's not. He would always be suspicious of me."
"Then… will this help you with your plans?" asked Gertrude, scrutinizing the crown princess' expression. "Our wounds will heal, Your Highness, and I would gladly understand if that is the case."
There was a momentary silence between them.
"This humble servant is simply worried about your welfare, Your Highness. The crown prince… he terrifies me," she continued as she held her hand to stop her tremors. The thought of Joaquin terrified her, especially whenever she recalled his sneer while beating the two of them. She truly thought she would die this morning; that was what the crown prince's eyes told her, and now… Gertrude was even more worried about Aries's welfare.
Her husband was a monster clad in human skin. A real monster. The worst of the worst.
"This time, it'll be the last time he will raise his hands on you and Curtis," Aries spoke after a minute. "He will even forget about you since he'll be busy with me."
"Your Highness, I'm not following. What do you mean by that?"
"I figured to protect you, I had to take his hundred percent attention," Aries explained in a soft tone, still holding Curtis's hand. "Just focus on getting better. Especially, Curtis needs to recover as soon as possible. He seemed to have remembered his values, so I want him to recover and be able to walk on his own."
"My lady, are you saying you…" Gertrude trailed off, changing how she addressed Aries from the conclusion that she came up with after listening to her.
"No, Gertrude." Aries forced a smile on her face as she turned her head in her maid's direction. "It's nothing like that, Gertrude. I came here prepared to receive the crown prince's undivided attention. It's just this time, I won't let him hurt me, or you, or Curtis."
Slowly, she set her eyes back to Curtis and her eyes glinted with gentleness. "I had stomached everything in the past Gertrude. Indulging with him for a little longer is something I can compromise with. I cannot stop now."
A glint flickered across her gentle eyes, letting out a shallow breath. She squeezed Curtis's hand lightly before she retrieved her hand.
"I'm now riding on the same ship as everybody else and we're about to face a harsh current," she continued in the same soft and calm tone, eyes still on Curtis. "The waves will be strong in the coming days and it wouldn't be an exaggeration if it'll wreak the ship no matter how big it is. However… I'm certain I would reach the shore even if I have to swim for days."
Aries glanced at Gertrude, only for the latter to see the resolve flickering across her eyes. "The storm will drown at least half of the passengers, but I am sure I am not one of them. I had to survive, no matter what. Because once the sky cleared up and the ocean calmed down, a new dawn will arise."
A subtle smile appeared on Aries's face as she nodded at Gertrude encouragingly. The latter pursed her lips, watching Aries look at Curtis once again. Gertrude didn't know why, but this was the first time she had witnessed Aries reach this level of calmness. Not that the crown princess wasn't always calm, but this time, her calmness was different.
If Gertrude would put it in words, it was akin to the phrase; the calm before the storm. It gave her the same sensation and restlessness.
Just what was she planning now?
"I won't be able to see Curtis for the following days, Gertrude. But I will be watching you and him closely." Aries glanced at her briefly before she set her eyes back to Curtis once again. "For now, focus on your recovery. I'll assign Minerva to look after you."
"Your Highness, what about you?"
"Don't worry about me." Aries' reply was quick. "I can't take my family to war, Gertrude. I am going to war to protect those I left behind, and bringing them with me is nothing but foolish."
She paused and set her eyes at Gertrude once again. "Do you understand?"
"Ye — yes, Your Highness. I will take care of Sir Curtis and make sure we will welcome you with good news." Gertrude hung her head low while Aries smiled.
"Good." She peeled her eyes away from Gertrude before a dangerous glint flickered across them.
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