Chapter 87 - Good To See You

A/N: No rape, no harassment, and no violence! Don't be prejudiced without reading.

...

''Ah...'' Aleister pushed Esme to the bed and as she tried to sit up, he grabbed her jaws, the dark and menacing expression on his face made him look scary, ''I told you that you have to stay away from other men but you are so wilful,'' His ice-blue eyes were narrowed and crazed. 

Esme struggled to get her face out of his grip. ''Ahh...'' She winced when his fingers applied more strength. 

He grabbed her hair and yanked her face upwards before lowering his face, ''There are consequences of not being obedient,'' With that said, he leaned closer. 

'Pak' 

Esme slapped him harshly.

Aleister grabbed her wrist, ''How dare you,'' He snarled at her.

Adrian, who was standing outside the room, curled his fingers into a fist. The veins on his hands popped up as his jaws ticked. His heart felt burdened at the thought of what his sister has gone through during all this time. 

''...Is it because I have been too lenient on you?" Followed by Aleister's voice, there were some sounds of clothes being ripped and Adrian's pupil shrank.

''Ahh...''

With Esme's vulnerable cry, a burst of power exploded from Adrian's clenched fist and a purple glow emanated from him as he punched the high door, crushing it into pieces, ''Aleister Daven, keep your hands off her...'' The words in his throat died down when he witnessed the view that greeted his sight. 

Esme was sitting on the bed with a pillow in her hand which was torn terribly and Aleister, the culprit in his mind was sitting beside her peeling grapes and putting them in her mouth. 

Adrian looked around and noticed that there were two beds in the room, separated by a curtain. The last time he was here with the court officials and the magistrate, he had only seen one bed. 

He averted his gaze to Esme and looked at her from head to toe, making sure that nothing was wrong with her. 

A glint flashed in his eyes.

As soon as he saw him, Aleister pushed himself to his feet, ''Brother-in-law,'' The corner of his lips tugged up as he continued, ''Good to see you.''

Adrian waved his hand before retracting his powers. His face was dark as the realization of what just happened started sinking in his mind. It was a trick to sound him out and he fell for it.

Esme did not rebuke Aleister for the way he addressed her brother. She did not bother to. Her attention was fixated on the man in front of her, ''You lied to me again and again. My instincts were always right...'' She whispered as she threw the torn pillow aside before standing up, ''You...'' She stopped talking and massaged her face as her cheeks were hurting a bit. 

Esme glared at Aleister. 

Aleister cleared his throat, ''I didn't use much strength. You are too delicate,'' He ran his fingers on her face and a golden glow encased the spot he touched.

Even when she slapped him, he was finding it itchy. I have to be gentle to her in the future. He thought to himself.

Unaware of his distant thoughts, Esme felt a cooling sensation on her face, and the little pain that she had felt earlier disappeared. 

Adrian was stunned. What was that golden glow at his fingertips? It looked like he was healing her but how...? The myriad of questions remained in his mind but he did not voice them out.

Esme walked towards him, ''When I saw you for the first time, I found you familiar and with every time, my instinct about your identity started getting stronger,'' She softly said, ''But you kept denying it. Brother, why did you do it?"

Adrian remained quiet to her words. 

Esme was disappointed. Will he still keep denying it? It was not just the horse. The way he talked and behaved, his voice and his eyes... all of it was familiar to her. And at this point, his powers were undeniable. She had seen the purplish hue around him when he stepped inside and that meant that he had the main nerve. He was a royal. 

Once and twice were fine but it was happening again and again. And Esme refused to believe that all of it were just coincidences. 

That's why she had told Aleister about this matter when they were near the Hunting Fields.

Adrian closed his eyes and removed the animal skin-like mask from his face with one hand. 

Aleister raised an eyebrow and picked up the glass of wine from the bedside table before sitting on the bed.

Esme was stunned when she saw the deep scar on his face. But more than that, this face was familiar to her. It was so familiar that she would not doubt his identity twice. 

''You were with him all the time,'' Adrian said as he glanced at the man who was sitting on the bed, sipping the wine casually, ''And I do not trust him.'' 

Esme looked at him confusingly, ''But why did you have to be here in a disguise?" She paused and looked out of the window, ''Brother, all these years, I thought that you died back then. Even so, I have been looking forward to a miracle, waiting for a day when you would come back...'' Her throat was choked up and she struggled to speak more. Her chest was constructed.

Aleister placed the glass of wine aside as he pushed himself to his feet before walking towards Esme. His quiet countenance did not falter but he placed his palm on her lower back, stroking her skin through the material of her gown. 

Esme turned to look at Adrian, ''What happened that night, Brother? I saw you... dying,'' She shook her head as she continued, ''The castle was on fire as we escaped...'' She walked towards him. 

Adrian wordlessly swooped her into his arms, ''I had wanted to find you much earlier, Princess,'' He stroked the back of her head. 

He was much easier to deal with when he was Aiden.. Aleister thought as he raised an eyebrow.