Ariadne watched as Osriel strolled towards the dais with dignity. The gold in his clothes glinted from the light coming from above. For the past twenty minutes, he had done nothing but accept messages of congratulation. Osriel took all of it with a smile.
Osriel stood on the center of the dais, head tilted high with his hand at his side. The boy looked stiff.
The host coughed, taking everyone’s attention back to him. “This year’s Wisdom Contest is full of surprises. I think it is correct to say that it is perhaps one of the most exciting Contest we have ever witnessed.”
The man smiled, and the crowd nodded in agreement.
“And I also hope that as this year’s host, I managed to give justice to the role itself. I hope what I have provided for this year has made you satisfied. As your host, this year’s contest gave me a good opinion about the present generation. I am in a state of contentment because I know the future generation of Atolia was brighter than I had anticipated.”
The host called Duke Ellisar to present the award. In their tradition, it had always been the current duke who would award the title Lord or Lady of Wisdom. Duke Elissar strolled towards the stage with a smile and the dignity of a father. Ariadne was sure he was proud that his son had won the game. He presented a box to everyone and showed the brooch, a silver tree with branches swirling clockwise to form a circle.
“What a pleasing sight,” Lewis said beside her. “The duke must be proud that his son won this year.”
Ariadne glanced at Lewis. He was looking at the stage, a smile plastered on his face. The crazy bastard stood just below a chandelier, perhaps it was the reason that his eyes shone brightly, like the dandelions that bloomed during spring. Lewis glanced down at her, his eyes filled with interest, similar to how a predator would look at its prey.
But she would not let herself be intimidated easily. Ariadne looked straight into his eyes with no intention of backing down. Not someone like him, who barely resembled the Lewis she knew, would make her cower in fear.
Lewis grinned at her and looked back to the stage. “But he seems unhappy earlier if you will ask me. Though I must admit, he had done great hiding his feelings.”
Her brows furrowed. “What do you mean?”
Lewis didn’t answer him for a long time.
“I wonder how he managed to review beyond the coverage I gave him.”
She turned sharply to him. Ariadne could feel her hand trembling as realization sunk into her.
“The coverage of the first round is not in the reviewer that my father asks me to give to Lord Osriel. That foolish old ma—I meant, my Lord Father had underestimated the current heir.”
“You dare to cheat on a sacred tradition?” she bemused. Though she was aware that what she did this night could also be considered a form of cheating.
She felt her head spun from the amount of information he suddenly revealed. Stop yourself from overreacting! This guy would not disclose something just because he likes it. He was expecting something that would verify his own suspicion.
Lewis had only looked at her with the same glint in his yellow eyes, “or perhaps the reason that wrinkly old man’s plan failed in the first place was that he failed to consider a variable…” He inched his face close to her. “I wonder who it is that he failed to see. Indeed, old age leads to senility.”
The proximity between them had made her remember something she would rather choose to forget. Suddenly everything came rushing back to her, the dimly lit tent, the rustling sound made by rabbits playing in the bushes, and the sharp rocks piercing her back from the weight of the soldiers above her. She recalled how they pinned her hand above her head as though she had all the intention to run away.
Ariadne had long stopped fighting their advances, but the soldiers kept pinning her hand. Perhaps they would prefer for her to fight and squirm like she used to.
She felt her stomach lurch forward. Everything she had eaten and every nervousness that she tried to bury deep within during the Contest’s duration had finally resurfaced.
A boy squealed. The sudden sharp sound made her regain her consciousness. With still trembling hands, Ariadne stepped back. Lewis was still looking at her, smiling as he watched her turned pale.
Ariadne struggled to find a fitting reply for him. She kept trailing off as she tried to speak up for herself. “What do you know? And what can you even do besides coveting your brother’s place… you damn bastard of a second son.”
The smile on his was wiped in an instant. A new expression appeared on his face. Lewis was not shaken by what she said; instead, he felt pleased that someone knew how he lusted at the idea of being the firstborn. Perhaps he got tired of hearing everybody saying how great and supportive he was to his brother.
“Consider this a warning, My Lady, since it seems you have decided to play the games we play. Be more cautious on how you behave around the duke. I don’t want something happening to someone as precious as you.” Lewis reached for her hair and pressed it against his lips. His eyes didn’t leave her throughout the process. “Good night, Lady Ariadne.”
Ariadne stood unmoving from where Lewis left her, clenching her hand into a fist and trying to calm his breathing as myriads of unpleasant thoughts flooded her mind.
***
The awarding ceremony ended without her knowledge. When she finally pushed back her old nightmares, Ariadne decided to join her father as he started conversations with every attendee of the party. This time Ariadne received much better treatment. Her antics during the contests really changed people’s opinions about her.
She tried many times to approach Osriel to congratulate him, but all of her attempts failed. The boy was always surrounded by the vassals.
She found her chance when he saw Osriel enter the veranda. Ariadne covertly strolled towards the door. The cold wind welcomed her as soon as she stepped outside the Royal Hall.
Osriel glanced at her before turning his attention back to the sprawling lights coming from the city outside the palace wall. She stood beside the duke, feeling the wind blowing her hair. She looked to where he was looking. The city of Gallera was really inclined to celebrate for one last time before the Inhibition Period.
“Congratulations on winning, Your Grace.”
Osriel sighed, he sounded exasperated and annoyed. The boy turned on her direction, red eyes infused with tiredness, disbelief, and bemusement. Osriel looked hurt. The glimmer of the moons above told her that the boy was on the verge of tears.
Ariadne shuddered for some reason.
“Why did you do that?” He spoke. “Why did you let me win.”
“I don-“
“Don’t lie to me! You kept calling me ‘Your Grace’… as your duke, I demand from you the truth.”
She was taken aback when he shouted at her. It was the first time that he had done something like this. Osriel got mad or annoyed about her impulsiveness, but he never yelled at her. Sure, she got reprimanded in other ways, but this? She wasn’t used to him being like this.
He ran his hand through his hair.
“I thought that you are different, that you believe in me.” He shook his head. “But I am wrong. You’re just like all those people in that hall. Thinking I am just my father’s son and nothing more.”
Her hands tighten on the stone rail, unable to deny the things he said. At that moment, she was filled with shame and guilt. No, no, no.
“You’re just like them. You don’t trust me at all.”
She remained silent. Osriel stared at her as if waiting for her to say anything. But what could she say? Everything that might come out of her mouth at that moment might further rip them apart.
Osriel left the veranda after brushing his tears with the cuffs of his coat.
She crouched, never mind that her dress might get damaged.
What have I done? She asked herself.
The brooch awarded for winning the Wisdom Contest
A photo of Lewis Alexander Y Asrogai
Hello! I'll be quick, I just wanted to say that I am going to change the book's title from Saving The Two Of Us Before The Fall to Scorn of Ariadne. This change will be implemented on the Monday update and also a new book cover. I think the title is quite long and I am always having a hard time designing covers. That's all! Have a great day/night ahead!
Thanks for the chapter ! The new title is good IMHO.
Thank you!