124: Pang of heart

Pang of heart

Music Recommendation: Buck Twenty- Thomas Newman

—

Dread was all that Anastasia felt, as if she were sinking into its depths with every second that passed between the three of them in silence. She observed Dante's disapproving expression directed towards her, and his contempt for Gabriel, who was standing next to her. 

Dante remarked in a calm voice, akin to a sea that seemed poised to drown both her and Gabriel, "To think that after everything we have shared, you go behind my back to meet this man in secret." 

Gabriel attempted to address the situation, aiming to spare Anastasia from any trouble, "It isn't Anastasia's fault. It was a mistake—" 

In the blink of an eye, Dante's hand wrapped around Gabriel's neck, and Anastasia's eyes widened in panic. She scrambled to explain to him, 

"It isn't what you're imagining, Dante. I can explain!" 

As Gabriel struggled to escape from the demon's grip, Dante tightened his hold, thwarting his attempts to break free. Dante didn't spare Anastasia from his scorching glare, which resembled nothing less than molten iron. 

"Didn't I tell you to prioritise your own well-being before caring for others? Especially a man," Dante's voice was low and eerie, sending shivers down her spine. "How about you leave his side and come to mine now."

Anastasia observed Dante's fiercely blazing eyes, which warned her to listen to him. However, her concern for Gabriel's life prevailed; all it would take was a mere snap of Dante's fingers, and she didn't want the man to lose his life because of his overly friendly disposition. 

"Please, listen to me. I will explain what happened. I will tell you everything, so please, let Gabriel go," Anastasia attempted to calm Dante, but the mere mention of the man's name on her lips only fuelled his anger further. 

Dante's grip on Gabriel's neck grew even tighter, leaving the gardener struggling to break free from the demon's vice-like hold, to no avail. His eyes narrowed, and he questioned, "Where was your refusal when he had his arms wrapped around your body? Did you enjoy the comfort of his embrace that had your heart racing?" 

Anastasia shook her head with urgency and said in haste, "My heart did not race for him. Gabriel is like my brother."

But Dante didn't believe it, given that Gabriel was a new servant, leaving little opportunity for Anastasia to become truly familiar with the man, let alone form a deep bond. Having been betrayed by a woman once before, he wasn't going to allow it to happen again. He remarked, "It is hard to know if you are saying this merely for the sake of saving his life or not. To think you committed an act of treason when I have been so understanding and accommodating towards you. You disappoint me." 

Upon hearing those words, Anastasia's stomach sank, and she felt an ache in her chest. She quickly responded, "I have not betrayed you. I would not—"

"To my side," Dante abruptly interjected, noticing that she had not moved away from Gabriel. 

Anastasia's lips trembled out of fear, not for herself, but for Gabriel. The man was an idiot for thoughtlessly wrapping his arms around her. 

Not knowing what else to do but comply, Anastasia obediently came to stand beside Dante, noticing Gabriel's face turning red. Before the man died, she quickly explained, "One of the guards informed me that you were expecting me here, which is why I came here. I would have never met Gabriel in secret. I implore you to ask the guard who used your name. Neither of us is at fault." 

"Quite audacious of you to assume that you are blameless," Dante chuckled darkly without letting go of Gabriel's neck. "Rather than standing here and chatting with him, you should have returned to your room. And you," he shifted his gaze to the human, who struggled to stay alive with great difficulty. "Have you not received the news that Anastasia is my woman and is not to be touched by another man? You have quite the nerve to address her by her name." 

"Dante, please!" Anastasia could feel her heart pounding loudly in her chest. "Please confirm with the guard!"

"And were you also summoned by the guard?" Dante questioned Gabriel before forcefully shoving the man to the ground. 

Coughing, Gabriel clutched his throat, still feeling the grip of the demon's hand wrapped around his neck. His eyes involuntarily met Anastasia's, who had earlier told him that she had never instructed Theresa to ask him to meet her. Wheezing, he managed, "It…It was the guard." 

Dante detected the lie and shouted, "Guards!" 

Four guards quickly arrived at the entrance, offering their bows to the king. Dante commanded, "Take this man and lock him up in the dungeon." 

Anastasia's eyebrows furrowed, and she protested, "But—"

"Don't think that just because I won't put you in the dungeon, you are off the hook," Dante interrupted, glaring at her. He ordered the guards, "Have all the guards brought here immediately." 

"My heart wasn't beating for him, Dante! I do not love him or hold any romantic feelings for him whatsoever!" Anastasia desperately hoped to spare Gabriel from the same fate as the other criminals sent to the dungeon. 

"Prove it then," Dante stated, as two of the guards picked up the coughing Gabriel, who was trying to regain his composure. 

"Prove?" Anastasia whispered, detecting the rage in the demon's eyes, an inferno poised to burn and reduce everything to ashes. 

"What were you two talking about that led to your heart racing?" Dante demanded, leaving Anastasia uncertain about how much he had overheard and the potential consequences they might face. 

"What if you don't believe me?" Anastasia inquired, because with the way he looked at her with accusing eyes, she doubted he was in a sound mind to listen to her, as if jealousy had muddled his judgement, fostering irrational thoughts. 

They stared at each other, and Anastasia did the one thing she believed would dispel any suspicion from Dante's mind. She took a step towards him, positioning herself directly before him, then raised herself on her tiptoes. Just as she was about to lean forward to kiss his lips, she felt Dante's cold finger pressing against her chest.

"If I didn't know better, I would have mistaken you for a demoness," Dante remarked, pushing himself away to increase the distance between them. 

Though Dante's nail or finger didn't pierce through her chest, Anastasia still experienced a pang in her heart at his words and actions. He continued, "Before anything else, let us see which guard attempted to use my name to summon you both here."

Anastasia's face turned red, and she quickly placed her feet flat on the ground. 

Not far from them, Niyasa stood at the end of one of the corridors, peeking around the corner with a broad grin on her face. Her lips twisted mischievously as she stared at them without letting them know of her presence. 

Soon, all the guards were summoned and gathered near the west wing, while the two guards continued to tightly grip each of Gabriel's arms. Anastasia's eyes raked through the faces of the guards, trying to find the man who had earlier informed her about Dante waiting for her. 

"Are all of them here, and not a single one remains stationed outside?" Dante questioned, and at that moment, Mr. Gilbert appeared, having been informed that the king wanted to assemble all the palace's guards. 

"Did something happen?" the Mother Queen inquired, wearing a look of confusion as she entered the area with Aziel trailing behind her. 

"Someone had the audacity to use my name to bring Anastasia here to meet this man, who seemed to have conveniently forgotten that the women of the royal family are not to be gazed upon," Dante declared. His eyes swept through the assembled guards, and he inquired, "Have their numbers been accounted for to ensure that all of them are present, Norrix?" 

Mr. Gilbert bowed respectfully and replied, "Yes, Your Highness. These are all the guards employed within the palace." 

"Let's not prolong this any further. Each of you will step forward, one by one, and Lady Anastasia here will identify the one who believed he could deceive her with impunity." With that, Dante snapped his fingers, a gesture that sent a shiver through everyone's mind. He commanded, "Begin stepping forward."

Anastasia felt everyone's eyes on her, the guards holding expressions of wariness as they ensured she got a good look at them so she wouldn't mistake them for someone else. And as the minutes trickled by, stretching from one to three, each guard stepped forward in succession, only to have her shake her head. During this process, she stole fleeting glances at Dante, who refused to look at her. 

When all the guards were done taking their turn, each stepping forward only to retreat moments later before leaving the garden completely, Anastasia began to wonder if she had somehow forgotten the guard's face, which is why she failed to identify him. Just as these thoughts crossed her mind, she heard Dante say, 

"I hope you aren't about to suggest that the guard must be a spy or possess the ability to change their appearance." Anastasia turned to meet his eyes. "Someone who deceived both of you, orchestrating this scenario so you could spend time together in the secluded inner garden where few venture. Because the gardener's heart is beating too loudly due to the lie he spun, so what is your explanation for that?" 

Anastasia shifted her gaze towards Gabriel, who stared back at her. He said, "Anastasia didn't know anything. Spare her—"

"…!" Anastasia's eyes widened as Dante's fist connected with Gabriel's face, breaking the man's nose and causing blood to trickle down. 

"Don't utter her name from your mouth ever again," Dante warned, his hand still clenched, before issuing the command, "Take him away." 

The two guards proceeded to drag Gabriel from the scene. Anastasia then turned to Dante and asserted, 

"You are misunderstanding the situation." 

Dante's icy gaze shifted to Anastasia, and the look in his eyes made her nervous. He stated, "Why did you not question why he was hugging you, or tell him that he shouldn't? Instead, you were rather keen on having him leave so that no one caught you both together." He paused momentarily before continuing, "It's a shame, because I believed you were different. But you always wanted a simple life, didn't you? A husband who is a gardener and one who isn't a demon." 

This time, Anastasia's heart clenched at his words, and a pang of sadness washed over her. To make things worse, the guard who had come to summon her didn't appear to exist, further complicating matters.

Aside from Anastasia, the Mother Queen found herself doubly troubled, lacking a clear understanding of what exactly happened and having caught only bits and pieces of the conversation. 

Anastasia watched Dante walk away, not sparing her another word, as if she had failed him. The Mother Queen quickly appeared at her side and asked in exasperation, "What did you do, Anna? Especially given that you know how dear you are to him, you allowed another man to touch you. You are lucky he's not dealing with you right now, but he will certainly deal with that servant." 

"Is he going to kill Gabriel?" Anastasia's anxiety became palpable, and she pleaded, "Please don't let anything happen to him, Grandmother. He's a friend, but nothing more than that. I swear on my sister's name!" 

Like Dante, the Mother Queen was displeased upon finding out that the young woman had been embraced by a servant, and in an intimate, secluded spot at that. She said, "I cannot guarantee that, Anna. Dante is very angry right now… and the servant is lucky he didn't explode on the spot. Let us give him some time to cool down before we approach him." She offered a reassuring pat on the young woman's arm before she led Aziel away. 

When they had walked quite a distance away, Aziel whispered, "Mother Queen, this doesn't seem to be going well." 

"You think?" the Mother Queen sighed, pinching the bridge of her nose, before her footsteps finally stopped. "What's truly beyond belief is that we are facing the same situation as what happened with Maya, and as much as I want to eliminate things that can potentially cause trouble, I cannot afford to make the same mistake, especially since Anastasia is important. Not to mention, the servant's death could trigger immeasurable consequences that I am not looking forward to."

"There's only a week left until the Golden Moon," the minister reminded the Mother Queen, something that she was already very aware of. 

"It is why Dante is acting the way he is; as we draw closer to the time of the Golden Moon, his emotions and senses will undergo change, and it might not be a good change until the effect fully takes hold," the Mother Queen explained, her concern evident. "Who is this idiot?!" she suddenly snapped, which made the minister jump. 

"The servant, milady?"  0

"Yes, that servant who was taken to the dungeon. How dare he touch her when everyone knows that she is Dante's woman?" the Mother Queen glared. Everything had been progressing perfectly fine, and no one important had died in the last four days. Yet someone had to come and ruin her peace!

"I will go and see what I can find out about the man," Aziel offered, and the Mother Queen nodded in approval. 

Far away from the Mother Queen and her minister, Niyasa watched Anastasia grow more miserable with every passing second. Satisfied with what she had seen and heard, she turned around and began to walk away when she caught sight of Aiden looking at her from the other end of the corridor. 

"Brother Dante is not in a good mood right now. It would be wise for all of us to steer clear of him. Also, don't go near Anastasia; I doubt anything can be salvaged after that," saying this, Niyasa walked past him, continuing on her way. 

By the time Aiden made his way towards where everyone had been standing earlier, there was no one there. 

Restless, Anastasia's footsteps were swift as she walked towards the dungeon. Upon arriving, she was about to step inside when the guards stopped her by blocking her path. One of the guards informed her, 

"Milady, you do not have permission to enter the dungeon." 

"I am the king's concubine," Anastasia informed them. 

"It is King Dante himself who has ordered us not to allow you entry," the guard answered, and Anastasia bit the inside of her cheek in worry. 

Would Dante kill Gabriel? Should she heed the Mother Queen's advice and wait for his anger to subside before approaching him? She dreaded stumbling upon Gabriel's severed head or limbs mounted on the wall… Gabriel had said his goodbyes, but she didn't know that the goodbye would occur like this. He had lost his sister, Stella, here, which was why he was in Versailles in the first place. 

"Is King Dante currently in the dungeon…?" Anastasia inquired. 

"Yes, milady," the guards affirmed, and she gave them a nod of acknowledgement. A part of her wanted to wait for Dante to step out, but at the same time she was scared that  it would exacerbate the already dire situation. 

When Anastasia turned around to leave, she heard loud, agonising cries echoing from the dungeon, where Gabriel was confined. The screams were unceasing. 

"AHHH!!!" Gabriel screamed in agony, bound inside one of the cells. 

Dante stood outside the cell, his hands in his trouser pockets. His gaze remained fixed on the man before him, who continued to scream as the flesh of his hands progressively melted away, as if being consumed by fire. The man's hands began to bleed, filling the air with the scent of blood that pervaded the room. 

"I used to wonder if it was the typical attention that Anastasia garnered after her transition from a maid. But your eyes strayed in her direction even before that. Who would have thought that I would be greeted by a similar situation," Dante slightly smiled, but the emotion didn't reach his eyes. 

As Gabriel's skin momentarily ceased melting, a shuddering breath escaped his lips, and he uttered, "All of you royals… all of you are the same. Ready to kill."

"If you wanted to live, you should have stayed far away from her. You are already aware of the laws of this kingdom, and yet you embraced a woman who wasn't yours. And something tells me it isn't the first time." Dante's eyes narrowed, and when Gabriel's face began to burn, a trace of blood trickling down his cheek, the man screamed once again before gritting his teeth not to give Dante the pleasure of satisfaction. "Denying anything would be needless, especially given the fact that it wasn't the guard who instructed you to meet her. Why did you go to meet her?" 

Having suffered the loss of his sister, Gabriel held nothing but contempt for this family. These men and women of high status had stolen his family member, leaving him and his parents in despair. Moreover, they were responsible for many families facing such a plight, having kidnapped their kin before turning them into slaves. 

"Because I care for her," he whispered, as if, even though he knew what would happen, he couldn't resist provoking the person before him. Another scream erupted from his throat as he felt blood begin to trickle down his skin. 

"Something that doesn't sit well with me. I won't deny that her beauty and innocence are qualities that would attract any man. A spark of fire ignites when stones rub against each other in certain circumstances, but you have crossed a line that I cannot overlook," Dante stated as he pulled out his hands from his trousers. 

Gabriel wheezed, struggling through the agony, gasping in between. Seeing Dante pull out his hand, he could already guess what the king planned next. Between his laboured breaths, he managed, "Kill me…and she will despise you."

Dante let out a sinister chuckle, amused by the human's words, already aware of the possibility. He remarked, "I think it's much more fascinating to see you writhing and contorting in pain."

An hour passed, and the screams persisted until Gabriel's throat had gone dry; the torment had eventually rendered him unconscious. 

Two floors above, Anastasia paced back and forth in her room, anxious at the thought of what would happen. She wrung her hands, occasionally stopping to cast a glance at the door in anticipation of Theresa's arrival. She hoped Theresa wouldn't be dragged into this ordeal and would be spared. 

Finally, the door swung open, and upon seeing the maid's servant attire, Anastasia experienced a fleeting sense of relief and uttered, "Thank God, you are here—," her words faltered as she realised the person at the door wasn't Theresa. She inquired, "Where is Theresa?" 

The maid offered her a bow and answered, "Milady, she won't be attending you from here on, and I will be taking her place."

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