"I'm yours, eternally, my dear beloved."

Greyish blue storms caught in her bewildered gaze collided with the ferocious flames dancing in his green orbs. Each searched the eyes of other, probing for any trace of mistrust. None was found.

The girl sighed, tearing her gaze away from the dark lord, her attention shifting back to the dull pain in her neck. Her cold hands found the throbbing spot, rubbing it gently to relieve the pain. Her head leaned against the wall behind as she closed her eyes taking in everything that had happened in the span of past twenty four hours.

"What did you do?"

The words left her lips in a barely audible whisper, while she made no attempt to move. If it hadn't been for his sensitive hearing, he'd have thought himself to be hallucinating.

"I unlocked the seal on your neck," She heard him pause for a moment, probably to observe her reaction. Parting her eyelids slightly, she saw his burning emeralds tracing the outline of her raven hair tumbling down her back in a heap of unruly locks. His gaze held fascination when it went back up to stop at her neck, zeroing in on the place where she had placed her hand over his mark, "The seal that hid your identity as my beloved."

She furrowed her eyebrows, "I didn't know anything about it. How did you know? You didn't recognize me at first."

Her cluelessness seemed to ignite his curiosity further. Placing one hand on the cold floor, he put weight on it to lean closer to her huddled figure in the corner, "It glows at the hour the vampire intends to bite."

His orbs were flickering between crimson and emerald alternatively, expressing the rush of emotions he was feeling due to her presence. She clenched her hand into a tight fist in a failed attempt to get her rapidly beating heart under control.

'Behave, Faith. The man was going to murder you two minutes ago.' She reprimanded herself, turning to the side to move out of his grasp.

Once she was a safe distance away from him, she drew her legs to her chest, placing her chin on top of her knees. Moving out of his clutches seemed to clear her senses, making her painfully aware of the complex situation she had unknowingly fallen into. Lifting her hand gingerly, she, again, touched her neck with the tip of her cold fingers.

'This seal..' Her mind was still trying to wrap itself around the new discovery, "Who could put this seal on me? Ruth?"

She had no idea she had said it out loud until his voice reached her ears from her side,

"Only a vampire can place a seal on his mark," Her head turned swiftly at his remark.

"Who is Ruth, Faith?"

An Inquisitive look was painted all across his face, telling her how different he was from the present Ares. The Ares she knew never showed much emotions. This wasn't her Ares.

Avoiding his stare, she looked away, chewing on her bottom lip, 'Should I tell him everything?'

"Faith."

Her name came out as a soft hush through his parted lips, urging her to look his way once again. The man was crouching down next to her. He had his hand on the wall she had been leaning against previously. His fingers touched the spot as if it were a delicate piece of art. As if it still contained the warmth her living presence was providing it some moments ago.

She saw as his jaw ticked in the dim light coming from the torch. 'What is he thinking?'

Suddenly, he turned his head to look at her, catching her by surprise. A gasp left her lips at the raw emotion glinting in his pure eyes. He was staring at her like she was his most prized possession.

'Don't look at me like that, you cruel lord.'

Licking her dry lips, she carefilly chose her next words, "Answer my question first, then I'll answer yours in return."

"As you say."

She hadn't expected him to comply so easily, 'Not that I'm complaining.'

"You told me your beloved was dead..."

She trailed off, checking for any changes in his manoeuvre. She could sense it was a forbidden subject by the series of dark expressions crossing his face. A glazed look overtook his eyes for a moment before he allowed his head to hang low.

Next few moments passed in complete silence, with his stare fixated on the wall and hers fixated on him.

Just as she thought he wasn't going to answer her, he opened his mouth to speak,

"An year ago, the town's people had captured a vampiress, killing her in the process. I was requested as the town's lord to set her corpse on fire, but when I reached there I found an intoxicating smell luring me towards itself," She heard everything intently, holding onto every single word, "The scent was coming from the vampiress."

An uncertain emotion settled down in the pit of her stomach, "She was your beloved?"

"Apparently."

"You didn't kill anyone for revenge?" The words were out before she could stop herself.

He sucked in a sharp breath hearing her question, staring blankly at the stone wall. His previous title "the weakling prince" had never hurt before but since the death of that vampiress, the words had stayed with him, mocking him day in and out. They had become his unwanted shadow.

"I wanted to, but I have pledged to protect them as their ruler," He turned his back to the wall to lean against it. They were sitting side by side now, "Morever, they had families."

His last sentence sounded pained, a deep yearning buried beneath the surface of his cold exterior.

Without giving a second thought, her hand found his larger one, resting on the floor, in the space between their bodies. She engulfed it into a tight grip.

"You're a good man, Ares." She repeated the words Henry had once said to her about his mysterious lord. Words she had come to believe whole heartedly.

She could see her praise had left him baffled. She guessed no one had ever called him that before. His stiff demeanour was indicating the harsh truth clearly. Throughout the years of his doomed life, many words were used to describe him, but 'a good man' never included them.

She felt him tighten his hold on her softer hand, trying to savour the soothing sensation.

No words were exchanged between the two souls for some time. It was a comforting silence, sewing old wounds bit by bit with the ultimate solace it provided.

"Am I your second beloved?" She asked, finally breaking the silence. She didn't want to prod but it was nonetheless inevitable.

"I don't know either. I have never heard of a vampire having more than one beloveds."

Her heart clenched at his answer.

'Then what am I to you? Is this why you always avoided me?'

She detected some movement from her peripheral vision before two arms enveloped her in an icy embrace. He placed his head on her shoulder nuzzling his face deeper inside the crook of her neck. His cold lips moved against the skin of her neck, tickling her, as he continued his incomplete sentence, "But what I know for sure is, I shall forever stay by your side."

Any resistance to get out of his embrace flew out of the window the moment she heard his whispered words. Her body slumped in his arms as she looked ahead with an unblinking gaze. 'Why are you so cruel, Ares...'

His hold on her tightened as he tried gaining her attention with his next question, "Tell me, how do you have my mark? Who is Ruth?"

Her frame turned visibly rigid under his touch. 'Would he hurt me if he came to know the truth.'

Placing her hands on his arms, she detached herself from his cold touch. Confusion filled his hazy eyes followed by disappointment as he stared at the scared look on her face.

She had her hands on his chest, trying to put some distance between them. His closeness was messing up her senses. Her mind could never think straight with him in close vicinty.

She applied more force to push him further away but he placed his hands on top of hers, stopping her midway. "Do not push me away, beloved."

Her eyes widened as he started leaning forwards despite her utmost attempts to keep him away from her. 'This Ares is so.. openly affectionate.'

Her eyes followed his every move as he wrapped a strand of her hair around his long finger, twirling it around lovingly, "I have given you my word, Faith. I shall never hurt you."

'I can't lie to him. I have to tell him everything, in order to figure something out to go back.'

She tightened her hand beneath his hold, looking up at him with newfound determination.

"I've come from future, I met you there. That's when you marked me, accidentally," She watched as his eyebrows furrowed at the word 'future' and 'accidentally.'

"A woman asked to meet me one day. She told me she had information regarding my lost mother, but when I went to see her I found out that she was actually a witch. Her name is Ruth," His intent gaze was burning a hole through her skull.

"She said she could help me find more about the situation if I did as she told. I was desperate to get answers so I complied with her orders. She casted a spell involving a cross pendant, my blood soaked paper and an onyx. I don't remember much that happened afterwards. When all the noise stopped, I found myself here, in this unfamiliar place."

"Through out the day, I kept roaming around while people called me meretrix and prostitue and what not. Every corner I turned, drunk men asked me to sleep with them. I was at the verge of losing all hope when you finally found me. If you hadn't, I'd have been left in a dark conrer of some ally at the mercy of some old creep." Unbeknownst to her, a tear rolled down her soft cheek, glistening in the light coming from sconces.

His eyes were glued to the small drop rolling down her pale flesh. Just as it slid to reach her jawline, his hand brushed the wetness away from her cheek with the pad of his thumb.

Her lips parted at the contact, letting out a silent sigh, "I thought I would be killed by your hands."

Her stormy eyes looked close to transparent, reflecting her helplessness, as he gazed into them with his own twinkling emeralds. With a sudden tug, he grabbed the back of her head, bringing her closer to him, until their foreheads came into contact with each other. His cold touch was seeping into her hot skin, soothing both of their minds.

"I shan't dare." His whisper caressed her lips softly.

Suddenly, she felt a sudden whoosh of air before she found herself staring into an empty space. He was gone from his previous spot.

"Faith," His voice emerged from the shadows occupying a corner of the cell. Her gaze went towards the source swiftly, to find a pair of glinting crimson orbs staring back at her.

'Why are his eyes red? Did he move away to avoid losing control?' She thought to herself but kept the question from escaping her lips. Instead she replied to his call with a meek 'yes.'

"I need you to remove your clothes." His voice came out unwavering.

"What?"

She couldn't believe her ears. All kind of weird scenarios were passing through her head and she was sure he could see it clearly on her face even if this Ares could not read her thoughts.

A light huff reached her ears before his deep voice resonated through the dark cell,

"Every spell has a peculiar mark which can be used to track its roots. You, being the bearer of this spell, shall have the mark imprinted on your body. A witch's mark. It faints with every passing day till the commencement of the spell approaches. Once the magic is fulfilled, the mark disappears altogether. Morever, the stronger a spell, the more extensive its mark is. Therefore, I need to see the pattern of this spell."

Her jaw dropped, hearing his detailed explanation, "You know so much about witches."

"I like studying about different species." She could detect a hint of smile in his words.

She remembered the book she had found in his room during her stay. The current Ares never told her much about his hobbies or likes and dislikes. The Ares before her was much more open about his emotions. He didn't have his heart guarded by strong walls like the Ares she knew, 'What happened to him to change him this much?'

"Faith," His voice put a stop to her train of thoughts.

"Uh?" A half assessed sound left her lips at the sound of his voice.

"Clothes."

She didn't know if it was just her mind playing tricks on her, but the previously cold room seemed to have become hotter at his command. She clenched her fists at her sides, debating her decision on the matter, 'Should I..?'

She could feel him eyeing her every move with his scrutinizing gaze. 'New or old, he's Ares, afterall. It's fine.'

With her mind made, she brought her trembling hands to touch the top button on her shirt. Her heart was pounding in her ears as blood rushed to her cheeks, tinting them with a beautiful shade of pink.

'It's not like we haven't done this before, but he feels like a totally different person standing in front of me.' She was trying to overcome her internal frenzied battle, to somehow get her nerves under control.

Her sweaty fingers fumbled with the top button till it finally decided to pop open, exposing the upper surface of her heaving breasts. A hitched breath echoed through the silent cell as her exposed skin came in contact with the cold night air.

Her hands travelled down slowly, followed by the dangerous pair of scarlet eyes, watching her from afar, silently. Another pop, and the second button came loose, then the third. In no time, she had managed to open the shirt completely, giving him a subtle peek of her cleavage cladded in red.

Her gaze stayed on the cold floor beneath her feet as she held onto the corners of her shirt with her dear life, 'Do I remove it now?'

"My intentions are pure, regina mea. Do not be afraid."

The unexpected use of that endearment left her perplexed.

Only Ares called her that. Her Ares.

"Ares.." She was losing count of the times his name had left her lips unknowingly, almost like a silent sigh.

"Yes?"

"R-Regina mea.. Why did you call me that?"

He didn't answer her question immediately. What followed her query, were light footsteps padding on the cold ground. Her lowered gaze saw a hazy figure emerge from the gloomy corner of the cell, turning into the silhouette of the dark lord. He kept walking till he stood a mere foot away from her, holding her bewildered gaze with his bewitching stare.

"I addressed you this way because," A vulnerable look covered his face, baring his tortured soul to her for the first time, "the deteriorating kingdom of my cold heart has found a promising queen in you."

'Is this why he kept calling me his queen in the present world?' She couldn't help but let an overwhelming feeling of love wash over her. Even if meeting him were an accident, it was the most beautifully perfect accident she could've ever encountered.

Mustering up every least bit of courage, she pulled the wrinkled corners of the shirt away from her body, letting it slip off her shoulders.

The pin-drop silence accopamying her actions wrecked her nerves. She fidgeted with her fingers, trying to overcome the embarrassing moment. Her heart was hammered against her ribcage as she became more and more agitated with the undisturbed silence.

Glancing down at the shirt pooled around her ankles, she couldn't help but wonder, 'Is he disgusted by me?'

"You are beautiful."

His unpredicted remark left her dazed. This Ares coudn't read her mind but he was indeed great at reading her expressions.

Goosebumps appeared everywhere on her body as she found his smouldering gaze scanning every nook and cranny of her exposed skin, leaving a sweltering trail in its path. If there were a darker shade of red than beet root, she was sure she was coloured with it in that moment.

The red bra, shielding her most vulnerable part from the prying eyes, stood out more in contrast with her pale skin, demanding his undivided attention. Without conscious perception, her hands folded in front of her soft flesh.

The sudden movement seemed to break his trance as he coughed sheepishly, tearing his eyes away from the tempting view in front of him, "Can you turn around?"

As if under another spell, her body automatically obeyed his word. Before she knew it, she had whirled around swiftly, giving him an explicit view of her back. Her cold hands still hugged her front despite not being in his field of vision anymore. Her senses were overwhelmed by the situation he was putting her through.

'His gaze burns.'

Out of nowhere, two hands firmly grabbed her shoulders from behind, interrupting her chain of thoughts.

"Ah-" Her surprised squeal was cut midway by his serious command.

"Come."

With a sudden tug, he pulled her out of her cell, guiding her towards an unknown direction.

"Where are you taking me, Ares?" She frowned as he remained silent, without answering her question.

Her eyes squinted on their own accord as her vision got overly illuminated by the light coming from outside. Her hand went in front of her face immediately, shielding it away from the excess amount of luminance for the time being.

After a minute or two, her vision finally adjusted to her bright surroundings, urging her to pay more attention around. The first thing she noticed was the stairs leading up, and out of the dungeons, 'Is he going to take me out of the dungeons without a shirt?'

Before she could voice her thoughts out loud, he stopped, making her halt in her step as well. 'What is he doing?'

Gripping her shoulders, he spun her around abruptly to face a flattened sheet of metal attached to the wall, reflecting her image through its shiny surface.

"Look closely."

"Wha-"

He stopped her midsentence, spinning her around again, so that this time, her back faced the makeshift mirror instead of her face. A strangled gasp broke through the back of her throat as she witnessed black inky patterns running the whole length of her back, hardly sparing any inch.

'The witch's spell,' She thought to herself, staring wordlessly at the dark ink tattoed on her back.

'What is this?' Her eyes were roaming over every corner of the marred skin on her back.

It resembled a thorny rose wrapped around a cross made of stakes. The thorns were sticking out in every direction, giving it a dangerously gloomy look. The mark looked somehow familiar to her sight, 'where have I seen it before?'

She squealed when an icy hand gingerly touched the cross drawn on her skin.

"This is the symbol of my family. A royal vampire's symbol."