Past

"Say Aurora, I did something behind your back......would you hate me?" Rose fiddled with her backpack before turning to her best friend whose face glowed with perspiration dripping down as she stirred the burning wood to fuel the bonfire.

"That depends on what you have hidden." Rose pouted. It was almost threatening, how her best friend twisted words and meanings without giving the person infront of her even a bit of relief.

"A-Aurora please tell me you don't h-hate me." While the other girls were enjoying the scenic view of night beach, laughing and mingling the Cattaneo princess dragged Aurora away from the campsite. It had already been half an hour and Rose was still unable to get the secret off her chest.

After some attempts when the innocent girl tried running away, the mafia princess simply raised a brow signifying that they were not leaving unless Rose tells her what was going on.

"Nobody can hate you silly now what is it....everything is alright, right?"

Rose took a deep breath and took out her phone, closing her chocolate pools tightly with her thumb already on top of the send button of a previously written message. A ping sounded from Aurora's cell that she took her phone out hesitantly.

It was a rule between them that if something too awkward to explain transpired they would be going for this method but it was actually the first time Rose used it.

I really really like your brother.

The silence that surrounded was deafening as Rose held her breath looking at Aurora for a reply, the said girl raised her head and looked at her incredulously.

"Au-"

"Lets pretend Rose this never happened, we are returning to the camp." Tears filled the cocoa pools as the Cattaneo princess bowed her head down following after the slender figure of the girl that extinguished the fire before standing up. Aurora held Rose's hand moving down the rocky hill.

An hour passed in discomfort and confusion after the girls returned to eat and sleep.

In the deep settled night a figure was unable to close their eyes and lose themselves in the comforting arms of the sleep. Rose looked at Aurora's sleeping figure before rising from her position. She paid extra attention to lessen the rustling sounds coming from her moving outside the tent.

The cluster of constellations became her guardian angels as the girl took off in a different direction.

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"Where the hell is my friend?!" the seething anger made the guard tremble.

"We t-thought ma'am was sleeping."

Aurora wanted to rip of their heads off but refrained from doing so, the priority was searching for her Rose, she will deal with these useless men later.

"Girls, please form a group of four and go with the guards, search for Rose and as soon as you meet her please notify me." The mafia princess had already tried contacting the lost girl hundred of times only for the network to disconnect.

The other girls were worried as well so without any delay they took off in the respective directions.

As soon as she got up she knew that Rose ran away on her own in the way the tent was shuffled but the fear gripping her was so strong, the very idea of something happening to her- NO! she must search for Rose as soon as possible.

Several jeeps accommodated the girls with an exception of five of them with twenty guards to inform in case Rose returned to the camp.

While the jeep was going through the terrain with the mafia guards shouting Rose's name Aurora had a hunch. She dialed her brother's number with lightning speed trying to calm down her racing heart.

"What mess did you now created little devil?" The soothing voice was enough to bring out tears of helplessness and fear. The moment Aurora sniffled Ares knew something was terribly wrong. His sister never cried.

"Rose is nowhere to be found Ares." The line went eerily quite.

"I am coming."

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There he was with a petite girl clutched to his chest. Rose laid limp as Ares pressed her so close that it looked he would slaughter anyone coming near her. A makeshift cloth was bound to the swelling ankle of the girl that can be recognized as a torn piece of his shirt.

Ares came to realize how dangerous this was, to have his heart beating out of his chest, he could lose her anytime and what after that...what he would do, he would simply die.

Today was the day he saw her fallen inside an animal trap in the middle of nowhere. So tiny and vulnerable with blood flowing down her wound, if he would have been a little late god knows how she would have been.

"Who was in-charge of her safety?" his calm demeanor scared the people in vicinity who took a step back in fear.

"I asked who the hell was in charge of her safety?" Ares roared making five men come forward shakily.

"Hundred lashes with five months in the darkest prison cell. You will get food once in three days and water once in two days. After five months you will train with my personal bodyguards."

The men did not refused knowing the punishment would be even adverse if they even breathed a bit harshly. Among the frozen people there was only Aurora who had went running inside to arrange the medical facilities and make a higher bed for Rose using all their beds.

"Ares please hurry, let me treat her wound or she might get infected." The girl did not cared about the revolving world, not even worrying about the silent tears falling as she saw her best friend in such condition. Her clothes were torn from barbs while hair matted with dust.

Ares who was waiting for Aurora's call went inside her tent without any delay laying his sweet baby onto the roughly made bed.

"She likes you." Aurora whispered not removing her eyes from Rose who was now completely treated and was sleeping. The pair of siblings did whatever they could to stop the infection before the doctor arrived.

Although the paramedic at their base came in time and gave Rose some pills reassuring that it was nothing major and there was nothing to be concerned of. Two hours since he left Ares had not left her side and checked her temperature every now and then.

"Its my blessing." Ares took Rose's wrist kissing the insides of her tiny palm.

"Ares." Aurora called making him look at his little sister who seemed to be lost and thinking deeply. Ares loved three women the most in the world one was his mother, the second was his precious baby and the third was his sister who seemed to be looking out for everyone without thinking about her own health for even a moment.

"What is it little devil?"

"I know you are perfect for her Ares but.....she is really vulnerable, I don't want her heart to be broken. You are my brother...I will die for you and she is my bestfriend, I can kill for her. I want to know what you feel for her, want to be assured that you truly will love her.

I don't want her to be hurt."

"I really love her. I cannot describe what I feel for her..... She is just everything I can ever dream of Aurora."

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"Why did you run away Rose?"

Rose trembled looking at the warm palm that covered her thigh and stopped her from running out frantically. Just a moment ago she was being spoon-fed by Ares and was celebrating in her tiny head that there would be no questions.

Aurora had shifted her belongings to a different tent giving this one to both of them so there was no way she could run and ask for her help now that she was trapped by him.

"I-I.." Ares tilted his head closer making Rose forget how to breathe. He was so beautiful, those long lashes forming slight shadow onto his cheekbones as his darkest bluish grey eyes read her soul. Rose could drown in them.

The girl did now know what to do so she just buried her face into his warm neck trying to hide away from his intense gaze as her dainty arms held his broad shoulders.

"Baby do you know how scared I was...... you made me worried to death precious." Instead of making her head rise from his neck to look at him, he gathered the innocent girl closer in his arms. They silently embraced each other while Rose felt enormous guilt weighing down upon her.

"I was a bad girl..I am so sorry...." Truth to be told she was scared out of her wits yesterday in the forest. Her only thought was to take a stroll nearby the tent and come back but she stepped onto a branch bound with something and the next thing she knew was falling down a pit. She tried coming out so many times, shouted for help yet for no avail.

She cried the entire night before passing from exhaustion only calling out to Ares in her heart as her phone was smashed.

"I-I was so scared A-Ares. I didn't meant to worry you and Rora." crystal tears dribbled down her cheek making Ares coo at her.

"I am here now, who dares to make my precious princess scared huh?"

"You are h-here." She repeated him hugging him tightly.

Ares pulled her onto his lap cupping her adorable face.

"You are my good girl baby. You are my pretty baby aren't you?" Rose nodded hurriedly as he cupped her face wiping off the tears with his thumb.

"I am." The innocent beauty looked proud of herself when Ares complimented her. Her determined face made his squish her cheeks together as he kissed her head.

"Then will you tell me the truth princess.....why did you ran away?"

"I and Aurora fought." The girl replied bashfully, her heart cracking at how immature she sounded infront of him. Aurora was much younger than herself yet she carried herself with grace and a fierce attitude of a queen while on the other hand Ares had his whole family like that.

They were a bunch of perfect people and it was not only in terms of beauty, they were royals. Maybe that's why Aurora said to forget about Ares.....maybe she also came to know that she was a petty marigold flower in a field of exotic lilies.

While Rose was deeply drawn into thoughts Ares rubbed her shiny back head.

"I know and although Aurora did not told me what but she just said that she approves and also that you are too nice for your own good."

"S-She said that?"Ares hummed making a full smile break out on Rose's face.

"Did someone told you that you are the prettiest baby in the world?" Ares bound her small palms making the girl squeal and laugh before she was snuggled inside a fur blanket to sleep.