Her Oasis; His Destruction

He was sweating profusely.

His heart hammered violently against his chest. The cold air around him was not helping his situation. He had found refuge in the empty barn as he believed this was the only place he could truly be left alone to face the devil of what was happening to him.

He could see the shadows threatening to attack him. The only thing keeping them at bay was the little window which let in the crescent moonlight.

The moonlight not only kept the shadows away but also illuminated his features. His dark curls were messed up above his head. One of the locs stuck to his wet forehead and he paid no attention to it. His light brown skin glistened in the moonlight. This was partly because he was still sweating. The light went on to fall over the silk white shirt he wore. It was opened at the chest, therefore, exposing the rich contours of his smooth chest. Sadly, the view came to an end above his navel. His dark brown breeches had become dirty due to the fact that he was sitting on the bare ground of the dirty barn. His boots were fitted tightly to his legs.

He rested his back on an abandoned wagon that was filled up with hay. For this reason, some of the hay got into his hair but he couldn't care less. He was more concerned with what he was facing. The main reason why he had come to hide in the barn.

The night felt quiet. Too quiet. It was as if the night could feel the dilemma that he was going through.

He felt himself burning up from the inside. It was a type of fire that he had never felt before. He threw a glance down to his fingers and noticed new sets of claws threatening to grow out of his nails. The horror was that they were already emerging.

He squeezed his fist so tight that the claws entered his palm and caused crimson liquid to flow out of the injury.

"What is happening to me?" He asked himself with a deep baritone voice that had been destabilized with fear.

His body kept trembling with every minute that went by. The fear and uncertainty of not understanding were beginning to get to him.

As he was still battling with himself he caught a scent, a very familiar person. It was a mixture of coconut and roses. There was only one person in the world he knew to have this unique mixture of scent.

Mariana.

It surprised him that he had caught her scent when she hadn't even gotten into the barn. He was surprised that she was coming his way yet he felt some kind of comfort that she was the one coming. So he waited for her to reach him.

He was almost beginning to think he imagined it until he saw her silhouette appear by the door. He said nothing as he watched her step into the moonlight.

She looked as gracious as ever. Her dark blue dress fell over her legs and covered it. Her curly mass of hair fell over her shoulders and stopped by her waist. Her fair skin glowed under the moonlight. Her light brown eyes reflected the light of the moon. Her small face housed the smallest of noses and small yet full lips. She looked like a goddess who had descended from the moon itself. Her hands were placed together before her gown so that she still carried the gracious air of the lady she was.

"Mariana, what are you doing here?" He whispered.

Mariana only smiled and moved toward him. She knelt before him and examined the young man before her. There was sympathy and concern in her eyes.

"Lucius, oh Lucius. Look at you," She breathed in a small and melodious voice. It was so soothing that it brought warmth to Lucius' racing heart.

She slowly brought her hands to his cheek and felt the rough scar that began above his eyes, down to his lips.

Lucius closed his eyes as he was getting affected by her touch. The way she trailed her fingers over his scar left electric sensations throbbing at the spot. His once hammering heart found calmness immediately and it was no longer racing with fear. It was now racing with excitement.

"Mariana. . ." He whispered. The claws that had being threatening to be unleashed retreated to their hiding places. The dilemma was gone. He was fine again.

Mariana didn't stop with her fingers. She kept caressing his face. She leaned closer and planted a soft kiss on his left cheek. She kept peppering his skin with kisses. She went all the way down to his neck. All Lucius could say in return was her name as he felt electric sensations throbbing on every spot which her lips touched.

"Mariana. . ."

Mariana stopped planting kisses on his neck and stopped to gaze into Lucius' glowing gray eyes. He looked mythical yet enchanting. Everything about him excited her.

"Mariana, you know we shouldn't. . ." Lucius finally got the courage to speak.

"Hush! Do not speak to me about that. It is you I want," She protested.

"You are betrothed to my prince and the heir to the throne. I am nothing but a mere guard to the prince. If word gets out about what we're doing then he will surely have our heads," Lucius pointed out.

Mariana stopped and gazed into Lucius' eyes. For a moment, she looked serious. Lucius was beginning to feel that he had succeeded in breaking past her stubbornness. Until she broke her silence.

"Screw him. It is you I desired before. It is you I desire now. And it is you I will always desire. He can have my head, I don't care!" She exclaimed.

Immediately after she finished, she crashed her lips atop Lucius lips. The moment their lips met, Lucius felt an explosion of sensations in his heart. His body burned with desire. Her lips felt so soft and tasted like sweet honey. He could feel her heat and he wanted more of it. At a point, Lucius feared that he was going to burn from it. For the way she moved her lips on his made him reach places he had never been to. It felt right to have her there with him at that very moment even if he knew that he was wrong.

Lucius knew it deep down that Mariana was eventually going to be the cause of his destruction. He could feel it in his guts yet he chose to remain. He chose to hold on to her warmth. To hold on to the feelings of joy that she brought him. Hold on to the love that he could only get from her.

Lucius chose to allow her destroy him. It was the price he had to pay for falling in love with Mariana.

~ONE MONTH EARLIER~

The atmosphere was cold, despite the fact that the sun was had found its place high in the sky. Maybe it was because of the towering trees that shielded the lives beneath from the sun's warmth. It could have also been because the sun had just begun to take its place in the sky. Or maybe it was because of the emptiness in Mariana Rosette's heart.

Mariana's horse trotted through the quiet woods. Her two companions also followed quietly behind her on their horses. No one said a word.

Her white mane suddenly neighed. This caused Mariana to reveal the hand that had been hidden safely behind her dark cloak. She placed her palm on its neck and gently caressed it.

"Not now, Calliope. Be calm," She told the horse.

She moved her dark boots slightly on the dark saddle of the horse. The movement caused her brown riding dress to make ruffling sounds. She ignored it.

She threw a short glance at her companions again. They were both of the male species and were old enough to be her fathers. They had been sent by her aunt to safely escort her to Asgaria. The new place she was going to call home.

They were both dressed respectably in white silk shirts, a dark waistcoat and breeches. They both had on thick boots to protect their feet. They had similar features. So much so that she suspected that they were siblings. Starting from their fair skins and huge noses, the dark brown hair combed backward, the way they sat poised on their brown horses. They must have had good training as butlers.

Mariana sighed and turned her attention back to the road before her. She already felt bored in their company. Neither Martins nor Quin spoke unless when spoken to.

Losing her parents was devastating and the last thing she wanted was to die of boredom before she even made it to her aunt. Even Calliope was feeling the lack of energy. The poor animal wasn't used to the uncomfortable silence. It enjoyed hearing people speak and laugh; Calliope occasionally joined in that laughter as well. The atmosphere was killing both Calliope and Mariana.

Mariana closed her eyes and thought of her parents. It had always been the three of them against the world. She had never once thought that a day would come when they wouldn't be with her again.

Images of the day they died came back to her head. She remembered the bloodshed. She remembered the screams. She remembered the fear in the air as people tried to get away from the beasts that were attacking them.

She had heard of strange beasts that resembled giant wolves who found fun in attacking people but she had never believed it until that day they attacked the little town that her parents had settled in.

She opened her eyes and caught sight of a burning ray from the sun. Despite the sight, she shivered. She still hadn't gotten over her parent's death but there was nothing she could do. She had promised herself that she wouldn't cry anymore. She was done crying. Her parents wouldn't even want her to end up crying for them forever. She was someday going to uncover the mystery behind the giant beasty wolves and she was going to make them pay for taking away her parents.

She pushed the thought of her late parents away from her head. Now was not the time to think about it. She had to instead think up a way to end the boredom.

An idea suddenly came to Mariana's head. Her face brightened up within seconds as she thought of it. She knew it was going to cheer her up for some time as well as the animal. It was also going to get her two escorts on the edge. The idea burned through her veins and brought a big smile to her face.

"You thinking what I'm thinking Calliope?" Mariana asked the horse.

The horse seemed to sense the mischief in her voice. It snorted in response. Mariana nodded as she liked the response. The two butlers exchanged confused looks. It surprised them that the Lady was having a comfortable conversation with her horse.

Suddenly, Mariana yelled at Calliope and the horse began to gallop away. It was so fast and so sudden that it left the men both surprised and shocked. Before they could regain their composure, Mariana was already gone.

"We cannot lose the lady. Lydia will surely have our heads! We need to go after her!" Martins exclaimed and both men began the chase.

Mariana giggled happily as she rode her horse. She felt the wind flow past her and cause her brown curly mass of hair to float in the air. There was a new surge of excitement flowing through her blood. She felt alive knowing that she had succeeded in destabilizing the peace that had been in the air. She felt alive knowing that she had committed the rebellious act. Her aunt wasn't going to be happy about the behavior and she couldn't care less.

All that mattered was this moment. This beautiful moment which she was living. She couldn't tell if she was going to get the chance to act this way anytime soon so she was determined to enjoy it.

She could feel that even Calliope enjoyed the little race they were having. She made sure she led Calliope deeper into the trees so that she would give her escorts a hard time finding her. The place was getting darker than the road they had been using. The trees were longer here and the woods were quieter. Only the sound of Calliope's hooves against the surface of the forest floor filled the air. She also noticed that the place had become foggy. She threw a glance over her shoulders to see if they were still following closely but there was no sign of them.

As she turned her head back to the road before her, Calliope suddenly squealed and came to an abrupt stop. This caught Mariana off guard, so much so that she lost her hold on Calliope and flew off the horse.

She squeezed her eyes shut as she braced herself for impact. She prayed deep within her soul that she would only break a leg and not hurt her face. This was probably her punishment for escaping her escorts. She waited for the inevitable pain that was going to follow after she hit the ground or a tree.

But to her greatest surprise, she landed in warm hands. Her eyes flew open immediately to see who her savior was and she froze.

Mariana was met with eyes so gray that they seemed to glow in this dark side of the woods. There was a scar that started above his eyes and went all the way down to his lips. His nose was just perfect for his light brown face. His lips reminded her of lilacs which had dew drops on them. His dark curly locs reminded her of a very cozy bed that she badly wanted to sleep in.

Despite the fact that his face was scarred, she couldn't stop staring. His eyes were the most fascinating. The way his eyes stared deeply into hers felt like he could uncover all her dark secrets. She could feel herself heating up. He was causing her to begin to burn from the inside. Her heart started to race with a mixture of excitement and nervousness. She felt herself begin to take heavy intake of breaths. Every other sound seemed to fade away and it was just the two of them in their own world.

His stare was so intense, so powerful, so dangerous yet intriguing. She knew she had to stop gazing into his eyes. She knew that if she kept staring, then she would get lost in them. Yet she couldn't stop herself from looking into his intriguing eyes.

Her lips started to tremble with the desire that had awoken deep within her. None of them said a word to each other. They only gazed into each other's eyes.

Mariana's eyes flickered to his lips. The strange man noticed it too. Mariana wanted him to take the initiative and close the distance between them. She wanted to taste him. She wanted to know if his lips were as soft as they looked. She wanted to know if his fingers could make fireworks explode in her heart when he trailed them down her skin. She wanted to explore his body and memorize every part of it.

Suddenly, Calliope neighed menacingly and started to thrash around. This startled Mariana and she immediately released herself from the strange man's arms.

She turned to Calliope and started to caress her neck. "Easy Calliope, you're fine. It's just a little fog. Nothing to get scared about," Mariana assured her horse.

Eventually, Calliope became calm again. Mariana turned back towards the stranger and was met with an empty space. The strange man was gone. Her mouth came open in shock. She tilted her head and tried looking around but there was no sign of the strange man with the most intriguing eyes. She suddenly felt an emptiness in her heart. She felt abandoned. She felt as if she had been left alone again. He had brought a certain warmth to her heart and now that he was gone, it hurt her. He didn't even say a word to her. She didn't even get to hear his voice.

She wanted to go on a hunt for him. She wanted to search for him in the woods. She wanted to find him. She was just about to drag Calliope along with her on the search when she heard horses coming her way.

Her escorts showed up.

They looked both exhausted and relieved to see her. Quin was sweating all over. Martins was still trying to keep his calm act but it was obvious that he was freaked out the most.

"For a moment, I thought we had lost you milady. Please do not run off like that again. The woods are not safe. There have been reports about strange men as well as beasts roaming the woods," Quin complained. He took out a handkerchief and wiped his face clean. He proceeded to take out a water sack and drank from it.

"Hush! Quin. You're not supposed to tell her that. Do not run off like this again Lady Mariana. Will you please mount your horse so that we can continue on our way?" Martins asked politely.

Mariana wasn't paying attention to them. She had heard them but her eyes were busy searching the woods. She still wanted to find the strange man so badly.

"He couldn't just have disappeared, Calliope," She muttered under her breath.

"Did you say something milady?" Quin asked.

Mariana shook her head in denial. The last thing she wanted was for her escorts to find out that she had just been in the arms of a very strange man and the worst part of it was that she had enjoyed every moment of it.

She quietly mounted her horse in defeat and took her place between Martins and Quin. she understood that they put her between them so that she wouldn't just run off as she did. She scoffed. They were no match for her and Calliope. If she wanted to escape them, then she would do it easily.

Both men smiled triumphantly as they had succeeded in getting the lady back on track. Martins hoped that Mariana wouldn't run off as she did again. If something were to happen to her, then he couldn't dare show his face to her aunt. She wouldn't even spare him.

Mariana closed her eyes and remembered the intriguing gray eyes. Who could the man have been? Where did he come from? Where did he run so fast to? Why did he make her feel the way she did?

She knew at once that she was not going to find peace until she found the answers to the questions that were plaguing her.

Mariana Rosette couldn't forget the gray eyes that she had encountered in the woods.

Even as the iron gates of her aunt's courtyard came into view. Even as she examined the elegantly constructed mansion in which her aunt resides. Even as the horses came to a stop and she dismounted Calliope, the thought of those intriguing gray eyes never left her head.

"We're here Lady Mariana," Quin announced behind her.

Mariana nodded and threw another scrutinizing stare at the mansion. It was still the way she remembered it when she visited as a child. It stood on its own in its magnificence. It had a rich mixture of expensive and exotic woods from the best parts of the world as well as bricks that decorated some parts of the wall.

The house was the family home of the Romans, her mother's home. The Romans never had a male child and with Mariana's mother dead, every riches that they had was inherited by her aunt, Lydia Roman.

Lydia was the same person who had become Mariana's new guardian as her late father also had no relatives. She had no one else in the world except her aunt. Mariana didn't like the feeling of being at the mercy of her aunt. She kept feeling as if Lydia had a shocking surprise in store for her.

Lydia had never always been a nice and loving aunt. She was more of a dangerous and strict aunt who didn't like being crossed. The few people who Mariana remembered to have crossed Lydia, Mariana never saw again. Only the gods knew what Lydia did to them. She hated to be on bad terms with her aunt but the nagging feeling at the depth of her stomach kept telling her that what she feared was near.

Mariana looked around the courtyard. There was a circular spot in the center of the courtyard which was occupied with colorful flowers. She remembered the stables were to the left side of the building.

"We should proceed inside the house," Martins suggested.

"What about the horses?" Mariana inquired while patting Calliope.

As if on cue, a young boy who couldn't have been over thirteen emerged from the left side of the building. He wore dark shorts, a white shirt and a dark coat over the shirt. He had white socks on which were coupled with dark shoes. His hair was dark and ruffled. His skin looked very pale with freckles on his cheeks. Yet his big smile looked so warming.

"Greetings milady. I'm Jasper and I'll be taking care of your horses," He introduced himself.

"Ah, I was about to tell you about Jasper. Your horse is safe with him," Quin commented.

Mariana wanted to protest but the warm smile coming from Jasper was enough for her to give up the idea. She turned to Calliope.

"Be good to Jasper. Don't make him get worked up," Mariana told her horse while scratching its hair. It snorted in reply.

Jasper approached Calliope and outstretched an arm at the horse. When he opened it, there were three cubes of sugar in it. He said nothing. Calliope stared back at Jasper as if contemplating whether to trust him or not. In the end, Calliope gave up and started to eat the sugar on his palm. Jasper broke into a peal of triumphant laughter.

"That's a good girl," He said and brought his other hand to caress her hair.

"I see she has chosen to trust you," Mariana finally said after watching the entire thing.

"Horses love me. What's her name?" He asked.

"Calliope," Mariana answered.

Jasper beamed with excitement. "That's a very powerful name for a horse. Aren't you a beautiful horse?" He said to Calliope and the horse whinnied at him.

Mariana smiled. Her horse was in safe hands. She turned to the men. "Shall we?" They nodded and led the way into the house.

Inside, the house was just as beautiful. The sitting area was arranged before the fire to keep it cozy and warm. It was situated on the right side of the entrance. The Grand stairway was right opposite the entrance.

Four women were waiting in the sitting area for them. It was obvious that the other three women were maids from the way they were dressed. They wore simple kirtles of dull colors and aprons around their waists while the last woman was elegantly dressed in an exotic blue dress which had many layers.

Lydia Roman didn't seem to have aged a day since the last time Mariana saw her. That was ten years ago. Lydia was tall and she had sharp features. Starting from her cheekbones to her jawline. Her eyes were bright green orbs that could pierce into somebody's soul who stared too much. Her dark hair was tied up in an updo befitting a queen. Mariana couldn't help but feel as if her aunt was overly dressed. Perhaps, she was attending a ball today.

The other maids were short and cowered under Lydia's command. Only the gods knew what she could have done to them. The oldest looking maid was chubby and had brown hair which was tied into a low bun. The others were young, they could have been around Mariana's age. She couldn't tell. One had blond hair while the other had dark hair like Lydia's. They all tied their hair into low buns just like the oldest maid.

Mariana and her escorts finally approached Lydia and her maids.

"Welcome dear child. I trust the trip wasn't too rough. You should have been here since yesterday but due to today's event, I'll overlook it. We're receiving powerful visitors," Lydia Roman began without stopping for a breath. Her accent carried her wealthy roots.

"I couldn't care less about your visitors. Will you show me to my room so that I can have a good rest?" Mariana asked.

The maids seemed shocked by her reply but they didn't show it.

"Quin, Martins, you may go now. Your services aren't needed right away," Lydia said while dismissing the butlers. Then she turned to the maids. "Cassandra and Sarah, go back into the kitchen to make sure the preparations are in check and nothing has gone wrong. Nothing must," Lydia ordered.

The chubby maid and the blond-haired maid nodded and walked towards the kitchen which was behind the grand stairway.

"Leandra, you follow us to my niece's room. You're going to help her get ready for the visitors," Lydia instructed as she turned towards the grand stairway.

Mariana gave her aunt a questioning glare. "I don't understand. Why do I have to get ready?"

Leandra followed her mistress quietly without saying a word. Which left Mariana with no choice but to follow closely behind. They mounted the stairway. It came to an end before a corridor. Lydia led the way until she came before a room at the far end of the corridor. It was on the left side of the house. On the same side as the stables.

Lydia pushed the door open and allowed the two women following her to walk in. Mariana saw that the room had already been prepared for her. The draperies were blue like the sky. The bed covers were the same. The walls were painted white like snow. The bed was beside one of the windows and the dresser was on the other side. A wardrobe that led into the washroom was at the foot of the bed.

"It's important for you to get ready because Prince Leonard Luther is coming to see you so that he would make the final decision of either accepting you or rejecting you as his bride-to-be," Lydia broke the news.

Mariana froze as she stared at her aunt. Her mouth came open in shock. She searched her aunt's face for any sign of a joke or laughter. It was only seriousness she found.

"You can't be serious Aunt," Mariana scoffed.

"We don't have all day. The prince will be here any moment from now. You need to get dressed and be on your best behavior," Lydia instructed.

It was at this point that Mariana realized her aunt wasn't bluffing. She was telling the truth. Rage started to boil within her. When had her aunt arranged all this? Didn't Lydia even think to involve her in something as grand as her own wedding? Besides, she never remembered saying she wanted to get married!

"Aunt Lydia, I don't remember having a certain conversation with you where I told you that I was desperately in need of a husband and that I would be so glad if you came to my aid and arranged my marriage!" Mariana exclaimed.

Leandra gasped but she made sure to remain quiet. Lydia stared at her niece in shock and for a moment considered murdering her.

"Leave us!" Lydia instructed Leandra.

The maid without any word hurried out of the room. Lydia let out a heavy sigh. She was trying hard not to lose her temper and lash out at her niece.

"Dear child. You're right, you never had such a conversation with me but your aunt knows best and I only want what is best for you. Prince Leonard Luther is the heir to the throne of Asgaria. If he accepts your hand in marriage then you tend to become the future Queen of this kingdom. Your future will be secured with the amount of power that you will wield. No one will dare to harm or disrespect you. Do you even realize the gravity of that?" Lydia explained to her niece. The last thing she wanted was for her niece to ruin what she tried so hard to build.

"Aunt Lydia, I don't want to get married. If I ever marry, then I want it to be of my own accord. I want to marry for love. I want to be the one to choose my own husband. I certainly do not want to marry the prince of this place. I'll be caged, trapped in one place. I won't have the freedom that I have yearned to have. I refuse to get married!" Mariana protested.

"Are you foolish, child? There is no such thing as love! All that is a stupid fairy tale told to silly girls like you. The prince is coming and you will meet him. Remember! You're under my roof. You have to work to keep your place!" Lydia exclaimed as she was already beginning to lose her temper.

Mariana gasped at her aunt's harsh words. "I'm beginning to think it's your future you're trying so hard to secure here!" Mariana retorted.

This hit a nerve in her aunt. Lydia threw her niece the harshest glare and swiftly grabbed her niece by the cheek as she squeezed hard.

Mariana still shocked by her aunt's behavior tried to blink back the hot tears that threatened to flow out due to the stinging pain that her aunt was inflicting on her.

"I'm sure you've heard that people don't cross me," Lydia reminded her and her green eyes became so dangerous. "What is the name of your horse again? Ah, yes, Calliope. It will be really devastating if some bad misfortune were to befall the poor horse. It's up to you though, if the horse will remain safe or not," Lydia finished and released Mariana.

Mariana stared back at her aunt in shock. She had never once thought that her aunt could stoop this low. Her heart thumped violently against her chest. Her body began to tremble.

"Leandra will be here shortly to help you dress," Lydia announced and walked out of the room.

The tears which had been wanting to fall out the entire time came streaming down her cheeks. She wiped the tears angrily away. She hadn't seen this coming. What had she gotten herself into? Had she known about this then she would have never come here. She would have fled and gone to find herself a home elsewhere. Now Calliope was in danger and she knew well that her aunt was capable of hurting the animal.

She was hopeless but she couldn't just accept defeat. She would meet the prince today, she would go along with her aunt's plan. But she will secretly think up a way to break away from the marriage without hurting anyone.

She will be fine.