Still

CHAPTER XII [THERE, ALWAYS]

As the day unfolds and the night appears, Dionysus and Ariadne stayed sitting side by side on the bed. Ariadne find their situation uncomfortable and Dionysus knows that. No one dared to move nor speak a word for an hour or two.

Then finally, Ariadne decided to break the silence, "I may have made my revenge towards Theseus, but I think I made you suffer more. I was able to hurt him once, but I will hurt you for a lifetime after marrying you."

Dionysus remained silent. He has nothing to respond. He knows exactly what Ariadne meant. That she may have married him but she will only love Theseus her entire life. And how can anyone respond to that.

"I wonder," Ariadne kept talking, "were you even sure of marrying me? Do you even know my secret?" she asked

Dionysus just looked at her, waiting for what he possibly didn't know about her.

"I'm a woman who is capable of killing her own best friend" she stated seriously as her eyes glowed as they reflected the moon.

He remained silent for a while and just stared at her. Ariadne felt her heart racing with nervousness, anticipating what he would say.

Then he spoke, "was that your secret?" and he smiled since he just proved there is nothing he doesn't know about her, "then, should I share my secrets too?"

It was now Ariadne's time to anticipate.

"that night, when a man attacked you at the street..." he started

She remembered that frightening night

"I was the one who called you," he revealed, "I saw the man pointing his knife towards you, I didn't know what to do. I can't even move to save you, so I called your number I got from one of your friends. Unfortunately that caused the man to panic, I'm sorry."

She was too surprised since she never found out who was that person who called her.

"I also visit almost everyday the gallery your family used to have. I also buy paintings every now and then just so I could have a glimpse of you" he continued

"The day you visited Minos at his office... I was the client he had to meet. I made sure to be persistent of calling him out as long as I can so you won't have to face him. I know how much terrified you were of Minos"

"I was also the one who leaves you with books to read when you were in jail for your past time. I also watch you from afar every time Theseus comes for you."

"The lawyer who helped you be freed, I was the one who told her to approach Theseus and offer her help."

"You see, my greatest secret is that... I have been there... part of your background... with your every chapter... always. So if you are afraid I married a woman I don't even love, you can stop worrying now. Because letting me marry you is the greatest achievement I could ever boast to everyone, since you're the woman I had always prayed to have"

When morning came, the sun crawled inside the room and revealed a woman sleeping on the bed and a man lying on the sofa. He is a man who could give her everything she wants, even keeping a distance from her.