Chapter 181

Zarin couldn't stop thinking of what his father told him. Yes, he had to do something with his love and not just keep it in his heart. But what was he supposed to do? What did a woman want from a man?

No woman had ever denied him before, so how was he supposed to know? He thought back of what Heaven told him. She said she liked Zamiel because he set her free. He could that for her now as well. She told him that Zamiel saw the woman she could be, then he was ready to let go of his childhood friend. If it was support she needed, then he would show his support. He would help her become a ruler, and this time he would apologize first, and not let her be the one to wait for him anymore.

What else did he have to do?

He had to make sure that Zamiel wasn't tricking her. He did not trust that man. There was just something he didn't like about him. He would find his weakness.

Zarin teleported himself to where he expected to find his father. He didn't only end up finding him, but his uncle Rasmus as well. Usually they were the ones to visit his uncle, so he was surprised to see him here.

"Zarin, come here." His uncle said.

His uncle Rasmus was human, but acted nothing less than a demon. Zarin had never met a human male tougher than his uncle. While he was young, he had heard the rumors about him. They called him the bloodthirsty king. The first king to establish a kingdom all on his own at such a young age. He was afraid of nothing. His mother had even told them once that he just laughed when she told him about them being demons. He was an impressive man.

Standing up, his uncle gave him a hug.

"You have grown up so much." He said, and they sat down.

"Thank you." Zarin smiled.

Something about his uncle always made him nervous. The man liked to speak in riddles and seemed to always know more than what he disclosed.

"And handsome at that. Have you found a woman?" His uncle asked.

He was also straightforward, and now Zarin didn't know what to reply. His father sipped whatever that was in his glass, amused.

"Don't lie to me, boy." His uncle warned jokingly when he noticed his hesitation. "You can't have difficulty finding a woman. That is your father's and my specialty after all."

Both his father and his uncle chuckled. Zarin couldn't help but smile at how much the two men resembled each other. Both had a sarcastic humor.

"I know it might not feel comfortable to ask your father for advice when it comes to women, but you can ask me." Rasmus winked.

Yes. He did not feel comfortable speaking to his father about women. But maybe he could speak to his uncle. There was too much of a generation gap between him and his father, so he knew his uncle would understand him better.

Later, when he found his uncle alone, he took him aside.

"It is a woman." His uncle smiled knowingly.

"It is not just any woman. She is the daughter of the Lucian." Zarin explained.

"I see." His uncle said. "It seems like our family are attracted to that family."

"What do you mean?" Zarin asked.

"Never mind. Tell me about this girl. What is the problem?"

Zarin felt a little embarrassed but decided to tell his uncle. "I confessed my love to her and she… rejected me. I… I want to win her back, but I don't know how." He admitted.

His uncle was thoughtful for a while. "If you want to win her, you have to know how to win her. Women like confident men."

Zarin nodded. Was that all the help he would get?

"Love is all about emotions. The way a woman responds to you depends on the way you make her feel. If you make her feel loved, safe, secure and special, she will respond to those feelings." His uncle continued.

"But that is the problem. I thought I made her feel that way." Zarin said.

"If you want to win a woman's heart, you have to know what her heart desires and provide that for her. Not provide her with what you think she wants. Maybe the way you showed her love was not the way she wanted to be loved."

Zarin was frustrated. "Why does love have to be so complicated?" He asked. "Isn't it enough to just love someone?"

His uncle chuckled. "Good things in life don't come easy. Love is not easy. Love needs time, effort, patience, understanding and courage. Love is a war. You need to know when to draw your sword and when to use your shield."

From his uncle's explanation, love was definitely not easy. What was he supposed to do now? Go to war? He was still confused.

"I am telling you to be observant. To win her heart, you have to know when to fight for her and when to fight with her." Rasmus added.

For the rest of the day, Zarin thought carefully of what his uncle told him. To fight for her and to fight with her. He would do both. She was going on a trip to prove her capability. He would go with her and fight with her. He would support her.

And when fighting for her, he would find out Zamiel's weakness. He didn't have a good feeling about that ancient demon. He had a hard time believing that Zamiel truly loved Heaven and did all those things Heaven claimed he did for her.

The ancient demon was probably only interested in her beauty. Zarin had never met a woman more beautiful than Heaven, so he wouldn't be surprised if Zamiel only wanted to use her. That way he could also have his revenge on a witch. Witches had killed his family, after all. Zarin had a hard time believing that the vengeful demon just abandon his vengeance.

*********

Zamiel woke up sweating and panting. His body was burning with fury. He had that same nightmare again where Heaven killed his family. It felt so real that when he woke up he needed a moment to come back to reality. Heaven would never do that to him, but he couldn't deny that the dream was still disturbing. Why Heaven? It pained him.

He had to find a way to get rid of these nightmares. He was afraid of harming Heaven, of losing her. Last time he had the nightmare, he was close to hurting her. He had no control over himself when he woke up from these horrible dreams.

His maid Helen had already prepared breakfast when he went to the dining room. He gulped a glass of water to cool himself down first. After finishing his breakfast, Helen informed him he had a visitor.

"You can always let Heaven in." He told her.

"It is not Lady Heaven. It is another young lady."

Young lady? Zamiel didn't have any visitors at all. Where did this young lady come from?

"Let her in." He said.

Zamiel sensed that she was human before she entered the dining room. She was wrapped in a blue cloak and stalked to where he sat.

"My Lord." She curtsied.

Zamiel looked at the woman in front of him. She was a young Lady in her early twenties. A beautiful woman, probably desired by many men, with her long wavy brown hair and blue eyes. She had a radiant skin with light freckles around her nose and heart-shaped lips that curved into a seductive smile.

"What brings you here?" Zamiel asked.

"I am Rose, my Lord, but you can call me anything you like. I am here to please you."

The woman opened the straps on her cloak and removed it from her shoulders. She was left wearing a thin dress that barely covered her body.

Please him? Zamiel tilted his head to one side.

"And who sent you to please me?"

"My owner." She said. "I know nothing more, My Lord."

Zamiel took the freedom to get inside her head. She wasn't lying. He saw her owner giving her orders to come here and please him. But her owner must have been paid by someone to her here.

Zamiel couldn't think of anyone else doing this except for Zarin. The boy baffled him. At least he tried to hide that it was him, but this boy clearly underestimated him. What was he trying to do? The boy was going too far now, and Zamiel had already let him get away a few times. But no more. Now he had enough.

"Are you not pleased with me, My Lord?" Rose asked when he said nothing for a while.

"I am very pleased." He told her. "Please, get dressed."

Rosa was about to remove her dress when she realized what he said. Her eyes widened. She was questioning whether she heard him right about getting dressed and not undressed.

He motioned for her to pick up her cloak, to assure that she understood him correctly.

Rose picked up her cloak and covered herself slowly. He could see the confusion in her eyes. She got even more confused when he paid her a generous amount.

She stared at the golden coins. "This is a lot, my Lord. I have done nothing." She told him.

"I was very pleased, so you deserve it." He said.

If Zarin wanted to play games, then Zamiel would play along. He realized at this point the boy would not believe him or give up, unless he was taught a lesson. Zamiel would gladly be a good teacher.