The Prisoner and the Rose

Dai Li hated the Holy Tower, which was like a cage. Though called a saintess, she was nothing more than a precious object to be handled at others' whim. "Saintess, please grant him kindness, gentleness, selflessness, and love." The holy acolyte led the demon's son, who had been imprisoned in the dungeon for decades and seemed numb and obedient, up to the altar. "All right." She smiled and stroked the demon's son's head. No. She would awaken his selfishness, his cruelty, and his desires. Then she would grant him love. And in the end, "If you love me, then write our love poem in your blood." Dye the white rose a deep red, and let it bloom in the wilderness of freedom. * He was the demon's son, a prisoner, a born monster who had learned to rein in his nature beneath the lash. He hated the white rose in the lofty tower. Beautiful, pure, and innocent. Every damnable virtue was embodied in her. He wanted to devour her, to tear her apart. And yet, in the end, why was he the one devoured and torn apart? For nothing this wide universe I call, This boundless universe is all an illusion to me; Save thou, my rose, in it thou art my all. Only you, my rose, are my everything. [Save thou, my rose, in it thou art my all.] [Save you, my rose. You are my everything.] William Shakespeare, Sonnets 1. The heroine is a sweet-talking liar, a black-hearted beauty in disguise. A bad woman! A bad woman! 2. The queen and her mad dog at her feet. I love this kind of story. 3. In the title, both the prisoner and the rose are the heroine. 4. I originally hid this, but when I looked through my drafts, I found that the first chapter I wrote a year ago was just so good (in my personal opinion). Now that there's a multiverse channel, I'm putting it out, hehe... It should be a short story! Content warning: The heroine is not a virgin, while the male lead is. The heroine gets her own happy ending, because the male lead will die. Theme: Break free from restraints and save yourself