Free Web NovelChapter 2: Chapter 2
Astrid glared at her father, then her mother. She stood and paced impatiently, shaking her head in disbelief.
"This is madness," she hissed. "First, you send me away, never write to me, and then on a random day inform me that you have urgent matters to discuss.
Now, you’re telling me I have to escort my sister, who frankly I have no affections for, to the most dangerous and powerful empire in these lands, and I have to come back and be an heir?!"
She could see Hera’s face fall out of the corner of her eye, tears threatening to fall down her face, gods be damned, she muttered under her breath.
Her father sighed. "I understand, Astrid," he began quietly, "I know we have let you down far more than we’d hoped and much more than you imagined. But it was all for the kingdom.
We needed an heir. I was not going to rule forever, Astrid, do you not realise that? Who would take over when I was gone? The order promised..."
"Oh, please shut up, Father. The order promised you nothing. You wanted me strong..." she said, her voice hitched. "You knew what your absence would do to me; you wanted me broken, and you thought that was the only way for me to move forward."
Her mother had begun to sob. All the while, her sisters had said nothing. Her father looked at her pitifully.
"Sister," someone said. It was Selene who interrupted. "Please calm down," she said softly. "Why don’t we go out to get some air? It’ll do you all a world of good, because it seems to me that this is getting nowhere."
Astrid looked about the room. She could feel the gloom from all the faces around her. Then she huffed. "Fine," she said as she stalked out.
Outside, the strong breeze stroked her face, her hair swaying with every gust. She shut her eyes tightly, trying to absorb the calm that slowly washed over her.
It was all a disaster, she thought. Her father’s reasons were.... understandable, but did he have to treat her like she was worth nothing? She’d spent years blaming herself, thinking that she was the reason she’d ended up the way she did. That they hated her.
Now, she had to live with the fact that...
"Sister," Iris called, interrupting her thoughts. "How are you feeling?"
"Did you hear him back there?" Astrid asked incredulously. "It’s all for the kingdom," she said mockingly, mimicking her father’s voice. "Does he think I’m stupid? He abandons his daughter and suddenly expects me to leave the life I’ve built to parade around the kingdoms, the Aurelian empire to be exact, and act as a bodyguard for his beloved daughter."
Iris chuckled. "Here i was thinking you were actually affected by this," she said. "I forgot how thick-skinned you were."
"This isn’t funny, Iris," she sighed. "I’ve just been told I have to babysit my junior sister and rule a kingdom."
"Isn’t that the dream?" Iris asked, laughing now.
Astrid rolled her eyes. "I really thought I’d caused it all, you know," she said solemnly. "That’s because I was different, I couldn’t fit in."
"Just because you didn’t behave within rigid rules, put flowers in your hair or spoke softly all the time doesn’t make you different, Astrid.
Just like your sister, being feminine and soft-spoken does not make her bad or weak. We cannot all be the same sister. Remember that." freewebnovel.cσ๓
Astrid peered into her eyes, desperately wanting to accept those words.
"Believe me Astrid," iris pleaded, sensing her reluctance.
Astrid looked away. These bastards, she muttered.
"I heard that you know. Plus, you shouldn’t call your family bastards. You’d be one by default. But then again..."
"Enough, Iris."
Iris laughed again. "Just take it easy on the girl, though," she suggested. "She’s not your parents, and she certainly was not involved in their decision."
Astrid was silent. Her eyes were darting everywhere else but Iris.
Iris shook her head as she pinched the bridge of her nose. "Let’s head back in, they’re all waiting."
The hall was eerily silent, and the air was stiff as they walked back in. Her mother still wept quietly beside Hera, whose shoulders were slumped, her head down. Her father sat stoically on his chair, looking straight ahead like he was lost in thought.
Her sisters, on the other hand, seemed uninterested in the scene in front of them as their eyes roamed the great hall; Larissa and Clair, on the other hand, seemed fascinated with each other and what little information they passed with their eyes.
None of the sisters could ever rival their bond. They could feel and understand each other in ways none of them could.
Astrid stood before everyone and cleared her throat, her hands behind her back. "I will never be able to understand your reasoning, Father," she began. "I will not claim to forgive you for abandoning me all these years, all because you thought you were performing some stupid duty.
But I know when to concede for the greater good of the people. Your love for your kingdom might have driven you to do something so unforgivable, but for them, I am willing to rule.
And yes," she said, "i will protect Hera in Aurelia."
Her father heaved a sigh of relief, and her mother’s eyes softened through the tears.
She glanced at her sisters and saw them smiling ear to ear. Then she looked at Hera whose eyes had been down the whole time, disappointment oozing from her.
"Hera," she called softly. "Look at me."
Her head was still faced downwards.
"Please."
Reluctantly, she looked up at her.
"I’m sorry for what I said earlier," she begged. "I know this is all very overwhelming for you, just as it would be for me, but much worse for you because you’re the one actually marrying.... I’m sorry, I’m rambling. frёeωebɳovel.com
The point is, I’ll be there," she promised. "And I’d love to get to know my sister better," she said, smiling wearily.
"Aren’t you forgetting something sister?" Selene interrupted.
Astrid groaned and rolled her eyes.
A few of the girls chuckled.
"Hera, meet my sisters. Sisters, Hera, my mother, and father."
Her mother darted towards the girls, "It’s so lovely to meet all of you. No amount of thanks would be enough for helping my little girl grow into the fine woman she is."
Astrid grimaced. "gods help us," she muttered.
Astrid glanced at Hera, who still sat quietly. Their father hadn’t looked at her since she’d come back inside.
"Hera," she said, taking her hand. " Come with me. "
Their mother’s chattering drowned out as they left the great hall. Astrid led her through the door that their father had come through. They strolled through a few passages, then came out to the garden.
Astrid grinned inwardly. Just as she’d thought, she hadn’t really forgotten everything. She’d tried to hold on to something concrete when memories of her childhood dissolved over the years.
They stopped by the roses.
"How’s life been?" Astrid asked awkwardly.
Hera stayed silent, her gaze fixated on the flowers around them.
"Hera," she pleaded.
"As you would expect it to be," she replied, her voice small. "Great."
"I’m sorry for what I said back there. I was just upset."
"Which meant I was collateral damage... Got it."
"No," Astrid rebuffed. "No. Don’t see it that way."
"What way would you like me to see it, Astrid?" She asked pointedly. "I missed you.
I waited every day, hoping and praying that one day you’d return. How was I supposed to know that Father sent you to a cult? I was a little girl, for heaven’s sake.
I was lied to for more than half of my life. Fortunately for me, the very day I meet the one person I longed for, i get told by my father that I would be sold off, and my sister essentially called me a stranger. How was it you said it again, ’you were unsure whether you had any affection for me’ "
Hera walked away from her, pacing slowly around the garden.
Astrid groaned softly. "I understand, " she said, trying to match her pace, "which is why i apologize. I said something stupid. Our parents are to be blamed for all of them. For tearing us apart.
But why don’t we try to make the best of it all. Now that I’m finally home, we could be sisters again. In every sense."
"Easy for you to say," she scoffed. "You’re not the one being sold off to marry a man she doesn’t know."
"I could take you far away from here if you’d like. We could run away and leave them to their vices."
"And let the kingdom fall? The people enslaved, and father and mother possibly killed?"
"I was only making a suggestion." Astrid shrugged.
"Suggest better."
They were both silent now. Watching the flowers rustling softly against each other. They listened to the birds chirp happily and the distant sound from the people outside the palace walls.
"How was it?" Hera asked quietly.
"I had a horrible few years," Astrid replied. "But it’s all better now."
"You’re so much taller, you know... And muscular."
"I know."
"The girl would love you if you were a man."
"I know."
Hera rolled her eyes at this.
"You have a certain affinity for being a little too smug, you know that?"
Astrid laughed. "How did you deduce this sister. You’ve known me for a while, too little."
"You’re definitely a scoundrel; I can feel it."
"Wow," Astrid laughed again, harder.
The silence felt soothing now. Both sisters smiled to themselves.
"I’m happy you’re back."
"So am I."
