Free Web NovelChapter 62: Chapter 62
Hera stared at Theo. She must have heard wrong. She was hallucinating. She attempted to smile, but it faltered. "My lord, I don’t think I heard you correctly, you said..."
Theo smiled. "I said I like you a lot, Hera, but I will not insert myself into your life because you already have someone you like, who also seems to like you back. So, I simply wish to confess how I feel and be done with it.
Hera felt herself blink a billion times in that moment. "Forgive me, my lord."
"You did nothing wrong, Hera. There’s nothing you need to be forgiven for."
Silence filled the air between them. Hera looked anywhere but at Theo. She’d never been confessed to in this manner, worse still, when the man already knows her heart has been captured by another.
"There are many other places like this one, you know. People just don’t find them as often. There’s a waterfall somewhere a little farther from here, but I can’t take you there right now. It’ll be too late before we come back."
"How do you know all of these places?" Hera asked, her discomfort slightly vanishing.
"Well, I’ve lived here my whole life, haven’t I?" He smiled.
"Hera chuckled. "Sorry for asking the obvious."
"OH, no. You did well to ask. Not many people know of these places. And, even if they did, they don’t go as often because they don’t have the time to waste away in the water."
A deer sauntered out of the bushes to have a drink of water. Hera stared in awe, her mouth slightly agape. It was a lovely sight to behold.
"They’re everywhere in these areas; antelopes, foxes, monkeys– but that is only when you do deeper into those woods, which I would not advance. It’s not a very sad place for women."
Hera turned her gaze back to him. "You’ve really been in there? What did you see?" She asked in awe.
"Many beautiful things," he said, "And many dangerous things as well."
"What kind of dangerous things did you see?"
"You have a lot of questions."
Hera laughed awkwardly. "I’m sorry, I can’t help it. This place just looks so beautiful."
"I know, maybe we can visit a few places next time. But I think for now, we have to get back." He said and maneuvered the boat back.
He got off the boat first, then extended a hand towards her, and they went back to the horse.
The ride back was quiet, but not painful. Their time together at the ever had smoothened some lines she didn’t know were there.
They arrived at the palace faster than she’d anticipated. She didn’t want to admit it, but she’d like the time she’d spent with him. The tranquillity, everything that he showed her.
"Thank you for today," Hera said, looking up at him after she’d come down from the horse. "It was truly lovely, I hope I can see it again one day."
"Of course you will, "he said and smiled at her. "Just tell me when." Then he rode off.
She stood outside the gate looking at him ride away until she could no longer see him or his horse. Then she went in.
Hera entered the palace. She saw Ophelia and the girls as she was heading into the palace, but didn’t stop to talk.
"Hera," Ophelia called, "Hera! Stop."
Hera was at the door, but she stopped and turned. "What?! What is it?"
"Have you been avoiding us?"
"Avoiding you? I haven’t had the time to avoid you three, so you don’t need to bother about anything."
"Why are you acting so childish? " Andromeda chimed.
Hera scoffed, "Did you just say childish?"
"Yes, I did. I know you think you’re justified in your anger, but then..."
"Are you listening to anything you’re saying? Justified in my anger? You say it like you did something so trivial it isn’t worth your time. I thought you three were my friends, and when it came to it, you followed everyone else to laugh at me. I became the butt of the joke, and none of you spoke up for me. And you know why? Because you think about me just like they do."
Hera looked at them one last time and stumped inside, up the stairs, and into her room. She fell into her pillow and cried as hard as she could.
The afternoon sky darkened into nightfall before Iris and Penelope. They laughed and giggled as they walked up the stairs.
Iris knocked on Hera’s door just to make sure she’d come back safely.
Hera could hear them talking loudly in front of her door.
"Do you need to check on her time? She’s a big girl, she’s grown. And the way things are going, she could get married any time now." Penelope said.
"Pen, please shut up. I check on her because I want to; I would do the same for you as well, so quit whining."
Hera could feel Penelope roll her eyes.
"Whatever you say," Penelope said and shrugged.
Hera climbed down from her bed and opened the door. "You two seemed like you had a good time."
"And I’m sure you also had fun with Niko as well, seeing how you were all over him," Penelope said.
Iris nudged her and cleared her throat. "Forget her. How were things with Niko? Did you meet any member of his family?"
"I don’t really want to talk about my time there, he just so..."
"Annoying? insecure? Coward." Penelope smiled. ƒгeeweɓn૦vel.com
"Can you stop trying to irritate me, Princess Penelope? Because I’ll tell you now, it’s working."
"Forget her, tell me what happened," Iris urged.
Hera sighed. "I just don’t understand what the matter is with him sometimes. He likes to create issues out of nothing and then makes it seem like it’s my fault when it isn’t. It’s so frustrating."
"So, what was it he took an issue with?"
"We were talking about the competition, which he brought up first, mind you, and asked me about Theo. I told him not to worry about the whole thing anymore, that just because he wasn’t good at fighting doesn’t mean he isn’t good at something else. Everyone has their strengths and weaknesses. And he got angry, said I undermined him or something."
"Hmm," Iris replied.
Penelope laughed. "I’ll warn you again before it’s too late. Niko is not the man you want to get entangled with. You will regret it, and when that time comes, I’ll laugh in your face and tell you, I told you so."
