Free Web NovelChapter 85: Chapter 85
Astrid’s shoulder fell. "Oh, Hera, what have you gotten yourself into?"
Hera continued to bawl her eyes out. Snot dripped down her nose, and her shoulders quivered. "What am I going to do?"
Astrid sat on the floor and covered her face with her hands. The air felt heavy, and the girls grew mute.
"Maybe I could talk to him? Tell him the truth?" Astrid suggested quietly.
"And let the whole kingdom know that your sister is having a child out of wedlock?"
"What other choice is there?’ Selene asked. In front of her, Hera pressed her palm against her eyes and whimpered. Astrid shifted towards her and moved her hands away from her face, then began to wipe her tears. frёewebnoѵēl.com
"We’ll think of something, Hera, it’s alright," Astrid said. "It’s alright." She felt her heart weigh heavily in her chest and her throat tighten. "We’ll think of something." Astrid said again and held her face up, so she could look at her, "Who’s the father?"
Hera slowly gulped. "His name is Nikolas Aetos," she said slowly. "Son to one of the senators."
Astrid pinched the bridge of her nose and leaned back. "Why did you have to complicate things so much, Hera? Why?" Astrid looked at her and shook her. "Have you told him about the pregnancy? What was his response?"
Iris sighed heavily beside them. "Don’t even get us started. The imbecile denied the whole thing, then asked her to remove the child so that they could be together properly and marry later or something of that sort. It was awful."
Astrid breathed deeply, "The man is a scoundrel for the way he treated you, no doubt, so there’s no reason to keep this baby. Getting rid of it and everything is solved." Astrid cupped her face and looked at her lovingly. "Don’t you think so?"
Hera darted her eyes away from Astrid and donned a sad look on her face. "I want to keep it." It felt like a bomb had dropped in the room.
Astrid scowled at her, "Why?" Her voice was low and menacing.
"I... I... I’ve begun to love it, Astrid. I don’t think I could bring myself to kill it."
"You’ve gone crazy," Astrid wheezed and threw her hands up. "You really have."
Iris grimaced and grabbed Hera by the arm. "Hera, be serious for once. Do you have any idea what being a mother entails? Worst of all, you don’t even have the father’s support. What is wrong with you?"
The girls chided Hera and argued for a while before Astrid held up a hand. "Enough," she said. "Hera is adamant on keeping this baby. I truly hope you’re ready for the consequences that come with keeping this child, Hera. However, I shall try to talk to Adonis."
Adonis knocked on his father’s door gently. "Father, it’s Adonis," he announced.
"Come in."
He pried open the door gently, entered, and bowed. "Father." His father lay on the bed half asleep.
"Why have you come?" he slurred.
"I apologize for interrupting your nap, Father, but I must tell you something of great importance."
"Get on with it, Adonis, I don’t have all day."
"There is someone I wish to marry, Father."
His father’s eyes shot open, and he sat up. "Repeat those words."
"I said that there is a girl I wish to marry. "
His father got up from the bed and went to him. He patted Adonis on the back and let out a hearty laugh.
Adonis returned the expression with a tight smile. "So, what do you think?"
"First things first, my boy, you must tell me all about this mystery lady. Her likes and dislikes, where she’s from."
Adonis chuckled. "The only thing I can say right now is that she’s simply one of a kind. I have never seen a woman like her."
His father grinned and slapped him on his shoulder. "Well, if she’s all these good things, I can’t wait to eventually meet her."
"Of course, father." Adonis released himself from his father’s grasp and bowed. "I must take my leave now."
As he stepped out of his father’s room, he saw Astrid charging toward him, and his insides tingled; he had almost smiled.
"Adonis, have you lost your mind?"
"No?" He replied. "Hello to you too."
"Then why would you ask Hera to marry you?"
Adonis let out an exasperated sigh. "You seem to have forgotten that they had come for me, might I remind you?" He began walking back to his room, and Astrid rushed to block his path.
"But why her?
"Well, for one, she’s authentically herself. Kind, loving, and a good person overall."
Astrid breathed slowly, tears almost forming in her eyes. "You can’t marry her, Adonis."
He gave her a strange look. "And why is that?"
"You just can’t... You have women of all shapes and sizes lined up for your pleasure; pick from them."
"Unfortunately," he sighed and rolled his eyes, "I cannot grant your request even if I wanted to. I have told my father, the king, of my wish to marry Hera. The announcements will be made soon.
"What?!"
"You heard me." He said and folded his arms. "I’ve told my father already, so there’s nothing I can do about it."
Astrid gritted her teeth and grunted loudly. "This can’t be happening," she muttered to herself. "Why would you even rush something so delicate!" She cried. ƒгeewebnovёl.com
"I really don’t know what you want me to say. I chose a girl I had grown fond of, who had entered a competition to marry me. Suddenly, it has somehow turned into a problem."
Astrid’s blood boiled in frustration. She ran her hands through her hair, held her waist, dropped her hands limply to her side, before she began to pace in circles.
"How do you find this outrageous?" Adonis loved the way she squirmed in discomfort. At least she would feel a little of what he’d felt. "All of this is absolutely normal. Unless there’s something else you’re hiding from me, which you do not want me to know about." Adonis could not help but grin inwardly at how panicked she’d become.
Astrid took a deep, long breath. "Look, why don’t you put a pause on the announcement? Hera is unsure she wants to marry you "
"That’s sad, "Adonis replied. "But it could always be remedied. After the announcement, we would conduct the wedding a little later. We’ll get to know each other better"
"That’s not what I meant," Astrid replied, then cursed under her breath.
"Astrid," Adonis said slowly and furrowed his brows, "with the way you’ve been so adamantly against my marriage, one would think you wanted me to yourself." Adonis had tried not to look at her face when he’d said the last part, but he could see the wheels had started to turn in her head.
Astrid bit her lower lip as her heart thumped loudly in her chest. Every hair on her body stood on alert. She knew what she was about to do was absurd, yet...
"Marry me, Adonis," Astrid said.
The silence that ensued was palpable. They stared at each other for a few minutes, neither able to move on.
"What?!"
Astrid closed her eyes for a few seconds, breathed in deeply, and pressed on. "You heard me the first time Adonis."
,
"I didn’t," he replied abruptly, his face was unsmiling and stunned. A real performer. He’d heard it; however, he wanted to hear it again.
Every bone in his body sang with joy; he was fighting hard not to scream happily into the air. He’d thought this would take a while, but it seemed they were much more desperate than he’d imagined.
Astrid swallowed hard, "I said, I would like you to marry me."
Adonis raised an eyebrow and frowned deeply. "Do you realize what you’re asking me? I just proposed to your sister. How do you think she would look at the two of us when she finds out she’s been backstabbed?"
"She wouldn’t see it that way. I promise," Astrid began to plead.
"And why are you suddenly asking to marry me? You’re in love with Augustus."
A piece of her heart broke away when she remembered him. But she couldn’t do much about it; she had to save her sister.
"There comes a time when a person such as myself has to focus on realities."
Adonis sighed and studied her face for a bit. "I’ll think about it," he said finally.
Astrid’s lips broke into a half smile. "Thank you," she said and bowed.
"However," his voice turned cold. " If I find out that there is another reason as to why you do not want me to marry your sister, I shall have both your heads for the deceit, " he whispered.
"Absolutely... my prince. " Astrid’s voice cracked.
"If you would excuse me," he said and went into his room.
Adonis’s smile grew wider with every step he took until he reached his room and closed the door behind him.
He fell flat on the bed and stared at the ceiling, smiling. Everything had gone much faster than he’d anticipated, but it had gone his way. Now, it was time to seal the deal.
