Hera returned late to the palace to et Iris’s questioning gaze.
"Where have you been?!" Here, the voice was ice cold. "Do you even know what the ti is?"
"I told you that there was a chance I could leave the palace for a while," Iris said with a sigh.
"Do you even hear yourself? It’s almost past midnight."
"I’m here now, aren’t I?"
Iris pinched the bridge of her nose, trying hard not to lose her temper. "You seem to think everything’s as simple as it looks, princess. This is not Epirus, where everyone might love you and hope the best for you. We are on foreign soil, and so people wish nothing but evil for you."
Hera plopped down on the bed, removing her shoes, then slowly turned to face Iris.
"I understand all the risks, Iris, and I have done everything you’ve asked of till this mont," Hera said, her voice weak. "But even if for today, I wanted to do want i wanted, what I felt like doing. "
Iris closed her eyes and ran a hand against her forehead. "I know," she sighed. "I’m sorry, I was just worried and overreacted. Forgive ."
Hera offered her a little smile.
"But seriously though." Iris’s voice was laced with concern. "What is wrong? Are you feeling ok?"
Tears began to form in Hera’s eyes. "I don’t know if it’s because I miss my sister, but it just feels like there’s a large knot in my heart. Hera said. "I can’t seem to shake off the feeling that sothing is terribly wrong."
Iris took her into her arms. "It’s alright," she whispered. "Whatever happens, I’m positive that Astrid will co back to you in one piece. You might not know this about your sister, but she keeps her promises; she always does." Iris tried to comfort her.
"I just..." Hera’s voice hitched as the tears began to fall.
"It’s alright, Hera, it’s alright."
Hera pulled away from her arms and nodded slightly.
"Why don’t you try to get so sleep. It’ll be good for you," Iris suggested.
"Thank you," Hera said.
She retired for the night a while later and woke up only when Iris had pulled open her blinds to announce that it was morning.
"Already?" Hera asked.
Iris chuckled. "You were literally sleeping like a log when I walked in. I don’t even think you stirred awake at any mont last night."
Hera groaned and sat up to stretch.
"Hurry and freshen up, I have a lot of things on my mind I would like us to do."
Hera groaned again.
"Co on, get up. Quickly."
Hera freshened up, and they went down to eat breakfast.
Iris nodded slightly towards Hera as they were about to enter their separate halls when Hera stopped her in her tracks.
"Wait, Iris," Hera called. "Why don’t you join today?"
"Hera..."
"Only for today," Hera pleaded, "I promise. Plus, I want you to et my friends. They’re quite lovely."
Iris stared at her for a while and sighed in defeat. "Fine. But only for today," she said. "One nasty princess is already more than I can handle," she muttered.
"What?"
"Nothing. Let’s go."
Penelope was seated at the head of the table when they walked in. It took every ounce of self-restraint in Iris to stop herself from cursing.
"I see you two decided to join us." She said loudly, announcing their presence to the entire room.
Iris rolled her eyes and pulled Hera with her so that they sat far away from her.
"Please, serve them so food, they’ll need it," she said.
Androda and Ophelia sent Hera questioning glances, to which she shrugged.
The other princesses stayed quiet. Their discomfort clearly visible.
Hera and Iris were just served their als before Penelope began her barrage of questioning.
"Girls," she said loudly, addressing the entire room. "What have you all been up to?"
No one answered.
"I’m so sorry." Her voice dripped with fake sweetness. "So of you might already know who I am, but I would like to reintroduce myself. I am Princess Penelope. Second daughter to the king of Erindros and the great empire of Aurelia, and I would love to make your acquaintance."
A few of the girls bowed slightly.
"I understand the misfortune that is my brother, and all the hardships he must have put you through. So, till he returns, I will be here to keep you company."
Penelope looked around the room, studying the girls one by one until her gaze landed on Hera.
"Hera," Penelope said, "that is your na, is it not?"
"Yes, your majesty," Hera replied. Nothing good was going to co out of this interaction, Hera thought.
"Tell , what have you been up to lately, since my brother left us?"
"Nothing much, your majesty." Hera’s tone was levelled. She rembered her apology back at the arena. It obviously ant nothing.
"Ohh..." Her smile was sinister. "Is that so?"
Hera did not bother to reply. She could feel the anger surge inside Iris. She held her hand tightly and hoped whatever this was would end as quickly as possible.
"I thought it was you I had seen with Niko," she chirped. "You see, he’s a good friend of mine, and I would be delighted to know any other friends of his."
"Yes, your majesty. I made his acquaintance at the banquet," Hera replied. "He seed like a good man."
"Only his acquaintance?" Penelope asked mockingly. "That wasn’t what I saw when he held you closely at the Sun Arena, though. I thought you two were more than close." She was smiling now.
Hera could see multiple pairs of eyes widen around her.
"And to think my brother might have liked you, princess, " she said. "You could at least have waited for the competition to be over before you sank your teeth elsewhere."
The silence in the room was deafening. Hera could see the train of thought that passed through the minds of most of the girls. They hadn’t liked her before. Lilith’s death had put a temporary cap on their jealousy, but she was still a rival. A rival who did not value her place.
"I wonder, " Iris said suddenly. "Why would you think such a thing, princess? Do you wish to compromise her standing in this competition, or are you simply jealous of the friendship between my princess and this friend of yours?"
"What?!"
"I an," Iris continued, " if I rember correctly, lord Nikolas did not seem entirely at ease with your presence at the training arena."
There were a few audible gasps in the room.
"How dare you?"
"I dare, your majesty," Iris sneered. "You seed comfortable enough besmirching poor princess Hera over here. I needed to set the facts straight."
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