"Hera, I’m sorry, I didn’t an for..."
"I said I would like to go ho." Hera straightened her dress and glared at him, tears threatening to fall from her eyes.
"Please, Hera, forgive . If I had known... If you had told ..." Niko tried to touch her, but she slapped his hands away and shoved him hard.
"Told you I was a virgin?!" Hera’s voice rose. "Which respectable girl announces her sexual status?!"
"For heaven’s sake, Hera, you know that’s not what I’m trying to get at?" He raked his hand through his head. "We’ve been so close already, you didn’t think this was going to happen sooner or later? I saw the way you looked at earlier. I know you wanted as much as I wanted you."
"Does that an I couldn’t change my mind?" Hera scoffed. The tears poured down her face. "Does that an I wanted to go all the way? Even when I asked you to stop, you didn’t."
"For heaven’s sake, Hera, at what point do we talk about how far we need to go? While we’re actively being intimate with each other? If you wanted when we began, you’d definitely still want while we’re doing the deed."
"Please..." Hera sobbed. "I just want to go ho."
Niko grunted angrily. "Hera, I’m sorry ok. I’ll take you ho. Please, calm down."
Hera slid to the floor and curled up tightly.
Niko sighed and left her to finish up in the kitchen. He whipped up the food and dished it on the table in the kitchen.
Then he went back to Hera, stood a few feet away, and then knelt before her. "I’m sorry, Hera. I didn’t know I would hurt you. I promise it won’t ever be like this again," he begged. "Please, co and have a bite before I send you ho."
Hera raised her head slightly to look at him. His eyes, they looked sad, and his jaw was set tightly. It hadn’t entirely been his fault. She should have told him she was a virgin.
She sighed and nodded. They sat at opposite ends of the table.
"Wow," she said, "you made all of this?" Her voice was sore from crying, and she was sniffling.
"I told you I could cook," he said proudly.
"I hope it tastes as good as it looks," she chuckled.
"Sure, sure, go ahead."
She took one bite of the food, then another, and moaned. "Wow. It tastes really good."
Niko laughed. "I told you it would."
After they had cleared the table, he brought forth the carriage and called for her to co out before they headed back into town.
He helped her down the carriage and into the palace when they reached.
"I know today wasn’t everything you imagined," Niko said, his voice quiet with remorse. "But I promise you, I’ll make it better. I’ll try to be better for you every day."
Hera smiled. "I understand, Niko. Hopefully, next ti, things will go well. I an... If there even is a next ti."
Niko chuckled and left.
As she walked up to her room, she saw Iris at the top of the stairs.
"Where have you been all day?"
Hera sighed and kept walking. "You sound like a broken record, Iris. Give it a rest."
"No matter what you say, no matter how much you want to deflect from answering, I would like to know where today," Iris said.
Hera reached her room and tried to slam the door behind her, but Iris held it.
"Please, tell you haven’t been with that useless man, Hera," Iris begged. "He isn’t good for you, and you know it."
"No, I don’t," Hera retorted loudly. "In fact, I think he’s the most wonderful person you’d ever et. Plus, he cares deeply for ."
"By the gods," Iris muttered. "Please listen to yourself for a second."
"Look, Iris, thank you for worrying about , but I’m fine. I know what I’m doing. Niko and I share a deep bond, and I care for him as well."
Iris ruffled her hair violently. "How did I let this go on for so long?" she mused. "How could I have let this happen?" A few tears slipped down her face.
"You’ll regret this here," Iris said in a low tone. "And you’ll tell I was right all along."
Iris walked out of the room and slamd the door shut.
Hera fell onto the bed. She couldn’t help but feel a pang of guilt and doubt. She was putting her future at risk, her sister, her father, and mother, the people of Epirus, on the line for a man who hadn’t really promised her any future.
What if she were, in fact, chosen by the prince? What would she do next? Leave him? Have an affair?
It all made her sicken with worry. Plus, she’d been so cruel to Iris lately. She tossed and turned in her bed. She wouldn’t think too much about it any longer.
She changed, got into bed, and slept the rest of the day.
A knock woke her up.
"My lady, dinner is ready," a servant said from outside the room.
"I’ll be right there, thank you."
She put on her evening gown and went down to the dining hall. She sat beside Ophelia and Androda.
"So, you’re really delving into uncharted territories," Androda said quietly.
"What?"
"What she ans to say is..." Ophelia chid, "We see you with lord Nikolas a lot these days. Have you finally given up on the competition?"
Hera lowered her head and picked at her food.
"You haven’t..." Ophelia said slowly.
"I don’t know if you’ve gone mad or you’ve always been mad," Hope muttered.
"You still want to participate in the competition while entertaining another man?" Ophelia asked. "Do you understand the severity of the consequences if the king finds out? You’ve not been thinking straight, have you?"
"I know," Hera started quietly. "I know you all might think selfish, but I love them both. My people and Niko. I don’t know who to leave behind and who to carry along with ."
"You’d really risk your family and people for this man?" Androda chuckled. "I’d be first in line when this love of yours cos crashing down."
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