Episode 3

Persephone

"Persey!" Eos threw his arms around me as soon as he saw me by the old termite infested door. He smelt like smoke and vinegar and I resisted the urge to cough as the smell of the smoke was stronger. I ignored it and patted his bare back.

He released me and gave me a radiant smile. His brown eyes glowed with happiness as he gazed at me. He must've thought I'd gotten the money. How was I going to break it to him that I couldn't even get a coin today?

"Come Persey. I made some soup." He said. His voice had a melody to it today and it made me feel even guiltier.

"Come Persey." He said pulling me inside the hut. Unlike the rest of the villagers in Avalor,we lived in a mud hut. When father died,everything was taken from us. Our home,our farms,our food...our name. Father used to be a Merchant too. Merchant Aeschylus. Few months after mother died,he took ill. Physicians said it was a mysterious disease that could not be cured. I was but a child then. A few months older than seven. Eos was only a month old. I believed he would get better eventually. I would get herbs like mother taught me to and make tonics from it for father. He lasted for two months before his health failed. He passed on and when he did, the King at that time, King Ajax confiscated his properties. All of them. Disregarding myself and Eos,he stole everything that belonged to us. Why he had hated father so much was still unknown to me.

My eyes landed on a small brown sack at the right corner of the hut. A black tunic stuck out of it and a few paint brushes.

"Already packing?" That which was meant to be a thought turned out to be said out loud as Eos chuckled from the other side.

"You sound like I have a lot to pack Persey."he said. Although, it was meany to be funny,I did not find it in the least funny. He was right. He only had two pairs of torn pants and a black tunic...which was inside the sack. If only I could earn some more...but I could not. Guilt gnawed at me and it quenched my hunger. I would have to find a way to get some money for Eos. I looked out through the small window. Dusk. I sighed. There was a curfew today. Stupid son of Ajax. Why did today have to be the showcase?

" Persey...you did not attend the showcase? "Eos asked out of the blue and I suddenly noticed he was beside me,drinking a bowl of soup. When did he get there? He had even lit the candles.

I looked at him through the dim light and arced a brow.

" Why would I go Eos? Why?"I asked.

"You are aging Persey. Will you not marry?" He said with a smirk on his face.

"Eosss..." I dragged. "I'm just twenty two." I added.

"You do match all the criteria the dowager queen requested. Daughter of a noble..."

"Dead noble." I interrupted.

Eos shrugged and continued.

"Fair skinned. Educated..."

"I did not finish at the Academy,Eos."

"Even so...you would still beat them all when it comes to intellect." Eos countered.

I felt red creep in my cheeks. Eos said the nicest things.

He took a sip from the bowl and swallowed loudly to irritate the guts out of me.

I brushed his hair wildly with my hands and he burst into laughter.

"Seriously Persey...you would make a fine Queen." Eos said amidst laughter.

The smile on my face dropped along with my hands.

"I would rather die than be a courtesan to that son of Ajax." I said with conviction.

Eos sighed beside me.

"But he's a good man Persey. He is nothing like his father."

I turned,bewildered.

"Now how can you be sure of that?" I asked.

"I...I...I..." Eos stuttered.

"What is it Eos? Spit it out." I said.

"I...I talked to him today."

I gasped. "Did he come here? How does he know where we stay?" I asked and gasped again. I placed my hands on his shoulder and looked at his face more closely.

"Did he hurt you anywhere? Did Ajax send him here?" I asked as I felt tears rush my eyes. I would die if anything happened to my Eos. I would die. He was all I lived for.

"No Persey. I...stepped out today." He said and looked at me with fear in his big brown eyes.

"You what?!" I shouted. I stood immediately and pulled him up with me. "What did I tell you about leaving this hut Eos? What did I tell you?!" I screamed at him.

His eyes grew watery as he quivered under my hold.

"I am sorry Persey. I just wanted to see Adrienne. He promised to give me some things for the Academy. I did not mean to disobey you Persey. I swear."

He said,holding his gullet.

I calmed down on hearing Adrienne's name. He was Sir Thoth's eldest son. He was the closest man I had in my life and I loved him very much. He worked as a Knight in the castle and it was only logical that Eos bumped into the King.

"You went to the castle then?" I asked him,wiping the tears from his face.

"Yes but Adrienne was not there at that time. He had gone to the Assarian river with the King so I went down there to meet him." He hiccupped.

I softened my gaze.

"You went that far?" I whispered as I cupped his cheeks in my hands.

"Yes Persey. I want to study ahead Persey. I know you can not afford the books. They are much too expensive so I decided not to be a bother to you Persey. " he said with a very light tone.

I felt tears roll down my cheek while he spoke. I kissed his forehead and embraced him tightly.

"Oh Eos,you are no bother." I cried. He withdrew from me and cleaned my face with the back of his palm.

"Do not cry Persey. You have shed enough tears that I am beginning to wonder how much more you have left."

A smile found its way to my lips and laughter escaped from it when I sniffed.

"Did Adrienne give them?"

"Yes Persey. They are underneath the sack."

I sniffed again and nodded.

"Alright then. I will go thank Adrienne. Do not stay up late,alright?"

★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★

"Sir Adrienne! "I waved as I noticed Adrienne riding towards me.

He stopped by me and removed his helmet. He looked so manly in his armor and strong too.

" Persephone. "He smiled and I loved the way he pronounced my name. He managed to make it seem like the most beautiful thing there is in the world. Unlike the others that saw my name a curse.

He stabled the horse and mounted off it. I stared into his dreamy grey eyes. I always seemed to get lost in them. In them I found the love and affection I craved.

He took my palm in his and kissed it. Every time he did that,I had a very disturbing feeling in my stomach and chest and I would often myself blushing. He was the only man that had touched me. Not in an unacceptable way though. He had never forced me to do anything I did not want to. He knew when I was uncomfortable with something without me even saying it.

We never shared a kiss to the lips before but the love we felt for each other knew no bounds.

" Permission to walk you,m'lady?" He curtsied with the smile that always swept me off my feet. I laughed and he walked me down the road to my home. It was dark but the stars provided enough luminosity for us to see the path clearly.

It was a beautiful sight. The stars looked like fireflies only that the burned brighter against the glowing black satin behind layers and layers of

calm clouds above my head. I shifted my glance and I found Adrienne smiling at me.

"You are very beautiful,Persephone." He said.

I was thankful that under the light,Adrienne could not see the red in my cheeks.

"Thank you S-Adrienne."

"I am glad you are finally taking to corrections." He laughed.

He was referring to myself calling him 'Sir'. It had taken a while to get used to.

"Adrienne,Eos told me. Thank you Adrienne."I said. He caressed my hand. "It was nothing. I will do right about anything for you."

I looked away from him and smiled. He was indeed very wonderful.

"Persephone,were you able to get the money for Eos's fee?"

My heart jumped but not the good kind of jumped. In the fleeting moment,I had forgotten about it.

Sadness crawled back in and I sighed.

"No S-Adrienne. The showcase got in the way." I said sadly.

Adrienne stopped walking and held both my arms. "Allow me to help you Persephone. Allow me. Please?" He pleaded. His eyes shone under the moonlight and I could see worry etched on his forehead.

"No Adrienne. I told you before. I can not accept your help. You have done quite a lot of favours for myself and Eos. I can not take anymore of them."

"But Persephone, I am not doing you favours..."

"What is it then? Charity?" I interrupted and I noticed pain flash in his eyes when I spoke.

"Sorry Adrienne. I'm just really sad that I couldn't help Eos. I could not fulfil my promise to take him to the Academy. I can't take your help any further. I don't want to feel indebted to you anymore. Eos is my responsibility. Mine alone." I said and I felt my eyes sting.

"Alright Persephone. You do not want to feel indebted to me,right? Is that it?" Adrienne asked with so much affection it overwhelmed me. I nodded.

"If you will accept then Eos will be both our responsibility. That way,you will not be indebted to me anymore. "

I frowned. "By that you mean..."

"Marry me Persephone."

I could not have heard right.

"Marry you Adrienne?" I asked to be sure.

"Yes. We love each other. I will take care of you. We three will live together in a house,not too big neither too small. Just the perfect size for us and our children,far away from the critics,far away from their stares and gossips. I will work for us. Eos will go to the Academy and I will fund him through his years there. I will love him like my own. Just say yes Persephone. Please say yes and make me the happiest man in Avalor."

Tears formed in my eyes. Truthfully, I couldn't ask for more. I was not a woman of many dreams. All I wanted in my life was what Adrienne just put before me. How could I possibly say no? How?

I nodded until I was able to put air in my lungs and say, "Yes Adrienne. I will certainly marry you."

Adrienne laughed and pulled me into his arms before swirling me around until the world around me spun madly.

I closed my eyes and laughed. "Put me down Adrienne. My head is spinning."

He obeyed and dropped me gently.

"I can not wait to tell Father. He will be the happiest. He adores you so." Adrienne said.

"And your mother?" I asked.

"Her biased opinion makes no difference to me Persephone and you know that." He said.

"Adrienne... Would you let me fulfil this last promise to Eos? Let me work tomorrow. I will find a way. Trust me Adrienne. Just this one time. If it doesn't work out, I'll leave it up to you. Please?"

His eyes roamed about a bit and I saw that he was not very comfortable with the request.

I took his hand in mine. "Please Adrienne. Just once. Allow me to do this on my own...and if I can not,I will surely take your help." I said.

Adrienne nodded slowly and sadly. I knew it was too much to ask but it was important for me. It was my Eos after all.

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