Episode 14

Persephone

I glared at her. A deal? Over my brother? Over Eos? I would most certainly murder her if she said another word about my Eos.

I twisted the door knob and opened it.

"Where are you storming off to?" I glared at her again. "To find my brother and I swear that if I do not find him, you'll hate me."

With that,I stormed out of my chamber. I had no idea where Eos could be but Teris would.

I ran along the hallway as I located Teris' room and I opened it.

"Teris,where is..." I stopped dead in my tracks.

I looked from Teris' shocked face to Queen Elpida's face that held an irritated glare. Queen Elpida did not bother to cover her naked self. Instead she pressed her dangling breasts to Teris who was still frozen and kissed him. Even if his waist to his thighs were covered,I could still see his erection from the blue covers. Nausea gripped me and it took all of my might not to throw up.

"Get out."Queen Elpida said and only then did I notice that I was still holding the door knob.

" Persephone... Wait...I can..." I slammed the door and carried on with my search. I did not care how many women he slept with. I would never care because he meant nothing to me.

I kept opening doors,I had lost count of how many I had opened. Now I was on the middle floor of the palace. I headed for the King's room. He seemed like a nice person,perhaps,he could help me talk to his insane wife.

On getting to the door,I stretched my hand forth to knock but someone grabbed my arm and squeezed it behind my back and placed a hand on my mouth to prevent me from screaming.

"You do not want to do that. I will kill him if you make so much noise."

My blood boiled. I bit her hand and winced,letting me go. I grabbed her hair and glared.

"Where have you hidden him?! Tell me! " I screamed.

"Let me go,you peasant! Help me! Someone. She wants to kill me! Help! Someone! Teris! Dameon!" She screamed, making me confused. She did not want me to open the King's door so I would not wake him and now,she was screaming? What was she up to? I let her go slowly and she ran her fingers through her hair to arrange it.

When she was done,she smiled at me with an evil glint in her eye. She moved backwards,confusing me even further. She stopped she was at the edge of the staircases. What was she doing?

"Let me go! Dameon! Help! Someone! She has gone crazy! Help me!" She started screaming again and for a second, fear gripped me. Was she perhaps...mentally unstable? Was she ill?

"Hera..."

She took a stepped backwards and slipped from the staircase. She screamed as she rolled down.

"Hera!" I screamed as I stretched my hand forth as if to help her but it was hopeless. She rolled down rather quickly and I feared that if I ran down there to help,I would fall and that height would definitely cost me my child's life.

"Mother!" I looked downwards to see Prince Dameon running towards the flight of stairs and up it. I felt some relief at least someone could help. "Mother!" Teris ran out too.

The door behind me creaked and the King came out. His green eyes landed on mine and he observed me for a moment.

"What is happening? Why is there so much noise? Then his eyes went down the stairs. If he saw how Hera looked, he didn't show it for his face remained a cool mask of calm.

" Mother!"Prince Dameon shouted as he caught her before she rolled any further. He carried her in his arms down the stairs and placed her on the chair.

"Teris! Call the physician immediately!" He shouted.

"That is rather impossible at the moment. It is quite late and our messengers have returned to their homes." Teris replied.

By now,all the maids and consorts had gathered around her. Queen Elpis also ran toward them. I walked down carefully as I wanted to see how bad a state she was in. Perhaps, I could help.

"Dameon..." She called out weakly.

"Mother...thank goodness. Mother what happened? How did you fall?"

"S-she...she..."

"Who mother?" Dameon asked.

"She...she...pushed me..." She trailed off.

Everyone suddenly turned to look at me. Was she referring to me? Why?

"You wench!" Queen Elpida screamed and charged towards me. Teris caught her arm and stopped her.

"Lay one finger on her and you will be resting in your father's house before the end of tomorrow." He threatened. Every one gasped and she walked back to where she was standing after giving me a death glare.

"Why did you push her?!" Dameon shouted breaking my concentration. He left his mother's side and walked towards me with anger in his blazing green eyes.

"I did not. She slipped and fell. I did not push her." I said.

"Stop lying! Why would she say you did if you did not?! Mother does not lie!" Dameon shouted and I gasped slightly.

"Ask her again...maybe she is not feeling well...I did not..."

"Quiet,you peasant!"

"Lower your tone Dameon." Teris said calmly.

"She pushed mother! Do you not love mother? Mother was right! She has you wrapped around her fingers and is making you dance to her music!"

"You will not speak to me in that manner Dameon."

"I am your older brother!"

"I am your king!"

"Regardless,you can not save her now. She has committed a crime."

" I did not push her." I cried.

" Why then are you up by this time? You have no reason to be out by this time. Plus mother screamed for help and you happen to be standing where she fell from. Is it all a coincidence?"Dameon arced a very angry brow.

"She...she came to me. She said she had my brother. I came out here to look for him. Said she would hurt him if I woke the King. We struggled for a while but I..."

"Persey?" I gasped.

"Eos!" I screamed and ran to him. He itched his sleepy eyes with the back of his hand.

"Where did she keep you? Did she hurt you? Are you okay?" I kissed both his cheeks.

"Who...what are you talking about Persey?" Eos said,confusion growing in his brown eyes.

"Hera...she took you..."

"Persey,I was in the guest room. Teris took me there while you were asleep. I was not taken anywhere by anyone. What is the matter?" He asked.

"Liar!" Dameon shouted and I sucked in breath. What was happening?

"You pushed her down. You intended to kill her. Why? Was she bothering you too much about the bastard in your belly?" Queen Elpida said and my blood boiled again.

I stood slowly,trying to comprehend what was happening to me.

"Or could it because she was correct about you being a whore?" She added. I looked up at everyone as they had begun whispering. It was like before. They looked at me with hate. Scorn. I did not want to be here.

"You find a way to sneak into peoples' life's and ruin it. "

"Dameon...Teri..."

"Mother!" A young girl shouted and Prince Dameon ran to her.

"She's unconsciousness,Dammy. " The little girl said.

"Help me Layna. Let me take her to her chamber."

He lifted her in his arms carefully and made his way upstairs. He paused when he was beside me. "You will suffer for this,peasant. Just wait and see. Teris won't save you from my wrath this time." He said with his jaw clenched and walked away.

"Go back to your chambers. Everyone." Teris said coolly.

Slowly,they all dispersed,leaving myself,Teris,Queen Elpida and Eos on the ground floor.

"I trust you will handle everything Teris?" The King said from where he stood on the middle floor.

"Yes Father. Please go to bed."

"Eos,go back to bed. You will be going to the Academy tomorrow. Get some rest hmm." I said and kissed him goodnight.

I watched him walk until he was out of sight.

"You're such a liar. How could you come up with such words so quickly? Have you no shame? You had to take your brother's name..."

"Stop it Elpida. Just stop it." I said,trying to control myself and the urge I felt to strangle her.

"Why? Does it hurt so much to--"

"Stop it!" I screamed and for some reason,she gasped and I could smell the fear in the air. I could hear her heartbeat increase. Her fear excited me. It made me want to hurt her...like she was my prey.

"What..."

"Go back to the bedroom right now!" Teris screamed at her and she scrammed away.

He walked towards me as if calculating his steps carefully. He stopped when we were a few inches apart. His hands grabbed both my arms not roughly but in a gentle manner.

"Breathe Persephone. Breathe."

Only then did I notice my breath was ragged. My eyes stung. I sniffed.

"I did not do it. She said Eos..." I hiccupped. "I did not..." I hiccupped again. "Breathe Persephone." He said again.

I pushed him away from me. "Why did you bring me here? To make me suffer? To make me see how much hate the world has to give? Why did you do this to me Teris? Why?" I broke down. The sobs started silently but ended in loud wails.

"Persephone..."

"I want to be left alone." I said.

"Very well then."

When he left, I went to lay on the couch. I cried until I could not anymore and gave in to sleep.

★★★★★

Teris

"Stop it!" She screamed. The ground under my feet vibrated slightly causing me to stagger backwards a bit.

I gasped when I looked at her. The gold in her eyes had changed to the color of her hair and it had split into half.

She began breathing hard and opened her mouth slightly to breathe. Her canines elongated, resembling fangs.

I heard Elpida gasp. I was not surprised to see this but Elpida should not have seen her like this. It would cause problems if her secret got out.

"Go back to the bedroom right now!" I shouted and she ran off without looking backwards.

She stared at me with angry eyes and as I approached her,I watched my steps just in case she attacked me.

I grabbed her arms gently. "Breathe Persephone. Breathe." I said softly.

Tears rolled down her cheeks as she sniffed.

"I did not do it. She said Eos..." She hiccupped. "I did not..."she hiccupped again.

I had only known her for a very short time but her eyes never held untruthfulness in them. Neither did her tongue speak lies. Why did mother then say she pushed her? Was she trying to frame her? Whether or not she was innocent, she would still be punished. Harming the Queen was a heinous crime. It would not be forgiven even if I intervened.

He hiccupped again. " Breathe Persephone. " I said again. She looked up at me with grief in her golden eyes.

She pushed me away from her,startling me a bit.

"Why did you bring me here? To make me suffer? To make me see how much hate the world has to give? Why did you do this to me Teris? Why?" She broke down. The sobs started silently but ended in loud wails. My heart ached watching her cry. I dared a step further.

"Persephone..."

"I want to be left alone." She said,turning away from me. I sighed.

"Very well then." I said and walked towards the hallway. I stopped behind a pillar and stood for a while.

I peeked from where I stood and watched her move to the couch and lay on it. She curled herself on it like a little child and cried some more. I stayed like that for minutes until I could not here her sniffs anymore.

I walked back there carefully, hoping that since she was tearing up anymore,we could talk but unluckily, she was fast asleep.

I carried her carefully in my arms into her chambers.

***Download NovelToon to enjoy a better reading experience!***