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FORSETI HUMMED, NODDING IN AGREEMENT, "Or so they say," he added cryptically, voice laced with ambiguous implications carefully concealed beneath a knowing grin that brought the girl to tilt her head in interest,
"What do you mean by that?" Serena pried, twisting the yellow daisy stem between her fingertips in an attempt at appearing casual.
This time it was he who cocked his head in query, "You mean your father never told you the tale?" Forseti asked, aghast.
The way he uttered the phrase left a sour taste in Serena's mouth and brought a sudden stop to her mindless twiddling; swallowing the volatile thoughts building in her chest, she shook her head politely, "Father is not very big on storytelling —"
She didn't bother to finish her sentence as Forseti began to howl with laughter, "Are we speaking of the same Valgor?"
He watched as her eyes boiled over with irritation before rapidly losing all heat and cooling into a blank, defeated stare. A sight eerily similar to water dousing a flame.
The blood that rushed to Serena's face upon the onset of the god's laughter lingered at the surface of her powdered cheeks, leaving her feeling hot and tingly while the familiar pang of embarrassment settled like heavy stones at the base of her stomach.
Clearing his throat, Forseti continued, "My lady, try not to look so troubled," he cooed. Serena bit down hard on the inside of her cheek, suppressing more than just an eye roll.
"If you are blessed enough to have been spared Valgor's boastings, consider yourself lucky."
Do not tell me how I should feel... She thought bitterly to herself, the sting of being the last to hear of her father's achievement striking a chord deep within her.
A part of herself already expected it. Why wouldn't she, hisonly daughter, be spared the normality of hearing one of her father's stories when she had been spared nearly every nurturing normality life had to offer! What was one more moment to add to the ever-growing list of disappointment?
Sighing deeply, Serena walked slightly ahead, continuing their intolerable stroll, "I will just have to take your word," She disturbed the silence before it could settle, vocal cords straining to maintain a somewhat chirpy tone.
Pausing at the base of a flowerbed, Serena bent down and began plucking countless flowers from the patches growing all around her, not caring much about their defining features and instead just focusing on the task at hand. At this point, all she wanted to do was to lay in bed, stare at the ceiling and mope uninterrupted until she felt ready to feign contentment again.
Serena wasn't daft, and it hardly took a genius to notice the unsavory look her family so tenderly settled upon her. To her it was obvious, a no-brainer; her family despised her! There was no point in phrasing it gently. Her flesh and blood wanted nothing to do with her and she desperately couldn't put together a reason why, which only seemed to add more fuel to the fire slowly consuming her.
