The Fate Weaver

Chapter 17

Chapter 17

"Papa, aleto maenae, alete silamen," I cried out, the words streaming out with the tears. 

Papa, I've missed you forever and forever.

"Athena, pensa worö," he replied, his teenage brows crinkling, his true age showing in his eyes. 

Now that I was face to face with him, it was as though parts of my memories enclosed in a cage were bursting free from the suffocating confines like whirling confetti, wrapping around my mind with welcoming chaos. Him sneaking in cookies that mom had prohibited me from eating into my chamber in the middle of the night- him combing my hair after I washed- us exchanging kisses every morning with a literally breathtaking embrace. 

In the quiet backdrop, Anna and Terrence had their eyes on the ground, with Magnus the furthest away, hands clasped at his back and eyes kept politely on his feet.

"Athena- I have missed you. Athena, Athena, Athena."

"Past is past. Now that I'm back, I will protect you and the people of Senalia as much as I can," I said, putting my arms around him, burying my head into the crook of his neck and smelling the now-familiar scent of his lemon soap and wood. "I will never leave you."

Anna cleared her throat. "Your Majesty- shall I take the princess's pulse?"

"Why, yes. Look at me, forgetting things everyday," dad let out, the smile never leaving his face. "Yes, Anna."

"I still am quizzical about the cause of the unconsciousness of the princess," interrupted Terrence, his voice flat. "Princess, do you remember anything in between?"

My mouth opened, as father drew back slightly, and Anna put her fingers to my wrist, closing her eyes for better effect.

Enrick paid me a mental visit.

The words clumped to the surface of my throat like a sticky substance that I ought not spit out. Later would not be too late- after thinking over it, if I should.

"No. It was like sleep. You don't remember how and when you fall asleep completely, but when you open your eyes the next morning, you know you closed your eyes," I said, the fabrication coming out leisurely.

To add on to the effect, I looked at Terrence straight in the eye, and added a leisure shrug. 

"I must research about that," said Terrence, more to himself than to anybody else.

"Yes. We cannot go over it so dismissively, when it concerns the princess's health and the country's state of well being, if it is related to the chimeras," agreed Anna, opening her eyes and removing her fingers from my pulse. "There is no particular problem I can perceive so far, Your Majesty, but I will make sure to see to that she is kept at her best conditions by checking on her regularly."

"Yes, yes," muttered father. "Athena's well-being is the priority. I cannot lose her again."

"Athena?"

Art stood behind father, his perpetual annoying smile hanging on the corners of his lips, wider than usual. His arms were crossed over heis chest, eyes on me. "Athena."

Once again reminded with sickening calrity of the dream I had of him runing toward me with the clear intention to kill me, I put on a plastic smile. By now, I was capable of getting the Oscars Award for the Best Female Actress category. Fabricating was necessary. I was the princess.

 My lips upturned into a smile that I didn;t mean at all. "Hey."

I ran past the king and threw my arms around Art, snuggling close to him, wondering and questioning myself why I was puttign on this act of being so head over heels for him, when I was still reminded of the gym periods I had under his coach.