The Queen || ✔

Chapter 11: Queen's Secret

Hera

Her head felt just fine. She had no fever, she had no stomach aches. She just kept vomiting, non-stop.

Athena was fast asleep on her bed, surrounded by pillows and blankets to keep her warm, but she wasn't feeling cold either.

I was instantly worried when I heard my parents arguing, which woke me up. I struggled to get onto my wheelchair in a haste and once I got to where the noise was coming from, I saw nothing.

I walked into Athena's room and found her in her bathroom, with her head hanging into the toilet, and her whole body was pale. I got so scared. I helped her up and made her hold on to my wheelchair while I took her to her bed. She was extremely sick, but from what?

"Athena. What happened?" I asked her, feeling my emotions get the better of me as soon as I had finished speaking. My eyes were teary and my nose was runny. I hated seeing somebody I loved in pain.

A sudden but gentle knock was given from the door. I looked in the direction of the knock and saw my mom standing outside the half opened door, looking her usual. I signalled for her to come in and she sat on the bed next to Athena, and took Athena's hand in her own. She looked at me and smiled.

"What happened? Why is she so sick? Why is she falling apart, is she dying?" I immediately blurted out, catching my mother's attention.

"Hera, stop it. Don't talk like that. She isn't dying..."

"... but Ma, she has no fever, no cold and no aches. She just vomits and passes out after that." I said, finally letting my tears flow.

My mother sighed out heavily and moved closer to me.

"Why are you doing this?" She asked me gently, while pulling my head up to face her. She smiled her loving and sweet smile which she hid from other people oh-so-well.

"Wh-What do you.... mean?" I sniffed.

"Why are you talking as if she is already dead? Athena is only twenty years old, for heaven's sake. She's too young. No talk of death, ok? She obviously has a stomach bug. And in the name of all that is good in Athena, do you really honestly believe that she would die without a fight, and make it that much easier for us?" We both chuckled at the thought and I started feeling better.

My mother's words soothed me and made me realise just how overreacting I had been. I had just been jumping to overbearing conclusions. Athena and death weren't even similar. I suddenly felt guilty for thinking so terribly about the situation.

I guessed that the situation was so terrifying and unbearable, I didn't even take some time to think it through.

"Ma."

"Look at you, getting emotional about your sister. What would she have said if she saw you right now?" I giggled and my mother chuckled, pulling me into a nice warm hug.

"Don't ever mention this to her. Or else..." I said to her, trying my hardest to put on my most intimidating 'Queen Claudia King' voice.

"Oh? Or else what?" My mother asked with her hands on my shoulders, obviously piercing through my face with her eyes.

"Or else I'll stop doing your taxes, wrinkly old woman." I giggled. She pulled my ear playfully.

"My taxes. I do my own girl, I'm the reason why you wipe your ass with British pounds. What? No thank you?"

"No way." I said, pushing her away playfully. She laughed out.

"You have to be the best thing in my entire life, little lamb." She said with a wide smile. I loved seeing her smile.

"Ma. Why do you call me that? Little lamb." I asked cheerfully, but she didn't seem so cheerful after hearing my question. She stood up and turned her back towards me, trying to hide something.

"Ma..."

"... litt- I mean, Hera. We need to let Athena rest. She needs to get better now."

"Ma..."

"... I will call Bhavani to come over tomorrow and see what is wrong with her. But for now, let's go."

"But Ma..."

"Hera."

She finally faced me and she put on a fake smile on her face, and went behind me, holding my wheelchair's handles. What was happening?

She took me out of the room and into the elevator to my room and she opened the door for me. The whole time, she was completely silent.

"Do you want me to tuck you in?" She asked me, still not making eye contact.

"No, it's fine." I said, realising that keeping her here was making her even more uncomfortable.

She immediately well wished me and left, in such a haste.

What just happened? We were literally having fun, then all of a sudden, she turned sour and couldn't even face me. And the name, little lamb, what was up with that? Why did she get so emotional? It was obvious that my question made her so nervous, and weird.

I'd never seen her in that state. The thought made me so unhappy. I was usually the one who soothed and comforted her, yet here I was, making her uneasy around me. I didn't mean to do so. That's not what I was like.

She looked at me with teary eyes, she was obviously hiding something deep inside of her. She kept it locked up and threw the key so far away, no one would find it.

Little lamb. What did it even mean? What would it hold in her heart to make her emotional just hearing of its origin? She gave me the name, why did she give me a name she knew would make her emotional? The only time she became this emotional was whenever me or my siblings got hurt. Then she'd freak out and jump at our every scowl, moan or cry. Was my mother sad? Queen Claudia King, crying. What just happened?