The Queen || ✔

Chapter 58: Queen's Regret

Claudia

It was seven in the morning but she looked like she hadn't slept at all the previous night. Her hair was brittle and messy, tied horribly into a ponytail, she was still dressed in the same onesie she had been in the night she almost broke me. Her eyes were dark and lifeless. She had been crying for a while, her cheeks were still wet. She was sitting uncomfortably on her wheelchair, and her ankles were a bit bruised, but the whole time all that went through my mind as I looked carefully at her was how she felt about herself now.

"Hera." I called her out, and she flinched away. Behind her was an uncomfortable Charmoné who looked completely drained. Bullet was already in Zeus' arms, but had Blade by his side assisting him to the dining room.

"Ma." She whispered softly.

"I have gone through the heaviest of storms and the darkest of times and the most torturous days of my life, but none of the pain I felt at the time amounts to what I felt when you turned your back on me." I said.

"I know."

"And watching you attack me in front of the same man who kidnapped and tried to kill you hurts me even more. I went there to save you, and you spat back in my face." I accused.

"I know." She shook her head while her tears streamed down her face.

"I don't want to believe it, but I have an unending feeling in me that you only came back to me because you found that your father is dead."

"Please..."

"... but after all that you've put me through, Hera King, I forgive you."

"What?" She asked while looking up at me in disbelief.

My mother and Cynthia stood behind me while Athena trailed her hand into mine. I knew for a fact that not only them, but the entire family was standing behind me, watching in complete disbelief and denial as I forgave the one person who broke my trust.

"Hera, I'm not evil. I never have been, I never will be. I am many things to many people, a mother, a sister, a daughter, a friend, a helping hand and someone who will always be there to fix a problem for someone when needs be. I'm not hurt by what you said because I know that it's true. Why should I deny the truth? What would I gain from continuously trying to convince myself that I hadn't killed someone who I know I wanted dead? I won't run away from the truth, because that will only hurt me in the end. You made me finally confess what I had tried so hard for so long to avoid. I won't torture myself like that anymore. I do hate myself, but I'm going to work on learning to love myself in order for that to change. For that to happen, I'll need to surround myself with people who instead of insulting me, will love me to heal me."

"Ma..." She choked out, but I let her speak, "... I don't even know what to say anymore. " She sobbed softly, then continued, "I'm so sorry."

"Why did you even come back? You obviously don't want to be near her anymore. Being here will only make things worse between you two, just leave." Athena attacked her, I gripped her hand tightly to threaten her, but once I did that, she went on full blast, "I mean honestly Hera! You've changed. You've finally shown your true colours. You've always acted to be holier than thou but now that you've realised that all of that has changed, you came back here to beg. You were forced to humble yourself and you expect her to welcome you just like that?!"