The Queen: Love's Death || ✔️

Chapter 3: Queen's Family Reunites

Hera

After two hours, it was now nine in the evening and the house was fuller than ever. Everyone was here.

Zeus, Hilary, Athena, Jermaine, Poseidon, Bullet, Blade, Charmoné, Lizzy, Bhavani, Tanu, Bani, Mason, Jason, Mary, Kaylie, Lexi, my grandmother Sarah, aunt Charlene and Cynthia, uncle Ayurv and Alex, Noah, Demi, Daniel, Claudia Jr. and even Matthew Jr. who was aunt Cynthia's four year old son. It was a big mansion with a cottage outside, so we all fit perfectly.

Everyone was speaking to everyone. The men were barbecuing outside while the ladies cooked inside. I was sitting on a blanket laid on the grass in the backyard outside with Mary, Hilary and Athena. The lights inside were bright, but where we were, our only source of light were the stars above us.

"It's so full, I couldn't even tell the difference between Matthew Jr. and Mason. And I accidentally called my brother Poseidon more than once." Mary exclaimed happily. We all laughed happily, Athena being the loudest.

"And to think that the family is just going to grow bigger. After this one is born, I don't think there will be any space left in the family." Athena said cheerfully, rubbing her hand on her big baby bump.

"Which gender are you having?" Hilary asked.

"That... will be announced at the gender reveal party next month. Just know that it's going to be the best gender reveal party of the century." Athena sipped her cold coffee after saying that.

I noticed that she had been craving a lot of things. Cold coffee, burnt cashew nuts and lots and lots of mint herbs. She ate mint with everything, not just her desserts.

"Of course you'd want to surprise us. Who's Athena without a bit of unexpected flair?" Mary said sarcastically, she was still the same ol' bad ass without a filter.

"Shut it Mary. I'm carrying a child that weighs more than me and she is sitting right on top of my bladder, which causes me to pee every five seconds, so I'd appreciate it if you didn't make me feel like shit for wanting to celebrate something about this pregnancy."

"So it's a girl?" Mary smirked.

"What the... how did... shit!" Athena figured out how Mary got it out of her and looked like she was close to bursting. "Listen here, you toad, you are to keep this to yourself if you know what's good for you."

Athena looked beyond angry, I found myself getting scared. After my mother left, a lot of tension in the family was resolved. Me and Athena squashed our little feud and things had been better for us ever since. Yet now, I was more scared for Mary's life and if she knew what was good for her, she wouldn't try to test Athena's patience.

"You really are Queen Claudia King's daughter, hey? You have the angry eyes, threatening tone and everything. You just need to practise on speaking less and then you'll be an exact replica." Mary chuckled.

"Mary, I'm dead serious."

"Oh I know. Why do you think I'm having so much fun? You don't look as scary as you used to when you weren't preggoes. And the extra face chub just adds the extra icing on the cake." Mary popped a grape into her mouth while Hilary snickered.

"Excu..."

"... ok that's enough now don't you think?" I intervened before things got easy, "Mary won't tell anyone. I won't and Hilary also won't."

"I'm not promising anyone anything." Mary added truthfully.

"You don't have to. As a Christian, a yes is a yes and a no is a no. Anything in between is from the evil one. You don't have to make any promise, you won't tell." I assured her.