Athenian Arrow

Chapter IX

The night ended when Andreas retreated to the Andron. Alexi stood in the courtyard for a long amount of time with thoughts running through his mind before he retired to his room. His father came back home from talking with Nikolas and decided to check on Alexi only to find him in a peaceful sleep.

The next morning came and Alexi thought it was best to leave Andreas alone. His mother gave notice that she would visit the temple of Demeter today while his father had to handle some important business that he did not specify. Which left Alexi with his older sister Anastasia still in the house.

The siblings were currently in the kitchen which is typically the room beside the Andron peeling oranges, cutting off the leaves on top of the strawberries, slicing apples, and washing the grapes that their mother picked from their garden for breakfast. Alexi thought to bring Andreas some fruit once his sister left, even if Andreas wasn't too pleased with Alexi's actions last night. The thought reminds him to have an apology ready before he brings Andreas the fresh fruit.

A grape hitting his head distracts him from his thoughts. He looks up to see his sister giggle guiltily. She had been washing the grapes when she noticed her brother lost in his thoughts so she decided to wake him up in the only way she knew how.

"Dionysus would not be pleased to find out you wasted one of his precious grapes on my head," Alexi says playfully.

"Well I was not going to let my little brother cut his thumb because of some love-struck thought," she teases Alexi. Alexi had not noticed he had been slicing the apple subconsciously while thinking about Andreas.

Alexi shakes his head in rejection at her statement before declining, "That is certainly not where my thoughts were aiming at."

She hums with her closed mouth to challenge that statement. "You see this strawberry?" She asks to testify.

"Yes," he answers with confusion as his sister picks up a strawberry beside her on the wooden counter.

"Your face resembles the colour of this strawberry," she grins as she proves her brother guilty.

Alexi's face reddens more as Anastasia calls out his current state. All Alexi thought about was bringing Andreas fresh fruits for the morning. Was that enough to leave his pale face red? Alexi wasn't sure but he definitely would not let Anastasia embarrass him and get away with it. He threw a slice of an apple at his sister which hit her chest. She gasps in shock and then decides war is on. She grabs a strawberry and throws it at him which hits his arm.

They continue this little war of theirs with different fruits as their father with Nikolas enter the kitchen and watch the embarrassing scene unfold in front of them. The sound of Adonis clearing his throat makes the siblings look in his direction. Noticing the leader of Athens is with their father, they immediately stop their nonsense and bow their heads in apology.

Alexi speaks first, "We are deeply sorry Father. We had not noticed you walked in with our leader. We're sorry that you had to see such a childish act, Nikolas." Alexi's head is still bowed as he apologizes profusely.

But their father decides to ignore his apology and says, "Nikolas and I need to speak with you, son," giving off a serious tone in the atmosphere. 

That was the first time Alexi raised his head during this conversation. He looks at both men in shock. His eyes divert to his sister noticing she had raised her head in concern as well. Their eyes lock on each other in confusion. Anastasia is dumbfounded as to why the leader of Athens needs to have a serious discussion with her brother while Alexi is already running the worst-case scenario in his head. He told his father to inform Nikolas about Andreas but does Nikolas agree with his father to end him off quickly instead? Is that what this meeting is about? No matter what happened last night, Andreas' rejection still does not prevent Alexi from buying some time for Andreas' freedom. He feels as if the gods will not allow the rejection to take over his first motive.