Secret World Of the Gods | Ichor of Hera

Chapter Three | The Gathering

"Home late again my lady?" the head maid Allana asked amusement clear in her voice. I took my coat off and she held out her hand to take it I gave it to her and she walked over to the closet to put it away.

"Yes," I sighed letting my hair out of the messy bun and allowing the tangle of curls to fall to my hips. "I had to finish sewing Marchioness Elenyi's dress for the banquet tomorrow."

"Ah I see, and the reason she couldn't hire a seamstress is because?"

"She was going to hire one but I offered to do it for her."

Allana nodded but I could tell she didn't believe my story one bit. "Well should I warm you up some dinner or are you just going to turn in for the night?"

"I think I'm just going to turn in for the night, thank you Allana."

She nodded and curtsied before making her way towards the kitchen. I made my way up the staircase to the right where my room was. Turning on the light I unwrapped the scarf from around my neck turning to put it on my bed but let out a small yelp when I saw my grandmother sitting there. She smiled at my reaction and straightened up, she sat on the edge of the poised as ever as someone who had been a Queen for over two hundred years would be trained to do it's like she didn't even think about it any more. Her long auburn hair was pinned up for the night but a few curls had escaped and hung elegantly around her face as if they were that way on purpose and her eyes were the color of dawn contrasting against her dark skin beautifully and had a spark in them.

I let out a laugh and slowly closed the door behind me. "Grandma you scared me."

"I see that,  I also see despite my many attempts to keep you from doing so you still continue to serve at that underground clinic. You know it would tickle your mother pink that after I waited so long for her to finally have children only to have her daughter not listen to me."

I rolled my eyes as I walked into my closet that was her favorite line to say anytime I did something she didn't necessarily agree with. I turned on the light to my closet and opened my dresser drawer digging through for some pajamas to change into.

"I know Grandma."

"I don't talk to just listen to myself talk Alexandrine, your father, my son, is no longer here so you are next in line to the throne, you are twenty years old, you need to start taking more responsibility start acting like a Queen and stop being a handmaiden to the Marchioness and a nurse at an underground clinic." she lectured.

I pulled out my favorite night dress and closed the closet door leaving it cracked slightly so I could still hear her. "I'm going to the banquet aren't I?"

"You need to do more Alexandrine."

I stripped out of the clothes I had worn all day and into the nice soft light pink night shirt that went just below my knees. Throwing my dirty clothes into the hamper I pushed the closet door open  turned off the light before going to sit on the other end of the bed.

"Alexandrine if you get caught at that underground clinic you could lose your claim to the throne. Don't you want to be Queen?"

"Yes I do. But I just need a couple more days at the clinic, just a few more and then I'll quit I'll stop going we're just really understaffed at the moment and we have so many patients. I have to help them."

Grandma scooted closer and brushed some of my curls out of my face a soft smile appeared as she did so. "You remind me so much of Hestia she used to serve at the clinics as well, illegal and legal alike." she dropped her hand and sighed studied me before nodding. "Two days, two days at the clinic and then no more, then you start to focus on your responsibilities as the future queen."