Lost (The Secret World Of Atlantis)

Chapter 10 - Shocking News

I'm awoken by the usual knocking on my door, and I must say I feel terrible. My head is pounding from the excessive amount of alcohol and lack of sleep, while my body feels sore from all the dancing. I can barely even get up. “I'm awake!” I yell to the Guardians in a hoarse voice and sigh. Today is going to suck.

As I begin my morning routine, I keep thinking about all the events of my blessing day. Especially the visit from Eros. What a prick, I still can't believe he jumped off the railing just to see my reaction. He will hear about this at breakfast.

Soon enough Melite shows up to do my hair and fix my face. She doesn't say anything, because she is well mannered, but she doesn't even have to. I've seen my face, the bags under my eyes have spoken for themselves.

I choose to wear something white. I want to blend in, not to be the shining light like yesterday. As I open my jewellery cupboard, I notice the box that my mother's family gave me. A smile appears on my face as I open it up, deciding to pay her a tribute today.

As I reach the gardens with two Guardians by my side, I am pleasantly surprised to see a few decorations have been removed. A lot of guests are already sitting by the tables all mixed up, including my family. Father and my grandparents are sitting with the Ganymedes, while I can see Zara and the Queen next to the Amalteas, my stepmother's family.

I gladly walk right past them, heading for the table, where my father is sitting. I'm looking forward to joining my mother's family for breakfast, I like them very much.

They all greet me with warm smiles, my grandmother tearing up at sight of the necklace they gave me on my neck. I gift her with a tight hug and squeeze my grandfather's shoulder.

“Did you sleep well, my dear?” father asks me, and I do my best to make my nod seem convincing.

“Yes, I've slept just fine, thank you,” I answer him, as I take a seat between Emilia and father. I start taking the pastries from the middle of the table, then put some fruit onto my plate. As I begin to eat, I hear a familiar buzzing, but it's louder than usual.

Pixies are bringing mail to the palace, but as we're having many guests, more fairies are coming than usually. I stuff my mouth as I watch a swarm of pixies nearing us from the city.

These fairies are very small. They only reach my knees, and their heads are unusually big compared to their tiny bodies. They have bumblebee wings, that flutter so quickly, you can barely see them when they're flying. Father told me, they have a special magical ability to change their size. They can get so small, that they fit through a keyhole.

I am taken back to the present as one of the pixies drops a newspaper in front of my father, then another drops one in front of my uncle, too. This newspaper is actually a long scroll, that reports about news all around the kingdom. Its name is Atlas's Herald, but everybody refers to it as the Herald.

I find myself confused as every single conversation around me tones down. I look up curiously to see everybody staring at me. I almost drop my fork as I see the murderous expression on my father's voice. Then the whispering of our guests starts. I don't understand, what is going on?

“Father?” I ask quietly and he smacks the scroll next to my hand, not saying a word. I unroll it curiously and gasp at the first news. Princess's Night Visit. I start reading, my face growing paler with each word I see. A few witnesses reporting the sight of Prince Eros Callisto … saw him flying around the castle … entering her chambers through an open door. I drop the scroll, feeling sick suddenly.

“Is this true?” my father hisses and I open my mouth, trying to get some words out, but none do. “Is it true?!” he barks, making me flinch. I nod, avoiding his eyes. “Where is this darn boy?!” he yells, the gardens falling silent again.

“No, father w-wait, it's not like that,” I try to calm him down, but he still turns to me angrily.

“NO?! Then what is it like?!” he growls, standing up to search for him. My breath stops in my throat as I see the Callistos just stepping through the doors of the Palace.

“F-Father, please, listen to me. It's all my fault. I always sleep with my door open, and he thought someone broke into the castle, this is why he came inside. He just tried to help someone in trouble, he didn't even know this was my room,” I tell him, pleading with my eyes. He narrows his eyes at me, then takes a sharp breath, looking around our guests.

“I heard you were looking for me,” Eros speaks up suddenly, as he’s coming from the Palace. My father turns to him with a furious expression.

“You!” father snarls, rushing at him like a lion and I follow closely, trying to make sure he wouldn't do something stupid. I step between them as the King starts raising his arm, his hand glowing with magic. “Step aside, Arya,” he growls, and I shake my head, shielding Eros with my body.

“I am not letting you do something stupid, because of a misunderstanding. Just calm down and listen, please,” I plead him, my heart beating rapidly somewhere in my throat. I am fully aware, that everyone is watching us, which is all the more reason for me to clear this up. They need to hear the truth. My father lets his arm down slowly, the light coming from his hand, fading. He composes himself, his eyes narrowing at Eros.

“Do you swear by the Gods, that you didn't touch my daughter?” he asks, clearly trying really hard to control his anger.

“Yes, sir, I swear. I would never break the rules like that.” My father nods, looking very relieved. Was he scared for my virginity or something? Even the thought of that makes me feel embarrassed, to say the least. I can feel heat rising to my cheeks already as I take a step towards him.

“Thank you, for believing me,” I tell him. It would be more proper to use the word us, as Eros was part of this too, but I don't want my father blowing up again.

“Just don't sleep with your balcony door open anymore. He is right, you know, it isn't safe,” he tells me, a worried crease forming on his forehead. I nod, anything to end this nonsense. He takes a glance at Eros again, straightening up. “I would like to thank you, for keeping my daughter safe,” he tells him.

“It was an honour, Your Majesty,” Eros says, and father narrows his eyes at him. It seems like he won't be over this for quite a while but promising by the Gods is sacred. If any decent citizen swears by them, no one dares to question whether they are speaking the truth. But Eros lied. He did touch me. And not only once.

After the drama is settled, we finally get back to breakfast. The guests start to leave soon after, a lot of them telling me, that they believed me about Eros. And that the resemblance between me and my mother is uncanny, meaning I couldn't have come from a brothel.

Eros and Elena are amongst the last few, that are saying their goodbyes. Elena hugs me without hesitation, telling me, that she can't wait to see me at the Academy. Their mother gives me a hug, too, surprising me a bit, but her warm smile speaks for itself. Prince Callisto shakes my hand firmly, winking at me just like Eros. I smile at him shyly, then almost stop breathing, as Eros steps in front of me.

“We're not really supposed to do magic outside the Academy, unless for school purposes or if we find ourselves in trouble, but I will make an exception for you,” he says, making me raise my eyebrows, but then his hands start glowing. I watch as he clasps them together, then slowly pulls them apart, conjuring a beautiful pink rose. He bows slightly before handing it to me and I smile.

“Thank you, it's beautiful,” I tell him. I know very well that father is standing right next to me, watching us closely, but I can't help myself. No one's ever gifted me a flower before. I wait if Eros is going to kiss my hand again, but he doesn't. Smart choice, father would probably strangle him.

“Ariston, thank you for your hospitality, it was wonderful to come here again,” Eros's father tells mine. The King just nods his head shortly. “Think about our offer. You will hardly find someone better for your daughter,” the Prince continues, making me stiffen. My eyes find Eros's, who watches my reaction closely and I offer him a small smile, my fingers caressing the soft petals of the rose he gave me. After a moment, his face lightens up, too. 

“We will. Thank you, Eugene. Mirella, it was wonderful to see you, as always,” father tells Eros's mother, who smiles at him. They leave after the polite exchange, but my eyes don't move away from Eros, until he disappears behind the corner.

After the last guests leave, father takes me somewhere I've never been before. The servants' hallway. I look at him in confusion, while he knocks at one of the doors. I am surprised to see Melite coming out. She bows to us deeply.

“What is it you need, Your Majesties?” she asks as my father tells her to rise. He sighs, looking between me and her. Even I don't know, what is going on.

“I need you to be with my daughter at all times. Even at night,” he finally says.

“Excuse me?” I burst out, outraged at his order. He sighs, while Melite freezes in fear.

“I wouldn't do this unless it was necessary,” he says, his face expression stern. “There won't be any boys in your chambers anymore.”

“There never were any to begin with! It was only one boy and I already explained, how this happened,” I snarl at him, narrowing my eyes.

“Enough! This is how it is going to be and period. Melite, you will report to me every day. Understood?” She nods, while I watch them in horror. “Off you go now,” he tells us and I storm off gladly.

I try escaping Melite, but her footsteps follow me everywhere I go. Won't she leave me alone already? I finally give up, sitting down somewhere deep in the gardens. Melite stands by my side hesitantly, not saying a word.

“Sit down, please, you're making me feel uneasy,” I tell her and she obeys me immediately, positioning herself a bit further away from me. She still doesn't say a word. “Melite, please … Do you know, why my entire family has something against Eros?” She avoids my eyes, as she shakes her head and I sigh. She knows something, but there's no way, she's going to tell me about it.

But after a while she surprises me, as she speaks up: “Alright, I will tell you, but you mustn't let anyone know, that you're aware of this. I might lose my job if anyone finds out, that I was the one, that told you about it.”

“Of course, Melite. Your secret is safe with me. Just tell me please, not knowing is killing me,” I plead. She nods, looking around to check, if anyone is around us.

“You do know about Dark ones, don't you?” I shake my head. “Well … Our … Your kingdom presents the South, this is where Light ones live. You are a flyer, I am a magician, and we are both Light ones. Fairies are the third race, that belong to this group. But beyond terrible mountains and a dangerous desert, lies the North of Atlantis. This is where Dark ones live. They look like us, but they are rotten … Evil some might say … There are three races, werewolves, vampires and witches. In the ancient times, before Atlantis was punished by the Gods and sent above the clouds, we all lived together. A Light one and a Dark one fell in love, and this is how the first Undefined one was born. An Undefined one is a child, that turns into a Dark one every full moon until their Change happens. At the Change, these children can either become a Light one for the rest of their life … or a Dark one. The reason why your family distrusts Prince Eros so much is ... He is one of those children. He is an Undefined one.” My blood freezes instantly. He becomes evil every full moon? I can't believe it … All those moments I shared with him, his charm … I never came to think, that he could be something like that.

“So, he turns into a Dark one once a month? But … Melite … How does one tell, what is going to happen with those children at their Change?” I ask her, already fearing her answer.

“That is part of the problem … No one knows, which part of them will take over,” she says quietly. Anxiety wraps its hands around my chest, squeezing the air out of it.

“And Eros … He hasn't gone through the Change yet, has he?” I ask, already knowing the answer to my question.

“No. Once his Change happens … he might become a Dark one. Forever.”