Bride of the moonlight

CHAPTER 10✓

"He will be punished. That's my point. That slave was punished severely...with her life. I'm not saying Hanz will be killed, but he'll certainly wish he was." I said nothing.

Phoveous sighed."I'm sorry Hera. I really am."

A few days later after some much-needed recuperation, I was sat at breakfast in the castle, I was silent, but this time around, I was eating and I was sane. I wasn't having any thoughts of Hanz being killed. But there was no sign of him at the table.

"So how are you feeling, Hera?" Inquired Charlotte, giving me a warm smile.

"My head hurts a lot..." A side effect from having my brain cells deep-fried against my will.

After breakfast, I was wandering down the hallways trying to get my head around everything that happened these past few weeks. Then, I heard a commotion coming from behind one of the doors. It turned out to be Phoveous's. I remembered it had a little bat on it.

"What the hell were you thinking Phoveous? Why would you go so far?" It was Lemiela, she sounded pretty angry.

"I just wanted to make sure she didn't go crazy..." Phoveous's calm, composed tone contrasted against Lemiela's.

"So you give her electric shock therapy? If I knew you were going to do that, I would've slapped that idiocy out of your stupid little head! I think it's you who needs therapy."

"God, Lemiela, calm down. Stop yelling at me for Christ's sake!" Phoveous snapped back, his anger finally coming on.

"No! She probably hates your guts right now! I know I most certainly do. EST, are you serious right now? Did that sound humane to you? She's human! She could've died if the nurse didn't know how to deal with her type."

"I apologised to her. She can't hate me," he responded timidly. I could barely hear what he said through the door.

"You think a little apology is going to cut it? Did that apology the maid said to you, the one who murdered your mother, did that get rid of the hate and anger?" I heard a slapping noise. One of them slapped another.

"Don't you dare-don't you ever dare talk about my mother like that again, do you understand?" There was a short pause, "Now get out. I don't want to see you here again."

"That's fine with me." I didn't move, I didn't even think about moving. Things kind of seemed to

pass over my head since I got back. The consequences of eavesdropping weren't considered. When Lemiela saw me, she didn't react, just nodded and walked straight by me.

Phoveous leaned on the door frame. His eyes were a bright crimson. It was strange, usually, his eyes were some form purple.

"Hera..." he began, "What are you doing listening in?"

I remained silent, I didn't have an excuse. He punched the door frame and sighed heavily.

"Just go." He slammed the door in my face.

The next couple of hours I spent sat on my bed, staring at a picture of me and Celine, wondering what crazy thing we'd be doing if she was still here. If I wasn't still here..

Out of nowhere, King Monaghan appeared in my room, and gave me a warm smile.

"I realised I haven't spent much time with my soon to be, daughter in law. What's wrong? You look sad."

"Nothing."

"What's that you're looking at?" He came over and eyed the picture in my hand.

"Is that the other girl, the one who didn't make it?" I nodded.

"I'm sorry about that. Anything you want, anything you need, just let me know. Alright?"

I snapped my head to look at him, "Anything? Absolutely anything?" He smiled, "of course. I'm no genie though."

"I never got to say goodbye, and I never got to take any belongings of mine… could I go back and."

"Yes, why not? I'll have Phoveous take you first thing tomorrow." I beamed, "do you mean it?"

"Yes, of course, I wouldn't lie about that."

I jumped up and hugged him, I was so happy, a lot happier than I had been in the past few days. The king seemed to be a lot friendlier than his son. This was the best thing that happened since I got here.

"About Phoveous...forgive him. He's finding this quite difficult to come to grips with. Just like you, he's still just a kid. Marriage is a really big thing. He also has a hard way of showing his emotions, after the incident with his mother some years ago he retracted back into himself. I need you to

understand, he tries his best. Maybe not up to your expectations, but he's trying."

"It doesn't seem like it to me," I retorted, folding my arms.

"He's told me all the things he wants to provide for the kingdom with his wife: you. If you'd just let him, just let him get to you. The real you. Then maybe he'll ease up onto you, and not be so snappy from time to time."

The King seemed eager to put things right between me and Phoveous. His son and I didn't exactly hit it off when we first met. But clearly, this was his plan, to have his son get married at this age, so why he was suddenly concerned for his son's wellbeing, I didn't know. Of course, he would struggle to deal with it. Why didn't he just call it off, clearly it wasn't working out-not

with all those girls in his 'list' he went through.

"So why didn't he say it to my face then? After giving me elec-"

"I wanted to...but I knew you wouldn't listen." Phoveous was leaning against the door frame staring at me, just like that morning after the party, that same look of regret.

How do people at this castle just seem to be in places without me even seeing or hearing them? There's no way someone coming into my room

would be something I'd just miss.

"I want you to understand something Phoveous... I'm not like I am for no reason. I've had a tough upbringing and everything that led up to me being here has been something I've had an exceptionally hard time trying to come to grips with."

"Then let me help you. I'm going to marry you, you can trust me. I swear on my life." I itched my arm, unsure of whether to trust him. Phoveous huffed and turned his attention to his dad.

"You see Father, thi-"

"Alright... I'll trust you. You better not break your promise." I pointed a stern finger at him, he had better not make me regret this. It was a step for both of us in the right direction, a very big one.