HESTIA - The Virgin Princess

CHAPTER 5 - Seeing the Curse

I

Midnight of Friday, Chieftain Forono is with Mirku Hananuya again, eager to find out how to make Hestia return to the Island.

“Sip this tea Forono and relax, you will be part of the ritual,” the old Mirku said while offering him her newly-discovered tea.

Chieftain Forono accepted the offered tea and started sipping it, “Mirku, I hope this will work.”

“Don’t hope Forono, just believe; whenever you believe, the stars will conspire to make things happen.” The Mirku said figuratively, which was replied to by the Chieftain with a nod.

“I started a certain ritual yesterday at midnight too, trying to speak with the Queen Fairy,” Mirku stated, making Forono more interested.

“The Queen fairy showed up,” Mirku continued.

“What did she say?” Forono asked with a little fear in his tone.

The Mirku looks at the Chieftain, “She did not say anything; she just looked at me while black tears flowed in her eyes.”

“Mirku! That is a bad omen,” the Chieftain’s fears grew bigger.

“ I know Forono, Hestia should be back to the Island to personally seek forgiveness from the Fairies.”

“Otherwise, the curse is soon to happen,” Forono continued Mirku’s statement.

The Mirku nodded and sadly looked at Forono, “I don’t know if we can control the true fate of Hestia.”

“Mirku, do everything please,” the Chieftain pleaded.

“Forono, did you know that aside from Queen Fairy, there is this greatest God of love and greatest evil of destruction?” old Mirku suddenly asked the man in front of her.

The Chieftain was stunned by Mirku’s question.“

“I believe so, Mirku.”

“With whom do you believe? With the God of Love or with the Evil of destruction?”

The Chieftain looked at the Mirku and answered, “Both.”

“Believe more with the God of Love so that the evil of destruction will be overpowered.” The Mirku was serious when she said this.

“Now, are you ready Forono?”

“Yes, time for the ritual, Mirku.”

II

Hestia is half sleep. Her body is asleep but her mind is somewhat awake. She suddenly feels very cold air surrounding her.

“Hestia,” a cold voice whispers in Hestia’s right ear. Hestia’s body can’t move but her mind is telling her to wake up.

“Hestia,” the voice called again. Hestia recognized the voice. She knows that voice very well. It is her Loylo Forono’s voice.

Hestia’s mouth opens as if she wants to say something but her mouth is not cooperating. It won’t open and she cannot talk. She wanted to shout but it was as if her whole world had stopped. Suddenly, she saw her Chieftain Grandfather towering in front of her. His face is so gloomy. He opened his arms and embraced Hestia. The latter still could not move.

The Chieftain slowly carries his sleeping granddaughter. In a flip of seconds, they are already in the forest of Balwarte De Gapo Island. Hestia looks around; the island is not anymore the beautiful island she once lived. Trees are dying and their secret water falls! … the water running from them is red… it is not water, it is blood! Hestia shouts, covering her eyes and then runs as fast as she can. As she came nearer to their village, she saw their big beautiful kubol on fire. She saw her parents shouting inside their kubol as the fire slowly gobbled them. Hestia shouted at the top of her lungs. She runs again and saw her friends slowly falling to their knees, holding their stomachs until they fell one by one, with eyes wide open because of pains. Hestia’s tears are falling like rivulets; she is bold and fierce, but she feels so afraid right now. The Fairies’ curse is starting. This is all her fault. Suddenly, Hestia noticed, her tears were black! Hestia shouted and cried more in despair.

Hestia was awakened by the loud voice of Alex.

“Hester! You are dreaming again,” Alex's voice was full of worries.

The Master’s bedroom is just beside Alexader’s room. He was awakened when he heard the loud shouts and cries of “Hester”.

“No, it was real, it was real!” Hestia is anxious.

“Hester, calm down, it was just a dream.” Alex had no recourse but to hug the hysterical woman to calm her down.

A few minutes passed before Hestia cooled down. She apologized to Alex for the inconvenience that she caused him. She knows that she interrupted the man’s sleep at that midnight hour. Alex just shrugged it off and told Hestia to just let him know if she needed anything more after giving her a glass of water.

III

It has been two nights since she had her nightmares. Hestia could easily understand that those were not simple dreams. It might not even be dreams, but real. The Chieftain might be doing something already to force her to return to the island. She had been aware since childhood of some mysteries on their island. Sometimes, she would be amazed at how their Chieftain seems so certain of things, like the coming of rains, who stole something, who killed someone etc., It is as if the Chieftain has a third eye or something that he can determine the past and the future. If it wasn’t magic, she could not tell what it is then.

While Hestia was strolling the beach early the next morning to relax, she saw someone that made her temple ache. She's about to walk away but the woman walks too fast.

“Wow, strolling around, doing nothing?” the voice of the woman who is behind her now is insulting.

“Ms. Juliana, good morning,” Hestia tried to force a smile.

“It's really good morning? I heard that you have been disturbing the people in the villa for two nights already.” Juliana’s sarcasms is full of hostility.

Hestia looks at Juliana with an attempt to explain, but she cut her off.

“Were those your tricks to get Alexander’s attention? How cheap could you get, eh,” the woman’s bad mouth seemed to be being turned on actively.

“Excuse me.” Hestia tried to escape from Juliana to avoid any further insults. But it seems that the bad-mouthed woman is not yet contented. She grabbed Hestia’s right arm and almost dragged her to face her again, then threatened her.

“You b***h, stop flirting with Alex or I will make your face red from slaps!”

Hestia removed Juliana’s hand against her arm and left her quickly without a word.

With great anger, Juliana ran towards Hestia and pulled her hair. Hestia snapped because of the pain.

“Let go of my hair, Ms Juliana, or you will regret doing this to me.” Hestia’s teeth greeted as she said those words.

Juliana laughs at Hestia and even tightens her hold on the latter’s hair. Not contented, Juliana even wiggles Hestia’s hair, causing her more pain.

Hestia could not control her anger anymore, with a swift motion she got hold of Juliana’s wrist and slightly twisted it to let the woman feel pain too.

“Ouch, you b***h!” Juliana tries to slaps Hestia but the latter is quick enough to catch her hand and slaps it back to her. Juliana’s head shook as her own hand slapped her face.

Furious, the angry woman tried to use her other hand to slap Hestia again, but like the first one, it was futile. Hestia just warded it off and turned her back on the woman.

“Don’t dare hurt me again Ms. Juliana, you will regret it.” Hestia sharply said when she felt that Juliana was hurriedly following her.

“You slut, it will be you who will regret that you fought against me!” the angry woman shouted at Hestia.

“Use that slut word to yourself, Ms. Juliana, not to me!” the young lady retorted out of annoyance. She did not know what angst this woman had about her. She even tried to be friendly with her.

At a distance, Aling Lilia saw what had happened. She was about to call the young lady, since her Sir Alex was looking for her, when she saw Juliana followed her. She observed with the thought that if the young lady she liked most would need her help, she would run to help her. However, by watching afar she could tell that this young lady she admired could definitely protect herself. Aling Lilia's interest grew more. She could tell that the young lady was most probably being raised in a well-to-do family.

Aling Lilia hurriedly returned to the Villa and told her Sir Alex of what she had witnessed. Alex was aghast at Juliana but he needed to ask the woman first before judging her.

Hestia with a dark mood, returned to the master’s bedroom. She wanted to be alone, to cool herself. She has so many things in mind and this Ms. Juliana added to her burden. Hestia shakes her head in annoyance.

“She has nothing to be jealous of me, for God's sake, nothing is going on between me and Alex,” Hestia whispered, shaking her head again.

IV

At the Balwarte de Gapo Island, everybody already knows that their supposed to be crowned Princess Hestia or First Virgin Princess absconded and that until now there is no concrete information about her whereabouts. It has been three days since the coronation should have been done, but it has been postponed until the return of Hestia. The elders, who are the law makers and part of the tribal jury had several meetings already together with the Chieftain of the Village. They issued a Notice to the Whole Island to be more aware and keen that any news they heard about Hestia, they need to inform the Chieftain or the elders otherwise there is a corresponding penalty or imprisonment.

The news about the missing Hestia reached the ears of Vista. Vista is Hestia’s cousin on Mother's side. Her mother is the middle child of Chieftain Forono, or born next to Danli, Hestia’s Mother. Vista talked to her father immediately upon hearing the news.

“Father, Hestia is missing, I guess this is my chance to replace her.” Vista’s words are full of hope, which his father, Leeno agreed to.

“Vista, you must present yourself gracefully to your Grandfather Forono. He must be very mad at Hestia now. Go and let him realize that you are much better at being crowned than her favorite granddaughter,” Leeno encouraged her daughter more.

“Yes Father, with what she did, Hestia will be dead meat if Loylo Chieftain finds out where she is now.” Vista’s confidence is growing to the top of her head.

Leeno holds his daughter’s shoulders with an assurance that he will do everything to make her the crowned First Virgin Princess of Balwarte De Gapo Island.

Leeno fully knows everything attached to being the crowned Princess. If crowned as the First Virgin Princess of the Island, her daughter could have everything, money, power, gold, maids, guards, everything that she likes and of course, their whole family could have that too. An easy way of going to the top. He might even be the next Chieftain and not Forono, if that happens.

“Poor Hestia, she did not know what she lost in absconding.” Leeno laughed while saying this, which her daughter Vista answered with a laugh too.

“Go, go my Vista, visit your Grandfather Forono. Make sure to bring his favorite dish.” Leeno instructed her daughter. They know that the Chieftain’s favorite dish is the Shrimp in sweet chili creamy sauce. His wife Ranela, who is the Chieftain’s second child, can cook that dish very well.

Without wasting time, Vista suddenly asked her mother to cook the favorite dish of her Loylo Forono.

Chieftain Forono was surprised upon seeing his other granddaughter. Vista is also beautiful, like Hestia but the latter seems more alluring and appealing; most probably because Hestia has been brought up by her Mother with such regal bearing and confidence that the other girls don’t have.

“Vista, come, I can smell from here what you’ve brought me,” the Chieftain is smiling.

“Yes, of course your Highness, I brought your favorite dish, lovingly cooked by Inah,” then Vista proudly presented the dish to her Grandfather.

The Chieftain laughs at how he was addressed by his young granddaughter. Vista is as old as Hestia, just a month younger to the latter.

“What brought you here, pretty grandchild?” the Chieftain inquires, although with a hint already as to why she visited him. For long, he knows that Vista envies Hestia. She wanted to be crowned too as the First Virgin Princess. Based on what he heard, Vista turned down so many suitors and told them that she had no plans of getting married because she had the intention of remaining pure.

“Grandpa, Hestia is missing. Do you think we can still find her?" Vista asks.

“Well, we need to find her, otherwise, we know the repercussions; the Queen Fairy and the rest of the fairies will curse not only Hestia but our whole island.” the Chieftain’s voice suddenly became sad.

Vista grabbed the opportunity to advance herself, “Your Highness, I am still a virgin and becoming eighteen next month. Could you consider me to replace Hestia to spare us from the wrath of the Fairies?”

“I don’t think it will be acceptable right now. You know our tradition, Vista. Not unless Hestia is dead or the whole tribe will change our tradition and our tribe’s rule, I cannot crown you in replacement for Hestia,” Chieftain Forono’s lengthy explanation to Vista.

Vista nodded but persisted, “You can change the rules, Loylo, you are the Chieftain.”

“I am the Chieftain but I cannot change the tradition or the rule without the whole tribe’s Yes to it.” The Chieftain taps his granddaughter’s left shoulder while saying this.

Vista’s head fell down feeling defeated. But she still managed to look at her Loylo and smiled before asking his consent for her to leave his Kubol. Vista walked going back to their Kubol with deep thoughts eating up her mind.