Chapter 17: Heartbreak

"Little human."

It wasn't a form of endearment, was it? He looked down on me from the start, didn't he?

I was so stupid to fall for his charms.

I really thought he wanted to punish Hades for hurting me, but it was all for Persephone, wasn't it? Because he abducted her and kept her in the Underworld. They couldn't care less that mere humans were also brought down to hell against their will. So what if they were innocent? They weren't one of the Gods after all.

I can't believe that I showed him affection so openly, and trusted him so fully. He must be laughing at my foolishness up there with Persephone. Celebrating that I helped them reunite.

That book! It told me that Persephone was with Eros when I wanted to know if she made it safe to Olympus after leaving me behind. Was it trying to warn me in its own way?

I should have paid more attention to their interactions.

I shouldn't have trusted --

"Your Highness?" Sophia interrupted my racing thoughts. "You must get dressed for your lessons. Lady Giselle is waiting."

I sighed, not wanting to leave my bed. "I'm not going."

"But Your Highness," my lady in waiting whined. "You must catch up on all the lessons you've missed. Some ladies of the court are already starting rumours that you're ignoring your duties and don't care about the people."

"Of course I care about the people. What does me not attending these useless lessons even have to do with that?"

"You have to keep up appearances," Sophia said. "I know that you have the knowledge, but if you don't show your face and appear committed and responsible, more rumours will spread. Maybe even about His and Her Majesty and how they can't control their heir. Do you wish that?"

"No," I sighed, knowing that she was right.

She came closer and inspected my face. "Why are your eyes so swollen?"

I looked away, not wanting to tell her that I'd cried myself to sleep after Nephos brought me home last night.

"It's nothing a little ice can't fix," I said.

"I'll bring it. Please eat your breakfast while I'm gone," Sophia instructed before leaving my chambers.

I looked at the tray of food she's brought for me, but I had no appetite for it. Sitting up in bed, I pushed it away.

Fresh tears threatened to escape my eyes, but I wiped them off and swallowed back the painful lump forming in my throat. Frustrated that I couldn't control my emotions, I threw my blanket off my body and got out of bed.

Sophia came back with ice packs to put over my swollen lids and helped me get ready for my lessons, making me look presentable and much more lively than I felt inside.

As we headed to the study room where Lady Giselle was waiting for me, we passed by several servants and ladies of the court. I had to put on my best smile for those who stopped me for a brief conversation.

Smiling isn't easy when your heart is crying, but I managed.

"Correct," Lady Giselle muttered when I answered the last question of her oral assessment to test how much I knew about my own kingdom. She pushed up her glasses with a wrinkled finger and pursed her thin lips. "Good. We don't need to go over that material then. Next."

Her assessments went on for much longer, trying to catch gaps in my knowledge of Asterin kingdoms and their customs, but she found none, which seemed to irritate her. Oddly enough, she helped me take my mind off Eros as I focused my attention on her tests.

"As you know," she clipped, closing her journal, "it's tradition in Kingdom Soleil to hold a Matching Ceremony for crowned heirs on their twentieth birthday, and yours is fast approaching."

My eyes widened, suddenly remembering about my birthday ceremony. Mother had planned it for me months ago, asking me to choose my dresses and jewelry, who I wanted to invite outside our kingdom and how many suitors I wanted to dance with. We'd both been looking forward to this day, giggling about who I would fancy and eventually marry to live happily together, just like my parents. But now...

"Can we cancel it?" I asked.

"Nonsense!" Lady Giselle chided. "It's tradition."

"It's not a very old tradition," I reasoned. "I'm only the second heir this kingdom has seen, and mother didn't have a proper Matching Ceremony either."

"Oh she surely did!" she exclaimed. "Guests were invited and-- Well, she did only dance with His Majesty Alexios the entire night, but it was still called a Matching Ceremony. And you will hold yours too! All preparations are already in place and invitations have been sent and accepted. You don't want to disappoint the people now, do you? Many are looking forward to this ball. It isn't just a chance for you to find your match, you know." She sat up straighter and smoothed down her unruly hair. "It's a chance for others to meet someone special as well."

I sighed, feeling dejected. The ceremony was in two days and I had to keep a smile on my face the entire night. I wished I could cancel it or not attend at all, but since it was in my honour and a special event for many people, I knew that it would be very selfish of me to do so.

"I better prepare for the ceremony then," I said.

For the first time since I've met her, Lady Giselle looked happy.

~~~

"Oh darling, you look beautiful!" mother gushed, her eyes teary. "I can't believe how quickly you've grown. Already holding your own Matching Ceremony." She wiggled her brows, smiling. "There is a long line of suitors waiting for you."

She knew nothing of my inner turmoil since I hid it well for the past few days. I didn't wish to burden her or father with my problems when they already had so many responsibilities on their shoulders, especially after the mass abduction. My heartbreak seemed insignificant in comparison.

I smiled and walked into her outstretched arms, finding comfort in her warm embrace. I didn't let go for a long time. Couldn't let go. Didn't want to let go.

Mother gently pulled away and searched my eyes, a small frown on her face. "Darling, are you all right?"

Those few words were enough to break the facade I'd tried so hard to keep together, and my eyes welled up with tears. It was as if a dam broke loose within me and all the emotions I've been suppressing came rushing out.

"No," I sobbed, shaking my head, "I'm not all right. Not at all."

She wiped away my tears and pulled me back into her arms, squeezing tight. "Oh Cassia, it's okay. Let it all out." She rubbed soothing circles on my back as I sobbed into her shoulder, never-ending tears and strained breaths coming out of me all at once.

Mother led us to my bed and sat us down, still holding me in her arms.

I didn't know how I was going to explain my outburst to her now, and that thought made me cry harder.

"Cassia! Uncle Alexios made you a pretty ribbon for --" Lena's and father's smiles instantly vanished when they saw the state I was in. They immediately rushed to my side, worried and confused.

When I finally got a hold of myself and my sobs turned to sniffles, I looked at my family, contemplating whether I should tell them everything right before the Matching Ceremony started. But seeing the tired lines under my parents' eyes made me hesitate.

I wiped my cheeks and gave an embarrassed laugh. "I'm sorry, I got too overwhelmed with everything. It's only been days since I returned home from the Underworld and...Olympus, and I'd completely forgotten about the ceremony. I don't think I'm well prepared for it. I'm worried that I will make a mistake and embarrass you in front of the court and the people."

Mother's eyes softened. She put one hand on my cheek and caressed it with her thumb, a warm smile on her beautiful face. "You can never embarrass us, honey. We love you, and the people love you too, you know that. It's your day. Everyone's gathered here to celebrate, not judge."

Honey. Those honey eyes. A sweet trap that lured me in, and now I was drowning in it.

"If you're so worried about making mistakes, I can assure you that your mother made plenty on the day of her Matching Ceremony, but everyone was much too drunk and focused on finding their own match to care," father added, chuckling as he recalled his memories of that day. He lifted the silk ribbon in his hands and tied it around my right wrist, smiling. "Enjoy yourself tonight, and if you find your match..." he squinted his eyes at me, "make sure I meet them first before you give them your ribbon."

Mother swatted at father's arm, shaking her head with a laugh. "Don't," she told me. "He will take them to the dungeons to interrogate and scare them off."

Lady Giselle came in to announce that the Matching Ceremony will begin soon, and mother and father were needed for the opening introductions.  With final words of encouragement and warm embraces, my parents left to fulfill their duties, leaving me alone with Lena, who's been silent the entire time.

As soon as the doors shut behind my parents, she spoke up. "You're hiding something, aren't you? You can fool your parents, but you can't fool me. What's wrong?"

I stared at the ribbon on my wrist, silently tracing the beautiful golden embroidery of a sunflower stitched into white silk. I was to give it to a suitor I fancy at the ceremony, but I knew that I wouldn't give it to anyone now.

"Eros deceived me," I said, fighting back tears once again. The mere thought of him unraveled me. "Him and...and Persephone. They..." I struggled to put words together, but eventually managed to explain everything to Lena, telling her everything that happened.

When I finished, I groaned in frustration. "I've never cried this much in my entire life. I can't control myself and I hate the feeling."

"You're heartbroken," she said, her blue eyes filled with sympathy. "Let your heart cry and release all that hurt. You'll feel better with time, though it might take quite a while to heal and recover..."

She had a faraway look in her eyes as if recalling her own experience. I tilted my head, wondering if there was something she's been hiding from me. Did she also go through what I was going through?

"But those two are quite something!" she suddenly got angry. "I didn't like Persephone from the start, but Eros? I didn't expect that from him at all, and that makes it so much worse." She stood up and offered me her hand. "Let's go. It's your day and you will enjoy it to the fullest. There's music and wine and birthday presents waiting for you, not to mention a line of suitors to take your mind off your pain. Fill your heart with fun tonight!"

I couldn't help but laugh at her enthusiasm. She was practically yelling. Nodding, I took her hand.

"Wait," she said. "Let us fix your makeup before you scare all those people off. They won't even stay to find their own match if they see this atrocity."

"Lena!"

"Just kidding," she cackled. "But we do need to redo what Sophia worked on. Your tears washed it off."

After Lena helped me look more presentable, we arrived to the Matching Ceremony just in time for my entrance. Presents were offered one after another and servants carried them away to my chambers for me to open later. With a bright smile on my face, I thanked everyone for coming, and once the opening ceremony was over, everyone was free to mingle and dance.

"Your Highness." A bald man with a thick moustache approached, taking my hand and placing a kiss while looking up at me with a smirk. "May I have this dance?"

I shuddered at the feel of saliva his kiss left behind. Snatching my hand away, I forced a smile. "Petros, how lovely of you to come. Did you arrive here with your wife? I'm certain she would be delighted if you asked her instead."

"Yes, she's here somewhere." He waved his hand around dismissively. "Most likely stuffing her pig face with those pastries servants are carrying around. As if she needs any more pounds to gain, am I right?" he laughed, snorting as he did so. "That whale needs to do the opposite. Maybe then I'll be faithful."

My smile fell and I formed a fist with my hand. Lena told me to fill my heart with fun tonight, and Gods would it be fun to punch Petros right in the face.

As if reading my violent thought, Lena stepped in to get me away from the smirking face my fist was itching to hit. "The Matching Ceremony just started," she reminded me as we walked in the opposite direction of Petros. "Do you truly wish to start a fight right now?"

I scowled. "Yes."

Lena laughed. "Well, maybe you can start it late-- Oh no." She stopped walking. "Let us go the other way."

"What's wrong?" I frowned.

"Cassia! Lena!" A familiar voice called us over, waving both of his arms to get our attention.

"He saw us," Lena sighed, dejected.

My frown deepened. "It was Konstantinos you wished to avoid?"

She bit her lip, nodding, but didn't explain her reasoning.

"He won't stop waving us over," I said, searching her face. "We can pretend we didn't see him if you'd like."

"No, no," she shook her head, "it's all right. Let's go greet them. It would be rude not to."

Konstantinos was sitting on one of the armchairs in the seating area, with Thea sitting beside him, her arms crossed. She had a permanent scowl on her face that made her look constantly angry. It didn't help that she rarely ever smiled.

She sneered at Lena and I when we approached the couple. "It's you two. Of course." She rolled her eyes and got up from her seat. "I'm parched. I'll go get something to drink. Would you like anything, Konstantinos?"

Without waiting for his response, Thea left our group.

Konstantinos ran a hand down his hair, laughing uncomfortably. "I apologize for her passive aggressiveness. Please don't take it to heart. It's not your fault."

His eyes were locked with Lena's as he spoke. She looked away first.

"It's no matter. Thea's always been like this, for as long as I remember," she said, taking a seat farthest away from the prince.

I sat in the seat left between them, watching their demeanour around each other and noticing the way Konstantinos kept glancing at Lena and how she avoided his gaze.

The prince cleared his throat, putting on a smile. "I heard about your adventures," he told me. "Are you feeling all right? After the snake bite and all?"

I nodded. "I'm simply glad that everyone on Asterin has been safely returned to their homes."

"Not everyone, I'm afraid," he said solemnly.

"What do you mean?" I asked, brows furrowing.

"We have a few people still missing from our kingdom. They did go missing before the mass abduction, years before it to be exact, but we had hope they would return along with everyone else. They too were reported to be abducted without a trace, and we are still looking for them. Their families are still looking for them to this day, but no luck"

"We have the same problem in Kingdom Poseidon," Lena spoke up, frowning. "Some were reported missing after encountering a group of masked bandits. Some simply vanished. It's been years since they were last seen."

"We don't have such reports in my kingdom," I said, worried. "At least, I haven't heard anything about it... Who went missing? Do they have anything in common?"

Konstantinos nodded. "They're all children. And from our investigations so far, we know that they're all mixed blooded -- children of humans and Gods. We've been keeping our investigations private not to worry the people, especially since we've had no leads in years."

Lena nodded. "We've been facing the same problem."

My blood ran cold.

"Half-bloods," I whispered, remembering what my grandfather told me about them. Seeing Sophia nearby, I waved her over.

"Your Highness?"

"Have we had reports of missing children from our kingdom?" I asked.

Sophia paled. "I... I'm not supposed to tell you."

"Does that mean we did have such reports?"

Hesitating at first, she slowly nodded to confirm.

"I'm the Crown Princess of this kingdom. Shouldn't I be informed of what goes on in my own land?"

She chewed on her lip. "His and Her Majesty didn't want to burden you with such news..."

I sighed, resting my face in my palms. "I suppose I haven't been very responsible as a princess."

Instead of attending to my duties, I'd snuck out of the palace every chance I got. And to do what? To play around, completely oblivious to the fact that innocent children were being kidnapped for simply existing.

"Gods, they could be getting tortured as we speak," I said, looking up at Konstantinos and Lena. I told them everything I heard from grandfather.

Wide eyed, Konstantinos stood up. "This is atrocious! Why aren't the Gods stepping in?"

"Some of them are still purists," I muttered. "I wouldn't be surprised if Zeus was one of them."

And maybe Eros too...

"My Gods, Cassia!" Lena tapped my arm, her eyes round with realization. "Do you remember when we first came to Olympus? The Gods were having a meeting and it was mentioned that Persephone had abducted the living before. Do you think...?"

"It's very possible," I said. "She showed very clear distaste for half-bloods. She could be behind all of it." My hands clenched into fists, anger rising in my soul. "I'm going back to Olympus."

"Wait! Cassia, we don't know for certain if it's her. Let us come up with a plan first," Lena said.

"It's been years since these children went missing, and you both told me there have been no leads in your investigations. I'm going to find us leads from above," I declared.

Determined, I marched out of the palace to find Nephos and asked him to take me to my grandfather. The dragon looked conflicted, eyes narrowed as he contemplated my intentions.

"Please?" I begged. "It is my birthday."

His eyes softened, and he lowered his neck for me to climb on. Spreading his beautiful white wings, he lifted us off the ground and flew me to the palace in the sky.

"Thank you." I caressed his scales.

He nuzzled his face against my arm as soon as I hopped off once we landed in Olympus.

I recognized which part of the palace we were at. Grandfather's chambers weren't far from here. As I made my way through the first hallway, I came face to face with Eros.

His eyes widened, and he grabbed my shoulders. "You shouldn't be here."

"I'm not here for you," I snapped, trying to get out of his hold.

"You must leave. Now," he said with urgency, looking around the hall, then his eyes landed on me. "It's not a good time."

"As I said," I pushed him, "I'm not here for you."

Eros grabbed me and threw me over his shoulder, taking me back to Nephos.

"Let me go!" I screamed.

"Stop screaming," he scolded. I heard a dragon chirp in confusion. "Take her back, Nephos, and don't let her return."

"No! I need to speak with grandfather!" I protested as he placed me to sit on the dragon's neck. My attempts to jump off and run were immediately blocked by his strong arms. "Children are missing and being tortured! Do you even know?" I asked angrily. "Do you even care?"

"I know," he said. "I--"

"Are you part of it? Do you hate half-bloods too?"

Eros looked around us. "Please keep your voice down. You need to leave as soon as possible. You can't be seen right now."

"You didn't answer my questions!"

He grabbed my face in both hands. "Listen to me," he snapped. "You need to listen to me right now. Leave Olympus and don't try to come back, do you hear me?"

My eyes pooled with tears. "I hate you."

An unreadable emotion flashed through his eyes, but it was gone as soon as it came. He gently wiped away my tears and let go of my face. "Nephos, go. Now."

I didn't fight it this time, and let the dragon take me far away from Eros once again.