Always, I Love You
"Always, I love you, Hera."
Hera marveled not, it was another falsehood. Certainly, she had enough of his falsehood throughout the years, she can't bear to hear one more.
"Just like a tree that withered in winter, it was given another chance to bloom in spring, may you also find it in your heart to give me another chance."
She hated the pleading, that's what she knew, she hated his pleading.
"I will not justify what I did to you. Truly, it was unjustifiable, but give me another chance and I will redeem myself to you."
"You earned not my sympathy, Gavryll..." She shrugged his hand off her wrist and as he let go, Hera stormed out of the halls with a fit of aggravation.
It seemed that Gavryll was left with no choice, Hera's heart was impenetrable to even open up once again for him. It was sealed tightly to even love him once again, currently, there was no room for him inside her heart for her heart only consisted of rage and the desire to take revenge on those who vied to take her down.
But Gavryll knew not what giving up was. He was determined to lure her into his entrapment, make her dance once again in his fingers only so that she would spare him.
Hera deeply sighed, for her, Gavryll was a dilemma that was a heavy weight to her existence.
How could he think that she would ever love him? Hera had been striving to unlove him, it was a problematic act for her to do. It was way too impossible, she just couldn't shake the feeling off, can she? If only it were that easy but it wasn't.
Moving on from her feelings existed to be a drawback for her. If only it would vanish in a snap of her fingers, she would have breathed with ease.
But how did this even start? She vied to recall the trigger of her blooming feelings which led her back to where the first sparks went flying.
In the back of her mind, Hera could remember clearly how she fell in love with the empire's scum. Maybe if the situation was not like that and maybe she was less gullible, or maybe if she was the Hera she was now she wouldn't have fallen in agony.
If only then it did not start from there, she would have not lived to be filled with regrets.
The following day came to surge from the other side of the world, the sun brightly shimmered from behind the cloudy skies. Her eyes woke with the sting of the sunlight that harshly kissed her cheeks.
Dashiell, her maid woke her with a greeting voice. "Good morning, Your Highness..." she bowed.
Her face bore a grimace, gradually as she lifted herself from lying, her hand caressed her head which seemed to be aching. She looked at her with a scowl and the maid could not help but feel frightened.
Dashiell jolted in fright. "What day is it today?" she rigidly spoke.
"I-It's the fifteenth day of the month, Your Highness..."
She bowed, and a tone of nervousness gave rise to existing. As she heard her answer, Hera grumbled, her countenance stained with a grimace on it.
The fifteenth day of the month could only mean that a noble banquet will be held graced with the presence of the Imperial throne and constitutions. As far as she was concerned, this was now a bother that kept on prevailing. The nobility of Zemira shares no difference from the ministers, just like everyone else did, they placed great contempt and lack of trust in Hera, even if she was the only key to keeping Zemira running.
They can't be blamed though, after all, Hera was timid.
She was weak. Just like her mother.
For certain, the banquet will hold the nobles who will only speak hundred times about how weak she was just like how her mother was once.
Hera was always humble, but even since then, her heart grumbled with so much contempt for them for disrespecting the late empress of their land. How dare they do such a thing?
Hera plopped herself back down to the bed as if she wanted to not take part in any of this. As if she wished not to witness them at all, ridiculing her mother who was one of those who loved her.
"Your Highness...you have to get up early. Your guidance is a necessity for the preparation of this banquet."
Hera groaned, "Are you here to tell me what to do, Dashiell?"
"N-No, Your Highness...I just wanted to...remind you of the agenda you have to attend to as of today."
Hera felt no need to though. If anyone was in her shoes, they would do the same. Who would even prefer to attend a banquet with the most judgmental critics of the entire empire?
She hid her face under the sheets of her blanket, it veiled her appearance yet with a furious grumble, her voice arose from the fearful silence. "Tell the Prime Minister to guide them in my stead."
Afterward, her voice slowly shrank to mumble under her breath, "For certain, they'll vie to tell me in their actions that my manifestation during the preparation is worthless and unnecessary."
"But Your Highness. They will need you!" Dashiell protested.
Hera sprung up with an aggravated contortion on her countenance. She glared bullets of menace at Dashiell and her voice spake with the ruling of her sharp tongue viciously.
"Why won't you be today's Empress, Dashiell? It seemed to me that you know so much about it..."
Dashiell jerked with the shivers of her fear. It was the terror that darkened Hera's eyes, for certain as Dashiell thought, the once humble and obedient Hera she grew up with to serve had become the arrogant and short-tempered lady before her whose feet were clothed under her sheets.
"I beg your pardon, Your Highness. Forgive me for I may have overestimated myself and have left the residence of my place." she bowed, her eyes shaken with fear, and Dashiell's body ran cold sweat from the goosebumps of her skin.
"Then, do as you were told, Dashiell. Make haste, tell the Prime Minister to come in my stead. And may you also inform the Emperor to take a fraction of help for the guidance of preparation. The Lady Consort shall also be wise enough to prepare the meals with the culinarians of the kitchen. Avoid causing unnecessary incidents at all costs, for I warn you, their heads will I request on my plate."
"Certainly, Your Highness..." Dashiell bowed.
Her feet trembled as she walked out of the perimeter of Hera's chambers.