Chapter 10

"Is something the matter, Princess?"

"Hmm?"

Amber - one of my four court ladies asked me a question as she prepared food for the picnic, arranging the plates and cups around me. She must've noticed how intently I was staring at the lively monkey. He was running around the meadow – surprised and taken aback at how real the forest looked.

"He's got too much energy to be running around like that," I noted.

"Yes, he's very free-spirited, Crown Princess."

"No, I think I'm just old."

The staff had a wide smile on her face as she was joined by the rest of the Court Ladies. She was trying hard not to laugh at my statement and I let them do their work. I was outside by the meadow - waiting for my best friend to arrive as we were about to have a picnic and a date together. 

Her name was Katrina. She's one of the many deities that lived in Heaven but she spends more time in the mortal realm due to her work. Her duties were mainly to observe Mother Nature and to assist those that were struggling to survive.

She was the deity of vegetation and she was in love with plants. She talks to them like they're her children and she's always clad in flower prints. Her orange hair and green eyes were easy to spot - together with her wild attire amidst the calming meadow. She seemed to appear serenely and almost glided to the picnic mat.

She bowed in respect. "Good morning, Crown Princess," she greeted. "Apologies for my tardiness, I hope you were not waiting for long."

"I did not, Katrina," I said. "Sit."

"Don't mind if I do," she said, breaking away from all formalities before she sat down next to me with a sigh. "What a wonderful sight."

"It has been awhile since I saw you last, Katrina," I said. "Tell me, what of the mortal realm?"

"Oh enough, the mortal realm is boring and dreadful. I want to hear more of the gossip that's been circling around you. I hear you got yourself a new pet monkey," she said as she gave me an evil look and took a sip of tea. "Is it handsome or even pretty to look at?"

Honestly, I wished she'd not start this topic so early. I wanted to know about the mortal realm and her trip. I wanted to know if she managed to bring me any souvenirs. I was curious about the wonders that the mortal realm offered. I was forbidden to enter the mortal realm and all I wanted to know is how it'd feel to descend.

"He's alright."

"I want to meet him and see for myself," she said firmly. "Where is he?"

I jerked my head to the right, where Aidan was by the meadow. I didn't need to say more. She can see the human from a mile away. In fact, we can hear him gallivanting along the meadow like he had not been inside a fake forest before in his entire life. Everything in it was fake, but I made it realistic enough to pass as a real meadow.

Katrina made a curious sound. Her face changed when her eyes saw something. I frowned as she leaned close to touch my neck suddenly. "What in the – what is that?" she asked in shock as she grabbed the collar and pulled it down to reveal my neck. "Is that a bite mark? What have you been doing while I was away, Athena?"

I'd forgotten to cover the ugly bite mark with a scarf – which was what I had been doing for the past few weeks much to the astonishment and worry from my Head Court Ladies. I tried to clear my throat which had jammed up because I felt ashamed, even though I hadn't done anything like what she was thinking currently. 

"First of all, it's not what you think," I said, trying to defend myself.

She gave me a look I knew too well. "If you got a new man, why didn't you tell me this first?" she asked in outrage. "I am your best friend!"

"Nobody in the right mind bites like that even during foreplay," I muttered.

"Athena, this is an important question. Why can't you heal that?" she asked. "Certainly you'd be able to, for someone of your caliber. That mark looks like any normal bite mark made by a despicable human being."

I bit into the food rather grumpily. "I tried," I said. 

She stared at me in confusion and I could sense her confusion turning into outrage. Her green eyes narrowed as she put two and two together immediately. "What lowly creature dare do this to you?" she demanded, her nostrils flaring. "How dare he mark the Crown Princess and gotten away with it?"

I sighed. "The monkey."

She has had enough. "Summon him."

I sighed again.

A few minutes later, he was seated in-between us. I could feel his gaze on me but I did not attempt to look, I was focused on my bestfriend who was glaring daggers at the monkey. It was rare to see her this aggravated, and I was waiting for her to see what she was going to do to this mortal.

"I am Katrina, the Goddess of Nature and Wilderness," she introduced. "I preside over the springtime and new growth of flowers. I am the Crown Princess' bestfriend and confidant. Introduce yourself, O Mortal One."

"My name is Aidan. Aidan Shafiq."

"That's it?"

"That is it."

"I've heard that you've been causing a lot of problems to Athena," she started off with a mean tone. "Just who do you think you are? Why have you not given her the respect that she obviously deserves?"

I tried not to make myself smaller at her accusations and kept my face slack from emotion. I was the Crown Princess, damn it. It was embarrassing that my best friend was berating him for me, I felt like a small child being protected. But Katrina has been doing this ever since we were kids. She always had my back.

"And you gave her an ugly bite mark!" she cried angrily as she pointed at him with her folded fan. "What are you – an animal?"

"I didn't do it on purpose," he grumbled. 

"Now she can't even heal that offending bite mark!" Katrina exclaimed. "She's a Crown Princess for crying out loud! She can't be walking around with a man's mark –"

My eyes widened and I looked up when she stopped talking, realization dawned on the both of us before we turned to look at the monkey who sat with a deadpan expression on his face. I felt sick to the stomach. There was an ugly taste at the base of my tongue and I wanted to vomit my stomach out.

"You! Evil little cockroach!" 

My jaw had not returned to its usual place the longer I stared at him. I've never realized what he had done and I figured it was just a wild animal's uncontrolled habit. Why was I so innocent even when I'm not? How have I not figured this out? It was so obvious when I looked at it. I felt ridiculed. Ego bruised.

Irked.

Annoyance.

Disgust.

Immediately I shot up to my feet and couldn't meet their eyes or answer more of Katrina's invading questions. I was humiliated. My image was ruined. I felt used. Taken advantage. I disappeared from there. It's equivalent to running away because I couldn't bring myself to remain there any longer.

But I didn't care.

It was embarrassing and mortifying. I wanted to bury myself in the ground and never appear to the world anymore. Ever since the monkey arrived, everything has been thrown sideways. Pitting the monkey to me to control was all Father's fault. Why did I have to do this? Why does this has to happen to me?

I curled myself up even tighter as I stared down at the pool of colours. This was the only place that I could see the sunlight from the mortal realm. I could not feel the heat of the sun, but I could see the arrays of colours that the sun could give. They bring me a sense of calm and I sighed in regret.

"I finally found you."

I didn't need to turn around to know who the voice belonged. I hear his footsteps on the roof and he was standing behind me. I've sensed his presence from a mile away. I knew that he found me even before he reached this place. But I cannot run away. I had no other place to run to. This was the only place that gives me solace.

"Go away."

"I can't do that, your friend will have my head if I don't do this," he said. 

I said nothing. I wanted him to leave and he won't listen so I had nothing else to say. He was silent and then I felt his strong arms around me as if he was attempting to do a back hug. I didn't move, didn't speak as he pressed his body against my own. He didn't speak a word either but he got himself comfortable nonetheless. 

"How long are you going to do this?" I asked in annoyance. I wished he hurried it up. I wanted to be alone. "Is this your way of apologizing? I don't want an apology. I want the bite mark gone from me."

"The bite mark won't disappear," he said slowly and added as an afterthought, "Unless I die."

"What does that even mean?" I asked flatly.

"It means that you belong to me," he said quietly as he touched the bite mark on my neck. His lips hovered next to my ear. "This means that you have been marked by the Great Aidan."

His answer annoyed me further. "The Great Aidan?" I raised my voice at the ridiculousness and stood up, shoving him off so I could glare at the monkey. "Who the fuck do you think you are? You are just a mere mortal!"

He looked at me completely calm and composed despite my rage. He straightened up to a seating position, never breaking his gaze on me. "You just don't know who I really am," he said calmly. "You should be grateful that you belong to me."

I grew even more irritated. The rage that filled me was beyond what I could control. I hated being bound to anything, especially to a man like him. I despised being controlled. How dare he do such a thing to me?! I kicked him in his chest and he toppled onto the roof. I pinned him down and started pummelling him.

He didn't fight back. He didn't defend himself. He let me hit him until all my anger and my humiliation was spent. My fists were broken and bleeding, healing immediately as soon as I was done. He looked bloody but alive, panting hard as he stared up at me with willful eyes. I punched him once more, this time hard enough to knock him out before I left him there on the roof.

What an entitled asshole!

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