The Busy Dinner

"I love the way you eat. You chew silently, that's the attitude of a true princess," Apollo commented enthusiastically as he watched her eat.

"You didn't drop a single crumb. When people around you eat like pigs," he said again, as Erithea took a careful bite of her bread. She smiled a little wryly. Usually she didn't talk while she was eating. But if Apollo kept on commenting on it until her dinner was over, she might get indigestion due to difficulty swallowing.

Alright, she was a Titan so she couldn't possibly get sick. Not even the venom of a cobra could kill her. Erithea couldn't remember when she ever caught a stomach ache during the two hundred years she lived. Maybe never.

"You keep looking at me, even though your plate is full and the meat is cold," Erithea drank a glass of water to clean her mouth before speaking.

"There aren't many female Titans like you. As immortals— living too long makes it easy for us to break our habits. Like the Titans in this room. They no longer care about the taste or texture of their food. they eat only to feed the cells of their immortal body. There's no pleasure, no respect and no grace in the way they eat," Apollo complained.

Erithea felt the prince might have gone a little too far. They chew lazily, letting their food fall off their plate or spill their glass. But she thought they were still more polite than pigs.

"Maybe it's because I'm young. I'll only be two hundred this summer," said Erithea again.

"Please Erithea, when you're a thousand years old, don't turn into a pig," Apollo said a little pitifully.

"I won't turn into a pig, gosh," Erithea was annoyed, she accidentally chuckled.

"Even your smile is graceful and perfect..hah, I wish I had a sister like you," he moaned with a sigh.

"But you already have a sister, she's Artemis," said Erithea confusedly.

"Artemis isn't cute at all. She's even more barbaric than the Amazonian girls," Apollo argued.

"I think you are a little cruel to her, Apollo. She is independent, strong and beautiful. I would be proud to have a sister like her," Erithea denied.

"You've never even met her, how come you like her so much?" Apollo scratched the back of his head while bringing his face closer to the girl. Erithea could immediately smell a scent that reminded her that she had been carried behind the prince's back for hours. She shifted her body slightly away to avoid feeling awkward.

"I told you, I want to be her follower. We've also been friends by letter a few times," said Erithea again.

"You're too good to be a follower of Artemis..you should marry a powerful man, have many children and live in comfort forever," Apollo commented.

"What you're saying is a little biased and full of prejudice. You said earlier that those who deserved to be Artemis's followers were those who were abandoned by their husbands, or lost their lovers, as well as strong women who dared to oppose Zeus. I want to choose my own path in life, and it has nothing to do with my status as a princess or my beauty," Erithea said firmly.

"Ah, stubbornness. Why do you have to force living like Artemis? Well, maybe I'm being a little unfair..but i think so not only because i judge your face. I just know that you won't be happy living as a follower of Artemis," Apollo asserted.

"The reason?"

"I just know. Now, I'm going to finish my meal. We'll talk later..You can take turns watching me while I'm eating if you want," he said, shifting his plate.

Today his court chef serves smoked venison thigh with a Mediterranean salad. Apollo gets bored easily so he often took his personal chef on trips to learn about human cuisine. That way he could go through his eternal life without getting bored from tasting the same food every day.

"Why should I watch the way you eat?" Erithea couldn't help but laugh. Although this time he remembered to hide it with the palm of her hand. Apollo was a little narcissistic and often talks about random things. However Erithea was surprised herself by how easily she smiled when she was around Apollo. Although she should probably be a little annoyed by it all.

Erithea had finished her meal and was now looking across the dining hall of Apollo's palace. The prince did not force his subordinates and followers to eat with him. But almost half the chairs and tables were occupied by the Titans, as well as a few satyrs. Erithea was a little scared when she saw the satyr. It reminded her of Silas. Erithea had never been slapped by anyone in her two hundred years. He didn't really regret killing the satyr.

The male Titans, occasionally couldn't lower their eyes when they saw the princess. She had attractive wavy red hair. Erithea was instantly recognizable when she was in the crowd with that hair. In addition, she had unique blue eyes, the color was a little greenish. Reminds people of the color of the sea around the coast when exposed to the midday sun.

The maid dressed her in new clothes, which were plain ivory white silk overalls with a few gold threads at the ends. Erithea was also wearing a gold bracelet and necklace but it didn't look too over the top. She was the perfect eye treat for this evening.

Apollo called her a special guest, someone he protected during her time on Olympus. But his followers and servants guessed. .

They even secretly bet gold coins. How long would Apollo last until he finally asked the princess out?

The prince insisted that Erithea was his guest. He also told Pelias that he had no intention of doing anything to the girl. She was a favorite daughter of the king Kairos, the most beautiful Titan girl and also a noble. Her status was too high to be her lover. Because Apollo was famous for never seriously dating. He was also famous for avoiding trouble. Of course he would be reluctant to deal with Kairos if his love affair with Erithea turned sour.

Erithea now turned her gaze in another direction. She looked out the window. Even with the dim lighting, she caught sight of the man who had threatened her earlier. He tried to hide himself behind a thick rose bush. But Erithea saw him.

The girl smiled at him before returning to surveying her new surroundings. That man probably loved Apollo. He saw Erithea as a threat. But he dared not show his face in front of Apollo. Maybe he wasn't part of this palace. Erithea knew that the man was probably hoping that Erithea would complain to Apollo.

But she wasn't going to let him be happy. He was a stalker, he wanted Apollo to know his whereabouts but fears rejection. He just wanted Apollo to notice him. That was why he threatened Erithea. If he really wanted to kill her, he could have done it just now easily.

Erithea reached for the goblet of wine and sipped it elegantly. She didn't want to get into the stalker man's game. She was also interested in waiting. What else would he do? But if she judged the situation to be deteriorating, Erithea had to find a way to make sure she was safe.

"Your Excellency!" Three Titans in overall like the Greek philosophers faced him. They were very old, although there were no wrinkles on their faces at all. Two of them grew beards. Their eyes were full of wisdom. One of them shaved his head almost completely and had a thin mustache on his face.

"What is it?" Apollo put down his cutlery and looked at them slightly displeased.

"The Delphi Oracles, they are waiting for a new prophecy..You have to give it now," the three Titans said respectfully to him.