TRAG!C

Chapter-35

After finishing the lunch we were about to head back to our rooms when Athena interrupted us.

"Do you mind coming with me?"

My friends looked at me, as if asking me if I am comfortable going with her to wherever she was taking me. I nodded at them, assuring them I will be alright.

The little dragger on my waist gave me a good amount of confidence.

Me and my, supposedly, twin sister wandered through the castle. She had changed her outfit. A medieval Princess gown, her hair tied in bun, she looked like a Princess without crown.

"Where's your crown?" I inquired.

"I don't wear it much. Doesn't feel comfortable without you or parents by my side." The last sentence wasn't much audible that it made me think I wasn't supposed to hear it.

"Where are you taking me?" Changing the topic, I asked.

"You will see." She said, her pace faster than before.

Soon, we reached an obscured glass door with patterns. She looked at me and moved towards the glass door. Opening it I saw a garden.

A dead one.

I looked at her but she was walking towards the garden. All the plants were dead. No greenery or flowers.

"Why aren't you maintaining the garden?" I asked.

"This is just a part of the curse."

We moved further when we reached the center of the garden. There was few plants which haven't died. White roses. I looked at them, curiously.

"When these plants die, the curse is broken."

I was confused at the statement. There are a lot of ways to kill the plant, right?

She looked at me before asking me to get away from her. I did.

"Don't get scared."

She warned as I furrowed my eyebrows at her. She walked towards the roses and as soon as she was close enough, she was thrown away.

For a second, I was frozen to my place. But the next moment I found myself running towards Athena.

She slowly sat and looked at me, smiling.

"The curse won't let anything come closer?"

I asked, partially sure that's the case. She nodded.

"You didn't had to do that to make me believe."

"As if you will believe me when I say it."

I sighed, giving my hand for her to get up. She slowly got up, but the throw had given her some injuries it seemed like. She was in pain, physically at least.

We walked a bit before settling ourselves on a bench in the garden. "This was mother's favorite place in the Castle." She stated, lost in memories. I couldn't say anything so I just hummed to it.

"I am sorry if you don't feel comfortable with the family knowing about this, but I need you to be here. And if your friends wish, they can also stay." She said, looking at me. "I would prefer them to stay here."

"I will ask them, but I can't force them to stay."

"So you will stay?" I nodded to her question.

"Thank you Aphrodite." I smiled, not knowing what to tell.

Actually I don't know why I agreed to stay in the castle, but it felt right.

"And about the cousin of Amrin." She started. "I swear I didn't knew she would do that, I trusted her. With you. I asked her to take you. With permission. Ask you to come to the castle. But she kidnapped you, and the others. Just because of the family rivalry. And she tried to kill you, which is unacceptable. And others too. Endangering everyone's life."