AllFreeNovel
Share Us
I grudgingly took the chair Rhadamanthus had pulled out while Minos flashed a smile of courteous apology at the boy's direction. "It appears I have been mistaken." After a few more charmingly chosen words, Minos was able to send young Spiros away with his spirits restored, and when the ARM finally turned to face me—-
The three men simultaneously started smirking, and I could only glower and glare. "Hilarious, guys. Absolutely hilarious."
"You cannot say we haven't ever warned you, milady," Aecus pointed out.
"Oh, puh-leez." Ever since I officially took the throne as LOTUS, these three had been on my back about my so-called bleeding heart. They were worried about how I could be taken advantage of because of it, and no matter how many times I told them I could be excessively mean if my position as Queen demanded it, the ARM simply refused to be convinced.
I crossed my arms over my chest and shot the ARM my fiercest-looking scowl. "Let's be clear with one thing. I only agreed to sit down because it was the right thing to do. Spiros had done nothing wrong, and it would be unfair if I let him think otherwise."
Minos cocked his head to the side. "Aeacus, Rhadamanthus - do you not think milady's words sound very much like the beating of a bleeding heart?"
Grrr!
"Stop messing with me," I growled, "or I'm warning you. Once I've reached my limits, I..."
The three looked at me expectantly.
"I...I am not someone you want to see angry!"
Rhadamanthus dipped his head in acknowledgment. "No, indeed," he said gravely. "We do not wish to witness such a terrifying sight."
"I'm being serious here," I growled. "I can be fucking mean when I'm angry."
Rhadamanthus' brows shot up. "Milady has used the F-word! Such meanness!"
Minos slowly shook his head. "Such display of meanness is...legendary." A moment of intense silence followed right after, and as the ARM slowly turned their gazes towards me...
I made a face. "Hilarious."
But this only earned me an additional ten seconds of smirks and snickers.
"Come on, guys. Seriously. Do you really not think I should be with Hadrian—-"
"Yes," the ARM answered in unison.
"Seriously?"
"It is as Lord Hades said, milady," Aeacus answered simply. "Persephone's counsel would likely speak undesirable words about you, and Lord Hades would just as likely lose his temper if he sees you the slightest bit affected."
"I'm not that fragile," I protested.
"It is true that you are the furthest thing from fragile and ladylike," Aeacus acknowledged.
"Uh, that's not actually what I said—-"
"But be that as it may, Lord Hades is fiercely protective towards you," the immortal judge-slash-vassal interrupted with a shrug, "and so it is best that we do as he bids."
I wanted to keep arguing over this, but with Spiro coming back bearing a tray of drinks, I was forced to paste a smile on my lips and put a halt to our conversation.
"May I pour tea into your cup, milady?" Spiro asked hopefully.
"Yes, please, and thank you."
The boy looked close to fainting, and while he really was too sweet for words, I was also on pins and needles for him to leave.
The only reason my pending case before the Olympian High Court hadn't earned a single minute of airtime on The Morning Show with Iris & Friends was because Eunomia, the Goddess of Justice, had put into effect a media blackout on the whole thing. None of us were to speak about the case in public, and anyone caught violating her rule would be immediately made to help Sisyphus roll his boulder up a hill for a day.
While the gag order was definitely to my advantage, it also meant I had to be extra discreet myself, and well...
Let's just say keeping my mouth shut had never been a piece of cake for me, and it was an even bigger problem now, with how worried I was about Hadrian being all on his own while facing Persephone and her legal squad. Sure, I knew he was tough as nails and all, but—-
"Tell me honestly..." I spoke as soon as Spiro was out of earshot, and something in my tone must've alerted them, with the ARM swiftly turning my way, their expressions sober.
"I know Hadrian doesn't want me hearing things that could hurt me, but what about him? Is there anything Persephone could say that might hurt Hadrian? And before you even start thinking things - I'm not asking this because I'm feeling jealous or insecure. Well, okay, I do feel a bit of both, but more than that, I just want to make sure I can be truly there for Hadrian. I don't want him hurt—-"
"I appreciate the concern, my love," a deep, gravelly voice murmured from behind, "but as you can now see for yourself, I've emerged from the meeting still in one piece."
Chapter Two
I can't believe we're doing this here!
