Chapter Hundred-and-Twenty-Five
**Gina's POV**
“Why is it taking so long, eh? Aegan, you have not found your mate too, yes?” asked King Hades; the man who sat on the throne had fire in his eyes.
“I have not. Howbeit my mother has procured…”
“Whoever finds their mate first will marry the daughter of the Evil Ocean,” King Hades waved Prince Aegan off, refusing to let the prince finish his sentence. This provoked Prince Aegan who struggled to keep his anger beneath the surface.
“Your Majesty,” the woman who spoke had the clearest voice I had ever heard; her voice was the sound of a flowing river. She had golden hair that dropped to the ground and yet was not dirty; her face shone like the sun on a summer day; her figure was slender and yet majestic.
“Prince Aegan can marry the daughter of the Evil Ocean. We do not have to turn this into a competition,” it was only when she spoke that the fire in King Hades' eyes seemed to disappear.
“We?” scoffed Aegan’s mother.
“Do you have someone in mind for Lucian?” enquired King Hades. His tone when he spoke to the Fae queen was different, it was calm and filled with warm emotions.
“I do, but if you permit me, I wish not to share,” she said, and King Hades nodded his approval.
“Very well then. Aegan will find his mate and marry the daughter of the Evil Ocean. Aegan you must find your mate within this month, or you shall be demoted to the lower court,” it was an order.
“Father! That is unfair!” Prince Aegan protested. The courtiers present turned to Aegan with shock on their faces. It was my first time in court, but it was not hard to guess that nobody questioned the directive of King Hades.
“Take him to Belzaaba for punishment. He will remain there for three days until he has learnt to keep his mouth shut,” King Hades was literally spitting fire now.
Aegan's mother threw herself on the ground in front of King Hade's throne and began to plead for her son.
“Very well then, make it a week,” thundered King Hades, and Aegan was taken away.
I saw Aegan's mother stand up and walk out of court weeping uncontrollably.
“Sir Derek, you may approach,” commanded King Hades. Sir Derek approached the throne with a barve grin, but I could see his hands trembling in fear.
“I hear the maids have arrived, yes?” asked King Hades.
“Yes, Your Majesty,” answered Derek.
“Anyone fit for court amongst them?” he asked, and my heart became troubled within me.
“Only one, Your Majesty. However, more maids are still coming to the palace. I believe we will find some more people,” returned Derek.
“And this one?” King Hades asked.
“Approach, Marilyn,” Derek said to me, and I did. I tried my best to remain calm and was surprised that I felt at ease.
“You,” King Hades’ eyes narrowed in on me. I knew I was supposed to keep my head down, but oddly enough, I could not do so. I found my eyes glued to King Hades’ face.
“Why did you lower yourself, thus?” the man on the throne asked me. I was not sure what he meant by that.
“I do not understand what you mean, Your Majesty,” was my response.
We continued to stare into each other’s eyes like it was a face-off. However, it was not the heat of his eyes that made me uncomfortable, it was from behind me. I could feel Lucian staring at me.
“Derek?”
“Yes, Your Majesty.”
“She will not rest with the rest. You will give her a room among the servants of hell,” said King Hades.
“Your Majesty, she has been assigned to serve Prince Aegan…”
“Perhaps you wish to join Aegan in Belzaaba?”
“I will do as you have commanded, your Majesty,” returned Derek.
“Take her to her room now,” said King Hades.
Sir Derek led me out of the throne room, and we again passed through several long corridors and rooms till Derek showed me the place I would be staying. It was very ugly but compared to the larger room I had seen earlier, it was an improvement.
“Why did King Hades send me here? Am I in trouble?” I asked Derek.
“I am not sure. He has removed you from Aegan's service and placed you under his,” Sir Derek eyed my body, making me uncomfortable, “you are not his type. I wonder what he wants with you.”
“What am I to do now?” I asked Derek, even though what I really wanted to know was his role in this place. I had thought he worked for Prince Aegan but the king had given him a command.
“You are to remain here until Madam Antigone comes to assign you to your post,” said Derek.
He left me after that, and I was left alone to myself and my thoughts. So much has happened today. It was a never-ending flurry of activities. Then I recalled the first village I had pictured in my mind. I remembered what that lady had said about time. Was there really no concept of time here?
“Marilyn?” I looked up to see an elderly woman who had a slight stoop in my room. I remembered I had shut the door after Derek had left. How had she entered and I had not known?
“Madam Antigone?”
“The princes are gathered in the east garden, your attention is required there,” she said to me and turned her back as if to leave.
“Madam Antigone, you must show me the way. I do not…”
“Pray tell me child, how did you arrive at the palace?”
“I…I…”
“Exactly.”
I closed my eyes and I saw exactly how I had to go to the garden. I opened my eyes and began to walk.
The garden was bustling with all sorts of obscene activity. I would not go into the details, but you must know that there were a lot of naked bodies involved and lots of wine and strange food and strange forms of entertainment.
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