Once the crowd began dispersing, Merva tried to hide among them and escape but a servant patted her on the shoulder and informed her that the Lady wanted to see her.
She sighed knowing she had already been caught, and her leaving now would be seen as slighting the ruler of the continent.
Minerva followed him to one of the luxury boxes that was sealed with power to hinder normal eyes from seeing through.
"Greetings, My Lady." Merva greeted as soon as she was inside the box.
Metis waved the servant away and looked up at Merva.
"So this is the girl." A young voice said. Merva looked at her, it was Gwendolyn the princess. "Is it because she's beautiful?" Gwen asked Metis.
Merva wished she could shut Gwen up and wipe the condescending look on her face, but she stood there quietly.
"Gwen, calm down." Metis said sternly.
Gwen glared at Merva, looking at her as someone inferior. "Hmm." She huffed and sat down.
Metis stood up from where she sat, her presence commanding and intimidating.
She walked towards Merva, sizing her up. "You must be Merva Pollo." Metis said sweetly.
Merva moved back in fear. Her tone was like sweet poison. "Yes, My Lady." She answered her knees bending involuntarily.
"I am Metis, and this is my daughter Gwen." She said smiling at Merva. "Gwen, won't you come and greet your soon to be sister in law? Come."
Gwen stood up reluctantly and walked to Merva. "I am Gwen." She said in annoyance, refusing to look at Merva.
"Nice to meet you." Merva said politely.
Metis embraced Merva suddenly, her smile dying. Merva cringed in her mind, hugging Metis back awkwardly.
They stayed in that awkward way for a minute, and Metis forced a smile back on her face when she finally released Merva. "I will enjoy welcoming you into the family."
That was a threat.
"That is enough of greetings for today, I will be leaving first." But she did not leave the room.
Merva stood there in front of them while they watched, willing them to leave so that she could find her way.
"Mother are you not going to tell her what father did to brother because of her." Gwen bursted out suddenly.
"Gwen quiet. She doesn't need to know, after all Zeus suffered willingly.'
Merva scoffed in her mind. 'How convenient. Way to tell me everything without telling me.' Merva thought, but her ears were wide open.
Zeus searched for Merva, wondering if she had already gone when something invisible crashed into him. He turned searching for what it was, but the sealed private box in front caught his attention.
He heightened his eyes, and saw his mother and Gwen inside.
"Damn." He muttered, quickly disappearing into the box.
"Mother, Gwen. You came." Zeus greeted as soon as he appeared inside.
Metis stood up to hug him. "Zeus dear, I was just getting to know her. Why were you in such a rush to come here?" She asked smiling.
Zeus looked at Merva. Her eyes were red, her fingers intertwined. She was trying to stay composed.
"It's only that I've already made plans for the both of us, and it would be sad to cancel them now."
Metis nodded in understanding, smiling at him and Merva. "Then you better move along, I wouldn't want to keep you."
Gwen stepped forward and Zeus hugged her. "We will see each other at home." He promised.
"You will be back on time? I want to show you something that I and Amelia did." She said smiling mischievously.
He petted her on her hair and nodded. "I will." And she released him. "Okay, i will hold you to your promise." She glared at Merva as she went to her mother's side, and then smiled at Zeus.
Zeus turned to Merva and took hold of Merva's hand and squeezed it gently before they vanished from there.
Merva freed her hand from Zeus grip as soon as they were somewhere else.
"Where are we?" She asked, trying hard to hold back a sob.
"What did they tell you?" He asked suspiciously.
"Nothing." She replied, turning her back to him. She walked towards the door but he held her back, turning her to face him. "Merva look at me." And she did.
"What did they tell you?" He asked again.
"Everything. They even added all the unnecessary details." She sobbed out, a tear falling down.
"Why didn't you tell me?" She asked through her tears.
"It was not that bad." Zeus said combing through his hair with his fingers. "I said it was okay because I heal faster than normal now. All the marks even faded within the minute that I got the injuries." He said smiling at her.
"But it hurt." She stated as he wiped her teats.
"Well not anymore. I am fine now." He assured her, pulling out a seat for her and gently making her seat.
"Where is this?" She asked as she wiped her tears.
"Take this." He said giving her a hanky and she collects it, sniffling.
"Where are we?" Merva asked.
"Its The Enclave, my favourite restaurant I told you of before, I wanted you to see it.
And Merva nodded.
The restaurant afforded a luxurious type of peace and quiet, the servers coming in quietly serve their orders they had placed through the system.
Merva did not have much of an appetite, but she ate anyway.
"Why did you tell your father that when you could have..." She stopped, what else could he have said? It would only have not happened if he did not save her, and she would only be lying to herself if she said that she wished otherwise.
"I did it because I wanted to. " He told her, watching her expression.
"But you were hurt because of me." She said quietly.
"And it was my father that hurt you." He added.
"Guilty conscience then?" She asked. "You did not have to, I would never blame you for his actions."
Zeus quietly ate his food, contemplating whether he should tell her or not. He felt he had already dropped enough shocking news today. Zeus dropped his fork and knife besides his plate, dabbing at the corners of his mouth with the serviette.
"I said what I did because I wished it was true." He said finally.
Merva forcefully swallowed what she was chewing and grabbed a serviette coughing violently into it.
She knew Zeus liked her, but not to the point of wishing for a promise bond.
He handed her a glass of water, watching as she emptied the cup.
"Are you alright? Do I get a healer?" He asked getting up.
Merva raised her hands to stop him. She was fine.
Merva stayed silent after Zeus confession, her mind drifting back and forth.
"Merva, are you listening?" Zeus called and finally let her be after some time.
They appeared near the ladies quarters, walking slowly by each others side as the evening breeze blew.
Zeus raised his face up in the air, his eyes closed as the breeze ruffled his hair. He smiled, his hands in his pockets as he stood still for a moment.
'He truly was deserving of his title as the Mr. Ethereal of their realm.' Merva thought, gulping as she watched him.
He was a picture of freedom and careless abandon.
"The breeze tonight is wonderful." He said, and Merva nodded unable to say a thing.
They walked to the gate and he stopped, waiting for her to get in before he left.
"Thank you." Merva whispered quietly, and he nodded.
"It's no problem."
Merva imagined walking up to him and kissing him, but she shook it out of her mind. 'Not today.'
"Wait." Zeus told her, walking up to her to get a dried leaf out of her hair.
He had done something like this before, but now Merva felt that it was intentional as she felt her heart beat out of rhythm. She tried to move back and stumbled making him grab her by the waist.
'What is wrong with me?' She thought, looking him in the eye.
"You should get going." He said gently, helping her stand on her feet.
"Erm. Yes I should." And she slipped in through the gate, blushing heavily.
"This is madness." She whispered as she ran towards the building.
Merva was still lost in a daze, doing everything sluggishly.
"What happened today?" Minerva asked when she couldn't take it anymore. "You've already kissed before, so it can't have been that." She said speculatively.
Her eyes widened suddenly. "Did you both do it?"
"Do what?" Merva shouted, getting out of her daze. "Why is your mind always in the gutter?" She said stoning Minerva with a pillow.
"Then what?" Minerva asked impatiently while Merva nearly zoned out again.
"Out with it already, you know we still have to meet Nadine before curfew for the computer hall keys, so make it quick."
Merva told Minerva all that had happened, and what Zeus had said. She waited patiently once she was done, wondering what Minerva would say about it all.
"How do you feel about it?" Minerva asked her.
"I do feel... Happy." Merva said uncertainly.
"You're not sure?" Minerva asked in shock.
"More like elated." Merva said, that was the word.
She looked at Minerva and smiled.
"Seriously?" Minerva asked.
"What?" Merva asked. She had made Minerva think she was doubting intentionally just to aggravate her.
"Why do you like annoying me so much? Sheesh." Minerva said, leaving Merva to do as she pleased.
"I love you." Merva shouted, but Minerva ignored it.
"Get ready, we have to go find Nadine now." Minerva said instead, handing her a coat.
"Don't forget to copy all the information we need to log into the platform." She added.