LYSSANDRA

What did I say? What did I say? Why why why? why why.

I forced myself to focus on each prayer that was coming so I could make the schedule.

But after that, I could not…

‘’We have to fight ?’’ Myrto asked me while we were all eating inside the temple. She took a bite from her bread and waited before she swallowed it all.’’Python the mythical snake.’’

‘’The king probably finds it poetic’’ Alexiou signed with his mouth filled with quail which a hunter gave a lot to us for an offer of a prophecy.

Poetic has an interesting ring to it. We were not warriors. Maybe Dion and his men liked to vandalize people and swing their swords while fighting a giant snake that killed even the king of Argos’ soldiers.

And us here. We were barely a bunch. Adamantious and Thais are sure are strong, Alexious could handle a dagger, and Myrto can run fast but…

‘’Who cares?’’ Thais pierced her knife into the table. ‘’We can finally fight something.’’ And her brave gaze fell on me, expecting me to say something.

‘’I already agreed, didn't I?’’I scoffed with a smile and kept eating my own burnt bird. But my eyes drew to the sigil Adara gave to me.

‘’Here’’She said, giving me a medusa carved in a bronze coin.’’For now, both of the temples are under the sanctuary of the king. None will try to harm you…or the temple.’’

‘’But King Perseus is not my king,’’I asked her and her soft lips curved a wicked smile. ‘’Correct, Oracle Lyssandra but who what king would stop the son of Zeus from giving you temporally sanctuary.’’

That was correct. And Adara almost seemed to believe the words she was letting out. Yet there was a sacred hatred she was holding in her voice.

She turned on me once again with a smile.’’Come now Oracle it is a festival for the Gods’’She walked closer to me and leaned down to my ear. ‘’Someone like you should be proud to take a role in it’’Her lips almost touched my earlobe as she whispered those words and then Adara jumped away with a wide smile.’’A pleasure to meet you Oracle Lyssandra, hope we can have more conversations.’’

‘’Are you alright?’’Asked Adamantious, making me wake up from my thoughts.

I blinked and noticed that everyone was looking at me.

I just nodded and kept eating slowly.

The bathhouse at the temple existed from the start but we all hardly used it because of the system from the hot water. But thanks to a few offers some people who did not have money gave us in return a hand of help to fix the system.

And now hot water could find my skin and my body was blessed with a flourish smell.

Yet, the pain did not disappear. I looked above at the ceiling of hot steam as I was trying to think of Persues’ news.

Why would he give a challenge like this? Why did he care? Then again, I had heard about a story of a young prince of Sparta, falling for God Apollo. The prince was strong and also had a cult in his lover’s name. But the prince’s love for the god drove him to a horrifying end. The priest’s devotion and admiration drove him to his end. Was that his plan?

Oh look, two temples drove each other into madness because of their deep love for their gods. Only for this madness to end in a snake’s belly. If only they had believed in a great king like Perseus, maybe their life would have ended differently.

Then again it doesn’t sound like him. So what could?

‘’Care for us to join you?’’Thais asked from behind me and I saw her and Myrto having a slight piece of cloth around their bodies. Then Thais grinned and showed me a jar that she was holding just like Myrto.

‘’We brought wine’’said Myrto with a smile.

My lips shook before I gave up.’’I love you girls so much.’’

The wine was sweet and cold as it was flowing from my lungs down to my heated body from the water. Next to me, there was Thais who was trying to fix Myrto’s hair as she was pouring her heart out. And yet I could now feel relaxed. Being with the two of them here felt normal. As if what I was pretending to be, what I was for them, it did not matter.

Love this novel? Read it on Royal Road to ensure the author gets credit.

How childish.

‘’I went to spy in one of the houses you told me to’’Myrto took one deep breath.’’Their dog found me and started barking and barking. I had to like knock it out.’’

‘’Please don’t tell me you killed the dog.’’Thais gasped.

‘’No, I just hit it. ‘’She frowned and then smiled. ‘’But I could. Although’’ She rested her head down. ‘’There are so many guards now it makes it difficult to move without getting noticed.’’

I moved my head lower to the water listening to those words but then I got out to speak and took a sip from the jar.

‘’It will be all better when the king leaves.’’I explained.’’When we win Him and Dion will go away and everything here will be perfect.’’

‘’Will it?’’Thais asked as she had finished fixing Myrto’s hair.

‘’I mean yes people believe in you but not all of them. ‘’

‘’Maybe but it will be different,’’ I stated. ‘’I know it will.’’

‘’Yes but do you really want to stay here? What if we could go somewhere else.’’

Five years felt like centuries in this place. Some people were close-minded, others were harsh upon me but yet I got used to being there. Even if each day I would wonder when someone would believe Dion’s words.

‘’What if we tried to go to Delphi?’’I suggested drunkenly. ‘’I could find a way to go there, maybe the king.’’

‘’No.’’ Both of the girls synced.

I blinked.

‘’Lyssandra we love you’’Myrto took a sip of wine. ‘’But if you go to Delphi the whole world will end.’’

I pouted and splashed water at her, letting out a laughter.’’It won’t’’

‘’It sure will’’Thais sneered. ‘’I can imagine temples you will burn, kings you will say to destroy.’’

I tried to look away .’’Probably.’’

And now she attacked me with water falling to my eyes and the jar with wine.

I started laughing harshly as I took another big sip from it and I found Myrto nibbling her lips with her face turning red. I left the jar above me far from the water and jerked at Thais to follow me.

‘’Come now what’s the secret?’’Thais grinned at her and I got the scent of a flower that was certainly not from the bathhouse.

‘’Are those roses?’’ I gasped and her face grew even more red as she shoved her head into the water.

‘’Oh it was Alexious wasn’t it?’’Thais chuckled and Myrto tried to run away.

‘’Now how was he?’’I asked her gently.’’I imagine he was sweet carrying.’’

Thais frowned. ‘’Do you think that they kissed?’’

‘’They are grown, probably did more than a kiss.’’

Myrto gasped for air and looked at us flustered. ‘’We had to kiss?’’

We stared at her with a blank gaze.

‘’What did Alexious do exactly?’’I asked her gently.

Her eyes wandered around.’’He gave me roses, he told me that I am beautiful and after twenty seconds of silence her ran away.’’

‘’Oh he wanted you to kiss him’’Thais grabbed her by the arm and dragged her front and back.

‘’You can talk to him later’’I suggested. ‘’And then kiss…’’I pouted fixing a few strains of her hair.’’Maybe more than that.’’

She looked at us and then she narrowed heavily.’’You are the two to talk.’’

Thais sighed and grabbed the nearest jar to drink.’’I prefer a good sword fight rather than romance. But that doesn’t mean I do not know the signs’’A smile appeared on her face and turned it to me.’’Unlike you, you have all men sweeping around your feet.’’It seemed now that she found a height and started stepping to my side with the water dripping from her upper body, exposing her chest to me.

I could not help but blush and try to avoid each one of the glares.

‘’I do not know what you are talking ab-’’

‘’First of all, whatever it is going on between you with my brother’’She made a long pause.’’For some reason, you are interested in him and I do not know why.’’

She kept moving.’’Dion definitely fell for you the first time he saw you.’’

‘’He did not’’I corrected her but I could remember him welcoming me with his eyes being filled with light and his face dark red. But that could mean anything.

‘’The king wants you alive.’’

‘’He seems to love his wife’’I stared at her and kept drinking.

‘’What about Paris?’’Myrto now asked gently and I choked on the sweet wine.

‘’What about him?’’I cleaned my lips and both of them jumped at me.

‘’Don’t play coy’’Thais whined now completely drunk with her chest falling to my face, suffocating me.

‘’When he is here his gaze is always on you.’’She hummed.

‘’And your room is always filled with flowers,’’ Myrto added.

I shook my head and I pushed Thais away.

‘’He is not interested in me.’’I hushed. ‘’None is.’’My tone was lower when my voice decided to break.

‘’But are you interested in him?’Myrto pointed and my heart started racing. My eyes dart, the pain in my arm moving near my shoulder. And I grabbed the jar once again and I drank every last one of it. I didn't even want to think of the idea of being interested in him.