Beauty of Thebes

Chapter 9: Difference In Treatment

For certain odd reasons, Eutostea felt from the bottom of her heart a conspiracy brewing — namely her bedroom window. No matter the number of times the repairman fixed her window latch, it was often set so loosely that it would fall off by the slightest touch. And she did not know why. The only thing she knows… that she’s certain of is Apollo. He’d enter her room each night like an addiction. He wanted her. That she was certain of.

He gave her pleasure. If there was a word to describe it she may as well call it a gift. She grew accustomed to his gestures and reached nigh pleasure far too many times to count. He treated her like a woman, like an equal partner.

Looking at the man who occupied the other half of her bed, Eutostea got out of the bed. She looked at the male god and then the window frame that was brighter than the inside of her bedroom with the stars as silhouettes. The window frame was wide open and the latch evidently loose.

She once recalled Apollo grumbling at the latch’s cumbersome difficulty.

Eutostea sighed. A sudden thought transpired in her mind. She looked at the sleeping Apollo once more before proceeding to wrap her bare body with a robe.

Eutostea left the room thereafter and was greeted by two bodyguards. Eutostea raised her hand, pressed her finger on her lips, and signaled the two men to keep quiet. She turned around briskly and quietly walked towards Askitea’s bedroom quarters. Five guards, the numbers twice as many as Eutostea’s, stood guarding in front of Askitea’s door. She passed them by and entered her sister’s room.

A subtle lantern light lit the bedroom and Eutostea walked straight to the window without mind. She had attempted to open it, but to no avail, it was tightly locked and would not budge open.

Eutostea looked at Askitea; she slept comfortably.

A firm expression formed on Eutostea’s lips as she left the room and trotted to Hersia’s bedroom quarter thereafter. Similar to Askitea, Hersia had many guards on stand by and her window tightly locked.

But for her… that was not the case.

“Mr. Repairman… are you doing this on purpose?”

Eutostea returned to her room and kicked the walls in a flitting fit of anger. Why was she given incomparably different treatment from her sisters? The thought continued to fester in her mind till’ finally, she calmed down upon remembering she had another company lying on the bed.

She turned around and sat on the corner of the bed. She thought she could hear her chest fluttering…

‘I could light the lamp… I’d be able to see his face…’

But she did not.

‘No, I’m not that curious.’

She thought bluntly.

Unlike others, she did not care for Apollo’s appearance. He’s beautiful, she’s sure of it, but she had no inkling care. Maybe she could use him, the unruly god, as a weapon.

“Why are you sitting there like a ghost?” Apollo said and clasped her hand.

“I woke up from a wild dream.” Eutostea was now able to concoct a lie without blinking.

Apollo smiled lowly. “That’s great. I had a dream too.”

Apollo reached for her neck and pulled her towards him. Eutostea allowed herself to be pulled into his arms; she laid her head on his chest. He knew exactly where her eyes were, her nose, and her hair in this pitch-black darkness.

Eutostea thought it strange.

Could he not tell that she was not Hersia if he knew her body structure better than anyone else?

“Don’t you want to know what I dreamt of?” Apollo asked.

“I’m not curious,” Eutostea replied.

Apollo smiled. “I would have told you.”

Eutostea shook her head. “I hear that gods dream of the future. I dare not peek at your dreams.”

“You’re right, Princess of Thebes,” Apollo laughed. “Well, anyway, tell your father to send a hawk to Delphi tomorrow with a white ribbon tied to his leg.”

Eutostea snapped her head and looked at his eyes. “Is the dream related to Thebes?”

At her sudden questioning, Apollo burst out in laughter. “You said you weren’t curious.”

“It’s another matter when it has to do with my kingdom.”

Apollo’s eyes softened and looked at her affectionately like a lovely evening flower.

“All right. I’ll tell you. In my dream, you appeared…”

At the end of Apollo’s tale, he hugged Eutostea and said, “Let’s go back to sleep.”