Adonis turned around and walked back into the palace brickly. He’d ignored every offer of greeting from the soldiers and staff alike.

He took the stairs in twos, rushed to his room, and banged the door behind him. He felt his body burst with rage, and his nose flared as his mind replayed the images of Astrid and Augustus together.

He kicked and thrashed at the wall beside him, then his eyes caught a flash of the vases sitting on the opposite corner of the room. He rushed for them and crashed them on the floor, then let out a low and pain-filled growl.

Finally, he looked at the ceiling, took a few deep breaths, and slowly calmed himself down. His mind went to memories of together; of her saving him, their time together, her home, and so much more.

His heart swelled with love. He would make her see reason, and he would have to do something about Augustus.

The next day, he decided to visit the Sun Arena to let off some steam. His horse galloped through the streets, and he waved and smiled at the people as he passed.

He’d finally reached and wasted no time practicing with his weapons. His sword cut through his straw and wooden victims as he practiced, then the memories from the battles flooded in, the bombs, and he would need to know what happened in the kingdoms Octavia attacked.

His mind automatically thought of Astrid, and how she’d stormed into the battlefield, the dread when she was badly wounded, and then...

"Your majesty," Orion said, interrupting Adonis’s thoughts. "It’s good to have you back." He was the son of one of the senators; they had been friends since they were little.

Adonis turned to look at him, and his face broke into a smile. "It’s been so long, Orion," Adonis cried. "Where have you been?"

Orion chuckled, "Across the seas, my prince, just like you."

"Please," Adonis scoffed, and threw a hand over his shoulders, "if I took the trips you did, I would gladly die any day if I was asked.

"You exaggerate, Adonis," Orion laughed as they sat down.

Adonis tilted his head sideways and chuckled.

"I hear you’re getting married one of these days," he said.

Adonis rolled his eyes, parted his legs, and leaned against his knee. "It’s all talk. Nothing too serious."

"You call a competition for marriage unserious? I beg to differ."

"It’s really not like that."

"And you know, I think I saw two of them with your sister on one occasion, at the theater. Nikolas Aetos was also present."

Adonis shrugged. It was certainly Penelope. She’d been obsessed with the whimp for heaven knows how long. He never knew what she saw in him.

"Although things were quite strange between the four of them," Orion said thoughtfully.

Adonis’ ears perked up, and he frowned slightly, then looked at him. "What was strange?"

"Niko looked like a mess, and..." He began to whisper, "One of the caretakers I had spoken to before I left the theater said he thinks Niko got one of the girls pregnant."

Adonis immediately sat up straight and glared at him. "Do not slander..."

Orion held up a hand to him, "I am not trying to slander anyone. I’m simply telling you what I heard. It might have been any one of those girls, including your sister, or the baby might not have been Niko’s; I have no idea. However, when I saw him leave the establishment, he was in horrible shape. So, if you’re really troubled, you could always seek out these claims and verify them. "

Adonis blinked rapidly as he stared at him. "You’re really serious about this?" His voice shook slightly with disbelief. "You realise what this means?"

"Do not get ahead of yourself, Adonis, all of this might not even be true."

Adonis stood up and looked down at Orion. "I hope it isn’t," he said and left.

He briskly walked to his horse, mounted it, and rode off all the while cursing under his breath. He hoped earnestly that it wasn’t Penelope. She’d always had a soft spot for the scoundrel and now this. What other gossip is being circulated about them?

He whipped his horse, pushing it to go as fast as it could.

He reached the theater after a short while and rushed in, pushing through the crowd.

"Where can I find the owner of this establishment?" He grabbed one of the actors he had come across and asked.

"What is the matter with..." The girl had tried to pull away from his grasp and stilled. She looked at him, eyes wide and her lips slightly parted. "My prince."

He frowned at the woman and gently shook her, "Tell me," he said again.

The woman shook her head slightly and blinked. "I’m sorry, my prince. You can find him up there." She pointed to a room on the second floor.

Adonis rushed past her and snaked through the people on the stairs. He slowed down in front of the door and knocked.

"Who might that be?" The man asked from inside.

"Prince Adonis." 𝚏𝗿𝗲𝐞𝐰𝚎𝕓𝐧𝚘𝘃𝗲𝐥.𝐜𝚘𝕞

He heard the chairs chaotically shift and hit each other, then the man opened the door.

"My prince," his eyes shone brightly, "to what do I owe this visit?"

"I have important things to discuss with you, sir," he said as he pushed past the man and went to sit on one of the chairs.

"Of course, of course," the man closed the door and sat in front of him. "What can I help you with?"

Adonis cleared his throat, "A few rumors are circulating that concern my sister."

His eyes widened, and he shifted uncomfortably in his seat.

"No need to be afraid, good sir, tell the truth."

The man cleared his throat, "They’d all come here a few months ago. The princess and two other girls. They were very beautiful."

Adonis scowled and raised an eyebrow.

The man let out a short, awkward laugh. "Lord Nikolas arrived almost an hour later, and there was so much shouting coming out of the room. A few of the customers said they heard him ask whether a pregnancy was his. They went back and forth on the topic for a while before lord Nikolas left."

"Do you know who?" Adonis asked quietly.

The man went silent for a while. "I think she was called...Hera."

"What?!"

"Yes, your majesty. Many of my customers confirmed this. Her name is Hera. However, because I know this affects the royal family, I paid them off to keep it quiet."

Adonis’ mind raced, and he leaned forward. "Are you sure about this?"

"Yes, my prince."