Before Artemis could disagree with the King's statement, she was cut off by the sound of the approaching horses.
Another carriage stopped by the castle gates and the Royal siblings of Bellicus stepped down with Callisto, the crown prince, leading the way and the others following him at his sides.
Selene was timidly walking behind her brothers, as she was certain of her mother's fury. Her mother was like an epitome of kindness but when it came to her practicing between men with weapons, she could turn into a fire spitting dragon.
Callisto, Oberon and Tethys greeted their mother while Selene stood still by her father's side.
"Selene?" Artemis's voice had an impact close to a sharp slap.
Selene prepared herself for the words which were about to leave her mother's mouth but nothing of the sort happened.
The King cut her off again as he said,
"Let's head inside." On his command the queen decided to let it drop for now and everyone began heading to the castle.
The Castle of Bellicus was like a tower of rock amid the jolly green, a fine accompaniment to the bonny foliage and bloom. It was built of stones of varying sizes and shapes, each one unique. From a distance it was uniformly white, from up close it is a mosaic of humble rocks and together they were a castle, the crown of the landscape.
On the boundaries of the fort were thick walls made of fine stones and material strong and resistance enough to keep a whole army of enemies outside the realms of the castle. On the inside it was guarded by several guards with armors.
The doors of the great hall were pushed open once again
and the tables were filled with delicious meals and aroma. Through the huge windows that welcomed the passage of the light, the dining room was alive with the vibrant hues of the midday.
The King was the first to enter, followed by the queen. The maids brought the meals and made certain if anything else was demanded and then finally left after a few more minutes, the royal children arrived. All of them entered together and took their seats accordingly.
The faint noise of the cutlery continued to fill the room combined with the aroma of the meals. The royal children, Callisto, Oberon, Tethys, Ariel and Selene, all of them continued to chatter and laugh along as they dined in.
All of a sudden Themiesto spoke, catching everyone's attention. "Tonight we are invited to a grand ball hosted by my dear friend King Hendrickson of Santok."And as he finished he saw the faces of his children light up with happiness.
Hendrickson Boyle was the King of Santok and Themiesto's friend. Santok was a neighboring kingdom to the Kingdom of Bellicus.
The royal children of Bellicus have spent their childhood playing and training with King's Hendrickson's sons and daughters and they were delighted to see them at the ball tonight.
When after the meal was over, and everyone was already in their rooms, Artemis took slow steps towards hers and the King's room. Her mind was occupied with Selene and her activities.
"I wished to converse about Selene with you, my King!" Artemis said once she entered inside her room where the King was.
"About Selene? Go ahead Artemis. What is it that concerns your mind?" He asked her politely as he noticed stress plastered on his wife's face.
Artemis pressed her fingers together in hesitation. Bringing the topic up in front of her husband might only irk his mood and she was well aware it was a dire situation but also one which would mean intentionally walking into her own grave.
"I want you to cease Selene's training as a hunter." No matter how much heavy the condition was, she just couldn't keep it inside her anymore.
"I want to involve her more in ladylike activities like our daughter Ariel. She is someday going to grow into a woman and she needs to familiar with ladylike attributes of her life." Artemis expressed her troubled thoughts to her husband, hoping he would try to put himself in her shoes.
As her wife finished her words, Themiesto laughed leaving an astonished Artemis.
"Is that what worries you?" He suppressed his laugh as he spoke.
"Yes, My King!" She replied and stopped herself from bringing up that sour topic again.
"I appreciate your concern Artemis, but I think we should let our daughter decide." Were the words of the King, who was a father before being a King.
"I never doubted your decisions and discernment, but as a mother I can never keep my mind off that ill-omened prophecy." With these words Artemis dashed outside the chamber leaving the King alone.
Her words rang like bells echoing through empty hallways, reverberating over and over again.
Nineteen years ago, when the King and Queen were blessed with Selene, they were happy but unbeknownst to her fate. They named her after the Goddess of Moon and she did justice to it with the beauty and aura she possessed. When she was little, the King called a known prophet who had previously revealed the fates of Bellicus and the King's other children. The prophet was never wrong in his calculations and all his prophecies had come true.
*****
What could be the prophecy about? interested to know about it? Swipe up for the next chapter!!! And keep voting for this book.
Also I have mentioned the Cromwell family in order
1. Themiesto Cromwell- the king
2. Artemis Cromwell -the queen
3. Callisto Cromwell - the first [eldest] prince, soon to be king after his father
4. Oberon Cromwell- the second prince
5. Ariel Cromwell - The third child [princess]
6. Tethys Cromwell - The fourth child. [prince]
7. Selene Cromwell - The fifth and the youngest child. [princess]
if you have any other doubts regarding the family then please mention it in the comments section.