Imperfection
~Chapter 13~
"Gosh, I'm exhausted," Gwen sighed heavily, lounging on her bed. She shifted through her notebook half-heartedly, looking at the hundreds of spells neatly written in cursive. She tossed it to the ground and rolled onto her stomach, her groan muffled by one of the pillows. Translating the spells and figuring out what they could do was difficult and made her head throb like she had a terrible migrane. Her knuckles throbbed and there was still the annoying sting of a paper cut on her finger from before. Since Kevin was taking a shower and Ben was talking to the Queen, she figured it would be well deserved for her to take a nice, long nap.
As soon as she closed her eyes, there was a knock on the door. She got up and smiled. "Hello Clarise."
Clarise smiled apologetically. She held a silver platter with two jeweled goblets. "Do you mind if I come in?"
"Sure, not at all." Despite not being able to get some shut-eye, it was still nice to see Clarise. She was really nice, not as bubbly as Athena, or gruff as Apollo, or reserved like Micel. She was easy to talk to. "Come in. Is this for me?" she asked, pointing to the goblets.
"Oh, yes, it's a special juice I make that calms me down and helps me rest. Food isn't a necessity for us, but it's a mood changer." She passed the goblet encrusted with garnets to Gwen. "You've had a busy day today."
"Oh, it's no problem," she assured. She peeked inside of the goblet, only seeing a foamy blue liquid. "What's it made of?"
"A few plants in the garden from the guests' headquarters. The nectar from the flowers help a person fall asleep. You seemed rather tired. I made some for Ben and Kevin too, but they're busy at the moment." Clarise took a sip of hers, smacking her lips in satisfication. "Ahh...so Gwen, you are in...college?"
"I will be soon."
"Ah, that's right. You're still in high school. You said you were busy with exams coming up."
Gwen nodded and took a sip of her drink. She gasped and choked, appalled by the extremely bitter taste. It reminded her of the PCP taste test in Biology, but this seemed even worse. It burned her tounge and throat, her teeth ached and her gums seemed to swell. The juice fizzled in her mouth and when she swallowed it as fast as she could, it left her mouth numb. She coughed, wiping her mouth. "What was that?"
"My special juice." Clarise smiled sheepishly. "The taste is horrible, but you sleep soundly and the taste fades soon after the first sip. You'll want more in no time." Gwen waited impatiently, fighting the urge to gag. After awhile, the numbness faded and she realized that she was right. Her mouth and her throat began to soothe and the desire to drink was unresistable. She took another drink and sighed breathlessly. It was delicious. She downed the glass and Clarise laughed. "You see? Now, you'll rest in no time dear." She picked up the tray and set the two goblets on it. "Sweet dreams princess."
"Mmm, thank you." Gwen laid back, snuggling into the pillows of her hammock. Clarise closed the door and Gwen closed her eyes. She was still in her jeans and tank top, but she was too tired to change into her pajamas. Her breathing slowed and every muscle in her body seemed to unwind. Even her knuckles. Sleep covered her like a warm blanket. She smelled the scent of laundry detergent and a strawberry and creme scented candle. It felt so much like home here...
xXxXxXxXxXxXx
"So what is it that you wish to discuss Ben?" the Queen asked polietely. She gestured to the plush couch across her desk. Ben looked around, amazed by how big her office was. It was like the Oval Office met ancient Rome. Marble mixing with plush blue carpet, the desk plate carved from a marble slab and the stainglass windows showing the goddess holding children, smiling in pure joy.
He cleared his throat, sitting down. The technology on his wrist felt strange in a place like this. "I just wanted to know if we were a burden to you your Highness. I mean, we were just visiting the planet. We didn't mean to take over and-"
She laughed cheerfully, sitting at her desk. "Oh, it pleases me to have you here Ben Tennyson. Such silly doubts from such a young hero. We all adore your company. Other royal families have messaged me, saying how wonderfully your treated their people."
"And your brother and his family?"
"Apollo admires you, which is strange for him." She sniffed in annoyance. "That's a rather hefty compliment from him. Athena admires you, as well as Clarise."
"And Micel?"
She looked taken back by that. "Micel likes you as well. He is particually fond of Gwen, actually. Whenever he talks about you or Kevin, he seems to come right back to discussing her. Your cousin is quite an attraction to our people. There are young girls that show potential to great power, but nothing like her. She's a great warrior." She cleared her throat, a bit embarassed. "But you are still a great hero, of course."
"Thanks." Ok. Suspicions started to creep in. Hearing how Micel looked at her, talked about her...then the whole thing with Micel and Hera, the panic and fear Hera presented when Micel cut into the conversation. Maybe there was more to it than just relationship and bloodline issues. Hera was definantly going to warn Ben about something and Micel seemed to come in at just the right time.
Gwen. "Oh man."
"What is it? What's wrong Mr. Tennyson?"
"Nothing, nothing...just...uh...bathroom." He clutched at his stomach. "I think I ate too much this morning."
She smiled and waved to the door. "I won't get in the way of your human concerns Mr. Tennyson. Go ahead. I'm glad we had a chance to speak privately. I hope you are comfortable after...this little process ends," she laughed.
He laughed as well and nodded. "Sure thing." He ducked out of the room and ran straight to Kevin's room.
xXxXxXxxXxXx
"Are you sure about this?"
Clarise nodded. "She's deep asleep now. The effects of the potion should be taking its full effect soon."
"Excellent," Micel nodded in approval. "Thank you." He sat on his bed and closed his eyes. He imagined the magnificent Gwendolyn Elizabeth Tennyson in the graceful, true Anodite form she was meant to be. She would be a better Queen than his mother.
"What should we do about Ben and Kevin? They would be concerned about her if she wishes to remain here."
"The man told us that the side effects of the change would chase off her loved ones. At least, the ones who do not know of the potion. Ben and Kevin would leaved her be."
"And when she realizes what she has done?" Clarise stood next to his bed, crossing her arms. She narrowed her eyes, disapproving of her nephew. "I supported the idea of her being Queen. She would be an excellent leader. There are still flaws in your plan."
"Yes, but who are you to correct me? You only hold royalty because you married into this family. Your parents passed you off so they could maintain their position. You have no control over me." He opened his eyes, smiling. "So I will let this happen. I will not let anyone stand in my way, or question my authority. I was hesistant at first, but I know this will work."
She glared at him. She couldn't believe he was serious. He wasn't cautious of any possible mistakes? He would say humans were imperfect, always making mistakes. And what was he doing, the hypocrite? Being just as imperfect as humans. "I just wanted you to understand what my concerns are," she said sternly. "You're my nephew, no matter how I got into this family, no matter what position I hold. I care about you."
"I'm quite fine Clarise, though I do appreciate the concern," he responded lightly. "You should see what Apollo is up to. Athena may feel lonely."
"Very well then." She mockingly bowed and left the room. Anger was obvious in her aura and palace workers quickly averted their gazes as she swiftly walked past. "Very well," she repeated to herself, stopping next to a goddess painting. "If this is what he wishes, he shall carry on with this plan. But goddess, I have enough faith in you that you will make everything alright, even when everything is so wrong."
There seemed to be a glimmer in the goddess' bright, wise eyes.
xXxXxXxXxXx
"Kevin, we need to talk."
As soon as Ben walked into the bathroom, Kevin was caught by surprise and nicked himself while shaving. He cursed, touching where his jawbone was scratched, and turned to Ben. "What was so important to talk about that you needed to-" He cut off, seeing the Ben's look of seriousness and fear. It was written all over his face and in his eyes. "What's wrong?"
"I think something's wrong with Gwen."
Kevin's panic switch flicked on immediatly. "What the hell happened?"
"Well, she's fine now," Ben assured him. "It's just..." He toned down the panic in his voice, taking a few deep breaths of his own. "There's something going on here. I just don't trust Micel." He watched Kevin's face as he thought of a reasonable clue as to what Ben was trying to say.
Kevin put down the razor and calmly stood there, hands unclenched by his sides. He was fighting the urge to run to Micel's room and demand what he wanted from Gwen. "So what do you think is going on?"
"Micel has been taking an interest in Gwen. I got that from the Queen herself. Hera, one of the workers who live in the town, was about to warn me of something until Micel came into the room. And isn't it a bit of a coincidence that that the royal family made workers living out of the palace have a break when we're here?"
"Hera is one of the workers..." Kevin trailed off and his eyes widened. "Shit. You're right." He swore again, the curse a deep growl. He gripped the counter top. "How did I not see anything?"
"You've been keeping her busy, and that's good. As long as Gwen isn't alone with Micel, everything should be fine. Then we'll leave Anodine as scheduled and if we ever visit again, we'll never visit this place again."
"Sounds like a plan." Kevin glanced up, his grip on the counter loosening. "Have you talked to Gwen about this?"
"She's still asleep."
"I'll wake her up." Kevin wiped the bit of shaving creme that still remained on his cheek and walked out. He stopped at Gwen's door, looking over his shoulder. "Isn't it strange how Micel kind of spells like-"
"Michael? Yeah."
"Strange how things work huh?"
A/N: Phew! I'M BACK! Haha, sorry it's been awhile :) Hopefully I get some reviews? :D