CHAPTER 39 – THE INVITE

"My dear Son, Jack Frost. I regret everything that has happened between us. I also regret that I let it last for so long. Your father humbly apologizes. I admit that I have made a mistake against you, and I will not ask you to forgive me over a letter. The Grand ball is in six days. Would you be so kind as to grace it with your presence and put your father's troubled heart at peace? I hope you will honor this Invite, son. It would make me happy." The man was scribbling fast at Zeus's feet and Zeus scrunched his nose. "It does not seem quite right, does it?" The stenographer looked up. "I think it is fine, your majesty. In the end, he is your son, and he knows you." Zeus nodded. "Make sure it gets to him. Not his table or his messenger. I want the invite to get to him personally." The stenographer nodded, bowed, and left.

"Look who is back." Artemis looked happy and Hermes knew it was because of the ball. She was always happy during festival seasons and it irritated him a little. "Not now, Artemis." She rolled her eyes and judged his shoulder. "When did you become so boring?" Hermes was getting really annoyed now. "I am busy and.." "I have gossip." Hermes weighed the pros and cons. Well, a little gossip wouldn't hurt. "What is it?" They were standing in the hallway and she gestured him to her room, since it was the closest to where they stood. Once they entered, she closed the door. "Now tell me. Before your annoying twin comes over here and all hell breaks loose." She laughed. "You are not scared of Apollo, are you?" He shrugged. "I'd rather stay out of trouble." She laughed. "Father abducted a lady." Hermes looked confused. "What are you saying?" She put her palm to her face. "What I am saying is, father abducted a girl and brought her home. She turned out to be the missing daughter of Hades, who has not been introduced yet." Hermes's eyes widened in shock. "Zeus brought Althaia home?" She nodded. "Funny. Another funny coincidence is the fact that Brother is in love with her. But I do not think she loves him back because she has been hostile to him and refused all his advances." Hermes was happy and sad at the same time. Her being home meant he didn't have to break it to Jack first, but also meant Jack Frost might never get her back. He could see Jack Frost the way he had left him, trying hard not to break down. Trying hard to hold himself from bursting at the seams. "Is she here? In the palace?" Artemis nodded. "I will show you."

Althaia was tired of the knocks. She knew it would be Apollo, so she didn't even make a move to open it. "Open it, Althaia." She knew the voice and it wasn't Apollo's. She stood, went to the door, and opened it slowly and gasped when she saw Hermes on the other side. He looked the same, just like when she saw him in the winter palace. She just wished she could open the door to Jack Frost too. her lips quivered a bit and she tried to hide it. "You can cry if you want to. I understand how helpless you feel." He was leaning on the mirror table and she sat on the edge of the bed. "How is Jack Frost?" Hermes shrugged. "What do you expect? He is in love with you. Something he has never felt for another woman." She sniffed a bit. "He is looking everywhere for you. If things were fine and he didn't hate Olympians the way he did, he would have looked here too." He paused, watching her. "I am sure he doesn't expect you to be here. Maybe I should have told him back then before he felt anything for you. I would have saved him the heartbreak of today." She broke down at this, her hair falling in front of her face. "I hate the fact that I actually feel pity for you, since you are the one making Jack Frost go through what he is going through now. I do not know your reasons for lying about your identity to him. At least, he would have prepared himself for this. I have never seen Jack Frost this heedless, this confused, yearning for someone." She took a deep breath. "Will you tell him?" " you want me to?" "I am not sure." He nodded. "In the end, it doesn't even matter. He will still end up hurt. Less by the fact that you lied and more by the fact that there is a very slim chance of him getting you back. Did you not think of this when you were thawing his heart?" The question only made her cry more and Hermes shook his head. "I am sorry." He said simply and left her alone. He had teleported straight to his room, the room that was still close to Jack Frost's former room. Maybe that was why they were so close.

"I need to give it to Jack Frost himself." The messenger was saying, but Leon would not hear it. "Jack Frost is busy.." "I will wait." Leon shook his head. "Just hand the letter over and be on your way." "Let him in." Jack Frost was wearing casual outfit, in all black, and Leon knew he was about to leave. He didn't stay at home anymore because as he said, Althaia is everywhere, and it only hurt him more. So, he chose to spend his time out, still thinking of the one person whose presence he left home to avoid. "This is for you, from his royal majesty, Zeus." Jack Frost opened it calmly. Not much shook him up anymore. He felt numb and not even the prospect of his estranged father could spark a lot of feelings in him. "The grand ball, huh? I will definitely make it there."