Page 89 of A Crown of Hopes and Sorrows

“Forgive me, Flora. I appreciate the warm welcome but—”

“Oh, right.” She straightened and popped her fingers against her forehead. “You must have so many questions. Why am I being pleasant to you? Why did I expect you? That sort of thing?”

I tightened my fingers, and the rings I wore glittered in the sunlight. “If I were to be honest, yes, I am wondering about those things.”

“I have another visitor as well. Someone who is eager to see you.”

I stopped walking, and Flora stumbled with the motion.

Oh, gods.

Another visitor.

Zephyrus wouldn’t have come here too, would he?

And, if so… He had to be furious with me and Apollo. Might he attempt to kill me and my party? Out here in this temple that sat an hour to the nearest small village, no one would know or care if he did. The only protection I had with me were my human guards, and Zephyrus would end them without hesitation. Had I just doomed us all? This was why kings and high lords only met with gods in large groups, surrounded by others who could see their actions. Humans didn’t trust deities; they needed them. And there was a big difference between the two. But I hadn’t been making the wisest choices since I’d let my heart get involved.

Flora’s expression darkened, her scowl reminding me of the one she’d worn at the palace. “No. Not him.” She spat the last word out with so much contempt, I winced. “Did you know he tricked me into marrying him?”

“Zephyrus?”

She nodded, her lips pursed, her gaze growing distant. “But I manipulated him as well. So, perhaps it’s fair.” She shifted towards me as we approached the temple and its shadow stretched out, reaching us, causing Flora’s silver glow to brighten. It reminded me of Apollo and being wrapped up in his light. I swallowed back the feelings that crawled through me with that memory. Flora sighed. “I suppose you’ve heard the rumor that I’m Jupiter’s daughter?”

We clipped up the steps, the swishing of our garments echoing off the stone. “I have, yes.”

“It’s a lie.” She smirked. “I created it to get Zephyrus’ attention. You know there was a time when I found him charming and”—she giggled but then stifled it again, resting her head on my shoulder for a moment—“handsome. Believe it or not.”

“I believe that, actually.”

She shifted towards me, a clarity washing over her expression. “Yes, I’m sure you understand. Anyhow, my friend—the one who is here to speak with you—warned me against intertwining myself with him. But I didn’t listen to her.”

“Why don’t you leave him?”

She stopped before a shadowed doorway. Floral scents performed a ballet in the air, sweeping together, the totality of all their distinct notes washing through the space. “I cannot. Marriage between two gods is the highest of blood vows. I cannot harm him, break that commitment, share his secrets, or move against him.” She lifted her face to me, her skin so smooth it glimmered like pottery, and she smirked. “Not directly, at least. Now, come, let me introduce you to my friend.”

I hesitated for a moment. Len met my gaze, and I gave him a nod. Hera’s lot if this wasn’t stupid, but something propelled me forward—curiosity perhaps or maybe just confusion. Whatever it was, it overruled the logical part of me that knew stepping into a temple to meet some unnamed being wasn’t wise.

Inside, the space became cooler and darker, but the fresh air of the gardens permeated through, golden slips of light falling from windows and sneaking through crumbled portions of the stone where flower-covered vines pushed past the facade and into the building.

The room sat empty save a few pieces of furniture tucked into one corner next to a table where a woman waited. Her gaze slipped up to us though her expression didn’t change.

Flora led me to the table, releasing my arm, and dropped into a chaise, her curls splaying out across the cushion like a dark river. “Meet my friend, Prince Hyacinth.”

I bowed and took a seat. The woman shifted towards me, her skin smooth, though deeply wrinkled along the edges. Her flesh had a paleness to it but also the glimmering depth of darker tones. Her hair—a wild mass of gray and ivory streaks—flowed over her shoulders like a child’s. Everything about her seemed a combination of all attributes that any human could have in one body. It was disconcerting.

“I’ve not had the pleasure,” I said as the guards and Len took seats Flora waved towards.

“Prince Hyacinth,” the woman said, her voice rich but somehow as quiet as a whisper at the same time. “I’m certain you’ve heard the stories of me and my sisters.”

Flora sat up, her feet draping over the edge of the couch, satin slippers on them pressing against the stone floor. “Clothos is one of the three Fates, Your Highness.”

I sucked in a breath and shifted towards the woman again. The Fates. “I… I didn’t know I would have the honor to meet you.”

Clothos kept her gaze on me without blinking, her expression giving nothing away, and a shiver ran down my spine. There was no deity above the Fates. They held the story of the world, the future, and the life of every being in it—gods included. “I came here to speak with you.”

I nodded but couldn’t find words.

“Your future lies before you, and you have a choice to make.”