CHAPTER 520: TELL ME WHY!

"Of course Apollo, It also is going to feel like you are more attuned with nature at times. The sound of the wind will sound like pleasant songs, animals chirping, a show they are putting on for you, but the main blessing? That I have no idea, each one is different and will manifest itself over time."

I was intrigued by that piece of information. "You don’t know yourself? Well, this is going to get interesting then, isn’t it? Thank you Ness, if giving your blessing was as emotional as you said it was, I am beyond grateful, I hope with this, your guilt has subsided."

Nerissa then paused and uncharacteristically rubbed the back of her head as she looked away. "What?" I asked concerned, prompting her to respond. "I was honest when I said it had been that long since one of us performed a blessing. My Siblings are going to be aware of this, as they can feel when a blessing has been given, and are going to send someone to investigate within the coming days. I am sorry."

I looked Nerissa up and down before shrugging my shoulders. "If they are just checking on you to make sure you are fine and were not coerced or anything, I see no fault in that. I would want my family to check on me if I just granted someone an ancient ritual."

Nerissa smiled and reached out her gauntleted hand and brought it to my face again, booping me before stroking my cheek. "You are a good human Apollo. Don’t forget that." I smiled at that information before licking my lips. "You taste good." I couldn’t help but say as the almost sappy lingering taste continued to permeate through my lips. Nerissa then pulled back and rolled her eyes before putting her helmet back on.

Knowing that once the dome is dropped there is going to be a spectacle, I sighed, bracing myself before nodding to Nerissa. As the dome dropped, I was actually pleasantly surprised to find that the crowd had actually disappeared and only a handful of individuals were present.

The deputy headteacher began by saying. "Archon Apollo, Apologies for not making our announcement clearer, we-" She was hastily cut off by a concerned mother. "Apollo, my baby! Are you ok?" Valerica sprang to action, her eyes stained red with worry, pulled Apollo away and shielded him with her own body between him and Nerissa.

I tried to respond, but only a series of muffled garbles expelled out as Valerica continued her habit of suffocating me between her breasts as she hugged me. Valerica instantly went feral knowing her son was now ok and turned, scowling at Hailey.

"How could you do this you bitch! He trusted you with this information and you went behind his back?!? My kitten is wrong about you, you really are just bad news. Stay away from my son!"

*chomp*

"Owie!" Valerica suddenly declared and let me go as I bit into her breast. I then gasped for air and then admonished her. "Stop trying to kill me with those things!" I exclaimed before looking around.

All that were present were the deputy head, Valerica, Hailey, Gabrielle and some old dude in the distance holding what looked to be a small polar bear? When I made eye contact with that man, he jolted in surprise before waving playfully.

I didn’t respond to his wave as I turned to Hailey, the apparent leak of my secret. I looked at the woman next to her who was staring at me intensely. Her hands were clenched into fists and it appeared her nails had dug into her palms, causing drops of blood to drip from them.

I wasn’t sure what had gotten Gabrielle so worked up, but she looked close to Hailey so she might be mad at what Valerica just said. Managing to somehow slip from her claws, I walked towards Hailey who visibly shrunk as I approached.

I stopped right before her and looked down. "Why did you do it?" My voice lacked emotion as did my face. Hailey matched this despite her shrinkage, as it was her natural state. She seemed to compose herself, pushing out her chest in a bout of confidence as she explained.

"Back on Euc 1 when you were attacked, the queen pardoned you of all crimes. She didn’t mean to and it was a slip on her part as she didn’t realise you had committed other crimes than using Psionics on the palace grounds. Doing so, she pardoned you of your genetic enhancements. Using this fact, I, using my connections, managed to create an Academic dispensation for you since you were absolved of your previous crime and I got it signed by my father, King Dickon. Making it so you can continue to perform your passion legally."

I maintained eye contact with Hailey for a short while. I wasn’t adept at telling if people were lying, but I knew the truth when I saw it. There wasn’t any nefarious intention in her actions, which left one simple question to ask again, now that the logical facts were presented. "Why?"

Shocking everyone that knew her, Hailey’s eyes began to pool with tears as she looked up at me. "B-Because the last time I saw you, you were dying. You had to leave because you couldn’t perform the procedure you needed here, you had to go home, away from me. You are my friend Apollo and I don’t have many of those... I just. I just wanted you to be safe." She then began bawling her eyes out, crying unimpeded.

That was the straw that broke the camels back for my cold front as I brought her into a hug. Hailey seemed surprised as she jolted in my arms before hugging me tight and began crying once more. Harder, clearly out of relief.

Thinking about it, sure. I could have been butt hurt about it. Be one of those dicks who carry grievances around like it’s my whole personality, but honestly? Other than the shock at thinking it was a set up, I wasn’t that fussed. I shared a personal secret with a, unbeknownst to me, princess. If anything she was compelled to take this to the authorities and have me arrested, but no. What she did was to actually help me? To actually make it so I can pursue my passion. My art. Here while I study other Psionic wonders? That I couldn’t be mad about. That is what friends do.

Leanna and Valerica’s mouths were agape at the scene before them. They had never seen Hailey this emotionally vulnerable and were in a state of shock. Valerica recovered quickly however and smiled lovingly. "Thats my son. So kind-hearted, forgiving even a mega bitch."

Gabrielle visibly twitched hearing this. This period of getting close to her son was going to be torture with this woman around. Even the torture resistance training she had to undergo during her training in Olympus was tame in comparison.

Meanwhile, Orchid and Janine were looking on with a frown. Orchid didn’t already like this bitch since day one and now she betrayed Apollo’s trust? Orchid would remember this.

While Janine also didn’t like this, but also noticed Hailey’s body language, she recognised it immediately as she often did the same things. ’Great... Another one.’

A few minutes went by and Hailey’s cries turned into sniffles as I proceeded to comfort her. After I felt her emotional state return to an optimal place, I asked. "So, you are a princess?" I felt Hailey’s body tense up and begin to shake like a lamb as she replied. "Y-Yes. Sorry for not telling you. Please don’t hate me."

"Hate you? Now why would I go and do something foolish like that? You have already told me what a shit your dad is now that I know he is the K... Oh that’s why he was staring me down at the party! Oh that makes so much more sense now! Oh that is like an itch that has been prevented from being scratched for ages!"

I went on a tangent, causing Hailey to giggle slightly, The laughter brought me to, prompting me to ask. "So, I hope you don’t expect me to treat you any differently now that I know you are royalty? Because honestly, I have no clue how to do that. To me, you are just my friend, Centurion Hailey."

’Plus the fact that I regularly sleep and punish the queen of an entire species... Royalty and its status is kind of lost on me...’ I thought. My mind then drifted to Jewel over my knee as I proceeded to spank her over and over. ’Good times.’

Hailey let out a breath of relief, the one thing she had truly been stressing over, he just brushed aside. Of course he would, he is Apollo. Her man was perfect that way, even forgiving her for her betrayal.

"Quite the contrary Apollo, I wish for you to treat me as you always have, as that is who my friend is and I wouldn’t want you any other way."