Folke ♥︎|| Folkelore

♥︎ 10 ♥︎

Apollo moves to stand beside me, shaking out his wet hair. "We should probably change into dry clothes."

I nod, my gaze still stuck on the choppy waves. Something's different in his voice. It's... softer almost.

It's probably just in my head. Or pity. I was in a bad place this morning.

My mind turns over the most recent encounters. There was the day he showed up with that stupid little smirk, or that night in the hall. Our wedding starts to flit through my thoughts, but I shove it away. That's- let's not remember that day. Back to the night in the hall. The way his eyes hardened as he collected himself. The pain pulling at the seams. He never wanted this, wanted me. It was only ever our parents' dream. Of course, now we're stuck in the crosshairs.

"Why do you hate me?"

Apollo spins around, looking at me like I've lost my mind. "What?"

"You hate me. Why?" I look eyes with him, shoving down my emotions.

Apollo bites his lip, looking off to the side. "I've never hated you, Calla."

My lungs stop working. I can't breathe. I can't think. No, that can't be right.

"Don't- don't say that. You ignored me for years. Treated me like a- a child! Don't tell me that was love?!"

"It wasn't, and I have no excuse for it except that I was young and didn't know how to express my feelings." Apollo's eyes are filled with regret, but I harden mine. He can't ignore me for years and then show up like it was all just childhood fun. "But I never hated you, Calla."

"What about that night I asked you to marry me? It sure seemed like you hated me then."

He exhales shakily, rubbing a hand over his face. "Where is this coming from?"

"I- I— just answer the question, Apollo."

"I told you, I've never hated you, Princess. I just-" he growls, shoving his hands into his hair. "What was I supposed to do? I was young and engaged and you, oh you. You were perfect. In every way, and I- I wasn't."

I snort. "I'm not perfect."

"I know that now, but then... back then it was different."

"I loved you, you know." I chuckle, tears pricking my eyes. "I loved you so much."

Apollo turns towards me. "Do you-" he clears his throat. "Do you think you could ever love me again?"

"I don't know." It's the truth.

He nods, looking back over the ocean. "I see." Rocking on his heels, he adds, "Well, I'm going to go change now."

I watch him walk towards the quarters. He pauses at the hall, his hand resting on the wall as he glances over his shoulder.

Our eyes meet, and I want him to stay.

Turning away, I wrap my arms around my waist. I growl, angry that my emotions are so out of whack. I just told him I didn't know if I could love him again and then he leaves — which is a perfectly fine response— and now I'm mad that he did? What is going on?

Pacing around the deck, I take deep breaths. We're both adults now. Life is different now than it was then. We're different people. Why is it so hard to believe that he doesn't hate me?

Groaning, I rest my hands on top of my head. A little flicker of something on the horizon catches my eye, and I freeze. Looking closer, my breath catches. We made it.

I run towards the back of the boat, taking the stairs down two at a time. We made it!

"Apoll- mph!"

Apollo grabs my arms to keep me from falling. "Deimos, princess. What's got you in such a hurry?"

I stand there, gasping for a few moments before finally getting out the three simple words, "We made it." Gripping his shoulders, I grin. "We made it!"

"Made it where? Scle?"

I nod, pulling him into a hug in my excitement. Letting out a squeal, I rush back up the steps. We're so close. I can feel it.

Looking back over my shoulder, I trip over my own feet at Apollo's expression. He doesn't notice my look with his eyes turned towards the sky, but he's muttering with a goofy little grin. My steps stutter to a stop as I watch him. His head moves in my direction again, and I whip around to charge up the steps in front of me.

All the while, Apollo chuckles behind me. We make it back out onto the deck, standing side by side once again. Apollo sighs, rolling his shoulders. Looking over at me with a lopsided grin, he asks, "Are you ready, Princess?"

I nod sharply, an excited smile slipping through. Whatever Scle throws at us, we can handle it. We've got this.

As we watch, shadows take shape forming mountains and trees. It's time.