APH - That Little Maid Ch. 9

  It was quite windy and cloudy that day. As expected, it was London after all. The streets were damp from yesterdays storm but that didn't stop the busy Britons. A lot was going on and a certain blonde airhead was definitely not in the mood.

  He was clad in black and it seemed as if he was hurrying to some place to meet someone. Luckily, he got there just in time, or more like three minutes earlier. A beautiful baby blue painted mansion stood right before him.

  The large golden gates opened for him and his carriage and he got off, thanking his footman in the process. Beautiful maids welcomed him when he went inside and he took off his hat and his coat, and handed it to the servants.

  As he was a familiar face to that place, servants greeted him on his way to. Suddenly, a neat-looking butler appeared and even had time to fix his glasses and combed his hair using his fingers. Arthur stopped his tracks. "Kind sir, please go this way, Master Braginski is currently dealing with his business partner." The young man said in a Baltic accent.

  Arthur noticed a slight change of tone when the young man said 'business partner' but he ignored it and just nodded and followed him to the reading room.

 "да, I won again моя дорогая Yao" was what Arthur heard coming from the reading room. "该死的。你很幸运!" was the reply. 'That must be Ivan and Yao', thought Arthur. "Good morning, gentlemen." Arthur greeted them both as soon as he stepped in; the both of them were playing chess. "啊，亚瑟，你终于来了！" Throwing away the chess pieces on the board, Yao showed a sour face.

 "Speak English, if you please." Arthur said while taking a seat. Ignoring the irritated Briton, Yao just rolled his eyes. Ivan smiled at this. "当你这样做，你是可爱的" The Russian said in perfect Chinese, still smirking at his beautiful blushing lover.

  Arthur did a face palmed and said, "Oh bloody hell Francis is not even here yet and I swore even I could feel the sexual tension between you two rise!" Yao blushed furiously at this but the Russian just chuckled.

 "Oh? You gentlemen and Arthur are having fun even before I arrived? Oh, how painful the wounds penetrate deep in my poor heart." Francis said, who suddenly appeared in a flashy white suit and he was clutching his chest dramatically as if someone had shot him.

 "Oh get over it you frog, don't you realize how terribly ridiculous you sound?" Arthur spat at the Parisian. "Now, now… mes sourcils chers, pas besoin d'être si dur pour Francis pauvre vieux." Francis said, wrapping his arms on Arthur's shoulders.

 Arthur tried to shake him off.  "亚瑟, how is my little sister doing?" Yao suddenly asked him. Arthur stared at Yao for a while and smiled. "She is growing more beautiful by day and she had improved her English. Don't worry; she is safe in my hands." The Briton said. Yao nodded at this.

 A knock was heard on the door; it was Toris; Ivan's favorite butler and he had come to serve tea to the guests.

 The four gentlemen chatted while playing cards about each of their own growing businesses when Francis had suddenly came up upon the idea of Arthur's upcoming ball. "It's just an anniversary ball when my company first started, nothing special. And you all are invited by the way." Arthur said.

"Eh, that's all?" Francis did a fake yawn. "Yeah, that is all. You are considered quite lucky that I even invited your stupid arse in the first place. If you don't want to go then I don't mind your absence!" The Briton said, annoyed.

 Ivan chuckled at the sight of the two men bickering while Yao just sighed. It was quite a normal scene between them. "Oh, brighten up will you? I am trying to give you ideas on how to make your ball more splendid and unforgettable for your guests. It might even help to boost your business!" Francis said, sighing.

  Arthur shot the Parisian and look which said, "Oh come now, out with it."

 "I got this thought when I last visited my cousins in Italy and they were having this celebration called Carnival of Venice and it was very much enticing. Beautiful clothes everywhere! Surely you have heard of this haven't you?" Francis said. Arthur thought for quite a while and finally said, "That might not be such a hazardous thought. It's just like in Romeo&Juliet and The Phantom of the Opera. I might give it a try."

 "Eh, you are agreeing with my wonderful idea?" Francis asked in disbelieve.

 "Oh stop looking so shocked!" Arthur snapped at him, blushing. "да, it sounds wonderful. Just like the Russian play and I bet Yao would look so beautiful in a costume." Ivan laughed, playing with Yao's long locks.

 "停止它。我不是一个女人，所以不要叫我美丽." Yao snapped, slapping away Ivan's hand. Francis and Arthur are terrified of what Ivan was going to do next. The Russian had somehow prove himself to be a dark brute despite of the childish smiling face.

 But to their surprise, Ivan just chuckled at Yao who was glaring at the Russian in an irritated manner. Somehow though, the tall Russian's smile sent chills down both of their spines.

 
  Arthur had to talk to his staff about the change of ideas. Sipping a cup of tea, he made up his mind.

                       
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     Sakura was busy sweeping dead leaves in the garden when she was suddenly surprised by Peter's loud obnoxious voice. "SAKURA!!!!!!" The boy basically yelled towards her then made a jump to hug her; which led into a messy fall. The pile of dead leaves that Sakura had worked hard to gather were scattered everywhere. "Peter, you shouldn't have done that…" a Grecian voice said.

  "それが痛い….." Sakura moaned in pain, rubbing the back of her head.

  "I-I'm sorry Sakura. It's just that you look so beautiful today and I wanted to hug you." Peter said, getting up from the Japanese girl and pouted and he was in the verge of tears. Sakura couldn't get angry at such a cute kid who had just complimented at her. "大丈夫だ….. Peter-kun." Sakura said, trying to cheer up the little kid who looked as if he could burst into tears any minute now.

  "Can you get up?" Heracles asked her, extending a hand towards the Japanese girl. She slowly grabbed it, blushing as she did so and the Grecian helped her stand up.

 Brushing the dirt and dust of her dress, she turned towards Peter and wiped away his tears. "Peter-kun, I'm fine, really. You aren't supposed to cry now. Didn't you say it yourself that you wanted to beat your brother?" She smiled at him and patted his head softly.

 Peter tried his best to stop crying. "I- I won't lose to jerk Arthur." He said, sniffing and wiping the tears away. "Now… that's a good boy. Have this cute cat I just found." Heracles said, handing Peter a small tabby cat. That had practically stopped the young boy's tears as he was already back to his cheery self and he was hugging the cat. Or more like squeezing it.

 Sakura giggled at this and Heracles took a moment to just stare at her with a smile on his face. The Japanese girl noticed this and blushed. "I-is there something on my face Heracles-san?" She stuttered, face red and looking down. "There are dead leaves stuck to your hair." Heracles said, still staring. Sakura quickly tried to get rid of them. "No, keep it. It looks good on you. You look like Δάφνη" he chuckled lightly.

Embarrassed, Sakura quickly got rid of the messy leaves on her hair. "Peter was right." Heracles suddenly said. "I'm right?" Peter asked him, confused by the sudden statement. Sakura was also confused. "Sakura does look beautiful than usual today!" Heracles beamed. It was an expected reaction when Sakura blushed and covered her face in embarrassment.

  Peter, being a curious child was confused why Sakura would react in such a way. "A-anyways! What brings you both the garden?" Sakura asked them, trying to change the topic. "I wanted to tell Peter about the story of Hyacinthus and Apollo. And I noticed a few days ago that Sir Arthur's garden had a few planted right over…. Here" Heracles said, pointing towards a beautiful purple flower.

  Peter and Sakura looked at the flower in awe. "It's so pretty Heracles!" Peter said, touching the petals of the flower. "It's a Hyacinth flower" Heracles seated himself on the grassy garden floor and Peter did so too; except that he was sitting on Heracles lap.    

  Somehow, the image made Sakura warm and flustered; it reminded her of how her older Chinese brother and her other siblings used to spend the days together while he told great stories of mystifying Chinese myths and legends and they would all gather around him and listened in excitement and awe. As she was the most obedient one, she would always sit on his lap and after a great number of stories being told she would fell asleep and her brother would carry her to bed.

  Without noticing it, she was constantly staring and smiling at Heracles which made him chuckled. His laughter brought her back to reality. "Ah! R-right back to what you were talking about, Heracles-san!" Sakura said, blushing furiously. Heracles smiled and stroked Peter's head and he began looked up the sky when he began the story.

  "Hyacinthus, the young son of the King of Sparta was said to be beautiful like the very gods of Mount Olympus," Heracles started but Peter stopped him by interrupting, "Wait! Is he a boy?" Heracles nodded. "Then, he shouldn't be called beautiful because he's a boy like you and me Heracles! Beautiful is only used to describe girls; Like Sakura!" the younger boy piped in. Sakura blushed at the little boy's statement.

Heracles laughed at this. "Peter, in Greek myths it is quite possible to call a man beautiful. And so are Japanese myths. Isn't that right Sakura?" Sakura just smiled awkwardly, "I wouldn't say so, Heracles-san. But it sounds quite interesting… please continue." Heracles was about to, when suddenly Annabella who was holding Basche's hands and Elizaveta appeared. "Eh? What is this Heracles…. Telling another wonderful story without inviting us?Milyen fájdalmas érzés!" Elizaveta said.

Heracles just smiled and waited for the three of them to sit down. They eventually formed a circle, with Annabella's head resting on Basche's shoulder. "May….. I continue now?" Heracles asked. Elizaveta waved her arms as if she was fanning her face, "No, no, no, no!  Start from the first! I want to know it all!" "You're acting like a child, Miss Herdevary." Heracles sighed.


  "Hey...... Just to keep you updated, I'll have you know that I am a fully grown woman!" Elizaveta said, showing her tongue to Heracles. "Excuse me, Liz but the child here is Peter not you!" Annabella laughed jokingly. They all shared a laugh at this with Basche just simply smiling. Elizaveta pouted and Sakura patted her shoulder, saying, "Cheer up Elizaveta-san I thought it was quite cute." Elizaveta smiled at this and glomped Sakura,"Why are you soo cute?" "Elizaveta-san!" The group laughed again at their childish acts but Peter was getting quite irritated.

  "Hey, start with the story! I wanna know already!" said the little boy in a irritated manner. "Aww, come on Peter.... don't be like that... I'll make you my special Piskóta as a treat~" Elizaveta sang playfully. "But they are just like boudoir cookies!" Peter pouted. "Eh? So mean! They're actually quite tastier than the ones your brother makes, you know? Well, if that's how you are going to be I'll give you a slice of Dobos torta instead!"

  The moment ELizaveta mentioned that, Peter shut his mouth. "Okay... Miss Herdevary I'll be good." "Okay, good boy!" Elizaveta laughed, stroking Peter's head then she turned towards Heracles. "What are you waiting for? Start with the story!" Heracles shook his head and sighed but he began the story anyways.

 "Hyacinthus, was said to be the beautiful young son of the King of Sparta. It was said that he was as beautiful as the gods in Mount Olympus. And he was the 'LOVER' of Apollo, God of Sun, Music, Archery, Poetry, Painting, Prophecy, Plague, Healing, Animal Welfare, Radiance and Ploughing. I'd say more but then you'd all get tired."

 "So basically he's an all-rounder?" Annabella asked. "More like that. Apollo often came shores of the Eurotas River, leaving his shrine in Delphi unattended, to spend time with his Hyacinthus and delight in boyish pleasures. Tired of his music and his long bow, Apollo found relief in rustic pastimes. He would take Hyacinthus hunting through the woods and glades on the mountain sides, or they would practice gymnastics, a skill which Hyacinthus then taught to his friends, and for which later the Spartans would become renowned. The simple life awoke Apollo's appetites, and made the curly-haired boy seem more charming than ever. Apollo gave him all his love, forgetting he was a mere mortal."

  Somehow, the story made Elizaveta and Sakura all flustered and excited. "D-don't stop! Then what happened?" Elizaveta said, getting interested than ever. "Are you sure you are ready for the next part?" Heracles smirked at Elizaveta who nodded furiously in reply. "Yes, yes I am! Just get along with it!"

  "Alright then." Heracles said before taking a short breath and then he continued, "Once, in the heat of a summer afternoon, the lovers stripped naked" And the very moment he said that Elizaveta was getting too excited she squealed; which startled Peter. But Heracles continued anyway, "Sleeked themselves with olive oil, and tried their hand at discus throw, each vying to outdo the other. The bronze discus flew higher and higher. Finally, the powerful god gathered all his strength, and spun and wheeled and let fly the shiny disk which rose swift as a bird, cutting the clouds in two. Then, glittering like a star, it began to tumble down."

 "Hyacinthus ran to catch it. He was hurrying to take his turn, to prove to Apollo that he, even though young was not less able than the god at this sport. The discus landed, but having fallen from such a great height it bounced and violently struck Hyacinthus in the head. He let out a groan and crumpled to the ground. The blood spurted thickly from his wound, coloring crimson the black hair of the handsome youth."

  "Oh no! Why? Why? Why, Heracles, WHY!?" Elizaveta shrieked in disbelief and it appeared that she was in the verge of tears. Ignoring her unecessary question and continued on: "Horrified, Apollo raced over. He bent over his love, raised him up, rested the boy's head on his knees, trying desperately to staunch the blood flowing from the wound. But it was all in vain. Hyacinthus grew paler and paler. His eyes, always so clear, lost their gleam and his head rolled to one side, just like a flower of the field wilting under the pitiless rays of the noonday sun. Heartbroken, Apollo cried out: 'Death has taken you in his claws, beloved friend! Woe, for by my own hand you have died. And yet its crime was meeting yours at play. Was that a crime? Or was my love to blame - the guilt that follows love that loves too much? Oh, if only I could pay for my deed by joining you in your journey to the cheerless realms of the dead. Oh, why am I cursed to live forever? Why can't I follow you?'  "

  "Stop, stop, stop! This certainly isn't a genre of a story fitted to be told towards a child." Basche said in a disapproved voice but Peter protested, saying, "But I want to know what happens next!" "The child has spoken; let Heracles finished." Elizaveta said then turned her head towards Heracles, eagering for him to continue and finish his tale that came from his land.

Heracles smiled, "Very well milady. As you wish. Apollo held his dying lover close to his breast, and his tears fell in a stream onto the boy's bloody hair. Hyacinthus died, and his soul flew to the kingdom of Hades. The god bent close to the dead boy's ear, and softly whispered: "In my heart you will live forever, beautiful Hyacinthus. May your memory live always among men as well." And lo, at a word from Apollo, a fragrant red flower rose from Hyacinthus's blood. We call it hyacinthua, and on its petals you can still read the letters "Ay," the sigh of pain that rose from Apollo's breast."

"And the memory of Hyacinth lived on among the gentlemen of Sparta, who gave honors to their son, and celebrated him for three days in mid-summer at the Hyakinthaea festival. The first day they would mourn his death, and the last two they would celebrate his ressurection."

  And with that, Heracles finished his story. To their surprise; Elizaveta and Sakura started to cry. "Are... you alright?" Heracles asked them both, face in a confused expression.

 "Erzelem......" Elizaveta whispered in tears. "Hm?" Heracles said. "The feeling is too much too handle! I... I couldn't bear it. Why does your country created such a beautiful and amazing story about the forbidden love between a male God and a male mortal?" she said.

 Annabella wasn't taking any of this and hearing her best friend's words somehow made her laugh. "You turned strange, Elizaveta." she said. Sakura was still wiping her tears off when she realized how ridiculously close Heracles's face was. She immediately stopped and blushed instead, looking away and covering her face with a hand.

 "Surely... you didn't turn strange as well after hearing such a thing?" Heracles asked her. She denied this fact.