Inside the quiet carriage, the scent of pine and leather mixed with the faint perfume of herbs that Artemis always carried.
The walls were adorned with hunting trophies, pelts of great beasts, and charms strung with feathers and bones.
Artemis sat cross-legged on one side, her silver narrowed at her sister, while Athena sat opposite, her posture as perfect and unyielding as always, her face calm and unreadable.
Artemis wasted no time. Her voice cut the silence like an arrow through the air. "Athena, tell me plainly. Are you truly willing to marry that man, that Herios?"
Athena did not falter. She inclined her head in a simple nod, her calmness almost infuriating.
Artemis' lips pressed into a pout, her arms crossing against her chest as she leaned back. "Unbelievable. You and I swore it, remember? We swore to remain pure, untouched by the lusts of men, to dedicate our lives to the hunt and to wisdom. Yet here you are, already prepared to throw away your vow."
