20. Chapter Twenty
Chapter Twenty
Bri
Nine Years Ago
Bri’s mouth fell open in awe as she walked into one of the rooms in Drew’s home she’d never seen before—the observatory.
“This is my favorite place in the entire world.” Drew’s eyes looked upward as he spoke.
Bri looked up with him, gazing out the large glass dome ceiling that allowed you to feel like you were outside stargazing rather than in a luxurious palace.
“It’s beautiful,” she agreed. “I’m surprised you’ve never brought me here before.”
They’d been friends for close to seven years now. She found it a bit odd he’d waited until they were teenagers to bring her here if it was his favorite space.
“I don’t bring anyone here.” Drew shrugged. “It’s my haven. The place I come to think and relax. Just me and the stars in the sky to keep me company.”
“Well, I’m honored you brought me here.” She slung her arm around his shoulder. Bri was about an inch taller than him, now that she’d hit her growth spurt, and she loved reminding him of it.
He ducked out from under her arm and shot her a wry look. “I’m going to be towering over you soon.”
“We’ll see.” She smirked even though she knew he was right. Once he hit puberty, he probably would tower over her.
“Wanna stargaze until you have to leave?” He motioned to the two recliners in the room.
“Of course.” She let him sit down first, knowing he probably had a favorite chair. Bri sat next to him and reclined back, looking up at the starry night sky.
They lay silent for a while, both taking in the view.
When Drew finally spoke, his voice sounded far off, almost like a dream. “Want to hear a story that’s written in the stars?”
“Sure,” she responded, burrowing deeper into the recliner.
“King Cepheus and Queen Cassiopeia had one child, a daughter they named Andromeda. Cassiopeia boasted that Andromeda was more beautiful than anyone who had ever lived. As punishment for the queen saying her daughter was more beautiful than sea nymphs, the sea god, Poseidon, sent a monster named Cetus to destroy their kingdom.”
Bri gasped. “What kind of monster?”
“Cetus was a giant beast—part fish, part serpent, and part dragon. He began to destroy the kingdom’s villages. When any battle the king and queen waged against the beast failed, they were told if they sacrificed their daughter to the beast, their kingdom would be spared. So, they shackled Andromeda to a rock by the shore as a sacrifice for Cetus.”
Her mouth fell open in shock. “They put their own daughter in danger just to save their country? That’s horrible.”
Drew nodded. “It really is, but thankfully, the story isn’t over yet. The demigod Perseus was returning home when he saw Andromeda in danger and fell in love with her at first sight. One version of the story says Perseus slayed Cetus with his diamond sword and saved Andromeda. Another account of the story says he turned the sea beast to stone using Medusa’s head. Either way, he saved her, and Andromeda and Perseus married and lived long lives together. They were placed together in the sky as eternal lovers.”
Bri was quiet for a moment as she looked up at the stars and reflected on the story. “Wow,” she whispered. “That’s a crazy story, but it has a beautiful ending. I love that he put himself in harm’s way without even knowing her. It shows that true love is sacrificial. It says a lot, especially when her own parents weren’t even loyal to her.”
“Exactly.” He sighed. “I want a love like that one day.”
Bri whipped her head around to look at him. “You want your love to be betrayed by her parents so you have to slay a dragon for her?”
He chuckled. “Of course not. That’s ridiculous. I meant I want a love that real —a beacon of love. A love story so beautiful, people would make a constellation about it and tell our story for generations to come.”
“I believe you’ll find a love like that.”
She could feel his eyes on her as he said, “I hope you’re right.”