The hivemind is conquering for me? Chapter 974: No Obligations

"Hailey! You look beautiful! I could literally die right now and would do so happily after seeing you in such beautiful attire!" Milanna exclaimed, holding her nose with a pinched grip, just in case of leakage.

"Milanna, what are you doing here?" Hailey asked, doing everything in her power not to sigh in dejection. She just wanted a night with her boyfriend. She didn’t want drama.

Milanna scoffed in fake offence and placed a hand on her chest. "Hailey, you wound me with your tone! But I forgive you~ As for why I am here? This is a military celebration of victory as well as a diplomatic event. I am a Lochagos now, it’s only natural that with me being in the vicinity that I would attend. Also papa told me to take his place as representative of Ecumenopolis 5 as he could not make the event."

Milanna then took a step forward trying to close the distance between them, Hailey stood her ground, but frowned. "There is also the fact I knew you would be here~ How could I not come and see that which my heart desires?"

Hailey grimaced hearing that. "Just don’t bother me, I’m here with my boyfriend. I don’t need this."

That caused Milanna to frown for a moment before composing herself. "Oh really? Where is that Sentinel if he is supposed to be with you? I bet he is with one of his other sluts. I mean, should we go look for him? Maybe something happened to him?"

Hailey rolled her eyes at Milanna’s poor attempt to create friction between her and her man. She knows what she signed up for and she was perfectly happy with it. She then simply turned to Adia and smiled.

"Come on Adia, let’s go back to the event room. It looks like I won’t be giving Apollo head in the toilet like planned."

"What?"

"What?!?"

Both Adia and Milanna exclaimed with different levels of surprise, prompting a small smirk to appear on Hailey’s lips as she began to walk away.

...

Re entering the event hall, Hailey made her way to the bar with her now two followers. As she arrived, she turned to Adia and asked. "Do you want anything to drink?"

Adia shook her head. "No, I will be remaining sober for my duty, thank you for asking though, my Tribune."

Hailey then glanced at Milanna before turning back around just in time for a bartender to take her order.

"What can I get for you, my lady?"

"An Avantant gin and tonic and a blue lagoon please and thank you." She requested. The bartender simply shook their head and got right to it.

A few moments later the drinks were done and were passed to Hailey.

She took both in her hand and turned away from the bar at which point Milanna smiled at her. "Interesting choices. I don’t think I have ever had a blue lagoon before, but thank you for ordering for me I can’t wait to try-"

Hailey pulled back her hand as Milanna tried to take the drink from it. "I didn’t say it was for you, if you want a drink order for yourself. I’m here with my boyfriend, like I said. You decided to tag along with me. I have no obligation towards you."

Hailey then ignored the sad look of Milanna as she began to peruse the room once more. Fat fuck was still talking and eating. Sigismund and Jocasta were together talking. In the corner of the room Elaine was with her handmaidens and there wasn’t a Hyllus currently in si-

Hailey turned back swiftly towards the handmaidens and did a double check. Elaine wasn’t with them. Her eyes suddenly narrowed. She should have been back from escorting the kids to their rooms by now.

Walking towards the handmaidens. She asked the group upon reaching them. "Has Elaine not returned yet?"

The group turned collectively before the green haired one spoke. "No, Princess, though she should have done. She relayed Eleni here ahead of time that she was on her way. We assume she is simply preoccupied.

"Uh-huh..." Hailey vocalised before turning around in thought. She had a hunch where she was, or rather who she was with... She thought to herself quickly where would that wench go with her man?

They wouldn’t go to her room again. Too many guests were within the palace grounds. They would easily be spotted and that would cause all manner of gossip to spread.

"Hailey? Is everything alright?" Milanna suddenly asked, concerned by the frown on Hailey’s face.

"Hush, I’m thinking." Hailey declared before going back to her thoughts.

’Apollo is very thoughtful, he was probably waiting for us somewhere central, like the bar, but with the events of the day, he didn’t realise people were going to be coming up to him left right and centre if he was spotted alone...

Then according to Gabby, the bartender said he was going to the restroom. The closest one is the one we went to, but he didn’t go that way, though he went in that direction as the bartender saw him walk this way if he pointed...’

Hailey traced the path he might have taken and realised something.

"The balcony!"

It made sense now. She caught the woman there with him last time in that spot around the bend, it was secluded and intimate and not many people knew about it.

Hailey swiftly made her way through the maze of nobles and arrived outside. The moment she arrived on the balcony, her ears picked up on something subtle behind the conversations ongoing around her.

"Are people singing?" Adia asked behind her.

"So it’s not just me? Where is that coming from?" Milanna asked.

Hailey knew and walked around towards the bend. She didn’t attempt to hide her approach as she rounded the corner. She didn’t know what to expect as she rounded the corner, but she didn’t expect...

...

"? Dida’ski me, dida’ski me, dida’ski me hore’vin

Dida’ski me, dida’ski me, dida’ski me hore’vin?"

"?Pa’lin the’lo hore’vin, hore’vin

Pa’lin the’lo hore’vin, hore’vin

Pa’lin the’lo hore’vin, hore’vin

Pa’lin the’lo hore’vin, hore’vin?"

The Beautiful Harmony of Apollo’s deep entrancing voice and the Praetorian’s singing along with him had Elaine blown away. She had not heard something so beautiful in ages. She only understood half the words being spoken, but she didn’t care. The song was uplifting, catchy and would be stuck in her head for weeks.

She was about to begin a standing ovation for such a beautiful song, but before she could, she heard a delighted squeal from her left.

"Apollo!"

...

Turning to the person yelling my name, Hailey was running towards me, she placed two drinks in her hands down on the balcony before running into my arms.

I then picked her up without effort and placed her rear on the balcony as she began to kiss me passionately.

I gave in without hesitation and began to kiss her back for a few moments before she pulled away. She then asked me with an excited glint in her eye. "Have you written another song?!? I love when you sing! And you got the Praetorian’s to sing it with you? It was beautiful, what is it called? Can you sing it for me again? I can speak the old language easily because of my mother, can you teach me the words?"

I didn’t notice the slack jawed reactions of some of the surrounding individuals at Hailey being so expressive and adorable as my attention was solely on her. "Maybe a bit later? I’ve just sung it a couple of times in a row and I’m not a professional singer, I need a break."

"Oh, Ok." Hailey said, her face completely understanding, but just in case to make her feel better, I said.

"Though I think my words need to be used for something more important right now... Like how stunning you look in that dress and I really like your makeup today, you look radiant and beautiful, my princess."

Hailey resisted the urge to giggle like a lovestruck teen.

She failed.

"Hehehe~ You remembered what I told you yesterday."

I smirked playfully. "Of course I did. You are important to me. I want you to feel special... And if the princess needs all the validation in the universe and needs to be told that she is pretty for her vanity, I can kiss ass."

Hailey gasped, her mouth open half laughing and offended, swatting my chest as she spoke. "You cheeky fucker! I could have you thrown into prison for saying such slander!"

She began laughing, but then stopped as I slowly crept my hand up her thigh and looked tenderly into her eyes. "Oh, babe. If you tried to keep me prisoner, I would be the jailer before you even realised what was happening."

Hailey gulped. "O... Ok..." Her breathing suddenly became heavy as her eyes became locked to my lips. She looked adorable. I was about to reward her cuteness with another kiss, but before I could a voice suddenly asked me with urgency from the side.

"Archon Apollo! Good to see you again. Tell me, has all that platinum you have brought into the empire from the fringes been put to good use?"

Turning to the stranger, I frowned as my memory began to place the woman’s familiar features. Medium length Blonde hair, golden Iris’ and a scowl that-

"Hey! Aren’t you the woman that tried to keep me at that checkpoint when I did nothing wrong?"