*The Goddess's Command*
{I loved him with all my heart. He was my world, my everything, the only thing on this earth that made me feel complete! Yet he was taken from me by the cruelest hands of fate, how could he be gone the man I love how could he possibly be gone? After years of loving me and our children how could this wonderful man of epic proportion be gone from me, and yet the proposal wasn't Still looking back at me like a cobra taunting to strike me. Was I really considering becoming an Egyptian queen to this madman? Was I really going to give myself to this disgustingly fat creature? Was I going to lay under him and bear from my womb his disgusting children? I fell on my face before the statue of Athena, my patron goddess begging her or any of the other celestial courtiers to save me from this fate, to save my kingdom from this terrible invasion, and to save my heart from breaking apart. With my tears flowing, heart open, and face distorted from this immense pain in my chest I cried out before her, screaming in the Parthenon like only a distraught mother and wife would I was a queen and ruler but here I was still the little boy born of a priestess and many prayers, promised to the royal house of Athens. To grasp what I'm saying here's my tale from the beginning.}
Chapter 1
The Beginning…
My mother was of no importance one of the 30 priestesses that waited on the will of Athena. Being left in the sanctuary at birth, all she knew were the marble columns and whispered prayers never even gaining the courage to venture outside the great golden gate. While the one thing that plagued her of everything else in her life was her unbearable loneliness! As a priestess of Athena, she was expected to be as Athena beautiful, wise, compassionate, but above all Pure of all male passion! The only thing the goddess demanded of her ladies was they forever remain virginal while in her charge. Everything else was an add on "but along with this command from the slopes of Olympus came two more curses" as my mother so bluntly put it "I could never have a family and could never be a mother". This broke her heart most of all, she wept many bitter tears at the hatred she felt for her own mother and father! "Why would they force this on me why would they take from me the only thing they didn't want a child" she prayed to the goddess of wisdom the broken pieces of her own heart forming in her mouth "either release me as sacred law required or give me a child to call my own!" Deep into the night, she stayed at the feet of the storm eyed goddess, praying and pleading with her begging Athena from the depths of her soul to give her a child. The other ladies of Athena noticing her pleas and cries to the Olympian, did what any woman with a heart would do, closed the doors to the sanctum and let her have a moment alone with the deity. While she cried, she could feel a warm breeze and the smell of a fresh olive grove became intoxicating thick to the point where she nearly fell over. Then she heard a voice, unlike any other on earth. Looking up she was met by the eyes of 3 creatures. A fearsome python of gold with green eyes of alabaster the creature hissed and slid away from the pedestal, circling around the horrified woman she forced herself not to faint at the sight. Then, looking up again she saw a goddess, Nike flying near her myrtle in hand her skin ivory and her toga even though it was solid gold flowed around the goddess like a waterfall. She landed beside the Young lady smiled at her with those shockingly soft sapphire eyes she said in a voice like silk "my child, look at the true goddess!" Miarah looked away from the beautiful figure and saw Athena standing before her, both the python and Nike bowed in respect for their mistress. In human form she walked over It seemed as though she transported from Olympus in her own form, as unlike Nike and the python she was not a statue but a bronze skinned woman looking around the age of 22, long caramel locks flowing down her back, lips full and painted a beautiful red. Gold, jewels, and precious metals adorned her body, sheer eyes a striking grey, and unlike every other god and goddess she looked dark skinned not the cream color of Aphrodite nor the tanned color of Apollo she was set aside from her lighter brothers and sisters. Miarah finally notices she stood in the presence of a goddess of Mt. Olympus. Fearing the wrath of her lady she feel on her face before Athena, praying to and praising the goddess she closed her eyes as tears feel from them. Athena merely chuckled lightly and raised her priestess up showing her nothing but love and affection, then in that same voice from before Athena spoke "my daughter you have prayed to me without end, to begin I merely thought your prayers were those of some woman who when I didn't respond would give up and go away but, I continued to hear you, the words of your mouth ringing ever present in my ear. I excused myself from the divine council suffering the scolding of my own father Zeus to be here, but I heard you, and no pray sent up to heaven with purity in their heart and sincerity in their mind will go unanswered this I assure you. Now my dear, I will grant your request you will conceive and I will let the wind itself be the father of your child but, you will do something in return. A prince will be born nine months from tonight in the royal house, at age 18 your son will be his bride!" Miarah looked at the goddess in shock she simply said "but my lady, if I will have a male child how will he be the bride to another male? This can't happen!" Athena hushed the child and simply said "he will come into the gift I have for him on his 13th birthday, but in 18 years he will marry the prince and be crowned Queen of Athens! As a goddess I know what I am doing. Sleep in the sanctuary tonight and in the morning you will be with child. Disobey me in anyway and you not only will you be alone, your charge will never be dismissed, and your prays will never again be answered. So says the goddess Athena!" and then the once living woman and all her company became great and mighty statues, the life it seems left the temple with its goddess and Miarah was yet again alone, But not for long.