Of Wine and Blood

by lovehateangel14

It had been too long since she had come home, but not long enough. Daphne wanted nothing more than to greet her family and friends, enjoy the party celebrating Prince Kouen, and be on her way back to Rakushou with the army. That was it. So how did she end up being called a whore by someone she called a friend?

For the first time in almost three years, Daphne was home. Or rather, she was back in the village where she had been born and raised. She wasn't quite sure when it had stopped being "home" in her mind, only being suddenly aware of the shift when Judar had asked how it felt to be "going home." The demigod's village no longer looked like the village she had been born in, hadn't even when Kouen took her and the others to Rakushou to become part of his army. Of course she still felt an attachment to the people there – Ethiopia and her siblings and some of her childhood friends were still there, how could she not? – but she found she missed the people and not the place. She found she had replaced her childhood home with Rakushou and the palace whenever she thought of her home. She had a feeling it had less to do with a change in her and more to do with her relationships with Judar and the princes and princesses, and in particular, her unconventional involvement with Kouen.

Gods, someone was going to kill her before she left the village.

It was safe to say, her response to Judar's question had been something along the lines of a grimace. He had laughed so hard he nearly pissed himself.

When the village came into view, Daphne recalled the last time she had come running into the village on Lampos, the walls enclosing it protectively. The walls had been knocked down by Kou, removed as unneeded, but the vineyard was still full of grapes and the fruit trees still stood tall. The Temple in the back of the village, built into the mountain side had had its front remodeled, but all the homes had been rebuilt in Kou architecture. The village looked like a far cry from what she had grown up with, but the faces of the residents were mostly familiar as they strode in, on horse and on foot, in a parade of champions returning from another campaign.

Daphne needed to remind Kouen to think of picking a western city as a new base of operations. All the backs and forths from Rakushou were becoming strenuous on all of the soldiers.

Kouen dismounted in front of the old Temple, which was still the chief government building, and the rest of the horseback soldiers followed suit. The Kou governor greeted Kouen with a deep bow and a broad smile, spewing honeyed words of greeting. Daphne, Kin Gaku, and Seishuu shared a look of disdain, rolling their eyes at the old man's flowered words. Shou En and Kokuton remained serious, ignoring the antics of their younger allies, until Kouen called out to them.

"Kokuton and Shou will accompany me. The rest of you will set up camp outside the village alongside the soldiers. Once that is done, you are free to do whatever you please," the prince ordered, not sparing them a glance, but the five of them bowed.

Seishuu clapped her shoulder, laughing a bit. "You've been dumped."

"Poor girl, he's picked another," Kin added, joining in on the teasing. "Don't worry, Gekkei. You can cry on our shoulders."

"You are both ridiculous," she responded, rolling her eyes and shrugging off Seishuu's hand, "and for the hundredth time this month, my name is not Gekkei."

"It suits you better," Seishuu insisted, but she shook her head. "I wonder why our lord didn't have you accompany him."

"Because he is being considerate," she answered, and going with the troops to set up camp outside the village. Given the practice they had with the putting up and taking down camp, the whole process took only a short time. Most of the soldiers immediately went to the bathhouse for an overdue cleaning or crawled into their tents to sleep. Seishuu was among the former while Kin was among the latter, but Daphne and her friends fell into the small group going into town for another reason. They had siblings and parents to see for the first time in years, and friends to greet and squeeze.

Daphne wandered through the streets, laying over an old map of the village on what she saw until she found the building where some of her siblings had lived together. She had spent countless nights there, too, when Libya was home and sleeping under Ethiopia's roof. Blond hair still lived there, more heads than she had recalled, but blue eyes looked at her in surprise before it morphed into glee.

"Daphne!"

She held her arms wide open, accepting the near tackle with pride as her little sister embraced her. The young girl gushed welcomes and expressed the longing all of their siblings had had, stating letters were not enough.

"I know, dear Melia, but they will have to do," Daphne responded, petting her sister's hair. "You have grown! Have the others grown just as much? Let us go inside and talk at leisure!"

Melia nodded, pulling Daphne inside, where she was passed from familiar face to familiar face, engulfed in hug after hug, until she collapsed into a chair, worn out.

"How have you survived wars so well yet a couple dozen hugs exhaust you?" Syrus questioned, giving her a glass of water. She gulped it down greedily. "Long march?"

"We are quite a bit of distance from the latest war front," she replied, running her fingers through her hair. "Gods, En will wear the normal people out before we reach the battles if he doesn't do something about it soon."

"En?" Syrus repeated, drawing the attention of one of their brothers, who was calming down their younger siblings. "As in Kouen?"

"Long story," she waved off with a sigh.

Ion plopped down beside her. "Oh, do not worry, I have time." He leveled her with a look, hoping to pin her into place, but she had worked under the Dread Prince of Kou. Not much intimidated her anymore. "You and the prince have become quite familiar with each other."

"May I remind you that I am your older sister?"

"May I remind you that I am the family head because you went to Rakushou and our sister married?" he shot back with narrowed eyes. "Any person who wants a relationship with you needs my permission."

"You are absolutely ridiculous, Ion. Syrus, I thank you for being normal." An hour and several stories later, Ion left to take Daphne to Ethiopia's new house, having been one of a few people relocated out of prime locations in the village. "Be honest with me, Ion, has everything been well? I am a general in Prince Kouen's army. I can help now."

Ion laughed and shook his head. "Kou has made many concessions for us, given our history together and swift surrender. We can never be political leaders again, but we still have control over our lives not found in other areas the empire has conquered."

Daphne nodded.

"Regardless, Lady Ethiopia has the governor under her sway. The power of beauty and youth."

At that, she roared with laughter, throwing her head back as they came up to what was her grandmother's home. Thanking her brother for escorting her, she took a deep breath before knocking on the door and entering. "Grandmother?"

"I taught you better than to barge into someone home!" Ethiopia shouted, tossing a sandal at her granddaughter. "Ungrateful brat! I see all the others wandering about and yet my own granddaughter takes an hour to come knocking on my door!"

"My brothers and sisters distracted me, so I took a bit longer than I expected there, Grandmother," she replied, rubbing her arm. She was certain Ethiopia meant to hit her head. "I have returned, Grandmother."

The old woman huffed. "And like Libya, you'll be departing soon."

"Yes. We are headed for Rakushou before we go to a new region."

"I know you hate comparisons with her, but you are very much alike Libya." Daphne shrugged it off, preferring not to talk too much about her mother.

"Oh, since we are on the topic, there is something about Libya I must tell you," she began, guiding her grandmother to the table. Soon, the tale of Libya's lost son came tumbling out, and how Daphne loved him dearly, like she did all her siblings.

"I always knew. About him, I mean. Libya came home once, and she ran out in a panic because he was not here. After that, she never mentioned him again. I thought he had died prematurely."

"Libya died thinking he was dead when he was much closer than she could have imagined," the younger woman admitted with a sigh. "The daughter she had but never wanted and the son she wanted but never had. I do not believe we could have formed the relationship we had if Libya had been a part of his life."

The elder shook her head in agreement. Libya's disregard and almost hatred for Daphne and her affection and care for her son would have driven a wedge between the two siblings. "I would like to meet him."

"I will do my best to arrange it, but I make no guarantees, Grandmother. Those people, they are always watching. We have known about each other for three years now, but no one else, but you, knows the truth. We fear what lengths they will go to imprison him to the fate they gave him. We have had to be cautious in every interaction."

Ethiopia nodded. Nothing in the world was ever easy or simple in her life.

Daphne spent several hours at her grandmother's house before heading to the bathhouse and returning to the camp. Seishuu, who had returned only shortly before her, was telling the camp of a lovely girl he had met at the bathhouse named Telete.

Daphne snorted, sitting down beside him. "Lovely girl named Telete can only mean you have met Comus's twin sister. In other words, my dear comrade, the lovely girl named Telete is strictly off-limits. The Unholy Magic of their family brings madness upon whomever they desire, and I have never heard of one of them curing those poor souls of madness."

"You're shitting me? That girl is twins with the wine-freak?" Seishuu lamented, frowning. "My damn luck."

"Your misfortune is that Comus is very overprotective of his sweet sister. Your saving grace is that Telete does quite a bit behind his back that he knows not a thing about. Still, you are not the most discreet person, Seishuu. I would refrain from it."

He groaned while the other soldiers laughed, pitying the poor man.

"Are Prince Kouen and the others still with the governor?"

"Yes, but Shou En came by a little while ago to inform us the entire town will be hosting a banquet in Lord Kouen's honor tonight, and we are all to attend," someone answered while Seishuu continued to wallow in self-pity.

"Oh? How exciting! I hope it is in Olympian style. I promise that no Kou banquet will ever compare to it. They all pale in comparison," she commented, smiling. "Seishuu! Let me introduce you to a few girls tonight! There are several who can keep you company without the repercussion of offended brothers!"

"Will they be as sweet as her?"

"She has the sweetness of a good wine, so no. But I promise these girls will be some of the most beautiful women you will ever lay eyes on."

"If he doesn't take up that offer, I will!" someone declared, enticing laughter from all of them. Even Seishuu laughed, forgetting Telete and how untouchable she was.

When night fell, they all made their way back into the town, walking down the streets towards where music and chatter originated. The former-Olympians were already drinking and celebrating while Kouen sat on a raised platform with the governor and his Household members, and curiously enough, Ethiopia. The troops had already begun to mingle with the locals when she, Seishuu, and Kin Gaku approached the table, bowing before Kouen beckoned for them to sit at the table. And as if to taunt Seishuu, Telete came and filled their glasses with wine she had made herself.

"That girl and her siblings are natural winemakers!" the governor boasted, cheeks already tinged pink. "She makes the best grape wine even among her siblings."

"My prince, she is Comus's twin sister," Daphne murmured quietly from his side, sipping on her wine. It was certainly delicious, and a change from Kou's rice wine. "Seishuu fancies her, it seems, but Comus will kill him if he does anything."

"Who is your companion, Governor?" Seishuu questioned politely, changing the topic.

"This is Ethiopia! Beautiful woman, is she not?" he replied, gesturing to her. "She has helped me a great deal with getting the demigods to comply." Daphne couldn't help but laugh, which seemed to offend the governor. "Is that funny to you, girl?"

"Only that things never change, Governor. My grandmother is the one person in Olympia that everyone rather not cross," she responded. "Thank you for being so helpful to the governor, Grandmother."

"And thank you for not being an idiot, Daphne," Ethiopia responded, not even blinking despite Daphne's laughter. "Governor, that would be my only granddaughter, Daphne."

"Hm, well, you must be proud that she has served our prince so dutifully," he mentioned, embarrassed that he had almost caused a scene and verbally attacked his companion's family. Although, Ethiopia seemed to insult her with little remorse.

"Prince Kouen, would you please excuse me? There are some faces I see in the crowd that I was unable to greet earlier," the blonde mentioned, and he nodded, letting her leave the table and join the people who mingled and chatted and drank and danced. She joined in effortlessly, weaving through the group without spilling her wine and taking people by the hand to greet. One by one, she had spoken to each of her childhood friends left behind in the village that no longer looked like their childhood home. She was almost done with her second cup of wine, sitting and chatting with Ion, when someone came up to them and tapped her shoulder. "Orion!"

"You greeted everyone else but me, Daphne," he replied with a grin, "I feel offended."

"You only just arrived, my friend," she responded, and Ion stood, offering the dark-haired demigod his seat across from Daphne. "Leaving my company so soon?"

"There is a matter I need to take care of," he explained. "Do not fret, my beloved sister, I will return shortly."

Daphne did not believe him, but she had no excuse to make him stay, so she turned to Orion as he took Ion's vacated seat. "You have grown so tall, Orion!"

"I believe you are simply short, Daph," he replied. She frowned. "Kore is still shorter."

"Our first conversation in years and you insult me. How kind of you." He laughed. "Have you been well, my hurtful friend?"

He nodded. "The first year was difficult. The brace was rather stiff and not as useful as we could have hoped. But they tried others until one worked well enough, and I have had it ever since. Running around delivering files for the governor is easier now." Daphne frowned. He had once been so high ranking in the village, but now he would never be more than a subordinate. Back when Olympia had surrendered, they had taken anything that could have been used as a weapon, even the silver cane Orion depended upon for daily normalcy, and three years later, he had yet to get it back. "They say you became a member of Kouen's Household. Will you become assimilated like the others?"

"Assimilated? No. Never. Prince Kouen has my loyalty, but I cannot give up this form for another. Least of all if it means I will look anything remotely like Kin Gaku. We are both Household Members of the same Djinn." Not that Kouen wanted that of her nor would Naberius allow it. But Daphne was being a tad bit vain. "Worried?"

"Of course! You can never be normal again, and I would like to marry you and have a family with you."

"Pardon?"

She hoped she heard wrong.

Behind her back, Ion approached Kouen, bowing deeply. "I wish to express my gratitude to the prince for the honors you have bestowed upon my sister and friends while serving under him. My sister told me all that has happened since she and the others left three years ago."

Kin Gaku barely succeeded in hiding a laugh and his smile. Ion had quietly challenged the prince over his relationship with Daphne. Not many knew, but fortunately, the governor and Ethiopia had already left the table.

"If you wish to say something, say it," Kouen ordered.

"Then I will be blunt, Prince Kouen. Stop having sex with my sister. She is no whore."

Kouen raised a brow at the younger man's wording, but otherwise, he had no reaction. "A whore she is not. I have no intention of dishonoring her, if that is your worry, but I also have no intention of listening to you."

Ion blinked. "Does Daphne know that? Because as you may have noticed, my sister is extraordinarily intelligent, but surprisingly dense when it comes to reading people and their intentions. She is almost gullible."

"I can attest to that," Seishuu commented, finishing his wine and pouring another glass. "Kin and I have tricked Gekkei more than once on this last campaign. Harmless pranks, before you ask."

"My point exactly," Ion agreed. "So does my clueless sister know that? Because she can be too foolish for her own good." All eyes turned to Daphne, and all of them were in time to see Daphne drink two goblets of wine in a matter of minutes. "Uh, excuse me, I need to go see what possessed my sister to do that."

Ion left without being dismissed, weaving his way through the crowd as Daphne drank a third goblet. Poor Telete hesitantly filled it up again while Orion helplessly watched. The blond made it just in time to stop her from doing the same to a fourth, covering the top before snatching it from her hands. "What in the Gods' names are you doing?"

Daphne pouted, "Give me that. I am not in the right state of mind to deal with Orion." Ion leveled her with a look, prompting her to elaborate. "Orion said he wants us to marry once his slave service is over."

Her brother blinked, downing the wine in the cup himself. "Scoot over." She did as he requested, making room for himself while Telete almost dropped the pitcher of wine. "First off, Telete, this is stronger than usual. Are you trying to get them drunk? They leave in the morning."

"It isn't every day we can get drunk with everyone," she reasoned, shrugging that off as she filled the cup once more.

"Second, what is going through your mind, Orion? You have not seen or spoken to Daphne in years! Marriage? That is absurd!"

"I have always wanted to marry Daphne. Ever since we were children. Even before my accident."

"Are you serious?" Daphne squeaked.

"Absolutely."

"And you never once thought to mention this to me?"

"Did you hit your head, Daph? Before the invasion, we often talked about marrying!"

"We were kids! I was not even fifteen!"

"But you promised me! You swore you would always be by my side! Are you going to break that promise?"

Daphne stood, and Ion doubted the red in her face was from just the wine. "How dare you! I made that promise as your friend! Because I caused your accident! It is not something you can trap me with!"

Orion pushed himself off the seat, standing close to her and looming over like a shadow. "Are you saying you are no longer my friend?"

She did not back down. Before Seishuu had assimilated, she had been the second smallest in Kouen's Household, but now, all of them towered over her short stature. Height and anger hardly made her feel intimidated. "If you intend to be an ass, I have no intention of continuing any friendship with you. I made that promise to stay by your side as a warrior and as a friend, nothing more. I have no intention of being anything more than your friend. Not then, not now."

"Is it because you're fucking the prince and his Household?"

Ion jumped to his feet just in time to hold Daphne back from pulling out her dagger and lashing out at Orion. The black-haired man stumbled back, falling back on his seat while Telete looked on in horror. Ion held on tight, practically lifting Daphne off the ground and heaving her away from Orion. The near feral look on her face was frightening, and several of the people nearby turned to watch, confusion coloring their faces. Orion and Daphne had been best friends, closer than most, but now she looked ready to kill him. But all she did was spit on him and hiss out, "Never speak another word to me. You are filth, Orion. Stay far away from me. That promise I made you, that promise is over and you have no one to blame but yourself!"

"Daphne, stop talking," Ion growled, dragging her away from Orion and Telete, the former open mouthed and hurt and the latter unsure what she should do. Daphne had said hurtful words, but Orion had been just as cruel. She had lashed out because she had been hurt and offended, and Orion had reacted out of anger and jealousy. Ion didn't need to drag her more than halfway back to Kouen's table before she started walking there first. "Daphne, you may have taken things a bit too far."

"And he did not? You heard him just as clearly as I, Ion!"

"Yes but you have had how many glasses of Telete's wine? You heard her! She is trying to get you and all of them drunk! You are drunk!"

"And what is his excuse? He didn't even have a cup with him!"

"I do not care about him! You are my sister and he is just a childhood friend! One I am considering punching for his words, but just a friend nonetheless! You are my concern!"

Daphne huffed, climbing the short steps to Kouen's table and taking back her seat next to him. He gave her a curious look, but asked nothing, and the others looked ready to question her. "I do not want to discuss it. Ion, what is done is done. I am certain I will not change my mind about my decision in the morning. But thank you, dear brother. Go enjoy the rest of the banquet."

Ion hesitated, until Kokuton leaned over to tell him something. "We'll keep an eye on her. She's one of us, too, after all."

"Well, in that case, I leave my sister in your care." He bowed deeply and left the platform.

"Stop," Kouen ordered when she reached for a new goblet and the wine pitcher on the table. She had had five glasses in a short amount of time, and he had no interest in learning how much more she needed before she became sick. Still, she pouted as she listened to his command, and Kokuton pushed a glass of water towards her. "We will discuss this in the morning."

"There is nothing to discuss, my prince," she insisted.

"You almost used your Metal Vessel in the middle of a banquet."

"Yes, but I did not, so there is nothing to discuss."

She knew from the way his eyes narrowed that Kouen was not going to let the situation end like that. He did, however, stop insisting until the banquet was over and the troops stumbled back to camp or off somewhere with a far too eager woman. Daphne kept her promise to Seishuu, introducing him to two daughters of the Goddess of Beauty, both enchanted by his assimilated appearance.

"How do you know they would be so willing?" Kin Gaku whispered.

"Those two sat me down at the age of eight to explain sex and the pleasures of it and how fortunate we are, or were, to have been born in Olympia, where a woman could have sex with whoever she desired. They are my grandmother's half-sisters, if you need a reason as to why they would have been able to do that. My siblings were livid. I never understood why. What did they expect from daughters of the Goddess of Love, Beauty, Sexuality, and Prostitutes?" Kin Gaku laughed while Shou En shook his head, disappointed by the turn the conversation took. "Now he can stop complaining about being a virgin."

"This conversation is over," Kouen stated, leveling both Daphne and Kin Gaku with silencing stares. Both of them nearly paled, nodding in compliance. But the two shared a look to tease Seishuu in the morning.

They each departed to their own tents, hoping to get a restful night in before they finished the last two weeks of their journey back to Rakushou. Daphne slept more deeply than she had in many years, waking up exactly at sunrise. Given the summer season, it was earlier than anyone else, but Daphne hardly minded. It meant more time to herself and to relax before the day's laundry list of task began. And she hoped to take some peaches from the orchard for Judar. The palace's peach tree couldn't compare to Olympian peaches, and he had never had the chance to try some. She would have to ask Helen to freeze them so they lasted the journey back to Rakushou.

She had barely put the peaches away when she heard Kouen call for her, entering her tent. "The soldiers will talk if they saw you entering my tent so early in the morning."

"I see you are not hungover," Kouen responded, approaching her, "and in a better mood."

She scowled. "I was hoping to forget about last night."

"What happened?"

"Nothing important, En. Forget about it."

He frowned, stepping closer to her and taking ahold of her chin. "I would, but my favorite general is very clearly thinking more about it than her commander."

Her eyes narrowed. She hated it when he referred to their military titles. She understood so well how different their statuses were and needed no reminders from him. "If you must know, General Commander, a piece of shit said more than he should have. Nothing more."

"You are not one to take offense from the idiotic comments of unimportant people," he pointed out. "This 'piece of shit' wasn't one before last night."

"No," she admitted, crossing her arms. "He was my best friend. Stupid shithead." He quirked an eyebrow. "If you must know, the idiot asked me to marry him despite having no communication with me since I left and then accused me of whoring myself when I said I was never interested in him."

Now Kouen understood her anger. If there was one thing Daphne hated most, it was being called a whore. She had refused him until he convinced her he did not want her to be a whore or had ever thought of her as a whore. And an important friend to her had called her such. But now, Kouen was angry because a fool had tried to steal away his woman. "If you had said yes, I would have never allowed it."

Daphne's lip twitched, and Kouen wasn't sure if she was fending off a smile or becoming more irritated. "Oh? Unwilling to lose your favorite general? You cannot have a married woman serving in your army, away from her husband, can you?"

Kouen smirked, leaning down so his face was just a breath away from touching her. "I can do whatever I want, Daphne, but you forget. You are mine. I will not hand you over to anyone else. You will stay by my side, we will marry, and you will give me plenty of heirs."

Daphne's face turned blank. "Pardon?"

"You are my general, you will be my wife, and you will be the mother of my heirs."

She gaped, staring at her prince in unmasked shock, and if he hadn't had experience with her and her reactions, he would have been too slow to silence her shouts before they even began, covering her mouth with his. Daphne did not appreciate his actions, smacking him and attempting to push him away, but while she was strong in her own right, Kouen was stronger. When he did pull back, she refrained from shouting. "Did you just ask me to marry you?"

"I don't believe I gave you much of an option, but when the time comes, I will formally do so if that makes you happy."

"You want to marry me? What in the Gods' names do you see in me?"

He sighed, standing straight, but he continued holding her chin. "I see a warrior who will go to any lengths for what she believes in, even if it means her death. You have pride, but you know when to concede defeat. You are loyal to me and unafraid to point out any errors in my decisions. I have no need for an air-headed nobleman's daughter. I do not need a wife who cannot stand beside me on equal footing."

"And you think I can?"

"Most women wouldn't question a prince's desire to marry them."

"I have never been like most women, and most women are not privy to the political workings of said prince's empire! En, I am a foreign-born soldier with nothing to offer you or Kou that I have not already given."

"Daphne," he began, "whether you agree with my decision or not, you will be my wife and the mother of my heirs. I will have you." She gave an exasperated sigh, shoulders sagging, and Kouen knew he had won the argument. He released her chin, his hand falling to his side. "Pack up. We depart soon, and I am sure you would like to say your farewells to your family members here."

Without waiting for a response, he turned, exiting the tent just as Daphne's hand grasped his shoulder, tugging him back and downwards for the shorter woman to quickly peck him on the lips. "When you do formally ask, try to at least pretend I have a say in the matter?"

He smirked but made no promises. Daphne rolled her eyes and packed up her belongings before heading into her friends' tents and waking them up. They would want to give their siblings and parents proper goodbyes as well.

"Did Seishuu return last night?" Daphne asked Kokuton, who had peeked into the snake-haired man's tent. He shook his head. "I hope those two did not wear him out!"

They didn't, given how much stamina an assimilated Household Member had. Seishuu grinned like an idiot when Daphne went to retrieve him, causing her to shake her head. Her grandmother had a serious expression on her face, no doubt hiding her true sentiments. Daphne broke tradition, pulling her grandmother in a tight hug before going to give all her siblings an emotional farewell. Some were more upset than others, and some insisted she take some medicinal herbs with her in a small pouch.

"Why do you have pregnancy herbs?" Kore asked, peeking at the contents of the pouch.

"Did those sisters of mine really pack pregnancy herbs?"

"Maybe they want you to have a kid soon?"

"With who?"

"Orion?" Odysseus suggested. "I ran into him, literally in fact, on my way back. He asked me to give you this."

Daphne frowned, taking the small box from her gray-eyed friend. She opened it, her friends all twisting to take a look at Orion's gift.

"Isn't that…?" Kore began, knitting her brows.

"A proposal gift?" Odysseus finished.

Outside of Kouen's Household and family, Kore was one of the people who knew about the relationship between him and Daphne. So it stood to reason that the short woman was beyond confused as to why Orion would send Daphne a wedding gift as if he was engaged to her.

"That piece of shit," the blue-eyes general muttered.

"Excuse me? Did you just call your best friend a piece of shit?" Kore screeched.

"I am no friend of some idiotic, jealous, jerk who insults my honor when I give him an answer he does not like. Now, excuse me. I have duties to see to." Turning on her heel, she stalked off, leaving two confused friends. In her hand, she held the Orion's gift tight, the box's corners digging into her palm before she stopped and stared at it. "Stupid shithead. Who do you think you are?"

"Who got you pissed enough to swear?" Seishuu asked, leaning over her. "Was it that boy from last night? Need me to scare him off?"

She shook her head. "Thank you, Seishuu, but that is unnecessary. We leave soon. I have no intention of coming back so soon either."

"Even though it's your home?"

"Rakushou is my home now." Seishuu grinned, patting her head.

Daphne still had the gift in hand when she climbed onto Lampos's back, her stallion whinnying in agitation. He didn't want to leave, but he also didn't want to leave her side. She took one last look at the box before she dropped it to the ground, letting all the horseback troops behind her trample it. It was trash.

They were several hours from the village when Daphne felt like they were being watched, and Kin Gaku seemed to become just as tense as her. As members of Phenex's Household, they had an enhanced sensitivity to bloodlust, more than the Households of Astaroth or Agares. The two shared a brief look, staying on high alert, while Daphne rode up to Kouen's side to inform him. He nodded, telling her to have all the troops be prepared for anything, but before she could even begin, a shadow – a beast – obscured the sun. She didn't get a good look at it before she felt herself fly off her horse and into a tree or two. Her side burned, and red prevented her from opening one of her eyes.

"Daphne!" Kore shouted, rushing up to her, while Kouen ordered the normal soldiers to not engage the fast assailant. "Daphne, stay awake!"

Kin Gaku engaged the beast first, Daphne being both a friend and his fellow Household Member, but the beast was stronger. It wasn't a Dungeon Monster or even an opposing King Candidate's Household Member. It was a King Candidate cloaked in their Djinn Equip, somehow penetrating so deeply into Kou's territory. Kin Gaku, even with the help of the others, would never be able to stop the Djinn Equip. But neither would Kouen because as soon as he drew his sword to use Astaroth, the attacked knocked the blade from his hand, embedding it into a tree. The beast doubled back, tearing the spaulder off Kouen's shoulder and leaving with neither Metal Vessel nor weapon. For the first time since he was sixteen, he was defenseless, and the beast was ready to kill him if the little soldier woman Daphne trusted hadn't put herself between them, unleashing her rage on the King Candidate.

She was easily knocked aside, but not before her "Unholy Magic" rotted part of his face.

A clawed hand wrapped around his neck, and for the first time in many years, Kouen tasted fear, but he refused to show it, maintaining a glare at the beast that lifted him off the ground.

"Hide it all you want, but I can smell the fear coming off of you," the attacker stated, the undeniable sound of excitement coloring his words. "How does it feel to be powerless?"

Off to the side, Daphne struggled to stand, one hand pushing against rough bark while the other held her dagger and her side. With her good eye, all she could see was the beast's back and Kouen's paling face over its shoulder.

"My King, this is suicide."

She didn't care. Kouen – her Kouen – was going to die if she didn't do anything. "Give me all the power you can, Naberius. That is an order." In her mind, she heard the Djinn sigh, but she felt him comply, her Metal Vessel warming in her hand. She wasn't capable of doing a Djinn Equip, but she could still fight. Before her eyes, as she raised the dagger, it transformed into a familiar but unknown weapon. And with the blessing of her training, she fired it, hoping her good eye was enough to aim properly.

The beast roared as Kouen dropped to the ground, coughing, the beast's newly severed arm laying between them. Wild, it looked around before its eyes landed on Daphne, arm still raised and ready to fire another shot at it. "Blood traitor."

She did not reply, her only reaction being another echoing bang from her weapon and the beast collapsing. "The only traitor I see is the one who attacked out of anger, with no more reason than to cause pain and suffering." Her weapon melted back into a dagger as she stumbled forward, before the slender arms of Helen caught her. "Go heal Kore. She needs you more."

Helen made a pained expression before passing her friend over to Andrea, who helped her approach their dying attacker. Aside from the sudden tension in her body, Andrea did not react when they were close enough to see his face.

"This was the will of the mortals, Daphne. We demigods are their protectors in this realm. You betrayed your duty to them."

"The Gods sent us to be their guides, to protect them from invaders and from their own foolishness, but, Orion, you hide behind an excuse. This was your own desire," Daphne replied. "My duty is to protect my prince and my comrades. If the mortals of Olympia want his death, I will personally send them to Hell."

"You've changed," Orion decided.

"As did you. The difference, you fool, is that I never lost sight of my morals. You did."

He had lost them to anger and hatred, and now, he would lose his life to it, too. "You can never stay with him, with that prince you adore so much. You can whore yourself for him, play house and make a little family, but you and I know so well how little mortality your blood bears. You will never be like the demigod children of fully mortal parents. You have too much blood from the immortal Gods."

"But it is my choice, and that is what I choose. You can go fuck off now. My life is not something you have the power to decide." Daphne turned, and Andrea helped her over to Kouen. "My prince, are you alright?"

He nodded, but there was an ugly bruise on his neck. Shou En had retrieved his sword, handing it to him, and he pointed it at her. Pink feathers wrapped around her, making her feel warm and undoing the damage Orion had caused. He healed everyone who had been injured.

"General Daphne, about Orion…?" Odysseus began, staring at the body. He would have already bled out by then, alone, because none of the demigods knew how to feel about what he had done.

"Burn the body. He was a demigod, and the Goddess of Divine Retribution will not forgive such a disgrace if we left his body to rot under the sun," she ordered. "Nothing more."

"Should we send word to the others back in the village?" Comus wondered, and she nodded. "Tell them the whole truth?"

"Yes, though you can leave the specifics of the attack out. Just make sure to include his motives, and make sure the mortals know another attempt will result in their deaths."

"Daphne," Kouen called out, summoning her. She went straight to him. "When we return to Rakushou, you are to see the doctor." Daphne furrowed her brows. "Phenex suspects something. I would like an informed opinion."

"Of what, exactly?"

"She suspects you are with child."

In the back of her mind, a coincidence clicked into place. Now she knew why her sisters had sent herbs to keep expecting mothers fit and healthy, herbs to protect unborn babies from dying. She passed out before she could react in any other way, and the last thing she saw was Kouen's widening eyes.

Well, no one really expected a demigod to pass out.