The handsome man looked at the Red Head dubiously as she stood poubting. as soon as her uncle left her mountain he knew she would indeed through the fit of the century.
'Immaturity thy name is Artimas' Acheron though as she stomped her foot, a bit like a child.
"Exactly what is this about this time Arti?" He sighed.
"It's about your way out." A voice said from behind him.
"What are you talking about Aphrodite?"
"I saved Zeus some huge trouble a century or two ago and he owed me a big faveor, and I told him to free you from Artimas." She explained.
"At what cost to me? There's always strings."
"As much as I would love to be offended at that, it's true. Although in my opinion its a much smaller string than you are used to." She took a deep breth sitting on the steps of Artimas's temple, as said red-haired goddess rushed away in anger. "You may not know this but, while almost all of my children have been male, I have had one daughter. She was human and forced to stay on earth, and I wasn't to interfere with her life, for fear of Zeus's rath. But I watched...."
Aphrodites blue eyes misted up and became distant, which got his attention. Gods were more likely to kill him on sight than to speak to him, let alone civily, but to show any emotion but contempt... that hadn't ever happened before.
Aphrodites blue eyes misted up and became distant, which got his attention. Gods were more likely to kill him on sight than to speak to him, let alone civily, but to show any emotion but contempt... that hadn't ever happened before.
"She was hurt so many times by her father. Everytime he...touched her she broke and everytime he told her that she was 'his little girl' she thought it was going to get better. It never did. And then, as she got older and fell in love....she was hurt again when her fiance died. She was 14. And, a good while later, she fell in love again. He died to and she's never gotten over him, though he's gone. His body, maybe not. But he's not the same person. She knows and she doesn't care."
Ash's heart throbed painfuly. He wanted to be loved like that. He always had. But he had thought he had suppressed the pain of it long ago. But then again, he had also rsigned himself to being bonded to Artimas forever, hadn't he?
"What do you want me to do about that?"
"You can't do anything about the past. She's immortal now and the bad thing about that is, that you have to live with the memories, good and bad. I just told you what you'd need to know. Something bad is about to happen to her. A mother feels these things. And I can't stand to see her hurt again. It's bad enough she hates me, and I'm totally helpless to help her. I won't let her be hurt again. I want you to protect her. I don't care how, as long as she's happy."
"What do you want me to do about that?"
"You can't do anything about the past. She's immortal now and the bad thing about that is, that you have to live with the memories, good and bad. I just told you what you'd need to know. Something bad is about to happen to her. A mother feels these things. And I can't stand to see her hurt again. It's bad enough she hates me, and I'm totally helpless to help her. I won't let her be hurt again. I want you to protect her. I don't care how, as long as she's happy."
"Will she know why I'm there?"
"Yes, though it will be hermis who tells her, he owes me as well. She lives on an island, which is half hers. She rarely ever leaves. Of course others live there, but she doesn't go out of her way to speak to them."
He thought for a moment. "Fine," he sighed, "I'll do it."
Artimas's scream was heard for miles.