Final chapter of my mythical story. Hope you enjoyed the others as well, lovelies. I'd love to get your opinions and/or ideas on this story :D
P.S. I still don't own Clash of the Titans... sad, right?
Forever...
The seven years after that moment brought them many blessings in the forms of happiness and two children, one being a boy born of that night of romance and a younger girl conceived at a later date. The former warrior was currently watching nature via the window, the curtain pulled to the side. It was an overcast spring day, during which a light rain had fallen, bringing promises of good crops. It was then that Pegasus landed near the house, Alexios dismounting with a huge grin. He'd quickly learned to ride without a saddle and harness, and the stallion seemed to have taken a particular liking to the boy. Dashing into the house moments afterwards, he glanced around until he eyed Draco.
"Father... let's train." he smiled.
Despite being only seven, he seemed to embody his father's affinity for the life of a warrior, as he had taken to training with the sword and the bow and arrows quite quickly, and seemed less interested in becoming a fisherman. Yet as opposed to that, he did also enjoy helping his mother take care of his younger sister, Korinna. The bearded man eyed his boy and gave him a brief smile, as he approached.
"Get the training swords and meet me in the field."
He himself had retired, but he still had much to teach the boy, including the fact that he should always have a reason to fight. Now, Draco stepped out through the curtain, rubbing together his hands whilst he headed to the grassy space behind their abode. Grinning, the boy rushed to his room to retrieve the items in question before running out and around the house, eagerly approaching his father while Pegasus now grazed nearby.
"Father... when I grow up can I go to Argos and be a soldier, like you?" Alexios now asked, offering Draco one of the swords.
Draco accepted the sword, before thoughtfully eying the youth. It was now that he knelt down and leaned to be eye to eye with the boy.
"Alexios... you can do anything you desire, if you put forth the effort to achieve it. However, I only teach you how to fight, so that you may be able to defend yourself and your family. I do not suggest that you become a soldier, but when you become a man, if you still want to do it then do it."
Nodding, the boy now lowered his gaze to the short sword in his hands.
"I want to be strong like you... and I want to be a warrior, not a fisherman like the boys in the village. Because after you and mother die, I'll be the only one left to take care of Korinna."
Yes, after his parents, his sister was the most important person in his life. And he wanted the strength to protect her even when his parents no longer could. Glancing to the false sword in the boy's hand, he then returned the center of his view to the boy's face, before ruffling his hair.
"Seeking to increase the strength of your sword arm is a commendable pursuit, but when you take up a real sword to slay a man, you need to fight with your heart and mind, more than anything. Do not fight for fame, fortune, or that man's blood, for he has the same feelings as you do. Fight for the ones you love, when someone tries to harm them. Remember... it is the reason you fight for, that decides what kind of man you are. Be a good man when you're older, son."
Raising his azure gaze to his father, Alexios nodded with a serious expression.
"I'll always make you proud, father."
Moments later, he now noticed his mother returning from the village with what looked like a basket of vegetables, the four year old girl running about around her, under the young woman's loving gaze. Upon approaching the house, Korinna now rushed toward them, latching onto Draco's arm.
"Daddy, look what I found." she giggled, holding up a handful of weeds which she had considered to be quite beautiful.
Antheia instead made no attempt to quicken her pace, merely watching them as she approached. Seeing Draco with the children was something she couldn't get enough of, merely due to the sheer joy in his eyes whenever he looked upon them. Kissing Alexios' forehead, he then turned to his little daughter, his smile widening at his enthusiastic, innocent offspring with Antheia. Glancing down, he chuckled before giving her the same measure of affection.
"They're beautiful. Maybe you should go put them back in the ground around here so they keep growing around the house."
Chances were that they wouldn't, but he wouldn't tell her that. Shaking her head, the girl now looked to her brother.
"I got them for Pegasus... mommy said he likes them."
Rubbing the back of his head, the boy decided to put training off for later.
"I'll go with you, if you want to."
Being young as she was, Korinna had always been rather fearful of approaching the stallion when Alexios wasn't around, even if Pegasus had ever only been gentle with her. Grinning, the girl leaned to kiss her father's cheek before grabbing onto her brother's hand and tugging on it.
"Come on, come on!" she giggled.
Draco chuckled, neutral toward the idea that his boy didn't want to train right now; power wasn't everything. Gingerly retrieving the sword in his child's hand, he nodded to the two.
"Go on ahead. I have wanted to speak to your mother about something, anyway. Maybe I will tell you about it later."
Taking to his feet, he tossed the heavy armaments off to the side. Moving earthen eyes toward Antheia, he now stepped toward her, a smile crossing his countenance. She was still as beautiful as she had been the day he had first made love to her. Once the two children ran off toward the stallion, Antheia approached her lover, leaning up and kissing his jaw line.
"You're just as good of a father as you were the first time." she smiled.
Once more averting her gaze to the children, she took a moment to watch them feeding Pegasus the plants she had told Korinna to pick for him. Replying with a kiss to her cheek, he embraced her against his frame.
"And you have been a wonderful mother. None would know that you had not had children before you birthed ours. But... there is something of great importance that I have wished to discuss with you."
He had clearly put some time into thinking about it; at least a year, thus far, if not longer. Smiling at the kiss, she took a moment to savor his embrace before blinking at his words.
"What is it?" she asked softly.
At the same time she now stepped away from him, motioning him to follow her as she moved toward the house so as to set down the basket she was holding. The moment that basket came down and she returned to a fully vertical posture, she was tenderly pulled to rest against his chest, his hands on her well toned stomach. Settling his chin slightly on her shoulder, Draco opened his lips to speak what he knew would be the most important thing he had ever said to her.
"...I have loved every moment with you, and these children you have given to me. I want you to be my wife, Antheia."
Once more smiling when he embraced her, the woman felt her eyes widening at his statement, while her heart suddenly began pounding in her chest. Turning around in his arms, she briefly locked gazes with him until her eyes filled with tears and she abruptly wrapped her arms around his neck, pressing their lips together in a deep, loving kiss. She had wished so much to hear him say that to her, even if she had been no less happy simply living with him as they had for the past years. His muscular arms held her as if he would never let go, despite the fact that he knew those same arms were the ones that held his descendants. When the kiss came, he gave it a slight edge of passion, hands trailing along the curve of her lower back as he closed his eyelids. She still tasted perfect, like the juices of a sweet, fresh fruit. Antheia would age with him and they would stay together, perhaps even birthing more children. While that last part wasn't certain, Draco knew that they were inevitably going to make more priceless memories. Even the Underworld would not pull them apart, for they would fight their way to each other, no matter how long it took. In life or in death, they would be united forever...
~ The end ~