Author's Note: Your eyes are seeing correctly! I am posting TWO chapters in ONE NIGHT! I hope you enjoy them!

Thank you for reading!

Love Jasmine

Chapter Thirty-Four

The Request

Ariston's point of view

George and I went back to his house at lunchtime. Mera came out and greeted us; it was wonderful to see her well rested again. She wore a blue tank top with an oversized white button down shirt that hung open, along with jeans that hugged her shapely curves perfectly. As beautiful as she looks in fine gowns, she looks just as beautiful, perhaps even more so, in clothing such as this. I soon realized that the button down shirt was one of mine. She always has looked amazing in my clothing.

Mera wrapped her arms around my neck and my arms went around her waist. I kissed her as George went inside to get lunch. Even though it was just a kiss, none of our kisses have ever been completely innocent. It is far to easy to get lost in her lips, in holding her body close to mine and in the way she holds onto me, her fingers digging into my skin just enough to drive me crazy.

"How was work?" Mera asked.

"I enjoyed it." I told her truthfully.

"Did you ask him?" She asked. I smile and shook my head.

"Not yet. I will ask him soon." I told her and she nodded. "Lets go to dinner tonight on Olympus. No matter what your fathers answer is, I want to spend tonight alone with you."

"That sounds wonderful." She agreed.

"I was also thinking that while I am getting your fathers permission, you could ask for your mothers. Unless you wish for me to."

"I will ask her." She seemed to light up even more at the thought. "Come, I made lunch."

Mera took my hand and led me through the back door, into the kitchen and to the dining room. I held a chair out for her and once she was seated I sat down next to her.

A plate was set in front of me, a chicken Caser wrap with tomato and French fries and a few slices of pickles filled it. My smile grew.

"Thank you, my love." I kissed her lips quickly.

She smiled and nodded. The food was delicious; perfectly prepared. I am truly blessed in so many ways to have her.

"Why don't we girls go out shopping and let our men have their bonding time?" Anne offered. Mera almost burst into laughter.

"If you only knew how much shopping I have done in the past few months…" Mera groaned, shaking her head.

"Do not pretend you do not enjoy it." I said, giving Mera a pointed look. She shook her head with a smile then looked back to her mother.

"I would love to." Mera told her mother with a smile. "I do still have a huge closet to fill back home anyways."

After we ate, Mera went upstairs to change. She came back down stairs a few minutes later in a silk day dress that was almost the purple/blue of her eyes with a white blazer over it and high heels. George and I walked out with Mera, Anne and Marie. I held Mera's hand.

"I will see you later." Mera said to me when we reached her mothers dated, dark green Jeep.

"Call me if you need anything at all." I told her, she nodded. I leaned down and kissed her once. The kiss lingered as all of ours do.

"I love you." I said in a low voice.

"I love you." She said to me with a smile as she held my gaze, oh that smile.

I kissed her once more and then held the back door open for her. I said a quick goodbye to Anne and Marie, and George gave his wife a peck on the lips.

I stood in the driveway and watched as they drove down the dirt drive. As the car got further away I felt a growing discomfort within Mera. When the car was a hundred feet away that discomfort had grown into panic.

"Stop the car." I hear Mera say to her mother, her voice panicked.

I was already running towards the car, trying to keep it at a human pace. Mera got out and ran to me while her mother asked what was wrong. When she reached me she leapt into my arms and I held her tight.

"It is going to be alright, my love," I comforted her. "Everything will be alright." For today, it was not a lie; today everything would be all right.

I rubbed her back and kissed her forehead. She looked up at me with those entrancing violet eyes of hers. I brought my lips to hers and felt her relax as she melted into my lips, her warmth, scent and shining essence drawing me in. A lesser man would not have been able to keep it at just a kiss. There are many times when I do not even know how I keep it simply at a kiss, especially when she is so willing and not to mention teasing.

I held the world in my arms. She surrounded me, consumed me, brought me to life. She has saved my soul in ways beyond count.

"Go," I told her with a smile. "Have a wonderful day with your mother and grandmother. I know how you have missed them. When you come back we will go to Olympus for dinner, even though the sun will just be rising there." She laughed; the sound has always warmed my soul.

I looked at her in all her beauty; she has always had the oddest effect on me. She excites me to no end while at the same time bringing my soul such a calm, such a peace that it leaves me breathless and wordless. And to feel her love for me and how I make her feel, leaves me humbled that such a woman could love me as she does.

It is not only her body I love. I love who she is, I love that I have no secrets from her, that I can tell this woman anything and know that she will still love me. Mera is not only my lover; she is my closest friend. She is the arms I come home to when the day is long, she is the first person I want to talk to when something happens. She is everything to me, and more.

"I love you." The words slipped out as they usually do in these moments.

She placed her warm soft hand on my cheek as love played in those violet eyes of hers. I was brought back to the first time I looked into them.

It was not the first time I had seen her image, but it was the first time I saw her.

I pulled my SUV up to the barn; I heard the singing before I exited my vehicle. A sweet voice but it held strength to it. I liked her already.

A slight smile lit my lips at the sound as I got out. I could tell from the sound of the music that she was listening through headphones.

"Hello?" I called out, thinking she might hear me.

I followed the sound of her voice to the tack room where a beautiful young woman was dancing and singing. It was obvious that she was not aware of my presence and I kept it that way. There was something… enchanting about this young woman. The sway of her hips as she danced to the music; the sound of her voice as she sang each note with passion; the way her golden wavy hair flowed around her. I could easily see the bits of horsehair and shaving stuck to her skin and the pieces of hay caught in her hair amused me. I leaned against the doorframe and just watched her for a time, trying to understand what it was about her that I found so intriguing.

She spun around in her dance and stopped singing mid word when she saw me. I looked into those violet eyes and was floored. Along with their astounding beauty, there was also a mystery within her eyes that I felt oddly compelled solve. A lovely blush presented itself on her cheeks as she looked me over once, her jaw slightly unhinged. I was used to getting that look from women and men, but there was something about her that was different. Neither of us knew it, but she had me right then and there.

I stood up straight and walked towards her, she still had her headphones in. I could hear the music playing, but she did not seem to notice. I lifted my hand and took one out. She realized then that she was still listening to music and removed the other bud as her blush deepened.

We stood there looking into each other's eyes for a moment in time; there was something in her gaze, it felt as if she saw right through me, as if her eyes could reach my soul. I would have been more than content to stand there in her presence all day looking into her eyes, trying to understand the mystery within them, but I thought it best to speak. I did not want to frighten the poor girl with my admirations.

"Forgive me. I called to see if there was anyone here, then I heard you singing. You have a lovely voice." I complemented her and her blush deepened.

"I'm sorry, who are you?" She asked, sounding a little dazed. I realized then that I had forgotten my manners completely.

"Forgive me. I am Ariston Crete. I am boarding my horse here." I informed her. This is going well. That is twice I have apologized to her and I have not even known the woman for five minutes, I thought in sarcasm

"Oh, of course! Jenna told me you were coming. We have a stall waiting for your horse." She said. She wiped her hand on her jeans before placing it out to shake mine. I found this action very endearing and refreshing. I appreciated that she was not perfectly prim and proper, but she still held a kind of elegance. "I am Mera Vandenberg." She introduced herself.

As much as I had not expected her eyes, I did not expect what it would feel like to touch her skin. I gently took her hand and her warmth seemed to flood through me while a storm began to rage within my very core. I found myself getting lost in her eyes as I tried to understand what this feeling was. I stood there, stunned into silence, when I realized what it could be, what she could mean to me.

I had never thought it possible; after Elianna passed, I knew there would be no one else for me… yet here this beautiful woman stands before me. And this feeling that is filling me… something within me told me that what I felt was only the beginning. How is it that her eyes draw me in so? I wondered. I realized all of this within a moment and quickly reigned in my emotions, or at least the look on my face and placed a kiss below her knuckles. I liked how it felt to kiss her skin more than I should have.

"It is a pleasure to make your acquaintance, Miss Vandenberg." I said with a small smile.

And then she asked me to call her Mera. I still have not figured out the mystery within her eyes, I do not know if I ever will and part of me does not want to.

"I love you, my Ariston." Mera said, those words still did not cease to amaze me.

She kissed me and I could not help deepening the kiss and holding her closer. Feeling her is one of the greatest joys in my life. When the kiss came to its conclusion, she looked into my eyes for a moment more. I held her close as she laid her head against my chest, her arms around my back, holding me tight. A few moments later, we let each other go with great reluctance and I watched her walk back to her mother's car. She looked back and blessed me with one last smile before climbing in and shutting the door.

"What was that about?" I heard her mother ask.

"I just had to be in his arms." Mera replied.

I smiled and watched as they drove out of the driveway. I knew that I would not survive losing her, but I also knew that I would protect her with my life. I had to be strong for her, and that I would be. I had to believe that there was hope; without hope I would be lost. I took a deep breath and shook those thoughts from my mind.

I turned around and walked back to George. He had been civil enough as we worked together this morning, and I did what I could to keep the topic off of Mera.

"Let's talk." He said. I nodded and followed him back into the dining room.

I sat in one chair and he sat across from me, looking at me with something between contempt and understanding.

"About this 'army' Mera has joined." He said. "I never took her for the type."

"I do not like it any more than you do," I said and shook my head. "I even went so far as to forbid her from joining, saying I would not allow it. I will never make that mistake again." George cracked a small smile.

"That is one thing about Mera. Once she makes her choice, no one can convince her otherwise. Even the man she loves, it appears." I smiled at that. "Is it safer that the, human military?"

"Safer in some ways, more dangerous in others." I sighed. "I never wanted this for her. I was sent to her to see if she was willing to join the army. I never planned on falling in love with her, and once I did I knew I had to protect her in every way I could." I looked him in the eyes. "Mera has made her decision and I want you to know that I will do everything in my power to protect her; we all will." George nodded.

"Thank you for that." He said. I could not wait a moment longer, I had to ask him.

"I realize you do not like me," I began.

"You are having sex with my seventeen year old daughter. Of course I do not like you." George said flatly, crossing his arms as he glared at me.

"That is fair." I said. "Just know that I never pushed or pressured her; I would never use her in such a way. Yes, I wanted her but I was more than willing to wait until we were married, and I told Mera that time and time again."

"She is my child," He stated.

"Mera may be young, but she is not a child. I think we both know that." I said. He sighed.

"What don't I know?" George asked. "Do not take me for a fool Ariston, I know my daughter well enough to know that something is amiss. I understand that she loves you, but I have never seen her react the way she did yesterday or today. That was fear, deep and true, in her eyes and every action. Tell me why." He demanded. I would not break my oath to Mera, but there was something that I could tell him.

"A few days ago, Mera woke in the middle of the night screaming. I took her into my arms as she cried in a way I have never seen before. The sorrow and fear I felt within her…" I shook my head before continuing. "She had a dream, a vivid dream that I was taken away from her. The Fates have sent her dreams before, and she fears that it was a foretelling, that I will be kidnapped by the Nameless One." I explained. He was clearly taken aback by this "Mera has been struggling with this fear since that dream, and when you acted the way you did yesterday… she thought for a moment that you were going to part us."

He sighed and ran his hand through his hair.

"I had no idea…" He said.

"I realize that." I told him. How could he have known? "Mera knows that I would never leave her of my own will, but it hit too close to home for her."

"I regret the way I behaved. As a father, you must understand why I did." I nodded.

"I do. If I thought some man was trying to use Kallisto I would have done far worse." I told him, he nodded. "I realize this is quick, and how little you know about me, and still… my soul invokes me to speak. I am asking for Mera's hand in marriage."

"I had already guessed that." He replied with a sigh, his expression firm. "She is too young for marriage. She is too young for any of this."

"Not where I come from." I told him. George looked at me with anger clear in his eyes.

"Things may work differently where you come from, when you came from, but this is the twenty-first century. Girls no longer get married and bear a child before they are fourteen." He said, with even more contempt as his voice rose. "Tomorrow she will be eighteen and you will not need my damn permission."

I stayed calm; I knew all to well that getting upset would get me nowhere. Elianna's parents were not this upset when I told them I was in love with their daughter and wanted her as my wife. And she was younger than Mera at the time. They were over joyed and honored that a son of Zeus would choose their daughter to be his bride. They were planning the wedding before I had even left the room to go and tell Elianna the good news.

This is different. Times had changed, for the better in many ways. Mera is my world, and I knew her father saw that, which was why he was so defensive; he said himself that Mera has always made her own choices, and knows I am one of them. He was helpless, knowing she has chosen me, and I did not want him to feel that way.

"I want your permission, George. You are Mera's father and that truly means something to me." I explained to him. He was no more dissuaded.

"And if I were to say no?" He asked.

"Are you saying no?" I countered, looking into his eyes, not quite challenging him to say no, but wanting to hear his reaction. He sighed and looked away a moment later.

"Why should I say yes to you?" George asked, his voice back to its normal level.

"I love her," I told him. "I can provide for her and give her a life few can dream of. Not to mention that Mera is in love with me as well. I am her soul mate. What better reasons do you need?" I asked him.

"Her life should not be like this. She was supposed to graduate high school and college before getting married." He said. "She was supposed to have a career, a life, then when the time was right he would come and ask for my permission." I understood who he meant right away.

"You thought she would marry Aaron." I stated, it was clear.

"Yes, I did." He said. "You did not see them a year ago. How happy they were together, how in love they were. I never had a doubt that someday he would marry my daughter."

"And if Aaron were asking in my place right now?" I asked. I had to know if he simply did not like me or if it was that he did not want to lose Mera.

"I would still say no." George answered with a heavy sigh. "You are a good man Ariston, that much I can tell. You make my daughter happy; that is all I have ever wanted for her, a good life. If you were to ask me five years from now, I would say yes." I was relived to hear his words. "This all would have been much simpler if things had gone according to plan." I smiled, my heart filling with love.

"Nothing goes as planned when love is involved." I repeated what Mera had once told me.

"And who said that?" George asked.

"Your daughter." I told him with a smile.

"She is so young; she has so much ahead of her. Why can you not wait a few more years?" George asked. "If you love her, you can wait until she is ready for all of this."

I smirked; Mera has always made it all too clear when she is ready for something.

"She has made her wishes clear." I told him. "I was planning on waiting to meet you and your wife and asking for your permission before purposing. But last week when I came home, she told me that she wants to marry me, that she does not want to wait." I said to him. "She wants to be my wife. You are welcome to ask her if you do not believe me."

"She is only seventeen; she has barely begun to live. She cannot know what she wants yet." He said.

"She is more grown than you know. She is not a little girl anymore." I told him.

"You saw to that." He said with contempt. I kept my calm.

"That is not what I am speaking of, and you know that." I told him. "Mera is a grown woman. She knows what she will face in the world, in the life she has chosen, and she has chosen me to stand beside her in it. Within her soul she is already mine as I am hers, but I want her to be mine in name as well as love. I swear to you that no one is ever going to love your daughter as much as I do."

"You are wrong; I do." He stated

"I know that." I told him. "I am not trying to take her away from you. I want a life with her; I want every day of the rest of forever with her by my side. She and I cannot live with anything less than that. We are soul mates."

"How can you be so sure of that?" He asked. "How do you know this marriage will last, that it will not end with my daughter getting hurt?"

How can I put this in a way in which he will not be inclined to take that shot gun down and point it to my chest? I wondered.

"In my world, true soul mates connect on a much deeper level than mortals do. Mera and I feel each others emotions," I thought for a moment and smiled. "Right now she is slightly annoyed and bemused." I laughed once, wondering just what she was doing. "Only soul mates can feel each other's emotions in such a way and so you see, I know for a fact that she is the one I am fated to be with. Beyond that, she will never go a single day doubting how much I treasure her. I swear to you that I will love and cherish for her for the rest of my existence. Mera is… everything to me. And I implore you to bless our union."

George was silent for a time as he took my words in, weighing them and his decision. After a very long time, he finally gave his answer.

"Do you have a ring?" He asked.

I could not help but smile as a vast and fierce joy spread through me. I would have married Mera even if he had said no, but having his permission gave me peace and I knew it would bring Mera immeasurable joy as well.

"Yes, I do." I said, making the box appear in my hand with a thought. I opened it up and showed it to him, his eyes widened a bit.

"That is some ring." He said.

"I have had it since I brought her out on our first date." He chuckled softly.

"Aren't you the romantic." He grumbled.

"Mera does not deserve any less." I told him, which made him smile. "So many times I have wanted to ask her, but I wanted to have your permission first."

"Thank you for that. I am glad my daughter has someone who can give her the things she deserves, and who loves her the way you do."

George sighed before continuing, I could see how difficult this was for him. Mera is his only daughter, his only child. I wondered for a moment how I would react when Aaron asks me for Kallisto's hand. It is only a matter of time; I see it in the way they look at each other.

"You have my permission. However, you should get my wife's as well." He said, then he laughed once. "Which should not be difficult, seeing as how Anne seems to love you almost as much as our daughter does."

"Thank you." I put my hand out and he shook it. "I pray you know how much this means to me."

"Do gods pray?" He asked, I laughed.

"It was a figure of speech." I told him. He smiled; it looks like we might actually be friends… someday. Hopefully before the wedding.