Author's Note: I apologize for taking so long to get this out! My excuses are as follows: I drove from Florida to Mass for a week for my family reunion: it took me a while to get my house cleaned with everything I brought back; I am again looking for the next job, but am looking into a career that will give me the finances and freedom to write; I have honestly just been lazy about my writing, which I am trying to work on more.
OH OH! I just thought of another excuse! I became hooked on Arrow and am trying to watch it all, and be caught up on Doctor Who before the next series. LOL long story short, because we all know how apt I am at writing SHORT stories, I am ecstatic to be posting the next chapter!
So much love to you all!
Chapter Thirty-Two
Ariston's point of view
After dinner, Mera and I settled into the couch in the living room to watch a movie, Charlie Chaplin's Shoulder Arms, with her parents and Marie. I remembered when that movie first came out; Cronus brought me along to see it and even though I was numb I still ended up laughing.
I knew it was one of Mera's favorites, but she ended up falling asleep in my arms a few minutes into it. I hated waking her so early this morning; she only got a few hours of sleep and that is nowhere near enough for her, but we had to leave early if we wanted to arrive here before dark. I enjoyed holding her as she slept; I watched more of her than I did of the movie. I have always loved watching her sleep; she is so peaceful and so unbelievably beautiful.
I could not bear to wake her when the movie ended. Between her training and myself, she has gotten little sleep lately. I lifted her into my arms with the greatest care, her head rested against shoulder as her arms lazily wrapped around my neck. I bid goodnight to Mera's family, looking at each of them in turn.
George gave me a look that I knew was intended as a warning, but nodded. I carried Mera up the stairs and through the first door on the left. I glanced at her room; I had looked around earlier when I put her suitcases in there. Her room is simple, with its white bed and ivory comforter. The walls were painted a soft blue, one of my favorite colors, and there is a desk beneath the window. She has show ribbons everywhere and photos of her riding in horse shows. Mera has won every competition she has ever entered, but that did not surprise me.
It was endearing to see her as a little girl with a missing tooth and pigtails with watermelon on her face, that photo was one of my favorites. Another photo I loved was of Mera grazing a horse three times her size. She must have been four in that photo; so precious. I wondered what she was like at that age; Cronus was blessed to have known his wife from the day she was born and to watch her grow into the woman she is.
I pulled back the covers of her bed with my mind and laid Mera down, then proceeded to remove her shoes and jewelry. She woke as I removed one of her earrings and smiled up to me, bringing such warmth within me.
"Do you want to sleep in your dress?" I asked and she shook her head.
"No. You can take it off." She said, an invitation clear in her eyes.
"I think you should get some sleep." I said as I sat next to her on the edge of her bed, my one arm on the other side of her legs.
She placed her hand on my chest and I all but melted under her touch. She sat up and kissed me, an electrifying and enticing kiss as all of her kisses are to me, as her hand slid up my arm and to my shoulder. My hand went to her thigh by instinct as my other hand slipped into her golden hair to deepen the kiss. Yes, I wanted her. I always want her. I felt her father coming down the hall and it was all I could do to end the kiss and not take it further.
Your father, I thought to her.
She nodded and I kissed her forehead and held her for a moment before rising from her bed. Sure enough, her father was standing in the doorway. I nodded to him as I walked past and down the hall to the room that was mine. A board squeaked under my foot as I opened my door.
The room was small and the twin bed smaller but I did not mind. The only thing I did mind was spending the night without Mera in my arms. I have held her every night since the night before we made love for the first time. What a night that was.
I changed into sleeping pants and laid on the bed, my feet almost hanging off the end of it. I stared up at the ceiling with a smile as I thought about that first beautiful night we shared such an embrace. I have desired Mera from the first moment I saw her. She set a fire within me, a fire that has not died out. Sometimes it is soft, like glowing embers and other times it is a raging inferno of desire and passion that all but drives me mad if I try to resist her. I would have waited for her; I would have pulled away each time until our wedding night even through the difficulty of it. But how could I stand strong as that woman stood before me, begging me to trust this, to trust her.
Over the course of my five thousand years I have been with many women, both mortal and divine. When I was young I was like many young men; sex was all I wanted, all I thought about. There were a few times I thought I was in love, but that love ended up being nothing more than infatuation and faded shortly after, much to my disappointment. When I met Elianna she changed that within me. She was the first woman I could see having a relationship with that was based on more than sex.
It was well over a hundred years after she passed before I touched another woman, and I soon realized that while I was lost in her the pain and everything else would fade away until there was just pleasure. From then on I would find someone whenever the need arose. If the woman was willing, I was honest with her about what I wanted and keeping it clear that it would be nothing more than what it was.
When I met Mera, it was the first time in over two thousand years that I had wanted more than sex. I wanted to know that extraordinary young woman, I wanted to be with her. She was the first woman I knew was well worth the risk of devastation. I did not just want another lover, another one night stand. I wanted Mera to be my friend, my confidant. Someone I could tell my deepest, darkest secrets to. Someone I could stay up all night talking to and share all my worries as well as my joys. Just as I told her, I wanted a real and lasting relationship with her.
The more I knew of Mera, the more I fell in love with her. And as difficult as it was, I was grateful I took my time and let our relationship blossom into what it is. I knew that Mera desired me; I could see it in almost every look she gave me. I knew that I could have her if I wanted, but I knew that one passionate night with that beautiful woman would not be enough, it would not dull the need I have for her, nothing could do that.
It did not take long for me to realize that I did not simply want Mera; I need her, like a fish needs water, like humans need air, like a farmer needs the rains. She became a necessity in my life until being apart from her was simply not an option.
As much as I tried not to, I hoped against hope that Mera could come to love me even half as much as I loved her. I hoped that she might someday need me in her life, and miracle of miracles, she turns out to be my soul mate.
When Mera offered herself to me that night knowing full well what it would mean, I could not deny her or myself what we wanted, what we needed. I could not hold myself back any longer and no part of her wanted me to. As close as we were before, that night brought us closer than I would have imagined possible. I have never felt anything like that night and the days and nights after it. Making love to her is an experience, which is unequal to anything else in this world or any other. Mortals take life-threatening drugs just to feel a tenth of that kind of ecstasy, and best of all is that Mera enjoys it just as much as I do, if not far more as a woman.
I shook my head, that woman is everything to me. I will protect her with my life, with my very soul.
I heard soft footsteps coming down the hall and knew the essence of the woman coming towards my room. My smile grew as I watched the door open and Mera sneak in with a smile on her lips as she stepped around the squeaky board. I sat up, swinging my legs off the side of the bed as she carefully closed the door.
"Now what would you be doing here at this hour?" I asked with a smile. Her smile grew.
"Did you truly believe I could spend a night without you?" She asked as she untied her long blue silk robe to reveal a nightgown trimmed in lace, letting the robe fall to the ground around her. "And besides, you do owe me for the bet."
I could not help my reaction as I took in her sacred body, a storm of desire building within me, my breaths quickening. The same storm raged in her violet eyes as she walked forward and stood before me. I placed my hands on her hips as her hands ran through my hair. I nuzzled her neck. The feeling of her is unlike anything else. Her soft, warm skin that feels like silk; the waves in her gold hair; her sweet lips; her scent. Everything about her drives me to a passion I could not put into words. I loved feeling how my touch made her feel, how her fingers went into my hair and grabbed hold of it while her neck lulled back. How her heartbeat quickened in anticipation. Every ounce of my being hungered the woman in my hands.
"Can you soundproof the room?" She asked me, her voice breathy. I created a barrier that would remain up until I removed it.
"It is done." I said, my tone deep.
With that I pulled her towards me. Her lips descended upon my own as she climbed onto my lap. I slid my hands under her nightgown to remove it…
I lay on the floor with one arm behind my head and my other arm around Mera as she laid on my chest looking into my eyes. We laughed. At some point in our passions we rolled, forgetting how small the bed was and falling onto the floor with a loud thump. Fortunately she fell on top of me and not the other way around, and the only damage that was done was to put a dent in the wood floor. We were far too lost in each other to truly notice we had fallen until afterwards.
Even with her increased strength, I still have to be careful not to harm her when we make love. Her body is still mortal after all, fragile, especially in my hands. However, over the past few thousand years I have perfected that art. It was all for her. Everything that has happened in my life has been leading up to her. Mera is my destiny. Of this, I was certain. I caressed her cheek as her face hovered over mine, loving the look in her eyes.
"I love you." She said.
"I love you, my Mera." I replied.
I leaned up and kissed her soft, sweet lips then lingered for a few moments an inch away from them, enjoying the dizzying peace that flowed through us.
"Do you know why my father put you in this room?" She asked.
"Because of the loose floor board?" I asked. She laughed and nodded.
"He used to put Aaron in this room, but it was never like it is with us." She said.
She looked into my eyes with a smile before lying down on my chest, her head tucked into the crook of my neck. I held her close, her scent surrounding me; she smells of raspberries and rainstorms, a truly heady concoction. There is no place I would rather be than right here, holding this warm goddess in my arms.
"Sweet dreams, my Mera." I said, running my hand down her smooth, bare back.
"Sleep well, my Ariston." She said tiredly before she yawned and feel sleep.
I awakened an hour before sunrise; Mera was still sound sleep on my chest. No part of me wanted to move but I knew I would have to bring her back to her room before her parents woke. I carefully got up and teleported us into her room, I laid her down on her bed then teleported a nightgown onto her body. I pulled the covers over her then cupped her delicate cheeks with my hands.
"Mera." I said, gently waking her.
She smiled as she woke; even in the dark of the early morning, I could easily see the violet of her entrancing eyes. She placed her hand on my cheek and for a time all words left me, I was too lost in the unfathomable depths of her eyes to remember what I was going to say to her.
"I am going to get ready and work the barn with your father." I said to her when I remembered. "I did not want you to wake and not know where I was."
"Thank you for that." She said, then yawned.
"Go back to sleep, my love, you have barely gotten any lately." I told her.
"That is your fault." She mumbled with a smile then yawned again as I chuckled.
"I am sorry for that." I told her.
"I am not," She said with a smile. "I will take you over sleep any day." I laughed gently.
"And I you, my beautiful love." I said. I leaned down and gently brushed my lips against hers in a sweet kiss.
"I love you, my Mera." I said softly.
"I love you, my Ariston." She replied.
I gazed into her eyes for a long moment before kissing her forehead and teleporting back to the spare room with a smile. I put on the sleeping pants I had been wearing last night and picked up her robe and nightgown. They smelled of her sweet scent, raspberries and rainstorms. I laughed once as I looked at the dent I made in the floor last night. With a thought I refused the particles of the wood together. When it was done a moment later, there was not a trace of the damage.
I could not help the smile on my face as I went to take a quick shower in one of the two bathrooms in the house. I tied a towel around my waist after I got out and went back to the spare room to dress for the day.
I choose a gray cotton tee shirt with dark wash jeans and brought down some muck boots. I could not help stealing another look at a sleeping Mera before going downstairs. Soon she will be my wife, the joy that thought brought to me was unreal. There is nothing I want more than to spend the rest of forever with her, it is all I have truly wanted since we met. I decided to make some breakfast for the family. Even though Mera would not be awake for hours I had a feeling George was an early riser. I put a pot of coffee on and checked in with Kallisto while making the omelets.
Hello daughter, I thought to her.
Hello father, she thought to me, the joy in her voice warmed my soul.
How are things? I asked Kallisto.
Everything is going well, you need to stop worrying so much, father, Kallisto chided lovingly. Enjoy your time with Mera and her family. Thinking of which, how are things going?
We got off to a rough start when they saw me, but after Mera's father settled down and we spoke, things went better. I told her. He still loathes me though.
No one who knows you could ever loathe you, She said, making me smile. You are a great man and a great god. He will see that Mera is as lucky to have you, as you are to have her.
Thank you. How is Aaron? I asked.
He is well, She replied. We went for a walk on the beaches last nigh. It was wonderful.
My smile grew. I may have been curious as to what exactly is going on between the two of them, but I no more wanted to hear of my daughters 'activities' with Aaron than she wants to hear of mine with Mera. Gods though we be.
I am so happy to hear that. I thought to her. After all my daughter has been through, she deserves every happiness and if Aaron can provide that for her and be the man she deserves, then I have no objections to them being together. Are there any new developments on the disappearances? I asked Kallisto.
I have been worried about that since before I met Mera. Every time there was a lead I would have to go no matter the moment I was in. I knew full well that Mera was about to tell me she loves me on the dock that day but I had no choice. I had to find out what had happened.
Unfortunately no. Kallisto replied. Ennina has ordered no more search missions until we know more about this, she does not want to risk anyone else being captured or corrupted by the Shadows and their master. Not to mention that there are other things that require the gods attention. She is going to look into it personally.
I knew how difficult that decision had to have been for Ennina to make. It was her family and Descendants whom had disappeared after all. I know my sister well enough to know that she wants nothing more than to have them back in the safety of Olympus, but she is wise enough to know that we cannot risk anyone else. Ennina however, is immune to the Shadows as Pandora was and is a skilled warrior. She is safer than any of us but I knew full well that Cronus would go with her to protect her as I would if it were Mera.
I knew that I could not keep this a secret from Mera. In that moment, I was grateful to my sister for calling off the search for the time being, other wise I knew Mera would want to take part. There is a great chance that Mera could be immune to the Shadows, but that is not a chance I am willing to take, not with the danger that would put her in… and not after what happened to Andrea.
An old sadness came into my soul at that thought. Andrea, I shook my head at the name, trying to keep those horrible images of what he did to her out of my mind, but they were burned there, searing my memory.
"Ariston, what is wrong?" Came Mera's voice from behind me.
I turned around to see her standing there half asleep, though her eyes were alert with worry. I just shook my head, not able to speak. She quickly crossed the room and threw her arms around me, leaning up on her toes to caress my cheek with her own. I wrapped my arms around her waist and held her tight, needing to feel her in my arms, to remind myself that she was here, safe with me, even if it was only for the time being.
"What is wrong?" She asked again after a time. "Talk to me."
"I cannot," I whispered. "Not now, but soon I will." She sighed, kissing my forehead.
"You frustrating man," She repeated, and laughed lightly. "Just know that I am here when you are ready." I smiled and nodded, holding her closer.
"I love you." I whispered to her, leaning my cheek against hers, reminding myself once again that she was here, that she was real. There are still times I am afraid I am going to wake up to find this all a dream, and that I could not bare.
"I am yours." She promised. "I love you."
She pulled back, taking my face between her hands as she smiled softly to me. Even with all I had told her, there were still things about my past that I had yet to shared. It was simply because I had lived for over five thousand years and to tell of every happiness and heartache in my life would take a very long time. Looking into her eyes, I could only pray we would have a very long time together. There were some things that it felt almost impossible to speak of with anyone, yet still, I wanted her to know and soon I would have to tell her these things.
She leaned up and somewhere in the melding of our lips, I was lost, yet at the same time, I was found. The past and the future was wiped away, all that existed was this moment, her warmth and the way her body fit in my arms as our souls mingled together.
"Good morning." Came a voice that somehow brought us out of our daze, though no part of me wanted my lips parted from this woman before me, my wife. A wide smile stretched across my face.
What? Mera asked.
I cannot wait to call you my wife, I told her. Her smile grew.
In so many ways, I already am your wife, She told me. My husband.
It was then I realized once again that there was someone standing in the doorway. I looked up and saw Marie there with a smile upon her face as she watched me with her granddaughter. Mera looked at her grandmother.
"Good morning." Mera greeted her, then looked back to me. "I need to go back to bed." I nodded, I could feel how tired she was, a part of me worried she was going to fall down.
"Will you be alright getting upstairs?" I asked her, she chuckled and nodded.
"I think I can manage." She told me.
She leaned up and kissed me once more before walking away, looking back a few times to meet my eyes before she turned the corner and went up the stairs. I looked back to Marie, fully aware of how my face was glowing. I was beyond thankful Mera had come down; I felt much more at peace now.
"Good morning, Marie." I greeted her, she sat down and I went back to work cooking.
While the omelets were cooking I got to work on some waffles and put some bacon and sausage on the stove. I was not sure what Mera's family liked so I decided to make a bit of everything. I heard Marie wake and shower as I slid the omelets onto a platter and sliced some fruit.
"Good morning, Ariston." Marie greeted me. I smiled.
"Are you hungry?"
"Very; those omelets look delicious, and the fruit as well." She said.
I made her a plate of an omelet surrounded by berries and a few slices of an orange and place it in front of her.
"Thank you. My granddaughter is lucky to have you." Marie said with a smile.
"I am the lucky one." I said, then went to the waffles.
I created a masterpiece of fruit, waffles, omelets and meats, arranging it on the table and taking a seat across from an old friend. She watched me with glee.
"When is the date?" Marie asked.
"The date?" I asked, sipping my coffee.
"For the wedding." Marie answered with a smile. "Marriage cannot be far off for you and Mera; even a fool can see that." I smiled, and you have never been a fool, Marie.
"We have not chosen a date yet." I told her. "I asked her for her thoughts on the subject a few weeks ago, and a few days ago she told me that she is ready now." I shook my head, not able to contain my smile. "Even though I have not officially asked her, we already have half the wedding planned." I laughed and she joined in, total happiness filling the small dining room.
"I cannot think of anyone better for my granddaughter." Marie admitted in all honesty.
"Thank you. I hope your son will see it that way." I said.
"He will once he knows you; the rush on things will not help, I am afraid. When do you plan on asking him?" She asked.
"Today." I told her.
"Best of luck." She said.
"Thank you." I went back to my food. A long, pregnant silence developed, and not one caused by the distraction of delectable foods.
"I think there is something you and Mera neglected to tell my son and daughter yesterday." Marie brought up said topic a few moments later. She knew full well about the Descendants of Pandora; she knew a few of them from her time in the army.
"Mera does not want them to know, to worry." I told Marie. "She will not die. I will not allow it to happen. I will protect her no matter what it takes." My stubbornness bared its soul in that moment; once again, my desire to whisk her away and keep her from harm nearly overwhelmed my senses.
"I know that." Marie said softly, looking into my eyes. Her hazel eyes were filled with a grave knowledge of her granddaughter's potential fate. "Do not keep Mera from what she must do." I was slightly shocked to hear that from her.
"I cannot let her be harmed." I said firmly. "You know what he did to her predecessors? You heard the stories, and I saw first hand. If she goes out there alone, there is nothing to stop him from killing her. I cannot let Andrea's fate befall her." We were silent for a time.
"Have you told her about Andrea?" She asked softly, I shook my head.
"Not yet." I said. "Even though she haunts my dreams as she has since that night."
"Mera is my granddaughter," Maire went on. "The child of my child. I cannot bare the thought of any harm coming to her. But she has a destiny, and to keep her from it would be to lock up a part of who she is, who she is meant to be. Mera is the last; without her we are lost."
"This I know, all to well." I said, bittiness coloring my tone.
When I realized I was in love with Mera, I went to my father. I remembered standing before him, begging for him not to ask her to join the army. His similar words echoed within my soul, shaking its very foundation.
"She is the last one. If she does not fulfill the prophecy, there will not be another." My father said.
"I beg of you father; not her." I pleaded with him.
He looked at me and I saw understanding in his eyes as he placed his hand on my shoulder.
"She has a choice. If she does not want this, we will not force it upon her." He had said. "I know you love her son, and you know that she is needed. In the end, the choice is hers alone."
"Why does this always happen?" I bemoaned. "First Elianna. My sons, then their children, and now her? Why?"
My father wrapped his arms around me, breathing with me as I fought to control my agony. The curse of being immortal was watching everyone you love eventually be taken from you.
After how Mera reacted to fighting the mugger, I was certain she would not want this life, that she would be safe. I had not known how she felt about me, and so I was considering leaving her to a mortal life so she would be safe, if that was what she wanted. But a part of me knew that I was fooling myself if I thought that I would have the strength to leave her. Everything fell into place when I heard her say that she loves me that night, and if I ever had any will to leave her, it faded as soon as those words passed her lips.
Just like her grandmother, just like the gods, Mera seems to be bound by a sense of duty. I love her all the more for that, but the thought of losing her is inconceivable.
"The Moirae would not bring her into your life just to take her away again," Marie promised, bringing me out of my reverie. "They are not so cruel as that."
"Elianna," I began to say.
"Was not your soul mate." Marie said as she took my hand on the table. "I think we both know that you are a monogamous god. If Elianna had been made immortal, what would you have done when you met Mera?" She asked, letting the question linger between us before going on. "Loving Mera would have ripped you apart because it would have hurt Elianna, and not being able to have you would have tormented Mera just as deeply. You had your time with Elianna; she gave her lifetime to you as well as four beautiful children. There is a reason for everything. You are a god; you should know this."
I knew she was right, yet the worry and fear of losing the woman I love still swarmed and twisted within me. We heard George's footsteps and knew the conversation had to be at an end, for now.
"Have faith." Marie encouraged, looking into my eyes with a small smile.
I gave a nod and Marie squeezed my hand before letting it go. I took a breath to steady myself. I heard George come down the stairs a few minutes later as I began to eat. He entered the kitchen, noticing the spread on the table.
"So Mera had the right of it; you do cook." George said.
"I do." I gestured to the food. "Help yourself."
He did just that, the three of us making small talk as we ate. Marie decided to catch up on current Olympian events, which I happily offered, since it was nothing of international importance. Her son clearly was still wrapping his mind around these things, and the fact that they exist. When breakfast was finished, George rose from his seat and looked my way.
"Are you ready?" He asked.
"I will slide on my boots." I went over to the door and slid them on.
"Those look as if they have never been used before." George said, speaking of my muck boots. His boots that were next to mine were obviously well worn.
"That is because they have not been." I told him.
"You do not like hard work?" He asked as we made our way outside and down the steps.
"I do not mind manual labor in the least. I rather enjoy working with my hands, but there is little time for it in my profession." I explained as we walked towards the barn.
"So, you are a… god," He had trouble getting the word out. "How does that work? What do you do?"
"There are millions of us. We each are given different tasks to fulfill and work different days helping the mortals when there is no personal task at hand. The Twelve are in charge. They are the royal family, my father Zeus and step mother Hera being the King and Queen of the Olympians."
"So what is stopping you from bringing about world peace? Ending world hunger?" He asked.
"Two things; the Shadows and free will." I told him. "We guide the mortals but they make their own choices. We are not allowed to truly interfere with their free will. The world may never be perfect, but the balance has been off since the Nameless One took power from good King Ouranos. The Shadows have been corrupting the mortal race since then. Only when Pandora put away the Shadows was there something of a balance, and that only lasted barely eight years."
"And my daughter is the key to winning this war you say?" He asked. I nodded.
"With the box she will be able to do what needs to be done, and the gods will do the rest." I told him. "Even if only less than half of the Shadows are put away, he will be weakened enough to be taken out."
We reached the barn soon after and went to work. This work was relaxing, an old routine I had not walked in too long. There were enough horses that we had to bring some in from their paddocks so others could get the fresh air. Luna was very animated as I walked her outside; a little too much so, making me reign her in. Once she got to the paddock, she bust into a gallop as she went towards where Vrontos cantered towards her.
I walked Vrontos inside, patting his neck. George admired my Alki stallion, while I smiled in pride of my horse.
"That is some animal." George complemented.
"Vrontos has been with me for most of my life," I told him, looking into my horse's eyes. "He is a very dear companion of mine." I kissed his forehead. "I was human once, you know. Well, half human."
"How did you end up here?" He asked.
"I was murdered." I explained, which caught his intrigue. "I died defending my people, as is befitting a king. Even if I had only been a present, I like to think I would have done the same thing."
"… a king?" He asked. "Are you in the history books?" I had intrigued him.
"Not the ones you know of." I told him. "Much was lost from the devastation of those times. Thera, Santorini as you know it, is unrecognizable in this time. The soil I was born on has long since crumbled into the sea." He was silent for a long moment, as I was lost in reverie while taking care of Vrontos, brushing his soft fur.
"Do you miss it?" He asked.
"It was not the only home I have ever known, but yes, I do." I admitted.
From here on out more questions were asked. He went from doing this for Mera's benefit, to true curiosity about the man I am. Hope filled me, and soon after we even began laughing together.
