AN: Wheeze! I am so sorry to everyone that has been following Dane's adventure. The only reason I have for this late update is that I had finally rid myself of the fearsome writer's block' for the trilogy I am writing and only wrote that. Of course, that is no fine excuse, but thank you for taking your time to read this chapter anyway!
"You will?" Dionysus asked, suddenly looking sorry that he hadn't taken up the task.
"Why? Is that not what you wanted?" asked Hera, tossing her hair behind her shoulders. "Do not worry, Dionysus, you will never see your former slave again. I promise you that." She turned to Zeus. "I plan to punish this little boy, and therefore, I will not return to the party."
Zeus grinned. "That's just fine," he said, and Dane could almost see him eyeing the distance between Hephaestus and Aphrodite and calculating how quickly he could reach the latter.
"Come," said Hera coldly, taking his hand and pulling away.
"Wait!" he cried, twisting around to look at Dionysus. The Greek god's face was drawn with sadness, and to Dane, he seemed frail and bent under the splendor of the palace.
"You dare make me wait?" she demanded.
Dane took one last look. "No," he said at length. "Of course not, Queen Hera." And he knew in his heart that the only time he and Dionysus would speak again would be in his prayers.
They left the dining hall, going through corridors each more exquisite than the last as they wound around and around Mt. Olympus. Dane wondered whether she could feel his heart beating in his hand. How exactly was she going to kill him? He recalled the stories of lore his sister told him and shivered. Hera was never pleasant in any of them.
She finally pulled him into a room with a cradle inside it. He slowly went up to the cradle and peeked into it and the silk covers that lined it. A dry click broke his thoughts. Hera had locked the room.
"You fool," she said quietly, though her voice shook with rage. "Do you realize what could have happened?"
"What could happen still may happen," he squeaked, thinking about his premature death.
"You are an obstinate, silly child," she said even softer, though it dripped with anger. "In order to save your life, I must gain it."
Dane's eyes widened. "What do you mean? Am I your slave now?"
Hera laughed. "Worse. You are my prisoner."
"For how long?"
"Probably until your life ends."
Dane gaped at her. "Well, that won't be long if you lock me here forever."
"I warrant I'll keep you busier than that imbecile of a master ever kept you. You will care for the babe, because I do not care to even stand near it."
For a reason he couldn't explain, Dane wanted to kick the bassinet aside and then pummel his fists at Hera. He was being taken away from his home to take care of a little baby god for the rest of his life. And the worst part was that gods were immortal…no point in wishing for the little bugger to choke it quick. "I helped you!" he burst out. "I helped you, and you repay me by locking me up for the rest of my life? I'll never see my master again, nor my sister! How have I wronged you?"
She shook him. "Don't you understand that I am not your enemy?" she hissed. "Your life will be in danger if anyone knows you are alive. For some unexplainable reason, you have gained the hatred of Apollo, the god of truth! Without my protection, you will be stripped of this lifetime."
"Why does he hate me?" cried Dane. "I've done nothing to him…hardly talked to him!"
"He sees futures. Something about yours must have unsettled him deeply, for Apollo is usually a kind god. It seems you have an evil tomorrow, little one."
Dane was stunned. Not only did his present seem bleak, the future was too. It appeared to him that his past was the only time of his life he might enjoy.
"And as for your sister," she continued, "you will have tonight to gather your belongings and set things right before you come to me. Believe you me, I will keep you under bolt and key in hopes to please Apollo. The news of my mercy will not escape him. Four hours starting now." She glanced at the sun. "While the party is going, Apollo will be loathe to leave it. But once it is over, he will surely find you."
"How will I get down from the mountain?" he asked trying to count the minutes he had left.
"Fly," she answered, a grim smile playing on her lips.
Dane was still dizzy from the trip down. Hera must have bartered a great deal to have Hermes fly him down (though he did grumble in Dane's ear all the way), and though he was grateful, he was sad too.
He was never going to see his sister.
As he made his way through the village, he ignored the greetings from the other villages, inquiring how it was with his master. Every time he heard the name 'Dionysus,' his heart panged.
Darkness already seeped through the village like a bucket of pitch. He was going to have to hurry if he wished to return before Apollo did, but how was one supposed to bid their past goodbye if it was the only thing he had left going for him?
He saw Vanni, his sister, wrapping grape leaves around rice and steaming them. He couldn't walk any farther, try as he might, try as he reminded himself of the danger it was costing him to wait. She was a staple in his life from the beginning. He wanted her to see the end as well.
Vanni spotted him before he moved. "Dane!" she yelled happily, before running over and embracing him in a whiff of rich grape leaves. "You're just in time for dinner."
"I can't stay for dinner," he heard himself say.
Her face fell. "But I made so much of it," she pressed on. "It won't be any trouble."
He wanted to lie to her, save her the pain. Maybe he could tell her that Dionysus was moving to Athens, and he had to follow him? Of course, Vanni, being a storyteller, would see through his lies at once. Those who told stories told lies well.
"I won't see you again," he told her. Painfully, he relayed the day's events, starting from his stupidity and ending with his life in the bargain. He wiped the tears away from his eyes. "What am I going to do?" he said at last.
Vanni's nose was red, but she said, "You do as the gods say." Quickly, she began to gather foodstuff and clothing, packing what little she had in a rucksack. "You must follow every command in hopes for your life. I will give sacrifices to both Apollo and Hera, day and night if I have to appease them. Maybe they will be less hard on you if I bury their temples with incense. If I need to send you a message, I'll do so through Hera. If we're lucky, she'll give it to you." She handed him the sack.
He felt the heavy contents of the bag. "I can't take this, Vanni. You'll starve if you give me so much."
She gave a watery smile. "I'm not the one taking care of little god brats," she reminded him. "And you got to see Mt. Olympus! Like in all the stories! Is it as beautiful?"
"Not as beautiful as you tell it," he said, and already, the stitch in chest was threatening to tear. He was going to bawl like a baby. "I have to go, Vanni. The party will be over before we know it."
"Promise me you'll take care of yourself," she said. "At times, I believe Hades himself cannot compare to the cruelty of Hera."
He kissed her on the cheek. "Well, if I stay any longer, I definitely will be in the hands of Hades if Apollo has his way. I'll be all right, Vanni. I swear it."
AN: And another chapter is finito! I will definitely try to update more often, I swear it. And if I don't, you can yell at me all you like :D. Thank you so much for reading, and please review so I can thank you personally!