Divnity: Chapter forty two
A month has passed since he saw her, that day was in his mind like it was yesterday. He closed his eyes and remembered those golden eyes, her raven soft hair that fell on her back it was longer that he remembered, her soft voice pleading him to stop the fight.
He opened his grey eyes and realized he had lost her. He had lost her the day he slept with all those girls in the past. He lost her when he listened to her father and went to destroy her shrine; he lost her a month ago when he went to confront her on Earth.
He no longer had that beautiful woman by his side, he no longer had his best friend, he wasn't going to hear her laugh ever again. She was gone.
He looked to his side and saw a woman sleeping next to him, her dark hair covered her face and sometimes for brief moments he imagined she was her. The woman next to him opened her violet eyes.
"You're awake" she said.
"Yes…" Ares said.
Eris lowered her gaze, she knew that once they finished sleeping together she had to take her things and leave his palace. This time without him telling her anything she got up in silence and started to pick her clothes off the ground.
Ares watched her put on her dark red dress with delicacy. Another realization hit him, she has been with him since before Gaia was gone, she was the girl that was in his bed almost every night when Gaia had feelings for him, it was because of this girl she stopped loving him and moved on. This girl stayed with him even after his madness, rage and jealousy, after he told her he went to see Gaia to kill the man she was married to and take her back.
Eris loved him.
"If you need something… let me know, I'll come back to check up on you…" she said softly.
"Eris…" Ares called her.
Eris stopped in her tracks and turned to see him with a strange look, he never did that, he always let her leave without saying a word.
"You don't have to go…" he said again.
"It's almost noon…" she said, her red shoes on her right hand.
Ares grey eyes for the very first time in months showed care for her. "You don't have to go if you don't want to"
Eris stood still between the door of his chambers and the bed. "I do not understand…" she said.
"Stay with me, Eris" Ares said.
"What?" she was confused by his behavior.
"Marry me, Eris" he said.
"You don't love me" Eris said.
"Love in this place doesn't really matter"
"It matters to me"
"You're the Goddess of Discord…love should be an insignificant thing"
"Maybe it is insignificant but it's something that makes you feel like you really exist"
"What do you mean?"
"I admire the Earth Goddess for what she did, you know?"
"Because she became a mortal being?"
"Because she dared to do what we were always been afraid to do"
"And what is that?"
"To love and be loved in return"
"So, love really does matter to you"
"Ares, we live in a place where we do what we want. We are beings that actually don't care about anybody else than ourselves…"
Eris turned to leave when he interrupted her again.
"Do you love me Eris?"
She stopped again in her tracks, her back was towards him.
"…No"
"Liar"
"What are you asking me this?"
"I want to know"
"You don't need to know everything…"
"Do you love me Eris?"
Eris turned to see him. "Yes"
"Marry me"
"Your heart belongs to someone else"
"But my body and soul have been with you all this time"
"Why do you want to marry me so suddenly?"
Ares got up from the bed and walked towards her. "Because we've been together since I can remember, if we live in a loveless place like you say, at least let's share a life with care, in peace and with respect"
Eris side smiled. "You care for me?"
"I always have…"
"Liar"
"Marry me Eris"
Eris smiled again. "Let's share a life with care, peace and respect"
"Eris and Ares are getting married"
Queen Serenity's eyes widened in surprise. "Married?"
King Athan took another bite of his food and nodded. "He told me this afternoon"
"A month ago he wanted to go and confront Gaia and now he's getting married?" Serenity rolled her eyes.
"At least is something don't you think? He's finally letting go a living myth and moving on" Athan said.
"How ironic" Serenity said while cutting her food with her knife.
Athan took a sip of his wine and frowned. "Ironic, why?"
"He's marrying the girl who made Gaia move on with her life and then he couldn't handle it because he discovered he was in love with her"
"Well…now he's moving on" Athan said.
"Are they having a ceremony?" she asked.
"I guess they won't do anything big" Athan said.
"I hope their relationship works out. Underneath that madness and rage we knew from him for the past months there's a kind man" she said.
"Metallia has disappeared again" Athan said.
"We will still need to stay alert, she comes and goes" Serenity said.
"Well…I don't think she'll come back, her strongest card was Ares… and now he's trying to leave all this behind" King Athan said.
"Perhaps you're right" Queen Serenity smiled.
"We can now relax and focus on more important things"
"What are those important things? The Alliance is almost complete" Serenity asked curious.
"We can focus on that baby we want to have" Athan said.
Serenity smiled. "Yes"
When Eros and Gaia gave the baby announcement to the court they went to visit the Queen almost every day. The people in the kingdom started send presents of all kinds for the Queen and the coming baby.
Eros thought it was a good idea to make weekly audiences with both of them so the people could meet the Queen and bring the presents they had for the upcoming baby and to also take the opportunity to talk directly to the royals and tell them their needs and what could be best for the kingdom.
The people responded so well to that idea that they had to give two public audiences per week instead of one in order to attend every person in the kingdom. And it worked; the kingdom was in its best state and never felt so peaceful.
Gaia loved to meet the people and talk to them; she was becoming one of the most loved queens in history. Her small baby bump showed slightly from under her light green gown.
A man approached the couple and bowed before them "I brought you the best strawberries of the harvest Your Majesty"
Gaia wide smiled "Oh my! Thank you so much! … I love strawberries"
Another man in his mid 60's came close and bowed as well "Your Majesty, my wife is thrilled with the news of your baby" he bent down to look in his bag a small package with a thin string tied up; he undid the knot and showed gave the content to the queen. Gaia was mesmerized by the present. It was a pale blue baby blanket with little brown horses.
"It's beautiful!" she said amazed by the detail.
"My wife knit it, she spent weeks doing it" the old man gave the queen the kindest smiled.
"I'll put this blanket on the baby's crib, I promise; what's your wife's name?"
"Analea" the man said.
"Tell Analea that I'll cherish her present forever" Gaia smiled.
Some of them brought food, others toys, others blankets and so the list could go on. While some of the people came directly to see the King and ask him some issues others came to just congratulate the Queen and give their blessings to her and the baby.
Leonidas walked in after two hours. That was the sign people knew it was time to leave and come back on the next audience.
"How are you feeling Your Majesty?" the general asked.
"A little tired but well" Gaia smiled.
Eros attended the last person and stood up from his throne. "You should go to rest"
"Yes, maybe you're right" she said.
"You have to remember the doctor's recommendations" Leonidas said.
"You are both right, I'll go have some rest…this little bundle of joy is taking all the energy from my body" she laughed.
Eros laughed and kneeled in front of her, his hands on her small bump "Don't give your mother a hard time, 'kay? Be good" he said in a childish voice.
Leonidas laughed. "I never in my life imagined to see this man acting like this. You truly changed him"
Gaia laughed "You too are going to take care of the baby once it's born"
"It will be my pleasure!" the general said.
"Very well…now if you excuse me, we'll leave you too alone, we are now going to sleep" Gaia said.
"I'll see you in a bit dear" Eros said and gave his wife a peck on her lips.
"You're finally living your dream" Leonidas said.
Eros sat on his throne in a more relaxed way and smiled. "I am…"
Leonidas turn to see if someone else was there, after he saw nobody he sat in same way on Gaia's throne chair.
"And now it's better than your parents know the truth about her"
"Yes, I felt like a sack of sand was lifted from my shoulders" Eros laughed.
"I never imagined I could ever get to see another god" the general said.
"Me either, but she warned me that could happen…specially that god" Eros said.
"He mentioned something that he loved her…" Leonidas said.
"Yes, I heard him too, but Gaia never told me they had some kind of romance"
"Maybe they didn't have one, but he might have liked to have one with her"
"Yes, you're probably right"
"Have you ever imagined yourself being a father?"
Eros laughed. "To tell you the truth, no"
"Imagine a little Gaia or a little Eros running in the hallways" Leonidas laughed.
"I know..." Eros sighed "It's the best thing that could ever happen to me"
"You really are changed" Leonidas said.
"She made me change, she's…god, I adore her" Eros sighed again.
"The people are more than pleased with the Alliance Your Majesty"
Serenity smiled and took another sip of her tea; she was enjoying the view from the tea room with Luna.
"There has been a good response from the Higher Gods as well, but I still want Earth to be involved" the queen said.
Lunas burgundy eyes stared at the majestic queen. "Your Majesty…I know King Athan said it wasn't true, but…"
Serenity gave the kitty girl a confused look. "But?"
"The myth of the goddess and the mortal is true, isn't ? Luna asked.
Serenity sighed. "Yes Luna, that's not a myth, that is true"
"Oh my!" Luna's eyes widened in shock.
"Was she pretty?" Luna asked.
"She's beautiful" Serenity said.
"She alive?" Luna asked with surprise.
"Yes, she's alive, although she's not a goddess anymore, she doesn't have the power she used to have" Serenity said.
"Did you know her?"
"She's my best friend" Serenity smiled.
Gaia opened her golden apple eyes when she heard a noise in her chambers; she sat and saw Aurea leaving a tray with some juice and fruit for her.
"Your Majesty…did I wake you up?" she sounded ashamed.
Gaia smiled at her. "Don't worry Aurea…I had to wake up anyways, it's not good to spend the rest of the afternoon asleep anyways"
Aurea nodded. "I brought you some fruit; I thought you might want to eat something"
"You're so kind, thank you" Gaia took a slice of apple.
Aurea bowed and was about to leave the room when she turned to see the queen sitting on the bed with a confused look.
"Your Majesty…is it true?" Aurea asked.
"What's true?" Gaia asked.
"Are you really our Dea?" the young maid asked.
Gaia understood why the girl was acting so strange. "Come Aurea, sit next to me" she said patting the mattress softly.
Gaia sighed. "Yes Aurea, it's true…"
Aurea looked down. "I don't think I can be of much help to our Dea"
"Why do you say that, of course you can!" Gaia said.
"You need a more serious assistant, not a girl like me" Aurea said.
"I don't want a serious assistant, I want a friend and I have one already" Gaia smiled.
Aurea raised her face to meet Gaia's. "Really?"
"You have been nothing but kind to me since I came here, you never judged me like the other girls in the palace, I love your sincerity or is it that you don't want to be my friend?" Gaia asked.
"I'd love to continue being your friend Your Majesty"
"And enough with the Majesty thing, my name is Gaia… when we are alone you can call me by my name…understood? Makes me feel…old for some reason" she laughed.
Aurea laughed. "Alright…Gaia"
"Much better!" Gaia laughed.
"Do you have a family, you know…up there? Your…I mean Gaia" Aurea asked.
"Yes…my mother is the Goddess of the Skies and my father the God of Earth, my mother's father is the God of Sun" Gaia said to amazed girl.
"Do you have any brothers or sisters?" the girl asked.
Gaia sighed and lowered her gaze. "Yes…an older brother"
"Is he too the God of Earth?"
"He once was but…he decided to take another path"
"What's his name?" Aurea asked.
Gaia raised her face; her eyes lost in thought "His name is…"
A/N: Finally FRIDAY! again, lol, this has been a long week for me...I started working of the future chapters and, well, I kind of had a writer's block but I'm finally seeing the light at the end of the tunnel. Thank you soooooo soooooooS SO MUCH for marking me as a favorite author, and Divinity a favorite story. I love it!
Have the most wonderful weekend of your life, because yesterday is gone and the future is still to come. Be happy. I'll see you back on monday for a new chapter update :)