Chapter 6
I had not known before
Forever was so long a word.
The slow stroke of the clock of time
I had not heard.
.
'Tis hard to learn so late;
It seems no sad heart really learns,
But hopes and trusts and doubts and fears,
And bleeds and burns.
.
The night is not all dark,
Nor is the day all it seems,
But each may bring me this relief –
My dreams and dreams.
.
I had not known before
That Never was so sad a word,
So wrap me in forgetfulness –
I have not heard.
.
A sad but moved smile appeared on Serenity's lips as she looked down onto the elegantly formed words on rich parchment. It had always been one of her most favorite poems, but only lately did she have the feeling that she really understood, really felt the meaning of those words. Her eyes moved to the small picture next to the poem. A man and a woman could be seen – both naked and depicted in a passionate embrace. Serenity couldn't help the flush that heated her skin as she stared at it – probably longer than Luna would have seen fit. But it was beautiful – just like the words written next to it. It was picture of pure passion, of longing and last but not least: a picture of love. The man was rough and hard-muscled – a symbol of pure masculinity, while the beauty in his arms had long, wavy hair, an epitome of softness and femininity.
Day and night.
Light and darkness.
Different in every way possible – and yet, two sides of a coin.
Complementing each other.
"I don't think father would approve of your latest subject of interest." a voice from behind her said.
Serenity let out a gasp of surprise, and her head shot around to face the voice's owner.
"Diamond!" Serenity shrieked as she caught sight of her brother.
Diamond was standing behind the couch she was currently sitting on, while leaning slightly over the backrest and eying his sister with an amused smile on his handsome face.
"I thought you've already gone to Etruria to meet the Praetor." the beauty said with a flush on her cheeks as she tried to catch her breath.
She hurriedly tried to hide the piece of paper beneath one of the crimson plush cushions, but Diamond was faster. Effortlessly, he caught her hand in mid-air and took the piece of parchment away from her.
"So eager to get me out of the house, sister mine?" the white-haired man chuckled with a glint in his indigo eyes.
His eyes settled onto the piece of paper in his hands, and the smirk on his face broadened.
"So that you can remove the mask of innocence and revel in your true self?" he continued in a husky voice, while he fixed his eyes onto Serenity over the rim of the piece of paper.
If possible, the beauty's face turned a deeper shade of red.
"I don't know what you are talking about." she finally said after some moments of suffocating silence and crossed her arms before her chest in a gesture of defiance.
Diamond briefly looked down onto the sheet in his hands, his dark eyes filling with knowing as he looked back at Serenity.
"Don't you?" he grinned with a hint of taunting sounding in his voice and reached out his hand to give the piece of paper back to his sister.
"It is a part of my studies, Diamond." Serenity replied stiffly as she grabbed it.
She rose from the couch and went to her dressing table. A fond smile appeared on her face as her eyes trailed the words.
"A poem about the purest thing in the word – how can something like that be anything else but innocent?" she whispered with a hint of sadness edging at her voice.
"Aphrodite's Threnody." she heard Diamond's voice.
Startled, she turned around to face her brother, a frown of confusion dawning on her beautiful face as she saw the sad smile on Diamond's face.
"You know what this is?" she couldn't help but ask as she lifted the piece of paper in her hand, and she felt how another wave of heat tinted her pale cheeks.
There was a long moment of silence between them before Diamond finally sighed and nodded his head yes.
"Of course." he confirmed and moved a little closer, his dark eyes never leaving Serenity's.
"The Goddess of beauty who fell in love with the God of war." he said with a strange smile on her face.
"A forbidden love between opposites, despised and scorned by the ancient Gods because Aphrodite was already married to another God."
Diamond was now standing right before her, his fingers lightly touching the side of Serenity's face.
"It is said that Zeus banned them from seeing each other." he continued lowly while his eyes followed the movements of his finger. "And he forced Aphrodite to live on a lonely island far from Mount Olympus. Legend has it that the Goddess would climb the highest mountain every night, and that she sang her sad song of love and longing to Aeolus, the God of wind. And every night, the God's heart broke anew for the beauty's tragic love story. And every night, he would change the direction of the winds so that Aphrodite's voice would be carried over the broad seas and wide lands, until they would reach Ares who was fighting bloody fights on the battlefields of this world. And whenever the God of War would hear her beautiful voice, his heart would fill with desperation and longing for the love he could never have. The hurt in his heart would transform to the only emotion he knew, to hatred and fierceness on the battlefield, and he would mercilessly spill his opponents' blood until the earth and heavens turned crimson. And every morning, Aphrodite would see a crimson sunrise, the remains of a bloody night caused by her lover. And a small smile would grace her face, knowing that he had heard her song, and that he had not forgotten her."
Serenity's lips turned into a sad smile as she nodded.
It was a legend she knew very well from her studies at the Temple of Selene: The ancient story about the forbidden love between the Goddess of Love and Beauty and the God of War. Her traitorous mind wandered to tanned skin, jetblack hair and dark blue eyes, causing her heart to quicken in her chest.
To a God of War.
To eager, soft lips that would follow the paths of rough but gentle hands.
To burning, reckless desire that would brighten the shadows of doomed lives.
To whispered secrets between nightfall and dawn, carefully hidden under the star-filled sky's sparkling blanket.
"A love-story as beautiful as it is tragic." Serenity murmured absentmindedly.
She was pulled from her deep thoughts when her brother's hand took hold of her chin, making her gently lift her head.
"Most love-stories are." he whispered with a strangely pained expression on his face.
A sad smile settled onto his face as he looked down at her, and he let his finger slowly trace Serenity's jaw line.
"I find myself fascinated by many ancient Greek tales about the Gods." he told her lowly. "But it's only this that I know by heart."
Serenity's brow furrowed a little in confusion as she saw and heard the deep sadness in Diamond's voice.
She lifted her hand to gently place it above her brother's that was lingering on her skin.
"Why is that?" she asked while offering him an affectionate smile.
Diamond returned it with a smile of his own – but it was strained, forced even while his eyes continued to swim in sadness.
"Don't you know, Serenity?" he whispered softly.
Serenity slowly shook her head in confusion as she returned his probing gaze. The way he was looking at her, so full of unknown expectations, as if he was waiting for her to offer the answer to another question, was slowly tearing her apart. She loved her brother dearly – and it was killing her inside to see him like this.
Gone was the carefree, lively boy from so many years ago.
Gone was the spark of happy mischief that had always sparkled in his eyes, and the roguish smile that had curled his lips had been replaced by a deep frown.
A man was now standing before her – a man she barely knew – with a stoic expression on his face, and both coldness and heat in his eyes that made Serenity's body fill with unease.
"Brother, I …" she started, but was immediately silenced by a finger on her lips.
"I wish you would not call me that." Diamond said, and the sadness in his eyes mixed with specks of anger.
Serenity drew her brows together while gazing up at her brother with confusion clouding her blue eyes.
What had happened to him, she wondered.
What had turned the carefree, joyful boy from earlier days to this stoic enigmatic man who talked in riddles and always managed to send waves of discomfort through her body?
"Dominus." she suddenly heard Lita's voice float through the room.
Serenity felt Diamond's fingers curl a little against her skin before he let his hand drop from her face and took a step away from her.
His face transformed into his icy mask of aloofness as he turned around to face the servant girl.
"What is it, slave?" he addressed the Greek gruffly.
Serenity cringed a little at the way her brother spoke to one of her most trusted friends, but she knew that there was no use arguing with him.
Not tonight.
"Saphir sent me to fetch you. The horses are ready and it would be wise to sally before the darkness fully befalls the roads." Lita told him with a stony expression on her face, but Serenity silently thanked her for the obedient tone in her voice.
She knew that her Greek friend had a temper of her own. Lita was as proud as she was stubborn – and Serenity thanked the Gods every night that they were wise enough to send her into her father's care. Any other Dominus would probably have killed her by now, or worse: would have sent her to the mines – a fate worse than death.
Diamond sighed heavily and turned back around to face Serenity.
"It seems I am not granted to spend more time with you, Serenity." Diamond told her with a mixture of annoyance and frustration on his face.
Before the beauty was able to reply, he stepped forward and put both hands on either side of her face. Diamond placed a gentle kiss onto her forehead, and his lips lingered a little longer as if to savor the moment. When he finally pulled away, he looked down into her eyes, and a small smile played at the corners of his mouth.
"It is something I intend to change when I return." he said while his eyes shone with determination and a spark of darkness that made a small wave of discomfort to run through the beauty's body.
But Serenity forced herself to ignore the feeling of unease and offered her brother a gentle smile while nodding her head in agreement. It would be nice to spend some time with him, she thought. It would help her to understand him better, and maybe, maybe it would give her the chance to revive the young boy who seemed to be lost underneath this hard mask her brother was wearing.
"Then I shall be eagerly waiting for your return, brother." she told him gently.
The skin beneath Diamond's right eye twitched a little, and the tender smile on his face fell a little.
"I really wish you would call me by my name, Serenity." the white-haired man sighed.
He shook his head a little as if in disapproval which caused a wave of irritation to wash over Serenity's beautiful face. But before she could voice another word, Diamond turned around and made his way to the door.
"Wait!" Serenity suddenly called out, making her brother immediately stop.
When he turned back around to face her, there was a small spark of something close to hope shimmering within his eyes.
"You are meeting Praetor Seiya, are you not?" Serenity asked with an excited expression on her face.
The strange glimmer of hope immediately vanished from Diamond's face and was replaced by a deep frown.
"Yes." he replied curtly. "Why would it be of any interest for you, Serenity?"
Serenity's brows drew together in irritation as she noticed the sudden cold tone in her brother's voice.
"Are… are you going to ask him about the Thracian's sister?" the blonde beauty said tentatively while her fingers fidgeted nervously.
"The Thracian's sister?" Diamond echoed and furrowed his brows in suspicion.
There was a long beat of tensed silence between them, and Serenity tried to calm her thundering heart under her brother's scrutinizing gaze.
She helplessly shrugged her shoulders when Diamond wouldn't answer any further.
"You are searching for her, don't you?" she asked while praying to every God above that he would not detect the slight tremble in her voice – that he wouldn't see the fear in her eyes that she might have revealed too much.
"How do you know about it, Serenity?" he asked slowly as he took slow steps towards her.
A small flush of anxiety tinted her pale cheeks as Diamond continued to eye her suspiciously.
"Artemis." she lied in a surprisingly steady voice. "I overheard him talking with Luna about it."
Diamond was now standing right before her, with his head slightly cocked as he searched her face and eyes for the truth in her words.
"Artemis?"
Serenity returned his gaze with a neutral expression on her face and nodded curtly.
Diamond stared at her a moment longer before his features finally relaxed, and he let out an exhausted sigh.
"You shouldn't eavesdrop, Serenity." he chided softly. "This house is full of secrets that your innocent heart should not be burdened with. Not yet at least."
"It's not a burden but a blessing for my heart and soul knowing that you are willing to search for her." Serenity replied with a sweet smile on her lips. "You wouldn't have to do it, but you do it nonetheless. It fills my heart with joy."
Diamond looked at her with an unreadable expression on his face.
"What is it to you, I wonder?" he suddenly asked, causing the smile on Serenity's face to wither a little.
Her heart sped up a little, knowing that the truth would be something her brother could never accept.
It was because Endymion suffered under the loss of his sister.
It was because she was the reason why he placed himself in danger whenever he asked for stronger, more skilled gladiators to fight against in the arena – simply because it would mean more money to earn that would help financing the search for the only family he had left.
It was because Serenity feared for him and his life while knowing that he would continue his blood-filled mission until his sister would be back in his arms.
It was because she had lost her heart to a gladiator.
But it was a truth that her brother, that no one, must never know.
So instead, she hid her true feelings behind a sweet mask of adoration as she looked back at Diamond, while voicing the only words she knew that would satisfy him.
"Their story touches my heart." she told him with a sad smile. "Because it reminds me of ours. Is that so wrong?"
The words had the desired effect and Diamond's features softened immediately.
"Of course not." he softly replied. "I only wish to spare you disappointment."
Another exhausted sigh escaped his lips and he shrugged his shoulders.
"The men I sent to look for her haven't returned successfully so far." Diamond said. "The Praetor has hidden her well it seems."
"One reason more to ask the Praetor personally." Serenity was quick to reason.
Diamond shook his head a little.
"Serenity…" he sighed. "I don't like the Praetor very much, you know that very well. But I need him to advance in my plans concerning Rome. The Praetor doesn't like our Thracian very much as it seems. I don't know if it's wise for me to menace the thin bond between us through thoughtless questions on the Thracian's sister's whereabouts."
"But you promised him!" Serenity suddenly called out, causing Diamond's brows to shoot up in surprise.
Seeing the suspicion grow on her brother's face, she quickly forced herself to calm her raising temper. Her big eyes turned sad, and unshed tears clouded her vision as she met Diamond's gaze.
"I do understand." she whispered in a sad voice. "And I know how important this is for you."
She then turned around to look into the colorful evening sky.
"The Thracian fights well in the arena. He at least would deserve to know whether or not she's still alive." she whispered into the wind. "I just thought you'd understand his situation better than any other."
Another beat of silence stretched out between them, the rising wind outside the only noise that could be heard.
Serenity felt how Diamond stepped behind her, a soft sigh on his lips as he placed both hands onto her shoulders.
"If it means so much to you..." he lowly said, and placed a gentle kiss onto the skin of her right shoulder. "… then I'll do the best I can."
The sadness on Serenity's face vanished instantly, and she quickly whirled around to face her brother with radiating happiness shining in her eyes.
"You would do that?" she asked him breathlessly, earning a gentle smile from Diamond.
"Anything for you, Serenity." he told her with pure honesty in his voice.
Serenity couldn't help but throw her arms around her brother's neck, hugging him tightly.
"Thank you Diamond!" she laughed with tears of joy in her eyes. "I knew you would understand."
After a while, Diamond gently freed himself from Serenity's embrace and lifted both of her hands to this mouth, smiling gently as he kissed her knuckles tenderly.
"Better than anyone else." he whispered against her soft skin.
.
.
.
.
.
.
Endymion felt his fingers ball into fists as he watched the scene before him. He bit something inside his mouth to prevent him from emitting a feral growl, and it was only Mina's soft hand on his trembling arm that kept him from doing something he knew he would regret afterwards.
But every primal fiber in his body screamed at him to act, to protect, to challenge.
He knew that it was irrational, insane even.
Suicidal.
But he couldn't help the feeling of raging jealousy that pumped like liquid fire through his veins as he watched the Dominus' interaction with Serenity.
He faintly heard his mind plead with him to reason, to ignore this burning feeling that was poisoning his thoughts.
Endymion tried to remind himself that this was the Dominus – the one he had pledged allegiance to – the one who had been kind enough to support him in his search for Raye. Endymion was no fool – he knew that it was not something a Roman Dominus would normally do for a slave. There was simply no reason for it.
Endymion had heard enough from the other gladiators to know that this Dominus was no exception. Worse even, as Diamond was known for his sheer endless desire to become popular beyond the boundaries of Capua. It seemed to be an open secret that the house's Dominus was and would never be content with the life of a provincial lanista.
Winnings were what mattered to him, not the humans.
His gladiators were mere tools to help him gain fame up to Rome, Endymion had no illusions about it.
But yet, Endymion and his story seemed to be a different matter. The young Thracian had seen it in the Dominus' eyes so many days ago when he had first told Diamond about Raye – about his reason to fight.
There had been a strange expression of understanding on the Dominus' face – as if he had somehow been able to relate to what Endymion was going through. Endymion had not been able to forget this look on Diamond's face. For one short moment, he had not seen the Dominus, but a man in front of him. The mask of cold aloofness and boredom had temporarily lifted, revealing the pure emotion, the vulnerability that lay underneath. It had been shocking at first, something so very unexpected and short-lived that Endymion had attributed it to his own imagination. But there was no doubt of the truth, about the realness of what he had observed and felt.
Sadness, love, and ghosts from bygone pasts were what Endymion had detected within the Dominus' eyes.
But there had also been something else there.
Something threatening, something dark and possessive whenever he would talk about the silver-haired beauty.
It was something that made Endymion's pulse race with heat and fire.
The Thracian's eyes and mind might try and make him see a brother caring for his long-lost sister.
But his heart saw something entirely different: what he saw was man madly in love with a woman... With a woman the man could never have – but that he could not stop himself from wanting… from desiring.
He was pulled out of his thoughts when he suddenly felt Mina's fingers tighten on his arm, her sharp nails digging a little into his skin. Startled, his eyes settled onto the blonde who was standing next to him. The Thracian's brows lifted in surprise as he detected the scowl that formed on her normally cheerful features.
Endymion slowly followed her dark gaze, only to find Serenity and her brother locked in a tight embrace. He felt his muscles tense at the sight, and he clenched his teeth tightly as he watched how Diamond let his hands slowly move up and down the beauty's waist and hips.
A happy smile was on Serenity's face, and her soft giggle floated through the air when her brother pulled away a little to tell her something that Endymion couldn't hear.
She was so innocent, he thought… So full of love and happiness.
She did not notice.
She did not know, did not suspect.
She was too pure… too pure, perhaps, for a rotten world like this.
"We must go." Mina whispered.
"Go?" Endymion echoed, and his blue eyes shone with irritation and displeasure.
But Mina just wordlessly nodded her head and peered around the corner to watch out for any guards that might detect them.
"I haven't even talked to her!" Endymion protested with a growl, and his body immediately tensed when Mina tried to pull him along.
The blonde gave him an annoyed look when he wouldn't move.
"It's too dangerous today." she replied in a hushed tone, but her eyes sparkled with determination. "One moment later, and the Dominus would have caught you. We must wait until he has left."
Endymion narrowed his eyes, the protest already on his lips. But she was right, of course. They had thought that the Dominus had already left for Etruria, and that Endymion and Serenity would have some time to spend together without interruption. The young gladiator had been looking forward to this the entire week. They never had much time together for they always had to be on guard, always fearful what would happen if someone would find them together.
But Endymion couldn't help it. The more time he spent with the goddess-like temptress, the more did he yearn for her. Right from the first time that he had seen her in the arena so many moons ago, she had become something like his own, secret light in his now dark and crimson life.
Serenity… she was light… so beautiful and soothing, so pleasant and invigorating.
Endymion had never met a woman like her.
Sometimes, Endymion almost wished that she would have been nothing but a beautiful face… nothing but a pretty little thing that he soon would become tired of. Things would have been much easier then – for both of them. But Serenity had turned out to be everything that he secretly had hoped for… and more. Not only was she a goddess to look at, but she was also witty and charming, thoughtful and curious. And what's more, she wore the brightest light in her heart that he had ever seen before. Serenity saw the light even in the darkest of hearts, and she seemed to care for every being in this world – regardless of origin or status.
It was something that quickened Endymion's heart with both affection and concern for her.
He felt how Mina pulled at his arm more forcefully, her eyes sparkling with unvoiced fury as she glared at him. Endymion let out a soundless, defeated sigh. There was no use protesting, there was no use challenging the Gods of Fate more than they already did.
Endymion risked one last glance through the curtains, and a soft smile lifted his lips as his focus narrowed on the beauty in the middle of the room.
With a silent promise to return soon, he finally followed Mina. They went through numerous hidden passages and hallways on their way back to the Ludus' cells, both of them tense and watchful to avoid being detected by unwanted eyes.
The iron door that led to the gladiator's catacombs caused a bloodcurdling screeching sound to echo through the dark passageway when Mina closed it.
Endymion's fingers clenched around the thick iron bars, his blue eyes focused on the blonde on the other side of the door.
"I will be waiting tonight." he whispered, his voice thick with hope. "Tell her that."
Mina didn't meet his eyes, her gaze focused on the key in her hands when she locked the door between them.
"It would be wise to use the nights to collect your strength for the days on the arena sand." she replied without emotion.
She was about to leave without another word when Endymion's hand suddenly shot forward through the iron bars. Mina let out a startled gasp when his fingers closed around her wrist, holding her tightly so that she couldn't leave.
"Tell her I'll be waiting." he repeated with his gaze and voice full of the authority that he had constantly used back in Thrace so many moons ago.
But the young woman just narrowed her eyes in return, the blue of them suddenly filled with hostility. Endymion had to admit that he was a little surprised by her reaction, for the blonde didn't try and back away like many seasoned, strong men before her had. Instead, she moved her face closer until their noses were almost touching through the iron bars.
"Listen to this, and listen very well, Thracian." Mina hissed at him and freed her wrist with a determined pull.
Endymion's mouth opened a little in surprise as he became aware of the dark look on her face and the iciness in her blue eyes. He had never seen her like that. He didn't know her very well, but Serenity would often talk about her and the other girl, Lita. From what he had heard, Mina was a gentle soul – kind and carefree, and she always managed to bring a smile to Serenity's face. That alone had been enough for Endymion to trust her, maybe even like her without ever having exchanged more than a few words whenever she would help him and Serenity to be together without being detected. But never had he thought that she would be capable of the dark look she was sending him now.
"I do not care what happens to you" she continued icily, and Endymion's own eyes narrowed at the cold genuineness of her words. "As far as I am concerned, you could very well be locked in your cell for the rest of your days."
The Thracian's fingers around the iron bars tightened painfully, his knuckles turning white.
"You are not good for her." she whispered with venom dripping from each word.
Endymion couldn't help the dismissive snort that escaped his lips.
"Because I'm from Thrace?" he inquired with a dry laugh. "And here I thought only Romans would find themselves better than anyone else! I did not know that Northern people held the same arrogance."
If possible, the dark look on Mina's face only increased.
"It's not because you are Thracian." she hissed. "It's because you are deliberately putting her into danger. You have no idea what would happen to her if anyone found out… if the Dominus found out. He… He would…"
Mina stopped there and averted her eyes that had briefly filled with horror. She shook her head at whatever cruel pictures had formed inside her head, and Endymion could almost feel the chill that was running through her veins.
When she looked up again, the fear was gone from her face, and once again replaced by the dark look from before.
"You've almost been caught today." she said tonelessly. "It would be unwise to test the Gods of Fate twice in one day."
Endymion closed his eyes for the slightest of moments as he tried to calm the raging tempest of emotions and thoughts that was blustering through this body. He wished he could deny what she was saying, but Mina was right. Right from the first time that he had kissed Serenity, he had known that he had put both of them into danger. What they had, what they shared was something unthinkable, something clearly forbidden in a cruel world like this. He had always prided himself with the fact that he was a disciplined man, a strong man. But Serenity… she was something else – be it goddess or temptress, but she was something he was not strong enough to resist. Were he a better man, he would end this in that very moment – should have probably ended it before it had even started.
Alas, he was not a good man – not any more.
He was a slave, a killer, a gladiator: ruthless and determined to fight for what he wanted.
Be it freedom, his sister's sake, or in this special case: Serenity.
Endymion was not stupid – not even unrealistic.
But oh… how weak he was in her presence! How hopelessly and helplessly at the Gods' mercy to grant him this small, short taste of heaven!
"I cannot resist. I wish I could…" he heard his hoarse voice state. "… but I can't."
He lifted his eyes only to see Mina's hard gaze soften a little.
Long moments passed between them before the blonde finally broke the silence.
"Neither can she." she told him with a sad sigh. "She won't listen, no matter how dangerous the situation is. She's way too stubborn, especially when the heart is involved."
Endymion almost smiled at how sulky Mina's voice sounded when she talked about Serenity. There was no doubt that she and the Greek girl had spent several hours trying to make his beauty see reason – to ignore the Thracian gladiator and to address a less dangerous activity. But Serenity wouldn't listen, Endymion thought with new tenderness in his eyes and heart. She had a mind of her own, and she wouldn't let anyone tell her – not even her best friends – what to do or not to.
"I will tell her, Thracian." Mina told him, the stoic expression back on her face. "But I won't let her come if I think it's too dangerous tonight."
Endymion nodded his head in agreement, his eyes sparkling with the tiniest spark of gratitude. Mina cared deeply for Serenity, and she was protecting her from things Endymion couldn't because of his own weaknesses.
Mina offered him a curt nod before she turned around, ready to leave the villa's dungeons.
"Does she know?" the question suddenly escaped his lips, causing the blonde to slowly turn around.
Mina cocked her head a little, her brows drawn together in confusion.
"About him." Endymion added, and his fingers automatically tightened a little around the bars. "Does she see what we see?"
He saw how Mina's entire body tensed a little, and Endymion knew simply from the look on her face that she had understood what he was asking.
"She is too pure, too innocent for thoughts like that." she whispered with a grim expression on her face. "But the uneasiness within her grows. I can feel it."
Endymion saw how her eyes clouded a little, and she shook her head a little at something she probably remembered from the past.
"Her father does not want her to know." she told him, and a cheerless laugh escaped her lips. "She does not even know the real reason why he sent us to stay at Selene's Temple."
Mina shook her head anew, and concern clouded her face.
"He thinks the truth would destroy her." Mina continued.
"You do not think her father did the right thing?" Endymion couldn't help but ask with genuine interest in his voice.
Mina stared at him for a long moment before she answered.
"What I think does hardly matter." she said. "But I believe it madness to think that years of separation would make a yearning heart simply forget. Neither do I think that the truth can forever be hidden behind the villa's cold walls."
Without another word, she turned around and walked towards the wooden stairs that led back into the heart of the villa.
She hesitated a moment before she stepped onto the creaking steps.
"Endymion." she suddenly called out, making Endymion look up at her. Never before had she addressed him by his given name
"It's not the truth that holds the greatest danger." she told him. "It's the love. Especially when the heart one yearns for already belongs to someone else."
Endymion silently watched as Mina disappeared into the shadows. He stared a little longer at the spot where she had vanished before he closed his eyes and rested his forehead against the cool iron bars.
He took in a deep breath, feeling and tasting the moist and musty air around him.
It had been a long day – a long day filled with death and hope and desire and disappointment and most fatal: the truth. A truth of something he had not always known, but had always suspected.
Endymion let out an exhausted and tired sigh.
"Ah, ah … listen to your pitiful whimpers in the dark." a cold voice from his right suddenly rang through the darkness which made Endymion immediately whirl around. "They are an insult to a real man's ear."
The blood in his veins froze when he spotted Malachite who was standing a few feet away from him. The Celt had his strong arms crossed before his chest while his muscled body was leaning casually against the stony wall behind him. His posture seemed relaxed, but Endymion knew the other gladiator well enough by now. The hostile fire that burnt brightly within the Celt's eyes gave him away, and Endymion knew that the other man was right on the verge of lunging out – with the young Thracian as his target.
"What do you want, Malachite?" Endymion replied coldly, his body tense and his eyes narrowed as he fixed them upon his opponent: ready to fight back if needed.
Malachite lazily shrugged his shoulders in response.
"You create the impression of being in need of a shoulder to cry on." he mocked.
Endymion didn't reply. He just wordlessly glared at Malachite, patiently waiting for the other man to say whatever he obviously wanted to say. He knew that the Celt did not like him very much – right from the start actually. Andrew guessed it was because Malachite saw the young Thracian as a threat. Everyone knew that Endymion had turned out to be a skilled gladiator – maybe even skilled enough to defeat Malachite and bear the title of Champion of Capua.
Malachite's pride and joy.
Endymion honestly did not care. He did not care about titles or glory on the arena sand. He fought because he was forced to fight to earn his sister's freedom. He had to admit that being a gladiator was something strangely addictive – that the power he felt when he ended a life under the roaring applause of hundreds of people sparked something within him that he had never thought possible. But it only took one look at the sad smile on Serenity's face whenever he ended a life to remember who he really was, and that the man he had just killed probably had not even deserved to die.
No, he did not care about being the Champion of Capua or any other city.
"But it seems you have already found someone to give you comfort." Malachite continued icily, and Endymion's brows drew together in confusion as he detected the new level of hostility in Malachite's voice.
No – not hostility.
Jealousy?
"What business do you have with the Domina and her slave girl?"
Endymion narrowed his eyes at the other gladiator.
"Your concern for my well-being is touching, Malachite." he told him with a cold smile on his lips. "But as you said: it's my business and does not concern you."
He turned around to make his way back to his cell, when a rough hand suddenly grabbed his shoulders and whirled him back around.
"Do not turn your back on me when I've asked you a question, Thracian scum!" Malachite growled through clenched teeth, his grey eyes now shining with fury Endymion had never seen before.
Without waiting another second, Endymion immediately grabbed Malachite's wrist with one hand and spun around to fold the Celt's arm behind his own back. Malachite cried out in pain as Endymion pulled more firmly at the other man's arm. With one determined push, he thrust the man to the floor, while holding him down with his own body weight. Malachite growled with fury as he tried to free himself, but there was no use.
Endymion dug his knee into the man's back, making the other cry out in pain. He silently thanked Andrew for having showed him that move the other day.
The Thracian grabbed some of Malachite's long silver hair and pulled his head upwards so that he could whisper into his ear.
"And you should not touch me again when I am clearly not in the mood for your little games, Celt." he hissed. "Now listen carefully, because I am not going to repeat it. My dealings are none of your concern. So if I ever hear you talk about it to one of your foolish lapdogs or any of the guards… if I ever hear the slightest of whispers about what you have seen or heard…"
He moved his face a little closer until his lips were almost touching the skin of Malachite's ear.
"I will kill you." Endymion growled dangerously low, and he shifted his weight a little so that the Celt groaned in pain.
But Malachite managed a strained, dismissive snort at that.
"You cannot kill me, Thracian." he wheezed with venom in his voice. "I'm the undefeated Celt."
A dry chuckle escaped Endymion's lips and he shook his head in cold amusement.
"They say that there's a time for everything." he told Malachite as he got back onto his feet.
Endymion's eyes were cold and hard as he stared down at the man on the floor. He did not know how much Malachite had heard, but whatever it had been, it had sparked the Celt's interest… An interest that could easily put Serenity at risk.
It was a risk Endymion was not willing to take.
"Heed my warning, Malachite." he addressed the other man one last time, his voice full of warning. "You have no idea what I am capable of."
.
.
.
.
.
.
Diamond looked at the piece of paper in his hands, a fond smile on his lips as he read the lines probably for the hundredth time.
"You are in quite a good mood tonight, Dominus." his body-slave commented.
Diamond looked up, a smug smile on his face as he looked at Saphir who was sitting across from him inside the carriage.
"In fact I am." Diamond chuckled. "I believe not even Praetor Seiya's pomposity can change that."
Saphir let out a soft laugh and shook his head.
"Let's hope it doesn't." the young man said. "It's been quite some time since I've last seen you that happy."
Diamond's gaze turned a little darker and he looked out of the window to stare at the moon that was standing high in the night sky.
"It's because it's been quite some time since I last had a reason to be happy, Saphir." he sighed.
Saphir shook his head in response.
"That's not true, and you know it. It's simply a matter of opinion." he told him firmly. "And it's not too hard to be happy as long as one turns away from longings and dreams that will never be real."
Diamond turned his head sharply to look at his body-slave, and one silver brow lifted as he glared at the young man.
"Forgiveness, Dominus." Saphir immediately added and duck his head obediently.
Diamond stared at the young man a moment longer before his gaze softened a little.
"Poor Saphir." Diamond then chuckled, causing the black-haired slave's head to lift in surprise. "When will you ever learn to never say never?"
"Dominus?" Saphir uttered with confusion clearly written across his tanned face.
A smirk curled Diamond's lips as he handed him the piece of paper.
A deep frown appeared on Saphir's face as his eyes skimmed the text.
"Aphrodite's Threnody?" he read and lifted his gaze to look at his Dominus. "I'm afraid I do not understand."
Another chuckle escaped Diamond's lips as he took the piece of paper back.
"It's Serenity's." he replied with a smirk. "Oh Saphir… you should have seen the look on her face when I watched her read it. I have never seen anything more beautiful… anything more real. Her gorgeous eyes sparkled with heat and desire… no… even more: with pure love."
He looked down at the poem, the grin on his face broadening.
"The tragic love story of Ares and Aphrodite…" he murmured softly. "How the Goddess of Love fell in love with her brother, the God of War. A forbidden love, a tragic love. But just as truthful."
He shook his head a little, and his eyes filled with warmth.
"She's ready at last."
.
"I had not known before
Forever was so long a word.
The slow stroke of the clock of time
I had not heard.
.
'Tis hard to learn so late;
It seems no sad heart really learns,
But hopes and trusts and doubts and fears,
And bleeds and burns.
.
The night is not all dark,
Nor is the day all it seems,
But each may bring me this relief –
My dreams and dreams.
.
I had not known before
That Never was so sad a word,
So wrap me in forgetfulness –
I have not heard.
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.
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NOTES
Hey guys,
sooo first of all: I am very sorry for the long wait.
And sorry to all of you who were looking forward to Endy x Sere interactions. I promise we will have lots and lots of Endy x sere in the next chapter. But I wanted to involve some other characters as well :-)
I hope you enjoyed the latest chapter nonetheless.
One last thing: The poem I used is a work by Paul Laurence Dunbar and has nothing to do with Greek mythology. But I love it, and I found it fitting for my purpose.
Plus, the story around Ares and Aphrodite's love affair does not really exist, of course. It's totally fabricated.
Thank you once again for your great response.
I'm looking forward to the next chapter!