The throne room was brightly lit from early sunshine, whitening the clouds that gathered around beyond the great pillars that surrounded the open hall. Twelve thrones of precious gold, silver, and rare diamonds faced each other, while two of the thrones elevated the rest Athena eyed the seat she was about to occupy. She felt a tingling on her fingers, her feet cannot move to the marble steps; unable to believe and never have dreamt that one fateful day she will ascend to that throne.
She looked around, at each Olympian present who caught the news of Janus' arrival swiftly. There was no sign of Hades yet, none of the black mist that usually follows after his movements from his slow lazy strides to a lift of his finger. There was her aunt Hestia, ever faithful and noble-looking, carefully perched on her throne. Her hair was red as flames, flowing past her shoulders setting a warm contrast on her pure white robes with its edges trimmed with crimson rubies. She had arrived before everyone else.
A gentle tap on her shoulder snatched her attention to a goddess she was equally fond of as her twin brother. Artemis smiled, but none of the smile she used to give – a robust, wild, and mischievous grin, rather a polite smile that matched the glassy stare on her amber eyes. Athena was without words, absorbing the pity and encouragement as they embraced. Artemis always had the scent of the mint in the forest, a fresh, after-rain perfume that gave memories of lush greenery. Her hair is an irregular stripes of both gold and brown, gathered in a single thick braid resembling a reversed triangle from her shoulders to the small of her back.
"Oh how I hate you," Artemis softly whispered, her eyes still closed from the embrace. The queen smiled, almost sadly, but never responded. As they parted to allow Artemis to her throne, more came in the hall. She saw the bulk of topless muscles that made her uncle Poseidon, rushing to her with one arm open while the other held his precious trident. She almost feared, as he embraced her, that she'd be crushed in a single lock of his arm. The scent of ocean filled her nose, and despite him embodying the waters, he was rather warm against her skin. She could feel the parts of his flesh that hardened as glistening scales. His rough beard tickled her shoulders. They stared face to face, with Poseidon's hand pressing Athena's arm. When he spoke, his voice was rough but soft enough to let only her hear, "Ah, you. Look at you. How could I ever see you as the niece I always jest with, again?"
"I'll always be yours to jest with, uncle." Athena smiled widely, showing pearly white teeth. After a harder squeeze on her arm, Poseidon left for his place, and the room seemed to darken at the arrival of his and her father's other brother. Hades had the grace to nod his head at the Queen, much to her surprise. He had always been a snob, this typical misogynist, who was thwarted by his love for Persephone. She least expected him to come, as he would rather not face the mother of his forced bride. He was handsome and had fierce manners but his almost colorless eyes spoke volumes of loneliness despite the riches he owned in the Kingdom under the earth. She cringed at the thought of Persephone's kidnap, and whatever came after that, letting her mind fleet of her own loss of purity. The wronged mother came just after him, a gray shoal covering her head still in signal of grief. Demeter, one she thought was so beautiful as Gaia herself, seemed to have aged like a mortal. Her once jade eyes now looked almost hazel, slightly sunken, with fine lines underneath. On her throne she stared with the familiar contempt at Hades, and him still avoiding the message he already knew.
The hall seemed to luminesce further and Athena need not know who had come fluttering in. Even without turning around she could already smell the oil concocted from roses that clung to her golden hair. Aphrodite was vixen enough to even approach the Queen. She had an air of authority in her, in the way she passed by everyone with her chin angled a little higher than its level with the marbled floor and her skirts softly billowing as she strode.
"Your deity,"
Athena opened her eyes to Hermes, wondering how he was able to pop out affront her that quick. She swallowed before asking. "The King?"
She saw the hardening on his jaws and the guilt that came out in bullets of sweat on his forehead. "I have asked him for the third time, my Queen,"
"Oh," Athena bit her lower lip. It would have only given her relief that Ares and Aphrodite aren't sodomizing somewhere. "Sit," she released Hermes from his duty, "He'll come."
Apollo appeared at the entrance, his helm on one hand and the other around Hephaestus' back as both approached, slowed by the limping blacksmith. Athena could not help but smile as they made way to offer courtesy. There was hesitance in Hephaestus' will to greet her, and Athena could hardly blame him for it, but she could not live on hating him for the misconduct he once caused. There was only one she could afford to hate all her immortal life.
"Thank you, for coming," Athena warmly recognized Hephaestus' effort, making him to redden further out of shame. He was modest enough to nod and give a soft tap on Apollo's arm. "If it weren't for this boy."
Apollo was grinning ear to ear. "Had to stow away this lazy meat in my chariot." The Queen's amusement was cut short when she caught sight of Janus. His presence hung an awful silence in the hall and Athena stepped forward to meet him. Janus was grotesque: a Roman god whose body resembled a very ancient man, stooping, frail, and eyes wide open but all white and no color. His ash colored beard hung all the way to his feet, and no one could dare look at him for long, at the faces on both sides of his head. His almost monstrous physique made Hephaestus less undesirable.
Athena's mouth dried watching Janus walk frailly. In his blindness he had such strong senses that sent chills down her spine.
"Janus. Welcome to Greece." Athena braved herself, taking Janus' hand and giving it a soft peck. It was spotted and very cold it seemed to make her mouth breathe ice. Janus's long bony fingers spread across her cheek. She cringed but would not show it.
"Ah – the new queen."
Athena nodded, "Thank you… for… this."
Janus was silent before he had to respond. "I doubt, my dear, you will be thanking me after."
"What did you see, Janus? Speak." Poseidon was on his feet.
Janus did not turn to him. His white eyes were still fixed on Athena's. "I see blood. I see war. Pain." He slowly turned to Poseidon. "Death".
The hall was silent.
"How did we come to this, Janus?"
"Treachery has brought you this and," Janus's voice was louder, "Treachery will end it."
Even Athena's mind couldn't hide the surprise. "What do you mean?"
"Five great mountains they were. And one by one they crumble on their children. And their screams were heard through flames and monsters. The earth shall spew its dead. And oceans will burn as the heaven smiles."
The queen was in winding mazes. In her mind she repeated the words of a poet. She had many speculations in a jiff of a second. Five great mountains. Five great mountains they were. They were twelve. They were all great mountains. Or it may be Olympus itself. Even the other gods were muttering amongst themselves.
Suddenly a clap snatched their thoughts. It went on slowly as Ares emerged from the entrance. The clouds were suddenly smudged with grey. He never changed clothing from last night's pig feast.
"Isn't this magnificent?" Ares was smirking, his eyes a mixture of irritation and amusement. Athena's lips shut as he looked around. "Look at all of your damned faces, and lo!" he jeered to Janus, "By faces I meant a double for you." He started laughing out the sounds of a dying horse.
"You have all the years to laugh, King," Janus spoke. Ares imitated the face of a stunned girl, "Oh yes I do. Because tell me – why should we believe in a foreign god? A god of a piece of land our great nation spits upon."
"Yes. You spit on Rome. And yet be careful the foreign nations which will wear your crowns."
Ares scoffed, "Do you mock me, monster?"
"Ares." Athena swiftly called, "That is enough. Janus has seen our doom. We welcomed him for his aid."
"Aid?" Ares walked towards the queen, face grimacing "And what aid would that be huh? Did he come with spells and magic? Did he come with an army of spirits? Did he tell you how to win? No." His last word was thick and acrid whilst facing Janus, "He tells you a riddle. A string of words and pretends it gives you a clue of what would happen. We don't need visions of what is to take place we need to know how to stop it."
"You cannot stop one that is destined, Ares, son of Zeus," Janus proclaimed, his voice had suddenly become dark and fleeting in echoes. "You can only hope to escape the death that hopes to embrace you."
Ares was shaking his head. "Death? You know anything about death? We. Are. Gods." His words seethed, "We do not die, you fool."
"Then ask your father why he lies unable to come here."
At this all had fallen to a deafening silence again. Ares' tongue seemed to have been forked.
"Then ask yourself why he had to pass the crown to you," it was Janus' turn to smile. His teeth were crooked and had black edges. "Your greatest enemy is not Cronos. It is Death. And he has brought it to you – he seeks the blade that will end you."
"A blade?" Apollo stood, "What is this weapon?"
"This I cannot and have not yet seen. But one he has not yet taken ahold of. Thus you are to find it before it finds you."
"What are the five mountains, Janus?" Athena inquired, "If this is to be any of us we have to magnify our guards for them."
"Even a vision has its bounds," Janus appealed, almost sadly, "We gods were born with the highest of favors. But like men none of us is meant for perfection." He went on, "Heed the words of a serpent."
Serpent. Athena's brows furrowed. A traitor?
"Alas I have played my part and so I shall leave towards home," Janus implored. All the gods stood except for Aphrodite and the grieving Demeter, their faces a nest of disputes, all wanting to throw their questions. How will the war begin? What are they up against? How will they prepare for Death? But all the while Janus has dissipated into thin air, leaving them to figure it out on their own.
The marble pillar lightly shook as Athena was flung to it by the neck. Her clips fell from her hair and yet she remained stiff. Ares' burning eyes bore through hers even more.
"You dare call a council without heeding me?"
"I… did…" Athena's words seethed. Allowing the fingers around her neck to loosen. "Hermes said he implored you for the third time. It would've saved me less trouble had you not come."
The King's face raged even further. "Apologize to your King."
"I do not speak apologies," Athena pushed the heaving shoulders that almost suffocates her. There was, though, a faint chill that coursed through her when Ares' rage slowly turned smug. She walked faster away, towards the giant oaken doors that can free her from this hell they call queenschamber. But she heard him striding after, and a powerful hand caught her arm only to push her against the wood. His body pressed against hers and there it was, the hot breathing against her neck.
"Then act your apologies, if not speak them," Ares whispered on her ear before biting on the lobe. It felt like nettles against her skin, like a thousand maggots were creeping through her pores. She scoffed and faced his glare, "You mean kill you out of mercy?"
"No," he held her, fingers clenched on the clothes draped over her shoulders. Athena's blood froze. His eyes tore through her the way he did when she first bled. "I mean, this."
The ripping sound slashed the air and she was but harshly thrown to the bed. To her, it seemed too fast. Heartbeats ago she was there, standing with a flagon on the balcony, eyes floating over the vast universe and again and again trying to unwind the many possibilities of Janus' words. But now her eyes were moistening at the shock as her body lay limp on the mattress like a sheep in a cave of lions. The tunic she once protected her body with, now reveals a gaping cleavage down to a bare white stomach. She moved a hand across her chest to try and save even the slightest bit of honor she has. And all she could listen to were the pieces of armor unclipping off Ares' body: metal clanking on the floor, pins, brooches, arm plates.
"I was told you were a beast and you disappoint me," Ares hissed, tearing the breastplate off his body. "And I was told you were stupid," she smirked, teary-eyed beneath her torn tunic, "They were right."
Glaring, he pulled her ankles close to his chest and she did not fight when he parted her legs and loomed over her. When she felt his tip against her opening she moved her head to the side and shut her eyes. Ares lined himself between her, and in all anger and lust, he broke in dry and filled her to the hilt.
Her fingers clutched to the sheets and fur that surrounded them, her hips were then abused with thrusts, her legs marked with his fingernails. He was quick and groaning harshly and he was enjoying the brutality. He was hurting her on purpose, and Athena was still silent despite the tears that were threatening to escape her eyes. She willed herself not to stir, elsewise she will lose.
Slowly she felt his fingers around her neck again and she opened her eyes to meet his deadening gaze. His teeth were bared and beads of sheen sweat formed on his temples.
"Scream," he growled. She pursed her lips.
"Scream. My name!"
Athena's grey eyes flashed with fire as she pulled his fingers off her neck and on the top of her lungs she roared like a lioness. "SWINE!"
A sharp cry left her throat as Ares' palm struck a delicate cheek. Everything halted, even him, still buried hard within her. "You dare call your King that way," Ares shook her shoulders against the sheets. A faint red blotch started to surface on her cheek, and yet there was the smile he loathed the most in her. Athena began to laugh despite the stinging on her face and faced him acridly.
"You're no King," she hissed, "Mortals make better kings than you. You are a sore in the eye, a whoremonger, a rapist, yes that is what you are. You're many things, Ares, but you are an idiot believing you're a King. Now piss that disgusting thing on me and get this over with, Dog."
Words fled off Ares as he felt the tightening on his jaw beginning to hurt and he rolled off her with utter contempt. Their tense breathing were the only ones left audible in the room which began to fill with shadows. There was no denying the stun on Ares' gut, the ire that made him immobile, and a shame he was too hard on swallowing.
Athena rolled to her side as she felt him off the bed and crush a fist on a pillar, crumbles of debris gathered on the floor. She wiped her tears hearing the oaken door heavily thud behind her.
A/N: Thank God for a little summer break to allow me to do this. And thank you all for the reviews and PMs! Keep dropping your thoughts! They really help. :)