Julien Gregg's Days of Atlantis 6: The Vampire Saga
Days of Atlantis: The Vampire Saga
by [Julien Gregg](mailto:juilengregg85@gmail.com?subject=Days of Atlantis on Nifty)
This is the story of Darias and Ren, two gods born of a human queen. They were born the princes of Atlantis and their lives were nearly destroyed by the Olympian God Zeus. After a lifetime of rape, torture and violence, Darias attacks Zeus and is cursed by Apollo. He can never see the sun again and must hunt humanity for their blood. The vampire is created. Learning of his brother's plight, Ren attacks Zeus, thinking that he is the God who cursed his brother. Ren will be cursed by Artemis. He will be ruled by the moon and be forced to change into a beast who hunts humanity for their flesh. The Forsaken is created. This is their story. Many of the Greek and Egyptian Gods will be featured in this story. I did research, but I felt it was necessary for this story to change certain things about the Gods. This is only a story so please don't try to correct me. This is the beginning of the Vampire Saga. This is how it all began. So just enjoy the ride. This story contains scenes depicting violence, death, murder, torture, rape, homosexuality, heterosexuality, homosexual sex, heterosexual sex and has a strong violent and sexual theme. If it is not legal in your place of residence for you to read this type of material, or if you are offended by this type of material please leave the site now. For all others the chapter links are below.
This story is a work of fiction its characters do not exist outside the story. Any resemblance to living people or places is strictly coincidence. This story is Copyright © 2015 Julien Gregg. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED. This story contains material protected under International and Federal Copyright Laws and Treaties. Any unauthorized reprint or use of this material is prohibited. No part of this book may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, or by any information storage and retrieval system without express written permission from the author.
Chapter 5
The coronation began with breakfast. Once again all of the monarchs of the region were in attendance. Darias and Ren took their places at the head of the long table with Pias and Duku at the other end. Darias itched to walk to the other end of the room and take the heads of Pias and Duku, but he'd been cautioned that he was technically not king yet and anything he did before he was crowned would be an act of treason against that crown. It was enough to make him sick. He sat there, pretending to be at ease as he ate his meal beside his brother.
After breakfast they were ushered back to their own rooms where tailors were waiting to create the robes and clothes they would wear. Darias had to put up with both a tailor and a stylist. One pinned material around his legs and outstretched arms while the other un plaited his hair and began to brush very hard. By the time the tailor took everything off of him so he could sew the garments together Darias was ready to explode. His hair had been re plaited and pinned up on his head. He had no intention of allowing it to stay that way no matter who got upset about it.
He was served lunch in his rooms and then made to bathe. He wasn't the least bit happy about the staff who came into the room to bathe him after the water was brought in. He hadn't bathed like this since he was a child. They washed him from hair to toes and then dried him. Next they began to assault him with powder. Then he was dressed in the final sewed garment with the robe over his shoulders and down his back. His hair was brushed dry and plated again. When they started to pin it again he let them know that he would not stand for it. In the end they put his crown on his head with his plate hanging down his back.
The garment itself was the color of rust from pants to shirt. There was so much white ruffling lace that it made him feel like a fool. The lace was at the collar and wrists. The cape was fur lined deep red silk. It moved as he did and made him feel almost like he was gliding. He really felt a fool now. He left his rooms and joined his brother who was dressed exactly like him only in deep blues. The foamy lace was the same. They were matching fools.
They were led to the grand hall where the monarchs for the region were lined on either side of the long red carpet. They walked to the end of the carpet where Poseidon stood. With no retiring queen or king to crown him Poseidon was stepping in to take the role. The room was filled with Atlantian nobles who stood just behind the monarchs. Darias didn't like the idea of having Pias and Duku there to watch him crowned king, but it was tradition and there was no getting out of this.
The entire room was done up in splendor for the coronation. The floor to ceiling windows were draped with red velvet. All of the candles in all six of the chandeliers were lit. The tables at the back of the room were draped with red velvet. All of the people from monarchs to nobles were dressed in finery, and Darias was happy to see that he and his twin were not the only ones done up in ridiculous lace.
Trumpets sounded as he took his place before his father. Ren stood to the side as he would not be crowned as anything but the prince unless Darias lost his life. Poseidon stepped forward and said the words that were tradition when elevating a prince or princess to king or queen. He took the circlet crown from Darias's head and replaced it with the larger full sized crown of the king. It was a golden circle with laurel leaves pointing up all the way around it. The leaves were overlapped and where they overlapped rubies and moon stones were pressed into the metal. There were shining crystals all the way around the base. It was a heavy thing and Darias felt the weight of it as Poseidon placed it on his head.
"Behold!" cried Poseidon to the people. "Darias, King of Atlantis!"
First they applauded and then they bowed. Even the monarchs of the region bowed, though not as low as the nobles of Atlantis. Staff began to circulate through the crowd with drinks and food. The tables were quickly filled and the band began to play. Couples began to dance in the center of the floor once the red carpet was rolled up. Darias and Ren took their places at the head table with Poseidon, Isis and Ra. Greek dishes were served along with traditional Atlantian dishes. Darias ate and watched the dancers. He'd had no idea what to expect from the crowning, but this wasn't even close to what he'd imagined. He was relieved that the more elaborate things he'd imagined hadn't been involved. He felt enough of a fool already.
"So how does it feel to be king?" Isis asked, smiling at him.
"No different than it felt to be prince," he replied, smiling back. "So far all I've done as king is sit and eat."
"You'll have your chance to rule," said Poseidon. "Of course you have to face Pias on the battlefield of Greece at the end of the celebrations. That was unwise, my son."
"I'm aware of that, Father," said Darias. "I let myself be goaded, and I realize that as king I should have walked away. I will face him though."
"But it is unfair, my son," said Isis. "You are a God who cannot be killed by a mere mortal. Pias is the mortal king of Greece. You will kill him."
"I will leave him with his life," Darias assured her. "I will simply defeat him."
"You have to be declared a God before that fight," said Poseidon. "Pias my back out."
"He's a proud man, Father," Darias said. "He won't back out for anything."
The announcement was made later that evening. Poseidon stood on the balcony of Darias's suite and called out in a voice that was heard all over Atlantis that Darias, King of Atlantis and Ren, Prince of Atlantis were Gods born of a human queen and sired by two Gods. He named himself as their father, which everyone already knew. Then he named Isis as their mother. The people of Atlantis were silent for a while. Then they began to cry out, hailing their God King and Prince.
Darias and Ren went to the commons square and faced the people. Most knelt at their feet. Some threw flowers at their feet and others simply stood to look at them in confusion. Darias raised his right hand straight up over his head with his palm facing up. Lighting struck the ground in front of him. The people scattered in fear. They had no time to react before Ren raised his own right hand in the same fashion and the moon began to glow on the spot in front of him. The people looked terrified at first, but then they all came back to them and knelt at their feet.
Someone cried out that temples would be built for them, and others hailed the Gods that had lived among them for sixteen years. Feasting and celebrations began as they went back to the palace. The people rejoiced that the Gods had smiled on them. They never mentioned any of the Olympians save Poseidon. They paid tribute to Isis and Ra. They flooded Poseidon's temple to the dismay of the priests who cleaned it and tried to hold order.
"So you're a God," said Pias as he came up to Darias later that evening. The celebrating in the streets could still be heard. If Atlantians were good at anything they were masters of celebration.
"I am," he said, looking at the mortal king evenly. "Do you wish to back out of our contest?"
"Not at all," said Pias. "I know I will die at your hand, but if you are truly a God then I deserve my death."
"I will not kill you, Pias," he said. "We will fight, and it will be bloody, but when one of us kneels in defeat the fight will end."
"Merciful," Pias said with a sigh. "I will have temples built to honor you and your brother in my lands. Priests will be found to tend your temples and to worship you, Darias, God of Atlantis. I admit defeat here and now and invite you and your people to feast and be celebrated in Greece."
Just like that the King of Greece had cancelled the battle, but was it fear or respect that had caused his change of heart? Darias had no idea, but if it was feasting and celebration he wanted then that's what there would be. He would never trust Pias, and he would always wonder what would have happed if he'd ever been allowed to face Duku on the battle field. There would always be that unspoken question when he looked into Duku's blue eyes.
The rest of the monarchs came forward to say that temples would be built and that celebrations would be had. None invited them to their lands but Darias didn't care. He and his key people would be going to Greece when all of these celebrations were over. That was all that was important. He just had to get through the celebrations of his own people.
"It was an interesting night," said Ren when they were back in the palace, sitting in Darias's new sitting room. He'd been moved to a new suite that was across the palace from his brothers.
He had new guards and a lot more of them which was silly when he thought about it. He was a God after all. Humans couldn't kill a God. Only Gods could kill other Gods. He had a bigger personal staff as well. He was dismayed when he found out that four of the men who were now on his staff were his personal grooms who would bathe him, take care of his hair and select his clothing. He didn't like that at all. He supposed he could say something or use his powers to render them useless. He just had to think on it.
"It was," he said after a long moment. "Pias cancelled our battle and invited me to bring my key people to Greece for feasting and to celebrate as Gods."
"That's interesting," said Ren. "He probably knew you'd kill him."
"I promised not to kill him," Darias replied. "I told him that if either of us knelt in defeat the battle was over."
"He had to know that it would be he that knelt in defeat," Ren said. "What mortal can stand against a God?"
"Going to Greece may anger Zeus," Poseidon cautioned.
"Not going after giving my word would anger Pias," Darias sighed. "I don't want another war."
"Oh I'm sure he wouldn't declare war," said Isis. "He'd be sending his people to fight Gods."
"Still," he said. "I can't rule my lands in fear of Zeus. I will take key people with me and I will go to Greece for Pias's feasting and celebration, because I gave the King of Greece my word as the King of Atlantis that I would come."
"You would risk the anger of Zeus to keep your word?" Poseidon asked.
"I do not fear Zeus," Darias said evenly. "He should fear me."
That statement was all Poseidon could think about in the days to come. He knew what would happen to his sons if they attacked Zeus. He'd spoken to the Fates. They'd told him in plain words that one would hunt humans by night for their blood and the other would be forced to change into a beast ruled by the moon and would hunt humans for their flesh. It would mean that they would become dark Gods, Gods that he could have nothing to do with. Isis would have to turn her back on them. Even Ra would be forced to abandon them, though it would break his heart to do so.
He watched his sons accept tribute from their people and wondered just what their people would think of them after they were cursed. There seemed no way out of the curses now. The Fates had told them that the fate of his sons was already in motion when they were seven years old. That was what he kept thinking about. Darias and Ren hated Zeus and disliked all of the other Olympian Gods. So far neither was prepared to attack him out of hatred. What would Zeus do to make them attack him? He feared that it would come sooner than he was ready.
Could he stop Apollo and Artemis from cursing his sons? He wasn't allowed on Olympus anymore, and they were banned from Atlantis. There was no way to talk to either of them short of going to Greece with his sons and entering their temples. He wasn't sure he wanted to wait that long. There was nothing stopping him from going to Greece ahead of them. He thought about it as he walked out of the grand hall, leaving the latest feast and celebration for his sons.
Artemis's temple was beautiful. Her priestesses were all dark haired beauties with perfect bodies. They walked around the pool that surrounded the statue of Artemis, spreading flower petals on the water. Sweet smelling incense burned in pots at the base of the marble pool. He stood there, gazing at the carvings on the walls so intently that he hadn't noticed that the priestesses were gone and the statue had come to life.
"Poseidon," Artemis said in her sing song voice as she walked across the water of the pool, using the largest of the leaves as if stones to set her foot upon. "Why have you come?"
"I wish to discuss Darias and Ren with you," he said. "I plan to have this discussion with Apollo next."
"You know that it will be my brother and me that curse them if they come against Zeus?" she asked.
"It was obvious from the words the Fates spoke to me," he said. "One to be denied the sun and to hunt humanity for blood. The other to be forced to change into a beast ruled by the moon and hunt humanity for their flesh. The sun and moon, Artemis. The Fates said that the curse would come from Olympian Gods. The only Olympian God of the Sun is Apollo, and you are the only Olympian Goddess of the Moon."
"I have done what I could to ensure that your sons are not cursed by me and my brother," she said. "There is nothing more I can do. If Zeus refuses to accept that his hatred will cause such destruction there is nothing more that I or Apollo can do to stop this. Mark me, Poseidon. If Ren comes against Zeus, I will curse him."
"And if Darias comes against Zeus," said Apollo as he appeared in Artemis's temple. "I will curse him."
"These are your cousins," he pleaded.
"And Zeus is our father," Apollo replied. "Why have you come, Poseidon? Have you come to beg us to spare your sons? Wouldn't it be more prudent to appeal to our father not to do anything more to cause them to hate him more than they already do?"
"Zeus won't speak to me," Poseidon said. "He told me as much when I renounced Olympus."
"A fool thing to do," said Artemis as she stepped up beside her brother.
They truly were beautiful to behold. The red haired Goddess with her green eyes and ivory skin was dressed in a flowing white tunic with golden thread embroidered at the neck and hem. The dark haired God with his plated dark hair and eyes as of the sun was dressed in a half tunic that covered him from his waist to his knees. The golden sandals laced up his calves matched the embroidery around his waist. His skin, unlike his sister's was tan and golden from the sun.
"Do you not love them?" Poseidon appealed. "Did you not pledge to protect them when they were born? How can you stand there and tell me that you will curse them so severely when Zeus has done everything he could to ensure that they will attack him?"
"Zeus has left them alone since the war," Apollo replied. "And yes, we love them and pledged to protect them when they were born, but Zeus is our father. We will honor him and protect him, Poseidon. We will not abandon him as you and he abandoned your mother."
"I could kill you for that statement, Apollo," snapped Poseidon in anger. How dare he throw such a painful memory in his face?
"You would risk the end of the sun to kill me for talking about you and your siblings killing your mother" Apollo asked, lifting one perfect brow.
"The sun will not end if I kill you," laughed Poseidon. "The moon will not end if I kill Artemis. Isis is the Goddess of the Moon as well, and Ra is the God of the Sun just as you are."
"It would weaken them both if you killed us," Artemis cautioned. "Think about this, Poseidon. We will have to curse them if they come against our father, but Isis could lift our curses if she truly wanted to."
"You're implying that she won't," he said.
"I'm not implying anything," she spat back at him. "If they come they will be cursed, Poseidon. Perhaps you should take your appeals to Isis and leave us in peace."
"Be gone from here, God of Atlantis," Apollo said as he disappeared.
"You'll get no assurances from either of us," said Artemis as she too disappeared and her statue returned to the center of the pool.
Poseidon stood there in shock. They would curse his sons no matter what the Fates warned. He couldn't believe it. Had Zeus seen to this as he'd seen to every terrible thing his sons had been forced to face for almost their entire lives? He shook with anger and thought about destroying the temple, but he knew that would ignite a war that would be far worse for his sons than anything else. His heart broke as he thought about what was coming for them. How would they survive the curses that Artemis and Apollo had promised to heap upon them?
He wondered just what the curses would turn them into. Darias was already known as the God of Blood, but what did it truly mean for him to become the God cursed? That he would be turned away from the sun was pretty self-explanatory. But what would the sun do to him once he was cursed? There was no reference to go by. Never before had anyone been turned away from the sun. He'd be forced to hunt humanity for their blood. What was that? To be the God of Blood could mean many things, but to hunt humanity for their blood was very specific. Only one answer could make sense. He would hunt them to drink their blood. What he couldn't figure out was if he would need their blood to survive or if he would simply crave it.
Then there was Ren to think of. He was known as the God of Wolves. It didn't take a lot of thought to understand Artemis's curse. When she cursed him the Fates said he would be ruled by the moon and forced to turn into a beast and hunt humanity for their flesh. That only meant one thing. He would be forced to turn into a wolf, either figuratively or physically. He had no idea how it would happen, but to hunt humanity for their flesh meant that his son would eat the humans. He was repulsed by the thought of it. There had to be a way to stop this. Zeus had to leave them alone. If he did anything else to make them angry they would attack and the curses would be heaped upon them. Then it would be too late to fix anything.
He returned to Atlantis with a heavy heart. He looked at his sons, smiling and laughing and nearly came apart with fear for them. Isis noticed and came to his side. She took his hand, but he knew that she understood why he was hurting. She too had a look in her beautiful onyx eyes that told him that she was thinking pretty much the same things he was thinking. Ra had a haunted look on his face as he watched his brothers. Poseidon knew that Ra understood all too well what it would mean for one brother to be turned away from the sun and the other to be ruled by the moon. He would lose them. Ra loved them like no brother loved his siblings. There wasn't a stronger bond in existence, and it would be shattered by the curses.
"I've been to Greece," Poseidon said softly to Isis. "I went to appeal to Artemis and Apollo, but they tell me they'll curse them both if they come against Zeus."
"I know they will," said Isis. "Our own seers have seen the same things."
"They said that you could lift the curses if you truly wanted to," he said softly.
"For that I should wipe out every Olympian God in existence," she said just as softly but in a deadly tone. "Our seers have told me what it would take to lift the curses on our sons, and should I sentence humanity to darkness just to lift curses from those I love?"
"What do you mean?" he asked.
"It would take the death of Ra to lift the curse Apollo will place on Darias," she explained. "I would have to die to lift the curse from Ren that Artemis will put him under. Could I knowingly weaken the Gods and Goddesses of the moon and sun to save them from something that will merely hinder them but not kill them?"
"What are you saying?" he asked, startled.
"I'm saying that I will not sacrifice my own life or the life of one son to lift the curses on my other sons," she said plainly. "These curses will not kill them, Poseidon. My seers have seen that. They will become truly the Gods of Blood and Wolves, but it will leave them alive. They will share the curse with humans that survive their attacks, and dark days are coming. I cannot change things. They were wrong to put this idea in your head. I've discussed this with Ra at length. We both agree that to die for them if it would save their lives would be honorable, but to die just to lift a curse that won't kill either of them is selfish."
"But you will both be forced to turn your backs on them if the curse isn't lifted," Poseidon said in earnest.
"Poseidon," she said, taking his hand again. "Ra and I will never turn our backs on Darias and Ren. Ra is not required to turn his back on Darias simply because he is turned away from the sun. I am not required to turn my back on Ren because he ruled by the moon. I am their mother and he is their brother. Dark Gods they will become, but the circle of life requires a darkness to balance the light. Even you know this. They will become the Gods mothers warn their children about. They will become the danger in the darkness, but they will still be our children. They will still be Ra's beloved brothers. Nothing will ever change that. If you turn your back on them it will be because you chose to. It won't be because you have to."
There was discord among the Gods of Atlantis after that night. Poseidon would not stay in the same room with Isis or Ra. Darias and Ren were confused by this, because when they asked Isis, Ra or Poseidon they would not give them the reason. Something had to happen for them to stop communicating, but what had it been? They were leaving for Greece in six days, and they had no idea if the other Gods would come with them or not.
The monarchs of the region had already left Atlantis for their own lands. The celebrations were winding down in Atlantis. People were starting to realize that they had to get back to the day to day tasks of their existence. That meant that they would be free to leave them and go to Atlantis, though Ren had decided to stay behind when Darias left. He said that to leave Atlantis without a ruler for any amount of time would be a mistake that they couldn't afford to make. Both of them wondered when Zeus would do something to Atlantis now that they were openly Gods who ruled her.
Darias chose his people to take with him to Greece to see the construction of their temples and meet the priests who would tend it and honor him. He actually looked forward to that. Perhaps by the time he returned their temples would be complete in Atlantis. Ren would have to see to finding priests who were worthy of them among the people of Atlantis.
Poseidon had agreed to accompany him to Greece, but Isis and Ra informed him that they had no desire to travel to Greece for any reason. He knew that part of it was the fact that Isis wanted Artemis and Apollo dead for what they hadn't even done yet. He still feared the curse, but he'd overheard part of the conversation that Isis had with Poseidon. He knew the curse wouldn't kill him. That eased his fear at least a little. He'd discussed what he'd heard with Ren, but Ren was still terrified of what the curse would do to him. Darias could understand his brother's fear. For he would have to forsake his human form when the curse was inflicted.
Darias and his hundred companions boarded the newest most grand ship in his fleet. There was plenty of room for them and he used his power to speed their journey. Of course he could have just transported them all to Greece, but he wanted to give them a little time to work on the temples Pias had promised to have built as quickly as possible. He wondered what Zeus would think of temples to the very Gods he'd tried to have his people kill being erected in their lands. They were partly Gods of Olympus though technically they weren't allowed to visit Olympus for any reason. Would Zeus be offended by his own people? Would he require penance for the building of temples to Darias and Ren? So many questions and not so many answers. He planned to find the Cave of the Fates and finally have his questions answered by the daughters of Aphrodite.
"King Darias," said Pope, his chief advisor as he walked up to him on the deck the morning after their departure from Atlantis.
"Yes, Pope," he said, sighing inwardly. The man always had advice of some sort to impart. The question was whether or not it was sound advice.
"There's been considerable discussion about you siring an heir," he said in an even voice and only blanched slightly as Darias looked at him.
"I'm barely seventeen years old, Pope," he said. "I'm also a God. It isn't likely that I'll die any time soon. Why do I need an heir?"
"Well you can't plan to rule Atlantis forever, Sire," said Pope, looking uncomfortable.
Darias sighed for real then. So they'd already been talking about him stepping down as king and it had been barely two months since he'd been crowned. That was perfect. So much for the loyalty of his people. They'd worship him if he stepped aside and went to Mount Atlantis, but they'd constantly talk about his siring an heir to take his place if he didn't do it and get it over with. Knowing that they'd all heard about Savetor's crimes against their king and prince, Darias knew the man knew he'd never known a woman in that way.
"I don't plan to rule forever, Pope," he said carefully. "I don't see the point in siring an heir at his point either, though."
"There has been considerable speculation on who you will choose to bear your child," said Pope. "A number of men would like for you to at least meet with their daughters."
So that was it, he thought. They were clamoring for who would be the grandfather of the future king. They all knew that it would elevate their status. Posturing was what this was. Every one of them was probably plotting and scheming to make sure that he favored their daughter over anyone else's. It was enough to make him sick. He retired to his cabin, walking away from Pope without as much as a word. Poseidon was waiting for him in his cabin.
"So they've approached you about an heir?" he asked with a smile.
"Evidently I shouldn't expect to rule Atlantis forever," replied Darias darkly.
"You knew that it wouldn't be all hails and smiles from the people when they learned that you were a God, Darias," said Poseidon.
"I knew that, yes, but I didn't think they would start plotting just two months after I was crowned," he snapped.
"It's no coincidence that so many of them brought their eldest daughters along on this trip," Poseidon informed him as if he hadn't guessed that himself.
He had to admit he'd been dense about this matter until Pope had shoved it in his face on the deck only moments ago. Then he'd thought about the large number of daughters on the ship. It made him feel like an animal to be maneuvered this way. He supposed he'd have to choose. What he wondered was if Ren was getting the same treatment back in Atlantis. After all they knew he was a God as well. They'd want to make sure that Darias sired an heir that would take Ren out of the royal line for the crown. It sickened him. If he knew for a fact that they were only thinking of the stability of Atlantis it would be one thing. This posturing for status was quite another. No one in their right mind would send armies against Atlantis with a God on the throne. It would be suicide and ultimately forfeiture of their lands and possibly their lives.
It began at supper that very night. He'd foolishly decided to sup with his people and took his place at the head table with Poseidon and Pope. Pope's own daughter Sylvanna was seated beside her father, giving Darias the eye as he pretended not to notice. The poor girl looked exactly like her father with her squared features and blunt nose. Her only redeeming feature was her beautiful blue eyes. Her blond hair was drab like her fathers, and there was too much of her forehead. He'd barely taken a bite of his food before other men came up to the table to introduce their own daughters. He noticed that Pope's eyes tightened with each invasion of Darias's privacy.
Darias put up with it for only twenty minutes, and then after still having only taken two bites of his food he got up from the table and left them all. He went to his cabin and slammed his door. Minutes later Poseidon appeared. He counseled that leaving them all hanging the way he had was a bad move. Darias didn't care though. He was more upset about it than ever. He didn't want this becoming an issue he had to deal with every day for the rest of the journey. He growled low in his throat before he agreed to meet all of them at specified times, but he insisted that his meals be brought to him in his room and not by anyone's daughter. He sent out an announcement that he would meet with fathers and daughters after the breakfast meal each day that they were on the ship. He also announced that anyone who tried to insert his daughter in his cabin would be executed for treason. Let them chew on that for a while, he thought as he accepted the tray of food that Pope brought him and slamming the door in the man's face after he'd given him his announcement.
Just after his breakfast dishes were removed from the cabin they began to demand that he come to the deck. He dressed in his finery and then went to the deck with Poseidon just behind him. The barrage of young women were pressed upon him almost as soon as he got there. Pope stood and informed them that there would be order or the king would go back to his cabin and it would be over.
The first of the daughters to be presented to him was a young woman barely aged sixteen years. Her name was Arlyssa and her father was Jan, one of the groomers. She was taller than most, almost as tall as his own six feet. Her blond hair was like spun gold and her blue eyes rivaled the cloudless sky. She smiled, and Darias was shocked to see that the smile enhanced her beauty. He also liked that she wasn't made up with greases and powders to look like a painted lady. Instead her beauty seemed to come from within. She glowed with her inner beauty. He smiled back at her and lifted her hand to his lips.
"My Lady," he said, bowing his head.
"Your Majesty," she said, giving him a curtsy.
She was whisked away and another young woman took her place. This one's name was Ahnya. She had long spirals of spun golden hair cascading over her shoulders. Her face was painted for glory with touches of gold and blues around her eyes, the lids were smudged and dark. Her lips were covered with shining red, and he was horrified not just by the fact that she was more than a few inches taller than him and clearly much more than voluptuous, but by the fact that her front teeth were marked by the grease on her lips.
"My Lady," he said, bowing his head slightly. It wasn't missed by anyone that he did not bring her hand to his lips.
"Your Majesty," she said in a shaking voice. Tears came to her eyes as she looked at him.
He was saved by her own father, a man he had seen before but did not know the name he went by. Another young woman took her place and he couldn't keep in the sigh that burst from him at the sight of her. There were so many things about her that made her so much less than pretty to behold. Her pale yellow blond hair was pulled severely back into a bun. She wore no greases or powders, but for once he thought they could only improve her looks. Instead she had red patches on both of her cheeks and her forehead which was nearly as high as Pope's Sylvanna's. Her nose was crooked and just a bit more than a tad too large for her face. Her eyes were a bit too close together and much too big, making her looked shocked. He called her lady and she curtsied to his bowed head. Then she was whisked away and another, and then another and so on and so on until he was so tired that he nearly wept.
And it went on for days as the ship swayed on the water and land was still far from visible. Darias was ready to just jump ship and try and drown himself within two days. He finally put a stop to it by asking that the Lady Arlyssa sup with him in his cabin. He was sorry for the angry looks she received from her fellow maidens, but this had to stop. He wasn't choosing her exactly. He was merely trying to end his suffering.
"Thank you for inviting me into your cabin, Your Majesty," she said when she sat down at the small table in his cabin across from him.
She was even more beautiful than the day he'd met her. That evening she was dressed in a silk gown that nearly matched the blue in her eyes. There was lace at her collar but not so much that it would impede her. Her nails were painted to match her dress as well. Her hair was done up in spirals atop her head, and she wore silver posts in her ears from which hung moonstones.
"You are most welcome, My Lady," he replied, smiling at her.
"I must confess myself nervous," she said, smiling timidly back at him.
"You mustn't be nervous with me, Lady Arlyssa," he said, taking her hand. "I wish only to get to know you, and found that inviting you to dine with me was the fastest way to get started."
"What would you like to know?" she asked as the food was placed on their table by none other than Pope who looked daggers at the young lady.
"That will be all, Pope," Darias said coldly once the goblets were filled and everything was on the table before them.
"Your Majesty may require service," argued Pope in a very even tone.
"I said that will be all," Darias said, glaring at the man. "If we need service I will find a way to let you know. Now get out of my cabin before I make you regret it, sir."
"As Your Majesty wishes," he said in a voice dripping with scorn.
"That man tries my patience," Darias said once Pope was safely on the other side of the door. "He is jealous because his own daughter is not sitting in that chair."
"The Lady Sylvanna is quite lovely, Sire," said Arlyssa.
"Not as lovely as you, my Lady Arlyssa," he said, smiling at her. "Not by half. Now tell me about yourself."
"Well, as you know my father is one of your grooms," she said, looking down at the food she had yet to touch. "I live with my mother and father in the apartments provided by you across the courtyard from the main palace. I have a younger brother, Mat. He rather likes to play the game of Stones which I'm told you invented."
"A very dear friend invented the game," he said, feeling a wave of excitement as he thought of the fact that they were now headed for Greece where he would hopefully see Phalon and Rafael again. "What do you do with your spare time?"
"I weave blankets from the wool my mother spins," she replied. "We sell the blankets at Sunday when I have one finished."
"You weave blankets?" he asked, smiling.
"Yes, Sire," she said, trying to smile back at him. "My mother taught me how when I was barely ten years old. She quickly discovered that I have a talent for weaving. It often takes her upwards of forty-two months to weave one blanket where as I can do it in twenty-six."
"That's quite an achievement," he said, though he had no idea if it was or not. "I should like to buy one of your blankets."
"Oh thank you, Sire," she said, shaking her head slightly. "But they are not up to the quality that Your Majesty is used to."
"Nonsense," he said, smiling again. "I shall be the judge of that, my Lady."
They dined together for all of their meals during the journey to Greece. Darias considered her a good friend by the time they docked. She would never be more than his friend however. She had admitted to him that she was in love with a boy who worked in the bakery. His name was Nat and he baked her fresh scones every morning. Darias liked him from the things she'd told him about her beau. He looked forward to meeting him when they returned to Atlantis.
King Pias was true to his word. They were escorted to the palace in all finery. Their carriage was spacious and comfortable. The staff was transported in wagons. Lady Arlyssa sat beside him in the carriage, much to the dismay of the other ladies. Darias had demoted Pope to a lesser office where he would have little to do with either Darias or Ren. He'd elevated Jan to the level of Personal Advisor to the King. Pope was angry at his demotion, but Darias didn't care. The man infuriated him almost all of the time now that he was spending so much time with Jan's daughter instead of Pope's. He couldn't have that kind of thing going on in his inner circle.
The palace in Greece was nearly twice the size of their home in Atlantis. The entire building was constructed of white stone and gleamed in the morning sunlight. They were shown to their suites and then had lunch in the dining hall of the palace with King Pias and his queen. Duku was also seated at the table, and Darias made every effort to be civil to the man. He found after talking with him through two meals that day that he actually liked the man.
The next day they were taken through the streets of the main city and shown the temples that had been built for Darias and Ren. They were also constructed of the same white stone and were each two stories tall with towers at the top reaching up two more stories. Apartments for the priests of the temple were located on the second floor. Darias was thrilled to see a life sized statue of himself in his own temple. The statue, like that of Artemis in her temple stood at the center of a pool. Blood red rose petals floated on the water with basins of incense that filled the chamber with a sweet yet musky smell sat around the base of the pool. The priests came and went, and Darias saw a young lady with one of the priests. She was helping him to clean up the offerings that had been laid at the base of the pool.
She was breathtaking to behold in her flowing white tunic with her sandals of black leather on her feet. Her dark hair fell in ringlets over her shoulders and down her back almost to her behind. She had eyes the color of the winter sky and smiled at him shyly when she realized the very God her father served was now in the temple. Her skin was alabaster perfection, and she had curves on her slight frame that suggested sexuality. He smiled back at her. She went to her knees and put her head down. He moved quickly to stand before her where she and her father knelt.
"Stand tall and proud, My Lady," he said as he helped her to her feet. "May I know your name?"
"Elle," she nearly whispered.
"Elle," he breathed it, tasting it like wine. "A beautiful name for a beautiful lady."
He insisted that Elle accompany them on the tour of the city. No one objected, and her father beamed. Darias had learned that his name was Niko and he was honored to serve in the name of Darias. That made him smile. He had a mind to shower riches on Niko and his family, but especially Elle who had taken his breath away with the touch of her hand in his as they followed Pias and his men out of the temple and across to his brother's temple.
Ren's temple was almost a complete copy of his own. The pool was the same and the statue was like his own, only Ren was in a different pose. He was standing in the center of the pool with his left arm extended, palm up. In his palm was a moon stone bigger than any Darias had seen before. Floating on the water in the pool were thousands of white moon flower petals. There were priests coming to and fro in the temple, filling the bowls with a different incense mixture that smelled just as musky but somehow reminded him of the moon touched grass.
Though he had no desire to see them, Pias led them to the temples of the Olympian Gods. Darias stood before the likeness of Athena and stared at it with cold eyes. Next it was Artemis and he barely held in his hatred. Then it was Constantine and though he knew only scraps about this God he didn't soften his eyes. They went to Hermes's temple and then to Aphrodite's temple. Still he showed them barely concealed scorn. When they began to head to Zeus's temple, Darias refused to enter. Pias must have remembered exactly who had started the war between their people because he had the decency to look embarrassed and apologized.
There were feasts and celebrations fitting for a God who'd come to Greece. No one seemed to think about the fact that Darias made sure that Elle was with him for every feast and every celebration. He was happy for that. He believed that he was falling in love though he didn't really know what love was. The way she looked at him with those eyes of hers could completely undo him. He wanted so desperately to make her happy for the rest of her life.
He conjured rubies from the earth and materialized red roses to give to her. Within three days the apartments she shared with her father on the second floor of Darias's temple were filled with the flowers. She'd paid a smith to set the rubies into settings for a pair of earrings and a necklace. The stone she used for the necklace was the largest and most dazzling ruby ever seen. They looked like fire against her creamy skin, and it made him smile every time he saw them.
They sat alone to dine in Pias's private dining room several nights and many moonlit strolls later. Darias was undone by the light from the candles reflecting in her eyes. She smiled at him and his stomach felt funny. He took her hand and sighed as his skin touched hers. He had to do this right.
"Lady Elle," he said, clearing his throat. "As you know I am a young king, and Atlantis will one day need a future ruler."
"That time is way off, Your Majesty," she said breathlessly.
"Perhaps," he said, smiling at her. "But I would still be doing my country a disservice if I did not see to it that heirs were produced that could take the throne when I'm forced to take my place as a God of Atlantis. What I want very much is for you to accept my hand in marriage. Lady Elle, will you take my hand and become my queen?"
"Oh yes," she said as tears fell from her beautiful eyes.
He was around the table on his knees beside her, taking her hands and smiling up at her. She'd made him the happiest God in all of existence. Things moved very fast after that night. The priests of his temple decorated the main chamber with ruby colored flower petals and rolled out a red carpet for them to walk down to say their vows. They were married on the night of the full moon by a priest of his temple. Then he used the portal in his temple to take her to Mount Atlantis where he planned to spend their wedding night.
He stroked and licked every part of her body, making her gasp and throw her head from side to side. She cried out when he tasted her inner core and panted when he brought her over. Then she cried out once again as he entered her body, but gripped and clawed his back as he made love to her. When they were sated he knew, and smiled down at her.
"Our son quickens in your womb, wife," he said and smiled some more for a few seconds before she watched his face be twisted with agony.
He rolled over in the bed, gripping the sides of his head and crying out so loud that she thought the drums of her ears would shatter. He was up and out of the bed, willing clothing to clothe his naked body as Isis came running into the chamber screaming about Atlantis. Then Elle saw a sight that she'd known about but it took her breath anyway. A man who looked so like her young husband came to stand beside him. Then she heard the terrible news.
"It is gone, my sons," said Isis. "It began to sink the moment you took your vows with your bride, Darias. I did what I could for the people, so many were lost."
"What did you do for them?" asked Darias.
"I turned them into Sea People so that this would not kill all of the Atlantians," she said.
"But who has done this?" Ren asked, looking miserable.
"You have to ask?" Darias said coldly. "Who is it who has plagued us almost since the moment of our conception?"
"Zeus," whispered Ren.
"Yes," snapped Darias. "And this time he's gone too far."
"What is it you plan, my son?" the Goddess demanded.
"I plan to end him, Mother," said Darias in a tone of voice that Elle didn't recognize.
"My son," said Isis, taking his hand. "You have a young bride with a child growing in her womb. I can feel his heartbeat already, my son. Don't do this thing."
"I must, Mother," he said and flashed himself out of Mount Atlantis, leaving them all to stare at the spot where he'd stood.
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