A KINGDOM OF DEAD HEARTS [COMPLETED]

CHAPTER 31: THE SECRET

Airin shut her eyes tight, her brain worked to process the whole sentence. Xander is the son of Ares. Ares, the god of war. The one who causes all the woes now in Halgard.

Her tears flowed, and she shook her head in confusion and disbelief.

When she opened her eyes again, Xander gazed at her. His hands clasped hers tighter. "I am the son of Ares, Airin ..." he repeated, his voice grew steadier now, it was as if he was relieved that he had told Airin about who his father truly was.

Airin counted her breaths, trying hard to calm down. "But how could that be, Xander?"she asked, "You have such beautiful gifts, and to have a father like Ares, the god of war ... how?" she whispered while leaning her head closer to Xander. Her hands still clasped Xander's hands, she did not want to let go.

Xander now managed to sit up straighter, his breath was calmer, and it was clear he was relieved that he had told Airin about Ares and him having a family relation.

"It must sound so strange for you," he whispered while looking at Airin.

Airin paused, and looked up to Xander again. She tightened her grasp on Xander's hands and said, "I helped two people shooting out of a well in my universe. I saw elegarii in your mind. I saw orbs of lights. I was brought against my will by some sort of sorcery to this Halgard universe. At this point, nothing is strange to me anymore." She nodded. "Please tell me, how could it be? Ares is your father?"

Xander sighed and nodded. "My late mother, Queen Arajulia of Halgard, was known to have such stunning beauty rivaled only by one Helen of Troy. I guess you have heard about Helen and her wonderful face that launched the Trojan War? It had truly happened here a few hundred years ago, though it had become a matter of myth in your universe." Airin nodded, of course she knew the story of Trojan War, between the Greeks and the Spartans. The gods and demigods and human beings, their fate intertwined in the long, brutal war.

Xander continued his story as the sun went up higher, the clouds blocked it, and the grey sky stayed. He would pause and cough, but he insisted on telling his story.

Ares lusted for the magnificent beauty of Queen Arajulia of Halgard. He tried to seduce the queen, but the queen was loyal to her husband King Lymnos and could see through the disguise of Ares when Ares turned himself to be King Lymnos to try to bed her. She loved her husband so much and had known him so well inside out that Ares failed to mimic the king.

So Ares decided to disguise himself as a female servant and drugged the queen's drink. Ares violated the sleeping queen and left her broken afterwards. The queen was pregnant with Xander as a result.

Xander took a deep breath. "I did not know all those ... wickedness ... that Ares has perpetrated against my mother. My mother was always sad and quiet, I did not know why too. Until one day, when I was 10 years old ..."

When Xander was 10, on one fateful night he could not sleep and decided to go to the rooftop of the palace to watch the full moon.

He saw Nydda and his mother having a conversation there. He was going to surprise them so he hid behind a wall.

It was the night his life changed for the worse.

Nydda, a sorceress and an oracle who received messages and guidance from the gods, had figured out about Xander and Ares due to a message sent to her by Apollo. Apollo, who was annoyed at Ares for something silly at Olympus, decided to get back at his half-brother by telling his dark secret to Nydda.

Queen Arajulia broke down and confirmed the truth to Nydda. She had not told anybody, including her husband the king, about Xander's actual father because she was too scared and ashamed. She had spent most of her pregnancy being too scared and broken to do anything at all.