Rise of Athena

Chapter 17

Athena rose from her bed with a dulling pain in her heart, one she tried so much to ignore but kept coming back. Everything about her was slowly succumbing to the absence of the annoying footman. She tried not to think too much of him but kept failing miserably every single time. She even snapped at Damien when he tried to make a joke about Alex's absence. She didn't want to be his mate but that didn't give anyone the right to talk carelessly about him in her presence.
The gossipers around the palace have found a new rumor to spread, some said she discovered that he was not her mate, others said he rejected her cos of her stone heart, the bold ones went ahead to say that he had had a fill of he Rand decided that she was no longer worth it. All these Athena heard through the use of her discreet footmen planted across the village.
Some of her footmen had wives that blended into the villages and got useful information for her.

A knock on the door startled her and brought her out of her troubling thoughts. It was a footman that came to deliver a message. The dethroned council members that agreed to be on her side where waiting for her in the council room. She didn't trust this men and she wasn't about to welcome them with open arms like the prodigal child that realised his mistakes and took to the right path. These are men that have challenged her authority and all of a sudden wants an alliance with her.
Brenda had thought her so much and she wasn't ready to disappoint the woman in her grave.
Another tap sounded on the door and didn't bother to she turned away form the window "come" she said.
" My king, I came to help you get dressed for the day" she heard her usual maid say.
"Go! I'lI do it myself"

" But my kin__"

"I hate repeating myself"
"I'm sorry my king" She scurried away noisily, she did it in a way that irritated Athena so much. She is going to dress like she is going for war and she didn't want anyone not even her most trusted maid to be around and see how she wraps the weapons in her.
You never can tell which of the men would be crazy enough to try and attack her.
Athena soaked herself in the bathtub.
She was going to keep the men waiting as long as possible to test their tolerance level. The water got cold and she stepped out of it, quickly rubbing her lotion so she doesn't get cold, she dressed herself and skillfully hid all her weapons in her cloth.
She had already sent out words t her foot me around the village to lurk around the palace Incase she needs them to do the dirty job for her

****

Walking into the throne room the men all rose bowing Thier head to show respect or fear, depending on how they felt.
"Rise" she said and accended the throne to listen to what they had to say.
"My Quee
King" gold mustache
said with fear showing all over his face, he knew she could get him executed for calling her a queen.
Athena waved it off and pretended like she didn't hear him.
" We are here today to give you our alliance, as people who have served under the previous Alpha's, we have so much experience in the rulership of a pack and would love to volunteer our services for to he betterment of this pack and also for our children " gold mustache said, catching his breath after rambling about everything.
Athena stared at him, not giving any form of emotions away or saying a word. Silence descended in the throne room and gold mustache shifted uncomfortably on his legs as he should.
"Is that all?"
"No my King " brown eyes said getting up form his seat after struggling with his protruding stomach, Athena wondered how he seems to have been able to protect the pack with being so much out of shape. These men where just after the status and power that came with the previous positions and probably the women.
"You see the other packs might want to attack us now that they see that it is a woman who is in power. We know what you are capable of doing but we are equally worried about a potential attack form the neighbouring packs"
"How many treaties did my father sign with the neighbours?" She asked brown eyes who took a step back when he saw the cold gaze of Athena.
" He made it with all the packs sharing a close range with our pack" gold mustache said.

They all seem to relax a bit around her right now since she hasn't lost her temper yet and beheaded any of them.
"I'll look into it"
"thank you my king" they all chorused
" The servants will be here shortly to serve you some delicacies, do enjoy"
Athena rose form he throne and headed straight to her study to look further into her fathers diary.
Nothing seems off no matter how long she kept looking at the entries, she grew frustrated and walked out of the study and decided to head over to the kitchen, perhaps she can find one or two women slacking on their duties and giving away some gossip since she can't find anything form the diary and she was too troubled with the thoughts of the cocky footman and his dubious use of words.
Her thoughts settled on Alex and she kept wondering how it was for him in his pack, what did he tell his Alpha

about her and how how his muscles flexed under his clothes. She missed him although too stubborn to accept anything.
Walking into the kitchen, everywhere went silent. She spotted fear on their faces but ignored them all.
"My breakfast"
Maids scurried away to gather what a king needed for her breakfast.
***
Somewhere in the woods, two figures approached each other, they both wore cloarks to conceal thier identity.
"She is warming up to us, keep your men on alert we will soon strike" one of the figures said.
"'Since she wants war, war she will get
"Be careful, keep biending in and your reward will be bigger than you can imagine"

"Yes my lord."
"Now go"