Rise of Athena

Chapter 20

She left the threshold and stood by his
"You do realize what he said is true right? Her blood has to be spilled."
He heaved a sigh before answering. "I know Ciara. I just can't explain the weather a felt when he posted a threat to her."
"My husband said you're going back tonight. When will we see you again?"
He pondered her first few words for a few seconds. Soon he'll be able to call Athena 'mine.'
"The next time you see me, I will be with your Queen."
"Alex." she placed a hand on his shoulder as she usually does to comfort him. "What if she rejects you?
What will you do then? Have vou considered it?"
"It not an option to be considered. The balance of the entire kingdom depends on her acceptance."

"So you hope to keep lying to her till she accepts you?"
"Yes! So mind your business." he angrily brushed her arm off his shoulder.
"As you mentioned her acceptance affects the entire kingdom so it is my business."
"For now I will give her space and then I will woo her and she will fall in love with me."
"You mean she will fall in love with this sweet version of ourself vou have probably put on display for her. Then what? What happens to the dark side?
Who is meant to love that part of you.
When have you ever granted anyone the wish of space."
"You are speaking as if it wasn't you who once told me I am the kindest leader any pack can have. And if you need to I can remind you of several moments when I gave you space."

"You have never given me space when didn't need it," she pointed out. "You show nothing but kindness to your people but face it Alex, you are not all sun shines and rainbows you are thunder storms and the darkest part of the night as well, just because you know to tame it doesn't meant its not there. If you re going to lie to yourself, don't lie to her too, she doesn't deserve to fall in love with a lie."
Even as he tossed Ciara's word around in his mind he picked up an
ornamental glass globe. It was almost
7 pm.
The time he read her her letters.
Would she let Damien read her letters?
The globe crushed in his hand.
"Guards!"
About five of the men positioned at different parts of the room rushed forward.

"Have a servant prepare a traveling box of footman's livery."
He was going back the next day. Space be damned.
"If vou are so bent on keeping up your farce, then you shouldn't be taking a horse, don't you think?"
Ciara came out of the court yard where he was mounting a brown gelding.
"Came to say your farewells or try to convince me not to abandon my people?"
"Nothing so serious. Came to remind you that our fate rests on your shoulders."
"Yeah right." he scoffed.
"Try not to break her before I get the chance to see her."
"I thought you said I should show her my demons."
"Yes but we don't want a half crazed

Luna," she handed him his sword that he had forgotten to carry and as he stretched his hands to collect it she saw a scar that assumed was given to him by his cara she was right. "Or a crippled Alpha. Let me rephrase; try not to break each other."
He laughed as he rode off to meet her.
His enchantress.
As she ran her hands through the fabric of one of the new dresses that had just arrived from the dress maker' s shop she realized she wasn't as decisive as shed like to think she was, she had never had so many clothes at a time, it wasn't that she didn't have the means to get the dresses she just hadn' It realized up until this moment that she liked pretty things this much. The dress maker had insisted that the minimum trousseau that was acceptable for a woman of her status should be no less than one hundred gown. And after recently learning of the numerous festivals she was to go

through she was glad of the dressmaker's decision. She was able to send in twenty five of the promised hundred, some from already made dresses she only needed to alter and others from the scratch but with the help of her numerous workers they made in time and not even a single stitch was out of place. It truly was impressive work.
"Your majesty." A maid had come to drop off a gown she had sent to be cleaned.
"Were you able to get the blood stains out?"
It was a pink gown she had worn to the eleven o clock meeting she had with her former council members. And yet again it ended in blood spilling.
She had received all their gifts in good will as Damien had advised and even thanked them for it. Yet just as she began to think it would go well one of the forty nine ex council had plotted

against her. As they dined and drank to a prosperous kingdom, an arrow came through an open window aiming straight for her heart and would have met its target had Damien not jumped in front of her and received the strike on her behalf. Luckily for him it pierced through his shoulder and left minimal damage. The shooter had made his escape before they could identify him.
"So this was your plan," she said to the panicked mass before her After Damien was taken to the pack doctor. "
Charm me with gifts and promises of co operation?"
We had no hand in this. I can vouch for all of us." The leader of what was once the jaguars quickly defended.
"Good. Then you will have no trouble locating the culprit. There might even be a reward for the person who does." The promise of something they didn't even know the nature of was sure to disrupt any plot they might have had

against her as they would be tempted to betray each other for the chance they may get their former position back.
" ... The house keeper is currently on leave." the maid's voice snapped he rout of her reverie.
"Inform me when she gets back." she had almost forgotten she required an audience with the house keeper.
"Of course your majesty. Shall I assist you with your gown." the girl said looking at the open corseted back of the gown she had started to wear.
Before Athena could answer an all too familiar voice from her window replied. "That's not necessary, I have it covered." the maid's eyes went wide as saucers as Alex came into her bedroom using the window as an entrance and looked to Athena not sure what to do or what was going on.
"You can go." Athena dismissed the girl who nearly tripped over her own

foot in her hurry to leave. She never thought resisting the urge to turn and see him would be this difficult but she maintain her gaze in the mirror even as she came up behind her and placed cold hands on her bare back.
"I missed you Athena," He bent and whispered in her ear. "Did you miss me?"