FORTITUDINE (COMPLETED)

5) Family Issues

I gasped for air and looked around the deathly quiet room of the Great Hall.

I was still seated in my chair when Gaius came rushing over to me. "There, there Alexandra. You're safe now." He whispered into my ear.

"Gasp!" Thanatos jumped up from his seat but quickly knelt to the ground choking for air.

He glared up at me and slowly stood, shaking Robert off his arm. He lunged at me grabbing my throat causing me to cry out and fall back into my chair.

"You cheated! I demand a rematch! I swear to the heavens I'll kill you for this!" He tightened his grip around my throat at every exclamation.

I held onto his arm trying feebly to pry his hand from my neck. Finally his hand was ripped from my neck and I fell to the ground gasping for air. If took Gaius, Robert, and our father to force him off of me.

Next thing I know, Thanatos is crumpled to the floor unconscious. The last thing I saw before passing out myself was my father's guilt filled face as he stared at the butt of the dagger like he had used the blade part of it to knock Thanatos out instead.

~~~~~~~~~~

I wake up to hearing sobs at the foot of my bed.

"Oh honey, I'm sorry, I didn't mean to wake you." My mom sat up in her chair, wiping the tears from her flushed cheeks.

"It's fine mother. I missed you." I croaked sleepily, my throat still sore from earlier. I jumped to a crack of thunder and looked out the window to see black rain falling outside. I sit up in my bed and my mother reaches over to pet my face. I lean into her hand and smile.

"Is-" I tried to swallow finding it hard to speak. "Is Thanatos still upset with me? Is father mad at me?"

Mother handed me a glass of water before replying. "Your father laughed today. He actually laughed while he told me what you did to Thanatos and yourself." She chuckled a little.

"He's very proud of you Alexandra, even if he doesn't say it. He said you were boar headed just like himself and wouldn't go down without a fight." She paused letting out a sigh.

She didn't say anything about Thanatos though and I didn't press the subject for I already knew the answer.

Thanatos would never forgive me for making him look like a fool in front of the council but at least now we were tied at 1:1.

~~~~~~~~~~

Trial two; Community Service to the people-the only trial that would not end with death. It would last from sunup to sundown while we would be working nonstop to please the people of our clan of about thirty families. Thanatos would get half of the clan to convince that he was worthy of being their leader while I had the other half to prove myself to them as well.

I hardly got any sleep last night out of fear of seeing Thanatos again the next day.

I sat in my chair like I always did, brushing my hair over and over again feeling myself nodding off to sleep every once in a while.

My mother peaked her head in the room and, seeing that I was awake, stepped all the way in. She walked over to me taking the brush from my hand and going over the matted mess like she always does.

She gave me a weak smile as I mumbled a small thank you to her before nodding off again.

When I woke up, my mother was gone and my hair was up in a braided bun tied together with a blue ribbon. But this time, I noticed there was more to the bun as I twisted to see better in the mirror.

Two small, red roses were tucked right above the bun giving off a sweet smell. I smile and give a little twirl int the mirror before waking out to the buggy that would take me to the Great Hall.

Make sure you keep track of the small details that I add into the story because I will come back to those certain little details later in the book! 

It will make more sense eventually when you have a better understanding of the story.