Tempted By Darkness

The Hunt Starts Now

Athena sat on her small throne near her father. He was solving some issues with the torture system but she wasn't really listening so she did not know exactly what was going on.

She was thinking about a certain Light King. You know, tall, handsome, dark unruly hair, blue eyes..
Her mind could not stop wondering towards him since he had left a week ago to take care of kingdom matters.

He was such an enigma. She simply could not comprehend him even after all this time. She could not understand herself at the moment, figures a man with morals and a mind completely different from hers.

She snapped out of her thoughts when a gentle hand rested on her shoulder. She looked up to see Hades smiling down at her.

The meeting had already ended, she had not realized.

"Come, my daughter. Let's have some tea. I have bought some of your favorites from China."

So now they were both sitting in Hades' chambers. Both sipping on their hot tea.

"How are you faring, Athena?"

She would not tell her father that she was not faring well. That conversation with King Alec had unsettled her alright.

Her hand instinctively went to her stomach. Alec. The father of her child.

"I don't know, Papa. I am feeling good but I worry everyday that something bad might happen to this poor child." She rubbed her hand in circles. It calmed her to know that this life was growing inside her.

Hades sighed as he put down his golden teacup. His hand squeezed her arm" Do not worry, Athena. The gods are not stupid. They know if they try to harm this child they will have to deal with you, me and your mother. And honestly, your mother is probably the one they should be worried about the most. She is really scary when she wants to. No. Scratch that. She is always scary. Have you seen her try to smile?" Hades shivered" When she smiles, enemies run for their life Athena. This is your mother. And I, I will turn over the Underworld if needed. And you Athena.. "

Her father looked at her in wonder, his eyes shining with pride and love.
"You have great powers, Athena. The ones you have now, are just a start. You are just a kid compared to me and your mother, and you already wield such strong magic. There is so much more inside you. And I will proudly watch as you cultivate it through out the centuries to come."

"You are such a softie, Papa. If any of your soldiers saw you like this, I don't think you would be the Ultimate God anymore." She chuckled. Hades looked nothing the loving father he was. For starter, he looked twenty-five. So there went the whole father thing. And then, he was a huge man with eyes promising death. So 'loving' was not really a word people would use to describe him.

All of a sudden, her golden cup fell from her hands as she clutched on her stomach.

The pain made her bend forward as she dropped to her knees.

"What is happening? Athena, talk to me!" Hades rushed to her side, getting her into his arms. In a few seconds the divine healer was kneeling next to her. No doubts her father had called to him. Her ever so diligent father.

She felt as if something was squeezing hard at her stomach-no. Not at her stomach. At her womb.

Her blood ran cold. Someone had wanted to hurt her child. And she had not been able to stop them.

Another squeeze and she was heaving and vomiting everything she had eaten that morning.

Her father was caressing her hair, but nothing could ease her. She feared for her child. Her own personal miracle.