The Dawn of Light

(31)Orchards of Ruin

Orchards of Ruins

Simos' POV

"Where are you taking me?" My mother snarled at me as I continued to drag her towards the throne room.

I was beyond myself. None of it made any sense!

How was it even possible? I was... I was what? A mixed breed? An experiment? A toy she wanted to play with and see how far she could twist and turn into her own selfish wishes?

I felt sick to my core.

"What exactly are you planning to do, Simos?" My mother pulled her hand away from mine and I realised that her strength was even greater than mine. Had she always hidden that away from me? What more had she kept from me for all this time?

"I want answers!" I shouted at her with a broken voice. I'd never in my life felt so... lost. So torn apart by someone I thought I could trust.

For the longest time after the death of my father and my siblings- who, I knew now weren't my mother's own children and my own half relations- I couldn't properly look her in the eye. I suspected I'd always had this inkling in the back of my mind that something about her lack of involvement didn't make sense, but... How could I reproach her? She was my mother. Mother's were meant to protect.

Of course I'd been upset and frustrated with her, but to blame her for their deaths? That was something entirely different. I blamed my uncle! I still blamed Manos for it all, but now... Now I didn't even know if my name was really Simos or not.

Was anything real with her?

"I already told you what you need to know-"

"Don't!" I screamed at her with anger and sorrowful rage. I didn't know where to turn, but all I knew was that I didn't want to look her in the eye. "Just... don't. You lied to me. All these years! You lied!"

"I wanted to protect you-"

"Don't do it again!" I shouted at her; "Don't lie to my face again!"

"Simos," Xon- or Nyx? Gods, I didn't know... She moved towards me with sad eyes. I hated them. They were yellow now and unfamiliar. This wasn't my mother. "Listen to me, please. I love you-"

"You love me?" I scoffed at her words and stepped back; away from her hands. "You love me? Then when were you going to tell me any of this? Would you even have told me if Theia hadn't showed up?"

"Leave her out of this now- this is between you and me-"

"Theia is your granddaughter!" I shouted at her and pointed a finger at her chest; "Have you no shame or guilt for what you've done?"

"Don't speak to me like that!" Nyx shouted at me; "I am still your mother!"

"Are you?" I snapped with rage and fell back again. I didn't want to be close to her. I didn't trust a word she said.

Nyx was quiet for a few seconds. She eyed me from under her thick, black lashes and then took a step back. Her hands clasped together and it looked like she wanted to explain something deeply complicated to me, but instead, she dropped the thought and sighed. Her eyes found mine again and she stared at me for the longest time.

The throne room had died down; our shouting extinguished.

"I will be honest; I did fear that you might be too much like him." She said softly.

My frown deepened and I shook my head; "Who? What are you talking about?" It was merely a whisper, but I felt that I couldn't speak any louder- afraid that my words would awaken another sleeping beast. Maybe even Erebus.