Enjoy reading, My Pearls 🕊️🤍

Another shout from the Spartan spread through the temple, making its foundations tremble. This time there was no despair to be heard in it, only pure rage. It was as powerful as the roar of a lion, warning its enemies that they were in its territory.

Arete felt the paralysis encompass her body, covering it with goosebumps. She couldn't take her eyes off the man bent in half. She followed his every move as his hands clenched into fists, highlighting the veins on his forearms that were not entirely hidden by the golden protectors, and all his muscles tightened as he straightened his figure, making it seem even larger. In addition to the fear she undoubtedly felt for this ruthless warrior, another feeling accompanied her.

She was stupefied by his presence, as if someone had cast a spell on her, making her yearn to approach him, to touch his muscular body, to reach his lips. Control over her body began to be taken over by desire, which flowed with her blood, burning her veins. Nevertheless, she still stood in the same place, fighting with herself not to make even the slightest gesture. She clenched her teeth tightly, trying to chase away this poignant emotion that did not belong to her. She despised men and wouldn't let any get close like that. The exception was Taehyung, but the love she had for him was based primarily on care and friendship. The thought of Pearl tipped the scales in her favor, allowing her to think soberly again.

She blinked a few times, getting rid of the fog of desire from her green eyes, and looked at the Spartan again, seeing in him only her friend's beloved. She shuddered when, with a quick step, he moved toward the pronaos with the intention of leaving the building, and at the last moment she grabbed his arm, sensing his muscles straining to the limit.

"Wait," she said, confidently gaining the attention of the warrior, who looked at her with surprise, as if he had completely forgotten her existence.

Jeongguk shifted his gaze to her petite hand, which clamped down on his arm, a few inches above the bend of his elbow, and his thoughts immediately drifted to the owner of much larger but equally delicate hands. He could almost feel his long, slender fingers moving from the line of his collarbones down his arm just as they had when, after their first intimacy, they lay in each other's arms covered only in white cloth. He closed his eyelids, savoring this innocent touch, and when Pearl's imagined fingers came into contact with the real touch of Arete's hand, his skin ignited as if someone had applied a heated rod to it, imprinting a mark. He jerked his arm, pulling out of her grasp, and moved away to a safe distance. He sent one last glance to the girl, frightened by his sudden movement, and again with a quick step moved towards the exit.

"He didn't want you to save him!" she shouted after him, trying to stop him again, and when he actually stopped at the threshold of the pronaos, she added: He surrendered, wanting to defend his only love. Warrior of Ares, you are more important to him than his own life.

"What did he do?" He asked in a trembling voice, without turning toward her. He hoped that what he had just heard was not true. His heart stopped, and his breath disappeared somewhere, waiting for the girl to speak again. When she did, he felt as if the ground had removed under his feet, and he began to fall into an endless abyss.

"He will do anything to protect you, that's why he agreed to go with Iphigenia," she choked out barely audibly for fear of the warrior's reaction, but there was a grave silence in the temple. It didn't last long, however, because a moment later there was a bang when the Spartan, in anger, struck one of the temple's ornate columns with his fist, injuring his knuckles.

"How could you let him do that?" he hissed, still standing with his back, not honoring the woman with even a passing glance. He tried to normalize his breathing and control the anger that tingled in his wounded, curled fist hand. "After all, you know very well what awaits him at the royal court."

"I..." Arete hesitated, for which she cursed herself in spirit. She took a deep breath, trying to calm the trembling of her body, and spoke again. "I witnessed Tae's conversation with Iphigenia. He didn't want to go with her, tried to fight for you, stood up as much as he could, and I really wanted to stand up for him, seeing his harm, but the high priestess' words made me unable to move..."

"What did she say to him?" Jeongguk turned toward her, finally regaining his footing, and plunged a sharp look of ebony eyes into those of hers as intensely green as the paradise fields of Elysium. He saw in them the pain and grief that squeezed his heart, and even though he guessed what the priestess had threatened his Pearl with, he needed to hear it.

"She used his weak spot, which is undoubtedly you, and threatened to kill you, and he would have to watch you take your last breath. That was enough to make Tae agree to everything, begging her to give you life," she said, lowering her gaze as salty tears began to gather in her eyes. She couldn't brood now, she had to be strong.

"How could you let him do this!" the warrior shrieked, unable to understand how she could be so stupid and condone him committing this heroic act.

"Believe me, I didn't want to agree to it, but he asked me for a favor, and I couldn't refuse him," she replied in a contrite voice, hunching up even more. "Taehyung said he loves you, and if you love him, you are not to try to save him. Fulfill his request and don't do anything stupid."

"This is pure madness! Melinoe seems to have taken both of you out of your minds to make such unreasonable decisions and believe that I will just go along with it!" With every word, his voice grew louder and his blood boiled. He no longer knew who he was madder at. At Tae, who was willing to sacrifice his freedom in the name of love. At the girl whose name he still didn't recognize, but who didn't stop him, allowing him to put his life on the line. Or on himself for letting it out of his hands at all by entrusting his fate to Tyche. "I'm not going to listen to this nonsense any longer, I've already wasted too much time!"

The Spartan turned on his heel, anxious to leave the cold walls of the temple, where he was slowly beginning to suffocate. He had to get to Corinth as soon as possible to gather his army and move to relieve the court, to snatch his only love from the clutches of the royal family. However, he was unable to do so, as a tiny hand wrapped around his wrist, scalding his skin, even though a golden protector protected him. He hissed in pain, jerking his hand away and looked at the girl, not quite understanding why this was happening.

"Don't ever touch me or stop me again," he growled menacingly.

"I promised Taehyung that I would see to it that you did not try to rescue him, and I intend to keep my word. You are to stay in the temple and not incur the wrath of the king and the gods," she replied in an unobjectionable tone and barred his way so that he could not leave the building.

"I am not afraid of the king, and the gods are on my side, so get out of my way while I ask nicely."

"Warrior of Ares, I will not break my promise to the Pearl of Aphrodite for you," she said, looking him hard in the eyes. She, too, knew how to fight for her own and, even though it had reached her, she had made her decision too hastily, that she should consider all possibilities and choose the best one. Now all she could do was keep her word. The promise was sacred to her and she could not break it.

"So you give me no choice," he muttered with resignation, in the next moment grabbing the hilt of his sword. He jerked it out of its scabbard in one smooth motion and put the blade to the throat of the girl, who froze, opening her mouth in a silent scream. "My miserable human life is not worth the shedding of divine blood, so I give you one last chance. Step aside, because I will not hold back any longer, and I will not hesitate a moment longer to cut you down by the head."

Arete felt the cold metal gently pushing against her larynx. The words the Spartan spoke filled her with pure terror. She feared for her life, but now she was aware that the warrior would yield to nothing to free his beloved. Before her eyes, she had the true disposition of Nemesis, who wanted to exact bloody revenge more than reach justice. He was so beautiful and terrifying at the same time that the desire she had previously managed to suppress began to circulate again along with the blood in her veins. Her cheeks were covered with a hot blush, and her heart was rumbling in her chest. With the last of her strong will, she tensed all her muscles to move, at least a millimeter, moving away from the pronaos and allowing the warrior to leave the temple, but then two words resounded in her head, hitting her with double force hurling her to her knees and focusing her thoughts solely on Pearl.

Divine Blood.

Jeongguk withdrew his sword at the last moment to avoid hurting the girl who was slipping to the ground, and put it safely in its scabbard. He never wanted to hurt her, so he leaned over her, placing his hand on her shoulder.

"Are you all right?" He asked with concern and withdrew his hand, unable to bear the touch of her skin any longer. He felt as if he had put his fingers straight into the fire. "You also feel this strange tension between us, don't you?"

Arete lifted her gaze, finding a glimpse of ebony eyes. She stared at them for a long moment, as if searching for the answer to an unspoken question.

"It's a curse." The Spartan spoke up, as if reading her mind.

"Divine blood. The curse." She mumbled, and hot chills ran through her body. She grabbed the warrior by the shoulders, driving her nails into his skin. "Is Taehyung really a demigod?"

"You felt from the beginning that he was," he replied, and a grimace of pain appeared on his face, nevertheless he did not move away from her, continuing his statement. "However, he is not Aphrodite's son but her grandson, which makes him her Pearl. Taehyung is the only human descendant of Eros, for which the betrayed and angry Psyche sent a curse on him, which I share with him thanks to the bond given to us by Ganymede."

"Oh gods, my little gem is the son of the god of truest love," she said, smiling, but her smile was quickly extinguished when she noticed a single tear running down the Spartan's cheek. She quickly rose from the ground, pulling him to her and tore her hands off his shoulders, leaving blue, bloody marks on them. "What is this curse that your body reacts to my touch like that?" She asked in horror.

"Desire overwhelming the senses," he sighed with undisguised relief when Arete moved away from him to a safe distance. "I was to be desired by women, and Taehyung by men. I was safe among warriors, he among priestesses. However, no woman could resist this feeling like you, and I never felt pain when any of them touched me," he explained, watching her closely. "I think there is one goddess who would be able to protect her chosen ones in this way, and you are not exactly a faithful priestess of Aphrodite, are you?"

"You are right, Warrior of Ares, I am devoted to another goddess, and here I am for Pearl's sake," she replied, confirming his assumption.

"Now you know what a big mistake you made by letting Taehyung go to the royal palace. Putting himself in the hands of the king and his sons with such a powerful Psyche curse on his shoulders is deadly for him. They won't stop their lust, so I beg you to help me get him back before it's too late, Artemis' chosen one," he asked looking hopefully into her green eyes, and she only bowed her head with remorse and whispered:

"I, Arete, Warrior of Artemis vow to fight by your side, Warrior of Ares, to defend the freedom, dignity and life of Taehyung, son of Eros, Pearl of Aphrodite, until I give my last breath and my heart stops beating in my chest."

🕊️🕊️🕊️

The road to Corinth had never seemed so long and tiring to Taehyung. He walked between the priestesses, barely forcing his feet to take more steps. His wrists were bound by a thick cord and his body was covered by a cloak, the hood of which fell over his sapphire eyes. He was shedding heavy tears and panting all over, biting his teeth on his lower lip to keep a pain-filled sob from escaping his lips. His head was spinning from the emotions gripping him, and in his ears he could still hear the heartrending scream of the Spartan. At that moment, thinking little, he began to struggle with the guards and Iphigenia, and when he finally managed to break free from their hands, he set off at a run towards the temple, wanting to lock his beloved in his arms and swear that he would never leave him again. However, before his feet crossed the gates of Acrocorinth, he was captured by the royal guard, his hands were bound at the behest of the high priestess, and a spear blade was attached to his back. It was now digging into his skin every time he stopped to take a deeper breath, feeling that he was suffocating.

He didn't know when they finally reached Corinth and by what miracle they were in the palace courtyard. His vision was blurred by weeping and exhaustion. Only the smell of freshly cut grass mingling with the scent of flowers confirmed that they were right next to the royal gardens. He heard Iphigenia giving orders to her subject priestesses, and yet he didn't understand a single word she pronounced to them.

Later, one of them put her arm around him and gently guided him toward the building that housed the royal service chambers.

He walked obediently into the center of the outbuilding and rubbed his tear-stained eyes, looking around. They found themselves in a long corridor, decorated with numerous statues depicting gods and vases of flowers that tickled the nose with their intense scent. On its right side were large windows overlooking the garden, and on the left a row of white doors leading to the chambers occupied by the servants. A young girl emerged from one of them, dressed in ankle-length peplos. Her hair was tied in a low, loose bun, from which escaping strands fell down to the nape of her neck. She smiled radiantly and bowed, greeting them, then led them along the corridor and ushered them into the bathhouse located at the end of the corridor, right next to the stairs leading upstairs.

Taehyung tensed all over at the sight of several more servants dressed and combed in a similar style to the first, but without protest he allowed the priestess to hand him over to them and left the room a moment later. The girls helped him undress and enter the bath filled with warm, lily-scented water so that he could take a relaxing bath, and when he came out of it, they dried his body and rubbed oil into his caramel-colored skin to give it a glow, not forgetting to hide all the traces of love left by the warrior's lips.

Then one of them arranged his curly hair so as to reveal his beautiful sapphire eyes and slipped into them gold-carved pins in the shape of laurel leaves. The second encircled his slender neck with a string of the most beautiful pearls, and the third tied a silk cloth around his full hips, covering his manhood and wrapped his body in a toga woven with golden threads, adorning his narrow waist with a wide golden belt.

"You are beautiful, Son of Aphrodite," the first of the servants he met spoke up, and a soft blush came to her cheeks. She didn't add anything more, just drew her hand toward him, which he grabbed with hesitation, and took him to the upper floor, leaving him alone in one of the chambers unoccupied by anyone.

As the door closed behind the girl, Taehyung lowered his guard, letting his withheld emotions leave his body. He let out a pain-filled moan and fell to the cold floor, feeling himself crumble to pieces. He shed streams of salty tears and screamed out of overwhelming helplessness, until his throat went completely hoarse, closing painfully and causing him to start choking. He needed to get some fresh air, because the chamber he was in suddenly became stuffy and claustrophobic. He crawled to the door on the opposite side and opened it, tugging on the handle carved in bronze.

With the last of his strength, he rose from his knees and stepped out onto a small marble balcony. He approached the balustrade, which was flanked on two sides by tea roses climbing the walls, joining together to form a beautiful arch, and rested his slender hands on it. He closed his burning eyes, letting the gentle breeze dry his tears, and took a deep breath, providing his lungs with the needed dose of oxygen. He continued like this for a while, trying to normalize his breathing and control the trembling of his body. When he finally lifted his swollen eyelids, an image as if from a dream given by Morpheus appeared to his eyes.

The northern wing of the outbuilding that housed the chamber occupied by Taehyung overlooked the royal garden. It was surrounded by a wall laced with heder ivy and cascades of vivid carmine-colored geraniums. To his left grew trees on which oranges, peaches, figs and olives were ripening. In their shade stood a beautiful gazebo carved in dark marble, the beauty of which was added by the purple phlox swirling around it. Right next to it was a pond full of white and pink water lilies, which metamorphosed into a stream flowing along stone paths. The central part was covered with flower beds of red cyclamen, white gladiolas and purple hyacinths, and evenly trimmed lawns dotted with tiny daisies. And on the right side, the garden connected with the palace courtyard, which was decorated with bougainvillea bushes with flowers in an intense pink shade and magnolia trees contrasting with them in their whiteness.

On the hill stood a majestic, cloud-reaching palace, accessed by a long staircase. On their sides were clay pots with colorful orchids and golden lanterns in which candles burned in the evenings. At the foot of the building was erected a statue of the goddess of wisdom. Athena wielding spears and a shield in her hands, accompanied by an owl perched on her right shoulder, was said to provide protection and justice for the royal family and the city.

Taehyung was so enchanted by the picturesque landscape, contemplating what it would be like to traverse the garden paths holding the hand of a Spartan or lying in a flowery meadow in his arms, that he didn't hear the door to his chamber swing open with a loud creak. He didn't realize until a moment later when foreign hands settled on his hips, a massive torso pressed against his back, and a scalding breath hit his exposed neck.

"How do you like the royal court?" A low, masculine voice whispered directly into his right ear, sending an unpleasant shiver down his spine.

"It's beautiful," he spoke uncertainly and held his breath as the stranger's hands began to glide over his trembling thighs.

"Not as beautiful as you, Son of Aphrodite." The man muttered while dipping his nose into his dark, curly hair. He grabbed him by the shoulders and pulled him even closer to him, pulling his hands away from the railing he was still leaning on.

"Who are you, and what do you want from me?"

He asked, trying to remain calm, but terror was already creeping under his skin, driving his heart pounding against his ribs and taking away the ability to breathe normally.

"I am the eldest son of the King, and you know very well what I want from you. Now we will enter the chamber, and you will politely spread those soft, shapely legs for me and satisfy my needs exactly as you are designed to do, daughter of Corinth," he replied, turning them toward the entrance of the small room, and Taehyung, seizing the moment, drove his elbow into the throne's abdomen with all his might and pulled himself out of his strong arms. He jumped away from him, panting heavily, and thrust a sharp look of sapphire eyes into the royal-clad man, who had managed to recover from the sudden attack and was twisting his lips in a feisty smile.

"Even if you were one of the gods seated on Olympus, I would never give myself to you," he snorted, raising his head high. He was not going to obey the royal family and give his body into their possession. He loved the warrior of Ares, through whom he learned his worth and experienced true pleasure. He desired to be only his and for him to defend his purity even at the cost of his own life.

Pearl's brave attitude didn't exactly please the king's son, because, although he was still smiling, his face turned red with anger and his hands clenched into fists. A moment later, one of them clenched tightly on Taehyung's forearm. The man jerked and pushed him into the chamber. The force was so great that the young man fell, hitting the cold floor with his cheek. It went dark before his eyes, and a throbbing pain spread across his face. He put his hand to the burning spot and raised his gaze, and when he did, a cold shudder shook his body. The heir to the throne stood over him, loosened the rope encircling his waist and opened the chiton, revealing his muscular, naked body. Taehyung swallowed his saliva hard, in his mind begging all the gods to have mercy on him for once and save him from this cruel fate. He started backing toward the door, wanting to get as far away from here as possible, but to little avail, because the heir to the throne jumped to him in a flash.

"You're a feisty Pearl, but I'm no stranger to challenges," he said with madness lurking in his brown eyes, and, tugging at his curls, lifted him off the floor. "Let's play a little harder," he added, running his wet tongue over the red mark on his cheek, making Taehyung hiss in pain and bile from his empty stomach rise to his throat.

"Leave me alone," he growled, trying to sound threatening, but his voice faltered on the last syllable.

He tried to get away, but this time the man was prepared for his attack. He grabbed him around the waist, pulling him to his torso.

"Can you feel it? Now you have to take care of it," he muttered, rubbing his swollen cock against his firm ass, and Taehyung felt sick again. He began to panic, his heart palpitated in his chest, and sweat covered his entire body. He wanted to scream, but he was running out of air, and not even the quietest sound wanted to come out of his throat.

"Suddenly a cat got your tongue?" the king's son mocked, then turned him to his side and pushed him onto the couch to his right. Moments later, he hovered over Taehyung, who was lying down, getting between his thighs. He brought his face closer to kiss him, but then the young man snapped out of his trance and, regaining control of his paralyzed body, slapped him on the cheek, leaving red nail marks on his skin.

"May you suffer the worst torments in the depths of Tartarus, for that is where you belong, disgusting man," he hissed and spat in his face.

The words uttered by Taehyng enraged the heir to the throne, depriving him of any residual control. With savage fury, he rolled up his golden toga to the height of his waist and tore the silk material covering his genitals from his hips.

"As you wish, but first I will experience my Elysium, plunging into your sweet, tight hole," he said with madness in his eyes, and Taehyung knew that nothing would stop him from achieving his goal. Tears glistened in his eyes, and a cry of despair escaped from his throat. He began to struggle, hitting the man's torso and scratching his face, but he was finer and weaker than the towering man. The king's son grabbed the man's wrists with his left hand, preventing him from continuing to struggle, while with his right he reached for the loosened rope hanging from his hips, eventually untying it and using it as a bundle, which after a moment he tightened tightly around the young man's hands. With a quick movement, he turned him onto his stomach and lifted his hips, spreading his legs wide apart so that he had perfect access to his hole and could finally possess him. Taehyung still tried to struggle and cry out for help, but the man's right hand clamped down hard on his neck, pressing his face against the bedding, and the fingers of his left painfully dug into his hip, immobilizing him.

And just when he thought it was over, that nothing would save him from this beast in human skin and being so brutally abused, the door to the chamber opened, slamming into the wall with a bang.

"How dare you perform such a vile act on our most precious treasure!" the arriving man roared and, grabbing the royal robes, tore the executioner away from his victim. "Get your filthy paws off him, Menelaos," he added, then hurled him to the floor.

Taehyung, seizing the moment, twisted onto his back. He pulled the golden toga over his half-naked body and pressed himself into the frame of the kline, drawing his knees to his chest. Only then did he dare to look at the two men, who were measuring each other with furtive glances. He immediately noticed that they were both clad in royal robes richly decorated with gold threads, with a deep burgundy hue. He had no doubt that they were brothers, although they did not resemble each other. The elder was a reflection of his father, whom Tae had seen several times in his life. He was bulky, with sharp facial features, dark, short-cropped hair and equally dark eyes. The younger man, on the other hand, must have inherited his beauty from his mother. Tall, with a fair complexion, blond curls falling over broad shoulders and beautiful blue eyes.

"How dare you interrupt me, Athanasios?" the heir to the throne growled, when the shock of his younger brother's intrusion into the chamber had passed. "He is the royal daughter of Corinth, so I take what belongs to me," he spat out with venom in his voice, rising from the cold floor.

"I must disappoint you, little brother, but the Pearl will belong to me," he replied, sending him a mocking smile. "If only you had waited until the ceremony, you would have known that our father would pass him into my hands."

"I am the heir to the throne, and he should be given to me first!" he shouted, agitated, grabbing the younger man by the robe.

"But I am the king's beloved son, and one word from me would suffice, and he would give me everything, even your throne," he replied in a calm tone and smiled with wild satisfaction, seeing his brother's face turn downright crimson with anger. "Now get out of here and politely wait for the king to decide the fate of the Pearl of Aphrodite," he added, shaking off his hand that was tugging at the burgundy cloth and pointed him out the exit.

Menelaos only snorted at his brother's words. He knew very well that he would win nothing, and that his only chance to possess the Pearl had just been taken away from him. If he defied the king, he would face severe punishment for it, and even the throne would be taken away from him. He couldn't let that happen, so without a word he left the room, heading toward the palace.

The bang of the door closing made Taehyung twitch, and his terrified eyes moved to the younger brother, with whom he was left all alone. However, when he noticed the man staring at him with a gentle gaze and a soft smile, a wave of relief flooded his body. Even though he did not know him, he felt that he could feel safe with him.

"Don't be afraid, I won't hurt you," he began, cautiously approaching him and perched on the edge of the recliner. "My name is Athanasios, and I am the youngest prince of Corinth. Forgive me for coming so late to rescue you."

"Why?" He whispered, lowering his gaze to his clasped hands.

"I'm sorry, but I only just learned that you were already at the royal court. You were supposed to get here before the ceremony itself. If only I had known that they would bring you in earlier, I would never have allowed this situation to happen. I..."

"Thank you for saving me," Taehyung whispered, interrupting his nervous speech. "But why did you do it at all?"

"Because you are special," he replied, untying the rope tightening around his wrists, and as he freed his hands, intertwined their fingers together. "And I am here to protect you, Son of Eros. At all costs."

"How do you know that Eros is my father?" He asked, opening wide his beautiful sapphire eyes, and when he crossed them with those as beautiful as the cloudless sky, he no longer had to receive any answer.

He also knew and could trust him.

🕊️🕊️🕊️

The sun shone high in a clear sky, enveloping the harbor, bathed in its rays, with its warmth. A gentle breeze blew, lazily moving the mast of the moored ship, but despite the prevailing bliss, the water pounded restlessly against its stern, as if Kymopoleia had warned that a violent storm was approaching.

Kyros leaned overboard and, furrowing his brow, watched the agitated surface. He nervously muttered under his breath and shifted his gaze toward the hill where the road leading to Acrocorinth was located. When he still didn't see the silhouettes of the people he was eagerly waiting for, he crossed the deck and stepped off the ship, finding his spouse on the platform, who was heading toward him with a small box full of fruit.

"Where are they?" He asked, approaching her and seizing the package from her. "It's long past noon, everything is ready for them to set out, and they're still not here," he added, without waiting for an answer, and notes of impatience and fear rang out in his voice.

"Patience, Kyros, they should appear soon," Eudokia replied and stroked his cheek, adding encouragement. "The Pearl is under the care of the most illustrious warrior who has tread the lands of Corinth, with him, he is in no danger.

"I know that our beloved Jeongguk would do anything to protect the Son of Aphrodite, and I really wish I could be as calm as you, dearest, but Iphigenia is a devious creature," he muttered, pressing his cheek into his wife's hand for a split second. "I have a very bad feeling. The waters are restless, this never bodes well," he sighed after a moment with resignation and turned on his heel to carry the box he was holding to the deck. However, it fell out of his hands, and the fruit rolled down the platform, falling into the water, when the words spoken by Tryphaena reached his ears.

"The arrow of Eros with rose gold decorated, for giving great love is created, but when it falls into the wrong hands, it can forever steal the beloved heart..."

The priestess stood by the railing, leaning her hands against it, gazing absently at the horizon with her eyes. Her disheveled hair subtracted years from her, as if she had once again become that young girl who pulled the tiny boy out of the water, and her lips moved involuntarily, repeating the words of the epiphany again and again.

"Tryphaeno," Eudokia quietly spoke up as she stood right next to her sister. She carefully grasped her arm, not wanting to startle her, and held her breath when the woman's face turned toward her. The priestess's olive eyes were shrouded in a mist that took her to a place she only knew, separating her from reality. Everything quieted down, the air seemed to stand still, only the water pushed harder and harder against the platform, creating a pearly foam.

"The arrow of Eros with rose gold decorated, for giving great love is created, but when it falls into the wrong hands, it can forever steal the beloved heart..." From Tryphaena's mouth once again flowed a torrent of words, topped by a prediction that froze the blood in the veins of the couple staring at the woman. "But when it is in the wrong hands found, it can a beloved heart deadly wound. And if the son of Eros, against the royal will, causing his downhill, looks at the warrior of Ares in delight, his father's arrow will take his life before the twilight..."

"The son of Eros? What is she talking about? Is the Pearl of Aphrodite really..."

Eudokia quickly raised her free hand to interrupt the avalanche of questions Kyros was about to send in her direction. She didn't have the answers to any of them for him. She had to gather her thoughts and analyze every word spoken by Tryfena. The first part she knew very well. When they were little, their mother often told them stories about gods and heroes. Her younger sister's favorite story was the one about the beautiful arrows of Eros, made of rose gold with tourmaline embedded in their arrowheads. They were meant to bestow love and happiness on the person they hit. However, legend had it that Eros also possessed a second type of such arrows. Equally beautiful, onyx arrows that could destroy someone's life in a split second. However, no one had heard that they really existed. Also, the prophecy did not mention them. The deadly arrow was supposed to be the one giving eternal love.

"Protect them," Tryphaena whispered, and milky tears ran down her cheeks, taking with them the mist shrouding her eyes and awakening her from her trance. She blinked several times and looked around. When she spotted the couple staring at her, a cold shiver ran down her spine. She had no idea how she got here or what had happened, but she was sure that one of the gods had had his fingers in it.

"Tryphaena?" Eudokia's warm voice filled with concern reached her ears. She shifted her gaze to her, and when she saw Phobos paint fear in her eyes, her legs buckled under her. Kyros caught her frail body at the last moment, protecting her from falling. Her eyes rolled up white, and her head fell inertly onto the man's shoulder. Hekate's mist once again enveloped her in its darkness. The blacksmith took her in his arms and walked over to a bench located on the pier. He laid her gently on it, and his wife slipped the scarf with which her shoulders had been covered earlier under her head.

"Mom!" Arete's shout spread across the harbor.

The couple turned in the direction from which the girl's voice came, only to see her run onto the pier a moment later. Their eyes widened in surprise, as the young woman looked completely different from her usual appearance. The white toga worn by all priestesses serving Aphrodite was gone. In its place appeared armor made from the skin of wild animals, hugging her chest tightly, while her hips were encircled by a dark green material, ending a few inches above her knees.

Her hair was tied in a matching braid, which fell over a quiver of arrows on her back. In her hands she held a bow and a crescent-shaped shield, and her wrists and neck were entwined with thongs that were decorated with small, colorful beads.

"What happened here?" she choked out, falling to her knees in front of her mother, who was lying on a bench. She tossed her gear aside and took the unconscious woman's face in her hands. "Mom? Can you hear me?"

"Calm down, it's only a temporary fainting spell," Eudokia assured, crouching beside her niece as she tried to revive her mother by patting her pale cheeks. "A prophecy has been sent to your mother, which required a lot of strength from her..."

"Prophecy?" she repeated, shifting her gaze to her aunt in horror. "What was it about?" She asked, feeling that what she was about to hear would further affect the fate of her beloved Taehyung. After Iphigenia captured him and after her conversation with Jeongguk, in which he told her what curse was upon them, she knew that this was only the beginning.

"Eudokio? This is about the Pearl, isn't it?" she spoke up a moment later, having not lived to hear an answer to her earlier question. Eudokia, however, was still silent, tightening her lips into a narrow line, as if she feared that the prophecy would come true if she spoke aloud the words conveyed by Tryphaena even once. Arete sighed and rose from her knees, forcing the older woman to do the same. She put her arms around her aunt, hugging her tightly, and whispered: "I'll do my best to prevent it, just tell me what to protect them from."

"If indeed the prophecy is about Aphrodite's Pearl, then you must protect her from the arrow of Eros," Kyros replied, overtaking his spouse.

"Then this prophecy may not be about Taehyung? And why is he threatened by Eros' arrow? I don't understand anything," the confused girl said. She extricated her aunt from her arms and turned to her uncle to try to read something from his face.

"From the words your mother gave us, it seems that the son of Eros will die from his father's arrow, but as far as we know the young man who inhabits Acrocorinth is the son of Aphrodite, so it can't be a prophecy about him, right?" He asked, staring at the girl. He lost all hope in a split second when all the color drained from Arete's face, making her skin turn frighteningly pale. He realized that the young woman knew something they had no idea about, but before he could ask, she spoke up first.

"Tell me exactly what the prophecy sounded like," she asked with her heart beating hard with fear.

She barely pronounced her request, and her mother, still in a trance, rose to sit down. She then stood up and approached the railing. She cast a hazy gaze to the point where the dark blue water merged with the blue sky and let the words of the prophecy roll off her lips one last time.

"The arrow of Eros with rose gold decorated, for giving great love is created, but when it falls into the wrong hands, it can forever steal the beloved heart. But when it is in the wrong hands found, it can a beloved heart deadly wound. And if the son of Eros, against the royal will, causing his downhill, looks at the warrior of Ares in delight, his father's arrow will take his life before the twilight..."

"Oh gods, this can't be true," she groaned, covering her mouth with her hand. After a moment, she pressed her fingers to her temples, as rushing thoughts tried to burst her skull. The curse and the prophecy intertwined, slowly merging together. A scream of pain escaped her lips as the last piece of the puzzle popped into place. She went dark in front of her eyes, and only Kyros' strong hands clamping down on her shoulders saved her from falling.

"Arete! Are you all right?" He asked, helping the shaky girl keep her balance.

"Yes, I'm fine," she replied, still massaging the throbbing pain in her temples. "The prophecy must not come true. I can't let it happen. I must prevent it. I must find them. I must warn them. I must, I must..." she spoke in amok, and uncontrollable tears left her eyes, cascading down her cheeks. Finally, she broke free from Kyros holding her and ran to the bench where she had left her bow and shield. She grasped both items in her hands and rushed toward the exit of the platform.

"Arete, wait!" Tryphaena shouted as the girl ran down the small steps. "You have to explain everything to us!"

Arete stopped, hearing her mother's voice, and turned to look at her. The woman had fully regained consciousness. Her face was pale, and purple shadows appeared under her bloodshot eyes. The prophecy sent down took away her energy, so she walked supported by her sister's arm.

"This is not the time for explanations, I must go immediately..."

"Where are they? Why didn't they show up at the appointed time? After all, you were supposed to make sure of it all! And by Artemis, why are you dressed like an Amazon!" Kyros interjected, not letting her finish her sentence.

"By the gods, Kyros, control your nerves and let the girl finish. Your screams won't help here," Eudokia reprimanded her husband, sending him angry glances.

"I'm sorry, I'm just worried about them," a contrite blacksmith muttered.

"Since the prophecy was sent to me, it must apply to Taehyung, whom I pulled out of the sea foam," Tryphaena began, drawing the attention of all the companions. "So I guess he is the said Son of Eros, and your foster son Jeongguk will be that warrior of Ares whom Pearl will bestow a look of adoration. Given that he confessed to me yesterday that he loves him, it all comes together. Just one thing puzzles me," she mused, driving her gaze intently to her daughter. "Who would steal Eros' arrow, after all, no mortal would be able to do that."

"You're right, mother. Taehyung is the son of Eros and grandson of Aphrodite, who named him her Pearl," Arete confirmed her mother's assumption. "I resemble an Amazon because I swore to the Warrior Ares to fight by his side to rescue Taehyung, who was captured by Iphigenia and dragged to the palace." This time she turned to Kryos, whose face momentarily drained of blood.

"What do you mean he was captured?" Eudokia asked, terrified. "After all, he was with Jeongguk, no harm should come to him."

"Tae wanted to say goodbye to me before fleeing with his Spartan, but that was his downfall, because on the way to our house he met Iphigenia, who threatened to kill Jeongguk if he didn't go with her," her niece explained. "Therefore, I must go to the barracks as soon as possible and stop warrior Ares from rescuing Taehyung, because if he does, the prophecy may come true."

"So it is Iphigenia who will release the arrow?" the smith choked out with barely any effort. "But how will she manage to steal it from one of the gods?"

"Iphigenia would be able to use the divine arrow, but she won't be the one to steal it," she replied, and seeing the consternation on the faces of all three, she added: "There is one goddess who, out of revenge for his father's betrayal, cast a terrible curse of unbridled desire on a small, innocent boy."

"And she is the one who is able to steal an arrow to kill her husband's child," Tryphaena whispered, and no more words were needed for everyone to know perfectly well which goddess she was referring to.

Psyche.

🕊️🕊️🕊️

Taehyung stood in front of a large mirror and looked at his reflection. He touched his cheek with his hand, where just a moment ago there was a bruised bump mark, now hidden under a layer of lily-scented smear. It made him feel sick, and the swollen spot began to pulsate under his fingertips, so he quickly took his hand, moving it a little higher, and wiped away the lone tear that had managed to flow from the corner of his eye. He then tangled his fingers into his curly hair and tugged at it, as if that would allow the awful scenes to leave his head. He groaned in despair, unable to pull himself together, because even though he tried to be strong, he could still feel the foreign touch hugging his body. He wanted to escape from here, to find Jeongguk and hide in his strong arms. However, he knew he couldn't do that. He had to face the planned ceremony and surrender himself to the king's youngest son to regain his coveted freedom.

When he heard the sound of the door opening, he held his breath. Instinctively, he corrected his tumbled hair and smoothed his golden toga, making sure the silk material once again wrapped tightly around his full hips. Only after a few more seconds did he turn his gaze toward them. Seeing Athanasios standing in the threshold, he let out a held breath and bestowed on him a shy smile.

"Are you ready?" the man asked, walking up to the son of Eros and putting on his shoulders a pearl cloak, decorated with tiny cherry blossom flowers.

"I will never be ready, but let's do it," he replied, glancing at his reflection again.

"I don't know how I'm supposed to apologize to you for what happened, but I swear you'll return safely to your beloved," Athanasios vowed, then reached for the gold pins on a small table near the mirror and pinned them into Pearl's dark hair.

"It's not you who should apologize for this," he replied, turning around and crossing the gazes of their blue eyes, so similar and yet completely different. "I am grateful that Aphrodite, for once, listened to my pleas and sent me you, Athanasios."

"I will not allow something like this to happen again. Not on my watch," the king's youngest son assured, correcting an unruly strand of hair that had fallen over Taehyung's sapphire eyes, then placed the hood of his cloak over his head. "You look like a real Pearl, now let's go. Let's not make the people wait any longer so that they can, for once, admire true beauty."

Taehyung said nothing in response to his words, only bowed his head in embarrassment, feeling his cheeks cover with a ripe blush.

Moments later, the two men left the room, heading up the stairs to the outhouse exit. When they arrived outside, a small retinue formed by court servants dressed in multicolored, pastel-colored togas appeared before their eyes. Each of the girls had her hair pinned up in a high bun, decorated with garlands of flowers. When they noticed their presence, they panted in a gesture of welcome, smiling radiantly. Athanasios returned the young women's bow without hesitation, and Taehyung uncertainly followed his example, blushing even more.

"I will leave you in the care of Delphine, and we will meet again at the palace," he turned to the young man, and the girl, hearing her name, approached them. She had thick chestnut hair and large eyes the color of liquid honey. Her toga, meanwhile, was a delicate shade of pink like the cherry blossoms on Pearl's cloak.

Taehyung wanted to protest and stop the youngest of the king's sons, but Delphine took him by the arm, leading him to the end of the royal retinue.

"Trust me. I am on your side Pearl of Aphrodite, Son of Eros," she whispered in his ear. "No one will harm you on my watch," she added, sending him an encouraging smile, and moved away to signal to the other girls that they were ready and could go to the palace.

Taehyung led her away with his eyes, feeling a pleasant warmth flood his heart. Although he didn't know the two, he knew he could trust them, putting his fate in their hands. He breathed deeply and set off in the footsteps of the servants. He looked around, soaking up the picturesque view of the sprawling gardens. Up close, everything was even more beautiful, the smells more intense, the colors more vivid. His thoughts, for a split second, ran to the lazy days spent in the embrace of the Spartan. He smiled sadly and stuck his gaze into the large, steel, ivy-covered gate leading into the courtyard, but before he crossed it, he heard a voice that caused his heart to beat at a frantic pace and a flock of butterflies to take flight, creating a veritable hurricane in his stomach.

Taehyung.

He looked behind him, wishing to see Jeongguk, but did not see him anywhere. He walked into the courtyard, thinking that he had begun to have auditory hallucinations out of longing. But then he heard his name spoken again in that wonderfully familiar low voice of the warrior.

"Taehyung."

The Spartan stood in the shade of one of the magnolia trees. He was dressed in a cream-colored chiton like an ordinary Corinthian citizen. A dark brown chlamid was thrown over his shoulders, and his long hair obscured his handsome face, falling softly to his shoulders. Ebony eyes were fixed on his only love, who just stopped, scanning his figure with surprise. It only took one strong heartbeat for him to move on again. Jeongguk, horrified by Taehyung's indifferent behavior, left his hiding place. He ran up to him and grabbed his wrist, turning him in his direction. The young man tore his hand from his grasp, as if his touch had burned his skin, and as he wordlessly turned to walk away toward the palace, the warrior fell to his knees.

"Please give me one last chance to prove to you that I am worthy of your love," he shouted after him in one exhale, as if his life depended on this statement. "I am capable of doing anything to protect you, so I beg you to run away with me."

Taehyung stopped, hearing the Spartan's words, and tears gathered in his eyes. He didn't want to have this conversation, because he knew how hard it would be for him to leave him and stick to the plan he had set. He loved him so much that he would have followed him to Tartarus itself, faced the fiercest Titans, but he couldn't let Iphigenia fulfill her threat. Jeongguk's life was more precious than his freedom.

"I can't let you get hurt because of me, so please, if you love me, go away and wait for me in a safe place," he said in a trembling voice, trying to control the despair overwhelming him.

"Dearest Pearl, look at me," the warrior asked, and Taehyung did so, immediately regretting it. The sight of his beloved kneeling, with thick tears streaming down his cheeks, shattered his heart into a fine poppy.

He twitched, wanting to fall to his knees right next to him, wipe away the salty drops with kisses and take him into his arms, assuring him that this was only a temporary separation, and he would return to him as soon as possible. He didn't, however, feeling Delphine place her hand on his shoulder and squeeze it, as if to let him know that he shouldn't do that. At the same moment, the rest of the girls surrounded him, forming a wall to protect him from the sight of unauthorized people. Taehyung looked at them with fear in his eyes, reminding himself of the curse weighing down on them, then out of the corner of his eye he glanced at Jeongguk, who had not moved from his place even a millimeter.

Nothing has happened.

"It's your aura," the warrior spoke up. "It is so strong that it forbids them to take the slightest step towards me, although their eyes are still burning with desire. It seems that our proximity dulls the effect of the charm," he added, seeing the consternation on Pearl's face. He didn't know how he knew this, but he was sure of it.

"How is this possible?" Taehyung asked.

"Unknown are the judgments of Ganymede," he replied, shrugging his shoulders and smiling sadly, and the young man nodded slightly, admitting he was right. If the gods were involved, then anything became possible.

"Taehyung, I beg you, run away with me. - Jeongguk renewed his request after a few seconds of protracted silence, looking straight into the sapphire eyes of his beloved.

"This escape is like a sentence, and I won't condemn you to death, so I beg you not to put yourself in danger and wait for me," he replied, shaking off his momentary numbness. "I love you, Warrior of Ares."

Those were the last words Pearl spoke to the Spartan before running towards the palace, not responding to his call and not once looking back. Jeongguk was still kneeling in the middle of the courtyard, watching the love of his life run up the long staircase and disappear with the royal servants inside the almost cloud-climbing building.

***

"Breathe Pearl, breathe in, breathe out," Delphine muttered in Taehyung's ear, soothingly stroking his back.

They were just standing in front of the huge, ornate doors leading to the heart of the palace, which was undoubtedly the throne room. This was where all the royal audiences and lavish receptions were held.

"I won't make it," he groaned, feeling bile rise to his throat.

"You will. It won't take long. The king will present you to his subjects as a gift to his beloved son, and that will be all. Later, a great party rich in food and wine worthy of Dionysus himself will begin. The people will be busy celebrating, and we will be able to escort you safely back to the port," she said, smiling gently, then pulled the cloak from his shoulders, depositing it on a bench standing to the right of the door.

"What if something goes wrong?" he asked, following every graceful move the girl made.

"Be of good mind. There are people here who want to help," she replied mysteriously.

"But there is also Iphigenia, who does not wish me well," he choked out, lowering his gaze.

The girl approached him. She took his chin in her fingers and lifted it up. She looked straight into his eyes so that he could be sure that her intentions were sincere, and with her free hand she stroked his wounded cheek with tenderness.

"I will be by your side all the time, Son of Eros," she promised, placing a kiss on his exposed forehead. Feeling Taehyung gently nod his head in a sign of agreement, she stepped back so she could make the final adjustments to his appearance. "It's time. Enchant them so that they will sing songs about the beautiful Pearl of Aphrodite for centuries," she added, clapping her hands, then opened the door from the throne room.

As Taehyung crossed their threshold, time seemed to slow down, silence fell, and the gazes of all the people present turned toward him.

He approached the stairs leading deep into the room and carefully looked around. He was on a mezzanine floor that surrounded the room from the east, west and south. Its balustrade and the columns adorning it were made of white marble. Down on the left was a long table lavishly set with the finest foods and fresh fruits, and on the right were smaller high tables with set decanters filled with various liquors, the most coveted of which was wine. Across from him, at the end of a red carpet stretching the length of the room, was a large golden throne on which the king sat. On either side of it were much smaller bronze thrones meant for princes.

Taehyung took a deep breath and began to walk down the stairs. With each step, his heart beat faster and faster, making him feel more and more anxious. He started looking around again, this time looking for the high priestess in the crowd, but she was nowhere to be found. All he could see were the faces of unfamiliar women who were sighing in awe of his beauty, whispering merrily among themselves, and men who wandered over his body with lustful glances, almost undressing him with their eyes.

"Citizens of Corinth, we are gathered here to welcome to the royal court our most precious treasure, the Pearl of Aphrodite," the king said in a loud voice, rising from his throne and spreading his arms wide in a gesture of welcome. His sons also rose from their seats, bowing to the descendant of the goddess, and the guests present began to clap and cheer loudly.

The young man stopped a few steps in front of the royal family. He hesitantly glanced at the three men standing to the king's left, immediately acknowledging that they were a faithful copy of him. Exactly like their eldest brother. As their father's right hand, he faithfully stood by his right side. As their eyes crossed for a moment, Taehyung felt a cold shiver run down his spine. Madness still smoldered in his eyes, and a satisfied smile stretched across his lips, filling the Son of Eros with terror. He quickly shifted his gaze to Athanasios, who was standing right next to Menelaos, looking for reassurance in his blue eyes. But instead, he saw signs of nervousness on his face, causing his anxiety to intensify, and when he heard the next words spoken by the ruler, he felt himself momentarily lose ground under his feet.

"As my dear son Menelaos is about to take over the reign of Corinth, I wish to place our gift in his hands."

Thunderous applause rang through the room, and Taehyung momentarily became weak. It occurred to him that every decision he had made had been wrong. He began to regret not listening to his beloved and following his heart, but instead tried to follow the voice of reason. Bitter tears stood in his eyes, and a real tornado raged in his head, and if it were not for Delphine, who caught him in her arms, he would have simply collapsed to the ground.

"This was not the deal, father." Athanasios turned to the king, driving an angry gaze into him.

"You committed an insult against your own brother, so I couldn't do otherwise, son," he replied, without devoting even one fleeting glance to him. "It's already decided," he added, and Menelaos bared his teeth in a mad grin.

Athanasios wanted to protest, but before he could utter the first word, the door from the hall opened with a bang. All eyes once again moved to the mezzanine floor. However, this time there were no sighs of delight, but murmurs of surprise mixed with fear.

"Lord of Corinth, return freedom to the Pearl of Aphrodite, and no one will be harmed." The powerful, confident voice of the commander of the Spartan army cut through the air, eating the hair on the skin of everyone gathered.

The king, seeing the fully armed Spartan, only snorted. No one had the right to give him orders. He was the one in charge, and the Pearl belonged solely to the royal family.

"Get him!" he roared, raising his hand and pointing at the man, and the royal guards, who had been secretly guarding the party until then, moved to attack.

Jeongguk pushed out his cheek with his tongue, drawing his sword, and smiled indulgently at the men running toward him. They didn't know who they were messing with, but he was eager to show them. He didn't have to say anything for his squad to move to repel the attack, making room for him to reach the royal family without the slightest problem. Disregarding the fact that the residents began to flee in panic, he started down the stairs. He took his time and, sending the king's sons a defiant look, waited for them to move. As his feet stepped onto the red carpet leading to the reigning monarch's place of honor, a loud thump sounded, as if Zeus wanted to tell him that he had his full support. He stopped and, with a wild smile, assumed a defensive position, seeing that one of the king's sons was finally making an attack.

After a moment, the attacker's sword slammed against his shield, and he laughed out loud. A few hand-to-hand combat training sessions had taken place, and they thought they could face someone like him. A Spartan who had fought more than one battle, without hesitation slaughtering hundreds or perhaps thousands of equally well-trained warriors, leading his army to victory and glory.

Fools.

He bent his knees, tensing his thigh muscles, and forced himself against his opponent, pushing him away. He straightened up, carefully watching his every slightest movement. He squinted and swung, circling the sword above his head. He unerringly aimed at the thigh of the man attacking him, severing an artery from which a stream of blood gushed. The man wailed in pain, falling to the floor, and Jeongguk moved on, paying no more attention to the man and letting him bleed out.

The Spartan wasn't about to wait for the next attack when the other man took his sword out of the scabbard attached to the belt surrounding his waist. He wanted to deal with them as quickly as possible to get his Pearl back. So he tossed aside his shield and ran at him, knocking the weapon out of his hand. He grabbed him tightly by his robe and, pulling him close, turned him toward the king, encircling his chest with his strong arm.

"Any last words?" he asked. But receiving no answer, he merely shrugged his shoulders and, without flinching, cleared his throat, looking his father straight in the eyes, who stared dully into those of his, not reacting to his actions, mutely acquiescing to him, as if it were just part of his wicked plan.

Jeongguk threw the man's body aside and raised his sword, hiding it behind him, only to throw it at his third opponent a moment later, accurately hitting his left side. The force of the blow was so great that the man fell over, unable to maintain his balance. The Spartan approached him and, being deaf to his screams and pleas, lapped his sword, then jerked, ripping open his stomach and gutting him. He wiped his sword against his robe and fixed his gaze on the heir to the throne, who shielded his father with his body.

"The best for last," he murmured with satisfaction, twirling the sword in his right hand, raising his left to gesture Menelaos over to him. He assumed a defensive position, raising his weapon high. His ebony eyes never for a moment took their eyes off his opponent, carefully analyzing his every gesture, even the smallest, to know with almost 100 percent certainty where he would attack.

The man charged, aiming for the warrior's left breast, exactly where the heart beating for the Son of Eros was located, but the man was too fast for him to even scratch it. The Spartan spun around his axis and swung his sword, hitting the man's forearm with the blade. He slashed his skin, knocking the weapon out of his hand. He then flipped the sword into his left hand, and used his right hand to grasp that of his bleeding attacker. He twisted so that the man was now behind his back, then tugged on the man's wrist and threw him over his left shoulder, knocking him hard into the floor.

It got dark in front of Menelaos' eyes. He started coughing, trying to catch his breath, but couldn't get air, feeling something crush his chest. When his vision sharpened, he saw a warrior leaning over him, aiming a sword at his face, pressing his body to the ground with his trained leg.

"I know what you wanted to do, motherfucker," Jeongguk whispered, pulling his helmet off his head to bestow upon him the ghastly look of his ebony eyes. "And it will give me the greatest pleasure to be the one to send you to Tartarus so that you can atone for your transgressions in its depths," he added, running his blade across the man's cheek, then without waiting a moment longer, he struck a blow, driving it into the man's eye. The man wailed in pain, and the Spartan with mocking laughter removed the weapon from his eye socket, and finally ostentatiously slashed his genitals.

At the same time that the Spartan disposed of the members of the royal family without the slightest effort, Athanasios ran up to Delphine and Taehyung, taking them from the battlefield. He led them to a side exit, intending to get them safely out of the palace, but when Taehyung realized what was just happening, he refused to let him.

"I can't leave him alone," he muttered in a weak voice, beginning to pull himself out of the grasp of his two companions. "This time I must listen to my heart. I can't leave him while he fights for my freedom. For my life. For me..."

"Pearl, he's not alone, and besides, he's the greatest warrior Corinth has ever seen, so he'll manage, and you're too fragile to fight. I'll help you get to the port, and you'll wait for him there," he tried to convince him, but the young man was steadfast.

"No way. I'm staying here, because by his side is my place. I would die without knowing what is happening to him."

"Fine, but you don't move from this place, and you won't expose yourself unnecessarily, understood?" Athanasios asked, giving up. He knew perfectly well that he had no chance of convincing the descendant of the Gods. He was as stubborn as his grandparents.

Taehyung was already about to nod in agreement, but then the scream of his beloved friend reached his ears, stopping his heart for a split second.

🕊️🕊️🕊️

Arete ran as fast as she could to reach the palace. When she reached the barracks, she did not find the commander or any of his subordinate warriors inside. She knew perfectly well that Jeongguk would try to rebound Taehyung. After all, she herself had made a vow to persist in fighting by his side. However, she feared that invading the royal court with an entire troop could have been the start of another war. Although she hated the king with all her heart and disliked his reign, she could not let ordinary people suffer.

The closer she got, the more anxious she felt. The wind was picking up, and black clouds loomed over her head. When she reached the courtyard, the first lightning cut through the sky, and she already knew she had arrived too late.

The warrior of Ares had arrived and, pushed by the blessing of the greatest of the Gods, went on the attack to defend his only love, the Son of Eros, the Pearl of Aphrodite.

She ran up the stairs, reaching the palace door, and jumped back at the last moment when it opened. Terrified residents began to run out from the depths of the building. Without waiting until everyone was safely out of the palace, she began to make her way through the crowd. She had to be in the throne room at the moment to prevent the prophecy from coming true.

What she found when she fell into the mezzanine effectively brought her to a standstill. For several minutes, with her heart beating hard and adrenaline bubbling in her veins, she watched the battle unfolding before her eyes. The Spartans repelled the attack of the royal guard without the slightest problem. However, they tried not to inflict mortal wounds, but overpowered and shackled the hands of the men in iron chains, as if the order of their commander was to kill only as a last resort. The only victims of this clash were to be the royal sons, whom the Warrior of Ares annihilated one by one, and the reigning ruler, over whom he just bent, listening to the most cowardly pleas for mercy. Unable to listen to the babble any longer, he pierced his heart with his sword, silencing him forever.

Out of the corner of her eye, Arete noticed movement to her right. When she turned her head in that direction, she spotted Iphigenia aiming her bow at the Spartan's helmetless head. What chilled the blood in her veins was the sight of an arrow made of rose gold, which shimmered beautifully between the bow and the taut string. The warrior woman didn't see what to do. At first she wanted to reach into the quiver fixed on her back to extract the arrow from it and aim with her bow, but she quickly abandoned this idea, understanding that she was at a loss and would not be able to accurately hit the High Priestess. She also knew that by the time he reached her, she would have managed to fire a shot.

She didn't have a chance to run to the warrior, either, so all she could do was let him know he was in danger.

"Jeongguk!"

The Spartan straightened up, hearing the girl's shout, thus destroying the perfect track for the spearhead. Iphigenia cursed under her breath, trying to target the warrior again, this time aiming for his heart and believing that the divine arrow was sharp enough to pierce the armor protecting his torso.

Taehyung, alarmed by the name of his beloved shouted by his friend, raised his gaze, intuitively looking directly at the High Priestess. Thinking little, he pulled himself out of the arms of Delphine, who was still supporting him, and took off running towards Jeongguk.

Later, everything happened between one heartbeat and the next. Iphigenia let go of the bowstring, releasing the arrow, Arete moved toward the priestess to stop her, and Taehyung fell into his beloved's arms, covering him with his body.

Their eyes met, and their lips joined in a love-filled kiss.

Translated by Ayashee11

JustVtine:

What will be the finale of the story? Will it be a truly Greek tragedy or will the characters get a happy ending?

Thank you for reading 💜