FORTY-EIGHT

BOUND BY THE FATES' WILL.

Warning! This chapter is designed for adults and includes explicit content. You have been warned. 🔞

"AND I MUST tell you something first, Giovanni."

Giovanni blinks for a moment at napalunok na lang si Henry nang titigan niya 'to mula ulo hanggang paa. From where her tattoos is glowing, how her golden-pink aura is glowing, her long rose gold hair is waving with the wind. Nilapit niya ang kamay niya sa maliit na mukha nito and Henry cupped her cheeks.

"Tell me, what?"Giovanni asked at saka niya pinunasan ang kanyang luha. Napatitig lang siya sa mga mata nito at napansin niya ang mga titig ni Henry sa kanya. He always gazed at her in that way, and Giovanni never noticed it.

"I didn't have much time on the day I confessed, so let me do this right." Huminga nang malalim si Henry at nilapit na lang niya ang mukha niya at dahan-dahan siyang napapikit.

"Properly? Are you going to confess again?"

Napalunok si Giovanni at napatitig sa kanya. Henry will not break his pledge once he has made a decision. And it's not simply because fate has brought them together or because he's her military. It goes deeper than that. And it was the first time he saw her looking at her with such affection, which she had not seen before.

O sadyang hindi 'to napapansin. Kaya, ang tibok ng puso niya ay lalong bumibilis, at sa ngayon, 'di niya alam kung ano'ng dapat niyang sabihin.

Gayunpaman, 'di siya susuko sa kung ano'ng nararamdaman niya. Sa paglipas ng panahon na ginugol nila sa isa't isa, ang mga damdamin ni Henry para sa kanya ay lalong lumalalim. And he'll make certain she doesn't escape.

"I always love you, Giovanni. I really love you. I was hesitant to tell you because of our relationship through my father." He smiled at her and brushed his hair slightly, "So I really don't know how to say this, but I really liked you." 

"Not because Hades forced me to be with you because..." 

It's just incredibly difficult for him to keep these things straight.

Giovanni understood this. Everyone knows what happened to his father, Hades, and his wife, Persephone, from books and lectures at this academy.

One sunny day, Persephone and her friends went to pick flowers in the meadow. Her mother, Demeter, the Goddess of Grain and Growth, and her father, Zeus, King of the Gods, watched her with love and admiration. As she began to pick flowers.

When she plucked it the flower, the ground began to quake and tremble. From beneath the earth, Hades, King of the Underworld and brother of Zeus, emerged on a fiery chariot. Before Persephone could scream for help, she was seized by Hades, put in the chariot, and taken back to the Underworld.

In the Underworld, Hades informed Persephone that her father Zeus had helped him plan her kidnapping, and that she was to become his wife and the Queen of the Underworld.

As Persephone pined away for her mother, Demeter too grieved with sorrow over her daughter's absence, and began to neglect her duties of caring for the crops. Consequently, the people of the Physical World began to starve, and appealed to Demeter for help.

Demeter, who was beginning to gain knowledge of Zeus' plot with Hades, was spurred into a rage over the disappearance of her daughter, and went to Zeus to demand Persephone's return. Zeus gave in and sent his messenger Hermes to the Underworld to seek Persephone.

What Hermes found in the Underworld surprised him; rather than finding a sad and forlorn Persephone, Hermes discovered that Persephone had embraced her role as Queen of the Underworld and had become a strong and striking beauty.

As Hermes demanded Persephone return to her mother with him, Hades pulled her aside. To comfort her, he fed her seeds from a pomegranate and told her he would miss her, but that she should also fulfill her duties to her mother.

World to greet her mother, they were overjoyed—but soon, Demeter began to see that Persephone had changed, and things would never be as they once were.

Soon, they were reminded of a declaration Zeus had made long ago: that, in order for her to stay in the Physical World, Persephone would have to remain pure and unchanged, and that since she had tasted the seeds of the pomegranate, she had tasted the fruit of life and could not remain with her mother.

Sensing Demeter's grief, Zeus proposed that Persephone remain in the Physical World for four months, one for each seed she had tasted. At the end of these four months, Persephone would return to her husband in the Underworld.

During the months while Persephone was away, Demeter would grow sad and neglectful of nature, and this is why we experience the changing of the seasons from winter, spring, summer and fall.

"Yeah, I know." Giovanni looked at him, and she understood where he was coming from. Not once did he lie about his affections for her. The war has simply complicated their relationship. Particularly when she's aware of his fate. It was his father who sent him on a mission to assassinate her and destroy the House of Mudned due to her control over fate.

☫✠_____♆_____✡♆

THAT'S WHY it was difficult to discern whether this was destiny or not; Henry simply couldn't view it that way. It's the bond that binds them together, and Hades chose her since she will die shortly.

And if he had an option, he would simply take her hand and escape from everything. Basta't kasama niya si Giovanni kahit saan, wala na siyang ibang mahihiling pa.

"I've longed to be with you forever. I have no interest in the war or the fates. I care about nothing else but keeping you safe.

"It's my responsibility to look out for you. I don't need a man to keep me safe. I'm capable of handling myself."

"Seriously, this woman.."

"Don't be worried, Giovanni; as long as I'm around, no one will try to touch you, even the tips of your hair. I will not spare anyone who tries to hurt you. Even if you don't say it, I'll always defend you, no matter what happens." 

"You can always count on me, and I'll never let you go." As he softly touched her cheeks and inhaled, both tension and passion rose, and Henry reddened further as he gazed attentively into her eyes. "If I'm disrespecting you, push or kick me away. But I want to kiss you." 

"Henry?"

"I'm asking your permission." He moved his palm across his face, making him redder than usual.

She shuts her eyes and nods. She blushes as hard as he does. There was a sudden quiet, and no one dared to speak. Henry moved closer to her, reaching for her with both hands and gently placing them around his shoulders before lifting her up to stand and drawing her closer.

Sobrang bilis ng tibok ng puso nilang dalawa at napatitig na lang sila sa isa't-isa. Nobody is even talking. Both of them are unable to let go of the passion they have built up within themselves.

"I'll do it. If you don't want me to, push me away." He exhaled.

Her attention is fixed on him, and her heartbeat is quickening. She carefully grips his shirt and lifts her foot before closing her eyes. Henry grabbed her waist and eventually kissed her.

He began walking while softly holding her face, bringing his face near to hers and kissing her on the mouth. It was something Giovanni wouldn't expect from him.

She couldn't keep up with his pace, and he kept kissing her back and forth. All she could do was breathe heavily and suppress her sweet voice.

"Henry..." she muttered, grabbing his shirt.

He didn't put in enough effort, and Henry stared at her with his different eye color, which was gorgeous to look at. Giovanni was filled with devotion, and her cheeks became redder, muffled her sounds. He seemed too skilled for this.

As he devoured every last bit of hers. Her soul and her body. Because of the intense heat that existed between them, she was only able to mute her noises as he enticed her, had his way with her, and gave her commands.

She takes a step back and is further persuaded by his hot kisses.

He stands still, sliding his hands on her hair and gently holding her, and he was like a wolf waiting for his prey, staring at her for a minute and ready to take her along with his heat. He sighed again before finally making his move—quickly lifting her and wrapping her legs around his waist.

For the time being, their time together is all that mattered. It's just their shared passion.

She climbed up to him, catching up on his kisses. Giovanni was unsure if she was doing correctly. Did she understand how to kiss? Is there something more to this? Henry takes a step back and slowly sits alongside her, flomping along with the sand.

No one's here. And that's the least of his worries. He grabbed her blouse and began removing it all, and she became embarrassed and covered it up.

She ruffled Henry's hair and blushed, "I'm embarrassed..." 

"You really know how to be more gorgeous without even trying, don't you?"He asked her, smirking, "You're lovely no matter what you do." 

And he gently sets her down, and she looks at him with adoring eyes. The moment was ideal. He leaned forward to demonstrate his judgment, and she was taken aback by the numerous feelings the sand produced, as though it had been rocked as soon as their bodies were together.

Their heartbeat quickened as he buried himself in her most intimate parts and let all of their passion out. With his hands trailing down on her waist and clutching it slightly tighter, he finally let loose what he had been holding inside for a long time, filling her with his passion and warmth.

He was all she could have asked for.

They quickly gathered their clothing and hurriedly returned to the library. Pagbalik nila, nakita nila si King Cadmus na ando'n at naghihintay sa kanila. Nakita lamang si Giovanni kay Henry and she simply let out a sigh. "I'll take care of this immediately." 

"King Cadmus—" 

"It was Zeus, right?" he asked. He seemed to be avoiding her sight, and he was worried. This place was precious to the realm of the Twilight Vale, and he can't believe Zeus would truly destroy it.

"Don't worry about it, Lady Giovanni. Some of the challengers also arrived, and as part of your exam, you must locate a particular note from this place." He gripped his chair and looked at them both, "Will you take the test?"