Hemathea put on a forced smile, trying to look as friendly as possible in front of the ambassador of Skye Hall. Looking at a mirror framed in gold in the hallway, she adjusted her features to look as stunning as possible: A brighter smile, lushious hair, and smooth skin.
   She arrived at the pavillion, which was a platform somewhere at the top of the palace, shaded by leaves. Lakhires was seated at the tea table, an Elvosir waiting on him as he is a guest.
   "I do apologise for the tardiness," she said, sitting down on the glass chair opposite him. "Tea please," she motioned to the Elvosir, who nodded and poured them some sweet-smelling tea.
   "It's really not much of a problem, my lady," Lakhires replied. He took a sip of tea, which tasted of honey and chrysanthemum.
   "Ah, to business," Hemathea said. "The proof. Of an alliance. I can't have you infiltrating our palace with a friendly face." She gazed at him expectantly.
   "Oh, right." He rumaged in his satchel, until he pulled out a scroll and slid it across the glass table.
   With a nod, Hemathea opened the scroll and started reading.

To the Air Gods,
   We are sure you are aware of the feud among us gods. Many centuries have gone by, with constant battles and tragedies we've caused some mortals. We intend to put an end to this.
   Skye Hall wishes to make an alliance with Terran Palace. We seek to establish a friendship with your tribe, so we shall assist each other in times of need.
       
                                          With regards,
                           Aura, goddess of the sky.
                           Leader of Skye Hall

   The words were written in an ethereal, airy script; like what would be expected of the leader of the Air gods.
   Hemathea rolled up the scroll, and passed it to a waiting Elvosir who went to put it in her quarters. "More tea?" She asked him.
   "Gladly appreciated," Lakhires replied. The goddess poured some tea into his cup, steam evaporating from its rim like a witch's cauldron.
   The steam brought him memories of his mortal life. The way he'd ask his father for guidance through evaporated water whenever he was on a quest.
   A moment of silence passed between them. A single bead of sweat rolled down Hemathea's forehead. She was supposed to be graceful and fluent, but here she was acting awkward in front of a chance of alliance. With a gulp, she said, "Would you like a tour?"
   Lakhires looked up from his tea, and ate the last bit of the crumpet he was munching on. "A tour sounds lovely."

                                ~~~

The atmosphere felt hazy and dank. And wet. Klyamone's eyes fluttered open, hardly any light detected. Her vision was blurred, and her body was weak.
   Where am I? Klyamone thought. She pushed herself upwards, realising she was on a floor of rock that was covered in puddles formed from the leak in the ceiling above her.
   Her green dress was dirty and torn. Her face had a few scratches, and so did her hands. Her memory was hazy. How did she get here? In no part of her mind did she remember being in a stone cell. With a grunt, she leaned herself against the wall, a crack in her back telling her how stiff she felt.
   She looked to her right, and saw two figures looking right at her. Immediately, she lounged at the bars, her eyes filled with confusion. "Tell me why I'm here and where am I," she seethed.

                                ~~~
"And here, we have the Hall of Heroes," said Hemathea with a quirky voice. "A hall dedicated to the heroes who were either demigod children of us Earth gods, or served us."
   Lakhires' jaw hung from its hinges at the large room of white marble statues. The hall was a humongous room of interweaved branches, but the difference between it and the other rooms he had seen is that the floor was a mosaic of precious gems, glinting in the sunlight that shone through the colourful stained glass windows that portrayed heroes at their greatest scenes, fighting monsters and whatever tried to oppose the gods and their homeland.
   "This is... this is absolutely amazing," he noted, gaping at the room's majesty. It had an aura of respect and beauty, which added to the room's ethereal appearance.
   "It absolutely is," said the goddess. "Now enough of this room. Anywhere else you'd like to tour?"
   Lakhires thought for a while. He had seen the palace's beauty, but as far as he knew, nothing was perfect. Not even the gods. They were aspects of the Higher Being, bits and pieces of him. He wondered what darkness the palace had under the ground that supported it. "I would like to see the dungeons," he finally said.
   The goddess of agriculture looked stunned. Who on Earth would want to visit a dungeon, a dreary place filled with potentially dangerous beings? Her face morphed into concern, then to humble hospitality. "Alright then. The dungeon it is."
  
   The two gods went down a moving platform, which descended down into darkness. The walls of interweaved branched morphed into earth, and eventually rock. After what seemed like forever, the platform reached the ground, hovering about a foot above it.
   The dungeon was a dark cavern, bars of branches holding criminals or likely enemies. They walked along the corridor, passing cell after cell.
   "Here, we have our most recent capture," Hemathea said. "Klyamone,  godess of isles. She might be a likely threat to our realm, she having power over both earth and sea and raised by the Water gods."
   Lakhires stared at the dark figure that laid in the cell, watching her slowly gain consciousness.
   The young goddess seemed confused, with scars all over her arms and torn holes in her pale green dress, most likely caused from being limply thrown into the cell.
   Her confused expression changed when she turned to face Lakhires and Hemathea, into something that conveyed the message that she might've blamed them for her current situation. Lakhires couldn't blame her for that, since he would've done he same if he were to wake up with two immortal beings watching him.
   A bad feeling gnawed at his gut with the goddess's fierce expression. Just as he was about to back away, she lounged herself at the bars, snarling and growling like a bear that has been caught by a hunter. "Tell me why I'm here and where am I," she seethed.
   Hemathea managed to keep her fear composed, her facial expression placid. "Welcome to the realm of the Earth gods, Klyamone," she said.
   "Welcome? This is an odd place to say that," she replied. "Now answer my question."
   "Like I said, you are in the realm of the Earth gods. More specifically, Terran Palace," she summed. "It has been a while since I've seen you, daughter."
   It is no myth that Klyamone's emotions can change in just the shortest of moments. At one moment, she could be confused and sceptical, then fierce but nostalgic the next. Her eyes widened as she looked at the one who had claimed to be the mother she had never known. Is this really her?
   Her grip on the bars faltered, as her energy is now on her own thoughts. Her gaze seemed unfocused as she tried to process her situation.
 
                               ~~~

Three years.
  
   For three years, Hemathea had been with Ymion, the god of the seas. For what she could remember, he had loved her. She knew he did. And she had loved him too. If fate had permitted it, they could've married.
   But alas, fate had other plans.
  
All the main gods of Terran palace had gathered around a table, Feonus at its head. Another feud had started, seen differently in the eyes of mortals as a war.
   One simple fight between the Elemental Factions could become a war amongst mortals, worse if all the Factions had fought against each other.
   A letter laid flat in the middle of the table. No one picked it up, for they all knew what it said. Another war waged against them.
   With a loud, clear voice, Feonus said, "From the beginning of the Elemental Factions, the separation of us gods, all four sides have had their fair share of opinions disagreed to."
   He coughed, then continued. "With another battle at hand, we would need a spy to bring in information of their moves against us so we would be prepared for whatever they have planned. Now, from all of you present in this very hall, I say Hemathea would best suit this role."
   All eyes turned to face the goddess, who, at the time, was young in godly terms.
   Traces of dilemma can be seen on her face as she thought of the possibilities: Either she betrayed Ymion and earn herself a place of honour among the Earth gods, or she betrayed her lover and get banished for treason.
   Eyes stayed focused on her for three... four... five minutes, when finally, she took a deep breath. "I'll do it. If it means putting an end to this feud."
   Those few words marked the end of their relationship.

                                ~~~

"Mother..."
   That was the word Klyamone hadn't been able to say for the past 216 years of her immortal life.
   "Yes, Klyamone, it is I," Hemathea replied. "Your mother. I apologise for having to meet on such conditions. Now, let me tell you why you're here. You are a child of both Water and Earth. The Earth gods are weary of your kind, all because both are your domain. You are a powerful goddess, Klyamone. You could be against us. You have to remember that just because we're gods doesn't mean our essence couldn't be destroyed."
   Klyamone blinked in confusion at her mother's words. "Mother, I-I...." her voice broke. "How can you not trust your own daughter!? I never chose to come to this realm. I am only here because- because I disobeyed my father's advice not to come here. And I came out of pure curiousity. Now, here I am, among prisoners!?"
    Lakhires stood aside, watching the young goddess's anger. He felt sorry for her, being treated like an enemy by her own mother. It wasn't fair, in his opinion.
    "I'm afraid you have trespassed ancient rules, my dearest," said Hemathea. "Never approach the realm of another Faction without a letter of truce."

To all my dearest readers: Here's your first author's note! Yay! Really sorry for not adding one to the previous chapters. I'm also sorry for not updating the story in a while. I know, I have a lot to apologise.

Anyway, thank you so much for reading this far! I'll update as soon as I can. If you have voted, let me say thank you so, so much for voting!!!

- TheHuntingOwl