Forbidden

Chapter Three

       "Listen, Goddess of whatever you are. I need to get back to my people. His annoyance grew by the minute. "Get me out of here!", he argued. Like music to his ears. "You can't leave", she stared out the window. But a angelic voice wasn't enough to tame the beast. "And why the f*ck not!", he blurted out. She didn't know what to think of her passive aggression. "Do you accept this union?", she asked. "Accept! You kept me in an ice cube for three suns and moons. Tortured me with your visions." ~~~ "This is our way", she stood gracefully. "Your way?", he chuckled. "Seems like the ice is freezing your brain as well", he smirked offensively.

        She didn't expect a perfect mate, however she was disappointed. With calm eyes, she asked again. "Do you accept this union?".  He approached her with a battle fields force. Close enough that she saw his pulse. At this moment he was surprised by his own behavior. He looked her directly in her knee weakening now blue eyes. " NO I DO NOT!" ~~~ "Very well", she replied calmly. "The guard will let you know when its time to leave", she turned on her heel and left the room. He was left with her heart warming scent. Suddenly he was disgusted by his temper. Search rare beauty, he thought. His fist crashing into the cold wall.

       She wasn't hurt. At only age seven she watched a traitor pierce her fathers heart with a spear created by the fallen fathers them selves. He froze slowly as the power of the weapon reached his dear heart. She didn't cry then so why would she be hurt now? With a single knock, followed by a young guard with skinny but firm arms. " My lady is ready for you", he waited near the door. She was already outside, along with two new elected guards. Her hair plaited neatly into a long braid caressing her round bottom.

       He approached her from the back. " Imagine waking up with her in my arms every day. Removing the gold strands of hair on her angelic face. Staring deep into her eyes while she smiled  at me, imagine me. The way I would appreciate her cold fingers running over my stomach, making me shiver slightly. Imagine her calling out my name with need, wanting me to stay in bed all day while the maids brought in moon cakes and wine. Just imagine"  "Come forward please", one of the guards ordered. He jolted back into awareness. They walked a few yards away from the castle into the  forest. He was so convinced that rejecting her was the right thing to do but now he feared never seeing her again. There wasn't one reason he could think of for not accepting her. He didn't have much responsibility apart from his two sisters which are of age and would soon marry and his town. He just couldn't understand why he couldn't say yes.

       "What is your name", she asked head held high. His eyes ascended from her feet to her hair. "Drogon", that's all he said. "I am Valah Goddess of Icelandia", she spoke with pride. In the language of the Gods, a portal resembling a whirl pool appeared. " May you receive what you desire", she smiled lightly. He entered the portal never removing his eyes on her. 

         For a man with search strength and unknowing power, she made him feel weak, made him feel vulnerable and no man, mortal or God abided by that. He woke up unconscious exactly where he sank a week ago. He sat there regretting everything immediately.

         "Yanifa, don't keep me waiting." They made love like newly wedded lovers. He fell in love in less than a week. He was enchanted by her fine body and her eyes, oh her eyes. They were a bright shade of green, just perfect. What he loved most about her was her laugh, care free and joyous. It pleased him to make her happy. His Yani, he thought.

        "Tell me my love. Why don't you live at the castle with your brother?", she tugged gently at his brown hair. He continued to stare at the ceiling. She laid her head on his bare chest. "When I was only twelve, my mother sold me to a wealthy sea merchant for a bag of seeds and flour". He stayed quiet, listening to his lovers story. "She didn't even say goodbye", a hot tear escaped her eye. He held her closer, kissing her hair and forehead. "I'm so sorry ", he soothed. "It's okay", she paused. "He wasn't a cruel man, he taught me different things, protected my virtue from the others on the ship. He treated me better than my own father and when I turned eighteen he dropped me off to the City of Tennas with supplies an a bag of gold to start off a life for my self."

         He thought about his own family, his dear mother who passed away unexpectedly. His twin sister Xena, who he loved so much. He remembered that day like it was yesterday. He was fifteen with Zous only three years older. According to his mother Zefus was born an adventurous child. He explored everything from the abandoned buildings to the old guard quarters.

          He was far away from the castle near the run down wine factory. He entered the hut observing everything. The smell of fermented rum still boomed the air. He strolled further in, baffled by this ancient siting. "AH." He stopped abruptly, shocked by a startling sound. "Stop fighting, you know you want this", he heard. He followed the voices cautiously, laughing in his head, thinking he may have stumbled upon some freaks getting it on. He hid and peeped through a tiny hole, only able to see their backs. "Oh mercy, you're so tight", followed by a deep moan. "Please stop, get off me", the female plead. "Shut up! You think I'll let father marry you to some outside dog? You're mine!", coming soon after. At this point I was confused by such words.

          When he came off her back, my heart froze, dropped and broke. She wiped her wet face. "Tell anyone and I'll have your head." He stuffed his meat back in his pants. Grabbing her by her arm as they left. I stayed hidden until was certain they were gone. How could he, his own blood, his own baby sister. Zefus did not return home that night. He couldn't bare to see Zous's face. He wept for his sister, sickened by such a site but at whatever cost he needed to help her. She looked so hopeless. Her rosy cheeks were pale and her sun kissed brown eyes were as red as an apples skin. My poor Xena.

          The next morning, on his way home he picked her favorite flowers, in hopes to cheer her up. As he approached the castle something felt off. Not even the guards were at their pose. The flowers fell helplessly to the ground. He ran into the castle. The cooks and maids surrounded her room. His Xena had taken what the Gods once gave her. He hugged her lifeless body, weeping like a lost puppy.

           If only he wasn't such a coward and gave her comfort maybe she would have had hope. He kept saying these words until it ate at his soul. When he saw his brother crying to, it took every inch of strength to not kill him on the spot. He never confronted or accused him though, for he knew that his fate was left to the Gods and so it was. As for the king, after losing both of his girls, emptiness didn't begin to explain his condition.

           She didn't bother to ask again. She cuddled him in her arms making him feel secure. He smiled at her caress. "My Yani", he kissed her blushed cheeks.

            In a few months, her stomach was as swollen as a ripe peach. He was finally happy. Not a day went by without him praising her presence. The baby was born in the cold winds of winter. His eyes glowing with curiosity as he latched onto his mothers plump breast. "Roman, he will be called Roman." She looked up to his handsome face. "Roman? Don't you think it's a bit harsh my love." ~~~ "It's perfect." For the sake of his pretty wife, he agreed but he did not want his baby boy named after one of the most ruthless men who ever lived. 

       He was now three, a restless little thing some would say. He loved playing in dirt and took a passion in breaking things. "He's just a child", she would say, if he tried tapping him lightly. When she was a child her father would strike her for almost everything. So she promised if she ever had a child, she wouldn't dear put her hands on him. It's true he was just a child but this was the city. Temptation and bad paths can lead a child astray if they're not corrected early enough. And so it was.

       He sat on the throne troubled. He couldn't have kept his son in the castle. What would the people think, but it was his fault for involving him in such matters. All he was asked to do was inspect the king, his daily routine, where he went, when was he alone and report back to his father. Zefus never even mentioned the past nor did he inform him of his intentions. So why did he murder the king?"Yanifa would be disappointed in both of us", he sighed heavily while gazing in the distance where he last saw his boy.

       It's been fifteen years since his angel passed away. She caught a terrible disease, eating her up from the inside. He never left her side, day and night he watched the tears roll down her cheeks. Her long black curls falling off strand by strand. He would hold her cold hands to his mouth, wishing she would tell him that it's just a dream. In those final days she still tried getting up, making them a meal and singing in her fragile voice. They stayed next to her, holding her hands while she took her final breathe. 

      His Yani was gone. He shut everyone out, even his son, who needed him the most. He was only fourteen, traumatized by this experience. His father barely spoke to him, offering no comfort. He cried by her grave every day, praying for her to come back. He convinced himself that his father didn't care. And began doing the most bizarre acts. 

      It really was his fault that his son took such paths. After so many years he now realized he was the one who killed his sons soul. "Beautiful Yanifa would have your head", It's like he didn't even remember his mother had died. Zefus sat there empty as could be. He wept for his wife, his mother, his sister, father , son even for his brother. He was truly alone.