The Queen and her King

After the war.

"Gather around."

The lady with a baby who was the first to see Athena called at those who were still alive. She yet had her hand to the wound. Her other hand to the back of her daughter's head. Athena was standing next to her. In the heart of the market square.

The people had gathered around. Several of those alive were casualties; some lightly and some heavily wounded. None of them was barely wounded.

Vulcan or say the new and hot Vulcan was standing with Ayla next to him. There were yet a lot of things to figure about his new self but he was certain that time was the best tester. He would be tested. Himself and Ayla were standing at the very front where Athena would never leave their sight.

"I know I am in no place to summon you all, because after all, who am I? And what worth do the words of a lady have, let alone a dying one. But please listen to me."

One of the men who was badly wounded and had blood trailing a side of his face shot,

"Speak swiftly if you would, I barely have life in these weak legs of mine."

Athena didn't say a word. She only looked from one speaker to the other. But she made sure to share her keen gaze with her lover.

The lady continued,

"We all have seen what terror befell us today."

She coughed. Her breath pace was lagging. But she strove further for words. She believed that those would be her last,

"We saw how our lives dwindled in front of us all and none of us could do a thing. Neither of us, not a man nor woman, was strong enough to withstand the rage of these animals."

She pointed in the direction of the kneeling men of Aiowa who had been subjected unknowingly under one of the spells of Athena which to the people seemed as a surrender because of defeat.

She found her words again,

"But when all hope seemed all lost and time and tide was about to sweep several of us into the barns of the gods, and death was hastening towards myself and my daughter. I made a supplication to Athena, the goddess who had been long served by our ancestors. A supplication not for my life but for my daughter's, because I had no right to their help."

She coughed again and groaned softly,

"But how wrong I was. The ways of the gods are obviously and clearly not the ways of men. And in the thicket of the whole malady sprung forth Athena, with her elegance and charm, to our aid. To the aid of mere mortals!"

She smiled weakly at Athena who repaid the generosity. The lady concluded,

"But what gift could we offer the daughter of Zeus which she doesn't already have? What gold or treasure? But only one thing we ask, that even if for a moment or few days, that she become our queen and ruler!!! For all eternity."

And as soon as she stopped talking, she caught her breath whose lagging pace was becoming slower. She looked through the faces of the crowd then started as loudly as she could,

"Hail Athena, the glorious queen. Hail Athena, the glorious queen. Hail Athena, the glorious queen!"

And in no time, the people joined in and began to chant the praise of Athena. Vulcan looked away from the face of Athena which kept the still and bogus smile to the rest of the people chanting her praise.

Then suddenly he noticed a lady fighting her way through the crowd. Tahni. He could see her eyes widened as soon as she saw Athena. He had no idea what was going on in his daughter's mind and shame, he didn't have enough time to ponder on it. Athena raised on her hands and there was peace and quiet.

"Believe me."

She started, her voice audacious, yet cool.

"I had no attention to govern the affairs of the mortals."

The stressing of the first syllable of her last word was appealing and unusual, she continued,

"And still, I have no intention. Neither will I do against my will, that peradventure, the name of my father be mocked in the lips of the mortals. A taboo which neither myself nor my nine sisters wouldn't mate with Poseidon to gobble such world with tormenting waves."

She took steps forward and started walking in the direction of Vulcan. All eyes followed her, including Ayla's and Tahni's.

She got to Vulcan and reached out her left hand. Vulcan hesitated firstly, looking in the direction of his daughter who shot him the who-is-that, is-it-really-what-I-am-thinking kinda look.

He took her hand and with her they walked back to the position she had left. She found her words again,

"But my choices at this moment aren't mine. For my choices and wants and needs whatsoever are now tied to the happiness of the mortal whose yearning and longing had brought me through time and tide to this shore of men."

Her tender gaze on Vulcan who felt on a spot. He couldn't think straight as he traced her smooth curves of her lips. She didn't let him,

"If he would be the king of the land, then I shall be the queen and govern you by his will. And for as long as he wishes, we shall stay with you mortals till we will be ripe by the orders of the Asgartha, the most sacred advisers of my father, to be presented as couple before my father and dwell with the gods."

She paused and let go of his hand. She put that hand to his cheek and stroke it gently,

"What do you say, my Lord."

At the call of Vulcan, 'her Lord' there was a chain of indistinct murmur amongst the crowd. Amidst all the gossip were caught,

"Will she marry a mortal?"

"Is she really Athena?"

"A goddess calls a mortal her Lord?"

Vulcan on the other hand, didn't know what to do. Of course he did love her and appreciated the honor so much. He looked in the direction of Tahni who nodded at him and widened her eyes in the what-are-you-doing sense. He wondered at how quickly Tahni could adjust to the situations; his new look and the presence of Athena.

Vulcan looked back at Athena and nodded his head. Then he turned to the crowd,

"I will... Be your king, side by side with my mistress, my love. Athena."

He said looking from one man to the other till he caught a sight of Ayla who obviously wasn't pleased. Ayla at that turned her back and wanted to leave when Athena called,

"Ayla."

Ayla stopped and hesitated for a while. She adjusted her gaze before turning to the couple. All eyes eating her up.

Athena continued,

"Will be our personal maid. She has being loyal and faithful all along. The safety of my love is owed to her loyalty and I shall see to the fact that she is made a free Nymph after our nuptials."

Ayla feigned a smile and nodded her head. She saw Tahni staring and smiling at her. She repaid it. Athena continued,

"You have your answers now, people. I won't call you mortal any longer. You're now under my care --"

She looked at Vulcan,

"Our care."

She continued,

"But first, we shall change the name of this land. It shall no longer be called whatever name it's known by. It shall now be called *I CHÓRA TOU VULCAN*"

In English, The Land of Vulcan.

Vulcan at that gasped in surprise. He was the only one who understood Greek, and of course Ayla (Nymphs speak whatever language they wish).

But the look on Tahni's face said something entirely different. Vulcan wondered how many more secrets about his daughter he was yet to know.

Athena came on,

"That being said. There shall be a rain this day, the sweat of my father. And whoever and whatever is washed in it shall not remain the same. The wicked shall grow soft, and the soft softer till they burst and are mashed into whatever art they choose."

She took two steps forward, majestic and elegantly,

"By it, the wounded shall be healed and the land shall be redeemed, that when you wake up at morrow, you shall think that your world has been taken away and Elysium had come to dwell with the mortals, my people."

She paused and giggled,

"Only those forged in any kind of magic shall be left out."

She looked up to the sky and had her arms outstretched, she howled the words,

"Let it rain, father."

And suddenly, the sky darkened, the bright clouds had scurried off and all left were their silhouettes. There was a strong wave of storm, and then, rain.