.•41•.

.•41•.
She'd cried, and begged. To no avail. She remained trapped between those walls. She'd searched for a crack. A dent. Even a magical word. A way to get out. It did not budge. The palace seemed determined to respect Nicholas' last request. To keep her in there. In his quarters.
She'd lost track of time between hours of dreamless slumber, fits of hysterical screaming to be let out, and crying sessions. She was tired. Weary. She could feel the life slipping out of her. Slowly. And then there were those words. The memory of him uttering them to her, over and over again. I love you, Diana. I love you. They tortured her. The ghost of his voice whispering those words to her so sweetly.
She'd tried to ask for a phone. A working device. Anything. But the palace refused to comply with her request. It held her hostage, offering her food, clothing, and whatever else she needed to function as a human. Nothing more. It slowly ate at her, with every moment that passed. Not knowing what was going on. If her momma and Dan were okay. Where Nicholas was.
Why did he do this to her? Why had he trapped her in here? Why didn't he take her with him? He'd lied to her. He said that he would never leave her here, alone. And yet here she was. Stuck. Isolated, as if she were a prisoner.
She let out a strangled sound, her face burying in the pillow that she was holding close to her chest. It no longer even smelled of him. It was wet with her salty tears. She let them fall free again, her shoulders softly shaking. She couldn't take it anymore. It hurt so much. She just wanted this to be over. This sickening torment.
She bawled her eyes out, the sounds of her own whimpers and sobs being the only ones to accompany her. She was starting to hate the constant silence surrounding her. That monumental stillness of the empty rooms. It was driving her crazy. She'd tried to break those French doors leading to the balcony. Of course, it did not work. Nothing did. She'd tried to trash the rooms, destroy the furniture, but it all fixed itself in the blink of an eye, rendering her vengeful actions pointless. It still didn't stop her from continuing to try. It was the only thing that made her feel slightly less miserable, even for only a few moments. That and those stretches of time she spent sleeping after crying herself to exhaustion.
A soft, gentle breeze swept over her bare shoulder. She stirred, realizing that she had dozed off. Her face was still wet, though, so that could only mean that she hadn't been sleeping for long. Ugh. She groaned, displeased by that revelation.
A subtle whiff of old books, cinnamon, and apple suddenly reached her nostrils. It was oddly pleasant. She stretched her limbs and opened her eyes, thinking about the taste of a nice piece of pie and the magic of losing yourself in a good book. Right before the grim reality of her situation settled in again.
She let her gaze trail over the crumpled sheets, lying there lifelessly. Devoid of any thoughts, or even a will. She could not bring herself to care anymore.
She casually noticed that there was a slight change in the background. Something that wasn't there before. Her gaze shifted, taking in the unmistakable outline of a person sitting in a large and cushioned fauteuil. Her eyes widened.
She suddenly sat up, rubbing the sleep from her eyes. Was she dreaming? She looked again, making herself sure. No. He was still there. Staring right back at her. Unnaturally still, and focused.
"H-hi..." Her heart beat faster. He did not move. Didn't even blink.
She was starting to lose hope, with every second that passed. Please. Say something. She could not even bring herself to fear him anymore. All that time spent alone had wrecked her, and she was starving for a conversation. Any type of contact.
"Your mortal body is wasting away," his head tilted to the side, continuing to observe her.
"Fascinating."
She blinked, a little shocked to hear his powerful voice, hear him speaking to her. It would seem like the palace had really messed with her mind.
"You do realize that if you die like this his sacrifice will be in vain, right?" he said, his tone as calm as ever. Like he was talking about the weather or something.
Diana's eyes grew wide again, horror gripping her as soon as those words registered in her brain. "What?"
Her heart pumped faster, tears brimming in her eyes whilst her whole body started to shake. "Where is he? Is he okay?" Even her voice was shaking.
The god remained calm, untouched by the sight of her like that.
"Relatively,"
Her brows drew together, quickly wiping away at a stray tear that had fallen.
"But then again, he's always been like that. Not exactly okay," he commented with a small frown, his lips setting into a straight line. She chose to disregard that jabbing remark about Nicholas' character.
"What about my mom? Dan? Is there any way for you to find out if they're okay? If they're safe?" she asked instead, a flicker of hope kindling in her chest. Deep in her heart, she knew why he had done this to her. Why he'd trapped her in here, after that raw, heartfelt confession.
"That depends," he said, his tone gaining a hint of playfulness.
She ignored that small voice at the back of her mind that tried to stop her from playing into the god's game.
"On what?"
She could see that subtle smile tugging at the corners of his lips.
"On how willing you'd be to grant me another few pieces of your precious time."
She did not pause to ponder, or even hesitate. "Done. Deal. I'll go with you wherever you want me to." She did not care what it took. She just needed to know that they were safe. Alive.
The god's smile widened by a fraction.
"Very well."
He rose from his seat. Calmly. Confident. She sat there, watching him. Observing his every move. She may have forgone her reasoning, but the instinct remained. Her body was aware of the danger.
He strode towards her. She tensed. Her body wanted to put some distance between them, but she managed to remain still. He stopped at the edge of the bed, gently stretching out his open palm. A silent invitation. She peered up at him. Staring into those blue eyes of his.
For momma. For Dan, she encouraged herself. She stretched out a hand, timidly placing it in his. It wrapped around hers, engulfing it.
He helped her stand, and then he threw a look at her from head to toe. Taking in her crumpled and dirtied dress. Her messy hair. Her gaunt and lifeless appearance. He frowned, seeming dissatisfied with what he was seeing. She blushed a little.
He snapped his fingers, startling her. A fresh piece of fabric wrapped around her body. She looked down, noticing that she was wearing a new dress. A pale lavender one that ended just above her knees, hugging her chest so snugly and flaring at her hips. A summer dress.
Her hair was also styled into a messy updo, letting a few strands of hair hang here and there.
"There we go. Much better," Ares smiled, giving her another once-over.
"Shall we?"

.••.

They walked through the palace, their gait slow. Relaxed. Diana was secretly thankful for it, and for that strong arm supporting her hand. She was only now starting to notice how weakened she was. How sick and depleted her body felt, after who-knows-how much time she'd spent in Nicholas' quarters. She'd refused most of the food that the palace had offered her, relying mostly on water. She knew that she'd done wrong, but it wasn't like she could actually eat it. Her body was constantly rejecting it, making her feel nauseous even after smelling it.
They were currently passing through a large and breezy corridor, that had wide open gaps on one side, serving as windows. They were all covered by white gauzy sheets that fluttered in the wind. She shivered a little, feeling goosebumps puckering her skin. It wasn't that cold, but her body was already tired. Her legs were shaking from the effort.
They suddenly stopped. There, in the middle of the hallway. Her brows knitted. And then slowly, hesitantly, she turned her head and looked up. Meeting Ares' gaze.
She bit her lip. "What's wrong?"
"You're faint," he accused with a frown.
She blushed. "I-I can manage," she rushed to promise.
"No. You cannot," he disagreed with a firm tone. Her lips parted, growing desperate. No! She did not want to stop! Not now! Not when she was so close to finally getting some news about her family! She would beg if she had to! She-
She let out a squeal as the world tilted, her feet leaving the ground before finding herself held by the god's bulky arms. They wrapped beneath her thighs and back, bringing her close to the broad expanse of his chest. The scorching warmth of his body.
Her heart beat so fast now. It threatened to come out of her chest. She wanted to squirm. Escape from his unwanted embrace. She didn't like how it made her feel. The memories it brought her. But she forced herself to remain still. For Dan. For momma.
Ares did not utter another word to her. And neither did she, to him. He resumed walking. She crossed her arms over her chest, refusing to wrap her arm around the back of his neck. This was already weird as it was. She did not want to add more to it.
They passed a salon, one that was filled with burning candles. A flowing fountain stood in the middle, the surface of the water covered by rosy petals. A moan-
Another. And another.
Diana's eyes widened. Ares continued to walk. They grew louder, and louder. She was starting to feel panicky. But she did not dare look up at him, or even say anything. She lay there quietly, remembering what Nicholas had told her about the gods having a code of honour. He wouldn't harm her. It was against the rules.
They passed through gauzy sheets, entering another salon, one that was filled with people having...fun. She swallowed. They all abruptly stopped mid-action, the erotic sounds ceasing. Diana's cheeks flushed with heat. There was so much nakedness around, and so many gazes directed at them. She averted her eyes, pointing them at Ares' slightly unbuttoned shirt. A sliver of smooth and tanned skin was showing. She casually stared there.
"Brother! How kind of you to finally grace us with your presence!" She jolted at the sound of that powerful voice. It sounded kind of familiar. She knew that she'd heard it before...
"And you have found the little mortal. How lovely," Her eyes widened. Oh no.
Her head turned before she could even try and stop herself, coming face to face with none other than that pervy god she'd encountered upon her arrival at the palace. Helios.
"You pesky little creature, I've spent days trying to find you, however it seems like the palace only favours our liege these days," he grinned, his golden eyes however glinting with barely-concealed disdain as they shifted to Ares. Her body tensed with horror upon registering what he'd just said. Wait a minute. Did he just say that he had been— Wait. The palace had kept her hidden from the rest of them all this time?!?
"Are you here to enjoy the party...with her? By the way, I haven't seen Nyktos around, has he been thrown out yet?" he took a sip from his drink, staring up at Ares as if he was waiting for him to tell him the newest gossip.
The god in charge merely regarded him down his nose, as if he were nothing but a piece of dirt staining his shoe.
"Fuck off," was the only thing that he said in reply. He sounded annoyed. Bored. Helios did not wait to be told a second time. He swiftly retracted himself from their path with a small bow. Diana let out a shaky breath, realizing that she had been holding it in this whole time.
Ares resumed walking, leaving the salon without another word or a single glance cast at his peers. They ventured through another breezy corridor, finding themselves alone once again.
"Relax, dulcet. You are safe here. No one will touch you. They know better."
At that, Diana's gaze timidly rose to peer up at the god's deceivingly handsome face. Those words were probably meant to bring her comfort. Reassurance. She couldn't feel it, for his voice had sounded way too grim. Ominous. She forced herself not to react.