Encounters

Hera and Reina went back into the carriage "get us another carriage Lucas, its about to rain again" Hera told, which he bowed and went to look around for an empty coach , which took him a while to find, but he eventually got one for them.

He parked a little further away from where they were due to the muddy road, so they had to walk a bit lifting their dresses up to avoid it from getting stained. Reina walked carefully so her heels don't get stuck in mud. Oh how she hates this town. She was almost at their carriage when she heard gunshots, not once but twice, and she was pushed hardly to the ground screaming but she didn't hit the ground, her eyes shut in fear but soon opened it when she felt the warmth of someone holding her.

Seeing who it was she hurriedly got off "Reina!, are you okay?" Hera rushed over , she also heard the shots but thought it was just the villagers been them, only to look back to see her daughter been pushed out of the way.

"i'm okay mother" she assured, her eyes widening when she looked at the man who had helped her "oh my God you're bleeding!" She said panicking, the man who pushed her got grazed by his arm.

"It's nothing, i'm glad you didn't get hurt" He said with a smile and Reina flushed.

Two of the guards who had ran after the person who had pulled that deadly stunt of wanting to hurt the princess "we caught him your majesty" The guards were holding another man tightly, he looked ragged and is holding a gun.

Hera walked to them, she gave the man a resounding slap in anger "how dare you?!" giving him a second slap, she asked them to take him back to the palace , along with the man that helped Reina.

Hera decided they'd go back too as it seems it wasn't a safe day today. The coachman stayed behind to repair their carriage whilst they got on another with the 'lifesaver', his wound was tied and covered with a cloth to stop the bleeding.

"Thank you again...?" Hera said trying to get his name

"Ares... it's Ares your majesty"

"if it wasn't for you, who knows what would have happened" she said caressing Reina's hair.

"No, your majesty, it is my duty to protect the royal family, and especially the heir to the throne". He smiled,-at Reina though- which made her insides flutter.

Reina had sweaty palms again, filled with anxiety-the good kind- 'Ares', his name was Ares!, she finally knows his name, she has never even come close to seeing him up-close but here they are now, taking him to the castle. It almost feels like an introduction in an engagement party. Their engagement party.

Upon entering the castle, Zeus, Hera's husband stood outside waiting for them, he immediately hugged Reina and of course his wife "Are you both okay" He asked searching for any visible wounds.

"Yes, we are." Hera said. and pointed at Ares telling him how the young man helped Reina. "How do i reward you, young man?" Zeus asked offering his gratitude, but of course without necessarily saying 'thank you'.

"Thank you your majesty, but i don't need a reward for protecting them" he tried to refuse

"Make him one of the soldiers!" Reina quickly butted in. Noticing the looks from her parents, she quickly rephrased "i mean it'll be of great honour for him, if you make him a soldier" she said avoiding his gaze.

Zeus agreed to this and thus made him Reina's personalized guard. she felt ecstatic, now she can see him whenever she wanted to and best of all he'd always be beside her -well few metres behind her- most times. Zeus turned to one of the guards "Marcus, get him a place to stay in the back and a uniform"

Ares wasn't really satisfied with the turn of events, he already have his people that he was serving "your majesty, i'm sorry but i can't accept this. i'm serving the Duke of Myus. Duke Nicholas" he said averting his eyes and looking down instead. Zeus frowned it wasn't everyday he trusted someone to protect his daughter and now that he offered for this man here to do so, he is refusing?

"We'll inform Nicholas of your departure" he only said. Ares could only oblique, bowing his head he followed marcus.

Reina excused herself, when her father took Hera to the dungeon to meet their prisoner. Going up towards her room to get a change of clothes and to let Lydia in on the news, she found Lydia sitting by the Terrace folding laundry.

"My lady? I heard what happened, are you okay?" Lydia got up to check her but Reina was all smiles

"Then i'm sure you know it was him, they told you about?" she cheekily said, remembering herself on his body, he was so muscular and beautiful, looking at his face up close!. quickly warding off any further thought she sat down preparing to tell Lydia about everything..

Lydia quickly closed the door "really! did you get his name or thank him at least?, how did it happen?!" She sounded just as excited and Reina was.

"Technically," Reina started "Father rewarded him by giving him a job here, so no i did not thank him, but yes, i got his name!"

Lydia got on the bed behind Reina to take off the hair pins and untie her dress, Reina took them off and wore a more comfortable garment.

Zeus went down to the dungeon with his wife.The guard who was escorting them stopped midway to give them privacy. Looking the prisoner in disgust, Zeus stepped forward "has he told you anything yet?" He asked the guards who had brought the man in. They shook their heads.

The prisoner was chained by his hands while kneeling, his arms stretched out, he was sweaty, half naked and covered in bruises he had gotten from the strokes he received "what is your name?" Zeus asked, maybe the man would rather speak to the king himself instead of his servants. The man looked up and scoffed, then coughed up blood which made Hera cringe, she was disturbed by his present look, but she wants to know who this man was and why he chose to attack Reina.

"Your majesty?" A stern voice called out. Zeus turned to the man that just came in "Good day", he bowed "your majesty, i have news" he said.

"About this man i presume?" Zeus asked.

"Yes, he's not from here, and his wife has come to beg for his release"

"Wife?" Hera asked puzzled.

When the man,Ezra nodded, he led them out to where the prisoner's companion was standing, already in tears, she soon went on her knees sobbing, her hands clasped together in front of her. "Your majesty please!, he wasn't thinking. I beg you don't kill him" She pleaded

Hera signalled one of the guards to help the woman up "what is your name? since your husband refuses to tell us his" Zeus said.

"May, and his name is Silas.... i told him not to do it, he never listens" she started sobbing even more, falling unto her knees with her head low. "Please forgive him, he did it for us"

"Us?"

The woman looked up "Ye... yes, me and my kids" She said calming down a bit.

"Did he tell who who sent him, who asked him to do this?" Hera asked trying to control her anger, it was frustrating. The mere thought of losing Reina hurts her heart, and for the fact that this man even dared to attempt such!, if the King doesn't torture him to his death, she will.

May shook her head "No, he just told me not to tell anyo..." Her sentence got caught off by a guard who came rushing out.

"your majesty, i'm sorry for the intrusion, but the prisoner is tugging on the chains"

"sedate him" Zeus said just not caring that the man's wife was in front of him. Her eyes widened, how many sedatives have they given him till now, if it continues, he might die, she panicked "No! your majesty please!, i'll talk to him, he'll speak, please! can... can i see him?" She pleaded over and over again.

Zeus agreed and led her through the dark dungeon with a lamp on the guards hands. Giving her a little space, May rushed over to her husband gripping the bars, crying harder after seeing his present situation.

"May?!, what are you doing here?"

"i told you not to do it!" she scolded.

Silas turned to Zeus glaring at him "why did you bring her here?, are you trying to blackmail me?"

"Oh now you speak" Zeus said intrigued , for a moment there he thought the man was dumb, and that's probably why the person who may have sent him, chose him for the job, because he won't be able to disclose anything to them, but as the gods have it, he's perfectly fine. Zeus motioned for the guard there to shoot more sedatives into him.

The sedatives were hanging behind Silas, they were designed as arrows and were been released like a target range unto his back. H'ed shriek like a wounded animal. This time he was shot multiple times, he yelled louder. May screamed each time he was shot, she turned to Zeus who felt stoic by the whole thing and knelt down again. "your majesty!, i beg you, please make it stop!"

"Listen woman, he's the only one that can make it stop by confessing" He told her, turning to walk out with Hera behind him.

Even after everything May did to get her husband to talk he refuses to, and soon enough she was asked to leave by force. The prisoner, Silas, couldn't look at his wife anymore, he felt guilty for causing her pain, though he was only trying to protect her