《The Divine Works》Book One : Realm of Madness // Chapter Four
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"My Lord, I need your help." Alyson said softly in an unsteady tone. She continued, seeming close to tears. "You've always been there for me. I lit your candles, sometimes I prayed, sometimes I just talked, sometimes I said nothing. Just offering the knowledge that someone does know and care about you. If my doing so ever upset you I apologize most sincerely."
"It never did." Alekzandor said, his voice thick and heavy with emotion.
His heart skipped a beat seeing Alyson smile warmly. Then her expression turned into a remorseful one, and his heart plummeted down to his feet.
"Next month, is my birthday." Tears fell down her cheeks as she struggled to get the words out. "I would have waited until that day, since my birthday falls on yours, it would have made the prayer stronger, but I feel like my time to do this is running out. Plans are being made, and I have no say in them. Even if I did, I wouldn't know what to do. I don't think I'll be here on my birthday, and I know others are not tolerant about worship towards you. I fear even my husband to be may feel that way. So my only other option is do this now."
"You're babbling, you can say what's on your mind."
Though he knew she couldn't actually hear him, Alyson somehow sensed his words. Always had. She acted on, or responded as if she had heard him. He felt like he'd actually had several conversations with her.
There was a sigh of relief, and Alyson found her voice again. "When I marry, possibly before then if Rick has his way, I will leave this house. As I'm twenty, I know it's time I did. Ethan can't keep giving me those looks and getting away with it if I stay any longer. I know it's time, but I'm scared. Mainly for the children. Who will protect them when I'm gone. Magdalena is up to something. I can venture a guess as to what, but I can't even put it into a coherent thought, let alone words. It's too appalling to me."
Her face became serious as she continued. "My mother could do it, Ethan too. If they weren't so focused on other things, or wanting things they can't have. I know that's human nature, but the things they want aren't logical. At least in my mind."
"And that's where I come in." Alekzandor chuckled. "There's something you want to ask me."
"I need some help, my mother needs to be the woman she was before Ethan corrupted her. Ethan needs to see the light about the situation his life is in. Otherwise the children will be at risk. Please, will you help me?"
His heart beat faster and his stomach clenched. Didn't she know by now that he would do anything for her? Didn't she know that all she needed to do was ask? Then he smiled softly. Of course she knew on some level. That's why she was asking. Because she knew, at least a part of her did, that he would grant her wish. Any wish. He looked at her, and knew then, there was something more that she was wanting.
He would get to that in a moment, he needed to be told something first. "What do you want me to do?"
He needed boundaries. If she didn't give him any, then there would be blood. Lots of it. Death with reign. He was insanity after all. Once he let his power out, there was no telling what would happen, but he could predict the outcome. He needed her to tell him specifically what she wanted him to do. He didn't want to risk doing something that would frighten her.
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"Magdalena needs exposed. Whatever evil she's planning, the truth needs to come out." Alyson said after a moment of thinking. "My mother and Ethan need to realize their way of life is going to only lead to ruin, there are better ways for Ethan to get what he wants and still have a good life waiting for him. However it happens, whatever you do, the children cannot be harmed. Magdalena, I honestly leave her fate in your hands. I love her dearly as a sister, but I honestly don't know how much of my sister is left in that mind of hers."
"I won't, you have my word." Alekzandor said reaching to touch her knee, then quickly withdrew his hand. Remembering almost too late, the consequences should he give into the urge and touch her skin. He needed something to distract him, now, before he forgot. While he let his dragons loose in his realm to wreak havoc, he asked. "What else did you want to ask?"
Alyson looked away, as if ashamed and she didn't want to answer that question. He waited a few moment, and when she didn't answer, he repeated his question more firmly. She sighed and looked back at his candle, pouting slightly at that. He chuckled at the sight.
"I don't want to marry."
For a moment, he thought he had misheard. She had spoken so softly, if it weren't for his powers, he probably wouldn't have understood a word she said. But there it was, the words she had never spoken, but they both knew to be truth. When he found out about the engagement, he was heartbroken. While he didn't think he'd get the happy ending about sweeping the woman he loved off her feet and into his arms, for a while, he had allowed himself the hope that maybe, just maybe, he might have found his other half in Alyson. However, Hektor said nothing to him about Alyson being his, or made an effort to stop the marriage contract with the mortal.
It broke his heart, but it was a cold hard reminder, one that he clearly needed. He could never touch Alyson, it would break apart her mind and slowly kill it there was nothing left of her. Not even her soul. He couldn't do that to her, he wouldn't. He loved her too much to subject her to that, and he would not have her be lost forever because of his own selfish desires. So even though it killed him, he had to admit that this marriage to the mortal was a good thing. She would be able to have a normal life, a loving husband, children, grow old, and find happiness. With him, there would never be that option.
"I've looked for ways to nullify the contract, a way to get out of it, even if I told Rick that I didn't want to marry him, I would have to." Alyson sniffed burying her face in her hands. "Rick would make me even if there wasn't a law saying I had to. To show me that he could make me happy. But he doesn't understand, we're two different people. If he knew the true depths of my heart, my soul, he wouldn't like them, and seek to change me to fit his image of me. I don't want that to be my life."
She surfaced from her hands, tears streaming down her face. "Please, if there's a way, will you please, please, please, find a way to end this marriage before it can happen. I don't care if you steal me away to your realm till the day I die."
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No, she wouldn't mind that at all. She often pretended as a child that he would appear and whisk her away to his realm. He smiled at the memories. After the beating she took as a child, her parents never brought the subject up again. Thinking they had successfully beaten him out of Alyson. They were wrong.
While he would have been present in her life either way, It was her grandmother's last request that had him as an ever constant person in her life, even if he was unseen. After the parents calmed down and left, the grandmother took out his candle and prayed to him. She knew it was because of him that Alyson was spared a more severe beating, and asked that he always watch out for the girl. Alyson's grandmother didn't say it, but he knew she thought that Alyson was meant for Alekzandor. In answer, he gave her a hundred of his candles. She in turn, knew just who they were meant for.
The candle Alyson was burning, was the last one of that one hundred. Which is probably why Alyson was so restless about this prayer, she feared she wouldn't be able to communicate with him ever again.
"I'll do what I can." Alekzandor finally managed to say.
Alyson sniffed and began to wipe away her tears. She stood up, leaving his candle burning as she went about her nightly routine. He watched as she slowly took off her clothes, as if to taunt him. He knew that wasn't what she was doing, but it certainly felt that way to him. Especially when he watched her like this. He sighed and wondered, just when did his feelings grown?
He had always loved Alyson. From the first moment. He watched over her, protected her from threats that even she was unaware of. While he couldn't guard her from everything, he was able to make sure so serious threat could get close to her. He watched her as she played. Pretending he was having a tea party with her. He even joined in on it. He would sit there, answer whatever it was she said to him. That's when he noticed she would answer him as if she had heard him.
She was clairvoyant. That's why she could always answer him even though she had never heard his voice. Why she could predict things before they even happened. Why she was so insistent that her requests be asked now instead of another day. Something was going to happen if she didn't do it soon. He learned to trust her gift, and had been around her long enough for it to not bother him anymore. If anything, he made him feel like he was actually a person in her life and not an invisible voyeur.
When she climbed into bed, he got up, and left her to sleep. Though he did blow a kiss in her direction so she would dream good things until he came back. Then he couldn't guarantee what form her dreams would take. She would probably see what he was going to do before he did.
He returned to his realm and had to rest his head against one of the columns. When did he realize he loved her in a romantic nature? When the marriage contract was revealed. Or rather, he realized that his love would develop into that someday. He loved her as a child could love, and it grew as she did. When she became of age, he began to have more lustful feelings for her. While he wasn't exactly a stranger to lust and where such feelings would lead, it was difficult to feel that way about someone whom you could never touch.
He decided to put the matter aside for the moment. He had some requests to grant, and he needed some help. He needed his father for one of his plans, and for the other, he needed to speak with his grandparents. He knew where his grandparents would be, in the Center. When he tried to locate his father, he found that both his parents were in the Center as well.
"Oh happy joy joy." He mumbled as he made his way there.
The Divine Realm had many realms within it. Each belonging to the Divine who created it. The Center was where it all began. Where Hektor had taken Olivia when they were married, and there they stayed. Very rarely did they leave and go another's realm. The next to be created was the Realm of War, when Balor was old enough to create his old realm. Later it became the Realm of War and Peace, when Serenity joined Balor in Divinity.
A Divine's realm could only be changed by the other who was meant for it. Much to his mother's dismay as she had tried many times to bring order to his realm. He had only caught her the one time, but he knew from her attempt that it was not her first.
After that Balor's ream, Thalia made her realm, the Realm of Order. When Graeson came, it became the Realm of Order and Sanity. The only realm there was besides Alekzandor's own was the Realm of the elements that had two smaller realms within it. Each dedicated to the element his cousin's controlled.
While he could have immediately teleported there, Alekzandor enjoyed the walk along the garden path that led to his grandparents home. The garden that surrounded him once he reached the center was vast, bright, colorful, and beautiful. In the center of the garden, somewhere to his left, he knew there would be a little cottage that his grandparents house. He found his parents and grandparents sitting in wicker lawn chairs, enjoying a peaceful afternoon on a cliff by the sea. He couldn't help but think as he approached that Alyson would have loved this view. The place had a warm homey feeling to it.
When he got close enough, he noticed the conversation had stopped. He suspected that the reason his parents were visiting his grandparents more was to talk about him, and his 'situation'. Though it could have easily been that he was acting severely paranoid. The sudden silence merely confirmed his suspicions. He could have gotten angry, but he tended to save that madness for the people he tortured personally. Instead, he chose to be amused.
"Well that's not suspicious at all." He laughed as he sat down the wicker chair that appeared out of thin air. "Obviously I was subject, but what was the specific topic this time?"
"Lemonade?" His grandmother asked offering him a tall glass of pale yellow liquid.
He nodded, despite his aversion to the stuff. Taking a sip, appearing as if he was calm. When in truth, he was doing anything that would help him be calm. His mother opened her mouth to speak to him, and he knew he wasn't calm enough when his rage flared. Before a word could be uttered, he held up a finger.
"Sorry mother, but if this is about my realm, you can forget it. It's made to suit me and my purpose not yours. I happen to like my realm the way it is."
His mother frowned and glared at him. He had succeeded, whatever she truly wanted to talk about (he had a strong feeling it was about Alyson), was pushed aside. "When will you let that go?"
"When you stop trying to find ways to change it." Alekzandor said taking another sip of the lemonade. This time, because he actually liked it. He took a couple more sips and looked at his grandmother. "Excellent lemonade, did you change the recipe again?"
She nodded and smiled fondly at him. "A bit of corn syrup to make it sweeter."
"Well it worked." He grinned at her. "I might be able to drink the whole glass and ask for more."
That made Olivia beam with happiness. She had been altering her recipe for years in hopes of finding a version that he'd be able to drink. Why, he didn't know, but she was insistent and after years, her efforts finally paid off. He actually liked this version of lemonade.
"As it happens," Hektor said with a bit of volume added to his voice, then lowered it as he continued with everyone's attention. "Your mother wasn't talking about your realm."
"This time." Alekzandor stated still nursing the lemonade.
"Why do you drive me crazy?" Thalia groaned.
He laughed again. "What part of Divine of Insanity is eluding you, mother? Driving people crazy is my job."
"As it happens, your mother was expressing her concerns." Hektor said firmly.
Alekzandor knew he was attempting to calm a potentially dangerous situation. What Alekzandor didn't understand, is why Hektor was oblivious to the true danger? Or did he know? In which case, what was his grandfather up to? Why did the man always have to be so damned cryptic? Hektor caught his eyes for a moment and glared a bit for a fraction of a second before putting a stoic face on again. The man knew when he was being belittled in people's thoughts, yet he did nothing to stop it from happening? And people thought Alekzandor was insane. The thought earned him yet another brief glare from his grandfather.
"Concern about what?" Alekzandor finally asked. Knowing there was no longer any way to avoid this conversation.
Thalia took a deep breath. "About the girl, Alyson."
Alekzandor felt his insides freeze, and his fury flare. His amusement was gone, and there was no way to recover it now that the words were spoken. He was grateful for his grandparents presence. They would keep him under control, keep him from doing something terrible.
However, they didn't do anything to mask his emotions as he spoke to his mother. "What about her?"
Thalia sighed, clearly not understanding the situation. She rested her hand on his knee. "I'm not trying to upset you honey, I'm just concerned. This, I'm not sure what to call it, whatever 'it' is, this situation with her isn't healthy."
"Right," Alekzandor scoffed, "Because I'm totally the picture of mental health."
His mother sighed again. She removed her hand from his knee, sitting back in her chair, she looked at him determined. "Your attachment to her isn't right."
Alekzandor said nothing. He didn't trust his voice at the moment while the rest of his body was threatening to shake with rage. What part of his very being insanity did his mother not understand? When he was in the Divine Realm, around his family, his true self came out. A man who was insane. Usually a Divines powers didn't take over them like his did with him. The only time his powers were just that, powers, and not his state of mind, was when he was around Alyson. When he was away from her, like now, he was what he appeared to be, a mad man.
"She's to be married next month." Thalia said firmly, still staring at him intently.
He wasn't about to tell his mother that was one of reasons he was here. Even if he told the truth that it was by her behest, she wouldn't believe him. Just think it was a fabrication he made up to keep her to himself. No. He wouldn't justify what his mother was thinking. What she was clearly fishing for him to confess so she could point out all the wrong that was with him. Not this time.
Still, he wanted to end this. He hoped his next words would silence anything further from her. That for once, she would be his mother, and offer sympathy, and not make things worse. "Don't remind me."
"Someone has to!" She all but yelled at him.
There was an audible snap. Alekzandor was on his feet, the glass in his hand was thrown, as it shattered where it landed he yelled at his mother.
"Don't you think I already know that mother!? Did it ever occur to you that I already knew I would have to deal with another man marrying her!? Touching her body in the way I want to!? Claiming her in every way that I ache to do!? Did it ever cross your selfish stubborn bitchy mind that this is most agonizing thing I have ever dealt with in my entire existence? Or were you too worried about your embarrassment of a son doing something that would ruin your precious order!?"
His mother shrank back in her chair with each new question he yelled at her. She was staring up at him positively terrified. When Alekzandor had finally stopped yelling, he honestly didn't expect her to open her mouth and make the situation worse.
"Calm down, you look like a madman."
"I am!" He shouted with everything that he was. As loud as his inhuman voice with all of his power, rage, and heartache would allow. It shaked the Divine Realm and everyone in it knew heard him and knew he was pissed off.
"Enough!" Hektor thundered. It was by no means anywhere near as loud as Alekzandor had shouted, it didn't leave the Center. But it was powerful enough to get the message across.
Alekzandor allowed his grandfather's control course through him. He allowed his grandmother's patience do the same. Together, they calmed him. Keeping him acting out in a violent rage like he wanted to do.
"Alekzandor, you came here for a reason, what was it my boy?" Hektor asked him after several moments.
"I need my father for something." He said. His voice rather hoarse. "I'll come back later for a different matter I'd like to discuss with you if that's alright."
His grandfather nodded his consent but his mother looked at him outraged.
"For what!?"
"Sure thing." His father said standing.
"Graeson!?" Thalia said in a threatening tone. "We haven't accomplished a single thing we came here to do, and now he wants to drag you off for something he won't explain to the rest of us? Then he's going to come back, I'm assuming when we're not here, to discuss something that we most likely won't approve of. This is not the time to go galavanting off, we need to sit here and get to the bottom of things. One way or another."
Alekzandor watched as his father kissed his mother's lips. "Don't worry so much. I'll be back soon."
"Mother! Father!" Thalia yelled.
"Leave it alone Thalia." Hektor said in his 'ultimate authority' tone. "Don't say another word on the matter, or I shall punish you."
He took more pleasure and amusement than he should have as his mother sat back dejected and looked positively livid. Alekzandor turned to leave when Olivia took his hand. He looked down at his grandmother and saw the look of heartache on her face. She knew better than anyone the depth of pain he was feeling. One of her abilities as a human was empathy. It carried over into her Divinity. He got down on one knee beside her chair and looked into her eyes. When he did, he knew that she knew what was going to happen, and the other matter he'd come to discuss was.
"Alyson already made me promise that the children will not be harmed." He didn't like seeing his grandmother in pain, he wanted to reassure her. Even if all he could offer was his sincerest words.
"If you do this, one will be." Olivia said softly.
Understanding what she meant, he took a careful breath. "Better that one than the ones whose lives have already begun grandmother. They would be scarred in many ways, that one won't be, and it gets the blessing of having a better family when it's soul is reborn."
Olivia reached up with her spare hand and stroked his cheek affectionately. "I already have the perfect parents in mind. Just promise me one thing."
"Name it." Alekzandor said without thinking.
Olivia smiled, and her voice filled his mind. Ask for a price. When she realizes you granted her request, ask for a price.
How!? Alekzandor asked heartbroken. Using the same method of communication. The only one who heard what was being said, would be his grandfather. His parents, he knew, were watching with puzzled expressions. Yes, I came to beseech grandfather to find a way to nullify that damn marriage contract, but I am not so lost in insanity that I think I can have her. I want her to find happiness, and clearly it won't be with that Rick man. While I know I will never be able to bear the thought of her loving another, should I act on my feelings, and she act on hers, grandmother I would lose her. I would hurt her, and I really wouldn't be able to bear that. I wouldn't be able to live with myself anymore. What we want just can't happen.
Olivia smiled slyly. In her dreams it can.
Alekzandor looked at her stunned. She patted his cheek and said with a grin. "Think about it. You have time."'
"I will." He promised, kissing her cheek.
He stood and left with his father at his side. His mind repeating what his grandmother had just told him. Her dreams.
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Well that was chapter Four!!!!!!
Forewarning Chapter Five is going to go back to Alyson's POV towards the end, and it will probably happen in that chapter, or the next, but things will get a bit gory for a little while.
Cause come on, let's face it, what's a story with an insane god without a little bloodshed?
Here's hoping you enjoyed this chapter!!!
I enjoyed writing it!!! Now I can start getting to the good stuff!!!!!!
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