Slade stared me down. "It is the right size for your small hands?"

"I think you have big hands and I have...normal hands." I correct him. "But yes. Thank you."

He nods gruffly. "Is everything alright?"

I nod with a smile. "I do have a question. Who are you, really Slade?"

He raises his brow. "Hm?"

"You're not just a knight. You're not a king, because I would've heard of you, I'm certain. You're not just a rich man. Who are you?"

He blinks, setting his utensils down. "Slade. God of War."

He picks his utensils back up continuing his meal.

"I suppose my only problem with that," I chuckled nervously. "Is that gods don't exist."

"Then why do you pray to them?" He asked.

I pause. "Heh...it's...it's tradition—"

"You prayed to me. You did the ceremony with me. So here you are. Eat quickly, the food will get cold."

I set my fork down. He looks up from his plate at the clatter with a raised brow.

"I'm sorry you're not seriously implying you are THE god of war, right?"

He frowned. "Correct. I am not implying. I am telling you. Because you asked me who I was." He continues eating, satisfied with his answer.

I stand. "You're a god? A real god? How come no one comes to worship you here? And...and...gods don't exist."

"Okay," he shrugged, drinking from his cup. "Then I'm a Knight."

"But you just told me you're not," I protest with A scoff.

He leans back in his chair, his brow furrowed red eyes scanning over me as if I were a defective product, and he's just not sure what's broken yet.

"You informed me my answer was not acceptable. I have changed my answer. What do you want from me?"

"The truth!"

"I am the God of war. And you performed a ceremony of devotion to me, which makes you my wife." He sips from his cup once more.

"Wife..." I sit back, my head spinning. "Plenty of people do a devotion ceremony..."

"You are the first to do one to me in a very long time. I suppose you are correct. You are unlucky," he shrugged.

My head is spinning. What's going on? He must be a lunatic. Surely. That's the explanation. Yes, probably some knight who went crazy, or maybe has delusions of grandeur.

"You don't have to believe me." He stated. "And I won't press our marital status. It was a technicality, after all, unintentional on your part."

He stood, staring down at me. "You're only human...after all."

He smiles, his sharp teeth glinting in the low lighting. "You can't expect much from them."

I scoff. "Who's your mother?"

"I don't have one. Gods are not born. They come to be when there is an imbalance in the universe that must be righted."

"We'll that—" I paused. No that actually makes quite a bit of sense. "What imbalance needed war?"

He stops, turning around. "Humans. Humans require occasional extermination. It is important to keep their numbers low. They must be culled."

I stumble back. "Culled?"I repeat.

He cocked his head with a frown. "Didn't your husband Poison you in a temple the day of your marriage?"

I look up at him. "Why does that..."

"Then you understand," he said simply, continuing to stalk away.

I follow him. I must be mad. I am mad! This is insane and I can't...I can't just accept this?! It's not possible.

"No. That's one bad person surely all mankind is not—"

"They are," he assured me hurriedly.

"What could killing them do?!"

He stops suddenly making me bump into him. I touch my face with a wince.

"It creates balance. Life and death. Peace and war. Night and day. All things require balance. The only way to balance mankind is through slaughter."

He sighed, before resting a heavy hand on my head. "It must be upsetting. You're only human, after all."

I push his hand off my head, struggling. "Don't condescend to me! Only human you say!"

Slade gets down on his knees in front of me, caressing my face.

It heats up under his touch, his red gaze warm, almost on fire.

"I see...I'm sorry, little wife. It must be hard for you."

I'm silenced by him. He peers into me, his finger stroking my cheek. A warmth I've never felt. Not from anyone. My stomach ties itself in a knot.

"Rest. I'll see you for dinner, tomorrow."