章 55: Promise and Delivered Feelings

After talking for weeks or maybe years, they couldn't tell, Athena and Uran had become best friends.

Uran told everything she knew about the gods and also about the gift she gave to her visitors millennia ago and Athena told her adventures in this and the other world and even though she already had a way out of that place, the woman stayed there, keeping company for the goddess.

(Athena, won't your nymphs be worried if you don't go back?) Uran asked with a sad expression.

Athena smiled affectionately at the thought of Anemus and Fotiá, and then at the thought of Uran. (Yes, they will.)

Uran bowed her head and let her shoulders slump.

(Uran, I'll get you out of here.) Athena said and the girl looked at the woman again. (We both know your mother won't get you out of here and I don't agree with that. She created you in the way she wanted and now discards you? I won't accept it!) Athena said with an annoyed expression.

Uran smiled with hopeful eyes and then laughed at the thought of Athena facing her mother. (Fufufu~... Athena, do you know that my mother is the creator of everything in this dimension and yet you want to fight her? Fufufufu~...)

(What's the matter? I'll bring her to you by the ear!)

(Fuhahahahaha!) Uran laughed. For the first time she laughed so happily.

Asherah, her mother, was a woman embittered by being abandoned by her husband, and this made her be severe with her children, especially with Uran, who had an essence similar to her father.

Uran never knew her mother's love, not even once. Instead, Uran often met her mother's wrathful side.

But that didn't make Uran hate her, she loved her mother more than anything, but now she had someone else she loved. Athena had quickly become an irreplaceable existence for her. She was happy.

(Then Athena, I'll help you.) Uran stood and raised her hands towards Athena. (I can't do much with these chains on me, but with a part of the seal open, I can at least do that.)

From Uran's small hands gleamed and power reached Athena. It wasn't mana, it was simply power, pure and simple. Athena closed her eyes, feeling the connection to her body and it was as if the wrong things fell back into place.

(But how? Naph said that no god could interfere with me anymore.)

(Perhaps the gods banished from the mortal world, but Athena, I'm trapped in the mortal world...) Uran's voice grew fainter. (Looks like you can't stay any longer...) The lonely girl didn't look so lonely anymore. (Athena, I'll wait for you down here.)

(It won't be long.) Athena told Uran and saw the girl disappear into that immense white.

***

"Lobana, run here! Athena is no longer glowing!" Mifa screamed and all the women ran out onto the cold deck.

When they looked at the woman trembling in the chains, their cloudy faces smiled.

"W-wh-are you y-looking?" Athena asked and they cheered. "B-get me out of here...!"

Lobana and Hale carefully lowered Athena from the masts, but Athena was too tired and hungry to walk and was carried by Lobana into her cabin.

Athena told her what had happened to her while she was sleeping and all of them, but Mifa, listened with disbelief on their faces.

Mifa was so happy that Athena was fine that she couldn't stop smiling and hugging Athena. She only left the woman when Athena pushed her away and asked to be alone with her.

"Mifa, I need to tell you something." Athena said and Mifa's heart sped up. "What would you do if I told you I can't just love you?"

Mifa tilted her head with her ears up. "Huh?"

"Let me explain..." Athena told how she felt when she saw Mifa almost die and told how she felt when she was fainting in the temple, thinking that she was going to die. "And that's it."

"You mean you love me too?" Mifa asked with hopeful eyes.

"Huh? Yeah..." Athena widened her eyes in surprise. "Yes, but… aren't you angry?"

"Why? You love me!" Mifa said with a big smile. "Honestly, I thought it would take a lot longer." Mifa got up from her chair and sat on the bed.

The truth is that Athena only realized that she was starting to love Mifa when she saw the girl almost die and when she almost died herself, she also realized her feelings for Anemus and felt that she needed to put her feelings into words.

"Aren't you jealous?" Athena asked just pull Mifa closer.

"On the way to Ethers, when you explained to me that you ran away because you were afraid of Anemus' love, I had already realized that you loved her. I was jealous and afraid that you would leave if you noticed and so I didn't said anything, but if you love me too, I won't take you away from her, who loved you first." Mifa said and moved closer.

The two were already at a distance that it was possible to feel each other's breathing. They looked into each other's eyes as if they were hypnotized.

Athena kissed Mifa's face, caressing her face with her lips until it reached the girl's lips. Athena gave her a peck, they faced each other again, with smiles on their moist lips and then kissed each other passionately.

Mifa's heart was pounding loudly, but it wasn't just Mifa's heart that was racing. Athena's heart beat as fast as Mifa's and together, they felt shivers at each other's touch and their heads fluttered with each breath.

Athena smiled at the kiss and then whispered.

"I love you."

Mifa smiled in a light, happy sigh and their lips met again, in a hot, passionate kiss, full of happiness.

They no longer needed words. Just that warm kiss that early winter.

***

When the Gloria of the Goddess reached Basilian, from above the ship, Athena could see black-armored troops camped outside the walls.

"What's that? I've barely left and we're at war again?"

"They are troops of the empire." Lobana said while narrowing her eyes.

"Hm..." Athena made a cold expression. "I think I'll go say hello to them."

"Huh?" Lobana and Mifa reacted and looked at Athena who had already walked away from the two.

"{Teleport}" Athena said and disappeared in a flash of blue light.

Mifa and Lobana looked down again and there a small cloud of dust rose as the woman in white appeared.

As soon as Athena appeared in the middle of the camp, the soldiers soon drew their swords and surrounded her.

"Hey guys!" Athena said in a childish tone that didn't match her simple, elegant appearance.

"Who are you? Identify yourself!" Yelled a large gray-haired man who carried a large black sword.

"I own this place. And who are you?" Athena asked, still keeping her tone childish and silly.

"Owner of this place? Don't talk nonsense! As long as the imperial troops are camping here, this place is ours." The man replied.

Athena walked towards the man, standing in front of his sword with a smile on her lips.

"Ah... Yes... So it was like Lobana said. And what does the empire want?"

"Why would it interest an ordinary little girl like you?" the man asked, but then his face whitened as he looked right at Athena.

After receiving Uran's power, Athena absorbed and expanded her amount and quality of mana. Before the mana that escaped from Athena's body was white with few blue pieces and was the height of a simple house, but now, her mana was pure white and was like a tower.

The man broke out in a cold sweat and tried to apologize, but it was too late.

***

Serien couldn't wait for an escort, she took a horse and ran to the city gates. She was eager to see Athena again, but all that anxiety disappeared when she saw the empire's camp, which looked like a crime scene with bodies strewn everywhere.

"Ah! Hi Serien, I'm back!" Athena said with a bright, bloody smile on her face.

Serien jumped off the horse with a terrified expression on her face and in a squeaky voice, she screamed. "Your majesty, what have you done!?"

Athena let go of the man still in her hands and then walked over to Serien as the Gloria of the Goddess dropped its anchor in the middle of the camp.

"Don't worry, I didn't kill any of them." Athena said while swinging her sword like a baseball bat. "I used the sword to defend and hit them like a club."

Serien looked again at the scene that didn't match what her queen said, but then she realized the men were moving and moaning in pain. This made the princess breathe a sigh of relief.

"So what does the empire want?" Athena asked as she waved at the Valkyries coming toward her.

"First of all, welcome back. I hope your journey has been fruitful." Serien bowed. "If I may, you'd better go bath first."

The white dress Athena wore was completely ruined by the soldiers' bloodstains. In addition to the dress, her face, hair and hands were also bloody. Serien could hardly believe Athena didn't kill anyone in that place.

"The emissary awaits you in the throne room."

"Throne room? Didn't I destroy it?"

"We've already rebuilt it the way you asked it to be, but..." Serien looked away.

"???"

"...It looked like a demon king's dungeon." Serien said in a disturbed voice and Athena smiled.

"Perfect! A throne room instead of showing richness and luxury, it has to be cool." Athena said and Serien frowned and then laughed.

There was no reason for Athena to follow the tendencies of other rulers, she was the only queen she chose and that's why Serien tried hard even if Athena wasn't around all the time.

After regrouping with the Valkyries, with the horses brought there by the gate guard, the women went to the royal palace, which now had gray walls instead of white and resembled a fortified castle more than a palace.

*There will probably be a timeskip soon...*