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In a World of war and feud came 4 gypsy families located either in Birmingham or London, they were the Lees, the shelbys, the knights and let's not forget about the warrens who were the top of the chain and the most well known. The families had been a war since anyone could remember they were all powerful and dangerous in their own way wheather they had the money and power to have control over others or had the members and skills to put up one hell of a fight,

Zipla Lee was the Head of the Lee family and the man in charge, Thomas shelby lead the shelby family aswell as the Peaky blinders or as athena's father liked to call them the Peasky blinder,he was the second eldest son to Arthur Sr. And ruled along side polly gray, xander knights lead the knight family who were second cousins to the Warren's but never got along and finally was lance warren the head of the warren family alongside his wife adeline who would do anything for her family no matter the cost.

Lance and adeline warrens were childhood sweethearts eachothers first loves, they were only ever blessed thought with one daughter naming her athena meaning goddess of wisdom as she would lead the way when she was old enough and take over her fathers buisness,

Athena had grown up lonely with barely any children in her neighbourhood, being taught how to be a proper "lady" and had been groomed to be perfect and successful from a young age, it was too much pressure making her feel as if she was drowning in a tub full of water with no escape, but when she became 10 years old she thought of a marvellous plan to sneak out and ride her horse midnight until sun rise no one knew about her little secret.

But when the war broke out everything changed, men and boys were leaving loved ones behind to help fight for their country but that wasn't the case for athena's family, unfortunately her father lance was terminally ill with a sickness affecting his heart making him weak meaning he couldn't go to war,

The war had lasted longer than anyone had guessed, but finally in 1918 it had come to some what of an end meaning everything going back to the way it was well atleast most thing the boys and men would come back home to their loved ones that would have missed them dearly but they wouldn't be the same person they were before they left. Athena couldn't imagine what pain familys were going through if they loved a loved one it was a tought thing that would take a tull of any family

In the year 1919 athena came of the age 18 something she didn't know if she was happy or sad about with this age came even more responsibilities to her list that she despised so ever much the longing to be a normal young women was alway nagging at her brain. Throught the years the rivalry between the 4 families dialed down a bit but with buisness picking up again meant a new found one starting.

Athena didn't understand how long this war had been going on for it was ridiculous to her the Lees absolutely despised them and the way the warrens ran things, the knights shared a childhood rivalry with there cousins and for the shelbys well they were always on thin ice with eachother lance hated the way the shelby boys would go around flashing there razors at anyone who dared try go against them and Thomas hated how much power and money lance held it was what his buisness needed to become the ultimate one

It had become so bad that adeline had become sick with worry about her husbands health and her daughters safety that she forced lance and the Peaky boys into his office at the warrens manner and try get them to sort things out to get atleast one enemy of there back and onto their side its what athena admired most about her mother, how smart and compassionate she was about her family.

So a day after athena's 18 birthday Tommy, Arthur and John travelled all the way to London to sort out their differences and end the war between them once and for all

"I can't believe I'm doing this, isn't there another way?" Lance sat holding a scotch in his left hand staring at the shelby brothers more so directly at Thomas

" I'm sorry this has to be the way Mr. Warren" Thomas spoke with confidence, " but this Is the only way to make our feuding end once and for all"

Adeline scoffed to herself at what she was hearing this buisness deal was atrocious this wasn't what she raised athena up to be, a simple pon to her husbands game this wasn't the lance she had married speaking it was the buisness one that took a tull on their marriage sometimes

" you can't be serious" everyone turned to face her " our daughter isn't a prize for this stupid game you boys are all playing, this wasn't what I raised her for".

"Listen to me ads, this could be the end of our foolish war for good, its an opportunity" everyone sat their waiting for what adeline was going to do

" if you do this you will be the one to explain" all adeline saw was red " you can be the one she resents" and with that she left the room to go get athena

Upstairs sat athena infront of her mirror finishing of braiding her luscious red hair, athena had been blessed with a petite body form and angelic looks wherever she went women would grow jealous of her beautiful looks without having to sit infront of the mirror wasting hours trying to put make up on.

Athena knew that her mother and father had guests downstairs in the office but she didn't know much about exactly who they were, standing up infront of her body mirror she took in her appearance to make sure everything was just perfect and in place, people would always tell her pal3 skin suited baby blue colours the most,

With a light tapping on her bedroom door adeline walked in to a view of her daughter finishing getting ready, she was nervous athena could tell by the say she played with her fingers and fingernails a habit she had inharited

"Your father wants you to come down for a family meeting" athena never questioned her mothers antics and always obeyed when her father asked her to do something it's how it's always been she gets respected and treated like an adult and in return she obeyed her parents wishes.

And without another peep from either women athena made her way down the grand staircase leading to her to her fathers office when ever there was a family meeting she always felt a little joy spark in her that she was included in decisions when it came to the buisness

With a light knocking on the door athena walked in to be greeted with her father in his normal seat and three men in front of him the middle one with a cigarette loosely hanging from his mouth, the right sided one older than the other two and the one on the left obviously younger, when the men heard her come in they all turned to face her making athena nervous

"Athena dear, meet Thomas, Arthur and John shelby there here on a buisness idea" now that athena had names to match the unknown faces it made her extremely nervous she had heard all about Thomas shelby and what he did to people who crossed him but she couldn't figure out why he was here her father hated the razor blade gang

"As you know we have been at war with the shelby clan for quite some time we have figured out a way to settle it for good" Lance continued on and throught out the whole time that athena had arrived she could feel certain pair of deep blue eyes on her, trying to figure her out

"And what is this..settlement" athena spoke in a calming voice trying to calm herself down and with the question floating in the air lance started to all of a sudden began fetching

"Well I..we decided that the only way that it could be settled was if you would be with Thomas" it was as if time had stopped for athena her polite smile for the men began  fading and turning into a confused one the defining silence lasted for what felt like forever

" I'm sorry I think I may have miss heard you father it sounded like you said I was marrying Mr shelby" athena spoke but when she got nothing in return her face became emotionless as if her shy character had be horrendously killed it slightly scared Thomas of how fasted her emotions changed in the span of 2 minutes.

Athena couldn't believe what was happening, what her father did, she felt cheap like a piece of jewellery being sold of to anyone that would take it this wasnt life she thought she would end up having athena wanted a love like her mother and fathers, inlove and affectionate not just some arranged one that would be loveless and depressing,

Before her father could try calm her down and explain to her how this would help end the feuding athena had shockingly fleed out the office door before anyone could blink, right passed her mother who knew what had happened and down to the stables to where she could ride and forget the problems she was faced with and to come but this wasn't the end it was a somewhat a new beginning..

His Redemption >> Thomas Shelby [1]Where stories live. Discover now