Eva Green Imagines

Eventual Joy- Artemisia

Pre-warning, this does contain threats of death and murder, morning sickness, and not wanting a child.
Requested by maykeeblue
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She was a mother. Well that's putting it a bit forward, so let's go back a bit. Artemisia never died, thank the Gods she was spared and cast away into the sea unconscious and to never be heard from again.

Though it seemed the Gods had favoured her and instead of drowning to an untimely death, Artemisia survived and by the luck of the Fates made it back to Sparta with nothing more then severe dehydration and a few minor cuts and bruises.

But her survival and loss in battle against the Greeks had only strengthened her fiery need for vengeance even more and now she would do anything to destroy each and every last one of them, no matter the costs.

At least that's what she had told herself in the beginning, risking her life and a thousand more to take her revenge barely seemed more precious than a grain of sand but then two weeks passed and then sickness came, followed by the fatigue, food cravings and distaste for the smell of metal and fire.

It didn't take very long for Artemisia to realise that her condition was indefinite and wouldn't be going away in a few days like a normal stomach bug. Instead it was three and half months until the sickness would stop and nine for the aches and pains to reduce, but what would come after, would be for a lifetime.

Artemisia was pregnant.

At first she was in denial, regardless of how many physicians she saw and midwives she consulted the result never changed but she refused to believe it.

How could she be pregnant? It was that thick headed Themistocles, it was all his doing. Then the anger came and she'd almost destroyed her entire apartment rooms at the castle.

It took almost a week for the anger to come down to manageable degree, where things weren't getting broken as regularly and servants weren't getting as frightened to death about being attacked with flying objects when they entered her rooms.

The acceptance didn't come until Artemisia was almost four months pregnant and past the point of being able to cover her growing belly with looser fitting garments and dresses.

She was down by the sea, the one place she truly felt at home in this cruel world. Watching the waves come and go and how the waters rippled with motion, was the only thing that was ever capable of settling her constant on edge feeling.

She was gazing down at the waters, her feet tucked beneath her, covered by her dress and her hand was grazing the surface of the water. She almost looked serene and ethereal, like a nymph from old tales. Very un-Artemisia like.

"What do we have here!" A man's voice called out from a distance and at first the ravenette gave no attention to the unwanted noise. She'd perfected the talent of ignoring arrogance, always in the form of men, when ever it came near her.

"So this is the mighty commander of the seas," his voice was cocky and sarcastic and already Artemisia's blood was boiling. "How the mighty have fallen!" His voice rang out again only this time it was closer.

She knew that voice and without turning her head she caught site of who the man was, Lysander, a member of the Spartan land army. He was almost as arrogant as they came.

"Look men, the oh so powerful Artemisia is sat like a child by the sea," he called out to the two men, also soldiers, who were walking with him. "You know I hear she's pregnant, with some Greek b*st*rd, what a disgrace."

Artemisia's anger was stronger than it had been for months and her hands curled at her sides in tight fists threatening to strike. Yet she knew better than to give these boys a reaction and so she kept her restraint.

"You know I could do you a favour," Lysander whispered into her ear now bending down to her level. As he rose back to his feet though, he brought Artemisia with him by the arm.

Then he pulled his sword out from his side and Artemisia knew she had to prepare herself for a fight, a slight problem though was that she was currently unarmed.

Lysander then took his sword and as he began to speak her dragged it up towards Artemisia, "I could cut that child out of you and save you the disgrace of bearing a Greek spawn." His sword then lowered to meet her growing bump, that was only covered by the fabric of the dress she wore.

But then something had happened, it was when  Lysander's sword began to put pressure on her stomach and she felt it, not the tip of the blade from outside but the unmistakable kick of her child, her baby. who was begging it's mother to protect them and keep them safe. As if they could hear the conversation that was happening outside of her womb.

That's when the realisation struck Artemisia like a back hand to the face. She wasn't responsible for just herself anymore, there was a life inside of her that depended on her and regardless of how much she hadn't wanted it and how many times she'd said it out loud. This baby, her baby, still wanted her and in this moment they wanted their mother to protect them.

That's when the maternal instincts kicked in and without a weapon of her own Artemisia attacked Lysander.

It was a good thing that it wasn't only swords she could fight with, she wasn't known as the greatest warrior of her time for no reason. It took no more than seven seconds for Artemisia to disarm Lysander and hold his own blade to his throat.

"If any of you ever threaten my child again, not even the Gods will be able to find your bodies." Artemisia's voice was like death itself, cold, cruel and unforgiving and each of the men there knew she would make good on her threats.

She let them go with their lives but not without a slash to the arm each. Now she knew where her priorities lay, that this baby inside her was now her everything and she now hated herself for all the cruel things she'd said because this child was a part of her. A life that she created and a life she would now never let anything happen to.

Nine months went by very quickly after that day by the peer and soon enough Artemisia had given birth to two beautiful little girls.

Their names were Eleanor, the oldest, and Suthena the youngest and they were her pride and joy. She loved them both the moment she heard their healthy cries and when she first held them, she knew she never wanted to let them go.
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Hey guys, I absolutely love how this turned, I hope you all did to. Until next time fellow readers.