Her Heart, His obsession

57. Disturbing Choices

Dante spoke in a tone void of any emotion: "I warned you to apologise properly Athena. Now your parents would have to pay for your defiance. You should know the rules by now. If you defy me, you would have to face the consequences. There is just so much pain I can cause you before I hurt you seriously. You are immune from being subjected to certain punishments since you are my future wife. Right now my way of making you pay for your serious offences is to make others suffer. I do not concern myself with who I hurt and what they mean to you. No one is immune from being subjected to serious harm except my parents, my brother, you and of course our future offspring."

Athena was shaking; " You have to tell me why my parents are in your possession in the first place. The first day you met me, you told me that you would forgive them for taking me away from Arkansas. Why have you captured them? Why do you want to hurt me so much."

Dante pretend to think deeply then he leaned back in his chair and spoke indifferently " Let me think. Why were they captured? Well maybe it was to do with the fact that they have been working with the elder tree council and guardian council of Alaska for many years. They are my enemies. Freedom fighters who have been captured recently have admitted getting assistance from those two pathetic councils. Well your parents would have to be put on trial for acting as accomplices to the enemies of Arkansas. But don't worry, I won't press any more charges on them for taking you away. Keeping Arkansan children away from their heritage is a serious crime. Even their assistance of freedom fighters may not get them the heaviest of sentences that I reserve for traitors like Prudence, Dylan's and Donavan's mother who stole Donavan away and of course Alexandra's aunt for taking her illegally out of our borders. When I get my hands on them, they would suffer so much before I allow them to touch the ground. Now enough said. Lets get back to the real topic here. Your parents have to pay the penalty for attacking a Ronas. You struck me Athena. So they would suffer."

Athena was about to speak to protest when Dante put his hand up and signalled to her to stop " Darling. Don't make this worse for them. I respond to empathy and pleading in quite the opposite way. You are not going to do them any favours by protesting. Be quiet and leave the judgement to me. I may even show them mercy if you do as you are told from this minute."

Athena was torn. She did not know what to do. Dante had her parents locked up somewhere and he held all the cards right now. Athena was trying so hard not to let her emotions to come out. Tears were threatening to spill now. This was a situation that could turn to any direction that Dante wanted.

As Dante issued the order for her to be silent, Athena noticed that there was movement in the sphere on Dante's desk. Athena witnessed how her parents suddenly were lifted and strapped to two separate chairs at the two opposite sides of the room facing each other. She then noticed two figures approaching them and standing in military stance.

Dante spoke coldly " Alexander and Benjamin are standing there waiting for me to issue them with instructions. Your parents lives are in my hands. So tell me Athena who should I start with? Your father Marius or your mother Flavia. You choose. How about both at the same time?"

Athena looked away and pressed her lips. She now had tears in her eyes and was sobbing silently. She knew that negotiating with Dante was pointless. He had no mercy unless he got something he really wanted in return.

Athena sounded defeated; " Please Dante. I am asking you to reconsider your decision. I would do anything. Those two individuals you are locking up are my parents. I am your future wife or so you say. You can not tell me that this is the only way to get back at me for defying you. I am begging you Dante to not harm them. It would hurt me in ways that you can't imagine if you hurt them. Don't do this."

Dante stood up from his desk and went up to Athenas standing figure who had now dropped her shield but still was hugging the jewel of illusion. He started circling Athena and spoke. " Tsk, Tsk. Too late sweet heart. Time for begging is over. It's time to pay the price for your defiance. Besides you are risking it all by pleading to me. The display of empathy makes me angry. It just does. If you want to save your parents, you must give me a good reason. By that I mean, a trade." Dante had stopped circling Athena and was standing right in front of her. They were inches apart. He leaned over closer to her and whispered into Athenas ear " Give me something in return. Think fast. I may change my mind and not accept a trade. It's too tempting to torment my enemies. You have no idea how badly I want to hear the screams of agony from your parents as Alexander and Benjamin will be performing their finest work on them. So hurry up my love."