Chapter 11
Ares
"Leave us", Eva stated. The women filed out of the room quickly,"Actually, we need a family reunion. Bring everyone into the dinning room".
In a series of yes ma'ams everyone left the room and the door was softly shut. Eva reach down and took Freya. Holding her closely to her chest she gently patted her back,"Where did you---"
"There are things far beyond you at play. I know the girls aren't your favorite thing in the world. But, I need you to promise to do everything in your power to protect them. Because this is it", she said as her voice broke," There's no redos after this".
I stood up with purpose,"What's at play? Eva, I can protect you".
She smiled warmly,"You can't ".
Someone had a huge pair of balls on them if they're threatening Eva," Is it Zeus?"
I didn't want to continue the family legacy of killing your father but if he did anything to Eva I would,"Hey, hey, hey, what's going on? Waking me up at the butt crack of dawn".
O gods... only Eva's father gave me existential dread the man could wear down a diamond,"And who's baby is this? Why are you dressed like a Wood Elf?"
Philip slowly shuffled in with a cane. The years have not been kind to him but Phil still acted like he was in the prime of his life,"Daddy do you not remember Freya?"
"I ain't raising no more kids I'm done", Philip said walking over to us and pulling out his glasses. He got right in Freya's face. Freya smiled and cooed some gibberish and suddenly his tone changed," But, I'd do it again for you".
"Do what again?" Sylvian asked strolling in wasn't the boys supposed to be guarding this room. It took only a second for Sylvian to fall in love. "Hi, baby, who's a precious little muffin. You are. Yes, you are".
Freya loved Sylvian's attention and reached out for her. But Eva kept a tight hold her,"Mother, now isn't the time".
In one fluid quick motion she waved her wrist in a circular motion and brought the other boy to stand before her," What the Fu--- fun house!?"
The boy nervously bounced around holding Cecilia better than I did. It was the first time I had heard her be silent since changing her,"Give me my child", Eva demanded the boy nervously looked around unsure what to do. "NOW!"
Her voice split the room like thunder and lightning in the smart-ass had nothing to say. He handed over Cecilia and Eva's whole demeanor changed as she lovingly held Cecilia,"Your child?"
"Yes", she said Focus completely on the girls," Yes, my children".
"Are you sure about that? Because Cecilia is like a hundred plus years old and you don't look a day over... Thirty?" The smart-ass interjected.
"It's good to know your quick wit has not dulled over each lifetime. Where's the other one?"
"BOY! Make yourself known", I shouted into the hallway for Freya's consort. He came running and with a bow Eva's eyes tighen into splits, and a scowl plagued her face aging her.
"You just can't stop coming around", Eva complained as she came back to the bed and sat down. At her feet a cradle sculpted, gilded and painted painted silver materialized itself. The basket was ornately made with full moons, mistletoe and clouds to decorate the outside. Eva place the girls inside and gently rocked the basket.
"Who are you, really?" Clearly not the human the woman I thought I knew.
"I've given birth to these girls a thousand times and I've buried them a thousand more. Before that was a you before any of you that was me", O gods was she one of Gaia's offspring? " things are already in motion that I cannot stop. Why else would you two be here?"
"Sweetheart what are you talking about?" Sylvian said coming to sit next to her daughter.
Eva pointed to Freya's consort,"The last time I saw you, you were enloping after getting Olivia pregnant". Eva then pointed to the other boy,"And you were going to go get a job in a factory but the factory caught on fire and no one survived. I assumed Cecilia drowned herself but she was kidnapped by Poseidon instead".
"How did you know about Olivia and Charles? We could barely put it together let alone find any records they existed other than...memories?"
Critically, Eva spoke,"What are your names this time?" Both boys gave their name Damon and Alaric. I was going to have to remember that because these two weren't going anywhere anytime soon,"Two years after you got Olivia killed interracial marriage was legalized. You... whatever you're thinking with Freya it won't happen. I've seen you to do this dance throughout all of history and it ends the same way with a brutal death. But I could say that until I'm blue in the face you'll feel take my baby from me. And this time she won't come back ...neither of them will".
Eva stood up and straighten her gown," Did you think your Pantheon was the only one that existed? That we haven't been watching from every corner of the Nine World's as the Olympians dominate Midgard".
I stared at Eva this time truly taking her in not just as the love of my life, not just as a woman or the mother of my children and as an unknown force,"Who are you?"
I asked as and if we were the only two people in this room. " I am the Beloved One, the Lady of the Hall, the disgraced Queen of Asgaard, the Forgotten wife of Odin, mother of Balder, Figga".
"Use all the fancy title you want you're still our daughter", Phillip hufted.
Eva smiled warmly,"I'll never be anything less than. Can we have a moment?"
"So you can make another baby", Philip explained as Alaric chuckled. Philip may be off limits but I can easily snap the boys back.
"Of course you can have a moment. We'll be right down the hallway if you need anything", Sylvian like a general called to Arms ushered everyone out the door.
Once we were finally alone Eva or should I say Frigga gently rocked the girls,"Twenty years ago did I miss the conversation where you mentioned you are also a god from a different unknown world?"
"That's the thing with you Olympians your arrogance is your hubris", she fried back.
"If the others knew, if Zeus knew---"
"It would be the beginning of Ragnarok. I'm not here to start a war I'm here for my children because some odd Millennia ago I fell in love with a man he turned out to be a god. I had two daughters with him but he left to fight man's war. Which one? All of them", she stated with a hardness in her voice.
"When? If we had met before I would remember", I said coming up behind her.
"You wouldn't. Odin made sure of that. There are consequences for embarrassing the all seeing All-Father", her voice broke and I could tell that statement was loaded years of hurt and pain. And if I could take it from her and inflicting on myself I would. Eva is the only woman I never truly loved.
"Help me understand", I asked.
Eva turned to face me,"Help me protect the girls. Together we can end this cycle of death. This end isn't just coming for Olympus they will come for us all. Promise me, Ares you will protect them until your last breath".
That was going to be a hard thing to do with specially when they weren't children anymore. But Cecilia and Freya are my blood. Whether I like it or not makes no difference," No harm will come them as long as I exist".
"Thank you", she breathed a sigh of relief.
"I want to know about your Pantheon. Your other life and how it got you here".
"Where do you want me to start?" she questioned.
"At the beginning", I responsed
