Aphrodite stood waiting at the top of the hill for Kendalla and her mother. She sat on a nearby log, examining the state of her hands for no reason other than to kill time.
Shiloh crouched on a branch in the same tree he sprinkled flower petals on Kendalla just the day before. He swallowed a lump in his throat with his bow and arrow grasped tightly in his hands.
Persephone and Kendalla met Aphrodite at the top of the hill, both a bit suspicious as to where Shiloh was.
Persephone stepped fowards, although a minor God, she carried herself tall, not allowing herself to be intimidated by Aphrodites
"Aphrodite, always a pleasure." She said lightly
Aphrodite dipped her head, “What a surprise seeing you here.” She smiled, standing upon their arrival, “Always a pleasure.” She cast a glance to Shiloh, who reluctantly lined the pulled the arrow back in his bow, aiming it at no one for now, only the ground.
"I wanted to meet the man that my daughter has seemed to befriended." she said "and seeing that he's your son, I had to come." she smiled softly
Kendalla sighed softly and glanced around
“Of course..” Aphrodite smiled, “He’s up there.” She gestured to her son still crouched in the tree.
He’d aimed his arrow at Kendalla’s leg at this point, his lips pursed and his eyes intensely focused, “You…Kendalla..” He croaked, reciting the words he’d decided to say. He really didn’t mean them and he hoped to whatever was higher than him that Kendalla would instant he didn’t mean any of it, “have wrongly challenged Aphrodite’s beauty and stolen away the attention she rightfully deserves. And for that you must pay.”
Persephone stood in from of her daughter protectively "She has done none of wat you accuse." she said "surly not."Kendalla glanced up at Shiloh, confusion and heartbreak in her eyes then back at Aphrodite "you know I havn't done anything of what he says." She said. She pushed her mother out of the way so she wouldn't get hit "get dad!" She yelled, facing Shiloh
Shiloh shifted on the branch, “I’m not going to hurt you! This arrow won’t hurt you!” He yelled back to her, “I just—just do as I say!” He kept lowering the arrow to her leg whenever she moved.
Aphrodite smirked, “I suggest you do as he says. Those arrows make you fall in love with whoever he chooses.”
Shiloh swallowed again, glancing at Aphrodite then back again before speaking, “I..I require that you willingly go up to the highest misty hill beside Mount Olympus and marry a foul headed beast! Either go willingly or I’ll be forced to shoot your leg and have you fall madly in love with him.”
(Ahhh that is my favorite part!)
Persephone wailed "Please! take me, not her!"
Kendalla glanced back at her mother "I love you mom, you and dad." she bowed to her and turned back to Shiloh "i choose to go willingly. I want no spell to be put upon me. I don't want to forget this…any of this." she said calmly. Nodding to Shiloh and then turning to Aphrodite "i hope you're happy and I hope this satidfies you,"
(Aaaa mine too)
Aphrodite smiled widely, “Yes, darling. It very much does.”
Shiloh exhaled a deep sigh of relief and released the tension in his bow towards the ground instead of her, “Good choice..” he hopped off of the tree branch, looking over to Kendalla with a heavy expression, “I hope you can forgive me…Aphrodite will guide you up to the hill this evening for you to be wed.”
all kendalla did was nod and walked over to her mother, helping her up "Mom, you need to tell dad."
Persephone shook her head hysterically "No, you need to stay with us, we can protect you down there." she reasoned
"But for how long? I don't want to do that to either of you, I'll be fine. I'm sure it's not as bad as he makes it out to be. And hey, I'll be following you're footsteps,"
"You're father is not a monster." Persephone said, trying to smile
"exactly, so maybe my groom isn't either." she said, standing up
"Tell dad, calm dad down and come to the wedding. I want you two there." she said, "thats allowed, right? they can come?" she asked over her shoulder.
Shiloh glanced over to Aphrodite, who nodded, but shiloh didn’t seem so sure. The least he could do right now would be to say yes, so he nodded, “Yes, that’s fine.”
He would make it work somehow.
She nodded and walked with her mother down the hill, cooing reasuring words to her and promising her everything she requested "yes mom, I will visit, no I won't go that far with him. No mom, I'm not planning on having kids, not yet." She let her go, only to allow her to go back to the underworld "Reasure dad I'm fine, and don't break anything." Once Persephone had disapeared, she sank to her knee's and cried for her loss of freedom. afterwards, she headed back to her house on the outskirts of the village to gather her things.
Shiloh threw a glare at his mom before he turned away from her and took off for his own house. It was to be made ready for his bride.
Aphrodite kept smiling, her plan had gone perfectly in her mind. All the mortals would continue worshipping her now without the distraction of that girl. And marriage wasn’t all that bad..
(literally bouncing in my seat…ugghhhhhh this is so good!)
She didn;t have much, just some dresses and a few personal items. By the time night fell, kendalla was walking up the hill to meet Aphrodite. She sat by the tree and glanced up, hoping to see Shiloh before she left but not finding him in his normal spot
(Aaa!! me too I love it so muucchh)
Aphrodite outstretched her hand to take Kendalla’s the walk isn’t far.” She promised, beginning the short trek to the house draped ominously in white mist in the distance.
Shiloh watched the two women walk down the smaller hill from his bedroom window. He’d extinguished all the lamps in his house, closed the drapes, and anything else that might possibly give off any amount of light.
Kendalla took the godesses hand and nodded "Are they there? the house seems abandoned…" she asked, looking up at the beautiful mansion in front of her, wondering how she had never seen it before "Do I have to stay there? or am I allowed to leave?"
“That depends on your husband.” She answered, “I have no requirements beyond that you marry him.” She kept her chin level with the earth and her other hand swinging at her side.
Shiloh’s heart beat faster the closer they got to the hill, “Come on..” he whispered, bouncing his knee excitedly.
kendalla nodded and said nothing more until they reached the house. she set her things down and knocked gently on the door, not knowing what to say. It's not like she could barge in and yell "you're wife is home!" she laughed softly at the thought and waited patiently, glancing around to see a small garden in the corner. She walked over and sat among the dead flowers, "mom's gona kill me if I don't do anything." she waved a gentle hand along the petals and helped the flowers grow, her hair lifting as she used her powers. "there, now you'll be better off."
Aphrodite left once Kendalla was at the top of the hill.
The drapes from the window just above her rustled as Shiloh pulled them back to look at her.
A strong gust of wind circled around her, bringing the sweet smell of ambrosia with it. It pushed her towards the door of the house, as best as it could at least. It was more of a gentle suggestion at the very most. Very strange winds for a very strange house.
She breathed in deeply, savoring the smell "ok, ok, mr pushy wind, settle down, I'm going, I'm going." She managed to grab her things before she made her way to the door, lightly pushing it open, "uhm…hello?"
The door creaked upon her entry, and a grand staircase in the foyer welcomed her into the pitch dark house. The moonlight casted faint light into the house, enough for her to see the feet of someone approach the top of the steps, “Close the door when you’re inside…”
Shiloh spoke low and gravelly as he could to mask his voice, even if it didn’t echo. If she found out it was him, his whole plan would come crumbling down.
Kendalla blinked a few times, trying to adjust to the darkness of the room. She turned and shut the door behind her, casting out the light from outside and cloaking the room in darkness. "I..I'm Kendalla…I was sent by Aphrodite. I'm to marry you." she shivered slightly and glanced around, trying to see into the darkness
There were very faint silhouettes of furniture around the house, blanketed in hazy fuzz as her eyes adjusted.
The man took a step down the stairs, “So I’ve heard..” he kept his voice calm and measured, cool and methodical, “You mustn't ever look at me, even at our wedding later. Neither may your parents.”
She nodded "then how can I know who I'm supposedly to fall in love with? If I cannot see you're face?" she asked "And are you realy that self concious that you're going to keep me from looking at you?" she laughed softly and shook her head "this is going to be interesting…" she muttered.
Shiloh thought for a moment. How was he supposed to answer that?
“Well..I would rather you to fall in love with me and..not my face. My , my personality. And then maybe..in a while..you can eventually..maybe see my face..”
Kendalla nodded "I'd rather that too." she said, "So i'm going to assume you're not a true monster, right?" she asked, sitting down on the couch that she vaguely made out in the darkness. "I just get the feeling that you aren't all that you say that you are."
“Not in spirit, no.” He croaked, taking more steps down the stairs. His cloak draped behind him as he descended closer to his bride.
She sat fowards and rested her arms on her knee's "I thought that of a friend before, guess I was wrong." she turned away and whiped tears from her face "sorry…"she said, inhaling deeply "I hope you don't mind but I revived the flowers outside."
He fell quiet, looking off to the side. She probably was meaning Shiloh..and he couldn’t blame her.
He kept his distance from her, sitting on the chair across from the sofa, “I’m sorry to hear about your friend..and yes, it’s absolutely fine about the flowers.”
She nodded "It's alright. So what may I call you?" She asked, realizing she did not know the name of her husband to be yet.
