Arakhne of the Floating Mountain (#OpenNovellaContest2020)

Scars of Athena

"Do you take me for a fool?" Arakhne asked, voice hovering above a whisper and seeming to hang in the air like a dangerous feather.

"N-no, my lady..." Luna replied, stepping in front of Soledad as Estelle held her sister back with her hand clamped over her mouth.

Arakhne raised her gaze in increments, but when she stopped, she eyed the wall behind the three sisters, cheeks flushed the color of wild azaleas. Her shoulders heaved. She gritted her teeth so hard that if her body had not resisted, she would have broken her jaw, splintering calcium and spraying blood and muscle all over the now immaculate cloth before her.

"This is in fact a serious proposal," Estelle interjected, taking a step toward Arakhne. "A-any of us would be lucky... no, blessed, even, to marry you... And we can offer you protection from Athena..."

Soledad and Luna both nodded while muttering in agreement with their sister. However, Arakhne seemed to freeze in place, her scowl replaced with furrowed eyebrows and parted lips. Her lion-like bravado had been stripped away. Now she resembled a young, haunted maid who had moments ago witnessed the brutal murder of her mother.

"What is wrong with her?" Soledad asked Luna from behind Estelle's hand.

Luna opened her mouth to respond when Arakhne slid to the floor on her knees as she gasped, tears overwhelming her eyelashes and spilling in rivulets down her cheeks. She ignored the three women who stood before her in the entrance to her chambers, hiccuping before she wailed and more tears flowed down her face and neck. The sisters exchanged puzzled looks.

Kneeling beside Arakhne, Luna hesitated as she reached and patted the wailing woman on the shoulder. At first, Arakhne did not respond; Luna made another attempt; this time, Arakhne paused mid-wail, and then slumped down further on the marble floor and came to rest with her head perched on Luna's lap, wavy auburn hair splayed out across her robes. Arakhne's cries grew softer and softer as Luna patted her hair, until small droplets glided from the corners of her eyes and all she could do was sigh to herself.

"I can't even count how many years it's been since I heard that name outside my own mind," Arakhne croaked. She made no move to leave Luna's lap. "I feared this arrangement was being made out of pity but... It's true that... Athena... still seeks vengeance.... The gods do not so easily forget. As I shouldn't forget my own arrogance... Lest I get turned into a spider permanently this time..."

"So, in that case, will you accept our offer?" Luna inquired, fingers absently running through the waves of Arakhne's hair.

Eyelids fluttering shut, Arakhne hummed as Luna's fingertips brushed against her scalp. It had been too long since she had been touched by someone aside from herself. Warmth pooled from the top of her head down to her nipples and then to between her legs. She jolted upright.

"Enough..." Arakhne said weakly as she sat up, wrapping her arms across her own chest and crossing her legs.

"I was about to tell you both to get a room," Soledad quipped.

Luna and Arakhne both looked at the ground, faces flushed. Estelle covered her own mouth to stop the others from seeing her smirking. They were all silent for a few more moments.

"I accept. But if any of you say anything about what happened here today, I won't hesitate to dismember you and throw you into the pits of Tartarus. I don't care if that's your domain, I will do it."

Sniffling and wiping her eyes with the back of her hand, Arakhne could not have looked less intimidating as she made that statement.

"Sure you will..." Soledad responded with a roll of her eyes. "I do not doubt it. You are very scary when you are angered."