Without Darkness ✓

14 ~ Darkness

***Darkness/noun/the absence of light***

Aislinn

My mother wasted no time in coming to greet me the moment I arrived in Olympus. I had hardly stood up straight, gotten my bearings, before she was standing in front of me, a grin plastered on her face, eyes lit up to a lovely green colour, and long golden hair astray - most probably from rushing here.

"Mother, what a - pleasant surprise," I said.

She enveloped me into a hug out of the blue. "Oh, Aislinn, I'm so glad you're here. I've so much to tell you. Come, let us sit."

Despite the expression on her face, I still had a gut feeling that something about this conversation wouldn't go too well.

She led us to the side of the path and I sat tentatively, perched on the edge. "What is it?"

"Well, firstly, I'd just like to congratulate you on finishing those dresses! I know your work as a couturier is finished now, but I'm so terribly proud of you. You know, Diana went down to the Kingdom of Sekaran this evening, but she's already returned and says the gowns are simply stunning! Well, especially the one made of moonlight - that is until the girl wearing it ran out in distress."

Through all her ranting my mother didn't seem to see the confused look on my face. Lyssa ran away?

"Anyway, this is all besides the point. There's some information I know you've been longing to know for a while. Regarding Nyx's background."

I tore my thoughts away from the runaway girl and listened closer, my heart seeming to slow and quieten as if to make way for my mother's words. I do remember mentioning this vaguely in the presence of a few Gods, including Jupiter. Though I didn't think anyone had actually listened.

My mother adjusted her tunic and smoothed her hair as if preparing for a speech. "Jupiter had a little free time to install the help of myself, and also Janus - who you know to be the God of Time."

I nodded. "Go on."

"So, using records, memories, and time manipulation, we managed to trace back around to the time that young Nyx was born and left at that chapel in Sekaran."

I thought my heart might leap out of my chest.

"We tracked her mother, Aislinn."

I felt my face light up, but at the same time Iris' eyes turned to a deep grey-blue, indicating what she was about to say was serious - and nothing good, either.

"Unfortunately she's no longer with us. It seems she was rejected from her family to continue on in her household in the Kingdom of Creitor after the father abandoned them. She was forced to flee, but - too weak after childbirth - she felt it was only the right thing to do to let her child go. She was devastated. A few weeks later, she was so weak and starved until she could continue no longer."

That load of information felt like an explosion in my heart. I had already assumed that Nyx's mother was dead, but truly knowing for certain was the worst part. Especially since I now knew: Nyx's mother wanted to keep her. But if she had, the both of them would have died.

Iris saw the expression on my face and hesitated. "And - well, there's something else. Jupiter said I shouldn't tell you but I just thought you ought to know. We managed to track her father, too. He also originated in the Kingdom of Creitor, and abandoned Nyx's mother after finding out she was to give birth."

My heart was in my throat. That sounded far too familiar. "Yes?"

My mother took a shaky breath as her eyes turned a darker shade. "We tracked his history back further, and although I had my suspicions, they were confirmed: this same man is your father, Aislinn."