Kassandora sat down as she picked up the pen. The Reclamation War did not require her management, so she might as well start doing something useful with her time and no one would do this as well as she did. The words came to her naturally, they started to flow onto the page as her fingers danced with the pen:

‘The Modern War’

Was personal pride bad? Helenna supposed it could grow to be grating and annoying. Allasaria, Fortia, Maisara and Elassa had more than enough of their own pride to be annoying, but that was because they were proud of everything. Allasaria would demand applause she put pen to paper and knew how to write, Maisara would want praise for having the decency to turn up on time to a meeting. Helenna though?

She knew what she was good at. And her chest was as warm as a hearth when she saw everyone stop. Men put their forks down, some forgot they had food in their mouths, others simply stared. One man coughed on his drink. That was enough, but it was from the women that Helenna got the best compliments. Every angry glare at their partner was an admission of the Goddess’s incomparable beauty, every annoyed look was a call to retreat from Helenna. Even the eyes that turned away and pretend not to see the Goddess was simply a childish attempt at espousing the Sun did not shine.

Helenna walked through the restaurant Arascus had chosen. Honestly, she had thought he’d make up reason to not take her to dinner, to move the goalposts of the bet or some other farce like that. That didn’t happen though, the man did stay true to his word. He did book the best place in Nanbasa, at the top of one of the cities’ skyscrapers. A whole room just for them. Helenna smiled as she walked by, making sure to add a sway. That was for nothing else other than just to rub salt in the wounds of everyone here.

A waiter came to meet to her immediately. A handsome young man, well groomed and tall, in a pretty suit. But ultimately, a suit like that did not compare to a Helenna’s dark crimson dress. She made sure to stop at the end of the room so everyone could see her back. Vainglory was a killer, that was the sin the Pantheon carried. But Pride? Helenna took a deep breath as she felt eyes run down her shoulder blades. The only reason she had ended up with Allasaria was because Arascus had not come back to her back then, she had never been one to hide away under the guise of humbleness. “We have your reservation already Goddess.” The waiter said quietly, he did have the look of being popular with girls. It only made the fact he could not look Helenna directly in the face even sweeter.

“Lead the way.” Helenna cooed. A man close to her dropped his glass as Helenna swept across the room. She didn’t even look at the people on this floor as the waiter opened a door and bowed to let Helenna through. She slowly sauntered up the stairs, her hand trailing along the rail. Arascus had chosen a fine place indeed. He was on the second floor, an entire room prepared for them, there was only one grand table in the middle of the room, Arascus was sitting there.

The waiter closed the door behind Helenna as she went to sit down opposite him. She would have chosen a smaller table personally, but that was what she got for letting him do the organisation, men simply could not do romance. “You’re late.” Arascus said. He was in a fashionable suit too, black on white, prim. Nothing too extravagant, but then did he need anything like that? The grandest Divines could be imposing even in the nude.

“I am.” Helenna said as she looked around the table. “There’s no menus?”

“I took the liberty of ordering for you since you didn’t turn up on time.” Arascus said lightly.

“How scheduled.” Helenna cooed.

“I have nothing planned.” Arascus replied. “I simply don’t wait.” She wasn’t even annoyed that he ordered for her. There was something fun in that, she wanted to see what he would pick. The door opened and the waiter re-appeared, a collection of bottles in his hands, two large glasses in the author. “You can put them down here, we’ll pour ourselves.” Arascus said.

“Yes, of course sir.” The man said and left. Helenna did not take her eyes off Arascus once. That was another good move, mortals had a habit of pouring drinks for themselves.

“No wine?” Helenna asked as Arascus put one glass in front of her and pulled one to himself.

“That fact you didn’t ask him for it means there’s no issue.” Arascus said, his tone warm and testing.

“I wouldn’t want to be nuisance.” Helenna replied as she watched him pick out a bottle of expensive whiskey. He effortlessly pulled the cork off.

“Somehow…” Arascus said as he leaned to pour for her before himself. “I don’t believe that Helenna, just somehow.”

“Me?” Helenna said. “I’m never a nuisance.”

“Mmh.” Arascus made the sound as he lifted his own glass, full almost to the brim. “Cheers. To your good work.” Helenna smiled as she hefted her own glass into the air. This was proper acknowledgement. She took a sigh.

“Cheers.” They clinked and both Divines downed their entire glass.

“Good to have a drinking partner.” Arascus said and Helenna cooed on the table.

“Oh really? Your girls don’t drink?”

“Too little or too much.” Arascus said.

“I didn’t put you as the sort that would say too much.” Helenna raised an eyebrow as she nodded to the glass.

You could be reading stolen content. Head to the original site for the genuine story.

“Too much for them.” Arascus replied as he poured their glasses full. Helenna smiled to herself as she sipped the whiskey. And he was caring, what a gentleman.

“Who’s your favourite?” Helenna asked. She wanted to probe at him.

“Depends on my mood.” Arascus replied smoothly. “All of them are pleasant, but I can’t deal with them all the time.” That was another smooth answer. Allasaria would have lied and said she didn’t pick favourites, Fortia and Maisara would both have said each other. “Who is yours?” Arascus asked.

“Neneria.”

“She is sweet when you get her talking.” Arascus said. “She likes you too.”

“She does?” Helenna almost dropped the glass.

“She said you came and talked with her every day when Fer and Kass went into the Jungle, apparently you weren’t bad company.” Arascus gave her a thumbs up. “From Neneria, that’s a compliment.” Helenna blinked in shock. She did like Neneria, but she only said Neneria because she assumed that was the most unexpected answer. The Goddess of Death actually liked her? Arascus saw the expression on her face, watched her hair change from a sleek noble gold to a shocked orange and chuckled. “You are easy to read.” He said.

“I try not to be!” Helenna shouted. She downed the glass and poured herself another one. “She likes me? Excuse me? What are you even talking about? Neneria is miserable to be around!”

Arascus burst out in laughter. “She’s odd, but she’s sweet. She sings well too.”

“I sing better.” Helenna said. Arascus made a stupid face and rolled his head from side to side.

“I can’t choose between the two of you.”

“EXCUSE ME!?” Helenna stood and slammed down the table so hard her glass shook.

“You both sing excellently.” Arascus said it with far too smugness in his voice. “But I’ve never been one for music.”

“Oh because you didn’t have orchestras in every city back then!” Helenna said. She saw her own locks, bright red. Why was she even angry? She took a deep breath and calmed down, then sat back down.

“Idea was Kassie’s and Malam’s.” Arascus said and Helenna blinked. That was one name she still could not get over. Malam, Goddess of Hatred. Another who had never been killed, she had simply disappeared, they didn’t even get a whiff of her after the Great War ended. Irinika at least had been spotted multiple times, here and there. But Malam… Malam had just vanished.

She took a deep breath. “Expected, Kassandora knows how to marshal men.”

“She’s good at that.” Arascus said as Helenna blinked at him merely sipping the whiskey. Was he enjoying the gossip? She enjoyed it too of course, but him? She wouldn’t have expected that. The last thing she brush she would have painted Arascus with was gossiping. The questions settled down immediately though, who didn’t enjoy a bit of gossip here and there?

“What about her court case?” Helenna asked. She simply could not help herself, gossip was good, and gossip lead to knew information, she wondered if the man would spill anything.

“You’re going to talk about work during a meal?” Smooth that, Helenna leaned back and innocently threw a strand of her hair away.

“I don’t see any food before me.” She said and Arascus chuckled.

“I expected you to be the type who wouldn’t shirk this discussion in private though.” He shrugged. “Honestly.” He leaned back and down his glass. “I was going to hand it off to you.”

Helenna smiled as she poured them the remains of the first bottle. “All of it or what?”

“All of it.” Arascus said. “Kassandora too, you’re singlehandedly moving our schedule along.” Helenna leaned back, crossed her arms, puffed her chest out and smiled in pride. Of course she was pushing the schedule along! She was the Goddess of Love! Who was there that could do this job better than her? Arascus saw her and laughed. “Better than Malam, actually.” Helenna only beamed a smile back at him. Now that was a proper compliment. She had never seen Malam work, but she knew Malam had this position back then.

“What can I say?” Helenna tried to make herself look humble, it didn’t work very well. “I can try not to embarrass you too much.” Arascus finished his glass and got the next bottle. Helenna downed her glass and put it forwards.

“I don’t think you will.” Arascus said. Helenna was about to respond when he wagged his finger at her. “You know what I like about you?”

Was it stupid that her cheeks went as red as her hair? It must be, but how many people would the God of Pride say something like that to? “Well you have to me now.” Helenna said.

“You can hold your drink.” Arascus said. “I saw it at the feast, you drunk your table under.” Helenna smiled back, who did he think she was? Helenna was partly the reason Divines had such a reputation for drinking! In the past, they’d be served a single bottle. A glass of wine even! Who could get tipsy off a glass of wine?

“You know what.” Helenna said as she took the glass. “I appreciate that.” That was a proper compliment. Not on her beauty or her charm, to complement that was to complement the Sun and its brightness. People always said you needed great tragic tales for relationships, those helped, but relationships lasted off the little things. Similar habits, similar humour, similar drinking capacity. It all mattered.

“I knew you would.” Arascus said as he tasted the next bottle. Helenna matched him, this was a spiced rum. It was sweeter, it burned more, but it was easier than the whiskey. “But I mean it. Kassie doesn’t drink.”

“I KNOW!” Helenna said in exasperation. “I thought she would! But she has a glass here, a glass there, and then she’s done!”

“She’s like that.” Arascus said. “She doesn’t know how to relax.”

“Worst type of person.” Helenna said and Arascus shook his head.

“Neneria can’t either, but she’s just shy. Kassie just can’t let go.” Helenna saw were this was going, it always did when people started talking to her. Just because she was the Goddess of Love did not mean she would suddenly be able to fix people’s hearts.

“Are you going to ask me for advice?” Arascus chuckled and raised his arms defensively.

“Don’t take it badly.” Arascus said. The moment it wasn’t an affirmation, Helenna felt the daggers of curiosity stab her. “But I know her better than you, you can’t fix her.” Helenna blinked. She was the Goddess of Love! What heart could she not fix?!

“That a challenge?” Helenna asked and Arascus leaned back, smiling as he took a drink.

“It’s a fact, but you can treat it as a challenge if you want.” He laughed. “I’ll do you a favour, you don’t owe anything when you lose.”

“Oh we’ll see about that.” Helenna said, she downed the drink. “When is this food going to arrive.”

“I didn’t order any.” Arascus said flatly and Helenna blinked.

“You invited the Goddess of Love out and you didn’t order a meal?”

“Goddess of Love got so caught up choosing a dress she was late.” Arascus said back just as cheekily as she did. “And there’s another reason too.”

“What’s that?”

“I don’t like dancing on a full stomach.” Helenna burst out in laughter, downed her glass and went to pour another.

“I don’t either!” She burst out in laughter as Arascus chuckled, then she realised what he said. This was strong stuff. “Wait. There’s a dance?”

“Why do you think I didn’t book the restaurant for just us? Ball starts in twenty minutes.” Helenna smiled as she pulled her arms down her sides.

“Well that’s a surprise, but I’m always prepared.”

“That you are.” Arascus said. Helenna sipped her rum.

“And after?” She raised an eyebrow. He was smart enough to get what an eyebrow like that meant.

Arascus merely smiled. “I did say my evening was free.”

Helenna smiled back. She knew what that meant.