The truth finally revealing itself II

"What is it now, my son?" Aria asked with raised brows as she saw the look of disarray on Ceremus' face. 

The man in question ran his fingers through his hair as he let out a sigh of exasperation. Coming to visit his mother was the last thing he wanted to do, but it was also the only solution to his problems. 

He tried various methods to rid himself of his woes; he tried sparring with one of his more resilient knights early in the morning, but the poor man was too afraid of losing his life to put up much of a fight. The spar was fruitless and only made the King more agitated. With no way to release his tension, the only solution he had left was to talk it out, something he would've never done before. 

Ceremus was a man of action, not of words. If he wanted to convey what he felt, he did it through his hands and fists. Unfortunately for him, this was not a problem he could solve through pummeling a poor and unassuming knight. The only person he could turn to was the goddess, who was happy to see her son after so long. Since their last interaction, he had made it a habit of blocking off any point of contact with his mother. She was both surprised and relieved to see he was no longer angry. It worked out perfectly since she, too, wished to speak to him after the news she had received concerning him. 

"Mother," he said, "I have no idea what to do about these feelings I harbor." 

Aria gave him a knowing smile. She knew the time would come when his connection with his destined one would start to take form, but she didn't know it would happen this quickly. It must be her doing, she thought. 

"It's quite simple, my child. All you need to do is accept them." 

Ceremus scoffed when he heard this. "Unfortunately, that's easier said than done, goddess." 

Aria's face softened as she looked at her child; mixed emotions swirled through her golden eyes.

 "I know you find yourself unable to move on after your father left this world. Your love for Peleus was so strong and irreplaceable that when he passed, it felt like a part of you had died along with him…But Ceremus, you must understand that your inability to let go only hinders you. How are you supposed to be happy if you keep holding on to your grief?"

Ceremus' eyes glowed with inexplicable emotions as he bowed his head in frustration. He knew perfectly well that he was his own enemy. The obstacle that kept him from accepting his fate was to remove himself, and yet Ceremus couldn't do so himself. 

Aria sighed. "My child, those who cannot sink down on the threshold of the moment and forget the past will never know what true happiness is. No one is asking you to erase your father's presence from your life, but you shouldn't let his passing define you either." 

She reached out to touch Ceremus' cheek, causing the man to flinch from her touch. Despite his reaction, the goddess never let go of his face. "You deserve happiness and I can promise your father would agree with me on this." 

Ceremus felt his heart sink in his chest. "I don't think I remember what happiness even feels like." He said. 

His mother let out a surprised gasp. "How could you even say such a thing?!" She exclaimed. 

"What are these emotions that you're feeling right now then? Are they not moments of happiness you feel whenever you are with Hael?" 

At the sound of his name, Ceremus' heart fluttered. 

"The peace of mind you feel whenever he's around, the warmth you feel whenever he calls your name. The exhilaration you feel when you exchange fists, the joy you experience whenever he sets his gaze upon you. What are these things if not happiness?" 

"You may be many things, child, but you are not a fool." She said in a huff. 

Ceremus was taken aback by her words, and the realization that there was truth to everything she said hit him like a ton of bricks. His silence was answer enough. The goddess smiled as she watched Ceremus' brown skin turn a deep shade of red. 

"You have found happiness, Ceremus, for the first time in years. Please don't do anything that would cause you to lose it. Grasp it firmly in your hands and keep it safe, for this kind of happiness is rare and hard to find." She advised him. 

The goddess watched as her son left, his heart less burdened than before. She felt happy for him and yet conflicted at the same time. 

Just the other day, she received a message from Kaleeso warning her that Ceremus had upset the god of darkness, Dicaeus. He would more than likely be seeking revenge for killing off Kakoethes. Aria didn't hesitate to come to her son's aid and agreed to provide the two men with the tools they would need to fend off Dicaeus' attacks. 

They already knew that the god would be sending down his most powerful weapon to kill them off—the bull of judgment once it was revived, a mighty beast that could even kill a god. 

There was no way for the two demigods to defeat this creature on their own. Not unless they had the sword of justice and shield of righteousness. Unfortunately, it wasn't a weapon they could hand to the two men directly. They would have to venture out to the nation of Leacus to retrieve it, and luckily for them, the country was in great peril since an unknown beast had invaded its lands. Their patron goddess, Cornelia, was Aria's close friend, so she decided to contact the goddess and make a bargain. 

They would send two of their strongest men to Leacus to eradicate the monster (known as the Sphinx—a bloodthirsty beast with the body of a lion, the wings of an eagle, and the face of a woman laying siege in the land), and in exchange, they would receive the sword and armor. 

Once they receive the weapon, they will be able to fight off the creature without risking their lives. 

The problem was getting the goddess to agree to their plans. 

~*~

Ceremus returned to the palace, his mind finally at peace yet still feeling incomplete. He understood that Hael made him happy, but anyone could feel that sentiment. Ceremus was delighted when he was pummelling someone to the ground, glad when he went out on a hunt, happy when he had a drink in hand, and happy when he was decked in the nicest clothes. Hell, even Anemone brought him so much happiness with his idiotic reactions. 

So, what made Hael different? 

Just as he contemplated these things, he ended up running into Anemone. The King narrowed his eyes as he regarded his advisor. Despite his brute strength, he was a pretty intelligent strategist. Perhaps Anemone could enlighten him, especially since he started to read those moral and ethics manuals. 

"Anemone." He called out. 

The advisor looked up and was surprised to see the King outside his chambers during this time of day. 

"Your Majesty! How are you feeling this morning?" He asked. 

"I'm fine; there's something important I'd like to discuss with you in my study." He said. 

Anemone furrowed his brows as he saw the stern expression on Ceremus' face. He felt himself grow nervous but still nodded his head. 

The two silently walked to his study as Anemone wondered what they would be discussing. I hope he doesn't plan on waging war on another nation again. 

Once the two sat down, Ceremus cleared his throat before looking up at the advisor with sober eyes. Anemone swallowed as he anxiously waited for him to speak.

"Anemone." He said. 

"Yes, Your Majesty?" Anemone replied earnestly. 

"What does it mean to love?" He asked. 

The man nearly fell off his chair when he heard the question. He had to look up and make sure he wasn't hearing things. Was his King, the tyrannical and emotionless leader who wouldn't think twice about ending the lives of his people if it meant securing power and control over the land, the same man who defeated an entire legion of soldiers at the ripe age of eighteen who dared to invade Trojas when he first took over the throne after his father's death, letting the enemy nations know he wasn't one to be trifled with. 

That same man uttered the word 'love' from his lips and wanted to know what it meant. Is he serious?!

When Anemone saw that the King was serious, he quickly repositioned himself on his chair, cleared his throat, and properly faced the man before him. 

"W-When you say 'to love,' do you mean a person, Your Majesty?" He tentatively asked. 

Ceremus said nothing, but his expression spoke volumes. It said, 'If you ask me another idiotic question like that, you'll get flogged.'

He immediately pursed his lips into a thin line as he thought of the best way to answer his question without getting himself killed.