Thread: Ancients Reborn: The Gods and Goddesses Greece (Raivh and Blair1216)

As Gregory walked away, Scarlet stood in the hall and let her eyes wander toward the mural on the ceiling. Eyebrows furrowed and lips pursed, she looked at all of the Ancient Gods and Goddesses. It reminded her of being at her childhood friend Chelsea's house. Unlike Scarlet, Chelsea had a large family with three brothers and two sisters, all her elders. Of course, since most of her siblings were grown and out of the house, Scarlet never got a chance to meet half of them. They were like ghosts to her people she knew once roamed the halls, leaving behind a strong memory, but never showing their faces. Looking at the mural was like looking at Chelsea's family portrait. Scarlet recognized Chelsea, of course, and her parents, but among them stood people she had never laid eyes on, yet knew they existed. In the bottom right hand corner of the large painting, Scarlet saw a dark, mysterious figure. He stood tall, his expression full of disdain, and his green eyes holding a twist of violence. It did not take long for Scarlet to realize this was Hades, her husband. There was no mistaking that furious glare and the way it could turn fire to ice. Even in the painting, his stare intimidated Scarlet, and even though she wanted to tear her eyes from it the minute she saw it, she couldn't. Scarlet was surprised how long it took her to see the woman standing at his side, nearly hidden by his large figure. She looked like she didn't belong there, looking up at the Heavens with a sense of longing in her blues eyes and her long blonde hair adorned with flowers. Yet, she held on to Hades' arm, as if begging for his protection. No, affection. Her stomach twisting into sickening knots, Scarlet put a hand over her mouth. She stared into the blue eyes of the woman beside Hades, reading into her desperation and sadness as if it were her own. It was as if she were looking into the mirror, looking into her own soul and seeing herself for the first time. Never had she felt such a bond to another person a woman she had never met. That was Persephone... That was her. Scarlet woke up early the next morning, her eyes wide and ready for the morning sun. She flipped the ivory sheets over, letting the cold air touch her body. Despite the night before, she did not spend her time crying or cowering in fear. In fact, she went straight for the shower, letting the steaming hot water roll down her body and rid her of the feeling of Preston's dangerous hands on her skin. She would not let him break her spirit. In fact, his actions and the conclusion she came to after viewing the mural fed her stubborn nature with motivation, making her want to know about herself twice as much as before. After slipping into a pair of jeans, a thin navy blue v-neck shirt and knitted ivory cardigan, Scarlet left her room and walked down the hall, going straight for the dining hall. After not eating the day before out of stubbornness, her stomach growled at her with fury, and she went straight for a tray of oatmeal and strawberries, loading her plate to its capacity. As Scarlet nipped at her strawberries and devoured the cinnamon oatmeal, her blue eyes darted around the room, looking at her surroundings and the people who she shared them with. The men and woman that walked around casually all had a sense of regal poise to the way they held themselves, giving off the utmost standard of beauty. Each and everyone of them gave off a sense of unique personality, yet the same gorgeous glow. Although she knew she shouldn't, Scarlet kept her eyes out for Preston. She didn't know if it was because she was hoping she would not come in contact with him at all, or the fact that she wanted to see him in order to analyze him. This was her husband at one time, after all, and her curiosity begged for her to see the reason why... But, despite sitting in the dining hall at her private table for over an hour, his path never crossed her's. Even when she whispered his dog's name under her breath, like a young child saying a curse word for the first time, nothing happened. He was not in the castle, it appeared, and she had an odd mixture of relief and severe disappointment fall over her. Pushing herself up from the table, Scarlet walked toward the library, hoping that there was possibly another book over Persephone left. Maybe Preston missed one, and she could get a little bit of research done without worrying if he was going to scold her and give her another bruise. It was highly unlikely, but it was better than trying to locate a laptop in the manor. After all, she doubted they had internet. And then it dawned on her. Preston may have taken those books up to his room, but he was not there to guard them. He was off doing God knows what, and she could possibly slip in and take one. Out of all of those books, would he realize she just took one? The plan sounded decent, and with her desperate need for information, the possible benefit far out weight the risk. With a quiet, yet quick dash to the right side of the stair case, Scarlet darted for his room, figuring that it would not be hard to find it among the east wing of the manor. She tiptoed down the hall, careful not to alert anyone, and let her blue eyes search each and every door, reading the gold plates that displayed the names of its inhabitants. Oddly enough, the gold plates did not say their given names, but their ancient Greek names. It puzzled her until she remembered that in the manor, that was what they were thought of - Gods and Goddesses. Scarlet should have know that Preston's room would be at the end of the hall, all to its own. The gold plate reading Hades mocked her, pulling her toward it, yet screaming at her to run away all at once. It was a warning she should have taken, she knew, but her curiosity was stronger than a cat's, and before she talk herself down from doing something idiotic, her hand was on the doorknob, turning it with ease. She did not think that it was strange he would leave his door unlocked, after all, before her, who would have wanted or dared to enter? Quietly, as if he could hear her every step from where he had went off to, Scarlet walked through the large master bedroom and searched for the books, figuring they couldn't be far from sight. However, his room was oddly bare. Despite the lavish furniture that had came with the room, she was sure, his domain was surprisingly empty. After looking for a little over ten minutes, all she managed to find was a silver, vintage-looking key. Puzzled, she picked it up and turned it over in her palm several times, her brows furrowed. Whatever this key went to, Preston obviously believed that whoever he was hiding something from would not go as far as to try to find it. Rushing around the room, her blond hair blowing behind her in a fury, Scarlet darted from wall to wall of the room, trying to find the the key's home. Looking under the bed, the bedside table, his dresser... She covered almost every inch of the room in less than a minute, and when nothing she laid her eyes on gave her hope, she let out a frustrated sigh. A man of mysteries, she muttered to herself, bitterness coating each word. Arms crossed across her breasts, she panted and bit her lip, he face pink and her blue eyes looking around the room desperately. And there it was, deep in the closet. The only light that shined on it was from the door being cracked wide enough to slip her index finger in... Scarlet slowly walked over to the mahogany door, pulling it open my the golden know, and revealing the large, rustic chest. Eyes wide, she dropped to her knees in front of it, letting her fingers hesitantly brush across the gold accents around the lock. It was so detailed, engraved leaves and thorns surrounding the inviting lock. It had to have been made hundreds of years ago, she thought, mesmerize by its beauty. Looking down at the key in her right palm, it only took a moment for Scarlet to noticed the same leaves and thorns graved at the top of it, confirming that the chest was indeed the key's home. Click. With a turn of the key, the chest was open, revealing all of the books that Preston had swiped from her the night before during his tantrum. A sly smile slide across Scarlet's bright face, and as she planned, she only took one, a fatter book that was on the bottom with Persephone displayed across the cover with gold script. She quickly shoved the book underneath her arm, hidden by her ivory sweater, and closed the chest, locking it back. So sure that she was home free, Scarlet walked out of the closet and gently placed the key where Preston had left it the night before.