The Kindgom of Heaven and Hell

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Faline all but cowered at the back of the great hall. She hated meetings. They were often times full of loud angry men who had a tendency to throw things. This night was no different. The entire village had shown up, despite the raging storm outside. Every man from every family was there, shouting to be heard over the next.
Her father, the Jarl, was seated at the head of it all, one long leg draped over his ornate throne. For a while he remained silent, his eyes not one the villagers, but going from the young woman hiding under one of the tables near the door to her sister who sat on top of it, holding onto a rather heavy broad sword. He shook his head at both of them. 
Oalf sighed heavily and held up a hand to silence the crowd. "I am fully aware of the danger we now face from the outlanders. And I am aware that those who cross our borders are far from human. However, I am not sure if we warrant help from out bordering villages. If we decide to seek help, we will need to go to the king. But...he is a bartering man. I am not sure we have anything he will find worthy enough..."

"And yet you are more worried about the well being of a human than me." Persephone whispered. "I don't know how much time I have left and all I'm hearing from you is whether or not some featherbrained human will think you a brute." 

Braun chuckled, pulling her even closer. Nothing else mattered in that moment. He didn't know or care that they were being watched. He was kissing Cessily, each touch of their lips deeper than the last.

Hades pulled away and sat on the edge of the bed with his face buried in his hands. "Is that what you want from me, Persephone? To be the monster people already think I am?"

Cessily's cool hands were sliding up under Braun's shirt, pulling the material with her as she went until she had it over his head and on the ground. Holding his gaze steadily with her own, the young woman then unfastened the ribbon that held the bodice of her own dress closed.

"I want you to be my husband!" Persephone shouted, not sure why she was suddenly so very near to tears. "I want to stay with you and not having to keep dreaming about being raped by your brother!" 

Braun gave a soft moan, his large hands quick to push the bodice away from her. He couldn't hold back any longer. He'd been trying. But this was too much. He needed Cessily.

Hades head shot up at hearing these words, his usual warm honey coloured eyes now a blazing shade of golden. "That's what he's been doing to you?!" He roared.

Cessily let the dress pool around her ankles, leaving her wearing nothing but her brown riding boots now. The young woman closed her eyes and smiled, feeling rather liberated. Of course, she had no idea that eyes besides Braun's watched her naked flesh right then.

Persephone nodded slowly. "He said if he couldn't have her then he'd take me until he could..." She whispered, her voice cracking. "He's the reason I haven't been able to get back." She burst into tears, burying her face in her hands. "I'm so sorry. I was trying. I'm sorry about what I said about the girl..." 

"Are you sure?" Braun paused, his fingers shaking with the great effort it was taking to stop himself from lifting her up and having his way with her. "Tell me to stop and I...I'll try..."

Hades was quick to pull Persephone into his arms and rest his chin lightly on her head. "I am so sorry, my love. He knew... That was the one place I could not protect you."

"I don't want you to stop, not this time." Cessily breathed as she took Braun's hands and places them against her round breasts. It was her way of showing just how much she trusted him.

"I can't go back there, Hades." Persephone begged, shuddering as her world began to fade around her. It wasn't going to be a choice. Already it was fading. "He's going to know that I've seen you. He's going to hurt me again..." 

Braun lifted her up and gently rested her back against a tree as he began working on removing his pants. "I won't hurt you." He promised, pausing once again to meet her eyes.

"He's going to be too consumed by his own hurt." Hades swore. "He dared harm you... I know exactly who he cherishes, I'll make her suffer for what he did to you, I promise."

"I know." Cessily breathed, pressing her hand gently to Braun's cheek. The young woman could have non way of knowing the things hades had planned in that moment.

"Hades..." They would both be able to taste Persephone's tears as she leaned forward and pressed her lips to his. "I'm sorry I wasn't strong enough to fight him..." She breathed, her lashes resting against her cheeks as his wife returned to the darkness where he couldn't reach her. 

Braun didn't notice the rainstorm that had begun as he made love to Cessily. He barely even noticed when the droplets of rain began to turn to ice. It wasn't until they were wrapped in a warm blanket together that he realized the terrain had returned to it's original snowy hell. 
He still had no idea that they had had an audience the entire time.

There would be an agonising howl moments before Faline would wake. Hades hated having the power he did, yet being useless in saving the one he cared for most.

Cessily was curled against Braun's side, her lips curling into as light smile each time the rain drops hit her face, she continued to smile when the rain turned to snowflakes landing on her nose.

"Lucian?" Once again it was Faline's timid tones and not Persephone's. "Are you okay? What happened? We were talking about you hunting and...then...did I fall asleep?" She rubbed her head, looking around at the cabin. It wasn't hard to see she was surprised to find herself back there. 

"I told you to find some trees and get it over with." Serah had found them and had seated herself near the fire, poking at it with a stick. "It's good to see you listened to me." Once again her hair and lips were blue, returning to the desolate color that was similar to the ruined waste  land that surrounded them.

Lucian was trying hard not to appear disappointed. "Yes, it would seem the hunt was too exhausting for you." He told Faline with an oddly sad smile.

Cessily sat up, covering herself with Braun's shirt as she glared at the elder girl. "How long have you been there?" She demanded, wishing she had her sword again.

"I must have fainted from hunger." Faline said softly, her stomach growling loudly as if to remind them both. "I'm so sorry, Lucian. I seem to have disappointed you."

"Long enough," Serah brushing her fingers through wet hair that had begun to ice over. "Don't worry. I took the time to give that other entity the slip. That man that was making us fight each other. Stupid fool should have realized all he had to do was be patient. Jealous little Cessily would kick up a fuss over her brute sooner or later all by herself."

Lucian offered Faline a much brighter smile, though his honey coloured eyes couldn't hide the torment he felt in that moment. "I think maybe I should take you to another town, a nice restaurant maybe?"

Cessily had pulled Braun's shirt on now, and was watching Serah with a wounded expression. "What did I ever do to you? I don't care that you hate me... I just think you should have a reason."

"So you didn't end up catching anything after all?" Faline asked, offering him a teasing smile. "I knew it." She laughed softly.

"Haven't we been over this already?" Serah asked, glancing toward the darkness of the trees to the left of her younger sister. "The dragon is hunting tonight. Hopefully it's in the mood for brutes."

Lucian smiled sheepishly and ran his fingers through his hair. What was he supposed top say, that he had been busy? "I don't think your stomach would have been able to handle to sight of me killing and skinning a deer."

"It can try." Cessily informed Serah bravely. "I have no problem taking in this dragon of yours."

Faline looked a little green at the very idea. "I've seen my sister do it before." She whispered, making a face. "Besides, I was asleep, right?"

"I've taken on a dragon before." Braun said, shrugging his broad shoulders. "I'm not afraid of another one." 
"I'm sure you have in your dreams, you big oaf." Serah snorted. "I'm not convinced. And I don't feel safer. At least the Sandman was able to control her. You two are just going to make fools of yourselves."

"What you were lost, alone in the forest? What would you eat? Plants?" Lucian chuckled.

"Sandman controls the dragon?" Cessily asked curiously. "How?"

"Sometimes." Faline shrugged, blushing ever so slightly. "Most of the time I ate the wrong thing and got sick. I learned after a while just to try and hold out as long as I could. My sister would come find me sooner or later." 

"I didn't say that." Serah said quickly, again glancing at the darkness beyond them. This time when she did it, she flinched as if she knew something bad was going to happen.

"Really?" Lucian asked with an amused smirk. "How is it she somehow knew how to do all these things, while you remained pampered and naive?"

Cessily wasn't turning around. She didn't trust Serah enough to ever turn her gaze from her, even when she thought she heard a deep growl in the darkness.

"I already told you. I don't like killing things. I like living things and watching them grow. I can't take life, Lucian. I never could." Faline said softly. 

"You look scared, little sister." Serah purred, her ice colored eyes glittering. "What's the matter? Is the dragon worrying?"

"Even at the expense of your own?" Lucian asked, curious about the differences now between Faline and Persephone.

Cessily wasn't accustomed to being the 'little sister'. She had always been the strong one, the big sister running to the rescue of her younger sibling. Being afraid had simply never been an option for her. "The dragon is just a creature. I have killed many creatures."