Post by Amber on Aug 11, 2011 23:57:30 GMT -5
I've thrown this up onto Fanfiction.net aussi. Here's the link:
www.fanfiction.net/s/7267904/1/The_Madness_of_Hercules
I will be updating the story there, if anyone wants to follow. Reviews would be appreciated. =)
Chapter 1:
"How dark and devious are the ways of gods to men." – Euripides, The Madness of Herakles
-------------------------------------------
He was reminiscing, remembering the life-changing event that was their first meeting, which to him felt like eons ago. He looked over at his wife, sleeping beside him. His eyes roamed over her slender form now pregnant with their third child and he chuckled at the idea of his wife chasing after yet another precocious boy. She had insisted that she didn't care if it was a boy or a girl – it was theirs and she just wanted it to be healthy. Of course, he knew her far too well and was sure, as she sighed in her sleep, that she was dreaming about the prospects of adding a little princess to their growing family. In all honesty, he too was secretly hoping for a little girl, the spitting image of her mother he would risk death a thousand times over for. They had been through so much together and were happy to finally have their happily ever after. Then why was the hero awake hours before dawn? Truth be told, he had been having difficulties staying asleep for weeks. He had been having recurrent nightmares – visions? No, he was no seer. Still, the bags that were forming underneath his azure eyes were becoming a growing cause of concern for his wife. She would interrogate him and he would attempt to assuage her concerns, trying to convince her that it was just him getting older. Even if she weren't the biggest of cynics, she would not have believed a smidgen of her husband's feeble attempts to explain away the apparent lack of sleep. She would arch one of her perfectly manicured eyebrows, slowly nod and let that be the end of it – for now. Nothing could get by her, but she also knew her husband could be incredibly stubborn.
She shifted to her side, taking the top blankets with her and breaking Hercules out of his reverie. He took this as his cue to check on the children who, unlike their father, were sound asleep in their beds. Hercules slid out of bed, careful not to disturb his wife and headed out of the bedroom. The halls were cool despite the summer's heat, the only sound that accompanied him was the soft padding of his feet against the marble floor.
They had moved out of the villa in Thebes not too long after they married. Hercules still had his hoards of fans, but thankfully they had matured some since he officially came off the market; he was no longer just considered a novelty and had become a well-respected and much appreciated member of society. Their new abode was located in the outskirts of Thebes, on a hill overlooking the city. It was close enough for the hero to respond quickly to any emergency, but secluded enough to afford his family their privacy. They had long since disposed of their abundance of guards, all but three. They rotated shifts and guarded the front gate leading to the private estate at all times, ensuring the family within some modicum of complete security, especially when Hercules was away.
Hercules continued down the long hall and stopped when he was in front of his eldest son's doorway. He gently pushed the sheer curtain to one side and entered the room. Hercules inhaled sharply as he stepped on one of his son's wooden horses, an ironic gift from Aunt Cassandra. Therimachus was always leaving traps for his parents to step on, unintentionally of course. He picked up the small toy, deftly placing it on the shelf where it belonged and continued forward, approaching the bed of his five year old. Hercules was always in wonderment as to how this boy could sleep in such apparently uncomfortable positions. He lifted Therimachus so that his entire body was in his bed and not just his legs, and tucked the sheets around him. Brushing his unruly auburn curls aside, he kissed his forehead and headed back down the hallway to check on his other son.
Walking down the hall, Hercules' had a sudden flash of anxiety. He was not sure what triggered it, but he felt as if someone were watching him. He stopped moving, nostrils flared. He knew he was overreacting, but who could blame him? From the moment of his birth, someone had been trying to kill him. He shook his head, hoping to rid himself of the eerie feeling. He was sure it was sleep deprivation playing tricks on him and he continued down the long, unending hall.
He moved the curtain of his second son's doorway to the side and was surprised when his son, Deicoon, was sitting in his crib, wide-eyed. The minute he saw his father, his chubby little hands were reaching for him. Hercules smiled at the child and lifted him up and into his arms.
"What's wrong, Kiddo? Had a bad dream?" Hercules asked.
"No," Deicoon answered.
'No' had become his two year old's new favorite word.
"I'm going to put you back in your bed and you're going to close your eyes and sleep until it's morning," Hercules said. Hercules received the response he was expecting.
"No." He had begun to regret picking up the little boy.
"If you lay down with mommy and daddy, will you promise to go to sleep?" Hercules was almost begging.
"No," Deicoon nodded.
"Alright," Hercules sighed, picking up the little boy's blanket and his stuffed Phil doll. "Your mommy is not going to be too happy with daddy," Hercules said. The little boy grinned and nodded violently. Hercules couldn't help but laugh.
Meg had been sleeping soundly – her first good night's sleep since she couldn't remember when. That was all interrupted when she felt a tiny knee smash into her hipbone. She awoke with a gasp and to the profuse apologies of her husband.
"Oh! Honey, I'm sorry. I went to check on the boys and Deicoon was awake and I thought I'd bring him into our bed and …" Meg interrupted him with a sigh.
"Wonderboy, it's alright. Just, let's try to keep the kids in their own beds, okay?"
Hercules nodded solemnly. Meg adjusted the two year old in her arms so that his knee was out of her side, his head was laying on her chest and his body wasn't unintentionally crushing his unborn sibling. Hercules rolled onto his side and gently draped his arm across his wife's abdomen. Within seconds all three were beckoned to sleep by Hypnos.
www.fanfiction.net/s/7267904/1/The_Madness_of_Hercules
I will be updating the story there, if anyone wants to follow. Reviews would be appreciated. =)
Chapter 1:
"How dark and devious are the ways of gods to men." – Euripides, The Madness of Herakles
-------------------------------------------
He was reminiscing, remembering the life-changing event that was their first meeting, which to him felt like eons ago. He looked over at his wife, sleeping beside him. His eyes roamed over her slender form now pregnant with their third child and he chuckled at the idea of his wife chasing after yet another precocious boy. She had insisted that she didn't care if it was a boy or a girl – it was theirs and she just wanted it to be healthy. Of course, he knew her far too well and was sure, as she sighed in her sleep, that she was dreaming about the prospects of adding a little princess to their growing family. In all honesty, he too was secretly hoping for a little girl, the spitting image of her mother he would risk death a thousand times over for. They had been through so much together and were happy to finally have their happily ever after. Then why was the hero awake hours before dawn? Truth be told, he had been having difficulties staying asleep for weeks. He had been having recurrent nightmares – visions? No, he was no seer. Still, the bags that were forming underneath his azure eyes were becoming a growing cause of concern for his wife. She would interrogate him and he would attempt to assuage her concerns, trying to convince her that it was just him getting older. Even if she weren't the biggest of cynics, she would not have believed a smidgen of her husband's feeble attempts to explain away the apparent lack of sleep. She would arch one of her perfectly manicured eyebrows, slowly nod and let that be the end of it – for now. Nothing could get by her, but she also knew her husband could be incredibly stubborn.
She shifted to her side, taking the top blankets with her and breaking Hercules out of his reverie. He took this as his cue to check on the children who, unlike their father, were sound asleep in their beds. Hercules slid out of bed, careful not to disturb his wife and headed out of the bedroom. The halls were cool despite the summer's heat, the only sound that accompanied him was the soft padding of his feet against the marble floor.
They had moved out of the villa in Thebes not too long after they married. Hercules still had his hoards of fans, but thankfully they had matured some since he officially came off the market; he was no longer just considered a novelty and had become a well-respected and much appreciated member of society. Their new abode was located in the outskirts of Thebes, on a hill overlooking the city. It was close enough for the hero to respond quickly to any emergency, but secluded enough to afford his family their privacy. They had long since disposed of their abundance of guards, all but three. They rotated shifts and guarded the front gate leading to the private estate at all times, ensuring the family within some modicum of complete security, especially when Hercules was away.
Hercules continued down the long hall and stopped when he was in front of his eldest son's doorway. He gently pushed the sheer curtain to one side and entered the room. Hercules inhaled sharply as he stepped on one of his son's wooden horses, an ironic gift from Aunt Cassandra. Therimachus was always leaving traps for his parents to step on, unintentionally of course. He picked up the small toy, deftly placing it on the shelf where it belonged and continued forward, approaching the bed of his five year old. Hercules was always in wonderment as to how this boy could sleep in such apparently uncomfortable positions. He lifted Therimachus so that his entire body was in his bed and not just his legs, and tucked the sheets around him. Brushing his unruly auburn curls aside, he kissed his forehead and headed back down the hallway to check on his other son.
Walking down the hall, Hercules' had a sudden flash of anxiety. He was not sure what triggered it, but he felt as if someone were watching him. He stopped moving, nostrils flared. He knew he was overreacting, but who could blame him? From the moment of his birth, someone had been trying to kill him. He shook his head, hoping to rid himself of the eerie feeling. He was sure it was sleep deprivation playing tricks on him and he continued down the long, unending hall.
He moved the curtain of his second son's doorway to the side and was surprised when his son, Deicoon, was sitting in his crib, wide-eyed. The minute he saw his father, his chubby little hands were reaching for him. Hercules smiled at the child and lifted him up and into his arms.
"What's wrong, Kiddo? Had a bad dream?" Hercules asked.
"No," Deicoon answered.
'No' had become his two year old's new favorite word.
"I'm going to put you back in your bed and you're going to close your eyes and sleep until it's morning," Hercules said. Hercules received the response he was expecting.
"No." He had begun to regret picking up the little boy.
"If you lay down with mommy and daddy, will you promise to go to sleep?" Hercules was almost begging.
"No," Deicoon nodded.
"Alright," Hercules sighed, picking up the little boy's blanket and his stuffed Phil doll. "Your mommy is not going to be too happy with daddy," Hercules said. The little boy grinned and nodded violently. Hercules couldn't help but laugh.
Meg had been sleeping soundly – her first good night's sleep since she couldn't remember when. That was all interrupted when she felt a tiny knee smash into her hipbone. She awoke with a gasp and to the profuse apologies of her husband.
"Oh! Honey, I'm sorry. I went to check on the boys and Deicoon was awake and I thought I'd bring him into our bed and …" Meg interrupted him with a sigh.
"Wonderboy, it's alright. Just, let's try to keep the kids in their own beds, okay?"
Hercules nodded solemnly. Meg adjusted the two year old in her arms so that his knee was out of her side, his head was laying on her chest and his body wasn't unintentionally crushing his unborn sibling. Hercules rolled onto his side and gently draped his arm across his wife's abdomen. Within seconds all three were beckoned to sleep by Hypnos.
