"I hate children," Artemis stated as she looked at the snot-nosed children running around. Why did he think children would be entertainment? When would this ever be fun? He was certainly crazy.
"Come on. You can't be serious," he said, approaching the small group of children. Alexander loved children- the respectful ones of course. He didn't enjoy being around loud and spoiled children. They were sometimes a reflection of their loud and spoiled parents.
"I'm as serious as I can be. I hate them," she replied, still following his steps to the small children. "Don't worry, I hate the adults too."
Alexander couldn't stop himself from laughing. "You're a strange stranger."
"We can't all be perfect," she looked at the children who seemed to be putting on a play to entertain themselves. Were they that bored? They could just watch whatever was happening at the festival.
"Alexander!" The children called running over once they saw him. Excitement filled their faces to see their hero. They all questioned him at once.
"Wait, slow down," he told the energized children. "One at a time."
"We're putting on a play," Rose, a ten-year-old girl, said. She smiled brightly at Alexander. "Will you watch us?"
"Of course. I brought you a guest," he answered, taking a seat close to where they were performing. He looked at Artemis who had a bored expression on her face. "Sit."
Artemis folded her hands reluctantly moving to sit close to him. "You are a strange person. How does this entertain you?" She questioned taking a seat beside him but not too close.
Alexander smiled at being called strange. "They're orphans. I pass by once in a while to see how they're doing. My mistake for thinking this would be entertainment."
"More like sad. You do the opposite of something and it irritates me," Artemis muttered, unfolding her arms and placing them on her knees. She cleared her throat, still curious about the children. "Do you know where their parents are?"
Alexander glanced at the cheerful children who lived their lives in bliss. "They're somewhere in the festival making money and living their lives. Most didn't abandon their children because they couldn't afford to keep them but simply because they didn't want them. Some of the children remember the faces of the parents."
"I would find them and show them the face they created and abandoned," Artemis started feeling bad for the little ones who were brought into this world only to be abandoned. "You won't survive this world if you didn't have a helping hand in the beginning."
"That's why I want to keep checking upon them. So they wouldn't feel abandoned by everyone around them."
Artemis sighed whilst thinking about her past. "It will help but they will still continue to think about why didn't mother or father want me? Why did they leave me here? Why do they live without remembering me? Are they going to get me one day? They won't be able to escape those thoughts."
"You seem to relate to that," Alexander said, turning to look at the woman who seemed to be in deep thought about something. "Maybe talking to them would help them."
Artemis chuckled at how he thought she would be helpful. He seemed to trust her. "General, you definitely don't want me filling the minds of those children with my words. If I do, you'll want my head more than anything in this world."
Alexander remained silent because he understood what she was hinting at. If she spoke to children as someone who seemed to be abandoned, it would not be positive.
"If you lived my life you'd judge me differently."
The two stared at each other trying to figure out the other. They were both strange and complicated people.
"We're starting Alex," Rose said to get their attention. The children had all lined up in their positions to start their play.
Alexander looked away from Artemis first and motioned for Rose to start.
"Once upon a time ago, Gods and humans used to live together in harmony. They had fun, sang and ate together. The Gods protected us and in return, the humans would pay respect to the Gods in their temples," Rose dictated while the others acted out her every word.
"Until one day, the kings of the past rose and decided the humans didn't need protection. They could do it themselves. The kings were fearless and built the kingdoms from the ground up all by themselves."
'Bullshit', Artemis thought. They made villagers slave away to build the kingdoms. Why did they always twist stories? She couldn't help but roll her eyes. This was not her type of entertainment.
Rose continued, "The Gods grew jealous that the kings were being loved by the humans and they started to attack us. However, the kings, our protectors, had been one step ahead. They found tools that could restrain the Gods and eventually kill them."
Artemis leaned forward trying to hold back her laugh. What a bullshit story. Who feeds them this crap? Their parents before they left? If so it was a good thing they were abandoned before they were fed more of this crap.
"The kings got rid of the Gods and protected the lands from then on. We owe the past kings more than we could ever repay. The people of this kingdom will always show their loyalty to the current king Darius for what his ancestors had done."
The children all stood together holding their hands while a young boy holding a sword portraying the king stood alone in front.
Those around who had stopped to witness the play clapped along with Alexander but not Artemis.
"These kids are completely helpless. You've already spoon-fed them your bullshit and lies," Artemis said, disgusted with how they manipulated history. She couldn't help but laugh at how those stupid kings brainwashed their people.
"It's just a play," Alexander stated. It was nothing to be taken seriously. The children were just having fun.
"No, it's history. If you're going to tell it then do it right," she answered. Artemis was tired of all the lies. They did nothing and lied to fool the humans who turned their backs on her kind. She was abandoned and forced to live in the forest alone while they enjoyed their lives.
Why did she have to live like this? Why was only her world turned upside down? They deserved to feel the pain she went through.
They've had too many years of lying about the past. She would show them the truth of how powerful the Gods were. She'll repay the favor by removing their king and it would start with the use of his trusted general.
They should consider this a good deed. After all, they wouldn't want to continue poisoning the minds of the youth right?