[Main POV]
I led Artemis several hundred yards eastward to distance ourselves from the soldiers I had rescued. A sense of gravity hung in the air, hinting that a significant conversation was on the horizon.
"Apollo, we need to talk," Artemis said again now that we were alone.
Her arms were crossed and was giving me a stern look. Glancing left, then right, I reminded myself that we were alone in the middle of nowhere. Which meant we could go crazy.
"Hey honey," I began with a playful smile, "fancy seeing you here. Are we still good for Christmas in Vienna?"
Artemis arched an eyebrow, unimpressed by my attempt to deflect the impending seriousness of our talk. Her stern expression remained intact, and she let out a sigh that conveyed her lack of amusement.
"Apollo, I'm not here to discuss holiday plans," her tone was as cold and unyielding as steel.
Curiosity piqued, I probed, "So, what is it that you wish to discuss?"
"What do you think I'm here to talk about?" she asked back.
I paused to think about it. I could think of three things she might have wanted to talk about. This felt like a trick question.
"Could this be about me totaling your car? To be fair, you were driving so I don't think that was my fault. Or perhaps my decision to rescue you instead of St. Catherine's? Maybe it's related to—" My words were abruptly cut short as a strong force slammed into my chest, sending me hurtling backward.
Caught in mid-air, I pondered what could have possibly brought about this sudden aggression. My thoughts were interrupted with a large impact against a rocky cliff. And I just washed this shirt.
Peeling myself out of the crater, I cracked my neck. If that's how she wanted to play it, I was more than willing to oblige.
Boosting myself, I powered up to Super Saiyan mode, a cascade of golden light radiating from my form. With a powerful leap, I surged toward Artemis, ready to retaliate.
As I flew through the air, I commanded all the light from the sun to concentrate on me. Normally, light from the sun radiated in all directions. But at this moment, the beams of energy curved and concentrated into a single laser beam, powering me up. Cocking my fist back, I was ready to blast Artemis to the moon.
But the sight that met my eyes as I hurtled forward drained the fierce determination from me. There stood Artemis, her tear-streaked face, a poignant contrast to the conflict that had just unfolded.
Without hesitation, I deactivated my heightened power and desperately sought to halt my momentum. My trajectory overshot her, sending me skidding across the ground for hundreds of meters before finally coming to a stop.
Turning back, I carefully crept my way to her. First, she was stoic. Then, she was mad. Now, she was sad. I didn't know if she'd suddenly go supernova on me.
"Please don't cry," I softly implored as I reached her. I gathered her into my arms, allowing her to bury her face against my chest, her tears dampening my shirt. I held her close, providing a silent anchor as her sobs gradually subsided.
"Why?" the word escaped her lips, laden with a weighty ache. I tilted my head in confusion.
"Why?" she asked again. "Why did you leave me?"
I blankly stared at her. Was this it? I thought she was mad at me for failing on 9/11. Or maybe she thought I blamed her for not being able to save Ms. Davis.
"I didn't leave you," I firmly stated while looking at her directly in the eyes. "I just went on a short side quest…"
"You left me," she insisted.
I sighed. I didn't think I'd be winning this argument. "I left, and I'm sorry. I won't ever do it again."
"Promise?" she asked with a hint of vulnerability.
"I promise," I reassured. "I promise the next time I go on a crusade; I'll bring you."
She huffed at my joke. I think she wanted to laugh but didn't want to let me off the hook so easily.
"That's what I want," she said abruptly. "For my favor. I want to always be by your side. Forever."
Wait a minute, what favor? I thought back and vaguely recalled our bet for who would take out more planes during the Berlin Revolution.
Okay, the favor she wanted sounded pretty simple – !!
Wait.
I raised my eyebrow in shock.
Her favor sounded like a proposal. Was Artemis hinting that she wanted to get married?
Seeing the expression on my face, Artemis quickly turned towards the side and covered half her face. "I didn't mean it like that! Not that I would be against it. Not that I want to get married. Only if you want to. Like really want to. I'm not …"
Blushing gold, she continued to cutely ramble on and on.
Well, we've been dating for 15 years. Like my first dad used to say, time to paint or get off the ladder.
Getting down on one knee, I discreetly pricked my finger with my knife and watched a single drop of blood seep into the sand.
On that spot, I imbued part of my power, the sheer heat and magic melting a hole straight to the center of the earth. In the center, my magic solidified, forming a small band of gold laced with silver. After the band was finished, the rest of my magic intensified on top, crystallizing into a red diamond that seemed to radiate its own light.
As I held the ring between my thumb and index finger, I felt it pulsate with my power.
"Artemis," I interrupted her rant. She turned to see me down on one knee presenting her with the diamond ring I just created.
"Artemis," I repeated before she could say anything, "You stand here, today, a flower in the sea of destruction. Your very presence shines brighter than the full moon in the darkest of nights.
Throughout our lives, you are the only one I can acknowledge as my equal. Despite being the farthest from it, you remind me of my humanity, and the generosity, humility, and love that follows.
Our past 15 years have been a tapestry of wonder, and I hope to forever be by your side, as you would mine. You've been with me before birth, and I pray that you'd be with me after death.
So, I ask you, Artemis, goddess of this world, will you marry me?"