The sin of Pride is the greatest among the seven deadly sins. It is the reason why Lucifer was cast from heaven. It is the reason why countless kings committed atrocities throughout the history of mankind. Just like he did. He was a King in his previous life. He was confident and prideful, never willing to bow to anyone, always doing what he wished, driven by his ambition, wishing to leave a legacy on Earth that would last for an eternity. He received a blessing from a Goddess and her love, but trampled upon them in his search for power, leaving her broken-hearted. In her hatred, the Goddess cursed him to forever remain imprisoned in the Underworld. But Death took a liking to the prideful mortal king and gave him a new chance at life. If you could call it life... PS. I don't own the cover art
The King was dragged by four men into a glorious hall, which was decorated with gold, the walls were filled with carvings of symbols that were infused with gold, telling the story of how a mortal king rose to power. His story.
The room had luxurious white marble furniture and tall marble pillars, which were also trimmed with gold and had several priceless jewels imbued in them. The most breathtaking sight however was the throne that was made purely out of gold and adorned with countless of rubies. His throne.
His long silver hair, which usually shined magnificently, was plastered on his face, dirtied by dust and dry blood. His ruby red eyes gazed upon the woman that was sitting upon his throne while staring down at him. His hands and feet were bound with chains, making sure he could not move.
"You foolish little thing, I shall give you one last chance. Become mine and mine alone and everything will return to how it was.", the woman said with a coquettish smile while her amber eyes were burning with desire.
Hearing her words, the King let out a mocking laugh. Truly, this woman knew no shame. Return everything to how it was? His beloved people lay outside the palace in pools of their own blood, massacred by this woman and the men she had seduced with her sweet and toxic words. Even in their greatest moments of despair, the thought of abandoning their king never crossed their minds. Their loyalty towards him was, and forever will remain, unwavering.
How could he betray them by giving in now?
He had believed in her sweet little lies before. He had received the woman's blessing once upon a time and fulfilled his part of the deal. But the woman was not satisfied and turned against him. He wouldn't fall for it a second time.
"You slaughtered my people, and now you are delusional enough to believe I would suddenly agree?", the King inquired with a sneer.
"If you don't agree, only death awaits you.", the woman stated with narrowed eyes. She couldn't believe that this man would not budge.
"Death may await me, but at least I will be reunited with my people. When I meet them in the afterlife, I can hold my head up high and tell them that until the end, I did not waver.", the King retorted.
"WHY WON'T YOU FOOLISH MAN JUST GIVE UP!? IS IT TOO MUCH TO ASK THAT YOU PLEDGE YOURSELF TO ME, WHO GAVE YOU THE BLESSING OF FORTUNE, WHICH HELPED YOU RISE ABOVE EVERYONE ELSE!", the woman shrieked with a shrill voice.
"A king does not pledge himself to anyone. A king bows to no one. A king sticks with his belief to the end. Be it fortune or folly, a king follows his own path to the end so he can die without any regrets.", the King replied with a leveled voice. He would not budge. He would never waver, for he was the king.
"Besides, while your blessing did help me, my beloved Goddess of Fortune, it was not the reason why I rose above all.", the King continued.
"Oh? And what would the reason be then?", the Goddess asked in a vexed tone.
"The reason why you so persistently chase after me, wishing to make me yours. For I am unmatched in this land. Nay, this world.", the King stated confidently with his face filled with pride.
"You... truly your arrogance knows no bounds. There are hundreds of rulers in this world. What could possibly give you the misguided belief that you are above them all?", the Goddess asked, her face filled with disbelief. Could someone's hubris truly be so enormous?
"It's simple. For I am the first King this world has ever seen.", the man replied with self-confidence. No matter who rose after him, he would forever be the first to achieve this. The others that came after him would forever be forced to follow in his footsteps, for he had paved the road.
"You... please, just be mine. That way, you will gain immortality. You can remain by my side for eternity, and if you so wish we can create a new kingdom for you to rule over.", the Goddess pleaded, her voice cracking. The moment she had laid eyes on the handsome man before her, she had fallen for him. His shining silver hair, enchanting ruby red eyes, and the way he carried himself with confidence had made the Goddess unable to tear her eyes away from him.
Thus, she had descended upon the mortal world and given the man her blessing and promised him that it would help him rise above everyone else. All she had asked in return was that the man would accompany her for the night. And a lovely night it had been. She couldn't get it out of her mind. His tall and muscular frame, which had descended upon her, ravaged her like an insatiable beast.
She had been so happy, and the man had even stayed with her for a year after that, keeping her company, and making her fall deeper and deeper in love. But after the year passed, he left.
He said it was time for him to fulfill his dream. The day he left, she had stared at his broad back that kept getting smaller and smaller, until it finally disappeared from her view. The Goddess stayed in the mortal realm, hoping that her beloved would come and find her once he achieved his goals.
Years passed by, but he never came. She knew the man had great ambitions, so she wasn't surprised. Besides, for a Goddess like her, a few years were nothing. She could wait.
Once again a few years flew by, and the distant and uninhabited forest became populated. Villages were built one after another. From her new neighbors, the Goddess learned that a ruler had emerged. One that stood above everyone else. He had named himself a King.
The king had silver hair and ruby red eyes and was unparalleled. Everything he set out to do, he would accomplish. The citizens loved him. He made their daily lives more prosperous and easier. He guided them on how to develop their land, led them to new flourishing places, and defeated everyone that stood in their way.
Upon hearing of her beloved's feats, the Goddess could feel a warmth glowing inside of her. That was her man. No one could be compared to him. Deciding that since he was too busy to visit her, she would go and find him instead.
She quickly made her way to the city she was told he was in. There, she could see a truly magnificent building made out of marble and decorated in gold. She knew she would find her beloved there.
Making her way to the palace, unnoticed for she was a Goddes and could easily hide from mortals, she arrived at the chamber her beloved resided in. What she saw there shocked her and broke her heart.
Her beloved was lying on a bed, with several naked women surrounding him. She could see the traces of the battle that must have taken place earlier in the night, the smell of the deed still lingering in the room.
She woke him up, screaming at him for betraying her. But the man showed no remorse or guilt, for in his eyes he had done nothing wrong. He simply replied that he had fulfilled his end of the deal. He had spent one night with her. What he did now, had nothing to do with her.
Hearing her beloved's cruel worlds, tears streamed down the Goddess's face. She pleaded that the man abstains from other women, for she would fulfill all of his desires, she would make sure he would never lack anything he could ever need and she would clear all the obstacles he would ever face.
Smiling at her, the man shook his head. He was a King, he would never depend on someone else. He would face his own hardships and deal with them with his own might. Besides, he needed something the Goddess could never give him, an heir. For the Goddess, herself had told him during their year together that a mortal and a God could never conceive a child.
Drowned in sorrow, the Goddess left the palace, isolating herself within her house in the forest. Years went by and her sorrow turned into resentment and a deep obsession. She hated the man that had broken her heart, but her love for him still remained, although it became twisted by the desire of possessing him.
She decided that if his position was what kept him from being with her, she would seize it from him.
She went to the neighboring kingdoms that had risen, mimicking her beloved's feat, and promised their rulers wealth and power. It didn't take long before the greedy and ambitious men agreed to her deal.
With several kingdoms at her command, she launched a war against the kingdom that her beloved had built.
"A King can never belong to anyone but his own people, beloved Goddess.", he smiled coldly while gazing at the woman that had tears streaming down her face, waking her from her thoughts.
He had never intended to hurt her, but he also couldn't give the woman what she wanted at the time. He had needed someone to continue his legacy. Although, by the looks of it, his legacy would end here with him.
"You... stubborn and arrogant to the end.", the Goddess spat out.
"A King can't be humble.", the man simply replied with his head held high.
"King or no king, I Goddess of Fortune, Fortuna, hereby curse you, the ruler of Uruk and Babylonia, to forever be denied reincarnation, to forever be unable to reunite with the people of your kingdom that you held so dear. Your soul shall forever remain a prisoner within the Underworld.", the Goddess bellowed, her amber eyes shining with a golden light.
Hearing her words, the King kept his calm, his confidence never wavering.
"Then I in return shall grant you the name, 'Whore of Babylon', beloved Goddess. May you forever be remembered in this world by that name.", the King announced, his red eyes brimming with power and a cold smirk on his face. While he did not have enough power to give her a curse as she had done to him, he would make sure that no one in this world would know the name of Fortuna, forever denying any worshippers she might have gained in this world.
"You... how could you have this power? No... you were about to ascend...", the Goddess muttered.
"Yes. I was about to leave this world behind. I just wanted someone to continue my work here. Once I ascended and gained immortality on my own, I thought I could keep you by my side for eternity. But it seems like it wasn't fated to be. Besides, since you slaughtered my people, if I ever get the chance, I shall have my revenge.", the King replied with a smile that was dripping with hatred. The Goddess had destroyed his life's work and so cruelly massacred his beloved people, whom he had loved above all else, and he would never forgive her for it.
'But a King never regrets. He only moves forward.' he thought, while the golden light shining from the Goddess enveloped him, turning his body to dust.
Before everything turned dark, he could see the anguished face of the Goddess, her hand reaching out towards him.