I nearly shouted although I'd known the answer. Resurrection was prohibited, it wasn't allowed. I'd done this to myself. I was the one who had begged Lord Hades to bring me back.

Queen Rhea gave me a pointed look. "Why?" She said in a sarcastic tone. "You should've known that those who died to stay dead. Why do you think I was angry when I met you two weeks ago?" She tilted her head to the left, daring me to speak but I'd learned my lesson to keep my mouth shut and the look that Vlad was giving me spoke the same.

"I knew something eminent about to happen the second I saw you walking through the door." She let out a deep sigh and gave me an exhausted look. "You should've known better, Isabelle."

I thought she was talking about me knowing that Zeus was such a dick but she continued before I had a chance to speak up my mind, "you know how much he loves you, how he will give you anything even if he has to break the rules for it."

At that moment, I knew she was talking about Hades. Knowing fully well that she was right, I muttered, "I'm sorry."

To my surprise, Queen Rhea smiled and held my hand. "There's nothing to be sorry, my child." She slid her gaze to Vlad and her smile faltered a little. "I'm sure you just saved his life."

I frowned, completely puzzled by her last statement. "Pardon?"

"About three persons out of five who lost their soulmates commit suicide," informed Queen Rhea. "The pain and suffering of losing one's soulmate are so unbearable that death didn't seem like a bad option." She placed her hand on top of the book and dropped her gaze to her ring finger. The chandelier light caught on her huge platinum and diamond wedding ring. She looked so forlorn that my heart almost broke for her.

With a small voice that I didn't recognize was my own, I whispered softly, "but you didn't."

Then she whipped her head and looked at Vladimir and me with those big blue Christoulakis eyes. "I couldn't." She shook her head and bit her bottom lips. Looking at her right now, I saw a woman that I'd never seen before, a woman who had lost her soulmate and her daughter. It reminded me that even though she was a queen, she was a woman and a mother too.

"I have--had," she swallowed hard. "I had Scarlet to look after. She was only seven years old when my husband died. Moreover, I have people. For them, I must stay strong." Her voice filled with determination as she added, "this duty must always come first."

I didn't know what possessed me but I threw my arms around her. Her body went stiff for a split second before melted as she wrapped her arms around me, accepting the gesture. "I'm so sorry," I sobbed. "I've never offered my condolences."

"It's okay, my child, I'm alright." Her hand stroked my hair as she whispered these soothing words, "don't worry about me."

We pulled away and I quickly wiped a tear that slipped out of the corner of my eye with the back of my hand. My gaze fell on the book set on the table. "I don't remember seeing these Greek letters here when I read the book a few months ago."

The Queen pointed at her Tiara. "You have to have this to reveal the gods' testament. Everything that every god has done on earth is written here." She flipped through the book and pointed at a specific page. Since I was not Percy Jackson and those Greek letters didn't turn to alphabets as I glanced upon them, I turned to Vlad.

"Nineteen fourteen, the Great War was caused by Ares, the God of War." He skipped a few paragraphs and stopped at the one in the middle, "Nineteen sixty, Valdivia earthquake, caused by Poseidon, the God of the Sea. When Poseidon was angry, he caused earthquakes and earth tremors with his mighty trident."

"Are these real?" I looked at Queen Rhea expectantly. "Were all of these done by our gods?"

She nodded. "Yes."

I groaned."Damn, I should've turned Buddhist when I had the chance."

Both Vlad and the Queen looked startled, their eyes were widened in shock, but the next second, they both laughed at my lame joke.

A loud exploding sound silenced the laughter as we straightened our backs and stared at the door. Another noise followed soon after and every second, I could feel my heart beat faster and faster. At last, the double doors swung open revealing Spyridon, Flint, and Klas.

"Your Highness, we need to get you to a safe place," informed Spyridon hastily. "I've called the HQ, they're sending one of the copters to pick you up at the rooftop."

"What's happening?!" I asked out of panic.

Flint tapped Spyridon's shoulder and gave him a nod.

"It's ready," Spyridon said, "we need to hurry, Your Highness. The front gate won't hold them forever."

I was pissed that everyone didn't answer me so I put both hands on Spyridon's shoulders and shook him. "What the fûck is happening?!"

He looked surprised as he slid his gaze from the Queen towards me yet he answered nonetheless. It seemed that he needed a good yelling before he gave me his attention. "The faction. They blew up the eastern gate." He turned to Queen Rhea, his eyes met hers squarely. "We need to get you out of here, Your Highness, before they could get in and take you."

Finally, Queen Rhea nodded and the three CG were preparing the way. Flint held his gun with both hands as he moved forward and checked his surrounding.

"Wait," said the Queen as Spyridon put one hand on her elbow, about to lead her way. She took off her Tiara and handed it to me.

"Your Highness?" I stared at the Tiara in my hand then slid my gaze back to the Queen.

"You need to take this and the diary with you." She took off the necklace I didn't know she'd been wearing and placed it on my hand. A key served as a pendant. It didn't take a genius to know what key was that.

I was so confused that all I could say was, "why?"

"Because there might be a way to fix the bond," she answered. "Spyridon. Klas." Both men immediately presented themselves in front of her. "I need you to go with her. Protect her at all cost."

Spyridon's eyes widened and he looked at Queen Rhea as if she had lost her mind. "My apologies, Your Highness, but at this moment, you are our top priority, my Queen. The people could bear losing a Stavros but not its leader." He gave me a hard stare as if telling me not to object his statement.

"No, Spyridon, she is." Queen Rhea turned and smiled at Vladimir as she added, "they both are."

Spyridon was about to open his mouth, no doubt about to use a thousand reasons to support his argument, but Queen Rhea held up one hand, preventing him from doing so.

She put one hand on his shoulder and stood on the tip of her toes as she planted one kiss on his cheek. "You've been so loyal, Spyridon, too loyal." His cheeks blushed but he kept his eyes on her. "But now, I need you to have the same loyalty in serving her. Don't let anything happen to Lady Stavros no matter what. We need her. She's our people's only hope."

The last sentence confused me but it seemed to mean something to Spyridon. When his eyes met mine, he regarded me in a different way, almost as if I was a different person.

"I understand" was all Spyridon said before he flicked his head, signaling Klas to follow the Queen's request.

I turned to Queen Rhea. "You don't have to do this. He's right. Your life matters more." I borrowed Spyridon's words and said, "the people could bear losing a Stavros but not its leader."

Queen Rhea shook her head. "There are a thousand of people like me but there's only one you." She gave my arm a little squeeze. "Go, my child, I wish you the best of luck."

The look she gave me as I was practically dragged by both Spyridon and Klas was the look I would never forget.