Asterius, "Lord of the Stars" is a beautiful name.
Thought the queen of Crete, PASIFAE.
Her son was an enigma. Even her other children Androgeus, Ariadne, Deucalion or Phaedra were as... anomalous as her little brother Asterius.
Even her daughter, who inherited her magic, Phaedra, found the boy's existence to be something unusual.
Of course, only she, Dedalus and her husband know how the boy was... conceived, although others have their suspicions.
However, she would never let them find out and try to kill her little "Ast".
The queen was a beautiful and intelligent woman. Just like her sister Circe and her niece Medea, she was a sorceress, even though she paled in comparison to Medea, she still managed to pull off some tricks, like when she cursed her Husband to kill any lover with His seeds that turned into snakes, centipedes and other plagues that devoured them from the inside out.
As shameful as it was. She still loved her youngest son, and still felt ashamed of the mess with the White Bull, but she still felt that "warmth", she had certainly been cursed thanks to her husband's pettiness of making A SIMPLE SACRIFICE that he swore to the DAMNED OLYMPIAN GODS.
But now the Queen had to pay the price.
Walking through the long corridors to her youngest son's room, she remembered again what she felt when he was born.
Love, fear, affection, dread, anger, compassion.
A mixture of emotions really. She felt small as she looked into those bright crimson eyes of the little hybrid. "Minotaurus" her husband tried to make his name. After yelling at her stupid idea and remembering that this was all his fault. She put an end to it. And thought of a new name, "Asterius". She liked it.
Carrying a child in her arms was nothing new, but having a baby so heavy and with horns and scary black and red eyes was new.
Having all those eyes on her while she walked with him in her arms was only a slight inconvenience, she didn't mind any of them.
Queen Pasiphae had nothing to fear—
"AAAAAH".
Pasiphae's eyes widened when she heard a woman's scream coming from Asterius' room.
The queen hurried, running straight to the room quickly.
BAM
Opening the door with force, she was faced with a scene completely unfamiliar to her.
The servants were leaning against the walls with looks of terror on their faces.
She squinted her eyes as she saw the scene ahead that caused all this.
On the floor, her little 5-year-old Ast was holding the maid's twisted wrist between his small, chubby fingers.
She lay on the ground with a strangled scream of pain and terror.
Meanwhile, her son remained the same. With his perpetual cold and emotionless face. As if he had just caught a mosquito that was bothering him.
Carefully approaching the terrified maids, she quietly questioned them, even though she was sure her little one would hear thanks to her hybrid nature.
"M-ma'am, we were cleaning and Lora tried to approach and c-c-talk gently to the little master, but he suddenly A-ATTACKED her and broke her wrist!" One of the maids spoke without looking her in the eye and trembling and stuttering.
This made Pasiphae narrow her eyes at them, but she simply waved her hand for them to go away, shooing them away from the place.
Approaching her little baby and the maid calmly as if it were a simple game.
She knelt down to her little star's level and smiled sweetly, speaking in a calm voice to the 4-year-old baby.
"Ast? My little star, why are you so angry? Did she bother you? Did she touch you?"
The queen knew that for some reason, her son HATED touch. As a newborn, he would scream and kick when he was younger if anyone other than her held him in their arms. Strangely, Minus was one of the few who could pick him up without the baby crying. Even his siblings received harsh treatment.
"..."
As expected, the little child did not respond, but only visibly squeezed the girl's wrist even tighter in his hands.
Making her whimper even more annoyingly. Which made Pasiphae roll her eyes at the maid's crying.
Turning to her, who was streaming tears down her face, she grabbed the maid by the hair and pulled it close to her face.
"What did you do?"
Looking into her eyes, she saw the maid frantically looking around, trying to find an excuse and stuttering the words of the previous maid. However, her son's grip on her dislocated wrist reminded her of HOW MUCH more sheets she was in.
Causing her to scream.
"I-I WAS SCARED! He s-always looks at us with those scary eyes, I tried to talk to him, but he marched towards me and I got scared, I hit him, but he grabbed my hand and broke my wrist, I'm so sorry, ma'am, forgive me, and I swear I'll never do it again, but please free me!" The servant spoke nervously and quickly, trying to free herself from the small Hybrid's grip while feeling her scalp being pulled more and more by her mistress upon hearing her confession.
Pasiphae had a blank face, just shaking her head at his words, not showing her anger other than pulling more and more of the servant's hair.
Unbeknownst to the terrified servant, Pasiphae slowly pulled a small blade from her ankle, one she usually used for her safety in case she was attacked by surprise.
"I see..." Pasiphae spoke with a serene smile as she looked at her son and with her eyes ordered him to release the maid. The little hybrid reluctantly released the servant from her grip. The servant quickly grabbed the dislocated member while whimpering and massaging the area. She looked at the boy with fear, before she turned to her mistress when she heard a sigh from her.
"I'm glad you confessed… you're dismissed, Lora." She spoke with a rewarding smile on her face. Lora smiled in anticipation of having been forgiven, she quickly bowed to her mistress while mumbling words of thanks.
"T-Thank you my lady, I won't let you down again-GAH!"
Before Lora could finish her apology, a small dagger was stabbed into her throat.
Looking tearfully at the hand that stabbed her, she could glimpse her mistress with that same sweet smile that always graced her.
"I know Lora…I know…"
As she spoke, the queen held her hand over Lora's bloody mouth to stop her gobs of blood from leaking into the room and reinforced her hand, stabbing the servant's fragile throat 5 more times, cutting through the flesh and her vocal cords, making sure she survived.
With a hollow THUMP, the maid's body fell to the floor, while Pasiphae looked at her bloody hands in disgust. But ignoring this for a moment. She looked at her little Asterius. Who still looked coldly, but with a glint of surprise in his crimson eyes.
She slowly bent down and, taking care not to stain her white clothes with blood, she held her son with her hands wet with the blood of the dead servant.
"Asterius, no matter who dares to hurt you, always tell Mommy and she will take care of it. I will always protect you, my little star."
Kissing the little hybrid's forehead gently, she could see his pupils dilating as he looked at the body on the floor.
Slightly gesturing with his mouth and licking his lips.
Looking from the body to her son, she smiled sweetly and stroking his pure white hair, she turned to the boy.
"You can taste my star, it was your executioner, wasn't it? Nothing more fair than to serve as food for you to grow strong and nourished."
The queen exclaimed to her Little Prince. As if he were bewitched. He trotted forward with his chubby legs towards his cannibalistic meal, and with his little hands, he placed them around the eyeball of one of the maid's dead eyes and with a single pull, ripped it from its socket, with blood and fleshy bonds being dragged along.
As if tasting a grape, he, for inside his mouth, and with a wet and noisy CRUNCH, chewed the ball of meat in his mouth, totally ignoring what had previously been a person.
The Queen, whose eyes were shining with madness, stood up, wiping her hands on a nearby handkerchief, she adjusted her dress and with calm steps, left the room, leaving her son to enjoy his new meal.
As she left, opening the half-open door, she saw the faces of the servants green and close to vomiting, those who, upon seeing their mistress, stepped aside and bowed deeply to their Mistress.
Did they see? Good. The queen smiled with the same smile she gave Lora before she beheaded her, which made the maids pale.
"Let this be a lesson to you. My little Asterius is still a prince. YOUR prince. Attacking him is the same as attacking the royal family. Punishable by death!"
Soon Pasiphae left, leaving the door closed, so that her son could feed alone.
Walking a few steps forward. She stopped again and frowning, she raised her hand calling one of the maids.
One of them, brave, or foolish enough, advanced towards her Queen with trembling steps.
Pasiphae turned to her, looking with madness and sadism in her eyes, she issued an order to her maid.
"Tell the soldiers to kill each and every member of Lora's family. I want each of them to have their throats slit and their corpses sliced and served to feed my little star…is that understood…Nora?"
The queen's words made the maid pale even more with fear and anguish at what she would have to order.
However, she still feared for her own life and that of her children, so she just nodded, not trusting her voice.
"Good…don't disappoint me again."
And so, with the order given, the queen left for her chambers. All that blood and seeing her son's beautiful eyes, wild and hungry, made her loins heat up and her intimacy wet, she would pull her husband to satisfy her, whether he wanted to or not he would have to fulfill his duty as a husband. Her son's eyes reminded her so much of his REAL father, that she feared attacking him right there. Less would do for the next… 2?... well… maybe 4 hours…
"Fufufu… it will be a hot and fun day…"
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All the confusion and "punishment" of Lora spread to the castle, the Queen at this moment was in her royal chambers, with the king probably calming her down.
Meanwhile, little Asterius was in the baths, being cleaned by his older sister, Ariadne.
Ariadne was one of the few people Asterius allowed to touch him, as she was too kind and gentle for anyone to dislike her.
"Oh~ my little Ast, Hihihi~"
Ariadne inherited her mother's beauty, flawless skin with long, straight, light blonde hair, beautiful sapphire blue eyes, and a curvy, hourglass body like her mother's, she was destined for great beauty and fertility.
"Let's bathe, little brother~" With a soft, gentle smile, Ariadne rubbed her younger brother's body during the bath. The warm water gently ran down the little hybrid's body.
"You're lighter today, Ast...," she whispered, her fingers carefully stroking her brother's small alabaster-colored horns, and noticing that a small tuft of hair was growing thicker on the back of his neck, almost like a lion's mane. "Did you do something that made you happy?"
The boy didn't answer. He just looked at her with his red eyes, which seemed to shine more intensely under the hot steam of the bath. A look that made older people tremble... but in Ariadne, it caused only tenderness and... a certain fascination.
She adored her brother as much as her mother, she couldn't explain why.
"You know, Ast... When you were born, I dreamed that you would grow up and become a king. A king not only of Crete, but of the world, where the stars shine and... you were a very good king.."
Asterius blinked slowly, absorbing each word. He didn't say much - or almost nothing - but he understood. Oh, he understood everything.
Suddenly, he raised his chubby little hand and touched his sister's face, leaving a small trail of warm water and oil. Ariadne stopped breathing for a moment. It was rare for him to initiate any kind of contact.
"Sister..." he murmured, in a low, guttural voice, almost a hoarse whisper.
The sound made Ariadne's heart beat faster. It was the first time he had called her that out loud. She smiled widely, tears welling up in her eyes.
"Yes, my love... your sister is here," she said, holding his little hand. And Asterius... smiled. with the sweetness of a satisfied child.
It was a strange smile. A smile of someone who knows more than he should. A smile that was not entirely human, it was very wide and had many fangs, but it was expected, given his lineage.
Ariadne, without realizing it, squeezed his hand tighter. And for the first time, she felt anxiety.
Anticipation.
"Hum..." With her cheeks flushed, the princess of Crete hugged her little brother in the valley of her full breasts, stroking the white mane on his head and taking care of his horns, while giving them small kisses.
And it was in this calm and intimate moment, that the rest of the Bath continued.
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At dusk, Asterius was once again in the hands of another brother, this time, the outgoing and charismatic Androgeus!
A tall, strong young man with short, wild golden hair, bright blue eyes, and a cheerful smile on his face.
The tall young man carried his brother on his shoulders, while laughing and enjoying the tributes from the villagers and merchants to his family, the guards around him making room for the crown prince.
Androgeus was a symbol of a gentleman, polite, lively, and honorable, which was a contrast to his pragmatic and manipulative father.
And it was even more contrasting with the impassive little hybrid on his shoulders. Frightening and impressing everyone with his unusual appearance, crimson eyes stared curiously at everything around him, new images and life for the isolated boy.
"Are you excited AST? Is the view good? Hahaha!"
As he swayed and laughed, Androgeus noticed how some villagers moved away from the pair, fearing the cold and inhuman gaze of the younger one. Giving more space to have fun with his brother.
But most people… most people only saw his eyes.
Crimson.
Fixed.
Cold.
Asterius didn't laugh. He didn't move. He just watched.
The world, from above his golden brother's shoulders, was vast. Colorful. Full of sounds and smells and people who trembled when he saw them, it was somehow boring and curious to the reincarnated hybrid.
Among the passersby, a small child—a little girl with dark skin, messy braids, and eyes as dark as olives—looked at him. Unlike the adults, she didn't flinch. She approached, holding out her hand with a flower.
"For the big baby," she said, smiling innocently.
Androgeus laughed out loud. "Look, Ast! He already has a suitor!"
Asterius looked at the flower. Then at the dirty hand. Then at the girl. There was something about it… something curious.
He held out his little hand, and for an instant his two fingers almost touched hers, and then—
"Thank you," the boy murmured as he climbed down from his brother's shoulders and took the flower. He looked at it like a strange object. His eyes fixed on the girl, who blushed at the attention.
Everyone around him stopped, it was the first time they had heard the boy say anything, even the soldiers were surprised. This surprise was only increased when the boy fumbled with his cloth robes and took out a small ring with a precious stone embedded in it, handing it openly to the commoner girl.
The little girl stared at the ring in her palm with wide eyes. It was a real jewel—a blue sapphire stone as pure as the sky at noon, expertly cut, set in polished gold with Cretan runes engraved around it. A gift worth more than anything her entire family could ever dream of owning in their entire lives.
"M-My lord...?" she stammered, not understanding.
Asterius tilted his head slightly, his red eyes fixed on hers. His face was still expressionless, but there was something... soft... about his presence at that moment. A feeling of satisfaction. Something almost... full of tenderness.
"For you," he murmured in his deep, husky voice—so strangely mature for a child.
The girl was speechless. The silence hung heavy for a moment. Androgeus, who had only laughed until then, now stared at his younger brother with surprised eyes, a pang of pride growing in his chest. It was rare, very rare, to see any gesture of tenderness coming from Asterius.
"What is your name?" the golden prince asked, crouching down beside her.
"E-Eirene, lord," the girl replied, still holding the ring in both hands as if it were a crystal egg.
Beside his golden brother and in front of the girl, Asterius repeated, "Eirene…" almost as if savoring the name. "You have beautiful eyes."
Before more could be said, a soldier hurried over, kneeling with his fist on his chest.
"Princes. Urgent news from the palace. The queen orders the immediate return of your highness, Asterius. She… wishes to see you before sunset."
Androgeus frowned. "So soon? He's barely even started enjoying his walk."
But the soldier's gaze indicated that this was no ordinary whim. It was a summons.
Asterius looked one last time at Eirene.
"See you soon, Eirene."
With that, he returned to his brother's side, who lifted him into his arms with ease.
As they walked away, Eirene looked at the ring, and then at the sky. A strange breeze blew, causing the surrounding flowers to bend towards her. And although she was just an ordinary child, at that moment, she felt that something destined had just happened.
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