The Temple of Hera Eats My Fiancés

Our city-state is a thousand miles from Mount Olympus. But we have a custom. One that can never be broken. Every girl about to be married… her fiancé must enter the Temple of Hera. Led by her father. To ask for the goddess’s blessing. If he walks out unharmed, it means the gods approve. A lifetime of happiness. At twenty, my two younger sisters wore their bridal crowns. They married the knights of their dreams. But I'm thirty. And still unmarried. Because every fiancé who enters that temple… breaks our engagement the moment he comes out. They even draw their swords. They try to kill me. My newest fiancé was a noble knight from the capital. He scoffed at the superstitions of our remote city. He insisted on going in. My father, the High Priest, led him into the temple. But when he walked out… his eyes were completely gone. He tackled me. His hands crushed my throat. I don't understand. What is hidden inside the sacred Temple of Hera? What could corrupt a noble soul in an instant? My father knows. He knows every man who goes in will want me dead. So why does he keep leading them into that temple? Chapter 1 “You filthy heretic! I can’t believe they’re still keeping you alive! If it were me, I would’ve burned you to ash by now!” My new fiancé, Valen, lunged at me like a madman. He pinned me to the ground. His fingers were iron clamps around my neck. I struggled, but I was no match for a trained knight. “Valen, murder will damn you to the abyss!” “Killing filth like you is clearing a path for the gods!” He ignored me. He drove his knee hard into my stomach. A sharp pain exploded in my gut. All the fight went out of me. My breath grew shallow. I could feel the cold shadow of death. Valen finally let go. Before he left, he kicked me twice with his iron-shod boots. “Killing you would only stain my sword,” he said, looking down at me. “May the gods purify your filth.” He turned and walked down the steps without a second glance. He was the tenth one. I’m thirty. Ten long years. Every man who promised to marry me, every knight who swore to break this city’s superstitions, turned into my executioner after stepping into that temple. A white shadow fell over me. My father, Kael, stood before me. Dressed in his spotless High Priest robes. He didn't ask if I was hurt. He raised his staff. Purple lightning shot out, striking me in the chest. The force threw me back. I slammed into a stone pillar and slid to the ground. The air filled with the smell of burning flesh. The lightning strikes lasted for half an hour. Three broken ribs. Two fingers, charred and twisted. I lay in a pool of my own blood. Every breath was agony. “Your soul is still impure,” Kael said, his voice flat. “This angers the gods.” The same perfect excuse. Always. To the world, he was the perfect widower, devoted to his late wife. The selfless High Priest. He used “divine punishment” to hide his brutality against his own daughter. And the whole city praised him for his righteousness. But last month, I contacted a friend in the capital. I asked about the blessing at the Temple of Hera. He checked the royal archives. No other city-state has this insane custom. They hold festivals in their temples all the time. No one ever comes out a completely different person. My friend even asked if my father was rigging the temple somehow. But when I tried to go in myself, he refused. He said the sanctuary was for male priests only. I wasn't worthy. Asking too many questions just earned me more “punishment.” He never, ever treated my two adopted sisters this way. I started to wonder if I was even his daughter. I even cast a bloodline spell in secret. The runes didn't lie. I am his flesh and blood. I even thought he hated me because he hated my mother. But my mother has been dead for years, and he never remarried. He refused everyone who tried to find him a new partner. “My wife was the love of my life. I will never marry another.” Everyone knew how devoted my father was. How much he doted on his children. No one believed me. They definitely didn't believe he was trying to kill me. The pain in my chest was tearing me apart. I fought to stay conscious. No. I can’t die here. I pulled a sending stone from my torn dress. My fingers were useless. I crushed the gem with my teeth. “Grandmother… Uncle… help me.” Less than fifteen minutes later, the heavy manor gates burst open with a gust of wind. My uncle, a Holy Knight, strode in. His massive greatsword scraped the ground, kicking up sparks. My grandmother, a high sorceress, followed close behind. Her healing staff glowed with a soft green light. “Elara!” Grandmother ran to me, kneeling by my side. Warm magic flowed into me. My broken ribs stopped shifting. The sharp pain from my wounds began to fade. My uncle aimed his greatsword at Kael’s throat. His voice was low, seething with rage. “Give me one reason not to take your head.” Kael didn’t flinch. He straightened his cuffs, his gaze flicking over the greatsword. “Go inside and see,” Kael said, stepping aside to reveal the temple door. “See what your precious niece has been hiding from you.” My uncle snorted. “Smoke and mirrors. Let's see what excuse you've cooked up.” He hefted his sword and stepped into the dark temple. Grandmother stroked my hair, wiping the blood from my face. “Don’t be afraid, Elara. When your uncle comes out, we’ll take you back to the capital. He will never touch you again.” Hope fluttered in my chest. My only light in this hell. But three minutes passed. My uncle came back out. He wasn't holding his sword. The greatsword, his symbol of honor, dropped to the ground with a thud. His face was pale. The muscle in his jaw jumped. “Uncle?” I whispered. “What did you see…?” He strode toward me. Raised his hand. And slapped me. The blow sent me sprawling. A sharp ringing filled my ears. The taste of rust and blood filled my mouth. Grandmother froze. “What are you doing?!” My uncle didn't answer. He snatched the healing staff from her hands. The base of the staff slammed into my forehead. Skin split. Blood gushed out, blinding my left eye. “Uncle…” My voice trembled in disbelief. My uncle grabbed my grandmother, whispering frantically in her ear. I forced my right eye open, watching her face. The love and pity in her eyes… vanished. She looked down at me. The same way Valen had. The same way Kael had. “Hold her down,” Grandmother’s voice was ice. My uncle grabbed my shoulders. Grandmother took back her staff. The soft green healing light died. Blinding crimson flames erupted from the staff’s tip. The heat warped the air. She aimed the burning staff at my face. “I'll burn this vile heresy out of you myself,” she spat, “and I'll face the gods' judgment for it!” Chapter 2 Grandmother’s flames swallowed my vision. I don’t know how long the magic burned me. I just know I lost consciousness. When I woke up, everything was silent. I was lying on the stone steps outside the temple. A piercing pain shot through my scalp. Two carrion birds were pecking at the raw flesh of my forehead. I swatted them away with my good left arm. I dragged my broken body up and escaped to the manor through a hidden back alley. I couldn’t let the followers see me. Seven years ago, when my third fiancé tried to kill me, I reported it to the city’s inquisitor. But when he arrived, the entire city testified for my father. They said I was lying. “They have three children. The other two are so pious and kind. Why would he only abuse her?” “Inquisitor, that child has been a liar since she was young. She even steals holy relics. You can’t trust a word she says.” I knew they were only siding with him because he was the High Priest. But there was nothing I could do. After that, Kael threw me into the flooded oubliette. For a week, black water lapped at my chin. My soul nearly withered away. I pushed open my bedroom door. The floor was covered in shattered crystals. My adopted sister, Lila, stood in the center of a magic circle, holding a wand. She was standing in the scrying circle to the capital. My last resort. “Sister, Father said you need quiet,” she smiled, looking like an angel. Something inside me snapped. I dragged my broken ribs toward Kael’s chambers. I threw the door open. “What do you want from me!” I stared at the man sitting in the shadows. “If you don’t want me to get married, just say so! Why turn my fiancés against me? Why make them want to kill me?” “What did I ever do to you? I’ve done everything you’ve ever asked. Isn’t that enough? What more do you want!” Kael set down the holy scripture he was reading. No words. Just a solid silver candlestick hitting my shoulder. A dark green light flashed. Three thorny vines shot up from the floor and wrapped around my neck. The thorns dug into my skin. “I want you to go to hell,” Kael said, his voice cold as ice. I couldn't breathe. With my last ounce of strength, I bit my tongue. I spat blood onto the teleportation parchment in my sleeve. Space ripped open. A golden portal blazed to life in the middle of the room. Two royal investigators in silver armor stepped out. Right behind them was my best friend, the court mage, Celia. “Secure the scene!” the lead investigator shouted. He drew his sword and pressed it to Kael’s throat. The vines loosened their grip. I collapsed to the floor, gasping for air. Celia rushed over and hugged me. When she saw my mangled fingers and ruined forehead, a dangerous red light flared at the tip of her wand. “Kael, you monster hiding in a priest’s robes!” Celia aimed her wand at his eyes. “She’s your own daughter!” The sword blade cut Kael’s neck. He didn’t even flinch. “You’ve come a long way. You should see the evidence first.” Kael looked up at the investigator. “Go to the Temple of Hera. After you see what’s in the sanctuary, you can decide if you still want to kill me.” He turned to Celia. “Hera does not suffer the presence of mortal women. The lady mage should wait outside.” The investigator sheathed his sword and nodded. Panic washed over me. I ignored my broken ribs and crawled, grabbing the investigator's leg. My forehead hit the floor. Once. Twice. “Don’t go… Please, don’t go in.” Blood and tears blurred my vision. “He’ll show you a false vision… It’s not real…” The investigator pulled his leg free. “The Royal Law only recognizes the truth. If he’s lying, I’ll flay him alive myself.” The door closed. He and Kael disappeared toward the temple. Ten long minutes. Celia forced a pure healing elixir down my throat, whispering, “Don’t be afraid. The capital doesn't fall for these backwater tricks. You're almost free.” Heavy footsteps came from the temple’s direction. The investigator was walking fast. His face was grim, his chest heaving. He stopped in front of me. No questions. No verdict. Just a slap that cracked through the air. Left cheek. Right cheek. My teeth tore through the inside of my mouth. The investigator’s hand was on the hilt of his sword. The veins on his hand bulged. He was fighting the urge to draw it. “If not for the Royal Law, I would cut you down where you stand,” he hissed, his words like ice. Celia raised her wand, shielding me. “Are you insane? Kael is the one who hurt her!” The investigator grabbed Celia’s wrist and dragged her to a corner. He bent down and spoke quickly in her ear. I watched Celia. The girl who shared her bread with me, who swore to protect me for life. Celia listened. Her wand drooped. She turned her head and looked at me. The last bit of warmth in her eyes died. She raised her hand. A green flash. Two thick magical vines erupted from the floor and coiled around my right thigh. The vines twisted in opposite directions. CRACK. The sound of bone snapping was sickeningly clear in the silent room. A scream ripped from my throat. Celia didn't stop. She took two steps closer, looking down at me. “Stop screaming. It’s disgusting.” She threatened me through my agonized cries, her eyes looking at me like I was something crawling out of the abyss. “You make another sound, and I’ll snap your other leg too.” Chapter 3 “Stop wasting the capital’s resources. You’re not worth it!” Celia’s words fell. The investigator glanced at me. “Be glad the Royal Law stays my hand,” he said, his voice lethal. “Don’t dirty our ears with your lies again.” The portal closed. They were gone. Kael walked over to me. He glanced at my broken right leg. He raised his hand. An invisible force seized the back of my neck and lifted me into the air. He threw me into the manor’s abandoned dungeon. The heavy iron door slammed shut. Darkness swallowed me. A horrifying chewing sound came from the corner. The ghouls. They kept ghouls down here. For three days, I lay in the damp rot. The ghouls’ sharp claws tore at my arms. I beat them back with broken stones from the floor. To survive, I had to eat the scraps of rotten meat they left behind. Ghoul rot seeped into my blood. My skin festered, weeping yellow-green pus. The fever blurred the line between reality and nightmare. I wasn't the daughter of a High Priest anymore. I was a monster, clinging to life in a gutter. On the fourth day, the rusted iron door creaked open. My sisters’ husbands—both temple guards—returned from patrol. They covered their noses, picked me up with their spears, and tossed me back into the manor’s great hall. Urgent footsteps sounded from outside. “Elara!” Grandfather. The most respected elder in the city council. The only person in this family who ever loved me. He rushed into the hall and knelt beside me. His trembling hands traced my festering skin and my twisted leg. His old, clouded tears fell onto my face. Grandfather shot to his feet. He marched up to Kael. SLAP. The sharp sound echoed in the hall. Kael’s head snapped to the side. “She is your daughter! You animal!” Grandfather’s voice shook with rage and grief. Kael didn’t argue. He wiped the blood from his lip with his thumb. “Elder, you should visit the temple,” Kael said calmly. “Go and see the truth.” A cold dread seized my heart. Ignoring the searing pain in my leg, I crawled forward through the blood. I grabbed Grandfather’s robe. “Don’t go.” I looked up, tears washing paths through the filth on my face. “Grandfather, I’m begging you. Please, don’t go to the temple.” Grandfather knelt down. He cupped my face. He raised his right hand. “I swear to the gods, I will not go. I won’t look at his tricks.” He wiped my forehead with his sleeve. “Rest now, child. Tomorrow morning, I’m taking you to the capital. We’ll leave this place forever.” A gentle sleeping draught slid down my throat. For the first time in ten years, I closed my eyes in peace. When I woke again, the morning light was cold. The manor was dead silent. Not a single sound. I opened my eyes. The space around my bed was full of people. Kael. My two sisters. And their two guard husbands. No one spoke. They just stared at me. Their eyes were a mixture of pure disgust and contempt. Grandfather was gone. My younger sister, Lila, raised her hand. A whirlwind caught my hair. My body was ripped from the bed. THUD. My head slammed against a hard stone pillar. Warm blood trickled from my temple into my eye. “Don’t get her blood on the carpet,” my older sister said, taking a step back. “It’s so filthy.” “How do we execute her?” her husband asked. “The pyre or the river? The altar will need to be purified beforehand.” They were discussing how to kill me. Their tone was casual, like they were deciding how to dispose of a pile of rotting meat. Every one of them had a strange, murderous look on their face. I pushed myself up with my good left arm. I started crawling toward the half-open door. Grandfather. I had to find Grandfather. My fingers dug into the doorframe. I dragged my broken body out of the room. A familiar pair of deerskin boots stopped in front of me. Grandfather was back. I grabbed onto his leg like it was a lifeline. “Grandfather, save me…” He didn't bend down. He didn’t cast a healing spell. He took a step back, shoving me away in disgust. I tumbled to the floor. The movement jolted my broken ribs, and a cold sweat broke out on my skin. Grandfather looked down. He furiously brushed at his pant leg, as if my touch had infected him with a deadly plague. “You deserve this,” he spat. The blood froze in my veins. “You…” my voice was a shattered whisper, “you went to the temple.” Grandfather looked down on me, his gaze freezing my soul. “How else was I supposed to know you were such a disgusting monster?” I stared, my bloodshot eyes fixed on him. “Grandfather… you went to the temple?” His eyes were cold and terrifying. “How else would I know what a filthy monster you are?” “But you promised you wouldn’t! You said you loved me most! Why did you lie to me?” My last shred of hope was gone. Grandmother. Uncle. Celia. Grandfather. Everyone who ever loved me, once they entered that temple, they all became my enemy. An enemy who wanted to tear me limb from limb. I dragged myself up. I faced the monsters who used to be my family. "If I have to die," I screamed, my throat raw. "I want to die knowing why!" "Take me to the temple. Show me the truth!" I glared straight into Kael’s eyes. I wasn't crying anymore. Kael narrowed his eyes. They looked at each other. Finally, it was Grandfather who nodded. Dusk fell. The sunset was the color of dried blood. Kael walked in front. I dragged my broken leg up the dark stone steps of the temple, leaving a long smear of blood behind me. We entered the temple's underground sanctuary. It was pitch black. Kael raised his staff, and a magic circle on the central altar lit up. A giant memory crystal floated in the air. The light blazed, and a vision unfolded in the air. I looked up. The scene played out before my eyes. My breath stopped. It felt like all the blood had been drained from my body. I stared at the images in the light, my pupils shrinking. No wonder… no wonder no knight would ever marry me. It’s because…