“What a wonderful day!” Proximus declared loudly. His greeting repeated by the apes gathered around him. 

Of course everyday was wonderful in his kingdom but today was especially wonderful as his people will soon find out. 

Lightning and Sylva already knew. News travels quickly in the highest ranks, especially in the old ship where voices traveled everywhere in it’s rusted walls and the quick scurrying of feet and rushed whispers of the midwifes and servants were no exception. Sometime yesterday, the queen’s labor had started and by the early hours of the morning, two baby bonobos were born.

Between Queen Athena and his many partners, Proximus Caesar had many children but none of them had been twins until now. 

“Twins!” Bellowed the king. “Caesar has blessed me with a son and a daughter!”

“A son and a daughter!” Chanted the apes. Sylva wondered how many of them actually cared about the news or if most only followed the king’s lead out of reflex. 

It didn’t really matter either way. A rare and truly wonderful thing has happened to their king, demanding a celebration from the kingdom. 

Lightning caught the silverback’s eye and the two smiled at each other. The pride in the chimp’s eyes reflecting Sylva’s own.

“SAY! His words!” 

“APES! TOGETHER! STRONG!”

It was amazing how far they, and Athena, had come.

——-

There was no attempt at the vault today. Nope, the birth of the twins was to be marked with a tremendous celebration! Apes of all ranks enjoyed the best tasting fruits and food in the kingdom, several apes were playing music while others danced about. Most were more interested than eating than anything else. 

Proximus normally wouldn’t allow anyone to see Queen Athena or his newborn children but this was different. This time, he insisted all the apes in the kingdom get a chance to view their new prince and princess.

That included Sylva and Lightning. 

“So much to tell her!” The chimp was practically bouncing about like a child. “What we saw! Our adventures!”

“Your furs.” Sylva added as Lightning’s fur scarf rubbed against him. 

“That too!” He beamed with delight. “Think she love it?!”

Sylva could only chuckle at the chimpanzee. Despite all this time apart, he was just as giddy at seeing Athena again as if they had never been apart. 

Life at the coast was peaceful but very difficult before Proximus took the throne. Fun days playing in the water and falling to sleep to the sound of ocean waves were only temporary comforts that couldn’t solve the lack of drinkable water or good food resources. It was hard but Sylva, Lightning and Athena still had a good childhood and largely because of the bond they shared. 

Before they were hunters and she was queen, the trio used to play together at the beach and exploring the coast: building sandcastles, splashing each other with salt water, climbing on rocks, playing in tide pools. Their dynamic was mostly the same, Sylva being the serious one and Lightning having the craziest ideas for fun, only Athena encouraged the chimp’s chaotic nature and made it her personal mission to get Sylva to laugh. 

More often than not, she failed but she’d never let him forget it if she caught a giggle out of the gorilla.

That warm, sweet nostalgia for those days suddenly melted the moment they stepped foot into…What was this place?

They had expected Athena to be in the royal room, where Proximus lived. Not here. They had never been to this part of the ship before. It was cold, dark with hardly any light, and smelled more rotten than the rest of the ship. 

It was dry at least, though the many holes in the walls suggested sea water could get in. 

The other apes continued to follow the midwife down this hall. Most didn’t seem to notice but other apes that had been around longer glanced around in bewilderment. 

One other midwife, passed them and Sylva quickly stopped her. “Where are we going?”

The female chimp wouldn’t meet his eyes. Her blue cloak hid most of her face. “Queen’s quarters.” She quickly replied before joining the others. 

Queen’s quarters? Sylva and Lightning glanced at each other. 

Athena lives here?

“Wrong.” Signed Lightning. He wasn’t as good at signing as other apes were but he knew enough to make conversation. “Human pet should be here. Not Athena!”

“I know but…” Sylva’s hands froze mid sign. Realizing how absurd this actually was. If Athena was queen, than surely she’d share the king’s quarters. Perhaps the midwife misspoke and Athena was just here for the birth? But that wouldn’t make sense either-who would want to have a baby in a place like this?

At a loss for words, the silverback gave up and followed the other apes. Lightning hesitated, glaring in disgust at his surroundings before following after. 

The hallway lead to a chamber that looked like it had been repaired at one point. Inside stood Proximus, along with his partners-wait, his partners are the midwives? And other apes that Sylva and Lightning had seen around but..They all look like him?

Wait, how many children does he have again?

“Behold!” Proximus proudly held up his hands. Each holding a tiny, newborn baby. A sight as impressive as it was terrifying. “My heirs! Princess Julia and Prince Arlo!”

“Julia and Arlo!” The apes bent their heads, much like they did earlier. 

Both babies whined unhappily, either from the many voices or from being held like that. Sylva wished he would just put them down. 

Lightning didn’t like it either. He tried to distract himself by glancing at the other apes around Proximus. He quickly recognized Athena’s other children: Farah and Albus were standing straight which made them look like guards while Felix stared at the ground and little Orchid was clinging to-Athena! 

He quickly elbowed Sylva but the gorilla realized it was her at the same moment.

They couldn’t believe it was her. Athena was the same age as they were, yet she looked as though she aged since they last saw her. Laying on her nest, she just looked so tired. So exhausted. 

Satisfied with his show, Proximus finally brought down the newborns and gently returned them to their mother. 

“You have done well, my Cleo.” He whispered to her, ignoring the fact that she was more occupied with the babies than him. “Thank you for these gifts.” 

He leaned in and kissed her forehead, which made Athena cringe. Once she would have fought back and spat in his face, but it was just so much easier to let him do it and get it over with. 

Neither of them heard what the king said, but Sylva and Lightning saw the discomfort on Athena’s face. 

The high ranking apes sang their praises for the king and his family and the other apes acknowledged Proximus and the twins with a silent bow and left. Not wanting to spend any more time than they had to. 

As the apes slowly started leaving and Proximus was surrounded by his closest followers, Athena hoped she could sleep soon. Everything hurt so much, not helped by Proximus’ voice echoing around her or the unwanted stares and visits by his apes. 

She initially ignored the footsteps that approached her now, an empty nod and thank you already at the tip of her tongue when-

“Athena.”

Her eyes met the gorilla in front of her. A chimpanzee knuckle-walking to them. Two more of the king’s loyalists, no different than the ones praising him, but the concern in their eyes surprised her. 

Athena looked worse close up. She wasn’t just exhausted, she was withered. Like a wilted flower. The fact she just gave birth to twins could explain her red eyes but not her thin, almost bony frame and pale face. Scars that neither of them recognized covered her arms. 

Aside from the royal cape covering her, she didn’t look like a queen. No, she looked sick, broken. Worse than even the most injured and weakest apes they brought to the kingdom.

Her children eyed Sylva and Lightning suspiciously but didn’t say anything. Felix shifted uncomfortably, Orchid seemed to position herself between them and her mother, and Farah and Albus watched them closely. It was as if they were protecting their mother, or getting ready to, which only made Athena’s appearance more concerning to them. Sinister even.

Why did they feel they had to protect her? How did she get those scars?

Sylva had so many questions but they all sounded stupid. Athena clearly wasn’t ok and while he knew Proximus was likely to blame for this, he couldn’t let himself think that way about his king. His mind wouldn’t allow it. He was his king after all, and this was his queen. 

…But Athena was his friend first…One of his first, and only true, friends..

He gently placed his hand on her head, feeling how warm she was. Too warm. 

Lightning asked the very question Sylva was thinking of. “Athena sick?”

It was at that moment that Athena suddenly realized who these two were. No…Sylva…Lightning…

They had changed, just like she feared they would. Athena had never accompanied them on their travels nor knew where they had gone, but she knew they had kidnapped apes. Killed apes, all in the name of ‘Caesar’. The gentle and serious gorilla that used to be her friend, has turned into a brutal and bloodthirsty killer and the cheeky chimp goes along for the ride of it. 

Her eyes welled up with tears as she shut them. Not wanting to look at her former friends anymore.

“Go away.” 

Sylva and Lightning were taken aback by her quiet demand. “Wha-?”

“Go away!” Athena shouted at them, startling her children in the process. “Stay away from me!” 

Please, just go. Tears blurred her vision. You two make me sad. 

She was looking at both of them but it felt as if she were looking at Sylva in particular and, despite being much larger than her, the silverback shrunk at her angry glare. 

The chamber had suddenly gone painfully quiet as Athena’s yelling got the attention of the other loyalists. Proximus himself was now looking at them, though he had an amused spark in his eye. 

Dismissing his other followers, he approached the bewildered gorilla and chimp.

“Long time, yes? Since you. Last saw her?” 

There was a very noticeable change with the children as their father approached. Albus and Farah now stood in front of the nest, their lips parting into a warning snarl. Felix moved to join them but chose to be closer to his mother, sister and the babies. An arrow clutched in his hands as a make-shift spear. A low growl could be heard from Athena as she held Orchid and the newborns closer to her chest. 

This seemed to confirm Sylva’s earlier suspicions. 

Turning to look at the king, Lightning bluntly asked: “What did. You do to her?” He normally wouldn’t be this bold, this demanding and almost hostile to his king but seeing his old friend like this sparked something in him. 

Proximus only chuckled his question and shrugged his shoulders. “She’s tired. Hard birth, big babies.” 

Ok, Lightning knew nothing about babies and births, but the twins seemed no bigger than an average baby ape. Even gorillas aren’t that big when they’re born!

“That not what I meant!” He barked and gestured in Athena’s direction. “What happened to her arms?!” 

Sylva glanced at the chimp, a bad feeling brewing in his gut. He wished Lightning would shut up. 

Proximus’ chuckles only made him more nervous. Actually, he seemed to be enjoying this. “Rough start. Remember? Athena try to escape. Ask you to go with her. You refuse and bring her back to me.”

Oh…Sylva felt sick and any confidence Lightning had left him. That’s right. 

Athena did try to escape soon after her wedding to the king. She was trying to tell Sylva and Lightning something, begging for them to come with her, but they wouldn’t listen. Sylva had carried her back to Proximus himself…Dragged seemed more accurate though. 

“She knows her place now.” Proximus went on. “Babies are powerful, Sylva and Lightning. Threaten baby, threaten child, control the mother.” 

Sylva’s eyes went wide, remembering how the king held his newborns up earlier and how the other children protected their mother. Proximus Caesar was a ruthless king but he wouldn’t hurt his own children, would he?…Or worse..? 

“What kind of father are you?” He blurted out though he didn’t want to know the answer. 

Proximus ignored the question anyway, smirking at the gorilla. “You are loyal to me. And only me.” He glanced to Lightning. “Any ape who doesn’t, dies. Remember that.” 

Sylva and Lightning could only glance at each other in mute shock. Now they understood why Athena didn’t want them around her. Why her children guarded her. In their loyalty to Proximus Caesar, the gorilla and chimp had become extensions of the bonobo. They have kidnapped and killed apes, and hunted humans for him. Not to mention the fact they practically betrayed her.

Loyal to Proximus Caesar. Apes together strong. For Caesar.

Athena had no reason to believe they wouldn’t follow his orders. They already killed and kidnapped other apes by his command without question…But none of those apes had been infants! Taking an entire clan with babies and small children? Sure, but no harm ever came to them! 

Sylva always ordered the young ones stay with their parents at all times-And Lightning would gladly offer his horse to any pregnant ape! Neither of them were capable of…

But what if…? Sylva glanced back at Athena and her children. What if Proximus ordered us to? 

He wanted to believe he and Lightning would fight back, refuse to follow that order and demand the other loyalists…But would that be an option for them? If Sylva and Lightning refused to do it, would someone else do it?.

The silverback had never once considered what he did as wrong or that he and Lightning were monsters but, for the first time, he realized that’s exactly what they were to Athena. Not just her, but to all the other apes they captured. Maybe even to Mae.