Since I've always been a HUGE fan of Greek and Roman mythology, and recently re-watched Clash of the Titans and Wrath of the Titans, my muse decided to don her chiton (the traditional ancient Greek dress for women) and inspire me to write this story. Hope you'll enjoy it :)

P.S. I do not own Clash of the Titans, otherwise Draco would be tied to my bed ;P

Prologue

"Whose is it?"

Lightly tightening her hold on the baby in her arms, Aphrodite raised her azure gaze toward the throne where Zeus – her father – sat with a deep frown.

"Aphrodite... whose child is it?"

His tone grew harsher as he repeated the question when the goddess failed to answer. He was sure that child didn't belong to Hephaestus; Aphrodite had always hated being forced to marry the smith-god.

"She is mine, father."

Exhaling a sigh, the king of the gods pressed two fingers to his forehead.

"No woman can give birth to a child by herself. I'm asking you for the last time... whose is it? It's Ares'... isn't it?"

With her heart pounding in fear for her child's safety, the goddess of love glanced to the others – her brothers and sisters – who were standing in a circle inside the round hall. Finally losing his patience, Zeus moved to his feet and stepped toward her.

"Speak, woman!" he demanded on an angry tone.

"Father, enough... the child is mine."

All eyes in the hall now turned to the one who had spoken, Zeus himself staring at his son in disbelief.

"Apollo...?" he muttered, clearly taken aback. "Do not lie to me simply to..."

"I am not lying, father. The child is mine."

Even as a god, he knew it was rude to interrupt Zeus while he was speaking, but he would not suffer any harm to befall his only daughter and the mother who had birthed her. While Zeus now backed away and collapsed upon his throne, still in shock, the young god stepped down from his seat to stand in between his father and his sister.

"If you must punish someone for this, father... I beg you, let it be me. The child is innocent of any sin Aphrodite or I have committed."

Moving his gaze away from the two, Poseidon now turned to Zeus.

"Brother... I assure you this is a shock for all of us. But you know better than anyone what love can do to a man."

Finally recovering his voice, the king of the gods nodded lightly.

"Indeed..."

Gazing upon his two children, he softened his expression.

"So... I have a granddaughter. Come, come... let me see her."

Still weary, Aphrodite now approached the throne when Zeus beckoned her closer, allowing him to hold the sleeping baby. And as he gazed upon the child, the father of the gods smiled at last.

"Beautiful as her mother... I am curious to see what she inherited from her father."

Standing, he offered the baby back to his daughter.

"Hephaestus will not take this lightly."

Stepping forward, Apollo now spoke again.

"I will raise her... Hephaestus needs not know about this."

It was then that the old god finally made his appearance in the hall just a few steps behind his brother.

"But I do know, Apollo!" he scowled.

Looking to his wife, he moved toward the throne.

"Snake... how many times must you cheat on me, to be sated? First that lewd fool, Ares... now this!" he yelled, motioning to Apollo then the child.

Frowning, the god of war clenched his teeth, his hand coming to rest on the hilt of his war hammer.

"Watch your tongue, old man!"

"Do not forget who it was that created your weapon... the weapon without which you would be nothing on the field of battle."

"Hephaestus that is enough." Apollo now called out, moving in his path.

Turning to him, the old smith lightly shook his head.

"I always loved you most out of all my brothers, Apollo... you were the last one I expected to betray me like this."

"I did not take her intentionally... you cannot think I would lust for my own sister. It was dark and I mistook her for another. When I learned she was with child, I asked her to keep it; I have no other daughters and I always wished for one. I will raise her... you need not worry about it."

Keeping silent for a few moments, Hephaestus suddenly burst into laughter before he moved past his brother, just as suddenly, a murderous glint in his eyes as he rushed toward Aphrodite and the child in her arms. Within the blink of an eye, however, Apollo, Ares and Hermes gathered around him, restraining his arms.

"Enough!" Zeus commanded, rendering all the gods silent.

When his thunderous voice woke the child and her cries filled the hall, he placed a gentle hand upon her head, looking down to his four sons.

"Hephaestus, I understand what you feel. But if Apollo says that it was unintentional, I believe him. I forbid you from harming either your wife, or your brother's child. Am I clear to you?"

Weakly nodding, the smith tore himself from his brothers' arms, once more glancing to Apollo.

"I hope you will find it in your heart to forgive me one day, brother." the sun god said. "The child was a mistake... but a mistake I cannot bring myself to regret. If I regret anything, it is the pain I caused you."

Wordlessly Hephaestus merely turned his back on Apollo and left the hall. Failing to calm the crying child, Aphrodite now descended the steps and approached the sun god. Leaning his golden spear upon the stone chair he had been sitting on, Apollo retrieved the girl, placing a loving kiss to her forehead.

"Shh... I'm here. Don't cry..." he whispered, lightly rocking her.

It was in that moment that a deathly pale of wind howled in the hall, nearly putting out the torches fixed upon the walls. With the wind dying out, three creatures entered the hall – none others than the Stygian Witches – their shrieked laughter making most of the gods frown or wrinkle their noses in disgust. Lightly narrowing his eyes, Zeus once more seated himself on his throne.

"Why are you here?"

"Oh, I believe you know, father of the gods." Pemphedro crooned, holding up the hand in which she held their only eye.

"Are we not the ones to foretell the destiny of every god upon their birth?" Deino cackled.

"Yes, tell him... tell him..." Enyo chimed in.

Firmly holding the baby with one arm, Apollo retrieved his spear and stepped forward with a cautious frown upon his young features.

"And what destiny do you see for my daughter?"

It wasn't often that his heart would cringe like that... he had a very bad feeling about letting them speak, but it was custom. Giggling coarsely, the three witches now surrounded him, caressing his arms and back. When one of them reached for the child, the sun god placed the tip of his spear at her neck.

"Mark my words, witch... to lay your disgusting fingers upon her comes with a price. I will have your head for it."

Cackling, the other two pulled back while the third stepped near them and away from the sharp tip of the god's weapon.

"Now speak, or be gone back to your lair!" he demanded.

With all of the murmurs dying in the hall, a heavy silence engulfed everyone as they awaited the witches' prophecy.

"The future of your daughter... is not good... god of light." Pemphedro now croaked.

Dangerously narrowing his eyes, Apollo felt his hand clenching upon the spear he was holding.

"What do you mean? Speak plainly, witch!"

"She will die... son of Zeus. She will die for a mortal... be weary... she will fall in love with a mortal man. And she will give her life for his."

"That is a lie, brother..."

Turning to Artemis – for she had been the one whose sharp voice had sliced through the air – the witches cackled.

"The Fates have spoken, goddess of the moon..."

Once more facing the sun god, the three of them grinned baring their sharpened teeth.

"Your child will die... for a human."

With those words the three of them vanished in a pale of wind, their cackles' echo enduring in the utterly silent hall for a few moments. His brow settling into a deep frown, Apollo lowered his pained gaze to the baby sleeping in his arms. When Aphrodite approached, he now turned his sapphire eyes to the woman before him.

"Even if you are my sister, you will always be her mother. I will raise her to know that and to love you as she should."

Lovingly smiling toward the baby, Aphrodite nodded and finally left the hall in a brief burst of light.

"Now..." Zeus stated, turning to his son in an attempt to lighten the mood. "Does my granddaughter have a name?"

Watching him in silence for a short while, Apollo then once more gazed upon his child, his lips slowly curving into a soft, but bitter smile.

"Antheia..."