The New Goddess
Chapter 2- Promises, promises.
Having made their plans, the goddesses Hera, Hestia, Demeter, Artemis, Athena, Irene, Dike, and Eunomia went their separate ways and Athena was elected to write out the note. It read:
Dear Lord Zeus, This letter is written concerning of the past mischief and bad deeds of Helen. We do not think that Helen is worthy enough to enter Olympus yet. Please make Helen leave Olympus and tell her she may not enter Olympus until she has proved worthy of herself. We personally think Helen is never going to prove herself worthy. Signed, Anonymous. The goddesses read over the letter with satisfaction in their hearts and they veiled themselves and handed the note to Hermes the messenger god. The astonished Hermes obeyed and gave it to Zeus, who was astonished than ever. "WHO WROTE THIS?" Zeus roared, sending shivers to every god and goddess. The goddesses of Olympus said nothing. Neither did the gods. Apollo the sun god was about to tell Zeus when a hand pushed him down. It was Artemis the moon goddess the twin sister of Apollo. Artemis had told him to meet her in private. "Yes, sister? What is it?" Apollo asked. Artemis smiled her sweetest smile. "If you do what I say, I will never pick on you again." Apollo laughed. "That's bribery, sister, do you think I am going to fall for that? I know what you are up to. I saw you do it. I saw everything, and I heard everything you said." Artemis was not impressed. She was the older twin and she could usually make her twin brother do whatever she wanted. She wasn't bossy, but she would often remind her brother she was born first and she was the one who helped his birth. If it were not for her, he would have never came out. She always said it whenever Apollo would not do what she asked. "Apollo, unless you want me to continue picking on you, then you would do what I will ask of you. Athena, Hera, Hestia, Demeter, Irene, Dike, Eunomia and I wrote that letter to father. It's up to you to conceal who wrote it. You know father will ask you who wrote it because you are god of truth and you would never lie. Father will be furious if you lie, but you can't lie, so you can't tell who wrote it." Apollo was still not convinced. Artemis smiled slyly. "Ah-hah! I told you you were up to something!" Apollo accused, pointing at his sister. Artemis flushed. "No, not really. It's simple. Father will never know who wrote it if no one tells him. If you are still not convinced, I will ask Hephaestus to make you a golden chariot. Not just any chariot. A chariot made of gold, with jewels of every kind you can imagine." Artemis said, a little over her head. Apollo eyed his twin sister. "Oh? You are really going to do that? For me? No way, you couldn't! You would never do that." Artemis folded her arms. "You will never know until you try it. Besides, you've been complaining to me for the past several days how much you needed a new chariot." Artemis pointed out. It was true. Apollo had been complaining, not only to his twin sister Artemis, but to almost everyone on Olympus because Artemis refused to act, and Apollo did not know where Hephaestus was at the moment. If Artemis had promised to ask Hephaestus to make one for him earlier, he would have stopped complaining by now. Now Artemis was determined to make her twin brother do what she wanted in return for what he wanted. One good turn deserved another. Apollo soon realized this and thought it was a good deal, and the twins shook hands and made the deal. "Remember sister, a deal is a deal. I don't want to hear any excuses after I did what you wanted." Apollo warned. Artemis gave him a you-can-trust-your-own-twin-sister-look and smirked at him. "Swear it on the river Styx." Apollo said. Artemis was startled. "Why? My promise isn't that solemn, that I have to swear it on that river!" Artemis protested. The river Styx was the river all the gods swore their most solemn oaths on. Once they swore upon it, they can't break it. If they swore a fake oath, they would lie one year breathless and unconscious. After one year in sickness, they were banished from Olympus for nine years and could not return until the tenth year. "Swear upon it!" Apollo demanded. Artemis swore upon it, if it will make her brother happy. After all, he had promised to do what she wanted, now it was her turn to return the favor. Apollo swore on the river Styx not to tell Zeus at the request of Artemis. "There is one thing. What if father asks Athena? She's his favorite daughter and he knows she will tell him." Apollo pointed. Artemis smiled. "Don't worry. Athena would not tell father. She is on our side and she has promised us all she would not tell." Artemis assured her twin brother, but he was still a bit uncertain. Like all the gods, Apollo knew Zeus's temper. Zeus could banish whoever he pleased if he was angry enough, and so all the gods tried their best to avoid his anger. At dinner, Zeus was still angry and demanded the author of the letter, but no one spoke up. Aphrodite glared at Hera, Athena, Artemis, Demeter, and Hestia, but they all smiled innocently at her. Ares caught it and raised his hand. Zeus smiled. "Yes, Ares. Do you need something?" Ares smirked. "Yes. I know what-" "Ares knows what he wants. He wants more nectar passed down to him." Athena quickly said, and earned a very severe glare from Ares. Zeus smiled. "Very well. Ganymede, give Ares some more nectar." Ganymede refilled Ares's bowl, but Ares glared at Athena. Zeus turned his attention to his son, Apollo. "Apollo my son, you are god of truth. Tell me who wrote it." Apollo glanced at his twin sister Artemis, who waved her arms frantically, signaling for him to be silent. "I can't say, father. I know the truth, but I cannot say. I have swore on the river Styx not to tell anyone, and I cannot break my oath." Apollo answered. Zeus eyed his daughter Artemis. "Artemis, if your brother cannot tell me, then I will ask you. Can you tell me?" Artemis shook her head. Zeus now looked at his favorite daughter Athena. "Athena my child, I can always listen to your word. Why don't you tell me?" Athena paled, to the delight of Ares, and Zeus caught that and turned to Ares, to the relief of Athena. "Ares, do you know who wrote it?" Ares nodded affirmatively and excitedly. "Yes, father! I most certainly do!" Zeus beamed. "Well Ares, why don't you tell me." Ares cleared his throat and stood up straight. "The author of the letter to get rid of Helen is mother, Hestia, Demeter, Artemis, Athena, Irene, Dike, and Eunomia! I saw them write it!" Ares exclaimed. Zeus was stunned and glanced at his sister-wife, his sisters, and his daughters. "Is it true?" He asked. "Yes." The nine goddesses answered at once. "I am surprised. Why are you trying to get rid of Helen?" Zeus said. Athena spoke up. "She had no honor to be here, father. She caused the Trojan War and caused the death of many Greeks. People win a place here because they have honor, they earned their honor. Helen did not earn anything. She is only here because you have saved her, father." Athena told her father quietly. Zeus sighed. "She's my daughter, and she will stay here, at my decree. I cannot let her go to earth. She's your half-sister and she will stay here." Zeus told his daughter Athena. Athena sat silently without another word to her father. Aphrodite was indignant now. She rose from her silver throne next to Athena's. "Helen must stay, father! Don't listen to what Athena says!" Aphrodite protested, and the love goddess sat down, glaring at Athena. Zeus nodded. "I don't want to break this to Helen, but I am afraid I must. That's nine goddesses to eight gods and goddess. The majority has spoken. I want Helen to stay here, but I must be a fair king." Zeus said, and dinner was over. Chapter 3 will come soon. Please Review!
Dear Lord Zeus, This letter is written concerning of the past mischief and bad deeds of Helen. We do not think that Helen is worthy enough to enter Olympus yet. Please make Helen leave Olympus and tell her she may not enter Olympus until she has proved worthy of herself. We personally think Helen is never going to prove herself worthy. Signed, Anonymous. The goddesses read over the letter with satisfaction in their hearts and they veiled themselves and handed the note to Hermes the messenger god. The astonished Hermes obeyed and gave it to Zeus, who was astonished than ever. "WHO WROTE THIS?" Zeus roared, sending shivers to every god and goddess. The goddesses of Olympus said nothing. Neither did the gods. Apollo the sun god was about to tell Zeus when a hand pushed him down. It was Artemis the moon goddess the twin sister of Apollo. Artemis had told him to meet her in private. "Yes, sister? What is it?" Apollo asked. Artemis smiled her sweetest smile. "If you do what I say, I will never pick on you again." Apollo laughed. "That's bribery, sister, do you think I am going to fall for that? I know what you are up to. I saw you do it. I saw everything, and I heard everything you said." Artemis was not impressed. She was the older twin and she could usually make her twin brother do whatever she wanted. She wasn't bossy, but she would often remind her brother she was born first and she was the one who helped his birth. If it were not for her, he would have never came out. She always said it whenever Apollo would not do what she asked. "Apollo, unless you want me to continue picking on you, then you would do what I will ask of you. Athena, Hera, Hestia, Demeter, Irene, Dike, Eunomia and I wrote that letter to father. It's up to you to conceal who wrote it. You know father will ask you who wrote it because you are god of truth and you would never lie. Father will be furious if you lie, but you can't lie, so you can't tell who wrote it." Apollo was still not convinced. Artemis smiled slyly. "Ah-hah! I told you you were up to something!" Apollo accused, pointing at his sister. Artemis flushed. "No, not really. It's simple. Father will never know who wrote it if no one tells him. If you are still not convinced, I will ask Hephaestus to make you a golden chariot. Not just any chariot. A chariot made of gold, with jewels of every kind you can imagine." Artemis said, a little over her head. Apollo eyed his twin sister. "Oh? You are really going to do that? For me? No way, you couldn't! You would never do that." Artemis folded her arms. "You will never know until you try it. Besides, you've been complaining to me for the past several days how much you needed a new chariot." Artemis pointed out. It was true. Apollo had been complaining, not only to his twin sister Artemis, but to almost everyone on Olympus because Artemis refused to act, and Apollo did not know where Hephaestus was at the moment. If Artemis had promised to ask Hephaestus to make one for him earlier, he would have stopped complaining by now. Now Artemis was determined to make her twin brother do what she wanted in return for what he wanted. One good turn deserved another. Apollo soon realized this and thought it was a good deal, and the twins shook hands and made the deal. "Remember sister, a deal is a deal. I don't want to hear any excuses after I did what you wanted." Apollo warned. Artemis gave him a you-can-trust-your-own-twin-sister-look and smirked at him. "Swear it on the river Styx." Apollo said. Artemis was startled. "Why? My promise isn't that solemn, that I have to swear it on that river!" Artemis protested. The river Styx was the river all the gods swore their most solemn oaths on. Once they swore upon it, they can't break it. If they swore a fake oath, they would lie one year breathless and unconscious. After one year in sickness, they were banished from Olympus for nine years and could not return until the tenth year. "Swear upon it!" Apollo demanded. Artemis swore upon it, if it will make her brother happy. After all, he had promised to do what she wanted, now it was her turn to return the favor. Apollo swore on the river Styx not to tell Zeus at the request of Artemis. "There is one thing. What if father asks Athena? She's his favorite daughter and he knows she will tell him." Apollo pointed. Artemis smiled. "Don't worry. Athena would not tell father. She is on our side and she has promised us all she would not tell." Artemis assured her twin brother, but he was still a bit uncertain. Like all the gods, Apollo knew Zeus's temper. Zeus could banish whoever he pleased if he was angry enough, and so all the gods tried their best to avoid his anger. At dinner, Zeus was still angry and demanded the author of the letter, but no one spoke up. Aphrodite glared at Hera, Athena, Artemis, Demeter, and Hestia, but they all smiled innocently at her. Ares caught it and raised his hand. Zeus smiled. "Yes, Ares. Do you need something?" Ares smirked. "Yes. I know what-" "Ares knows what he wants. He wants more nectar passed down to him." Athena quickly said, and earned a very severe glare from Ares. Zeus smiled. "Very well. Ganymede, give Ares some more nectar." Ganymede refilled Ares's bowl, but Ares glared at Athena. Zeus turned his attention to his son, Apollo. "Apollo my son, you are god of truth. Tell me who wrote it." Apollo glanced at his twin sister Artemis, who waved her arms frantically, signaling for him to be silent. "I can't say, father. I know the truth, but I cannot say. I have swore on the river Styx not to tell anyone, and I cannot break my oath." Apollo answered. Zeus eyed his daughter Artemis. "Artemis, if your brother cannot tell me, then I will ask you. Can you tell me?" Artemis shook her head. Zeus now looked at his favorite daughter Athena. "Athena my child, I can always listen to your word. Why don't you tell me?" Athena paled, to the delight of Ares, and Zeus caught that and turned to Ares, to the relief of Athena. "Ares, do you know who wrote it?" Ares nodded affirmatively and excitedly. "Yes, father! I most certainly do!" Zeus beamed. "Well Ares, why don't you tell me." Ares cleared his throat and stood up straight. "The author of the letter to get rid of Helen is mother, Hestia, Demeter, Artemis, Athena, Irene, Dike, and Eunomia! I saw them write it!" Ares exclaimed. Zeus was stunned and glanced at his sister-wife, his sisters, and his daughters. "Is it true?" He asked. "Yes." The nine goddesses answered at once. "I am surprised. Why are you trying to get rid of Helen?" Zeus said. Athena spoke up. "She had no honor to be here, father. She caused the Trojan War and caused the death of many Greeks. People win a place here because they have honor, they earned their honor. Helen did not earn anything. She is only here because you have saved her, father." Athena told her father quietly. Zeus sighed. "She's my daughter, and she will stay here, at my decree. I cannot let her go to earth. She's your half-sister and she will stay here." Zeus told his daughter Athena. Athena sat silently without another word to her father. Aphrodite was indignant now. She rose from her silver throne next to Athena's. "Helen must stay, father! Don't listen to what Athena says!" Aphrodite protested, and the love goddess sat down, glaring at Athena. Zeus nodded. "I don't want to break this to Helen, but I am afraid I must. That's nine goddesses to eight gods and goddess. The majority has spoken. I want Helen to stay here, but I must be a fair king." Zeus said, and dinner was over. Chapter 3 will come soon. Please Review!