~ Prologue ~

"This is unfair!" Aphrodite whined and glared at Artemis, who did nothing but smirk at her. That brat, Aphrodite thought with a sneer. She wondered how Apollo managed to tolerate his spoiled brat of a sister, whereas all she ever wanted was to rip that unpleasant mop of hair on Artemis' head.

"A bet is a bet Aphro!" Artemis sang gleefully, annoying Aphrodite further. Perhaps she should have taken Artemis seriously, but how could you take a 12 year old girl, seriously? Perhaps she should also keep in mind that she was dealing with a Goddess, not a kid.

"Don't call me Aphro!" She huffed as she crossed her arms. "It's Aph- Ro- Di- The to you!" It made her glare intensified further and she heard Ares let out a low chuckle.

"You're still pretty even though you're angry love bug." Ares said charismatically as he placed an arm around her but Aphrodite shook it off. She was not in the mood to flirt with Ares, and she definitely is not in the mood to be called some cheesy pet names either.

In the background, she could hear Hephaestus cursing Ares and telling him to stay away from his wife. It made Aphrodite roll her eyes.

Aphrodite frowned, although it looked more than a cute pout rather than an angry frown. She wondered why she was so upset by losing a bet. She wasn't Nike for Hades' sake! Maybe it has to do with the fact that she was always used into getting all the things she wants; and it is the first time that things didn't go according to plan.

Despite of being a sore loser, Aphrodite knew that she needed to do what Artemis wants. With a soft sigh, she fluttered her eyes close, letting her long and thick lashes brush upon her cheeks. She was hoping that her charm would work on Artemis so she could be more lenient. She doesn't want another episode of being trapped in a net naked again for the whole Olympus to see.

But who was she kidding? Of course, her charm wouldn't work on a maiden goddess such as Artemis.

"So what do you want me to do?" Aphrodite asked, lacing charmspeak on her tone. Even though it has 1% chance on working on Artemis, she would still take it. Her frown turned more prominent as she saw Artemis roll her eyes; an obvious sign that it won't work.

"Don't worry Aphro, it wouldn't be that hard." Artemis said with a knowing smirk, making Aphrodite fumed silently at the nickname. She gritted her teeth before biting her lip softly as she waited. "The only thing I want you to do is give me your most recent daughter, and she would be a hunter as soon as she turns 17 years old."

The whole throne room fell silent, anticipating Aphrodite's outburst. Even Zeus was leaning eagerly to get a clear view on Aphrodite's face.

"Absolutely not!" Aphrodite bellowed after a few seconds of silence. This time, she looked outraged. Her whitish cheeks were tinted with scarlet. Her steely eyes kept on changing colors, which happens every time she is mad. Her cheeks are puffed and her jaw is clenched tightly. She focused her now red eyes on Artemis, who looked a little bit shock on her outburst.

Artemis wiped off her shock expression and replaced it with a confident smirk. "Why not Aphro? I want to see your daughter as a hunter, not a silly girl whose sports is shopping. I've had everyone's daughter as a hunter, except for yours. I'm only asking for a one child, unless you want to give me more of your daughters."

Aphrodite hated the fact that Artemis was talking about her children that way. They're not some toys to be given away! It may not look like much but Aphrodite cared for all her children, perhaps she is the only Olympian who visit her children sometimes with the help of Hypnos. And she always made an effort to give them gifts, such as 6 bottles of perfume each Christmas.

Aphrodite also cared for their fathers as well. She didn't tell them who she is exactly, and she sometimes go by the name Cytherea or Acidalia, two of her given names which isn't exactly as famous as the name Aphrodite. The memories of their former lovers were dear to her heart, even though it may not look that much. True love isn't eternal like the gods and goddesses, yet the memories would stay in her mind and heart forever.

The memory of her last lover was still swirling on her mind. Tristan McLean, she thought with a soft smile. It was painful yet pleasant to think about. He was her last lover two years ago, and she left just as soon as her daughter was born. Her little Piper would be two years old by now, and Aphrodite knew that she would blossom into a wonderful person, just as her dad is.

Aphrodite never fell in love with someone who likes her looks only. When it came to Tristan, she was surprised of what his definition of beautiful is. All Tristan McLean wanted was someone simple and Aphrodite exactly became that girl. Aphrodite could change her form into the most beautiful girl to the person's perspective. She always found men's dream girls to be horrifying, since all they want is the impossible; big chest area, almost nonexistent waist line and big assets. That wasn't the case for Tristan.

"No Artemis. Absolutely not." Aphrodite said firmly with a shake of head. "My daughters deserve to fall in love, not pledge in a life they don't want. They deserve to have tons of boyfriends and have fun! Not be loveless ladies forever." During her semi-speech, her voice had taken into a dramatic turn. "I won't stand by it. Zeus, tell her it is very wrong!"

All eyes fell into Zeus, which looked uncomfortable. Why wouldn't he be? One was his sweet little daughter, even though she lived for over a millennia; and one was a goddess who could get whenever she want just by the use of her looks. To be honest, Zeus would have wed her himself if he wasn't married to Hera by the time Aphrodite showed up.

"Errr Aphrodite, you did swore on the River Styx that you will do whatever Artemis wants. That is an unbreakable oath, you know…" In that moment, Zeus knew that wasn't the right thing to say since Aphrodite's eyes flashed dangerously. It made him gulp.

"Come on Aphrodite; just give Artemis whatever she wants so we could get this over with." Athena said hastily as she rolled her eyes, before sticking her nose into one of her books.

"Just because you don't care for your children doesn't mean I don't care about mine." Aphrodite snapped before turning to Artemis. "Fine, Artemis. Piper McLean would be a future member of the hunters of Artemis. You will be her patron from now on. But remember Artemis, you will regret this."

~ Author's note ~

Yay or Nay? Should I continue? Please do leave a review. :D By the way, I couldn't think of a good title so it would be great if you could suggest anything. :D