Summary: After TLO... OC POV: Cyra has just pledged -or more accurately- condemned herself to service to Poseidon in place of her mother, Ampritrite's mistake. Now she has to live under her mother's bad name, go on a mission to NY to "oversee" the mortals there (specifically a certain Jackson), find out about the women Poseidon has always loved for 17 years, and somehow get those two together again and in the process get Sally to blow off her engagement to Paul Blowfis.
Disclaimer: I don't own Percy Jackson and the Olympians. By the way, I decided to do a little editing about the myths: Amphitrite doesn't do anything that I say she does in the story. Sorry Amphitrite, but I had to make the story work. Also, Paul and Sally are engaged, but not married… yet.
"Come, Cyra and sit beside me!" Apollo grinned at me. It was about two weeks after the Gods agreed to Percy's demands. I arrived at Camp Half-Blood last week; however, my Godly parent had not yet claimed me. Just yesterday, Chiron found me in the Hermes' cabin and pulled me and another camper aside to tell us that we were visiting Olympus, so here I am on the 600th floor of the Empire State Building.
"Hello, um, sir?" I said bowing awkwardly. As I had no idea what in the name of Zeus was happening, I was confused. He laughed in a kind way and I sat down at his feet, completely befuddled. At a few seconds of mustering up courage, I asked, "Apollo, sir… what exactly am I doing here?"
"Ah, that's the question we'd all like to know, isn't it?" Apollo smirked, then he sighed and continued, "Strictly speaking, I am supposed to tell you what's up. So here I go: I'm supposing that you know all about Percy saving Olympus and how he spoke to Poseidon and everything." I nodded respectfully and Apollo smiled, "bear with me for a moment. Well, Poseidon went back to his palace happy, naturally. He wasn't surprised that the palace was in bad condition, but something was wrong. The palace was completely in ruins and Aphortrite was missing. She came along soon afterwards looking distraught and Poseidon, being the nice guy he is, didn't think much of it.
"Well, um this subject popped up among the Gods and we –er- found out that Amphitrite was in league with Kronos. So now all of her children are brought forth for judging" he finished sadly looking at me. Then he perked up at once, "but you've nothing to do with your mother, you're what, 13?" I nodded in a state of shocked disbelief. "Every child under 15 wouldn't know about this..." he explained how the Gods knew this, but I was thinking not listening. My mother was the sea god's wife who, what? Betrayed him? I wanted to run. Run as far away as possible from this nightmare, run back to the mom I knew for most of my life; the one who loved me and taught me what was wrong and what was right; the one who raised me without caring that I wasn't her own child. Apollo stared at me as I tried standing up, but the other Gods and my fellow camper, looking devastated had arrived.
"Bring her in," Zeus sighed as Poseidon didn't seem in the state to speak. He seemed to look defeated for the first time ever, "Do you have anything to say in your defense, dearest sister-in-law?"
Amphitrite closed her eyes slowly, then responded, "Lord Zeus, Lord Poseidon, Gods of Olympus, I was wrong. Kronos was overpowering me and threatened to kill Triton. I had no choice." Suddenly, she opened her eyes and saw me, "Cyra, do not judge me too harshly. Lord Zeus, I am ready for the verdict and the sentence."
Zeus looked taken aback, but his master bolt must have sensed truth because he began to speak in Greek with Poseidon who looked ready to kill his wife. Finally, Zeus gave a curt nod and spoke, "Cyra, come forward to be tested." Apollo nudged me gently with his foot and I walked determinedly to the two Gods. Expecting some sort of question answer test, I bowed low to both and lifted my chin. Amphitrite may have lost everything, but she would not take away my pride with her mistakes. Apollo stepped forward, Of course! I thought, he's the God of Truth!
"She is cleared, Lord Zeus," Apollo said after looking at my expression for a second, "Amphitrite's betrayal to the Gods have nothing to do with this young star." My half brother was tested and cleared, though he was over fifteen.
"Then I will speak the punishment for Amphitrite," Poseidon spoke, astonishing everyone in the throne room. "Banishment from my kingdom and you are no longer my wife." Hera exhaled and pointed her finger between the kneeling Amphitrite and Poseidon. A golden link shattered, making the room feel a few degrees colder. Then Poseidon continued, "We will also take away your identity so you must wander across the world without acknowledgment and no one shall no you existed." As he spoke, he rose from his throne.
"No!" I screamed putting myself between Poseidon and my mother. "No, do not take that away, sir! She was your wife!"
"HOW DARE YOU DEFY ME?" roared the outraged Sea God. He pointed his trident at me, but Zeus blocked him.
"I'm sorry brother, but she has my blood running through her too. I shall not let you harm her! Not when she's my great-great grandson's daughter!" I nearly fainted on the spot. SO NOW I'M RELATED TO ZEUS TOO? My day just got a hell of a lot worse. Poseidon looked astounded, well, that makes the two of us, doesn't it?
Gathering what remained of my alarmingly diminished wits and pride, I spoke with a shaking voice, "Lord Poseidon, please reconsider the third punishment for Amphitrite. I am willing to pay for her misdeeds." Amphitrite stared from Poseidon to me in horror. When she found my eyes, she smiled sadly.
"Thank you my child, but this matter is my fault, don't pull yourself into unnecessary doom," my mother whispered.
"This isn't only your punishment, mother. I shall also commit to taking any blame of Lord Zeus," I grumbled. The Lord of the Sky looked affronted, "I don't mean any disrespect Lord Zeus; I'm only trying to keep peace among the Gods."
"Brave words hero, but can you live up to them? Will you do anything and everything I say for the rest of your life?" Poseidon challenged me skeptically.
Before Amphitrite or Zeus could interrupt, I said, "Yes, Lord of the Sea. I swear my loyalty and obedience to you if you do not destroy Mother's identity or quarrel with Lord Zeus."
"Are you sure child? Are you sure to take this heavy burden from your relatives? If you say no, I shall let you walk out of this room and treat you like any other demigod," Poseidon said as he sat back upon his throne. Zeus looked at me with curiosity in his stormy grey eyes. He seemed to object to having a child take his fight from him, but he looked at me with great interest. My mother pleaded with me using her eyes to walk away, but I could not let my mother walk this earth without a purpose.
I lifted my head to stare Poseidon in the eyes, "I swear upon the River Styx." Thunder rumbled from a far.
"Very well, young one. Amphitrite is hereby banished from the Sea and is no longer my wife," Poseidon said. Suddenly a whirl of memories hit me: me as a baby wailing pitifully in the nursery; me as a child playing and reading; all the memories flooded through me and I was sure that Poseidon saw what I saw. My final attempt at defending my aching brain was pushing against the barrier of his probing mind before everything turned pitch black.