In the beginning of my life, I was a petty person. I wasn't this great goddess of wisdom and war. I was terrible, unworthy of being Zeus's daughter, unworthy of the man I love. The man I loved enough to make myself a sworn virgin.

Cyrus.

He was a young fisherman in a village not far from my private island. He was a good boy. His father had died in an accident years before, so his family of three sisters and his mother relied on him.

And then there was his fiancée, Adra. She was so beautiful, with her long golden locks, and china eyes, her sweet disposition, and her obedience. She had al the feminine attributes I don't have. Sure, I'm beautiful, but I'm too stubborn to be worth anything to a man. I guess you would say that's why I swore to be a virgin, but it's not. I swore because after Cyrus died, he chose to be reborn as a cat. Stupid creatures though they are. Absolutely no loyalty to us gods! But you know the saying about nine lives, right? Well as of today, he's on his sixty-fifth year of his seventh. He has very long lives.

Well anyways, I thought you, my dear reader and subject, would enjoy the myth no one but you now knows.

It was late morning when I woke up; the sun was shining on my upturned face. I stretched, pulling my arms above my head, and pointing my toes ballerina style. Feeling very relaxed, I slowly pulled my self to my feet, enjoying the play of the wind at the nape of my neck. It was like any other day, were I'd wake up in the morning and get ready to find another poor sole to torture so I could enjoy the pleasures of being a goddess.

I walked over to the small pond shaded by the palm trees and gazed into my clear gray eyes as I began brushing my hair so the locks would fall over my shoulders in glistening curls.

My vanity up to this day still amazes me. But I'll tell you this, back then I did not wear that helmet, nor did I carry a shield.

Anyways, after I was done with my hair, I take a walk on the beach before father can find me. I was to late that fateful day.

"Athena! Where have you been? We need to have a talk."

" Hello father, nice day we're having."

Or was.

"Not now Athena, your mother said to have a chat with you, and I will have that chat!" His face was slowly turning read, "Now listen to me, young lady. We need to give you a title, or all the Romans and Greeks will know you as the goddess of – of-" He thought for a moment "Of meaness!"

I rolled my eyes. Father could be such an idiot sometimes. Couldn't he think of a better name?

" Now father, don't worry, we'll have our chat soon. But I've got things to do, people to see! And isn't Hera a little worried by now? She'll have woken up, and were will you be? Not beside her." Zeus visibly paled, after all Hera was( and is) a jealous woman.

"You're quite right, now how about in two moons?"

I smiled charmingly. "Of course, father." Yeah, right.

When he'd finally left, I was quite in the mood for a walk. After all, I did need to figure out an excuse for not attending our "chat".

I as half way down the beach when I saw him.

'Poseidon's up to his old tricks again' I thought half -heartedly. Usually I don't pay attention to this sort of thing, but I was curious.

He had the face of an angel. Sweet lips, beautifully arched eyebrows, blond tresses. Any other female sigh at the site of him, not a goddess though. I let my gaze wander downwards, and I noticed a nasty looking gash on his magnificent chest.

" Oh, dear," I murmured. I debated for several minutes before finally decided to take him to my home. Couldn't leave him out here half naked. That was a miracle, you see, he was clad only in breeches.

Ironic, isn't it? I guess Poseidon wanted to preserve his modesty. It must have been something to do with "fellow man," but that never stopped him before. Being a goddess, I was bestowed with inhuman strength (and sexuality), so unlike the average lady, I could carry him to our destination.

I lifted him on to my back, his hand fell forward and somehow found my breast. I jerked my head up, nearly hitting his face.

It wasn't really humility that caused my reaction; it had something more to do with the hilarity of the moment combined with the spark of passion that had flared through my veins. Shifting him on my back so his hand moved away from my breast, I started off.

Most of the way went by smoothly, a few groans from the figure on my back, but that was it. Until that cursed bird caught my off guard.

What can I say? I was lost in my thoughts, when that oversized vulture (Okay, so it was a cockatoo) flew so close to my face that I tripped backwards into one of the traps set by the centaurs.

"Aiiieeeeeeee!"

Rule one about being a goddess is that we do not scream. Well so what? I did, nothing can change it now. The worst part was when he woke up. He went into a panic and toppled us backwards down the hill I'd just managed to get us up. My head smashed into a rock on the way down and I lost consciousness.

I woke to the face of that gorgeous model of a man.

"Are you alright?" His concern was touching, but I was too absorbed in his now revealed chocolate eyes.

"Are you all right?" He said again. I blinked, and it all came back to me. The bird, and the fall down the hill.

"Yes, yes, just fine." I attempted to stand, but found my legs couldn't hold me.

"Fine indeed." He muttered under his breath, "Here, let my carry you."

I shook my head, "Oh, no you don't, take a good look at your self, you're in no shape to be carrying anybody." He did as I said and conceded he shouldn't carry me.

"Just give me a few minutes to collect myself, and we'll be off to my cabin."

He nodded and laid down beside me. "So where did you find me?"

"On the beach."

"Where's the beach?"

"Just south of here"

"Do you wanna talk at all?"

"Not really."

About five minutes later I was ready to leave. We got up and he watched me carefully, as if he was afraid I'd jump on him.

"I don't bite," I said in hopes of making him blush.

"S-sorry," I wasn't disappointed. It was kind of cute.

"Just follow me, it's right over that hill." His jaw dropped as he looked up the trail.

"That's- a hill?" he said under his breath, " looks more like a mountain."

"What was that?" I said sweetly.

"Nothing."

It was late when we finally got to my cabin, he held me back. It wouldn't do for me to reveal myself as a goddess by asking for a ride from some non-mortal entity. The moment we got in he collapsed on the nearest thing. My bed.

I blushed, remembering how beautiful his well-muscled chest was.

Trying to keep my mind of the bed, I went looking for some bandages. I found them in the cabinet with a layer of dust on them. I blew and a cloud rose into the air.

I glanced toward the bed. He was asleep. Sighing, I shook him awake.

"Up! We need to get your wounds dressed before you sleep." He groaned and muttered something that sounded suspiciously like an oath.

"UP!"

He bolted up right and I glared at him. "Come on, we need to get your wounds dressed before they become infected."

He let me bandage him, sitting ramrod straight, with his back to me.

"There, now you can go to sleep."

"Thank you," he said.

"I'll wake you in a bit." I said as I walked out the door.

As it turned out, he woke up only an hour later and caught me at my little pond.

"Thanks for all your help." He said as a way of hello.

"No problem."

"It's not that I hate your little island, but is there some way I can go home soon?" I looked at him, if I wanted I could have sent him home a long time ago. But something held me back.

"You'll have to wait awhile, I don't know when the next ship will be in."

"Oh! Is there a city near by?"

"No, ships just drop by often to restock." Disappointment flew across his face.

"Oh well, my names Cyrus, by the by."

I swallowed, what name could I tell him. I didn't want him to know I was the great goddess Athena, it would be too much! "M-m-my name?" I stuttered.

"Yes that would be nice."

"It's-it's-" panic rose in my chest.

"Yes?" I took a deep breath.

"Minerva."