Just a little something I wrote a while back. Short and sweet.
Hestia shifted the log on the fire. Carefully, so it wouldn't spark. Sometimes she grew tired of tending to the hearth, but she knew that it had to be done. The goddess felt a pair of eyes rest on her, and looked up. It was that Jackson boy, up and about at last. She had been at camp Half-Blood's hearth far more than usual because, in all honesty, she was curious. Being who she was, countless times her presence was forgotten. She heard things. While some might call it eavesdropping, she never tried to hide her presence. They just forgot she was there.
She heard, twelve years ago, Athena confronting Poseidon on his breaking of the oath, though Hestia wasn't sure how the goddess of wisdom had found out. She knew the Jackson boy, Percy, that was his name, was the child of the prophecy. She could already tell by his fierce loyalty. To his friend, and to his mother. That the boy wouldn't let the prophecy fall on anyone else.
She looked up to meet the boy's gaze. Well this is unusual, she thought with a smile, he noticed me, even with all the things at camp to take in, I am what he sees. The boy gave her an odd look before the child of Athena distracted him. Hestia watched the way the two children interacted, something is going to happen between them, she thought. Oh, Athena and Poseidon will not be happy about that.
The boy looked back once more to Hestia's fire, but the goddess had made herself invisible, much to the young Demigod's surprise. Having seen enough she transported herself to Olympus fire, where a rather violent argument was occurring.
Poseidon was pacing back and forth and Athena was cursing him for his stupidity. Hera was the only other Goddess in the room, though she wasn't saying much. She seemed lost in thought. Hestia made her way over to the goddess of marriage. Unnoticed of course.
"What troubles you dear sister?" She asked after a moment. If the queen of the gods was surprised, she didn't show it.
"It was bad enough," Hera said, "when my husband broke the oath, I expected it." She paused and shook her head. "Poseidon always had much more self control than his brother, I assumed he would last a few more decades at least." Hestia only nodded.
"I guess you've already heard of his son." Hera stated. Hestia nodded once more.
"When?" Hera asked.
"Twelve years ago." She confirmed softly, waiting for her sister's angry reply.
"And you didn't think," Hera started softly, "TO TELL ME?" She screamed. Hestia didn't react, but waited for Hera to calm down before speaking.
"You are the goddess of marriage." She started. "Had I told you, you would have felt obliged to tell your husband and Poseidon's wife." She paused and Hera nodded, that's exactly what she would have done.
"You forget, that I am also the goddess of family." Hera made to interrupt but was cut off. "Yes, there we share a domain, but your focus is on purity or perfect families if you will. I am left the rest. Our family is a mess, you realize that. It is my job to hold our family together, so I withheld information that would have torn us apart." Hestia finished.
"We will still be torn apart." Hera said bitterly. "Especially with Zeus's master bolt gone, he will blame the boy." Hestia shook her head.
"He will blame the boy." She confirmed. "But the boy will not be the one to destroy this family."
"How?" Hera asked.
"He is old enough now to prove himself." Hera looked confused. Hestia noticed the other two gods had stopped talking. Athena had obviously heard at least part of the conversation. The wisdom goddess nodded understanding what her step-mother did not.
"The boy will find the bolt." She announced.
"What?" Poseidon yelled.
"If the boy finds the bolt, Zeus will be indebted to him and spare his life, the bolt will be returned, the boy's innocence will be proven, and it will ensure the boy's safety from his uncle." The gods looked at each other and nodded. If it went well for the boy, it would solve all their problems. Having come to an agreement, they wondered what to do next. Hera was the first to speak.
"As the goddess of marriage I must insist you tell your wife of the boy immediately." Poseidon opened his mouth to protest. "No buts, it will be best if she hears it from you. Athena, inform the rest of the gods, I will break it to my husband, oh, and brother when you are done I suggest you claim the boy." The the queen of the gods turned to Hestia. "Sister, please inform Chiron, that we will need a quest."
"Of course." Hestia said and all four vanished from the throne room.
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