When I opened my eyes, I found myself at a completely different place; and this venue was by far very different.
Instead of waking up in an old motel room, I woke up in a silky bed, and a marble-made room. It was like I was moved to some five-star hotel, or something. Also, the structure of the room was obviously Greek.
I slowly sat up from the comfortable bed, and I found myself in the same Greek dress that I wore in that bunny dream I had. I also began to think if this luxurious room was also a dream, too.
I got out of bed, and went out of the room. I ended up walking down a marble hallway. I marvelled at the beautiful architecture, and the amazing paintings on the walls. Everything was, without a doubt, Greek. I started to wonder if the guys moved us to some Greek hotel. That's when my eyes widened, and started to search for my companions.
I ran almost everywhere in the...palace. When I reached to the other hall, I encountered a young maiden. I ran towards her, and asked her, "Excuse me, miss... have you seen a few companions of mine? One is a blonde man, and the rest are rapping men in jerseys."
After asking that question, the girl started to giggle. I arched my eyebrow at her sudden chortle. "I believe that your fatigue made you awfully confused, your grace." she said, politely.
I got confused. "Your grace? You don't understand, I'm on a journey and I ha-" before I could finish my sentence, the girl dragged me by the hand.
"Come along, your grace. We have a wedding to attend to, remember?" she reminded me. Your grace? Wedding? What exactly was going on?
As she kept dragging me back to the room I was in, we crossed by a huge mirror. When I looked upon the mirror, I nearly fainted; I was not myself. My usual Asian features were replaced by beautiful golden brown hair, a set of dark eyes, and radiant skin. My forehead was visible, but it was not really that huge. Who in the world was I?
I wanted to ask what happened to myself, but I did not want to sound more of a lunatic. I decided to go with the flow, learn what was going on, and pray that everything was just a dream.
So far, I learned that the girl was my servant, and that I was Peitho, the goddess of persuasion. I got the servant girl by just saying a few words. Furthermore, I was invited to the wedding of Peleus and Thetis.
The servant girl kept combing my hair, and adorned my body with jewellery. I shuddered the moment the gold touched my skin; I hated fancy jewellery.
"Alright, ma'am. It looks like were ready for the wedding." the servant girl said, handing me over a bridal wreath. I took it and nodded, nervously. "Alright, let's get this show on the road."
"Mistress... you sound awfully strange ever since you woke up." she said, raising an eyebrow at me.
I laughed nervously. "Oh I'm fine, you! Like you said, it was all fatigue." I said, smiling convincingly. Soon, the girl bought it and led me to the wedding ceremony.
We arrived quite early to the wedding. Being in a wedding filled with gods was all a bolt from the blue. Speaking of bolt, I saw a really big guy with a beard, laughing out loud with other minor gods. It was none other than Zeus, Lord of the sky. Beside him was a lovely lady with dark-coloured hair. Seeing her being "clingy" to the lightning god, already made me understood that she was Hera, Queen of the gods. I don't know why, but I quiver at the thought of seeing Zeus and Hera, together. I know that they're supposed to be "model" parents, but they were still siblings.
Soon, another god came into the picture. He had a debonair smile, carried a lyre, and was always talking in a poetic way. Yeah, he was Apollo, alright. He kept reciting his amazing poems to the other gods, that Hera and Zeus were trying their hardest not to get bored. After all, Hera always intends to keep the family picture perfect.
After Apollo's endless poems, everyone suddenly stood up and stared lustfully at the goddess of love and beauty herself, Aphrodite. I wanted to say that she was like the ugly duckling's twin, but I couldn't lie. She was absolutely beautiful. She was so gorgeous that she made the goddesses in the room (including Hera) insecure. She also has Rip's smile... wait , what was I saying? I shook my head at the sick thought.
After that grand entrance, Aphrodite went to Zeus and Hera and gave them both pecks on the cheek. "My, Lady Aphrodite is certainly beautiful, isn't she?" the servant said in awe.
"Yeah, a polygamist." I said under my breath.
"Pardon me, mistress?"
"Nothing."
Then everyone's glances turned at the entrance again. I groaned, wondering who it could possibly be. But when I looked at the entrance, I stopped breathing. The new guest was a woman, and she wore an incredible set of armour instead of a fancy Greek gown. The guard told her to surrender her weapons, and she shoved him her spear. I smirked; that was actually pretty slick.
She continued to enter the room, she removed her helmet and my jaws were about to drop to the ground. It was my mother, Athena.
"Mom.." I said, almost speechless. After fifteen years of my life, I actually saw my mother. And she was not just any mother, she was the goddess of wisdom and warfare. Aphrodite may be beautiful, but so was my mom... in a badass way.
She had black hair and it was messy like Annabeth's, and-to my surprise, she had those stormy grey eyes. Seeing them felt like seeing my missing childhood stockings.
She wore the aegis that I saw in my dream, and she held the shield that had Medusa's head in her right hand. Also, she looked pretty serious. It was like she was entering a battlefield instead of a wedding.
Then the guard from earlier approached. "Uhm, excuse... almighty, Athena your-" before he could finish, Athena dropped the rest of her awesome equipment on him. I closed my mouth with my hand, and held in a snicker.
The wisdom goddess then went to the "power" couple. "Hello, father..." she said, with respect in her voice. She then turned to Hera and gave her a blank look. "Queen Hera." she just said. Then the queen just nodded at her. Her voice sounded so serious yet it was so fearsome.
She then looked at Aphrodite with an austere gaze. But Aphrodite gave her the sweetest smile. "Sister!" she said, sweetly.
"Aphrodite." Athena replied, indifferently.
When everyone else arrived, the wedding ceremony began.
The wedding was actually pretty fun and festive. Everyone was incredibly happy, especially the wedded couple. Apollo played music with his lyre and so did the Muses. The Three Graces were also there, dancing gracefully. Nobody seemed to mind me, though. I guess Peitho was that of a dangerous goddess.
Everything was all going too well, until the room suddenly became dark.
Apollo and the muses stopped playing music, while The Graces ran and screamed in terror. The other gods, especially Zeus and Athena, were preparing for the worst. Soon, black smoke emerged at the center of the room. It began to swirl around each other then it exploded. But it was not over yet, something... or someone was emerging at the center.
I thought it was going to be Hades since the figure was wearing black; but the shadowy being turned out to be a woman. She had long flowing hair that looked like she hasn't combed it for months. She had incredibly long black nails, and translucent pale skin. What was scary about her was her sinister face. She looked like some demon or a witch. Her alluring eyes looked so ominous that it brought shivers down to my spine.
"Eris..." Zeus growled. I get it...she was Eris, the goddess of discord.
"Why hello Zeus... it seems all of you are having such a splendid time." the goddess said, menacingly. "Looks like everyone is here, but me." It all made sense; she came because she was uninvited... and she's fumed about it.
All of the gods did not say anything, not Even Zeus dared to utter a sound. Eris smirked at him, and reached for something in her back. "Now I wonder," started Eris. "Which one of you is worthy.. to be the fairest?" she then let out an evil cackle and dissolved in the black smoke. The room was bright again, and everything went back to normal. That was odd, I thought. No curse? No rampage? No anything?
Suddenly, a round object out of nowhere and landed on Zeus' feet. When Hera was about to grab the object that Eris left, Zeus stopped her and picked it up himself. When I squinted my eyes to get a closer look, the object turned out to be an apple... a golden apple. Zeus looked intently at it and said, "This apple is addressed to the most fairest."
"Zeus, dear... it's already obvious that I deserve the apple. I am the queen, after all." Hera said, boastfully.
Before Hera got her hands on the fruit, Aphrodite stood and got in the way. "With all due respect, mommy dearest, I am the goddess of love and beauty. I am clearly the most fairest and thus, I should have the golden apple."
Athena stood up and went to the scene. Honestly, I expected her to stop the ridiculous fight. However, she had to join in. "Well, the fairest may refer to the most logical." she said, implying that she deserved the apple more than anybody. Soon enough, the goddesses began to fight.
I sighed, seeing an awful side of my mother. Well, she is the goddess of strategy; she can't afford to lose.
Eventually, Zeus had enough too. "Silence!" he snapped. "Simply arguing just won't do. We must settle this some other way..." Then the king of the gods went deep in thought, holding the apple tight.
His face somehow lit up and I suddenly could imagine a light bulb floating above his head. "I've got it." he finally said.
"What do you have in mind?" Hera asked.
"Paris of Troy is known to be a fair and equal judge. I'll see if he can be the one to judge this...competition." he said.
After that declaration, the wedding was over. The servant girl then led me back to Peitho's chambers. When we got there, I felt the urge to see the outcome of this apple phenomenon.
"My dear," I said, trying to sound like Peitho as much as possible.
"Yes, mistress?" asked the girl.
"I'm dying to know what would become of that... scrumptious golden apple..." I started. "Do you think we could watch the judgment of Paris?"
"Uhh I'm not so sure myself, your grace. It may be a personal matter."
"Oh right... well... I'm the goddess of persuasion... how can I not watch?"
(O u O)
We finally arrived at the place where the judgment would take place. There we saw the Paris of Troy, who was waiting for the adjudication to commence. He had dark curly hair, and he was quite muscular. Not only that, he was not in Greek armour like what I expected him to be. He was in nothing but in mere shepherd's clothing.
The judgment was taking place at Mount Ida, and it was such a lovely day. The trees were all healthy green, and the birds were chirping at the glorious sky. I was admiring the beauty of nature until we heard someone approaching. We then hid behind the bushes and watched intently.
Soon, a god in flying shoes arrived. Obviously it was Hermes, the messenger of the gods. He came to deliver the golden apple. Paris accepted it, and then the three goddesses finally appeared, and there was something different about them; I could sense confident vibes within them. Now what are they up to now? I thought, smirking.
"I now commence the arbitration of the golden fruit." Paris declared. "You all do realize that whatever I decide would be final, right?"
"Yes, Paris dear." Hera said, amiably. "However, if you allow me to bear the title of 'the fairest one' I shall make you ruler of all Europe and Asia. Now those are large continents, eh?"
"I'm listening." Paris said, engaged in the conversation.
Before Hera could continue, my mother bumped in. "Well, Paris. If you hand over the golden apple to me, then the prophecy of you destroying Troy shall be proved wrong." Athena said, assertively. "I'll bestow great battle skills that you will actually lead Troy to victory."
Paris' eyes widened in great interest. But just when my mother was starting to convince him, Aphrodite pushed her away and gave the man a very tantalizing smile. Oh boy, I thought. I bet she was going to use charmspeak on him.
"Now you're such a handsome man," Aphrodite complimented. "A striking man such as yourself deserves something much more better than skills and power."
"Really?" Paris blinked.
"Why yes...you deserve the most beautiful wife." she continued. "I can provide that for you... if you give the fruit that is meant for me."
Paris was beginning to buy it, which was shocking. His face suddenly was filled up with desire and excitement that he jumped from the rock he was sitting. "I finally came to my decision." he said.
The goddesses then looked at him, anticipating for the final verdict. Paris then took the apple and held it in front of them.
"The fairest is... Aphrodite." he said. She gave a lovely smile, and grabbed the apple.
When the love goddess started to prance in victory, my vision became blur and I was beginning to feel dizzy. I began to groan and massage my temples.
The servant beside me soon noticed. "Your grace! Are you feeling alright?" she asked, worriedly.
"It's...another.. fatigue..." I said, faintly. Momentarily, I succumbed into the darkness.
(O u O)
When I finally woke up, I found myself in a Greek temple. Though, it was not just any temple; it was the Parthenon, the temple dedicated to my mother. I felt my face and clothes. I sighed in relief. I was myself, again.
I finally got up, and from a distance... I saw the owl, again.
"You again." I said.
Instead of staring at me or hoot, "Eve"... it actually spoke. "Yes it is me... my child." it said.
My eyes began to bulge. "M-mother?" I stuttered.
"Yes it is, dear. However, I can only speak to you in this form as of now. My, you look so much like your father." My shocked look then turned into a glare.
My mother seemed to understand how I felt. "Now, I only came to you because I showed you the judgment of Paris for a good reason."
I suddenly remembered that. "What happened after Aphrodite got the apple?" I asked.
"Well, Hera and I became bitter enemies of Troy. I had to side with the Greeks, naturally. But things got a little complicated." she explained. When she mentioned the word, "complicated", I already discerned what she was talking about. After the fall of troy, the Greeks forgot to thank her or something. So she asked Poseidon to send storms and destroy their ships. In no time, my mother started speaking again. "Also, the wife that my sister gave to Paris was..."
"Helen of Troy... am I right?"
"...yes."
"So it was Aphrodite who started the Trojan War."
"Actually, it was Eris who is the instigator. She was the one who gave us the golden apple, in the first place."
"You know... I can't help but ponder on why you had to be involved in this, too. So tell me, mother... why?"
My mother fell silent. I got frustrated; why can't the anticipated questions be answered?
"Gosh, mother." I said, slightly irritated. "Why... why must you win everything...? Honestly, I found your move absolutely weak."
"Look, Eve... I know you're mad at me."
"Just forget it! I've got a quest to finish." I turned away from her.
"Very well...but before I go, I must warn you... take care of what you possess now... and, beware of that companion of yours."
"What?"
I turned to look at my mom. But when I did, she already flew away.