Chapter 14
Mount Olympus
The walk to the middle of the room seemed to be endless. Twelve thrones were raised off the ground slightly and rested against the walls of the circular room so that all faced the center. All of them were occupied except for two which Cassandra assumed belonged to Zeus and Athena. In front of the thrones were chairs also arranged in a circle facing the center.
As the group made their way towards the small pedestal in the center, Cassandra caught a glimpse of Orpheus and Hades seated directly to the right of it. Orpheus smiled encouragingly and nodded. Cassandra chanced a small smile back before looking ahead again.
Zeus and Athena stopped in front of the pedestal and Persephone went to stand behind it, placing the goblet in the middle. Persephone straightened her back and took a deep breath.
"I, Persephone, Queen of the Underworld, declare that Cassandra, a daughter of the earth, has been anointed with the nectar of the Gods and has passed the trials." The entire room had fallen silent and she could feel all eyes on the group of them.
Cassandra's hands had begun to sweat lightly and she was clenching then unclenching her fists inside her cloak to keep from shaking.
"This has earned her a place with the Gods," continued Persephone. "However, her parentage is a problem. She is of completely human origin and needs divine parents."
"We will take that responsibility," said Athena and Zeus together. Both placed a hand on Cassandra's shoulders and she, once again, felt a calm begin to come over her. Her breathing slowed and she smiled just a bit.
"Then you must give a part of your essence to her," Persephone said. She picked up the goblet and handed it first to Athena who took it gracefully.
"I have seen the courage and wisdom in this child already; therefore, I will give her my life-blood," Athena said in a calm, slow voice. The goddess held her hand above the goblet and a long cut appeared on her palm. A golden liquid dropped three times into the ambrosia and, then, the cut healed.
A quiet murmur ran through the crowd and Cassandra looked to Persephone and saw the slightest bit of shock on her face that quickly disappeared when she took the goblet from Athena and handed it to Zeus.
"From what I have seen both today and from images throughout her life, I have noticed a profound bravery and ambition in this child. She has gone through many hardships yet still manages to move on. For this, I will also give her my life-blood." In the same fashion that Athena had, Zeus dropped three drops of his golden blood into the ambrosia.
The murmurings became louder, though Cassandra still couldn't make out what they were saying. She took a side glance at Orpheus and saw his eyes were slightly larger than normal.
Her attention was brought back to what was happening in front of her when a surprisingly warm goblet was held to her lips by Athena and Zeus. Suddenly unsure, she looked to Persephone who smiled back and nodded slightly. Cassandra parted her lips and felt the liquid begin to run in her mouth. It was sweet yet tangy and warmed every part of her body, yet sent shivers down her spine.
As she drank the last drop, Zeus and Athena lowered the goblet and handed it to Persephone. Suddenly, a wind caused Cassandra's hood to fly off and her cape to flap out. A searing heat took hold of her heart and, while not painful, was extremely uncomfortable. Her head fell back and she was lifted off the ground and pulled into the air by an unseen force. She closed her eyes and allowed what felt like small tendrils of lightning run from her heart to her fingers and toes. A golden glow began to emanate from her fingers and made its way to the rest of her body making her look like a small sun. Finally, she could feel the force begin to lower her and the glow began to abate though the lightning was moving faster. A profound coldness took the place of the searing heat in her heart and she felt her feet touch the ground. The lightning burst from her body as a silver glow that enveloped the entire room.
When Cassandra opened her eyes, she saw everyone staring at her, some with their mouths open and others with their eyebrows raised. Her heart had returned to normal and she had no idea how she was standing on her own. She searched herself for some sort of change in how she felt, but could find nothing different. It wasn't until she looked at the golden goblet and saw her reflection did she see the changes.
All blemishes, scars, and imperfections had been erased from her skin which was as smooth and perfect as those she was in the presence of. She appeared more mature and her curves were in all the correct places while not being so curvy that it was unattractive. But the most astonishing difference was her eyes. Her iris was swirling with blue, silver, and purple as a result of the power she had just released. They were becoming stationary again, slowly, and were returning to their normal shade of blue with small flecks of silver and purple.
"I present the Goddess Cassandra, daughter of Athena, the Goddess of Wisdom, Courage and Strategy, and of Zeus, the God of the Sky and King of all the Gods," Persephone said.
Silence continued to engulf the room. Cassandra looked around nervously and saw that everyone was staring at her with their mouths open. If not for the fact that she was terrified, it would have been comical.
Loud applause erupted in a blast and everyone was suddenly smiling. Cassandra relaxed with a sigh and smiled back at everyone.
"Are you ok?" Zeus said quietly.
"Yes," Cassandra said. She noticed that her voice had become more melodious though was still her own. "Why?"
"It's normally not quite so…dramatic," Athena said.
As the applause died, Persephone spoke once again.
"Now, as Cassandra was just born as a goddess, the Olympians will present her with gifts just as we were when we were first born."
Those who were sitting in thrones began to make their way towards the new goddess. Persephone went to join her husband and son to the right of Cassandra and Zeus and Athena took their places in the line of Olympians forming in front of her.
The first to approach was a young, slightly tan woman with long, red hair. Her green eyes sparkled as her luscious, red lips turned into a smile. Her hips swayed back and forth as she went to stand before Cassandra.
"I am Aphrodite, Goddess of Love and Sensual Pleasure," she said in a surprisingly light voice. "I wish to give you the gift of everlasting love. Your love for those you truly care about will never waver and those who care about you will always love you in return." The woman smiled again, inclined her head and walked back to her throne where she sat to watch the remainder of the proceedings.
A man walked up next. His tan literally glowed and brown hair came to his chin. The orange robe he wore hardly covered any of his torso which Cassandra could see was very well defined. When he smiled at her, she couldn't help but return one.
"I am Apollo, God of Light, Truth, and Healing." His voice was young sounding, as though he were still in his early twenties. "I give you this bow that will never break and a quiver which will never run out of arrows."
He held out his hands and a black bow with a matching quiver appeared in them. Silver swirls were worked into both seamlessly and, as she gently took them from the man, they both felt as though they were weightless.
"Reach into the quiver and an arrow will appear," Apollo said with a smile. Cassandra did so and one appeared, just as he said. The tip was pure silver and the feathers seemed to shimmer silver as well. "Perhaps we shall have to have a little competition," he said as he gave her a small wink and walked away. Cassandra gently set her gift down beside her.
The next man who walked up seemed to scream masculinity. A sword hung from his waist which he kept a hand on and his helmet was sitting atop his head. A blood-red robe clung to his muscled body and a scowl was perpetually painted on his face.
"I am the God of War and Violence, Ares," he said. His voice was loud, though not abrasive; however, it was not comforting in the slightest. "When you discover your true potential as a warrior, you will be both feared and respected in battle." He turned sharply on his heel and went to sit rigidly in his throne.
"My name is Artemis," a young woman said as she approached Cassandra. Her hair was cut short and her arms appeared strong. A short, light blue robe that barely came to her knees hug loose as for easy movement. "I am the Goddess of the Hunt, Moon, and Childbirth. As the time comes that you wish to bear children, you shall have no trouble conceiving, though you will not have any before that time. Birth will be as painless as possible for you." The woman smiled again and walked to her seat.
Athena walked up next and gave her a warm smile. "As Goddess of Wisdom, Warfare, and Courage, I wish to give you a gift that is important in the face of a crisis. As your divine mother, I wish to give you something that will always help you in your life as a Goddess. So, I wish for you to always have the courage to face you fears even when it is undesirable to do so." The Goddess walked up and gave her a small hug and walked off to sit in her throne.
A woman who bore a striking resemblance to Persephone walked up next. The woman approaching Cassandra was a bit taller, had lighter hair than Persephone, and looked a bit older. One could see the slight lines of worry in the woman's face, though it did not detract from her beauty. Her smile appeared almost strained as she approached Cassandra.
"I am Demeter," she said. "I preside over the grains and fertility of the earth as well as the sanctity of marriage. As a Goddess, I have seen various marriages I do not agree with and eventually fall apart hurting one of the participants. So, I give you the gift of a marriage that will endure even the most difficult of times." As the woman walked away, Cassandra saw her cast a vicious glance towards Hades who simply smiled back.
Next, a man with a cane walked up. He limped heavily on his right side, but he still got along very well. On the right side of his face was a long scar that ran from his forehead down to past his chin and interrupted a small beard that was beginning to form. He did not smile and his eyes held no spark, but his muscles nearly rippled with every move he made.
"My name is Hephaestus, God of Fire, Metalworking, and Technology," the man said in deep, rich voice. "While Apollo has already given you a sturdy and dependable bow, I wish to give you another weapon."
Hephaestus held out his hand and a sword appeared. The blade appeared to be made of obsidian and the hilt was inlaid with rubies and diamonds. As with the bow, small bits of silver were swirled into a design.
"I studied life size images of you as well as your behaviors during your life. All of this was taken into account when I made this. The only thing that is needed is a drop of your life-blood and this will truly be your sword," Hephaestus continued. He gently set the sword down in front of Cassandra and, while he was standing back up, darted a dagger out to quickly cut Cassandra's hand. She jerked back and watched as the wound began to heal before her eyes. As a drop of her golden blood fell onto the blade of her sword and it seemed to absorb it. The sword briefly glowed silver before returning to normal.
"Please, pick it up," said the smith. As Cassandra bent down to pick it up, she could almost sense a life within it. It seemed to be warm under her hand and seemingly vibrated against her touch. "Listen carefully," he continued. "It will tell you its name."
As if on cue, a voice whispered Lilith in her head. She looked up abruptly at Hephaestus and he smiled. "It said Lilith," Cassandra almost whispered and his smile got wider.
"Here is the scabbard," he said as a black scabbard with a single diamond appeared in his hand. He held it out to Cassandra who took it gently and slid the sword in with ease. When she looked up, she saw him walking away to his throne next to Aphrodite who seemed far more interested in Ares. She set Lilith down next to her new bow.
A woman with curly brown hair and hazel eyes walked up next. Her body was lean and she was very tall. She wore a smile but Cassandra could tell that rage was just beneath the surface and waiting to break loose.
"I am Hera," she began in a light voice. "I am Queen of the Gods and the Goddess of Women and Marriage. I shall gift you with the knowledge that you will have the happiest marriage of all of us." She turned and walked to her throne.
A young man walked up next and, if Cassandra had to classify him, she would say he looked like a nerd. A very attractive nerd. His blonde hair was curly and his blue eyes shone with intelligence and slight mischief. He appeared to be no older than herself, but Cassandra knew better. He was skinnier than the other gods, but his muscles were still well defined.
"I am Hermes, messenger of the Gods and the guide to the Underworld," he said. "I know the importance of being able to locate those you need quickly. So, I shall give you the gift of being able to find those you truly need in a time of danger."
The next woman to walk up was larger than the other Goddesses and appeared to be more homely. She wore a tan robe and her hair was in a bun.
"I am Hestia, Goddess of the Hearth. I give you this small flame that will never burn you and will always keep you warm even in the deepest of cold."
Hestia tossed a small fire to Cassandra who just barely caught it.
"Don't worry, dear," she continued. "It won't burn you." She walked off in an almost distant way.
As the next man walked up, she couldn't help but notice how much alike he and Zeus looked. His hair appeared a greyish blonde and his skin was a bit less tan. His eyes were a Caribbean beach blue and he wore nothing to cover his chest though various materials covered his lower regions.
"I am Poseidon, God of the Sea, Earthquakes, and Horses," he said. His voice even sounded similar to Zeus's. "I wish to give you two of my finest horses and a chariot for them to pull." He snapped his fingers and two black Pegasus appeared attached to a black and silver chariot.
Everyone must have the same designer, Cassandra couldn't help but think.
Poseidon nodded in the direction of the chariot and Pegasus in an indication for Cassandra to follow. As she approached, she noticed the sheer beauty of the animals and how powerful they were.
"This," Poseidon began, "is Reyna." Cassandra reached out timidly to run her fingers through her mane and noticed the color of Reyna's eyes. She had beautiful green irises that screamed intelligence.
"And this is Androkles." Androkles had dark, navy blue eyes that were just as intelligent as Reyna's. He snorted when Cassandra first touched him, but eventually warmed to her.
"These Pegasus will serve you well as long as you respect them," Poseidon said as he walked with Cassandra back to her place. "And now you should be able to partake in chariot races," he said with a wink and turned to sit on his throne.
Zeus was the final God to present her with a gift. As he walked up, he gave her a smile. "As King of the Gods and you father, I present you with an unconventional gift. You have gained many powers and yet have no control over them, something which is very dangerous. Therefore, I give you the gift of controlling your powers with the same skill as I myself do."
Cassandra smiled as he walked away and immediately felt her powers calming down slightly though they had not been a burden before. She looked towards Orpheus and smiled, knowing what was going to happen next. She noticed, and wondered why she hadn't noticed before, that he looked stunning and powerful in his black robe and cape.
Persephone walked up to Cassandra and took her hand in her own.
"We now have a wedding to do," the older woman said. She looked to her son and husband who immediately rose and walked to Cassandra. Hera, Athena and Zeus also made their way to the center. Orpheus took Cassandra's hands in his own and brought her close to him so he could whisper to where only she could hear.
"This is taking forever," he said with a smile. "I just want to go back to our room."
"Me too," she whispered back. "How long do we have to stay?"
"Long enough to say thank you and smile. Everyone knows what we want to really do so they won't be offended if we leave," he said.
Hera cleared her throat and began to speak. Persephone and Hades were standing behind Orpheus and Athena and Zeus were directly opposite them behind Cassandra.
"Do you promise to honor and uphold these vows, Orpheus, Prince of the Underworld?" Hera asked after a bit.
"Yes," he said as he looked deep into Cassandra's eyes.
"And do you promise to honor and uphold these vows, Cassandra, daughter of Zeus and Athena?"
"Yes," she said.
"Then I pronounce you man and wife," Hera said with a smile.
Orpheus pulled Cassandra into a kiss. As his lips touched hers, he sent quick images of Cassandra with her mouth open, eyes closed and head thrown back in ecstasy and her screaming his name while scratching down his back. When he pulled away, he gave her a quick smirk before turning to the crowd.
Just a few more hours, dear, he thought to her. Just a few more hours.
A/N: You guys are so great, I mean really. I told myself that even if I had no fans whatsoever and everyone flamed my story that I would continue just because I had to get this down on...computer screen. But I have a few fans! I love all of you and every single one of your reviews is like a miniature little hug. Well, not really, but it does make me exceedingly happy. So thank you!