Poseidon's Joy

After dinner, Hermes left the palace to inform Demeter and Persephone, Poseidon and Amphitrite and Hades of the news. Meanwhile, I remained on Mount Olympus, surrounded by the cheeriness of Hestia, Athena and, unsurprisingly, Aphrodite, who was accompanied by her Charites.

In the lounge, Hestia sat with womanly etiquette on a white wrought iron chair with a single yellow silk pillow while the rest of us rested upon colorful woolen carpets and mounds of colorful silk pillows. They were chatting excitedly about my engagement to Orion while I awkwardly stayed silent and listened to their conversation.

"I just knew it would end up like this!" Aphrodite guffawed loudly. "I remember when you were still denying any feelings for Orion other than friendliness! Now look! You are going to get married to him! You had just eaten your own words!"

My eyebrows pulled into a frown and my eyes glared hotly at the mocking Love Goddess. But against my will, cheeks reddened slightly as well when I recalled the memory of how Aphrodite and I had a slight confrontation in one of the empty rooms of the palace. I remembered how I had firmly said to her that I just considered Orion as a friend. I hated to admit that she was right; I did just eat my own words.

Athena, who was sitting right beside me, rolled her eyes and replied with mild irritation, "Alright, alright. We get it, Aphrodite." Then, she turned to me and gave me a heart-warming and encouraging smile. "I must admit that I have never actually expected a day like this to come. But anyway, my most sincere congratulations for you, Artemis. Orion is sure to be a good and suitable husband."

I dropped the angry façade I had created for Aphrodite and turned it into one of gratefulness.

"Thank you. But I am feeling quite hesitant about it," I admitted quietly. Before any of them could ask why, I continued on. "If I do choose to… officialise... my marriage to Orion, it would mean that I would not be considered a virgin goddess anymore. My title would be annulled. I don't know if I would be willing to part with it. I've been a virgin goddess for several hundred years – my entire life, actually - and it's become a part of me. I'm afraid that losing it would be equivalent to losing a part of myself."

I heard a disapproving tsk coming from Hestia.

"Don't think of it like that, Artemis. Although it may be true, it doesn't necessarily mean that it is a bad thing. Even if you do not continue to become a virgin goddess, you would still be the almighty Olympian Goddess of the Hunt, the Wild and the Moon. Without you, the mortals would not have anyone to worship for their bountiful game, the natural beauty and supplies that the wildlands provide and the moonbeams that illuminate in the darkness of night and allow them to see clearly. What's more, you are also the Goddess of Fertility and Childbirth for females. You are already known as the Lady of Ephesus, the great Mother Goddess. By actually being a mother yourself, come the day when you finally decide to bear a child of your own, you would be able to garner more acknowledgement and reputation of your status as one of the Mother Goddesses of Mount Olympus."

Hestia's speech immediately made me delve into an array of thoughts and consideration. Yes, I did feel saddened and afraid of losing my virginity, my status as one of the most important virgin goddess in the pantheon and the role of guardian of maidenhood. But I could clearly see that I could also benefit from it by continuing my role as the goddess of hunters and wildlife, enhancing my role as a Mother Goddess and gain even more formidability as a patroness of female fertility and birthing women.

Besides, I was not the only virgin goddess on Mount Olympus. Maybe I could pass on the role of guardian of maidenhood and young girls to a younger goddess who would have potential, just as Selene had passed on her role as the Moon's keeper to me.

I let out a soft sigh and nodded my head in understanding. "Maybe you are right, Aunt Hestia," I realized. "I could still have an important role to play, even when I no longer am a virgin."

Aphrodite beamed instantly. "Good of you to think that way, Artemis," she exclaimed proudly. "For a second, I thought you were going to get all nervous and snappy about it."

Both Athena and I gave her an annoyed glare at the same time as Hestia rolled her eyes. The Charites looked at their mistress in slight worry and disapproval while Aphrodite remained clueless.

But all of us got out of our current states when a loud voice boomed from the entrance of the lounge.

"There she is! My future daughter-in-law!" Poseidon crowed with loud delight as he walked towards me with big strides and outstretched, welcoming arms. Behind him, Amphitrite walked gracefully with a beautiful smile on her coral pink lips.

I stood up immediately, the long skirt of my dress falling to my ankles. I was about to bow to Poseidon in greeting, as usual, but before I could do so, my uncle had wrapped his burly arms around me and trapped me in a big bear hug. The force of his hug was enough to knock the breath out of me, which was slightly worse now considering the fact that I was being pressed against his frame. I couldn't even move my arms, which were at my sides, because of his tight embrace!

As I was gasping for air with my left cheek pressing flat and uncomfortably against his right shoulder, Poseidon was laughing joyfully. His laugh was so powerful that I could even feel the vibrations coming from within the center of his chest. From the side of my eyes, I saw Amphitrite and the rest of the ladies laughing in amusement.

"You honestly do not know how happy I was when Hermes came to my palace and delivered the wonderful news!" Poseidon bellowed. "I still cannot believe that you have accepted to be wed to Orion! I cannot thank you enough for gifting my son with your hand in marriage!"

Still struggling to breathe, I replied in a strained voice, "Uh…. You're… welcome, Uncle… Poseidon."

Hestia took this as a time to rescue me from near-suffocation. "Brother? The future bride is struggling for air in your embrace," she pointed out in a mixture of disapproval and amusement.

Poseidon finally realized it and immediately released me from his hold. I stumbled out of his embrace and began inhaling lungfuls of air to replenish my oxygen level.

"So sorry, dear niece!" Poseidon apologized loudly but sincerely. "I guess I was being a tad too excited!"

I was still trying to catch my breath, but I managed to lift a hand and reply, "It's alright… I understand…"

When I felt like I could breathe normally once again, I straightened myself out and looked at everyone. There was a smile on the lips of everyone, with Poseidon's being the biggest and the brightest. I was slightly taken aback by how very jubilant he looked. Even his sea green eyes were somewhat sparkling.

I cleared my throat quickly before asking with a polite smile, "So what brings the both of you here from your underwater kingdom?"

It was Amphitrite who answered. "We only wish to drop by to give you our biggest congratulations on your engagement to Orion. Both my husband and I are truly happy for you," she told me with her very pretty smile.

And then, she cupped her hands together and conjured up a big dusty pink clam shell that managed to fit in her hands. Judging by the size of it, I concluded that the shell acted as some kind of container and it held something inside. With the shell placed in her left hand while her right opened the lid, Amphitrite revealed what was inside.

I let out a soundless gasp.

Resting on sandy yellow silk padding was a necklace consisting only of real, genuine pearls that were all of a bright, off-white color Each pearl was round, smooth and exquisite and it also seemed to glow with the lighting that came from the fire in the hearth in the center of the lounge.

"Oh, my…" I murmured in awe. "This is… beautiful."

"This is for you," Poseidon informed with a grin.

"An engagement gift from Poseidon and me," Amphitrite explained, her pale turquoise eyes looking at me happily. "We had it made especially for you once we heard the news. Thankfully it was completed immediately and without flaw."

One of the Charites, Thalia, approached the Nereid queen and offered to hold the shell for her. Amphitrite thanked her and placed the shell in the girl's hands before lifting the pearl necklace out of the container. She unclasped the necklace before putting it around my neck and clasping it back.

Amphitrite then pulled her hands away, leaving me with the necklace. Gently, I lifted a hand to the necklace and felt the pearls with my fingers. Despite their solid spherical form, they felt like smooth and soft silk to my fingertips. I gasped in surprise for I had not expected them to feel like that.

Hestia got off from her seat and came to my side. She placed a warm hand on my shoulder as her warm and bright yellow eyes gazed at the pearl necklace around my neck in amazement. "It looks absolutely beautiful on you, Artemis," she told me with a kind smile. "Certainly a treasure of the oceans."

Aphrodite approached her side and added with an equally amazed expression, "I have to agree with Hestia. That pearl necklace is truly a treasure."

From the sides, Poseidon chuckled heartily. "Well, of course it is!" he proclaimed proudly. "Suited for the future bride of my son! But this is only the beginning! There shall be more extravagant gifts for you once it comes the day you marry Orion."

On the inside, I laughed at the mental image of being showered by so many gifts by my uncle. The image really was comical, but I appreciated that he seemed so jubilant to do so just because I was to marry one of his many sons.

"Thank you, Uncle and Amphitrite," I told them graciously. "I appreciate all this very much. And let me tell you that I truly am happy to be marrying Orion. I didn't think that there would ever be a man that was suitable for me. Orion proved me wrong."

Poseidon's huge smile of excitement and pride softened into a smile of happiness and sincerity. He reached out and placed a hand on my shoulder. As he held my gaze, he said, "I'm just glad to know that you've made Orion so happy for the past few days. When he speaks to me at night, he always speaks of you with so much love and admiration and there is always this sort of glint in his eyes to show how happy he really was. To be honest, I don't think I have ever seen him so full of joy before."

Then with one friendly pat on my shoulder, Poseidon told me, "You must be the best thing to have ever happened to him."

When he pulled his hand away, Amphitrite hugged me gently and once again said her congratulations. I hugged her back and thanked her before we kissed each other on the cheeks and pulled away.

The King and Queen of the Seas then bade all of us ladies goodnight and farewell before leaving. As I stood where I was, watching the both of them leaving, I lifted a hand to the necklace and felt the beautiful hard-yet-soft and silky pearls once again.

"Well, well, well," I heard Athena say with amusement beside me. "I have a feeling that this is just the beginning of your shower of engagement presents."

I broke into a fit of giggles at the thought of it.


Orion lay contently on his back on the fine, powdery white sand of the beach, gazing up dreamily at the shining silvery-white full moon that hung above him in the dark and starry night sky. As he stared at the beautiful orb that lit the world in the darkness, he thought of her.

Artemis.

He sighed as the image of his lovely and loving goddess appeared in his mind. He remembered every single detail of her immense beauty. He thought of her luscious long hair of dark black and brown shades that fell in slight waves to the half of her back. He thought of her dark, mysterious, enchanting and, most especially, beautiful midnight blue eyes that were framed by thick lashes, sparkled even brighter than the most expensive sapphires and reminded him of the dark night sky above him. He thought of her lips that were so downy soft and rosy pink, feeling so irresistibly soft and silky against his own.

Many people spoke of how the beauty of the Goddess of the Hunt was the only one that was comparable to that of the Goddess of Love, Aphrodite. But in Orion's eyes, Artemis' beauty prevails over all.

But it was not just her physical features that he remembered. He too remembered the curve of her beautiful smile, her laughter that sounded like the most beautiful of melodies, the way the slender fingers of her hand held her silver bow and arrow expertly, the magnificent aura that always surrounded her and the way she looked at him attentively as he talked, giving full attention to his words. In short, he remembered just about every single detail about her.

But why? he wondered to himself. Why does he remember those things about her? And more importantly, what was it about her that made him remember?

He knew inside that she was different than the women he had been with in the past, and not because she was a goddess and an Olympian. He thought of Side, his wife who he did not really know and had been with for only a too short amount of time, of Merope, who he had been denied of and who he unsuccessfully attempted to ravish her, and of Eos, the Dawn Titaness who seduced him easily by using her extraordinary beauty and made him her own personal toy of pleasure, and all the other women that he had coupled only once with.

Orion realized now that he only felt lust for those women, not the beautiful emotion he felt for Artemis. For the goddess, he felt devotion, care and loyalty. He felt secure with her, and he felt happy during all those times where they hunted together or just talked. He felt thankful for her, for she allowed him to be her hunter, an important status to him, despite his shortcomings. He cherished the friendship he had with her, always awaiting eagerly for the goddess each day. He smiled when she smiled, laughed when she laughed and shared his secrets with her when she shared her secrets with him.

And it was that very moment when they kissed did Orion knew that it was true.

He had fallen in love with Artemis.

It was such a strange feeling, being truly in love. But yet, it was the most wonderful thing he had ever experienced.

Orion exhaled a blissful sigh and got up into a standing position from the sand, his eyes never tearing away from his lover's moon as he walked closer to the sea edge. When he could feel the waters washing over his bare feet, he shifted his teal green eyes to look out at the sea, which was now black as ink with the moon's reflection located somewhere in the further distance.

With one deep breath, he spoke.

"Father, I am to be married," he told the dark sea, knowing that he was indirectly talking to his unknown father. "I know that this will not be an unwise choice. Artemis has treated me more fairly and kindly than others. I've fallen in love with her as a result, and I am glad that she reciprocates my feelings. She is more precious to me than even the iron and wood club that you have gifted upon me and the fame and attention that I had received from the mortals."

As always, Orion waited for some sort of answer. He waited for the sea breeze that will billow around him, carrying words from his father. He waited for something to wash up onto shore, some sort of message or whatever.

He waited.

And it finally came. But, just not in the way he had expected.

Suddenly, the waves started moving against each other in frenzy, as though a large beast was moving right under the water level. With alertness, Orion quickly backed up onto land further, his eyes intent on the now rapidly-crashing waves upon the shore, sounding loudly throughout the quietness of the night. He did not know what to expect. Who – or what - will appear? A beast? Some sort of underwater entity? Oh, if only he had brought his weapon in case of an attack.

All of a sudden, something emerged out of the waters slowly yet magnificently. Despite the darkness of the night and the low glow of Artemis' silvery-white moon, the entity of the sea radiated a divine golden aura. The aura had been so bright that Orion had to shield his eyes for a few seconds before becoming used to the brightness. When he revealed his eyes once more to the entity, he took a closer look.

Standing right on the waters was a man who looked to be of middle age but had a tall and muscular built. He had silvery-grey hair that fell in smooth waves to his shoulders and an equally silvery-grey mustache and beard. The man was looking at him with piercing sea green eyes that could immediately mirror the green of the ocean waters.

Orion could only stare at this man in awe. He knew he was not human; what kind of human could just emerge out of the sea like magic? Only one person came to Orion's mind as to who could.

"Father?" he whispered.

At the mention of that word, the God of the Seas smiled a kind smile and walked out of the waters and onto land. His glow dimmed slightly, but still shone brightly. When he was standing right in front of the hunter, his frame being about one and a half foot taller, he said, "Orion, my son. Very nice to finally meet you face-to-face."

Orion said nothing to Poseidon in reply. He only continued to stare into his deep sea green eyes. In his heart, he could not believe that finally, after so many years, he finally met his father. Poseidon looked exactly as how he had imagined and how Artemis had described. If there was one thing left out, it was of how radiant he really was.

Poseidon's sea green eyes became disappointed all of sudden. "I have a feeling that your current state is due to seeing me for the first time after so many long years," he pointed out in a sigh. "I must apologize for not making an appearance to you earlier on in your life. I know I have no valid reason, so I hope that you do forgive me."

Orion nodded his head. "You are forgiven for that mattered no longer," he told his father in a level yet kind voice. "What matters now is that you're here, and that I can finally see with my own eyes how my father looks like and hear what he says from his own lips."

That managed to bring a smile to Poseidon's lips, which also resulted in Orion's own. The Sea God-King was happy that his son was more than merciful to forgive him for his long absence. That was trait that he liked very much about his son; his mercy.

"I have listened to you speak," Poseidon revealed with a serious voice. "I can tell from your words that you are genuinely in love with my niece."

"I am, Father," Orion confirmed firmly. "I truly have never loved a woman as much as I love Artemis."

"She had announced to the pantheon that you were worthy of her heart. That was why she had wished to marry you," Poseidon informed him with a proud smile.

"I am glad to know so," Orion replied, his smile still on his lips at the mention of Artemis.

Poseidon nodded his head approvingly and put his hands behind his back. With a chuckle, he said, "If you are worthy of the great and beautiful Artemis' love, then you must sure be worthy to become a god in your own right."

Upon hearing the last statement, Orion's smile disappeared and he frowned in confusion. "What?" he questioned. "What do you mean by that?" But as the information continued to sink into him, his eyes widened in shock and realization. "Do you mean that… I… will become a god?"

Poseidon lifted a perfect eyebrow curiously. "My son, had you not known on your own? Of course, you will become a god. It comes with being married to a goddess. It is somewhat of a basic rule. I thought you would have known that."

In truth, Orion had known that. It was simple knowledge. But becoming a god was not what immediately came to his mind when he thought of marrying Artemis. The very first thing he thought of was having her as his wife and being her husband, and maybe even start a family with her; have sons and daughters of his own.

"I see," Orion breathed. "That seems to be very important…"

Orion felt worried all of sudden. Being a god of Mount Olympus was an extremely high honor that couldn't be topped. But was he worthy of such a position? He didn't know if he was up to having such an honor. What's more, to be a god meant to have responsibilities over the mortals; Artemis had told him that before. Would he be able to perform these responsibilities well? Would he be good, average or bad at being a god?

"It is," Poseidon agreed. "But I am sure that it would be nothing that you could not handle. You already possess many skills, Orion. Skills that can be very useful with being a god. I am also very sure that Artemis would guide you in your new life as a pure divine being, by your side as your wife."

Poseidon let out a sigh that seemed connective to joy and looked up at the moon. Orion followed his gaze and too locked eyes with his fiancée's silvery-white moon. At that moment, he wondered if Artemis was looking at the moon as well.

"It is time I should go," Poseidon finally said, almost sadly as though he did not want to leave his son just yet. He had half-expected Orion to protest or at least ask why, but his son said nothing. He merely nodded his head in understanding.

Poseidon did not leave without final acknowledgement. He reached a hand out and placed it on Orion's shoulder. Orion looked at the hand for a brief second before looking back into the eyes of his godly father.

With a smile, Poseidon told him, "If you need me, just summon for me. I will be there."

Orion knew that it was true. Despite the fact that he had never met his father until now, he was very sure that his father will always be there for him. He reminded himself that Poseidon hadn't actually forgotten about him in the first place. If he had, then their nightly conversations at beaches would never have happened.

"Yes, Father. I know," Orion replied.

After one final exchange of smile between the both of them, Poseidon finally turned and walked away back to the sea. Orion watched as his father walked on the waters further out into the distance before he slowly sank into ocean, back to the kingdom he resided.

Orion remained where he was, feeling peace in his heart as the sea breeze billowed gently around him and the delicious, fresh and salty scent of the sea filled his lungs.


Author's Note:

Okay, okay. I know I had mentioned that there will be Apollo in this chapter, but I felt the need to have a chapter that focuses solely on Artemis and Orion.

So, the two lovers are both facing doubts. Artemis is saddened about not being a virgin goddess anytime soon and Orion's worried about not being capable of being a new god. But the both of them knows that there love always prevails. So sweet! ^^

Fun fact; the scene where Orion lays on the beach and thinks about Artemis was actually the very first thing I wrote for Promises. Orion had been haunting my mind ever since the ending of The Reincarnation, and that scene was the very first thing I wrote about him before I actually got into writing out the story. I wrote that certain scene four months ago, before Promises was even published.

By the way, I'm actually happy that Orion finally gets to meet Poseidon. It was a short first meeting though...

Muse of Fanfiction