Chapter 9

Greetings readers! I hope that all of you enjoyed the previous chapter!

I will be addressing a few reviews in the footnote. Firstly, I would like to thank Q for your support!

In response to the Guest (CCAlpha), sadist is a strong word but I will take what I get :) Thank you for your support!

Answering rickydee522's review, absolutely, the final installment of this trilogy will feature the Second Titan War. Thank you for your support!

I would like to thank iambread1 for your support! All the best for your new book!

In response to Pont1ac-Band1t's review, I wanted to know if this was a type of constructive criticism asking me to cut down on cliffhangers or whether it was a compliment. Thank you for your input!

Responding to ClassicalRepublic's review, I am glad that you liked the romance in the previous chapter. Yup, it is a challenging task to ensure that the story is neither too complex nor too simple but that's what makes this such a great experience! Thank you for your support!

I would like to thank HellRaiderS for your continued support!

In response to Okoh's review, I am glad that you liked the seventh chapter, I hope you liked the previous one and that you like this one as well! Thank you for your continued support!

Responding to Ad Ddinbych's review, yes, while it's very important to humanize the gods, it's also important to not make them seem like they're weak. Despite their benevolence and newfound kindness, they are all still gods and the best way to portray the is by showcasing their strength and to a certain extent, their pride. Thank you for your continued support!

In response to Robbieoj's review, I know what she was going to say was very obvious but, where is the fun in doing everything the same way :) I hope you enjoy this chapter as well! Thank you for your continued support!

I would also like to thank SonGoku76 for your motivating review! I am glad that you liked the development in Percy's and Athena's relationship! Thank you for your continued support!

Responding to Ryan Fowler's review, I am stoked that you liked the previous chapter and I am very glad that you like this story so much! But, to be honest, we have not even reached the best part of it :) So stay tuned! Thank you for your continued support!

In response to ShadowThanatos' review, I agree with you, after seventeen years in canon and more than six months in real life, I think it was time to get things moving. Thank you for your continued support! [And congrats on guessing it right :) ]

Responding to IceFire99's review, I am glad that I could clear the confusion about Orion's heritage. Different fanfiction authors use different myths but for this one, I decided to stick with the one that Rick Riordan went with for reasons that will become apparent soon. Thank you for your continued support!

All credit for the characters goes exclusively to Rick Riordan.

"Percy, I…" Athena started but suddenly stopped mid-sentence.

The logical part of her brain had decided to intervene at this moment and as customary, had forced her to re-evaluate her decision of sharing her emotions with Percy and to make sure that she wasn't making any choices in haste. Unfortunately, she lost the courage that she had gathered in that little interval of time as anxiety and panic replaced it.

What if she was wrong? What if he didn't see her as anything more than a close friend? Even if he did want to pursue a romantic relationship with her, what if he wanted a level of physical intimacy that she wasn't ready for yet? He had always said that he wanted to settle down and raise a family. Would he leave her if she couldn't satisfy his primary physical and emotional needs?

Athena's head was full of worst-case scenarios as she zoned out. She was brought back to reality when Percy pulled her closer, took her smaller, slender hand and comfortingly held it in his larger, calloused hand in an attempt to calm her. To his credit, his actions seemed to calm her down.

"Athena, what is the matter? You seem to be greatly disturbed. You can share anything with me. I will do my best to help you out." Percy earnestly promised with his brilliant sea green eyes sparkling with concern, affection and determination.

Athena cursed her own obsession for cross-verification. She couldn't believe that she had even thought those things about Percy. But, the moment was gone. Try as she might, she couldn't muster the same courage that had emboldened her just a few moments ago.

"Percy, I am not sure whether we made the right choice while deciding the fate of Artemis' bane. Even though we arrived at a logically sound conclusion, were we being unnecessarily harsh?" Athena quickly shifted the topic. She had voiced out a genuine concern but she couldn't help but feel that she had missed an opportunity.

Percy's face instantly hardened by a few shades and a thoughtful look made it's was onto his face. He had been asking himself the same question for quite some time.

"Even though we may have gone a bit overboard with our response, I believe that our fears were justified. We fought one of the greatest conflicts in history with the Earth Mother and her draconian offspring and all of us, in one way or the other, have been adversely affected by it." Percy declared.

"Yes, but maybe we could have cut down on the violence." Athena stated.

"I agree with you. Then again, we didn't torture him or try to make his life eternally miserable. We have given him a chance to prove himself. Granted, it was a chance that was not given out of compassion. But we have been fair." Percy resolutely defended before his eyes softened.

"Our initial interrogation was probably a tad bit too harsh and was prompted by pre-conceived biases. We cannot reverse our actions but we must learn from them. And I have no doubt that the next time we encounter some gigas, we will deal with the situation with a more open mind." Percy optimistically stated.

He was not a fan of needless ruthlessness and he had already accepted that some of their actions had skirted around the line of morality. However, none of them were perfect. All of them made mistakes and had their own flaws. What really mattered was their willingness to accept their mistakes and actively ensure that they didn't repeat those mistakes.

"You know, along with making you the god of poetry, they should even make you the god of realism and pep-talks." Athena stated with a quirky smile.

"You know, I may just take them up on the offer someday. Maybe, I could even team up with Apollo to invent a new style of poetry." Percy joked with a small smirk.

"The horror." Athena stated with a faux terrified expression on her face. Once again, the pair of master combatants found themselves chuckling.

Even though Athena hadn't gotten what she had set out for, she was delighted to be this intimately intertwined with him and the emotional depth of their conversation had reached new, uncharted territories.

This gave her the confidence that if not today, someday, hopefully in the near future, they could have an honest, heart-to-heart conversation about the future of their relationship. Until then, she was content with basking in his warm presence.

It had been six months since Percy had taken a break from teaching the hunters and he had spent most of his break with Athena. Even though this was not the first time he had spent most of days working with Athena, something had felt different this time.

Their talk in the park had proven to be a very important catalyst in the development of their relationship and Percy knew that their current relationship was only one step lesser than an actual romantic relationship.

Their physical intimacy had reached a level that had surprised even him. They always sat next to each other in a way such that their shoulders touched and unsurprisingly, he had come to like it.

Even when they went to the Olympian Theatre to watch plays, the posture of him putting an arm around her and her leaning into his chest had become a standard norm when they were watching the plays from their luxurious private rooms.

Percy had always been close to Athena. But in the past six months, the level of comfort, both physical and emotional, that Athena seemed to have around him was much more than it had ever been.

If he had had any doubt about his own feelings, they had dissipated in the past six months. He was starting to envisage a life with her. A life that would finally bring him the peace and love that he desperately craved. And that filled him with equal amounts of optimism as well as fear.

The last time he had envisaged a life with a woman he had loved, it had ended with him being forced to leave her. He knew that such a situation had an astronomically low chance of occurring, but a small part of his mind had continuously tormented him with fears and old, painful memories.

While it seemed like even Athena had romantic feelings towards him, he didn't know how deep they ran. Percy did not want a fling and from what he had observed, neither did Athena. But, he didn't know how serious Athena was about having and developing a potentially immortal relationship.

His fatal flaw made him intensely and unquestionably loyal to the person he loved. However, it also demanded a very high amount of trust and loyalty from his partner. And, only a few people could reciprocate with the same amount of passion, love and faith.

That was one of the reasons why even though his relationship with Calypso had been very brief, it had proceeded at such a fast pace. She was someone who had responded with the love and passion he required and their relationship had bloomed beautifully. They had even planned a future together.

He did not expect nor did he want such rapid growth in any such romantic relationship with Athena in the future. He would never push her at a rate that made her uncomfortable. But, he also couldn't get into a romantic companionship with her which lacked a future.

He was willing to give her any amount of time she needed. Days, months, years, decades or even a century or two but, at the bare minimum, he needed to know that it would lead to a future where they would at least settle down together.

Another thing to consider was the fact that pursuing a relationship with Athena could mean that he may never have children of his own but that was looking into a future so distant, he didn't need to account for it right now. He himself was not ready for such a step and knew it would a very long time before they got there.

He shook his head to clear it of all these thoughts. They would cross that bridge when it came and it would happen when it had to happen. There was no point in excessively thinking about it. And a change of environment was certainly a good idea to clear his thoughts. So, with a destination in mind, Percy vanished in a blue mist.

As soon as Percy materialised in the middle of the hunters' camp, he was greeted by a dozen silver arrows. Undaunted, he took all the arrows head-on and a dozen snaps were heard as the arrows split into two parts.

"Not bad girls. If it was anyone other than me, they would be turned into a pin cushion. I assume that Artemis told you that I was coming." Percy complimented while scratching the part of his long stubble where an arrow had hit it's mark.

While taking arrows head-on from hunters was not painful, it caused his skin to itch. The hunters responded by groaning in frustration.

"This is not fair Percy. You used to pull pranks on us all the time and we cannot even retaliate properly due to your stupid invulnerability." Atlanta stated with annoyance.

"Looks like someone's a bit mouthy today." Percy stated with a fond smirk.

Before the hunters could respond, a silver arrow, thicker and stronger than the ones used by the hunters zipped towards the side of Percy's head at breakneck speed. But, without even looking, Percy caught it less than a second before it hit his head. Even though the hunters had seen it happen many times, they couldn't help but be amazed.

"Good to see you as well Artemis." Percy stated with a knowing smile. A moment later, Artemis emerged from the bushes.

"Not bad. I half-expected you to be hit by that. Seems like you've done something other than watching Dionysus' plays and roaming Olympus with Athena in the past six months." Artemis stated with a smirk.

"Is that a challenge?" Percy asked with a predatory smirk.

"It is one if you want it to be." Artemis shot back.

"Calm down before both of you decide to spar and explode into domes of energy. Unlike both of you, we're not death-proof." Celyn dryly stated.

"Celyn! My favourite daughter of Athena." Percy cheerfully declared.

"I am the only daughter of Athena alive." Celyn stated with a straight face.

"Good grief Celyn, you don't need to be so mechanical. You're more serious than even your mother." Percy muttered and Celyn shot a glare strikingly similar to her mother's at Percy. All the hunters and Artemis had a fond smile on their faces. It was good to have Percy back.

The hunters, Artemis and Percy were sitting around a bonfire after eating dinner and the hunters were discussing their progress with Percy after their spar..

"You've made me very proud girls. Most of you wielded your strongest attacks with precision and a power that would kill most demigods. Of course, being partially immortal and having Artemis' blessing helps you significantly. But, you deserve all the credit for training to harness it to this level." Percy proudly complimented.

"But even with all of us fighting you, we weren't able to damage you significantly." Phoebe stated in dejection.

"Phoebe, Percy is the last person on whose reaction you should be gauging the strength of your own attacks. He once took a spear from Athena to the head at point-blank range and got away with just a concussion." Artemis stated with irritation. She had lost so many spars with him because she had underestimated his durability.

"Hey! I had my helmet on and I was still almost knocked out by it. And I had a lasting concussion for a week. I am not the invincible freak all of you claim I am." Percy indignantly retorted.

"Even with helmets on, people's skulls get fractured and brains get ruptured when they take a spear at point blank range. Even an Olympian would take a week to completely recover from such an attack and would be immobilized in that time interval. You just had a mild headache for a few days." Artemis stated with an unamused expression.

"On a serious note, Percy, what is the extent to which your invulnerability holds?" Zoe curiously questioned before Percy and Artemis started arguing again. Percy replied after thinking about it for a minute.

"To be honest, I don't know. Till date, no one, not one even my father, has managed to inflict a wound on me that can make me bleed. Even a half-awake primordial – the Earth Mother, failed to breach my skin. So, it seems like anyone other than a protogenos with a complete physical form will be unable to pierce my skin, regardless of whether they use brute force or metaphysical abilities. Even this is just speculation because I have never faced a fully awake primordial." Percy replied while conveniently leaving out the fact that he could temporarily make himself vulnerable. That was a secret that he had guarded with maximum secrecy.

"What effect does it have on your overall strength and power?" Naomi asked.

"It's at the core of all my combat prowess Naomi. Every fighter has one or two attributes on which they base their entire fighting style. For Artemis, it's her speed and agility, for Ares, it's his raw strength, for Athena, it's her deadly precision and finesse. Similarly, for me, it's my endurance and elemental power." Percy stated.

"Alright girls, it's time for all of you to sleep. We're going to be hunting a pack of hyperboreans, hellhounds and dracanae tomorrow and we will be starting an hour before dawn. You have had a tiring day today and you will need to be well rested for the long journey tomorrow." Artemis strictly stated in a motherly tone.

"But milady, Percy's here after such a long time and he may disappear like he did six months ago." Atlanta stated while shooting a dirty look at Percy. For his part, Percy responded with a sheepish smile.

"Don't worry girls. I am not going to disappear. In fact, I will be joining you on a part of your hunt tomorrow. I am tracking down a troublesome river god who's been causing problems to mortals." Percy reassured. Noticeably happy, the hunters greeted both of them good night and retreated to their tents.

"That's not the only reason you're here is it?" Artemis stated with a knowing twinkle in her eyes once the hunters had left. Percy didn't seem surprised.

"Our intel has picked up rumours that the bane of Ares is roaming the lands a few hundred leagues east of Troy." Percy quietly stated.

"Your intel? Since when do you have a network of spies?" Artemis questioned in surprise. She knew that Percy was very crafty but this was news that she had never heard.

"It's a body called the Divine Secret Service and since I am the General of the Divine Forces, it is one of the many institutions under my control. It's a successor to the Olympian Secret Service that Athena and I had founded when we were Olympian Triumvirs. It employs around a hundred nature spirits, satyrs, naiads, a dozen or so demigods and even Iris. Most of the intel comes from groups of spirits, satyrs and naiads led by a demigod who are spread out across the lands within our sphere of influence while Iris and her attendants provide secure, untraceable channels for fast communication." Percy explained.

"Why does such an organization even exist? And who do you spy on?" Artemis asked with a suspicious glint in her eyes.

"Relax Artemis. None of our agents are near your camp and all of them have been explicitly ordered to give you a wide berth. We don't use this agency to spy on our own. Eighteen years ago, during the last phase of the Gigantomachy, when we were preparing for the final battle, we had realised that we had been in the dark for a significant portion of the war. We didn't know anything about our enemies. We didn't know about their abilities, their strengths, their motives or their numbers until we faced them or they fell under the scanner of Helios and Aunt Selene. But, we had been over-reliant on their surveillance." Percy stated.

"To address this issue and ensure that there was no failure in terms of intelligence, we secretly set-up a network of spies after a long discussion with the Elder Olympians. And, it proved to be instrumental in the final battle. Once the war ended, after another exhaustive discussion with the Elder Olympians, we were allowed to keep and even expand the secret service. Albeit, with a plethora of restrictions such as using it only for only keeping a check external threats, not keeping tabs on friends and family and many other things." Percy expounded in detail.

"Where was it when Orion suddenly showed up? And why do none of the younger Olympians know about this?" Artemis pressured with some displeasure evident in her voice.

"Helios revealed the information to us just a few minutes before the secret service gave us this news. Keeping this service a secret from everyone else was one of the conditions placed upon us when we requested for it's continuation. The Elder Olympians were afraid that it would cause unwanted anxiety and fear on Olympus if people found out that there is such an agency. Only Ares knows about it and I told this to you because Athena and I thought that exchanging information with us and having access to our intel may be beneficial for all of us. Also, I trust you enough to know that you won't blab about this to someone else." Percy calmly replied.

"I have to say, I am thoroughly impressed. I knew that you and Athena were master strategists but this is on an entirely different level. I thought that your titles as generals was just ceremonial." Artemis light-heartedly stated and this elicited a laugh from Percy.

"I don't blame you. It's deliberately kept that way so that our enemies underestimate us. Along with the secret service, we have an entire reserve army hidden in plain sight consisting of around twenty five demigods, fifty wind spirits, merman and undead soldiers along with having a dozen forges and the cyclopes as well children of Hephaestus to work them. Adding to that, we have the most sophisticated weaponry ever made in the history of the world. And this entire army can be mobilized in the matter of a few months. Our job is keeping the divine as well as the mortal world safe and as generals, we take that job very seriously." Percy finished and Artemis was left speechless.

"Would you look at that, we have significantly digressed from our initial conversation. Coming back to the matter of hand, I don't think that this rumoured appearance of Ares' bane just six months after the appearance of your bane is a simple coincidence. Even if I am wrong, I don't want to take the risk of ignoring such a development. For that reason, I will be tracking bane of Ares." Percy confidently declared.

"What help do you require?" Artemis asked.

"First, I want to have a chat with Orion. Secondly, I don't want the hunters to get involved in this. If my suspicions turn out to be true, it'll be a very dangerous situation for the hunters. This gigas' rumoured location is on the very edge of our sphere of influence towards the east." Percy stated.

"Now that you have an immortal essence and metaphysical abilities, won't it affect you as well?" Artemis asked with concern.

"Yes. Theoretically speaking, I may lose access to my metaphysical abilities. However, I will still have full control over my elemental and energy-based powers. So, it won't be a problem." Percy assured.

"This has been a night of interesting revelations. I believe it would be better if you had a chat with Orion in the morning." Artemis stated.

Percy nodded his head in agreement. The moon was directly over their heads and he had had a long day. Two or three hours of sleep certainly would refresh him. Both physically as well as mentally.

"Alright then. Good night Artemis." Percy greeted in closure before standing up and heading towards his own tent. Tomorrow would be a busy day.

The past six months had been a rough time for Orion. While the hunters hadn't tortured him or tried to hurt him and had instead left him alone, that didn't mean they liked him.

In fact, they seemed to intensely dislike him right from the start. Only Artemis showed him traces of mercy by grudgingly allowing him to hunt other monsters in exchange for a marginally higher amount of freedom.

He had hoped that he could at least have a friendlier acquaintance in Artemis and on numerous occasions, he had attempted to impress her with his own hunting skills. But the goddess didn't even seem to care whether he existed or not. His train of thought was broken when Percy and Artemis materialised in front of him.

"General Perseus, Lady Artemis." Orion greeted with a respectful bow.

"I hope you are comfortable Orion." Percy greeted back with a smirk.

Orion held back a frustrated sigh. He knew that neither the gods nor the hunters liked him. He chalked that up to them being suspicious of his heritage. But, for some reason, the Hero of Olympus seemed to personally dislike him.

"General, I have not been tortured or maimed. That is enough for me." Orion honestly replied.

"Tell me something Orion, what happened to your brother? The bane of Ares, the only other gigas apart from you to go against your mother's orders and defy her." Percy questioned.

"Damasen was lucky. Along with Thoon, Enceladus and the banes of the Big Three, he was one of the first gigantes to be born. My parents were supremely confident in the strength of their offspring then. So, even though he refused to be a part of the war, the only punishment he received was exile. Unfortunately for me, I was one of the last ones to be born and when I rebelled, I was swiftly and harshly punished." Orion stated with his eyes glazed over. Percy's and Artemis' gaze softened when they heard him.

"Looks like the Earth Mother doesn't even spare her own offspring if they defy her. Anything must be better than the hell she put you through." Artemis stated with disgust evident in her voice.

She could sympathize with the man in front of her and had even realised that maybe, she had been excessively critical of Orion. No one deserved such a fate if they hadn't done anything wrong.

"I don't mean to overstep my boundaries but I am curious to know what prompted this question." Orion politely asked.

Percy tensed for a second, deciding whether or not he should share information with the gigas in front of him. After some contemplation, he decided to settle on the latter.

"I have heard rumours that your brother – Damasen, is dwelling in the lands that lie in the edges of our sphere of influence. I feel it is rather coincidental that both of you have shown up on our radar at the same time." Percy stated with his eyes slightly narrowed.

Just because the gigas had a sad backstory did not mean that Percy would give him a free pass. He knew he was being prejudicial yet, he couldn't help but feel that there was something unsettling in Orion's aura.

Something that was minutely similar to the malice he had sensed in all the other gigantes. But Percy didn't know if that was because of his biology or because of his character. But what he did know was that his instincts had never failed him.

"I don't know what Damasen even looks like general. I can assure you that this has nothing to do with me. If you want, I will even testify for this in front of Lord Apollo." Orion stated.

"Calm down Orion. No need to get defensive. I am searching for facts. Not for fabrications. So, I will not lock you away unless I get any substantial proof that you are a threat." Percy assured before nodding at Artemis and disappearing in a blue mist. Artemis followed him and disappeared in a flash of silver. They had work to do.

Athena was doing something she thought that she would never do. And that something was seeking Aphrodite's advise.

It was a very drastic step and one that she thought she would never take but, over the past decade and a half, she had learnt to trust and had even started to share a subtle kinship with Aphrodite.

It helped that the goddess of love was not as overbearing as before and seemed to have a newfound respect for others' privacy. But, Athena acknowledged that she had been rather dismissive and sometimes, even hostile to Aphrodite simply based on ideology.

Especially in the past few years, Athena had found that Aphrodite was a genuinely nice person and very mature emotionally once she actually got to know Aphrodite without letting any pre-conceived biases kick in.

She had also seen Aphrodite acting as a therapist for Percy and had seen her gently teaching him to cope up with his heartbreak. She knew that Percy saw Aphrodite as an elder sister.

He was very affectionate with her and she seemed to be the one who knew the most about the emotional state of his mind. So, Athena hoped the Aphrodite would share some of that information with her.

Adding to all that, Aphrodite happened to the goddess of love. Other than directly confessing to Percy, if anything could help her get more clarity about this situation which she had never faced before, it would be a tête-à-tête with Aphrodite.

For that reason, Athena found herself in front of Aphrodite's palace and politely informed Aphrodite of her presence mentally. A second later, the door opened and Aphrodite graciously ushered get in.

"Athena, seeing you here is a pleasant surprise." Aphrodite stated with a welcoming smile after both of them sat down.

"Aphrodite, I needed your help on a matter that has popped up." Athena hesitantly stated.

"I don't intend to be rude Athena but, I don't think that I am the best person to help you. I will try my best but I think you should instead seek out Percy." Aphrodite politely stated.

"No Aphrodite. I have come to the right person. After all, the matter I am talking about falls in your domain." Athena tightly stated.

Aphrodite seemed confused for a second before she suddenly realised what Athena was talking about and to say she was surprised would be an understatement. But, before she jumped to any conclusions, she wanted some clarification.

"Athena, are you implying that you harbour romantic inclinations for someone?" Aphrodite carefully questioned.

She knew that Athena had a tendency to answer such questions rather harshly. But, her surprise only grew when Athena tensely nodded at her in affirmation.

"Is it Percy?" Aphrodite questioned. This was the only possible explanation. She couldn't envision Athena falling for anyone else.

"You don't know about this?" Athena asked in surprise.

"Of course not Athena. I respect your privacy and have never tried to find out either your or Percy's emotions." Aphrodite stated with some hurt seeping through.

"No, I didn't mean it like that. I thought you could detect such emotions." Athena quickly stated. She trusted Aphrodite enough to know that she had no influence in this.

"Normally, I can detect such emotions. But, during the Gigantomachy and after Percy had returned from Ogygia, I had erected barriers in his mind to prevent anyone from infiltrating it. And out of respect for the other Olympians' privacy, I had consciously blocked away my ability to sense any romantic or amorous emotions emanating from all of you." Aphrodite explained and it was Athena's turn to be surprised. She had never thought Aphrodite would voluntarily do something like that.

"Forget all that Athena, tell me, how did this happen? What are your thoughts about this? And what do you expect to have with Percy? If you really want me to help you, you will need to share all the details with me. And take your time. There is no rush." Aphrodite gently coaxed.

Athena seemed to hesitate for a split-second before divulging all the details to Aphrodite. She narrated the origin of her feelings, the timeline of their development, her desires and her fears. She also told Aphrodite about her conversation with Percy in the park.

Aphrodite patiently let Athena finish. In all honesty, this was something which she had never expected from Athena. But, the intimately close proximity between Percy and Athena in the past six months suddenly made a lot of sense. She had had an inkling that something had been developing between them but had only kept those thoughts to herself.

"What should I do Aphrodite? On one hand, I am starting to actually crave for something official and stable but on the other hand, I am very afraid that if we do enter a romantic relationship, I won't the able to reciprocate Percy's passion." Athena questioned.

She loathed sounding like some lovesick teenager but she had realised that she needed to be honest with Aphrodite if she wanted her help.

"Athena, first of all, you need to calm down and really need to stop overthinking. I understand that you are the goddess of wisdom and that you are a very brilliant and fiercely independent woman. But, love and passion are not mathematical equations. They are real, thriving and dynamic emotions." Aphrodite stated.

"I know, I know. It's just that I dislike not knowing something." Athena stated with a frustrated sigh.

"You have nothing to worry about Athena. I cannot tell you exactly what Percy's emotions towards you are but I don't need to read his mind to tell you that he shares your feelings and your desires. Yes, Percy is a very passionate man with a league wide streak of loyalty. And indubitably, he will expect a shared future with you." Aphrodite stated and Athena's apprehensions started to grow.

"But, Percy will most certainly never force you to move forward at a pace that makes you uncomfortable. Nor will he force you to be physically intimate in ways that you are not ready for. Rather, he will do everything possible to make you feel comfortable. And he will shower you with all the love and affection he can muster." Aphrodite stated with a wide smile.

"Confess to him and tell him that you are serious about pursuing a meaningful relationship with him and I can assure you, he will never leave your side. Don't worry about things far into the future Athena. Rather, let them develop in a natural and organic way." Aphrodite advised.

Her statements caused a radiant smile to break out on Athena's face. What Aphrodite had said had reinforced Athena's thoughts, cleared his inhibitions and had made her more confident that she was on the right path. All that was left was to have a heart-to-heart conversation with Percy.

"When do you think I should talk to him about this?" Athena questioned.

"Trust me, at the right place and at the right time, you will automatically grab the opportunity and will know what to say. Love is a misunderstood emotion Athena. People think it is a shallow emotion and that it only leads to heartbreak and that it clouds all good judgement. That is not love. If two people truly love each other, they will bring out the best in each other and will mold into two sides of the same coin." Aphrodite paused before continuing.

"And let me tell you something - Love isn't something that happens on first sight. It is also not something that can be developed over a day, a month or even a year. It is something that develops over a long period of time and requires two people to trust, comfort and have faith in each other. It can only be achieved when there is a congruence of thoughts, desires, morals and ideals. It is not a starting point. On the contrary, it is the all-encompassing and intensely satisfying endpoint." Aphrodite passionately declared.

In that moment, Athena's respect for Aphrodite increased exponentially. Her words made so much sense and she had broken down all of Athena's reservations about love. Her words held so much sincerity, truth and wisdom that Athena felt very guilty for misjudging her for an entire millennium.

"Thank you, Aphrodite. This conversation has provided me with some much-needed clarity. I owe you for this." Athena earnestly stated.

Aphrodite warmly smiled at her and offered her a glass of Nectar before replying.

"You don't need to be so formal Athena. We are family and helping each other is a duty, not a favour. Besides, you are going to eventually become my sister-in-law. This makes for some good bonding experience." Aphrodite stated with a teasing smile and Athena actually choked when she heard what Aphrodite said causing Aphrodite to burst into laughter.

"That was not funny." Athena stated with a glare.

Aphrodite just smiled back. She was extremely happy to hear this from Athena and was convinced that Percy would reciprocate. In her opinion, both of them suited each other very well and they definitely deserved to be happy. This was a sign that their future was bright and beautiful.

Hey guys! This chapter may seem very complicated because of the multiple plots that are running parallel to each other. I actually planned to have these events take place in separate arcs but then realised that if I put all the Percy X Athena pairing development into one arc, it would be a repetition of the Calypso Arc.

I wanted to show that the development in Percy's and Athena's relationship is happening along with other things rather than hogging all the spotlight.

I also wanted to show Aphrodite's maturity in this chapter and wanted to portray that Percy's and Athena's concerns were legitimate. It felt like a good time to show really how positive Aphrodite's character really is.

I am answering a few reviews here because answering them in the headnote would spoil the chapter.

Responding to GaleForce513's review, yes, I have painted Orion in a grey light because for now, I want to make his future in this story seem ambiguous. Is he a good guy or is he a bad guy? Only time will tell. And trust me, there is a lot, lot more left in Percy's and Athena's relationship. This is just the tip of the iceberg :) Thank you for your support!

Answering the guest reviewer, I cooled off the Percy X Athena moment for two reasons. One – Because I wanted to show that they still had some reservations and two – for drama :) I hope some of your questions about Damasen was answered. I hope you like the way both of these plots progress. Revealing any more than this, will unfortunately, be a spoiler. So stay tuned! Thank you for your continued support!

In response to parallaxyt's review, you'll just have to wait and watch which Orion! Thank you for your continued support!

In response to the TheMeister7's review, I am glad you were able to raise that question because truthfully, it still was too early for them to get together. They might have had seventeen years but that doesn't mean they don't have any concerns. They will get together soon when the time is right. Achilles, will have a complicated character arc to say the least. And Percy's involvement in it will be even more complicated. Thank you for your continued support!

In response to Gabe1234's review, I am very glad that you are shooting so many good ideas in my direction and my only regret is that I won't be able to incorporate all of them. Your Tartarus idea is great but I don't know how much of that in it's original form I will be able to incorporate. However, rest assured, I am not tanking your idea. I will instead be taking inspiration from it for another plot that I have in mind. I hope that is fine with you!

On the other hand, your ideas about Athena's children is good and once again, I will do my best to incorporate it. I am glad that you liked the change in Athena's character while at the same time, you felt like it didn't become too OOC. I am also thrilled that you liked the other parts of the previous chapter and I hope that you liked this chapter as well! Thank you for your continued support!

Responding to Callum Runchman's review, those are some strong words but in all honesty, I probably was a bit mean ending it in the middle of a sentence. Orion is not the horrible guy yet and at least for now, he will be more like a grey character. Whether he turns lighter or darker is to be seen.

I hope this chapter answered your questions about Damasen and don't worry, this is not the last you will hear of him. And I also threw in a little bit of introspection to show that Percy's and Athena's personalities are still evolving. Thank you for your continued support!

Finally, coming to DKay37's review, I am glad that you liked the slow burn approach that I have taken with the Percy X Athena pairing. Once again, I liked your statements so much that I ended up incorporating them into Aphrodite's response in this chapter. And don't worry, this is a place for romantics :)

Yes, the first book had a much faster, almost blistering pace to it. There was so much going on, so much to prove for Percy, so many enemies to fight and he had to get stronger and stronger for the sake of protecting his family. But this book is in a setting where Percy is on the top of the world, literally and figuratively. He has nothing to prove, he's the invulnerable and undefeated general.

And this story is set in the peaceful and prosperous time so Percy can focus on living his life rather than being a simple soldier. Even I am really happy to take in and incorporate ideas from reviewers because when creativity is pooled from multiple sources, it is very good for this trilogy. Two years is a bit too much for my taste but I will certainly take the time required to write a memorable, long and enjoyable trilogy and I am extremely happy that all of you will be a part of it! Thank you for your continued support!

Read and review, I hope that all of you enjoyed this chapter! Have a wonderful day!