Disclaimer: I don't own Percy Jackson or Harry Potter
The Unrelenting Frozen Seas: Symphony of Tempering
Chapter One: Parental Rescue and Intervention
Beta: ShadowofAxios
It was hard to describe what one could feel in an instant, especially in the case that Rhode found herself in when everything changed so quickly. One second Rhode was staring at her oncoming death at the hands of Electra and her harpy daughters and the next her vision flashed gold before suddenly she wasn't just outside Hogsmeade about to be squished by a boulder, but instead lying on a soft bed inside some underwater palace.
Where am I? Rhode managed to think as she struggled to push her tired, injured body into a sitting position before the worried face of her father, Poseidon, filled her vision.
"Rest Rhode," the god of the seas told her soothingly and gently pushed her back into a lying position. "You're safe here in Atlantis."
"I'm in Atlantis!?" Rhode cried out in alarm, her mind racing as to how this would piss Zeus off even more and push him to try even harder to have her killed.
"Hush Rhode," the comforting voice of her stepmother Amphitrite said as she pushed her father aside and filled her vision. "Sleep and do not worry about dealing with Lord Zeus. Your father and I will not let him or anyone for that matter harm you."
"But-"
Amphitrite did not let Rhode continue arguing but instead began to sing a lullaby. She must have laced her voice with some kind of magic because despite Rhode's best efforts, as the song continued she felt her eyes grow heavier and heavier. As such by the end of the first verse, the daughter of the seas had drifted off into the realm of Lord Morpheus.
It felt like the darkness was drowning her, yet she felt… safe.
A restful sleep that left her body free of all the aches and pains that her fight with Electra had left her with later, Rhode blinked her eyes open to see herself lying back on a very elaborate four poster bed in an unfamiliar luxurious bedroom.
"Ah. Rhode, you're awake?" Dad's relieved voice said from her side and Rhode turned to look at him where he was sitting in a chair by her bedside.
"Dad?" The brunette asked, confused and worried about her situation. "What's going on? Where am I? Am I really in Atlantis like you said earlier?"
"Yes dear. There were some complications." He said, as he got up to sit on the edge of the bed and took one of Rhode's hands into his own. "My brother seemed to have finally decided to act on his desire to kill you after Thalia's passing."
"I got that from Electra." Rhode said with a frown. "What I don't get though is why now?"
"It actually has to do with a deal that I made with your uncle to protect you." Dad said with a tired sigh. "We agreed that if he killed you, I'd kill Thalia in retaliation."
Horror spiked through Rhode's heart, her face matching her fears as she looked at her sire. "Dad…"
"I wouldn't have, of course. It was a threat to cow Zeus only." Dad said, squeezing Rhode's hand reassuringly. "Killing children is a dreadful thing."
Fisting the sheets laying on her, Rhode searched her father's face. She wasn't fully convinced, but gave a curt nod. "Alright, if you say so."
"So," Dad said, shaking his head and bringing the conversation back to the main topic. "With Thalia out of the picture and you continuing to live, my little brother has been very sore. And we all know how he's a sore loser. And after all these years he has finally gained an excuse to act on his hatred of you."
"Excuse? What excuse?"
"The Master Bolt is missing," Dad said grimly. "And Zeus is accusing me of having someone sneak up to Olympus and steal it during the last Solstice. He-"
"That's absurd. I didn't do it! I was stuck on another continent!" Rhode cried out in alarm.
"You misunderstand my meaning." Dad said, shaking his head. "Zeus isn't saying you stole it personally. He is saying that I am the prime suspect for having arranged its theft, and attacked you, my precious daughter, as an aggressive opening move in his demands for me to return the Master Bolt. But even that is really just his excuse."
"So we have to find the Master Bolt and get it back for him, right?" Rhode frowned, brow knitted in thought. "I'm just trying to imagine who'd be stupid enough to take the Bolt. Once I do, I can go get it and-"
"You're still not getting it Rhode." Poseidon said with a tired sigh. "When it comes to you, the Bolt is merely an excuse. He wants you dead."
"Why!?" Rhode asked with frustration, fists closed tightly.
"Because he blames you for Thalia's fate." Poseidon said with solemnity. "And now that he has a somewhat valid reason, he'll stop at nothing, nothing at all, to see you dead in his own twisted idea of vengeance."
Rhode's eyes widened in shock as the truth finally settled into her mind.
Electra had told her as much, but she hadn't really believed her. After all, the crazy nymph was trying to kill her. Was she supposed to believe every psycho that tried to murder her? But now her Father was confirming it too?
I have a death sentence over my head. Rhode realized grimly. One signed by no less than the King of the gods themselves! I'm doomed...
"But I did everything I could to save her!" Rhode cried out in denial, her chest tightening in pain. Her eyes stung, but the seawater hid her tears. "I would have died for her."
"And Zeus does not care," her Dad told her bluntly. "For him it is an eye for an eye, circumstances be damned. She died saving you, so it's only right you die too."
Rhode slumped down, taking this in as she clenched her free hand tight enough for her knuckles to turn white. "I, D-Dad. What do we do?"
She hated how weak her voice sounded. So unsure. So lost. This wasn't something she could just Quest away.
"Stay here in Atlantis until it is safe." Dad told her firmly. "I will send agents out to retrieve the Master Bolt and demand your uncle swears on the Styx to not to harm you in exchange for its return."
Rhode just nodded, still too terrified by the predicament she'd found herself in to even think of arguing.
"I know this is against your nature, daughter." Dad said, offering her a reassuring smile and releasing her hand, patted her arm comfortingly as he stood to leave. "But this is what you must do to stay safe."
Rhode just nodded, biting her lips anxiously as she watched her father leave.
He was just reaching the doors when as if on cue, the doors to Rhode's rooms swung open and Amphitrite stepped in with a cadre of nereids trailing behind her carrying arms full of fabric of all kinds.
"Ah! Amphitrite, just on time." Dad greeted his wife with a smile. "I was just leaving. I leave Rhode in your care."
"Leave it to me, husband." Rhode's stepmother said with a smile.
With that Dad departed, leaving Rhode to look warily at her stepmother and her entourage.
"Uh. What's all that?" The demigod asked warily as she eyed the many, many bolts of fabric that the nymphs were carrying, their ends floating in the water.
"Fabric for your new wardrobe, Rhode." Amphitrite told her sweetly. "One fit for a Princess of Atlantis."
Rhode swallowed nervously at the palpable excitement the other women in the room radiated.
I'm about to become a dress up doll, aren't I? The daughter of Poseidon realized as her stepmother enthusiastically pulled her off the bed and the work of preparing her new wardrobe began.
After hours of fittings and being dressed in a surprisingly comfortable dress that Amphitrite had told her was called a riding habit, Rhode was finally left to her own devices. The dress was her favorite of the ready made outfits that her stepmother had on hand for her and so she'd chosen to wear it for the day. She'd preferred to stick to something she was more familiar with, like a t-shirt and shorts but when she'd said so, Amphitrite had just shook her head and told her that dressing like that would shame her Dad in the eyes of the rest of the Atlantean court.
Rhode had boggled at that and her stepmother had explained that like it or not, she was her father's daughter and her appearance reflected on him in the eyes of his subjects. If she walked around in casual clothes at court, she'd give the impression that either Dad couldn't afford to dress her properly or he wasn't able to make her obey proper etiquette, neither of which reflected well on him. Thus Rhode had reluctantly conceded to wearing the clothes Amphitrite had selected for her.
Her stepmother and her nereid attendants had left now though, leaving Rhode with only a pair of nereids that had been assigned to her as her personal handmaidens for the duration of her stay in Atlantis.
"So this can connect to the I.M. network?" Rhode asked one of the two maids skeptically as she eyed the coral framed mirror that set on the vanity of the luxurious rooms that had been assigned to her.
"Yes Lady Rhode. Merely use the switch on the side, toss a Drachma into the glass as an offering and it will function just like a rainbow."
"Thank you." Rhode said as she flipped the switch and tossed a Drachma from the small bowl near the mirror into it.
"Oh Iris, goddess of the Rainbow, please accept my offering. Show Su Li, daughter of Demeter." Rhode prayed as the mirror's surface took on a rainbow hue and shimmered. It took a couple seconds but it soon transformed into the image of her ex-girlfriend.
"By mother's fields of gold, Rhode, you're okay!" The petite Chinese girl cried out, the happiness in her voice easing Rhode's heart, just a little. Considering their last interaction, looking at Su still twisted her insides just as much though. "And you're wearing a riding habit. What happened?"
Gulping, the daughter of Poseidon felt tongue tied as she tried to speak but after some effort eventually managed to reply. "Um, got attacked at Hogsmeade. Dad saved me and I'm in Atlantis, I have to dress up as a princess to not embarrass him."
"Attacked!? Everyone thinks Electra killed you." Su said hysterically. "Are you okay? Did you get healed?"
"Uh. Yeah? I guess Dad did. I didn't really notice anyone doing it, but I'm fine now so I guess? Plus Atlantis is under the ocean and you know how seawater affects me."
"Yes, thank goodness for your insane constitution. When will you be coming back?"
She cringed at the question. "I'm sorta stuck down here since… Zeus wants me dead."
Su winced.
"Chiron mentioned that." Su said with a tired sigh. "Your Dad is trying to work something out with Lord Zeus?"
"Yeah," Rhode agreed with a nod as she realized by the lack of mention of the Master Bolt that it was possible Chiron hadn't shared the reason behind the recent blow up. "My Dad is trying to make a deal with him."
Fiddling with the fabric of the skirt of her dress, Rhode spoke up. "Su, a-about what happened with the break up-"
"Not now," Su said, her eyes dimming. "We can talk about that after you get home."
The daughter of the sea felt like her heart plummeted into her stomach at that, but could only nod. "I-I guess so..."
"We need distance, Rhode." Su said with a reassuring smile. "Time, I mean. Both of us need time to process it before we can tackle that particular hot potato."
Rhode frowned. "If you're sure."
"I am," Su said hastily.
"So, um, I know it's kinda inappropriate to ask considering everything but, uh, how is Jack?"
Su closed her eyes and breathed a clearly unhappy sigh before replying in a frosty tone.
"He's in a coma."
"Dad! You've gotta help me! Please!" Rhode shouted desperately as she threw open the doors to her father's office where the Lord of the Seas was speaking with his wife. "I beg you! Please help Jack!"
"No," Poseidon said, his face twisted in a rictus of anger. "I will do nothing to aid the fool whose actions almost got you killed."
Rhode recoiled in shock. Her father never spoke to her like that.
But her shock was quickly replaced with indignation and the waters churned in response to her rising anger. "He's only like this because he tried to protect me from Electra!"
"And Electra was only able to attack you because that idiot brat snuck into Hogwarts in the first place!" He roared in return, the waters stilling around her as he glared at them sternly. The whole thing looking not unlike a parent taking away a toy from a misbehaving child, which in many ways was exactly what it was.
Rhode floundered, trying to retort but feeling tongue tied. All she managed was to sputter angrily as she tried and failed to come up with a reply.
"Husband, let me handle this." Amphitrite said, shooting her husband a stern look. "Rhode, let's continue this discussion back in your rooms."
"But-!"
"That wasn't a request, dear."
Rhode bit her tongue, silencing herself at the look the goddess gave her.
As the goddess left the office, Rhode followed after her. Hands curling as she still felt the waters so close, yet refusing to heed her commands. Her Dad's superior authority of the sea still overriding her own even as they drew distant from the office.
The walk back was a quiet affair. Whatever Amphitrite had to say, she apparently wasn't willing to say it until they were in the privacy of Rhode's chambers.
"Have a seat," Amphitrite ordered as they entered Rhode's rooms and they walked into the sitting room.
"Now Rhode, there are some serious things we need to discuss." The goddess with ornaments shaped like little horns similar to crab claws in her hair said smoothly as she gracefully took a seat whilst Rhode angrily did the same.
"What exactly?" The demigod asked warily.
"I will be blunt, dear." The Queen of the Sea said looking at Rhode sternly. "We cannot help the son of Khione. Not without painting a target on his back and potentially earning him Lord Zeus' ire. Considering the warpath he is on at the moment, that is unwise."
"So helping him will make Zeus go after him?" Rhode asked with a frown and Amphitrite nodded. "That's unfair."
"The world is not fair." Amphitrite told her with a sad smile.
"I know, but accepting that is hard."
Amphitrite nodded.
"On another note, I would like to speak to you about your boyfriend." The daughter of Nereus said, spitting out the last word with disgust.
That sinking feeling settled upon her once more, "Alright. What's wrong?"
"As I was before, let me be blunt." Amphitrite said, looking at Rhode pointedly. "You are clearly not ready to be in any relationships."
The demigoddess made to speak, but the goddess cut her off swiftly.
"I do not say this without evidence. Just look at how you managed things with not only the boy but also with the daughter of Demeter. Dear, your relationship with that boy has been nothing but unhealthy since he went on that quest and found the truth of his origins. And the less said of how you treated that poor girl, the better."
"I-" Rhode tried to say something, but found herself unable to formulate a proper reply because as much as she hated to admit it… Amphitrite was right.
"I speak out of worry, not spite." The goddess continued when it was clear that Rhode could not say anything. "And guilt."
"Guilt?" Rhode asked, blinking in confusion.
"Your issues were partly my fault. I after all was the one who engineered the Seashell Incident and it is clear that its impact has become a lot greater than I ever intended. My only consolation is that said impact hasn't evolved into a new divine Fatal Flaw for you."
"What does my relationship problems have to do with the Seashell Incident?"
"Because some people used the magic Nemesis worked during the Incident to put some kind of curse on you."
"What do you mean? What Nemesis did wasn't enough? Others hijacked it or something?"
"It wouldn't be the first time other divines did something like this." Amphitrite nodded sadly. "Despite his more mellow nature, my Husband still has many enemies. What better way to attack him than through those he cares for but are less able to defend themselves like yourself?"
"So what? I'm a hindrance now?" Rhode asked with thinly veiled frustration. "How much of a bigger target is on me with that?"
Amphitrite sighed, it sounded like water going down a drain.
"We cannot be certain I'm afraid, but my Husband and I have taken a firm stand against such behavior so we can only hope that in the future others won't choose to do the same. I'm afraid that is all that we can do."
Rhode nodded. At least her Dad was trying to help, even if it looked like he couldn't just fix it like she hoped.
"Okay, so what kinda curse am I under? Lay it on me." She braced herself. There were a lot of fucked up curses out there, she could only pray the ones she'd been afflicted with were mild in nature.
"I wish I could," Amphitrite said with a shake of her head. "The curse is a muddled mess that seems to negatively influence your love life and which I suspect is what's fueling your obsession with Jack."
"So Eros or Aphrodite is behind this?"
"Perhaps," Amphitrite said with a considering nod. "But even if it is one of them, you mustn't pick a fight with them or they will just curse you even more badly."
Rhode nodded. Yeah, if her messed up love life was really caused by a curse then making it worse was something that she really didn't want. It was enough of a disaster as is!
"Thankfully," Amphitrite continued. "It seems like the curse isn't a full blown compulsion and is relatively weak so with some counselling you should be able to overcome it, especially since you're now aware of it."
"Counselling!?"
Amphitrite shot her a glare and Rhode flinched.
"Uh, okay." Rhode said, looking away cowed. "I can try, I guess."
"I want a promise from you, Rhode." The Queen of the Seas demanded. "Not a Stygian Oath, but still a serious promise on your part that you will not date till your therapist, whoever that may be, says you are ready for it."
Rhode wanted to disagree but she was certain that her stepmother was not going to back down so with a sigh she conceded.
"Alright, I promise." Rhode said with a resigned sigh. "But I have a question."
"What is it?" Amphitrite said, her face softening as she smiled.
"I just don't get why you're so concerned about me. I mean, you never really told me why? I was expecting the Hera treatment to some degree for as long as I've known about who dad was. Or at least indifference."
"You are a daughter of the House of Atlantis," the Queen of the Seas told her with an amused grin. "As its matriarch it is my duty to see to your wellbeing. Besides, the Seashell Incident was mostly due to my meddling. So I doubly feel responsible for your wellbeing."
I guess that makes sense.
Rhode sat back into her chair as she spoke up in an exasperated tone. "I just don't see why the gods would care about my love life?! Is it really that fascinating? Plus it feels creepy as hell."
"You would be surprised, Rhode. I mean, just look at what my Husband and Aphrodite did to poor Pasiphaë because of her husband's actions. Many gods aren't above being ruthlessly petty, my dear." Amphitrite said with an amused giggle. "Besides, many gods would not be above something as petty as that to get back at your father. Or perhaps you yourself. Or simply use your love life for their own ends. Then there's the simple voyeurs. Until we know more, we simply cannot be sure. This is another reason why you must refrain from dating. We need to know what is affecting you and how before you can even consider it."
That night, as Rhode was coming down for a private dinner with her Father and her stepmother, she was just about to reach the dining room when arguing voices reached her ears.
"Everything that is happening to Rhode is your fault, Husband." Amphitrite said accusingly. "All of Rhode's curses are because you didn't bring her down to Atlantis and raise her properly as part of the family. If you'd just done that we'd have been able to smooth over her relations with the other gods ages ago or at least protect her from their meddling."
"Or it would've led to war with Zeus," Dad countered tiredly. "And did you forget that it was your attempt at meddling with Rhode's Fatal Flaw that gave the other gods the opening to mess with her in the first place?"
"I wouldn't have needed to do that if we raised her to handle her Flaw from childhood! And about war with Zeus? Isn't that what we're headed for right now anyway?"
"I suppose." Dad allowed. "But we cannot absolve Rhode of fault either. It was her own choice to reject people like Black who just wanted to help her open up and stay grounded."
"Though the Black mortal was far too much of a mess." Amphitrite said with a thoughtful hum. "His mind is fractured. I wouldn't feel comfortable with him watching over her until he received help."
"The Granger girl then, or Snape, or anyone of the many others that reached out to her. Each had their flaws yes, but who doesn't. It was Rhode who ultimately decided to shut them out."
Hey! I opened up to Snape eventually. And besides what's wrong with choosing who I want to be friends with? Rhode thought defensively.
"I suppose you are correct about that," Amphitrite allowed. "If she had accepted those people or listened to the friends she did have, then she wouldn't have made such bad choices like choosing the son of Khione as a boyfriend in the first place. Yes, Eros and Lesbos are manipulating her love life and would have complicated it no matter what but choosing that boy just made it worse. And it was entirely her own choice."
Eros and Lesbos are messing with me? She thought to herself indignantly. What the hell did I do to them to have them get on my case?
Done and done! Thanks to Nameless and Axios as always!
It's here, it's back! Tell your friends! The third installment of Rhode's story is here and whoo boy, is she taking some lumps. And getting some dresses! With a side of handmaidens.
Nameless: Well, she is a Princess of Atlantis. She has to play the part.
Rhode has her own share of issues like our other heroines, but unlike them, she never got any direct help with them before they could take hold firmly. Just as the title 'Tempering', this is the point where Rhode starts her maturing both in mind and body.
Nameless: Some might be wondering why Rhode managed to sneak up on Poseidon and Amphitrite's argument. The truth is that she didn't. They are gods after all. They were just being sneaky and let her hear some painful truths that confronting her directly with would make her defensive and unwilling to listen. Not that doing things this way produced the outcome they wanted. It did avoid a fight that might've alienated Rhode, so there's that.
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