After Troy
Chapter 9 – Plans Hatched
Zeus sat still on his throne, awaiting the return of Aphrodite. Yet, as she returned from her brief visit to Paris and Aeneas, he was so deep in thought that he didn't look up.
"My lord," Thetis alerted him to the occurrence, "you can commence now. Why, exactly, am I here?"
Zeus signaled for Aphrodite to take a seat. "You are here because I thought it appropriate that you know exactly what is going on with your son." He told Thetis.
"No one told me that he was to be immortal." Thetis pointed out. She was happy, of course, but completely unprepared. She had only discovered it afterwards when they had asked her to deliver him the message, and his clothes of course.
"True." Zeus nodded. "But this time you are to be involved."
"I have left Athena with Aeneas." Aphrodite told them both, desiring very much to turn the conversation towards the matter at hand, and herself. "She can hear every word we say."
"Very good." Zeus said. "So you have Aeneas on track?"
"Yes. And he's quite a looker, too! Of course, with a mother like me..." She laughed.
"Well then," Zeus decided to skip to the point. "I have decided that the easiest way to get the boy, your boy Thetis, on track is to give him specific tasks. If we don't I fear he will take the war side of the deal to seriously and neglect the love element."
"Yes." Thetis admitted. "That is a very good point."
"So," Aphrodite took up the speech, "we... I mean our lovely Zeus here, came up with an idea."
"I have decided to focus on his three greatest personality flaws," Zeus reclaimed the conversation, "and have each flaw dealt with in a separate task. Each separate task will be given to him by the appropriate god."
"Personality flaws?" Thetis raised an eyebrow. Then she pondered it for a moment. "Oh, yes, good idea. So which ones have you chosen?"
"Well I," Aphrodite spoke up, "will be targeting his lack of love." Her chin rose with pride.
"What do you mean, precisely?" Thetis asked.
"Well, while many love and adore him, he has never actually been able to love anyone in return. He has no idea what true love is."
"So that's why you wanted him to travel with that party?" Thetis queried.
"Exactly." Aphrodite nodded.
"To find true love?" Thetis clarified.
"Indeed. Which he will." Aphrodite nodded again, feeling rather pleased with herself.
"With Briseis?" Thetis teased, knowing this not to be true.
"Precis... wait, no. Uh, not exactly. You see..."
"It's alright, Aphrodite." Thetis smiled. "She is not where his heart lies."
"You knew?"
"A mother always knows. But she is a lovely girl."
"Granted." Zeus stole back into the conversation. "But she was still just his prize, his share of the spoils of war. Also, Achilles could have any being on earth, if he so desired. With Briseis there was no challenge, and we all know that Achilles loves a challenge. He craves it, part of the reason he is so successful in war. He fights with the hope that he will find a worthy opponent. Briseis is no worthy opponent in terms of love, and challenge. Paris, on the other hand..."
Now this, to an onlooker from our time, this conversation could seem strange, given the perceptions of homosexuality in society. In fact it was not at all odd, and Zeus himself was well known for his lovers of both genders. But Apollo was not so keen.
He stood nearby, in the shadows, out of sight, sound and mind of the other gods, listening to the plans being hatched. To him, the thought of a man's 'involvement' with another man was horrid, and not to be accepted. At once he decided to make a short trip to Hades, and the Underworld.
Apollo didn't bother to wait and hear the rest of the plans, nor indeed that the third task had not yet been though up. If he had waited he may have decided to make a visit to Italy as well, as that would be the destination for the travelers, if all went according to plan for the gods.
Alas for Apollo, he waited not. Instead he plunged forth into the realm rarely visited by the living, to ask a favour of the Lord of the Dead.
"Hades." He called upon entering.
Hades rose up out of the rock floor, an imposing figure with whom few ever argued. Apollo was not here to argue, though.
"What is it you want?" Hades drawled, sad to discover it was Apollo who had come to visit and not the young woodnymph he had met and bedded a few nights before.
"Hades, your brother sends me with a mission." Apollo lied. Hades let ought an exasperated sigh.
"If Zeus wants something why does he not come down of his throne and get it himself?" Hades questioned, not really seeking an answer. "Oh, I forgot. He's the king of the gods. He doesn't even have enough time to visit his own brother!" Hades yelled this last part at the ceiling of his underground cavernous abode. "Never was much of a family man." He laughed bitterly and sighed, turning his attention back to Apollo. "So what does he want, anyway." Hades sat down in his own throne having vented his frustration. The throne was similar to that of his brother though dark and earthen, as opposed to gleaming gold.
"He wants to..." Apollo paused. He knew what he wanted done, but to make it sound legitimate, that was another matter.
"Yes?" Hades pressed. "I haven't got all day, Apollo. In fact, I have no days, and very little time, so get on with it, if you please."
"He wants you to," Apollo thought fast, "to make an exchange."
"What kind of exchange?" Hades asked, his interest peaked.
"Living for dead." Apollo told him. "It's a matter of... well, it's complicated."
"So who have I got that my dear brother wants back in his realm?" Hades mulled over the recent deaths.
"The Trojan, Hector." Apollo told him. This was turning out to be as simple as he had hoped. Achilles was doomed, and Apollo would never have to face him as a god.
"I see." Hades nodded. "Well, luck for him." He smiled, having not done such a deal as this in a very long time. "So what new being have I to add to my collection?" He smiled. "Who's the live one?"
Apollo, too, smiled. "You won't miss Hector once you get your hands on this one."
"Well, who is it?" Hades was impatient.
"It's Paris."
A/N: Oh, yay! I can update! I swear I will never post another "rant" again! I swear it. I swear by the glorious river Styx! I can update! Well, thank you to all those who understood my crazy predicament and were able to read the unfortunate "rant". Also, please don't kill me for this chapter. It had to be a cliffie, it was so appropriately suspenseful. Plus, to finish the conversation would be boring and lack in dramaticism. (apparently that's not a word!) Anywhoo, hope you enjoy, and two chapters in one night! Go me! Toodles, kids!
Zeus sat still on his throne, awaiting the return of Aphrodite. Yet, as she returned from her brief visit to Paris and Aeneas, he was so deep in thought that he didn't look up.
"My lord," Thetis alerted him to the occurrence, "you can commence now. Why, exactly, am I here?"
Zeus signaled for Aphrodite to take a seat. "You are here because I thought it appropriate that you know exactly what is going on with your son." He told Thetis.
"No one told me that he was to be immortal." Thetis pointed out. She was happy, of course, but completely unprepared. She had only discovered it afterwards when they had asked her to deliver him the message, and his clothes of course.
"True." Zeus nodded. "But this time you are to be involved."
"I have left Athena with Aeneas." Aphrodite told them both, desiring very much to turn the conversation towards the matter at hand, and herself. "She can hear every word we say."
"Very good." Zeus said. "So you have Aeneas on track?"
"Yes. And he's quite a looker, too! Of course, with a mother like me..." She laughed.
"Well then," Zeus decided to skip to the point. "I have decided that the easiest way to get the boy, your boy Thetis, on track is to give him specific tasks. If we don't I fear he will take the war side of the deal to seriously and neglect the love element."
"Yes." Thetis admitted. "That is a very good point."
"So," Aphrodite took up the speech, "we... I mean our lovely Zeus here, came up with an idea."
"I have decided to focus on his three greatest personality flaws," Zeus reclaimed the conversation, "and have each flaw dealt with in a separate task. Each separate task will be given to him by the appropriate god."
"Personality flaws?" Thetis raised an eyebrow. Then she pondered it for a moment. "Oh, yes, good idea. So which ones have you chosen?"
"Well I," Aphrodite spoke up, "will be targeting his lack of love." Her chin rose with pride.
"What do you mean, precisely?" Thetis asked.
"Well, while many love and adore him, he has never actually been able to love anyone in return. He has no idea what true love is."
"So that's why you wanted him to travel with that party?" Thetis queried.
"Exactly." Aphrodite nodded.
"To find true love?" Thetis clarified.
"Indeed. Which he will." Aphrodite nodded again, feeling rather pleased with herself.
"With Briseis?" Thetis teased, knowing this not to be true.
"Precis... wait, no. Uh, not exactly. You see..."
"It's alright, Aphrodite." Thetis smiled. "She is not where his heart lies."
"You knew?"
"A mother always knows. But she is a lovely girl."
"Granted." Zeus stole back into the conversation. "But she was still just his prize, his share of the spoils of war. Also, Achilles could have any being on earth, if he so desired. With Briseis there was no challenge, and we all know that Achilles loves a challenge. He craves it, part of the reason he is so successful in war. He fights with the hope that he will find a worthy opponent. Briseis is no worthy opponent in terms of love, and challenge. Paris, on the other hand..."
Now this, to an onlooker from our time, this conversation could seem strange, given the perceptions of homosexuality in society. In fact it was not at all odd, and Zeus himself was well known for his lovers of both genders. But Apollo was not so keen.
He stood nearby, in the shadows, out of sight, sound and mind of the other gods, listening to the plans being hatched. To him, the thought of a man's 'involvement' with another man was horrid, and not to be accepted. At once he decided to make a short trip to Hades, and the Underworld.
Apollo didn't bother to wait and hear the rest of the plans, nor indeed that the third task had not yet been though up. If he had waited he may have decided to make a visit to Italy as well, as that would be the destination for the travelers, if all went according to plan for the gods.
Alas for Apollo, he waited not. Instead he plunged forth into the realm rarely visited by the living, to ask a favour of the Lord of the Dead.
"Hades." He called upon entering.
Hades rose up out of the rock floor, an imposing figure with whom few ever argued. Apollo was not here to argue, though.
"What is it you want?" Hades drawled, sad to discover it was Apollo who had come to visit and not the young woodnymph he had met and bedded a few nights before.
"Hades, your brother sends me with a mission." Apollo lied. Hades let ought an exasperated sigh.
"If Zeus wants something why does he not come down of his throne and get it himself?" Hades questioned, not really seeking an answer. "Oh, I forgot. He's the king of the gods. He doesn't even have enough time to visit his own brother!" Hades yelled this last part at the ceiling of his underground cavernous abode. "Never was much of a family man." He laughed bitterly and sighed, turning his attention back to Apollo. "So what does he want, anyway." Hades sat down in his own throne having vented his frustration. The throne was similar to that of his brother though dark and earthen, as opposed to gleaming gold.
"He wants to..." Apollo paused. He knew what he wanted done, but to make it sound legitimate, that was another matter.
"Yes?" Hades pressed. "I haven't got all day, Apollo. In fact, I have no days, and very little time, so get on with it, if you please."
"He wants you to," Apollo thought fast, "to make an exchange."
"What kind of exchange?" Hades asked, his interest peaked.
"Living for dead." Apollo told him. "It's a matter of... well, it's complicated."
"So who have I got that my dear brother wants back in his realm?" Hades mulled over the recent deaths.
"The Trojan, Hector." Apollo told him. This was turning out to be as simple as he had hoped. Achilles was doomed, and Apollo would never have to face him as a god.
"I see." Hades nodded. "Well, luck for him." He smiled, having not done such a deal as this in a very long time. "So what new being have I to add to my collection?" He smiled. "Who's the live one?"
Apollo, too, smiled. "You won't miss Hector once you get your hands on this one."
"Well, who is it?" Hades was impatient.
"It's Paris."
A/N: Oh, yay! I can update! I swear I will never post another "rant" again! I swear it. I swear by the glorious river Styx! I can update! Well, thank you to all those who understood my crazy predicament and were able to read the unfortunate "rant". Also, please don't kill me for this chapter. It had to be a cliffie, it was so appropriately suspenseful. Plus, to finish the conversation would be boring and lack in dramaticism. (apparently that's not a word!) Anywhoo, hope you enjoy, and two chapters in one night! Go me! Toodles, kids!