Disclaimer: Rick Riordan owns all.
Percy squirmed in trepidation, expecting the worst. The back of his mind told him it was an honest shame to accommodate such emotions while in the surroundings he was in. As Eos spread her rosy fingertips, the isolated wood they were waiting in, in the latter parts of Mount Olympus, grew darker. The scents of flowers rich in fragrance bit his nose.
Out of all the places in Mount Olympus, what kind of being would stay in such a misanthropist's heaven? It was far beyond the towns and the palace and the merriment. He wasn't too eager in finding out.
Percy bit his lip nervously.
Aphrodite stood by his side, tapping her foot brusquely.
"They'll be her in a second" she promised upon feeling Percy's gaze, but as she said so, her eyes flashed menacingly. Percy knew that her wrath was baneful and inwardly prayed that the minor gods would hurry. He still hadn't been told who it was they were meeting.
Aphrodite put her arm around Percy's shoulders causing him to stiffen. She flashed him a smile that melted his resolve and pondered running her hand through his hair. She experimentally twirled a low laying curl.
"You'll have to handle it mostly yourself, I'm just here for show" she winked at him and surveyed him. One hand was in his pocket, no doubt wrapped around the pen he carried. She would make sure he wouldn't need to use it.
On a measure, Percy couldn't help but feel frightened. Not from Aphrodite, but from the position he was soon to obtain. Becoming a god, leaving behind the world of heroism contradicted all his experience. Then again that was pretty much the law of moral and mental gain…
Aphrodite's eyes flickered, and they seemed to hold a new emotion. She swept her hair away from her face and turned to face Percy with a face masked in sympathy.
"Percy it's okay to feel scared, that's what makes you human, and things that are worth the wait… well, worth the wait."Aphrodite beamed as she said this. The effect of the indulgence of this particular human affection had a certain cordial exhilaration. And as a master of human affections and emotions she knew she had to break down any form of fear stone by stone if he was to be hers.
Before Percy could answer, Aphrodite turned with a giddy swirl.
"They're here!" she exclaimed, forgetting her previous impatience and Percy felt his heart lighten at the sufficient distraction from himself. Her sudden sympathy was even more unnerving than what had seemed like an amorous gesture previously.
There was that small part of him that wasn't even remotely surprised by what he saw. It was that small part of him that kept him from screaming.
The setting sun smiled down at three young women emerging from the shelter of the shadows. Three beautiful young women. Two of them seemed about seventeen years old while the third looked twenty or older.
As they ventured closer Aphrodite gave a squeal of joy and ran up and hugged the younger two in a tight embrace, leaving Percy standing alone.
Aphrodite turned to Percy in a graceful swirl. He took a subtle step back.
"Percy". Her musical voice rang in his ears, "Allow me to introduce you to three very fine young women who are part of my retinue. The Charites, otherwise known as the three Graces. Aglaea, Euphrosyne and Thalia!"
She gestured with each name from youngest to eldest and Percy apprehended the meanings of the names immediately. Beauty, mirth and good cheer. He immediately registered the other Thalia, who led the hunters. Good cheer? ...
Percy stepped forward and extended his hand. Instantly, Thalia grinned mischievously and engulfed Percy into a bear hug and plopped a kiss on his head.
"I've heard soooo much about you!" she squealed. "And not all is good Perseus" she wagged her finger at him and mussed his hair at the same time, making him take a couple of not-so-subtle steps back.
Percy's blood hummed in his ears as he blinked flustered. Thalia had a head of ginger curls, as all the Graces did. It fell in rambunctious curls around her face .She looked…happy. There was simply no other description. She had ever flowing curls and large round peppermint eyes that seemed to observe the world with a child's wonder and impetuosity.
Percy made himself walk towards the others (or rather Thalia pushed him). Thalia was the eldest and tallest of the three and the other two hovered around Aphrodite like she was their savior.
Euphrosyne stepped forward and introduced herself with a shy smile but Aglaea shied away from Percy and simply fixed him with an icy look.
Aglaea lived up to her name, being the most winsome of her sisters. Her ginger curls were tied in a long and elegant braid that fell far below her waist. Her eyes changed color with every passing second like a kaleidoscope –brown, blue, violet…
"Ummm" Percy stumbled upon his words when Aglaea simply turned away from his outstretched hand. Aphrodite gave him an encouraging look to continue while twirling a nail file he hadn't noticed before in her hands.
He turned to the other two Graces, "I'm here to prepare myself…the Olympians are going to turn me into a god and I need to know hot to handle certain things like dealing with minor gods…he paused again and flushed when he saw Aglaea lour at the word 'minor'.
Percy scratched the back of his head. He didn't know what else to say, I'm going to suck as a god he thought wearily why won't my father listen when I say I'm not fit for this?
"So you're going to solve our problems?" Euphrosyne said hesitantly.
"That's not…"
"Oh thank Zeus!" and we thought we were just whining for nothing!" Euphrosyne laughed giddily and then proceeded to step forward and grab Percy by the arm, instilling a look of pure terror upon his face.
"But not here, we'll take you back to our house! It's more comfortable" Euphrosyne appraised Percy in a way that left no vain pretenses, and with a smile that stopped any. Thalia squealed in what was perceived as agreement, and together they began to pull Percy through the dark woods.
In the wake of the trio, Aphrodite grabbed Aglaea and pulled her back.
"That wasn't very hospitable Aglaea" Aphrodite said this sweetly, but Aglaea knew better. Her tone was that of an errant mother, barely suppressing her anger.
Aglaea stole a glance at the quiet fury in Aphrodite's eyes and had the decency to bow her head.
"My apologies my Lady, you agreed…"
"Oh not now! Aglaea you are such a bore" Aphrodite straightened her dress "And don't digress, you are not to treat Percy in such a manner ever again". Aphrodite's tone was unintentionally leading which she knew would be caught immediately by Aglaea.
Aphrodite did not face Aglaea as she said this, which is what roused her to look up at the goddess. The pure, irrevocable determination bewitching Aphrodite's face put it into perspective for her. Aphrodite never allowed men to accompany her when meeting her retinue. It was a claiming. After all, the essences of the Charites were no less beautiful than their appearances.
Aphrodite's eyes hardened as she witnessed Aglaea's resonance. Without missing a beat she said "And you are to share this configuration with no-one".
"And I am to share this configuration with no-one" Aglaea was futilely attempting to suppress a smile.
Aphrodite strode in front of Aglaea and blocked her path, allowing the leading trio to disappear momentarily. She peered down at Aglaea with unfathomable expressions gracing her face.
For a fleeting second, while glancing at the goddess towering over her, Aglaea knew that Aphrodite was the only being who could possibly help her, though she played games and broke hearts. For love is who she was. And love, like her, is flawed. Love is jealous, and love is foolish, and love is tainted. But love, like her, was unconditionally beautiful, in all its imperfection. Such as was her predicament.
"You shall remain silent, you shall assist me and in turn I will grant you your wish" Aphrodite spoke calmly with an involuntary twinkle in her eyes. "Bibbidi, bobbidi, boo." Aphrodite snapped her fingers and winked at the minor deity.
"I'm at your disposal my Lady". Aglaea exclaimed this without a moment's hesitation; she had been waiting for such an opportunity for years, as Aphrodite was very well aware of. Her eyes swirled into a spectrum of colors in excitement.
Aphrodite smiled at her and gently took her Aglaea's hand, another chess piece had taken its place upon the board.
"Let's see how the god-to-be is fending."
This chapter is different…I don't know if that's good or bad. It's also pretty much a filler…review?