I don't own the Wardstone Chronicles. Or Percy Jackson & the Olympians. Now, are you happy? Well, if you aren't, I hope you will at least enjoy this.
Lamia was clutching her stomach, laughing so hard it actually hurt her. Tears were streamed down her face, said face very red. Her legs felt like they were unable to support her weight. In other words; it was a classic example of a fit of giggles.
Even Artemis and Athena,who were normally stern and serious and not really the kind of person to join in this kind of behaviour, were laughing hysterically. " Wh-why a-are we- Oh gods. Why are we laughing" Lamia managed to ask.
Athena and Artemis looked at her, laughing even louder. " I-I do-on't know!" Artemis exclaimed, breathless. Her face was red too. Goddesses might be able to hold their breath longer than most creatures, but even Artemis was having trouble with the lack of oxygen. She looked like she was about to fall over. Which would only result in more laughing of course.
Neither of them was able to stop. Not even Athena, who normally rarely laughed. She smiled quite often, but you would almost never catch her laughing. She wasn't exactly the light-heartedly person. She was more the I-love-knowledge-and-hate-jokes person. It shouldn't be a suprise she didn't really like Apollo, Artemis' brother.
He was never really serious, always helping Hermes with pranks. He was like the class clown. And Athena found that really annoying. She didn't comprehend people like that, who didn't seem to take life serious. Gods might live forever, or at least really long, but that didn't mean they could just waste their lives by fooling around.
And yet, despite all her objections to things like this, Athena was laughing so hard tears were streaming down her face. Her face was all red and the only sound she made was laughter, instead of the lengthy explanations she normally held. " It i-isn't even... It is-sn't- I-I a-an-ticapate- It isn't even whimsical!" she managed to say between fits of laughter.
Artemis stopped laughing for one second to look at Athena with a unreadable expression. Then, she lost her composure and burst out laughing again. " Oh god, The! E-even n-ow, y-you- y-you. You still use words like whimsical!" she said.
Lamia laughed even harder. " W-would y-you have e-expected anything con-con-contrastive?". Artemis made a strangled noice, her lungs probably begging for air by now. " You are d-doing it t-too!".
Lamia remained silent. Well, actually she didn't , but she didn't talk. Simply because she couldn't. She was too busy laughing and gasping for air. She actually saw black spots and feared she might faint, which would be utterly embaressing.
Athena, managing to keep her laughter down just long enough to speak, nodded. " Y-yes! Lamia, you a-are cu-culpable o-of Oh me!". Athena fought to stop laughing, but it was a lost battle. She simply couldn't stop. She hadn't laughed in some time and it seemed all the oppressed laughter had to get out now.
She fell to the floor, laughing really hysterically by now. Lamia tried to say something, something that would prove her innocence, but all she could do was laugh.
Artemis couldn't keep herself from laughing either. Neither could Lamia. The three women were laughing hysterically, actually laughing so hard they were crying.
After at least ten minutes, their laughter died down a little, allowing the three to start breathing again.
Lamia lay on her back, panting and sweaty, looking at the ceiling. The ceiling had all sort of paintings on it, very beautiful ones. Mythological creatures, like unicorns and dragons. Constellations, like the scorpion and centaurus. Popular scenes of the bible. Monsters.
Lamia smiled bitterly when she saw a painting of herself, her hands raised to sky like she was praying, her expression one of utter horror, hate and anger. But also sadness. Her eyes were filled with it, tears falling down her cheeks. Those same eyes were focused on the lifeless bodies of two children before her. It was a very good image, almost exactly like Lamia remembered it. Whoever the artist was, he or she was very talented if she could describe a scene so vived.
Lamia looked at the painting next to it. Lamia didn't know anything comics, not even they existed, but that was what it was like; a comic. All the tragic events in her life, reduced to paintings on a ceiling. She saw herself when she still was queen, talking to her advisors. She saw herself practicing her magic, her expression concentrated and full of naive wonder. She saw herself grow from child to the woman she had become. She saw the meeting with Zeus and the mix of fear and longing on her face. She saw his face, full of lust. He was the predator; she was the prey.
She was suprised to actually see the painting next to it; the two of them together, in bed. The bedsheets covered everything except their bare shoulders. They were cuddling, she was wearing a worshipping and intensely satisfied expression. He, looked equally satisfied and triumphal. But there was also a spark of tenderness. It looked almost like he was already starting to fall in love with her. Except, he never had. Not truly.
Lamia moved on to the next one, eager to get away from the vivid painting that triggered her memories. She cursed her stupidity. She had ended with in his bed barely an hour after they met. She had behaved like a complete fool.
The next one was one that made her throat go dry, her heart stop and her eyes moisten slightly. It showed her, one hand on her still flat stomach, and Zeus, looking suprised and slighlty worried. But unmistakenly incredibly happy too.
He looked at her with so much love and tenderness, like she was a gift. A gift from something even mightier than the gods. A gift he had never hoped to receive. " Why did you do it while you looked at me like that...?" she whispered.
Athena and Artemis, who hadn't noticed what she was looking at up until now, looked at her. Lamia heard Athena sigh. " My apologies Lamia. I hadn't anticipated you would get a chance to notice them".
Lamia looked at her. Athena's grey eyes were somehow softer than normal. Normally, they were stern and reminded her of steel. No mercy, no forgiveness, no nonsense they seem to say. But now, they were softer. Lamia realized how lucky she was. They had only spend a few hours in each other's company and she already felt like Athena and Artemis were her friends. Somehow, they had managed to get allong quite well.
" It isn't of any significance Athena. Even you couldn't have anticipated this situation". Artemis pulled herself up, her silvery eyes also showing concern. " Are you sure? It isn't painful or anything to look at them?".
Lamia shrugged. " Of course it is. I still feel horrible about what has happened. What I have done and what I allowed to be done. But I changed myself and my life. I have wonderful children and my husband loved me".
" Really? You actually managed to find a decent man instead of a worthless pig, like men normally are?" Artemis said, her voice somehow cold again. Athena punched her. " Artemis! It is incredibly rude to imply her husband was, like you put it, a pig. I am convinced she loved him and , although I personally believe love gets in the way, they were very happy together. To say something like that is utterly obtuse". " He! I'm not obtuse! Take that back!".
" I do not take things back. Why would I? And you are!". " Am not!". " Yes, you are. Do I have to verify why you are, in fact, obtuse?". " Pff. You can't verify something I am not". " You are obtuse!". " Am not! " I am not. Stop saying am not, it actually hurts my ears". " You are such an annoying person The. Why would you even care if I say am not instead of I am not? It's trivial".
" It isn't! It is my job, my duty , to assure people form correct sentences and-". " Booooring!" Artemis said, before throwing a pillow at Athena. Which wasn't smart. There still was a giant pile of pillows to use as munition. Who know what Athena could do with that.
Athena glanced at the pile, no doubts forming a plan how to take her revenge. Maybe by suffocating her with a pillow. Before the two toddle- I mean goddesses could procced to attack, Lamia stopped them. She couldn't let them hurt each other.
It amazed her how they could act so different in each other's company. It was quite unexpected. " Calm down, the two of you. We have already had a pillow fight. No need for another one. Artemis , you aren't obtuse. You just did something that might be slightly obtuse. And Athena, it might be your job to correct people and assure they use correct grammar and all, but please just relax this time. I will probably go back to my universe soon and I might never see you again. I actually despise the idea. But we can have some fun, right?".
Athena smiled. " Of course we can Lamia. To be honest, I already have a prodigious idea! I could share my knowledge of the inventions of past centuries with you and- Artemis!". Artemis , holding a pillow in her hand, smiled. " Remember what I told you? Nothing like that tonight. We are going to have some actual fun instead of listening to your lectures. They might be interesting, but we have better things to do".
" Better things? What is better than gaining knowledge" Athena protested. Artemis smiled. " Well, we already had a pillow fight, but there are more things I believe you do at a sleepover".
Athena sighed. " And what is where you are thinking about?". Lamia looked at Artemis. She was curious. What would the goddess say? Artemis smiled misschieviously. " Truth or dare of course. Or are you too chicked to try it Athena?".
Athena raised her eyebrows slightly. " Of course not. And that is a ridiculous statement, because - " Athena will go first!" Lamia said, cutting of another Athena's lectures. She didn't really want to listen to that right now. Maybe later.
Athena look really annoyed, but she didn't say anything. She only muttered something. Something involving lectures, fascinating and no respect.
Lamia smiled. She liked gaining knowledge, but she wanted to play this game. It interested her. Besides, she didn't recall the last time she had been playful and just enjoyed herself.
A few minutes later, the three women sat in a circle. They looked at each other for a moment before Artemis took the lead. " Okay, this is how it works. You can choose when it's your turn; truth or dare. Dare means you will have to perform a task. And truth means you have to answer a question truthfully".
" That is obvious" Athena commented. Artemis rolled her eyes. " Let's just start and get this over with all right?".
Lamia nodded. " But who goes first?". The three looked at each other. They didn't know the answer to that. Artemis looked at Lamia, smiling. They said it at the both time. " Athena!".
Athena sighed. " Very well. I will be the first one to engage in this ridicule game". Artemis smiled. " Truth or Dare The?". Athena shrugged. " Truth I guess". Lamia smirked. " Great. Athena, are you-". " ever going to admit your secret crush is Poseidon" a voice finished the sentence.