The Olympioi turned their attention to the kingdom of Castellan as the war between Sparta and Athens began to slow to a stop. It was intriguing to watch a realm of both mortal and undead coexist so peacefully.
The skeletons often unwind themselves and turn into ladders and stools for those attempting to reach high places. The people in turn painted them in various colors spreading joy amongst the children whenever they caught sight of them.
The son of Apóllōn could be found, crouching over a body and naming the various bones in front of them so that the people may always know what they injured. He showed them how to help a broken bone or even one that was splintered. He spent his time crafting boots of clay to wrap around the legs of those that injured themselves until the bones healed while the skeleton warriors made makeshift canes for easier recovery.
The daughter of Dēmḗtēr filled Sweet Silo to the brim with fresh fruit and bread. She worked herself endless over an open flame mixing treats together that none thought possible. And when she spent her time cooking within Silena's Eatery... Zagreus loved the taste of the treats that she made which were mixed with food of the divine. She always managed to have treats ready for him whenever he arrived.
(The god begged for the others to join him in the land and feast amongst them. He was sure that they would find it as pleasing as he.)
The children of Hermês pulled tricks onto the people of their kingdom just to be rewarded with their laughs. They let themselves be treated as fools so as long as smiles graced the face of the children. (But a fool is one to be underestimated and they pulled those same tricks onto those that displeased them. In the middle of the night, covered by the shadows of Erebus, those fools dragged their victims to stand foot at the throne of the king who showed them mercy in life but damned them in death.)
Thalia Basileia spent time with the blonde-haired female of no parentage. They often spoke with one of the spirits who encouraged the princess to form arrows from her divine gifts. She in turn would brush carefully through the blonde's curly hair and braid it in elaborate forms. It took a moment for Athênê and Árēs to realize that she was braiding battle plans into the girl's hair.
The mortal girl that held their favor could be found some days sitting atop her building and creating artwork that wooed Apóllōn's grace. She would prophesied the will of fate as if she gained word from the Moirai, but even Three Kataklôthes stated that it was not just them whom she gained this sight from but Anankê whispered her words of compulsion into her ears.
The son of Poseidón could be found at his sister's side or with the blonde that they learned was named Annabeth. His weapon of choice bore resemblance to one of the Hesperides, but the power within it spoke to the boy of peace and pain alike. A new beginning instead of the fate that had been bestowed upon it.
He was but a boy, but he walked the path of a soldier that saw his death and welcomed it with open arms.
His mirrored image could be found at the side of Árēs' daughter.
The child of Árēs' routine rarely changed. Every morning as Hêlios' chariot ascended the sky, she would emerge from the palace to do a light jog around the kingdom that she did not finish until midday. She disappeared not into the palace, but over in the grove of trees that were so thick that they managed to block even the sight of the gods. She would return to head over to the hill filled with temples to the Theoi Olympioi, Protogenoi, Theoi Einalioi, and Theoi Khthonioi. She would make her sacrifices to the gods before speaking a small prayer to her Father.
She dined at Silena's Eatery with the child of Hermês that was clear to all her paramour. He would follow her to the practice fields to take over the lessons from either Annabeth or Perseús. She was skilled better than all the warriors that stood to learn from her and when the daughter of Poseidón joined her, none could stand in the face of their combined strength.
Árēs had decided that this would be the perfect day to spar.
It was the middle of one of Clarisse and Ariadnê's games that descended from the heavens. He knew that they were truly to be highly dangerous spars that should not be conducted without at least three healers nearby.
The girls had only but a breath to stop their attacks before their weapons could pierce the gods' armor. The abrupt switch of movement left the two unbalanced and the god could only watch amused as they rolled with the momentum no doubt injuring themselves. The two cast their gaze up, fury and bloodlust ringing within their irises.
It was interesting to watch the child of the sea wash his aura away as she accepted it within her even if his own daughter took a moment longer to bat away. They shuddered simultaneously as they were almost drunk from his power as they kneeled before him in respect.
It was his daughter who spoke first, "Father, to what do we owe the pleasure?" Her wheat colored hair was slick with sweat as it and her clothes stuck to her. He had watched the two of them spar countless times and he admired the technique that she used. She needed just a bit more spatial awareness, but what she lacked in that... she made up for it in speed.
The god watched amused as they shared panicked glances when he questioned: "Did you forget our spar?" They stared at each other for a moment and seemed to have a conversation with just their gaze alone. The child of sea laughed softly, a sound like ringing bells, as they rose to their feet and backed away.
Her blue eyes gaze upon his own, unfearing as the first day she so boldly did so, "Forgive us, mi'lord. Would you like for us to call forth my dear cousins?"
He thought about his Father's bastard daughter and the offspring of Dēmḗtēr. They were strong. He rarely found children—women born of mortal blood that were strong. No, that was not right. He rarely found warriors in them if they did not serve by Artemis' side.
"No," he said. "I will spar with them another time." It was these two who fought as an extension of one another.
"Then may we have a second to collect ourselves," his daughter asked. The god inclined his head in agreement. He watched as the two of them made their way to the water jugs nearby. They shared one while the sea child washed away the dirt and grime they had acquired on their persons. Both ate one of those sandwiched treats that Katie created using ambrosia and filled with nectar.
Another oddity about these children. They ate and drank the food of the gods, yet no one knew how they acquired them. Nor did anyone understand why they changed them into strange shapes all the time though they knew Zagreus commended them on the different flavours that burst across his tongue when he tasted them.
Hermês found it amusing as his sons began a form of trade within the half-divine community no matter how rare that it may be.
Just like the kingdom itself, Stolen Treasures appeared overnight. Alongside Deadly Fashion that catered to all of Aphrodítē's needs and held all of Hḗphaistos' attention.
These godlings became more and more interesting by the hour.
Both walked back over with his daughter standing slightly in front of the other girl. Árēs summoned his spear. "I shall fight you both."
The daughter of Poseidón smirked a little as if there was a secret that she wasn't willing to share. From the glare his daughter gave her, he suspected that she knew what the other was thinking.
His daughter hefted her spear while his cousin did some light swings with her sword. He could feel the eyes of the other Olympioi watching them. He could feel the dangerous aura that Poseidón gave off if his daughter ended up injured. He knew his uncle was a foe to be wary of.
Apóllōn and Athênê were probably the only ones brave enough to face his rage. Apóllōn hadn't even blinked when Poseidón had to be restrained after his daughter had been poisoned. That wasn't even to consider the moment his son had almost gone down under an entire platoon of Athenian soldiers.
Smiling lightly, he watched as the two girls circled him for openings. They wouldn't find any so it wouldn't be surprising when one of them— there it was. His daughter lunged forward. While he blocked her move, Ariadnê made a swipe at his feet that he jumped over. She landed silently while his daughter's spear lit up with electricity.
"Ah, my daughter, what is your name?"
He couldn't just keep referring to her as his daughter.
"I am Clarisse of Castellan."
Clarisse.
He had never heard of a name like that.
Ariadnê spoke to him quickly as her sword transformed into a staff, "It means bright and famous. It comes from a land not too far from where the Moirai hid us in."
Interesting.
He ducked under the slice of the swing of Ariadnê's staff while jumping back from Clarisse's spear. He was almost confused when his daughter pulled back to let Ariadnê attack him with her trident. But he got a better understanding of what was going on when he felt magic try to transform his sword.
She was alright, but she was a couple centuries too young to try to change his weapon.
Flicking his hand, both girls went flying back.
He let aura flow out of him freely as watched amused as the two girls once again shuddered from the feeling of it. This time even Ariadnê looked slightly drunk from it.
"Aria-," his daughter began speaking through clenched teeth. "Fight it just like we practiced."
Ariadnê fell to the ground clutching at her head before she began to shake the feeling off. He could feel his power flowing through her, sinking into her bones and soul. He could feel her take his essence and weaponize it for herself as storm clouds emerged overhead and rain drizzled around them. The feeling of water seemed to knock her out of her trance because she stood back on her two feet before leaping towards him once again.
Father and Poseidón were slightly surprised by that. Perseús and Thalia had shown skill for storms during the war of Sparta and Athens, and though Ariadnê had called forth her own storm... It was nothing like this. That had been controlled and a reflection of her emotion but this was wild and unrestrained.
The wave of anger that Poseidón aimed at him made him nearly flinch after he had almost cleaved Ariadnê in half. She faded into mist before appearing at the side of his daughter. The two girls shared another look before Clarisse struck the ground with her spear. Undead soldiers clawed their way through the ground to stand at her command.
It was a power he rarely used.
He could use his battle precognition to see how it would end, but where was the fun in that? No, he left all that future business to theoi tou mantikoi.
His smile was wild as he lunged forward, delighting in the screams of shock the two gave as they dodged. He aimed for his daughter, excited to see that she could keep up with his attacks. He was, of course, holding back, but he was still proud.
His senses open up. He turned slightly, summoning his shield to dodge the sword aimed at his neck. His daughter took the chance to blast him with her spear. The electricity felt nothing like his Father's power. It barely even tickled.
With a snap of his fingers, he summoned a few Spartoi to distract the child of sea as he continued to play around with his daughter. He could hear Ariadnê cursing as she defended herself. Clarisse rolled between his legs, swiping at his heels as she came up on the other side. He turned to get hit in the face by a whip of water.
He was slightly surprised to see Ariadnê standing on top of a thin strip of water as the liquid curled around her arms like snakes. She used them to wrap around the Spartoi, throwing them against one another while the soldiers his daughter summoned got into position.
Each of the undead launched themselves at him to obscure his vision which he easily batted aside. A whoosh of air flew past him and he looked to see the Spartoi lunging at him as the two girls landed behind him.
He banished them back into the earth, turning once more to get a wave of water in his face. A quake cracked the earth surrounding his feet. Clarisse passed Ariadnê her spear, already alight with electricity that the girl focused a storm into it and struck the water surrounding his legs.
The electricity that rocked through him felt more like the master bolt.
The whips circled around his arms and legs, forcing him to the ground. He could easily get out of them, but if he were lesser than himself... they would be hard to get out of. A sword began to morph from the water in the atmosphere and his daughter rushed forward, snatching it out the air, solidifying it with her touch and holding it against his throat as she landed on his chest.
The two girls were breathing heavily.
Árēs was amused. He knew that the others were shocked by the skill displayed. Both sides were holding back and they still managed to take him down in a sense. If this was just the skill of the two of them, he wondered about the rest of them.
And these two were not even at full strength!.
His half sister and the daughter of Dēmḗtēr would make interesting opponents.
It was nice to see that the first half-divine child of Poseidón had more skill than his first half-divine son. He had not even considered that she could summon his Father's element, but it makes sense considering that her Father was only second to his own in raw power.
And he supposes it was nice to see that Poseidón's first demidivine daughter was given more skill and powers than even his first demigod son from so long ago. To be able to summon his father's element was something he never thought possible for a child of Poseidón. But it makes sense considering that she is the child of the god of storms.
His daughter's voice was soft as she pressed the sword deeper into his throat, "Do you yield, Father?" He did not. He wanted to continue. He wanted to find their limits and break them and push them so far beyond what their mortal bodies could handle.
But they were tired, and there was no fun or honor fighting tired opponents.
He inclined his head with a small smirk, "I yield." He was going to have a lot of fun with these kids.
Clarisse moved away, holding out a hand to help him to his feet not that he needed it. His gaze snapped over to the other, looking just in time to catch her eyes slip close as she hit the ground harshly. Clarisse rushed to her friend's side, running her fingers over the bump on her head.
"She must have overworked herself trying to beat you," Clarisse mumbled as she cradled the younger girl. She looked so small in her arms. "I told her that doing those moves right after another would only hurt her recovery."
He had not heard them speak once. The girls clearly had a bond where they could speak with their gazes alone.
He pressed two fingers to the girl's forehead, burning away the rest of the poison in her system. "I am no Apóllōn, but I can heal her." He was also familiar with this poison as it was one of Apóllōn's favors. She sank deeper into his daughter's arms as she succumbed to her exhaustion.
"Thank you, Father," Clarisse muttered as she heaved Ariadnê onto her back. He snapped his fingers again. Deimos and Phobos appeared with his chariot. "Use this to get back to the palace. Boys, take care of your sister. Anything happens to her and it will be on your head."
"Of course, Father."
He looked over his children and cousin once more before ascending back to the heavens. Poseidón was waiting for him with a fierce glare on his features. "You attempted to cleave my daughter in half."
Árēs waved his hand dismissively. He would pay for the disrespect later, but it would not do to keep his father waiting. As such, he lived on Olympos with his father whereas Poseidón lived in the sea. It was best not to tempt the king's rage.
"My son, report," Father stated as soon as everyone was on their thrones.
"It is as I have stated before. It seems that Poseidón's daughter is their unofficial leader. She is certainly quite powerful. From the little that I have witnessed, she would be able to fight against one of the minor gods or goddesses and prevail. And that is just her recovering from her injuries and being slightly exhausted. If she were at full strength, she may prove to be a challenge for us as well."
His mother furrowed her brows, "Surely, you jest. A mere mortal strong enough to challenge the Olympioi. Husband, we must get rid of her and the others lest they prove too dangerous to defeat."
Poseidón slammed his hands against the arms of his throne, "We are not killing my daughter nor any of the other children."
Athênê hummed as she looked back down to the kingdom. Ariadnê was being fussed over by the other demigods as she laid unmoving in Clarisse's arms. They brought her to this pool of water in one of the locked medical rooms and just let her sink to the bottom. Her legs shifted until they were in the shape of a green tail with gold and silver accents. Her brother climbed in right behind her. "I renounce my vote on killing them. We need to know more about them before acting."
Apóllōn nodded his head as he looked at the demigoddess who had declared her love for him for everyone to see. "It would do us well to abide by the will of the Moirai. I do not like it as their futures and past have been blocked from my sight, but I believe this is bigger than what we know."
Hermês was almost bouncing in his seat. "So, we don't kill them. That's fine. But how can we get to know them more? We can't keep just sending Arês down there without them getting suspicious. And Zagreus does have other duties to do than playing that mythomagic game with them."
Zagreus scoffed under his breath, wincing when his mother shot him a glare for his actions. "You're just jealous that I got to meet them first."
Hermês stuck his tongue out at the other god before he once again started tracking his three kids' movements. Father was smirking as he looked over the council, "Well, it seems that you are in luck, Hermês. Who better to gather information other than the patron-god of all heralds?"
Hermês cheered before shooting a sly look over at Apóllōn, "Do not worry, brother. I will not steal your love away."
Háidēs laughed as Poseidón switched his glare from Árēs to Apóllōn in response. "You go anywhere near my daughter, and I shall castrate you."
Apóllōn rolled his eyes in response.
"Let Árēs finish his report," Hestia chided with a secret smile. "How do you feel about their defenses and kingdom as a whole?"
Árēs thought it over. "I find it interesting. Their spiritual barrier will hold for those purely human unless guided by an immortal hand. There were also some slight curses loaded around the barrier that one wouldn't notice if not for being an immortal. I noticed that they kept the lightning fence and the flower defense also, but it seems that it needed to be activated. I believe that may depend on how close any invader may get. I could also sense underground bunkers, but I couldn't sense any openings. The children are probably the key to that. All in all, their defenses are good in case of an attack."
He reclined back into his seat as he thought over the kingdom he's been watching over since the start of this entire war. "I believe they have the potential to be bigger than Sparta and Athens."
The other Olympioi murmured amongst themselves. Bigger than Sparta and Athens? Ζεύς frowned to himself as he considered his options. "Hm, Athênê and Apóllōn are quite right. We do need to know more about them before acting. Proceed with caution, all of you. As much as they are correct, the words of Hêrê do heed a warning. They have the potential to be our downfall."
And with those lovely words, the meeting adjourned
Though Ζεύς had declared that Hermês would be the one to get closer to the children.
The other gods could be found within the kingdom frequently. It was almost unnerving how they were able to immediately locate them within the crowds and pin their gazes upon them. They never approached if they were in disguises, but their eyes lingered on them as they walked through the kingdom.
They worked well together, one never too far from the other. Perseús and Ariadnê could sometimes be found twirling alongside the frozen river. Ice skating, they called it. Their bodies twisted and twirled like works of art even if they strangely placed blades upon their shoes.
The two of them were strangely codependent alongside Perseús and Annabeth. Aphrodítē found it delightful how the boy was pulled between romantic and familial love and duty. He handled it well.
Árēs had found himself corrected as he looked over them once more. It was Perseús who they looked to as a leader though Nico wore their crown. Ariadnê was more of their executor as she was minding her role even now as they held court.
She lounged upon the throne granted to her, ocean eyes gazing over the accused disdainfully. Her brother sat at her side. There was a hunger in her eyes that they learned meant she was itching for a fight and he was restraining himself though they could all tell that he was angry.
(They were a kingdom that welcomed all travelers from near and far. Kleiô brought Huákinthos to the kingdom with her and Apóllōn led him around... the demigoddess had raged and leveled a training field, trading some cloths with Katie to help her reconstruct it. She then made herself sparse whenever they neared her lest her wrath turn lethal.)
"My Lady," the man begged on his knees before her. She sniffed disdainfully and each god of divine law and custom watched her curiously. "I beg of you. Please. Spare me."
Her mere presence flashed with power and bindings wrapped him around him, driving him to the ground. "You stand before me, Sir Theodore begging for respite after you nearly killed three new born children and four more were born sleeping due to your actions. Not only that, you tried your hand at regicide and tried to kill my brother."
The crowd around them muttered angrily. "Our King is fair and just. He condemned you to eternal pain once your soul is cradled by Thanatos. Alas, that punishment was only for the attacks on the children. No, he was so kind and gracious to allow me to cast judgment upon you now."
The man cried as the bindings pressed him further into the ground. "Please. Please. Spare me."
The girl scoffed in disgust. "Do not presume that just because we do not act upon them that we do not know of the discontent that some of our people have against our kingdom. We know of the scathing remarks of how we dishonor the birthplace of Aphrodítē by tending to Theoi Tou Khthonioi." A dark smile crossed her face, "I wonder what you would all have to say when we reply that there is beauty in death. It was the castration of Ouranos that brought forth the birth of Aphrodítē."
The crowd hummed as if they had not even considered that point. Ariadnê did not seem to even hear them. "My brother is kind whereas I am not. He believes that this was on your own wrongdoing. It has brought us to an impasse on how to punish you. I do not let slights against him and my king go unpunished, so you will tell us the truth."
"Twas only me, my lady. I alone."
Apóllōn, Hermês, Alêtheia hissed.
Twas a lie.
Perseús snorted. The two shared looks as the other blabbered at their feet that it was only him. Ariadnê shook her head and Perseús sighed. His own eyes darkened considerably like a viper lying in the wake. "You have been working with Katie in her bakery, yes?"
"Yes, my lord."
He grimaced at that. They were reminded that the group of them hated being called Lords and Ladies. They weren't gods.
"And you take lessons from Clarisse?"
The man hesitated before he confirmed once more. A deeper scowl had danced across their faces as there were also discontent about learning to fight from her and what did a woman know about battle?
"Do you have any siblings," Ariadnê asked. Theodore shook his head, "No. Lady Eileithyia nor the Moirai did not bless my parents with any."
The twins hummed. Ariadnê took hold of her brother's hand, looking out to gaze upon the crowd. Her eyes latched onto the gods quickly despite them all being disguised. "If the court would indulge me in this recollection," she inquired. It was Ζεύς who inclined his head.
She smiled lightly before turning back to the man laying plastered on the floor. "I'm sure you have met Luke. He is the spirit that works at our healing halls. The one that gives you healing medicines that William creates. His Father was a god, too. He had been my sword trainer before and he had betrayed us."
She shrugged casually, "I was awfully young, you see. Clarisse, Annabeth, Percy, and I went on a quest. It was quite dangerous. We nearly died as the ship we had taken had been reduced to pieces by monsters. We and our late brother had fended off the attacks as best as we could. I was only just getting to know the full scale of my power. And I had no good handle on my anger."
"There had been an explosion. I could no longer see my companions. I was scared and I was angry and I was so terribly young. I had blacked out. And I was lost to them just as they were lost to me, thinking each side was dead. Alas, the Moirai were kind and I was led back to them. And the first thing that I saw was my brother, stunned and injured, but living, facing off Luke."
Ariadnê turned to her brother, "What did they say?" Her brother smiled kindly at her, "I believe that they said that you were misnamed. That you had Father's wrath in your heart and it was you who should have been named the Destroyer." She laughed lightly, "And now look at me, chasing after the love of the Destroyer of the Divine."
Ariadnê turned back to the being in front of her, "Have you ever witnessed one of my Father's fits?"
"Once," Theodore stated. "It was when you were battling in the war of Sparta and Athens and had been defeated by Prince Huákinthos."
Her gaze turned murderous as she tensed in her seat. "Let's get one thing clear. I did not get defeated by that two-faced, conniving–" Apóllōn and Huákinthos and Kleiô matched her expression at her insults.
"Sister!"
They all turned to Perseús who ran a calming thumb across her hand as fury burned bright in her eyes. She looked to him before visibly calming herself, but her words were coated in poison as she continued her tale. "As you can rightly assume, my wrath is similar in nature. I do my best to restrain it, but I was once told that the sea does not like to be restrained. And my next trainer taught me how to accept my hunger for violence and wield it differently. How I could use my rage as power to show mercy, to foster peace, to protect life. It does not seem like an emotion that could do that, but it can. I was taught to show my enemies that I am better than those who would oppose me and those that I call mine."
Perseús patted her hand as his eyes moved past the crowd to focus on Annabeth standing near the doors. "Even strength must bow to wisdom sometimes."
Ariadnê inclined her head, "True. And yet, that day, I cared nothing of that wisdom. Whether I still held affection for Luke or not, whether his brothers grew to be some of my dearest friends, whether his Father took me under his wing, it did not matter. He tried to kill my brother. The friends that I had made. The fate that weighed down on us. My duty as a princess however illegitimate I may be and a soldier—none of that mattered. I came into this world with my brother at my side and he tried to make me live without him."
She slid off her throne, slithering forward like a serpent. The bindings pulled Theodore to crouch on his knees before her. She flicked her wrist, and her sword emerged in her hand. "I raised καταιγίδα and I called forth the wrath of the sea. But I was still so awfully young and I did not have the control needed to wield my Father's rage. But it swallowed Luke's companions up and it boiled him from the inside out. I called for more and more of my Father's rage and I was killing myself trying to channel it through me. But I cared not because I had Luke at my feet and he screamed. Oh, how delightful his screams were. The way his skin bubbled and the way his blood poured from behind his teeth. I felt no guilt even when I called his Father a friend. I only felt rage. He would have condemned me to face however long the Moirai and the Khthonic gods granted me of loneliness and mourning because I love no one more than my brother. Those few moments did not even matter in face of losing Percy."
"He was blabbering the same pleas as you, begging for me to spare him. He told me that he would do whatever I say and surrender to me if I just stopped. But I wouldn't hear it. I want the world to see what happened to those who would try to take my brother from me."
"It was Percy who brought me back to calmness. Percy who cradled me in his arms as I screamed and raged because do you want to know something else? Not only I had thought he almost killed Percy, but Clarisse was nowhere to be found. My best friend. The closest person I had to a sister and I did not see her. I wanted Luke dead and I wanted him to suffer."
"You don't have any siblings let alone a twin so you wouldn't understand the pain that I had felt."
Theodore was quite honestly intimidated and the crowd was quiet as they listened, unsure of why she was speaking this tale. "It is perhaps wise that the gods failed to grant me brothers and sisters."
"Perhaps," Perseús shrugged, but like his sister... his eyes were filled with rage. Ariadnê looked at the man at her feet, "But they granted you six children."
Theodore's gaze snapped to hers as the horrified mumbling ran through the crowd. "I-yes, my lady."
"The youngest, Madam Agafya— she is with child? I believe William stated that they would be twins."
"Yes, my lady."
"I wonder what shall happen if I place the sea's wrath in her blood in the same way I did Luke. If she'll feel her babies boiling in her womb. If she'll plead for their lives before her own."
Theodore threw himself at her feet. "My lady—"
"That sweet face, drained of blood. Her face would resemble one of the Erinyes. No, resembling the gorgons and the most fearsome of them all Medousa. Her eyes dripping down her face like drops of rain." She used her sword to make him look into her eyes, "I was nothing but a room away when you attempted to strike King Nico down. I held him as the poison you placed in his food made a mess on his soul and I cried as Percy cried from the fire that lapped at his skin from your attack. I listened to those cries of mothers and fathers as their children were lost to them. Souls so beautiful dishonored as you tended to their deaths. You did what you claim of us—you dishonored Lady Aphrodítē as you brought death to her place of birth."
"My lady," Theodore scrambled, "Please. Have mercy."
"Your son Heron is the third, yes?" Perseús questioned. "Thalia claims that he is a formidable hunter and grand archer."
His sister pressed her sword deeper into Theodore's throat, "Well I will take his hands first."
"My lady—my Lord—I beg you—"
"And your fourth born, Alkistis, a mother of three. It won't due to harm her, to leave her children bereft."
"Your daughter's children should not be without their mother. I will see to it that they are not," Perseús assured him. Ariadnê bore a smile filled with blood, "Sadly, three children are fighting for their lives, and they may not make it. Unless we do a trade—a soul for a soul. I may slay them in one merciful blow; I would regret it deeply. The cries of a child should never be ignored."
Theodore fell to his knees and bent forward, pressing his forehead to her feet. "I beg you, my lady," he sobbed. "Whatever you may think of me, do not harm my family. It is I who have betrayed the throne, it is I who orchestrated the assassination of the King—"
"Your eldest son, Zenon," Ariadnê hissed. "I wish I could have punished him justly...but sadly, my temper got the best of me."
Theodore howled when Perseús produced a silver bag, reached inside, and tossed a blackened hand at his feet, one of the charred and twisted fingers still wearing a melted ring.
"Mercy, my Lord, I beg you! In the name of your Father, and his Father before him—"
The twins sneered. Ariadnê kicked him away from her, "Percy is the only reason that you lived to see this trial because nothing could wipe away the rage I feel whenever I see your face. Death is too good for you."
"I swear—"
"No more oaths, no more promises, no more deceptions disguised as politics. You tried to take me and my cousin from my sister and our family. You tried to take three of our people and took four from our kingdom. I will take every single member of your bloodline from you in return."
"I will confess," Theodore vowed. "I will give you all of Castellan's traitors, my Lord, but mercy, I beg you, for my children, for their children—"
Ariadnê forced her rage back as she stood over him, "You will confess your crimes, and you will name your conspirators."
"I will."
"You will stand before Castellan and the deathless gods above us and their Father before them and confess to all treason and conspiracy that you have ever dealt with."
"I will," he gasped. "I swear on the Moirai."
"I care not for the Moirai, I care not for your children, I care not for the opinions of this court—I care only for my family. For Percy. And it is his desire that I show mercy that has spared your life."
"And the lives of my children and grandchildren?"
"That will depend upon you," Perseús said, and allowed his own wrath to fade in his eyes. "And the truth of your confession."
The gods watched as the children of Castellan enjoyed a night of peace at Silena's Eatery.
Ariadnê and William were singing a duet in a strange language. Annabeth and Perseús danced in each other's arms while Travis coaxed Katie out of the kitchen to do the same. Every step that Katie made left flowers blooming in her every wake.
They wore strange clothing, nothing like the chlamys and himation dresses. Ariadnê wore a dress that flowed like water and emphasized the melanin of her skin. She was so determined to pretend that Apóllōn and Huákinthos were not there that she paid no mind to any of the eyes—theirs included—that followed her. Thalia wore an outfit that had foreign lettering sowed within them that made the other children laugh. Annabeth and Katie had pulled their locs into similar styles, yet Katie wore a dress the color of vines that stopped near her knees. She had laughed and warned those that may try to harm her that it really was vines... ones made of poison that she used to cover her skin. Annabeth, however, wore something that flowed after her as white as the clouds above. Rachel had somehow managed to tame her curls into the silkiest of strands, wearing an eye-catching dress. Clarisse's outfit was something that had Ariadnê fawning over her and telling her that she always knew she was the prettiest person in the room.
The boys had been dressed accordingly to the girls, teasing them by saying that they were dressed for their minds instead of the physical.
None of the people around them seemed to care about how the twins had threatened a man with death of his family mere hours earlier. None cared how these people were clearly half-divine and instead of going on quests to prove their worth... they just stayed in their kingdom and tease each other.
They responded to people attempting to worship them in the humblest way possible. Someone had stated that Ariadnê had beauty to rival Aphrodítē and the girl in turn had gotten offended and stated that she was only beautiful because Aphrodítē allowed her to be. And how can she a mortal be more beautiful than embodiment of beauty? Blasphemous and pray that Aphrodítē does not curse their soul.
When one made a baseless claim that Persephónē was nothing more than a goddess of flowers, Nico had pressed his sword to her throat and inquired if she wanted to personally meet the Queen of the Underworld. Katie had asked what their favored plant was and if they wanted to appeal to Persephónē's title as the goddess of rebirth and be reborn as a plant.
Ariadnê switched languages as all twelve leaders of Castellan sat side by side, "Do you believe that King of Glory shall come in?" Her eyes found Haidês with an alarming amount of accuracy. The god shed his disguise, smiling at the gasps of awe that emerge from the mortals. Háidēs, Hestia, Zagreus, Árēs, and Persephónē were the only ones that did not bother with disguises though some of the other Olympian, Khthonioi, Einalioi, and Ouranioi tended to disregard disguises also.
The children of Castellan only appeared before those that don't wear disguises.
Her gaze turned to her Father's, "Somebody tell me who is the King of Glory?" The god tilted his head at her, eyes roaming over the twins in curiosity. He still did not approach them and Árēs knew that they were only the slightest disappointed about that. Her gaze moved onward, pinning Ζεύς in place as her voice gained an almost otherworldly sound. "The Lord of Gods strong and mighty? Do you know Ζεύς Hypsistos?"
Perseús smiled at them before turning back to the people of Castellan. "Will, here, is our rhapsode. And he offered to tell you a tale." William nodded his head, "Let me tell you a tale about someone dear to us. He was named Lee." Ariadnê slipped her eyes closed. Perseús and Connor took her hand in theirs. William clutched to Nico's hand tightly in return, "Let me tell the tale about the Son of the Sun."
Word Count: 6,882
Words to Know:
Ζεύς Hypsistos - Ζεύς, the Supreme/ Most High; basically, Ζεύς, the King of the Gods
Khthonioi/ Theoi Tou Khthonioi - gods of the underworld
Einalioi - gods of the sea
Ouranioi - gods of the sky
Thalia Basileia - Princess Thalia (Fun Fact: Out of all of Ζεύς' daughters, only Artemis and Hêbê have the epithet of princess.)
Kataklôthes - the Spinners, another name for the Fates
Comments from the Author:
1) Yes, that is a butchered version of Father Can You Hear Me. I highly doubt that it would fit the song, so like, don't even try.
2) The fact that they have access to ambrosia and nectar is also a punishable offense. See: Tántalos. But they are getting their supply directly from Hestia and Háidēs and the Moirai and under the protection of Anankê keeps them from punishment.
3) The idea that Thalia is braid battle plans into Annabeth's hair comes from the when black ppl used to braid escape plans into their hair during slavery.
