TW: MENTIONS OF RAPE, MURDER, ATTEMPTED SEXUAL ASSUALT


The voice of Helénē startled Ariadnê as she gazed about the kingdom with Hektōr and Aineías at her sides. Her brother was strolling through the kingdom with Annabeth and Ariadnê was intrigued by the way they orbited around one another. They had been at each other's sides since they were twelve, able to move around like an extension of themselves, but it somehow seemed stronger. She wondered if the talks that they held before where they laid their feelings out bare contributed to that.

(It had pleased her greatly to see the prideful girl be humbled by her brother's terse words. It soothed some part of her when she realized that Percy was making her understand how it felt to be second in someone's life. It had irritated her greatly how everyone catered to her, but now Annabeth was saying no and letting others take the lead.)

"What are you doing here," the princess demanded. The three of them raised a brow as she came closer. "This is the best time to strengthen your defenses. You should all be out there doing whatever it takes to win."

"If I didn't know any better, I'd think you were trying to get rid of me," the child of the sea muttered as she turned to look back at her brother tracing his fingers alongside the border walls.

"What, no," the other yelped. "It's just you're so strong and skilled. It doesn't make sense why you're still here. You could easily end this."

Ariadnê leaned towards the other, fluttering her eyelashes. She smiled lightly, with a purr in her voice as she said, "How sweet. You think I'm strong and skilled."

Helénē lit up like a Christmas Tree, face flushed in almost angry patches. Ariadnê cackled as she looked away. "It's the period of mourning," she told her. "There is no need for us to be on the field right now." She glanced at the other, eyeing her in consideration. "Besides, I've been playing around with an idea that would really turn the tide."

"What is it," Helénē asked.

"You'll know soon enough," Ariadnê smiled in secret. She hummed, "Have you been practicing like I told you?"

Helénē froze before shaking her head. "I, um, I don't get why you're training me." Ariadnê turned her, eyes gentle and skillfully, ignoring the feeling of electricity in the air. She had already gotten to know how the lightning that Helénē wield intimately and with a host of applications that she adored very much. "I'm not like you. I'm no warrior."

Ariadnê rolled her eyes. "Darling, this is a man's world, but it would be nothing without a woman." Standing slowly, she made her way over to the other trusting the two princes to watch her back. "You are also the daughter Ζεύς Basileus. You are the daughter of the king, and a princess of the heavens. You are a child of the storms, a being of nature." She cradled the other's face in her hands. "You are more than just a pretty face and even still, there is beauty in destruction."

Helénē teared up a bit.

"You don't need to learn how to fight," Ariadnê pointed out. "There are other things that you can learn to do, but I do request you keep up your practice. It's always good to have hidden tricks up your sleeve."

"Is that why you have been training the troops so hard," the princess questioned. Ariadnê nodded her head with a shrug, "We may have lost the most ground, but we have not suffered the most losses."

She tilted her head at the other, "Maybe we should start your training to see if you can speak to beings of the sky?"

"Like birds," Hektōr questioned. Ariadnê nodded her head. "I can speak to horses and all of the animals within the sea."

"Eagles and swans followed me around back home," Helénē told them. Her eyes gained that same far away look whenever she thought of her kingdom. "They used to peck at those that stumbled closely to me. When I was child, after I met you that first time, Ariadnê, a pack guarded me for months."

The queen smiled despite herself, "Yeah, it was probably at Uncle's request."

Helénē paused. And the other laughed softly, "He does care for all his children." Ariadnê moved back over the balcony, eyes lingering on Thalia as she walked about the kingdom. She was speaking with the archers, checking over the equipment presented.

They had already told her of the original plan of splitting their forces in half; evenly dividing them between the battling armies. But— none of them wished to face the others in battle.

"I can make you strong enough to return to your kingdom," Ariadnê swore. "We all can. We can make it so this may never happen to you again."

Helénē stared at her in silence, causing Ariadnê to chance a glance back at her. "Well," the queen questioned. "Are you not tired of being nice? Do you ever want to go ape shit?"

The spartan queen said nothing.

"Your Father is the Mighty King Ζεύς , Father of the Gods. Just as my Father is the King Lord Poseidón. Aineías is the son of Her Grace and Beauty Aphrodítē. Ichor of gold and ivory flows through our veins. The blood of the gods. Of the Olympioi. You should not wait around like a damsel in distress for some big strong man to come and rescue you."

"I'm not you," Helénē croaked.

"And thank the gods for that," the child of sea sniffed. "You should not want to be me. You should want to be better than me. You should look at the gods above and around us and aspire to be as powerful and grateful as them." She gestured out to the kingdom. "We walk across the vessel of her Lady Gaia. Women make this world. We do not wait in distress. We put others in distress. Look at the armies fighting over you. Right now, only you have the power to stop them and yet—"

Her ocean blue eyes peered out towards the troops that she could sense at their borders. "This war shall end when Fate and Death meet."

Hektōr and Aineías looked solemn at her words, but Ariadnê waved them away. Her eyes turned back to the other royal in their group, gaze hard. "You're not me, Helénē, and that's fine. But you have your own strengths. Love and beauty is one in the same, and both can bring the gods to their knees. Your beauty is a weapon in itself. You make the world bow to you. You look your enemies in the eyes and make them your bitch."

Aineías raised a brow, "You are very passionate." Ariadnê shrugged, but didn't turn to him as she kept her gaze on Helénē. "I am no fan of being underestimated."

"Speaking from experience," Hektōr hummed. Helénē was the only one to see how her features turned bitterly sad. "For a long while, people only saw my twin brother when they saw me. I carved a name for myself from the blood of my enemies and now when they look at me... they only see Ariadnê."

Helénē gasped, a whisper of a thing. "I want that. I want people to see me. To see Helénē. Not the wife of Menelaus or the stolen wedded wife of Paris."

Ariadnê gave her a small smile, twisting her wrist, summoning a dagger to her hand. She tossed it over to Helénē. "I know Aléxandros had ordered Aria to give you katrapon, but I think that you should have one of your own. Tis unnamed, but that's fine. I'll show you how to channel your powers through it while we go through the basics. It may not go that well so you should think of asking Thalia for tips. I am a being of the Einalioi whereas you and her are beings of the Ouranioi."

Hektōr and Aineíās looked interested. "It'll be nice to see something that we can add to Aria's own training," Aineías admitted. He and their male cousins did train her when she asked while their sisters spurned their efforts.

Ariadnê furrowed her brow. She didn't know that. Still, she turned to look back at Helénē. "Relax a little bit," she told her, seeing the awkward but absolute death grip the other had on the dagger. "There's no need to be so tense."

Conjuring a dagger of water into her hand, she fixed her stance. "Also, fair warning; when you start to actively use your powers even more than the casual use that you've gotten used to, you'll see why I always caution the way I let you touch me."

"Wait," Helénē inquired. "What?"

Her fangs glinted under the sunlight as a cheshire smile graced her face, "DUCK!"


Ariadnê was a strict teacher.

Just as beautiful as she was strong, but she could admit that she wasn't the most skilled person in the world. When it came to the training of Helénē, she had humbly passed the battalion over to Thalia and Annabeth, one who was used to fighting with a dagger and the other that was used to the power of the ouranioi.

(Thalia had turned her into a human taser and Ariadnê cackled evilly at the fact.)

Aria spent time learning from Percy as Ariadnê turned her full attention back to the kingdom with her family focusing on the war. With them around, the lines had gotten incredibly blurred on who was the enemy and who was not. Each side lost someone to their swords with no clear distinction on how they were chosen. With Will and Nico on the battlefield, those that lingered on the threshold to domos Aïdao stayed firmly in the land of the living.

In a way, the war had been over the moment that Ariadnê picked up her swords and even moreso when Percy took her hand in his.

Ariadnê smiled lightly as she walked into the general's tent. Clarisse and Annabeth were conversing with Hektōr and Aineías as they looked over a crudely drawn map. Neither of them glanced at her as she entered, but the lieutenants watched as she approached.

She clasped her hands behind her back as she walked past the four strategists, eyes locked onto her target that was trying to blend in with the fabric behind them. Paris grimaced the closer she drew near, eyes darkening in jealousy as the marks that Hermês decorated her skin with.

"Belo–Your highness," the prince inquired.

"Aléxandros," she hummed. "It has come to my attention that you have been lacking in your training." Her gaze was terrifying as she looked at him. "I do not allow slackers in my army, knave. You will report to training ground C everyday at sundown until your next deployment. Miss any day and I will rip your heart out through your penis, climb to the top of Mount Olympus to the home of the gods and throw you from the mountain then drag your body to the sea bed to be used as a chew toy for the Kêtos Troias."

The blood drained from his face.

"You're dismissed," she smiled. She knew just as he that Percy was overseeing the training for those at Training Ground C. And Percy had not forgotten nor forgiven the reason that they were in the kingdom to begin with.

"I do not understand this," Aléxandros muttered as he began to leave. "How did it go wrong? You were to be my wife."

Ariadnê scoffed, "As if I would have lowered myself to marry you. I have love and been loved by a god... by an Olympian. When you stole me away, I was already intended to be the spouse of Hermês. You should be lucky that he did not strike you down where you stood."

The prince winced as it was no secret that the god was one of the favored sons of his Father. "You've only just accepted his courtship at the beginning of the decade."

"And it still does not mean that there was no courtship present," she hissed, eyes flashing. "You kidnapped me away from my intended. You stole me away from my Family. You declared my hand with no dowry present and you wonder how it went wrong? It would have never succeeded. In fact, how about I make this all sweeter as I tell my Family how to force yourself on me as I slept!"

The room went quiet.

Ariadnê's chest heaved as she breathed deeply, fury and pain and shame painted across her features.

But there was no sound to be heard in the room until—

A cracking sound echoed around them.

All eyes fluttered to the main table where Clarisse, Annabeth, and the Princes stood. A large chunk of the wooden table fluttered to the ground with a dull thump. The girls turned slowly, blue and grey hues of their respective pupils spread to their sclera.

"What," Annabeth hissed, and her voice sounded like the chittering of a thousand spiders at once. "Did you just say?"

A bright white light flickered across their faces as the electric spear in Clarisse's hand came to life.

Ariadnê looked at them, pain in her eyes as they growled.

"Fuck fate," Clarisse snarled. "You're dying now!" She and Annabeth lunged forward; spear and dagger both soaring through the air. Paris cried out in shock, ducking and rushing through the flaps of the tent.

Ariadnê followed immediately, sensing more than seeing those that followed them.

They were toying with him, Ariadnê realized. No. They were... they were leading him towards the training grounds. And unfortunately for him, they weren't going to Training Ground C. No, they were going to Grounds G.

Travis and Katie's preferred area.

Aw, shit.

"Travis," Annabeth crooned. The aforementioned male looked up from where he was polishing his sword. "Paris has something that he wants to tell you."

Paris looked at Travis' very shiny and sharp sword and swallowed deeply. He tried to turn around to leave, but Annabeth and Clarisse were both blocking his way.

Ariadnê strolled forward, waving her hand lazily as a dome of water surrounded the grounds. She paid no mind to her Family easing their way in nor to Hektōr, Aineías, Helénē and Kassandra slipping through.

Travis raised a brow at the prince.

"What's going on," Kassandra questioned. Ariadnê kept her eyes on the people in front of her. "Aléxandros was just informing Travis about what happened the day I overthrew the kingdom."

Helénē and Kassandra winced, eyeing the two men in trepidation.

"If he doesn't," Ariadnê hummed. "I can do it myself."

Aléxandros winced, but kept his mouth stubbornly silent.

"Picture this," she cooed after a moment of silence. "You're floating on a cloud, in a haze of pure nothingness. Slowly, you regain awareness... regain feeling. Silky fabric cradles your skin, trailing across your body like faint traces of the wind. There's a body covering your own, the warmth of their skin seeping into you. There are hands holding your wrists down as strong as the steel chains of the minotaur."

Already, hints of rage could be found on her Family's face as she continued.

"And then all at once, a whisper of breath is stolen from you as you feel them sink in. They pull out before sinking in again. Once more they leave your warmth before going back deeper than before."

Aléxandros stumbled away as Travis began to prowl towards him.

"As they cover yours lips with their own, all at once everything returns to you. You had been drugged... kidnapped... and raped."

Travis swung his sword down with a guttural roar. Aléxandros meeped as he ran in the other direction, but suddenly— Percy was there, green eyes shining so brightly that they were almost an entirely different color.

"How dare you touch her," Percy hissed. Aléxandros raised his shield shakily, but Riptide cut through it like it was melted butter. The prince yelped, barely dodging the slice of Travis' sword, a long cut across his back shown for his efforts.

"I'll end you," Travis snarled, spinning on his feet and bringing his sword down swiftly on the Prince's arm. Paris' cried out in pain, stumbling over his feet as limb landed on the ground. "How dare you touch her?"

"Skin spotted in bruises," Ariadnê continued uncaringly. "Like a leopard. Marks that he left as he laid his claim to an unwilling person."

"She was to be my wife," Aléxandros whimpered as he fell to his knees. "I had every right to lie with you."

Ariadnê snarled, echoed by her Family. "My body may be a temple," she snapped. "But I am the goddess to whom it is devoted. Do not presume to tell me how I may decorate my altar."

No one saw it coming.

Helénē had slipped past them all, unassuming with death hidden in her smile. Her hands slipped through his dark hair as she wrapped herself around him.

"I'd be more than happy to let them kill you," she stated as she trailed a finger down the side of his face. She mouthed at his neck as her grip tightened in his hair. "Just as Menelaos would have destroyed you a thousand times over if not for Lady Aphrodítē's influence." She turned his head to gaze into her eyes. "Fortunately I have found a more suitable solution, one that I should have taken on the day that Ariadnê took the crown. See, I have come to a realization. Menelaos' revenge would have been too swift for you. Too sweet. He would not have made you suffer for the pain and humiliation that you have caused everyone that has been victimized by your actions. You took Ariadnê and I away from our homes as if we were prizes that you get to keep. Ariadnê was lucky that her Family could follow her here and be at her side. Not I. My husband, my children, my friends since I was but a child. You stole me from them."

She pressed her forehead to his own. "I've come to realize something though. I don't need a big strong man to solve my problems. My true Father is Ζεύς Hypsistos; golden ichor runs through my veins."

They all stepped away as they felt the power building in the air. She trailed her hands to sit casually on his temples. "I am Helénē of Sparta and you cannot keep this goddess chained."

The world exploded in a haze of bright-white lighting as Aléxandros screamed and twitched in her hold. His screams were loud and painful and almost enough to bring tears to her eyes. Almost.

The sclera of Helénē's eyes were glowing pure white as Aléxandros seized. "You are a coward, Aléxandros," she hissed, voices echoing ominously. "You should have just stayed on your mountain, shepherd man."

The chill of death wrapped around them as Nico stepped forward.

"Wait," voices called from behind them. They turned to see Kassandra and Hektōr rushed to their brother's side. Life was fading from his eyes, but they didn't seem to care. Hektōr slipped a drachma into his mouth as Kassandra muttered couplets under her breath before stepping away.

And with barely a blink, Paris of Troy was no more.

Nico turned as the boy's soul appeared but before he could do anything—

Hermês Khthonios appeared; eyes brimming with divinity.

Nico carefully looked away as the others of Castellan perked up, sensing the god even if they could not see him. The god brushed a careful hand over the collarbone of his paramour causing her to shiver before turning his full attention to the mortal soul staring at him in horror. This wasn't how he was supposed to guide his soul to the nether world, but he can't find it in him to complain.

Smiling with all teeth, the god tilted to his head, speaking with clear and concrete nekrí glóssa: "Khaíre Aléxandros. Dominus Umbrarum Háidēs welcomes you into his house personally."

Aléxandros whimpered as Hermês held in his hand the golden rod that he uses to lull men's eyes asleep when he so wills, or again to wake others from their slumber; with this he roused the prince and led him on, and he followed him, thinly gibbering.

Hermês doubled back once; cupping Ariadnê's face with his hands and placing a gentle and reassuring kiss onto her lips. Her eyes slipped closed as the divinity swirled around her before fading away as he went on to complete his duties.

Ariadnê blinked before turning to look at the others, "So, lunch?"


Ariadnê yawned from where she oversaw the battling from atop of Katie's newest baby. A poplar tree that dripped poison instead of sap. Katie had manipulated the branches to resemble a throne which they decorated with the symbols of the Olympioi, Einalioi, Nomioi, Khthonioi, and Ouranioi. The symbols of the six Kronidês shone the brightest.

She fingered a small rose quartz necklace that had been carved in the shape of a kerykeion as they continued fighting. If she was being honest, she didn't know why they were still fighting instead of just throwing Ahkilles to her feet.

She blinked when she felt the tree move, looking down to see one of the branches twirling about and throwing a soldier to the ground. She turned to look at Katie, who cackled as her weeping willow that looked scarily similar to the one from harry potter threw away their adversaries.

She wasn't touching that with a ten-feet pole.

Ariadnê sighed, jumping down from the tree, smiling as the wind rushed through the hair, landing in a crouch as the earth flattened around her. The Archives looked at her in blatant fear and she smiled at them, inwardly laughing at the fear that crossed their faces as they stumbled away.

The girl hummed as she began to trek back to Ilion, ducking when Percy sent someone flying over her head and moving slightly to the right when Thalia brought lightning down onto the poor victim.

She was nearly skipping as she casually pushed a man over, not blinking as he fell into the path of Connor's sword.

She didn't really know where everyone else was, but she was going back to the castle to take a nap.

She gave the people small smiles as she continued further into the kingdom, brows quirking when she found Nico and Will. It looked like they were transporting the masses over to Castellan as Ariadnê allowed the opposition to continue to gain ground. She waved at them as she continued towards the castle, clapping her hands at the light show that Helénē gave when a group of their "allies" reached for her, Kreusa, Andromákhē, Polyxena, and Aria. The men fell to the ground spazzing before another group carefully led them towards the medic tents stationed around the square.

But she continued on, a tortoise walking alongside her, and she smiled as she knew that it was at Hermês' insistence as living, the animal was a spell against mischievous witchcraft and Hekábē had not forgiven any of them; her especially for the death of Aléxandros.

The Queen nodded at the men stationed outside of her suite halls and inclined her head at the one stationed at her suite's door, waving away the helpers before continuing in. She sighed heavily as she carefully removed her armor and under suit.

She had just changed into a slipover when the door to her room opened without warning. She turned abruptly, water swirling around her hand viciously.

It was the guard stationed at her suite door. Alasdair?

"Lady Ariadnê," he stated reverently. She tilted her head in acknowledgement, easing out of her tense form. "I apologize for disturbing you, but I had to tell you this before I lost my courage."

Ariadnê furrowed her brow, waving for him to continue. The quicker he said his piece; the quicker she could nap.

"Prince Aléxandros placed me on your guard when he first brought you here," he stated. It was something that she knew. She had looked him over and saw that while he had the build of the warrior, Rachel could knock him off his feet. "You allowed me to stay when you took over even when you had no need of me. For that, I was around whenever you took lovers or needed time for yourself. And as of late Hermês Argeiphontes has not come to you, no doubt he flies around the world at the behest of Ζεύς Keraunos."

She scowled.

"I have heard, mi'lady. I have come to offer my services. Hearing the sweet breaths that escape you every moment that you plead for the god's touch."

She froze.

"I admit the sweet sounds alongside your unyielding personality drew me in. The way you have taken care of Ilion in the past decade and the touch of ever-ageing time has not graced you at all. I am in love with you, mi'lady. I have come to plead your hand."

Ariadnê stared.

Anger built within her as even as the Hematite crystal bracelet on her wrist began to heat up. She understood why Lady Artemis morphed men into jackals. She was going to rip his eardrums out with her teeth. "You understand that with Hermês that I have made merry bridal, yes?"

He moved towards on quick feet and Ariadnê quickly moved away, the bullets of water that Percy preferred surrounding her.

"As am I, your grace," he said. And there was a pitiful look of pleading on his face as he gazed upon her. "But I cannot let that keep me from finding love. Tis as if the fiery god, wild Erôs, fitted shaft to burning string and shot the hares in the forest, shot me in the heart with his tiny shafts. I wish to make you happier than you ever imagined. Hermês Maiados Huios belongs to the House of Ζεύς, deathless as he may be. He would tire of you when you grow old. You may have the hand of your betrothed, but does your betrothed have you?"

Her scowl deepened as she saw him stare unashamedly at her breasts.

"Now what type of toxic misogynist bullshit is this?"

She let the water swirl around him with the intention of ripping him into pieces when someone else made their appearance. She gaped inwardly at the bronze skinned before her as if Hêlios tenderly held him in his arms.

The guard's shoulder was clasped tightly in the hand of Apóllōn, and Ariadnê swore that she could hear the cracking of the bone. "A fool that you are to believe that thee are worthy to be in her presence. A Queen of these lands, a cherished princess of her home, and the pride of Poseidón Ennosigaios. She is a woman above your stature, mortal. Why should she lower herself to lye with you when there are countless deities of the realms that would willingly risk the wrath of the Einalioi, Khthonioi, and Hermês Argeiphontês himself just to be her presence?"

Ariadnê blinked. Maybe the others were on to something when they said she was oblivious.

The god continued, wrath in his voice: "You were ordered to guard her and nothing more. Be thankful that it was I that have come before you and tis only because Ilion needs all her warriors that I do not slay you where you stand. I fear nothing would stop Poseidón, Háidēs, nor Hermês from ridding the world of your stench should you attempt to proposition her ever again."

Apóllōn pushed the man through the door, and she caught sight of the hand-shaped bruise seared into his skin.

"Alasdair," she called, pleased to see the fear that danced within his eyes. "The next time you or anyone else raises a hand to me will be the last time you have hands at all."

Apóllōn closed the door behind him, and it hit her that it was the first time she had been alone with the god. A fact that startled her more as she realized that this was probably time she had been in his presence aside from the glances on the battlefield since she accepted Hermês' courtship.

It was underwhelming if she was being honest.

She didn't really know what to say, so she kept quiet.

They stared at each other silently. This was not her Apóllōn and she was not his at all. Mayhaps never again.

(It made her a little sad. Even when the two were always at odds, there was never a moment where they didn't have a topic to talk about.)

"Connor and I are not together," he abruptly stated. She tensed, eyeing him confusingly. "He does not accept my love and I care for Hermês too much to force him."

Ariadnê's brow furrowed. She hoped it wasn't because of her; she was so tired of this unconventional love triangle.

"But you love me."

A charged silence— "I do." She always would even if Hermês owned her heart.

Apóllōn looked at her. Her hair was as dark as a squid's ink as it flowed down her back. Her blue eyes sparkled, and if he looked close enough, he could see golden and green flakes within them. She was breathtaking. She always had been.

But still—

"You have fame, fortune, everything you could ever want. And yet, you drift back towards me. Why?"

Her response was immediate. A wry smile pulled at her lips. She shifted until she was comfortable as she looked up at him. He liked this version of her. One that was completely comfortable in her skin. One that didn't let love and infatuation color her every movement. She knew who she was and she was proud of it. She didn't hide behind one part of her personality and let it be her only feature.

"Because where I've been, there were so many pretty things. but beloved, they weren't you."

The god smiled almost shyly. "Hermês is lucky to have you."

And she smiled just as prettily, "I believe it is I that is lucky to have him."


Word Count: 5,042

Words to Know:

Ζεύς Basileus - Ζεύς, the King, Chief, Ruler

Hermês Maiados Huios - Hermês, the son of Maia

Poseidón Ennosigaios - Poseidón, the Shaker of the Earth

Hermês Argeiphontes - Hermês, the Slayer of Argos

Kêtos Troias - The Trojan Sea Monster

Ζεύς Keraunos - Ζεύς Of the Thunderbolt

Olympioi - Gods of Olympos

Einalioi - Gods of the Sea

Khthonioi - Gods of the Underworld

Ouranioi - Gods of the Sky

Nomioi - Gods of gods of the countryside, the pastures and wild forests

nekrí glóssa - language of the dead

Khaíre Aléxandros - Hello, Aléxandros

Ζεύς Hypsistos - Ζεύς, the most high

Hermês Khthonios - Hermês of the Underworld

domos Aïdao - House of Háidēs

Dominus Umbrarum Háidēs - Háidēs, Lord of the Shades