Hello! Here's the next chapter, maybe not as exciting as the last but hopefully still as good. I will be completely honest with you all, this was a difficult chapter to write, and if seems off, it's because I had the biggest block I've had since writing this story. Anyway, onto the chapter!
Lanterns flooded the crisp dusk air as Olympus glowed with the light of celebration. Satyrs, nymphs, dryads, demigods, gods, and goddesses alike all joined together to commemorate the immortal heroes in their journey to become fully-fledged gods and goddesses. The throne room hummed with power as the full council of Olympians sat on their thrones, dressed in their best attire. Percy fiddled with his suit, feeling rather uncomfortable in the attire with the way he kept adjusting his sleeves and messing with his collar. He had tuned out Zeus's speech a while ago after he had boasted about training the 'second best hero' after his own son of course.
"Training? More like a death sentence with how many times I got shocked…" Percy rolled his eyes and stiffened his posture as he felt a pair of eyes drilling into him. He dragged his eyes across the room, before settling on a pair of yellow-silver orbs staring straight into his own. The faintest hint of a teasing smile on her face as she looked away back towards her father. Involuntarily, Percy felt his face heat up as he quickly looked away as well. Since the day they trained in archery, they had gotten even closer than before. A newfound feeling had started to fill his chest whenever he saw her, and he did his best to push it down whenever he spent time with the goddess. It would only lead to heartbreak in the end after all.
"Now, why don't we let the feast begin!" Zeus clapped his hands and tables filled with every food imaginable started to appear. Promiscuously dressed Naiads and Dryads acted as servers to each of the immortal beings as the rest of the audience dispersed into their own cliques. Percy felt a little awkward at first, as his friends all went to their respective loved ones. Figuring he would have to go solo for a little while, he got up from his throne to pick out a plate of food when he felt a tap on his shoulder. Turning around, he found mischievous green eyes staring at him. The daughter of Ceres smiled warmly and gave him a tight hug.
"Congrats Percy! You're now an actual god!" She teased, letting go of him and punching him on the shoulder. Soon after, the rest of the hunters started showing up one by one, giving him either hugs or, in the case of Jesse, a kiss on the cheek. That one got a response as his eyes darted around, hoping that Artemis hadn't seen.
"Jesse…" Unfortunately, fate was not kind to him as he heard the goddess's cold tone behind him. Slowly turning around, he heard snickers from the hunters behind him. Artemis stared at Percy as he shifted his feet awkwardly. However, her gaze was swiftly directed towards the daughter of Aphrodite who just widened her eyes and bit her lip as she tried to sway the goddess's heart.
"Awh come on Lady Artemis, he's like a big brother to me! I think a kiss on the cheek hardly warrants this kind of look~" Jesse cooed, trying to baby-doll eye the goddess into forgiveness.
"Hmmm, I guess you're right. Instead of a month, you'll get just a week of cleaning duty all by yourself." Jesse's face went white as she clasped her hands together in desperation.
"Nooooo! Not cleaning duty! I just got my nails done and the cleaning liquid will strip them dry!" Artemis grinned as she relished in the girl's constant begging. Two sets of hands grabbed the girl and dragged her off rather comically as Lucy and Layla took her away before she could increase her sentence any more. Percy simply rolled his eyes and looked back to Artemis, surprised by the fact that she was dressed up in a silver Greek chiton instead of her usual hunting attire. The goddess noticed his surprise and gave a sharp glare at the immortal.
"Say a single word about it and I will not hesitate to turn you into a jackal for a few days." Percy smiled, enjoying one of the rare times he had the upper hand in their conversations.
"You look nice Lady Artemis." He contemplated his next words since he didn't want to be turned into prey for the goddess before settling on a simple compliment. "This is the first time I've seen you dressed up. Every meeting you're usually in your hunting gear or casual wear." Artemis groaned, pinching the bridge of her nose. Now that he looked more closely, he saw she wore a hint of makeup and he could smell the faint scent of perfume around her.
"Piper asked me to, since this is her 'graduation' and all. While a chiton isn't exactly that revealing, I dislike the lecherous gazes that end up my way, especially since it's rare that I dress outside of my usual attire." Percy had to resist himself from looking at her in the same way. She is a goddess after all, and her looks could easily rival those of Aphrodite. He didn't say that out loud, preferring to keep quiet to prevent a misunderstanding. "Anyway, I've come to congratulate you as well Perseus. I'm sure it was no walk in the forest to train under my father."
A shiver ran up his spine as he shook his head, running a hand through his hair as he remembered the different 'training' sessions Zeus had made him do. Everything from dodging point-blank lightning bolts to even dragon slaying without access to his powers. That one was a particularly bad memory as he was bed-ridden for a week as Apollo helped him recover.
"I would say that it's probably the second worst thing I've had to do in my life. The first being, well, you know…" The poisonous name of the pit lingered on his tongue as he averted his gaze. The only one who knew anything about his trip was Annabeth, and even then, they didn't talk about it. Shaking his head, he smiled at Artemis as he looked back into her eyes. Her silver irises reflected the light of the lanterns, creating an almost ethereal look to them. For a moment, he was lost in her eyes which were slightly narrowed in worry. Warmth crept through his chest as he realized she was worried about him. "But, nothing I can't handle after all. I don't want to dull your mood, so why don't you go and enjoy the party."
"You didn't dull the mood Perseus. If there's anything you need to talk about, my ears are always open. It is rare I can find an immortal such as yourself that doesn't have a hidden agenda. No offense to your friends, but I don't exactly trust them as much as I would you." Percy's face flushed golden as he shifted his feet, a bashful smile on his face.
"I…Thank you Lady Artemis. I would have to say the same to you. Aside from maybe my father, and of course the rest of the seven." A curious look passed over the goddess's face which caused Percy to tilt his head in response. "What's on your mind?"
"I do not think it is appropriate to say…" Percy saw the goddess knit her eyebrows together in confliction, clearly struggling over her natural curiosity and her good manners. Knowing that it would bug the goddess until she asked, he simply waved his hand.
"Go ahead Lady Artemis. At this point, we're close enough that you can ask me almost everything." Her silver eyes met his, and he wondered for a moment what she was going to say. Surprisingly, however, she instead reached out and grabbed his hand, taking him away from the party and out onto one of the many terraces of the Olympian palace. He took in a breath of crisp autumn air, relaxing in the warmth of a nearby brazier. The flames danced in front of them, lighting up their faces in the night.
"I apologize, but I felt it would be better if I said it here in private." Now Percy knew what he said before, but worry crept through his mind as he thought about what the goddess could say. Maybe he should've let sleeping dogs lie. Artemis must've sensed his hesitation as she looked up at him. The fire made her skin glow a pleasant orange, her silver eyes almost dancing with color as the fire crackled. "I just wonder Perseus, how can you still trust your former lover."
A sharp pang shot through Percy's heart as his eyes flicked away from hers. Granted it had been almost a year since they broke up, but the pain still lingered whenever he saw her around. Solstice meetings were especially rough as he could feel her eyes whenever she would sneak glances at him. Was he completely over her? Not exactly, but he also didn't know if he could ever be over his first love. It was, after all, his fatal flaw to be loyal to someone to the end. But loving her and trusting her were two completely separate matters. If it came down to it, he would trust her with his life, not that it meant much now that he was immortal anyway, but the point still stands.
"It's…complicated Lady Artemis." He rested his hand on the railing, watching the city below him celebrate the fully grown immortals. Laughter and cheers echoed throughout as partygoers danced alongside their friends, new and old. He could feel her presence fall in line next to him, also resting her hands on the rail. "She never betrayed my trust, well, at least in the typical way. She didn't technically cheat on me, nor did she intend to hurt my feelings, it's just…" There was something he couldn't quite place. Something that had changed when they became immortal. Their relationship didn't become strained like most couples. They didn't have issues in their intimacy, nor did they argue any more than normal. But something else happened. And it wasn't just her, he could feel change within himself as well. He wanted to ask Zeus about it, but he could never find the right words to phrase it.
"But it was still a breach of your relationship? From what you've told me, you didn't want her to be with other men, but allowed her anyway…" It was cute the way Artemis scrunched her face up in confusion, trying to piece together everything. "I may not have experience in love, nor do I wish for it, but if I had a lover, I wouldn't be able to even look at them if they were with someone else." Percy tried to imagine her with someone else, expecting an amused reaction from himself. However, instead, he felt a surge of irritation, which led to a raised eyebrow. "What?" The goddess looked at him, daring him to say something out of line.
"Nothing. I was just imagining the poor soul who would've had to deal with you." A teasing grin spread across Percy's face as Artemis rolled her eyes. He didn't want to tell her he had felt a different emotion when she mentioned that she thought of her being with someone else.
"It would never happen, but sometimes I entertain the idea. It helps with creating an empathetic reaction to my hunters when they inevitably get their own hearts broken." Percy was slightly shocked by the answer but nodded in understanding.
"Well, to answer your question, I trusted her to still remain with me in the end, and she did. Never did she neglect me or my…uh, needs…" An awkward blush crept up his face as he turned away. "But well, you know how the story ends…" Percy could feel the goddess's eyes on him, burning a hole into his cheek as he avoided her gaze. "What I'm trying to get at, is that while our relationship didn't work out, she's still one of my best friends. It would be wrong to hate her for simply wanting something I couldn't provide her with." It seemed pathetic now that he'd said it out loud, but it was the truth. He couldn't hate her for what she wanted, and he only hoped that she would feel the same.
Artemis continued to stare at him and he scratched his cheek awkwardly, wondering what she was thinking. The wind rustled the leaves of a nearby tree as they both stood in silence. After some time, Artemis looked away, staring at the city below them, watching the party continue on.
"Perseus, you continue to impress me you know that?" The god in question turned towards her, tilting his head. Now it was his turn to stare at her while she avoided his gaze. Something within him stirred and he scrunched his eyebrows together, wondering what exactly he was feeling. Sure he's used to being praised by gods and goddesses alike, but it felt different coming from her. Like he wanted to hear it from her. In fact, aside from his father for obvious reasons, Artemis was the only goddess he wanted to impress. It wasn't always like this, but after everything that's happened to him since he became an immortal, he wanted her to look his way and notice his accomplishments.
Unfortunately, as he started to dwell on these thoughts, he started to know what was going on inside his own mind. He had a crush on her. Sure, it wasn't exactly the worst thing in the world. She is a goddess after all, beautiful and perfect like all the others. But there was something else that stirred alongside these feelings. A need that wasn't quite like what he'd felt before. Nothing lecherous, but still, it was unsettling. He made a note to himself to talk to a certain goddess after the party, as he expected she had something to do with it, and instead turned back to the matter at hand.
"Unlike with a bow, I aim to please." A small chuckle escaped the goddess's lips as she turned towards him. After he had noticed his own feelings towards her, he felt it nearly impossible to meet her eyes.
"Luckily your skill at impressing immortals isn't as bad as your skill with a bow. But you impress me not with your heroics, but with your morals. You have the chance to be angry, but you instead forgive. It's admirable of you." Percy's cheeks flushed as he averted his gaze, deciding that tree leaves were the most interesting thing in the world at the moment. Artemis sensed his weakness, enjoying teasing the boy, but decided that this was his day, she would let him go. For now anyway.
"Thank you Lady Artemis, it means a lot coming from you." His signature lop-sided smile spread across his face as he found the courage to meet Artemis's gaze. Pure, molten silver stared back at him as he found himself enthralled. He was about to open his mouth to say more, but the doors opened and a pointy-eared boy came out, laughing alongside a rather drunk son of Jupiter.
"Percy! We've been looking all over for you! Why are you hi-Oh." Leo seemed to notice the goddess by his side and did a quick bow, mostly because he was scared that he would be turned into a jackelope. "Sorry Ms. Artemis, I uh….didn't realize you were busy with him, I'll be going then…"
"Don't worry about it, we were just finished here anyway." Leo turned to leave but Artemis stopped him, turning to Percy. "I've kept you for too long. Go ahead and enjoy yourself Perseus. And congratulations once again." Before he could reply, the goddess walked off, disappearing into the doors behind Leo and blending in with the crowd. Percy watched for as long he could, feeling rather empty now that she had left. Lightly smacking his cheeks, he turned to Leo and smiled.
"I hope you all saved me a drink."
The streets of Olympus were littered with the bodies of drunken gods and goddesses, their voices whispering slurred thoughts that only came out when they were inebriated. The street lanterns flickered in the autumn night, illuminating a few sober and not-so-sober couples sneaking off to do gods know what. Percy grimaced at the thought, deciding to ignore the implications of his current mission. He was sure at this moment if any of his friends saw where he was sneaking off they would question his sanity. Especially his good friend Piper, who would probably never speak to him again. Luckily he had sent them off towards camp a few hours ago considering how intoxicated they were. He was smart in taking it easy on the alcohol and was only very slightly buzzed, his godly metabolism already burning off most of the alcohol.
Speaking of, he reached inside his jacket pocket and felt a cold metal flask, engraved with a golden tree that held sparkling diamonds in place of the usual fruit it would bear. Zeus had given it to him as a graduation present. It was apparently some of the strongest liquor he owned, and he was expecting him to use it to 'start on a new generation of immortals'. The thought of it made his stomach churn as he walked towards a building in the distance. Suddenly his palms started sweating as he realized what exactly he was going to do.
Aphrodite wasn't his favorite goddess, not by a long shot, but it's not like he wanted to be turned into a cloud of perfume for disrespecting her by demanding she undo whatever spell she put on him to make him fall in love with Artemis. There was also the chance she didn't do anything to him and that he had fallen in love with her all on his own. But he would just ask her for a favor to make him un-fall in love with her. If she could even do that. If she couldn't, then he'd unfortunately have to go to option c, which would be to distance himself from her until this crush settled down. It wasn't his favorite option for obvious reasons, but considering he respected Artemis more than some silly crush, he figured she could deal with his sudden absence from her life.
As he walked up to the palace of the love goddess he stared at the marble door anxiously, wondering how exactly he should approach this situation. 'Hey Aphrodite, I need you to stop fucking up my love life k thx bai.' Percy shook his head and instead distracted himself by looking at the designs of the palace. It was elegantly modeled, as he had expected since it was Aphrodite's after all. Golden vines curled around marble columns, sparkling in the light of the full moon. The faint scent of roses filled his senses as he looked around. He had expected the overwhelming smell of perfume and gaudy pink designs but was pleasantly surprised by the tasteful flowers engraved on the door. As Percy gathered his courage and raised his hand to knock on the door, a voice sounded from inside the palace.
"Come in~" Undoubtedly it was Aphrodite's voice with the way it seemed to charm the young god into doing exactly what she said. The doors opened with a creak, showing off the inside of the palace. The inside was decorated to the nines with various pictures of the goddess and, he assumed, her affairs. Surprisingly she even had a few pictures of Hephaestus on the wall, but of course, it paled in comparison to the amount of pictures she had of Ares. Percy felt a shiver go down his spine as he walked down a boulevard of conquests, the fiery eyes of Ares seeming to follow him as his shoes thudded against the stone floor.
Soon after he entered, he came upon a large living room, at least that's what he assumed it was. A large multisectional couch was shaped in a U around what seemed like a hearth. It seemed like a fire hazard to have a fireplace in the middle of the palace, surrounded by carpet, but this was also the house of an immortal deity, he didn't think there was any kind of Olympian fire code here. Sitting in the middle of the couch was a woman who, quite literally, took his breath away. Even though he didn't need to breathe, he held his breath as he watched her eat a grape straight off the vine, a red V-neck dress lazily covering her form. Her flawless skin seemed to glow in the light of the hearth, her hair shifting between a fiery red and a golden yellow before eventually settling on something in between. Her eyes were exactly the same as Piper's, a kaleidoscope of colors that seemed to change every time light reflected off of them.
"Ah, dear Percy, come, I've been expecting you love~" She waved her hand and gestured for him to sit down. He took a seat in the middle of the couch. He didn't want to be near her, but he also felt like it wouldn't be productive to yell across the room if he sat on the farthest corner. As he sat, he watched as Aphrodite looked him up and down, her eyes lazily taking in his appearance. She clicked her tongue, shaking her head. "No, no this won't do. You're going to need a much better wardrobe if you're going to go after the maiden goddess…"
"W-what? How-" Percy's eyes widened in shock, his mouth agape as he stared at the love goddess. Aphrodite smirked and set the plate of grapes down, the platter disappearing as soon as it hit the cushion.
"How did I know? Oh young Percy, did that old codger teach you anything about being a god? You did just have your graduation ceremony after all." Percy stared her down while she shifted her pose. Instead of laying sideways she now sat up, her fingers interlaced in her lap as she watched the young immortal. He felt like a helpless lab rat in a cage while the scientist stared it down, wondering what experiment she should perform next. "Let me give you a hint. Why doesn't Zeus let you fly?"
"Because I'm the son of Poseidon?" Aphrodite nodded, swirling her hands in a 'go on' motion. "And the sky is his domain, which is why I can't be there?" The puzzle pieces weren't exactly clicking together, and Aphrodite sighed, rolling her eyes. After tilting his head and the droning noise of a nearby clock that he couldn't see, eventually he pieced it together. "You're the goddess of love, it's your domain…but I'm not in love with her?" The last bit came out more as a question, as he himself wasn't sure now. He could maybe see it as love, but when he thought of Artemis it wasn't like how he used to see Annabeth.
"Doesn't matter whether you're head over heels or just a schoolyard crush, I notice everyone who comes into my domain." Percy winced. One of the things Zeus had taught him was to block out his domain so it wasn't endlessly buzzing in his ears. Combined with his ADHD, it was like being in a crowded room with no way to leave. He sometimes kept tabs on the heroes of Camp Half-Blood and Camp Jupiter, but most of the time, he blocked it all out. He couldn't imagine keeping track of everyone who entered your domain, especially one as big as love.
"So if you expected me, then you must know that I don't want to be in love with her. If you could, you know, snap your fingers and undo it, that would be great. I'd even give you one free Percy favor coupon, so long as it's reasonable." Percy knew his worth around Olympus, and considering magical beings of all kinds asked him to do things, he figured this wasn't a bad deal. Aphrodite looked tempted to take the offer, licking her lips while tilting her head.
"Hmmm, while tempting, I will have to decline." Percy raised an eyebrow, about to open his mouth to protest before Aphrodite shut it down with a look. He could feel the love goddess's magic churning around him, and only now did he realize how dangerous of a situation he was in. "Not that I don't want to have one of the strongest immortals owe me one, but it's a personal rule of mine not to interfere with gods and goddesses' love lives. It gets too messy, and considering we can't die, one wrong spell and suddenly you've got a stalker for the next eon." She crossed her legs, humming a tune that made Percy's head go foggy. It reminded him of the sirens in the sea of monsters way back when scenes of a family being raised and a perfect world where he no longer bore the responsibility of the world flashed through his head.
"W-what are…" The music stopped as her voice went quiet, staring at the god in amusement. She seemed to be enjoying this a little too much.
"I can however, offer you some advice. Free of charge even, simply because your love life is so damn interesting." Percy's head still swam from the goddess's magic as he nodded, one hand on the sofa to keep himself from falling over. Aphrodite stood up and swayed over to the couch seat opposite him. She sat down and studied the former demigod for a moment before leaning forward, her elbows on her knees, her dress dangerously close to revealing more than what Percy wanted to see. "Be careful who you fall for Mr. God of Loyalty. Or else you'll end up succumbing to the darker side of your domain."
For a second, time stood still as the weight of her words settled on his shoulders. What did she mean? The dark side of his domain? What could be the dark side of loyalty?
"What do you mean?" Aphrodite rolled her eyes and let out a big sigh, leaning back and spreading her arms across the backboard of the couch. The hearth crackled between them, seeming to share the love goddess's irritation.
"Did Zeus teach you nothing about your domains? About your emotions? I know you failed to shapeshift but I would figure he'd at least teach you the basics of controlling your emotions…" She pinched the bridge of her nose and closed her eyes. If Percy didn't know any better, she'd probably have a migraine setting in right about now. It seemed to be his special superpower aside from all his other abilities.
"No, he didn't. He was preoccupied with either trying to get me laid or making sure his 'best warrior' was in tip-top condition. No matter how many lightning bolts it took." Percy's eyes flashed in anger and he could see a hint of fear in Aphrodite's face before it went back to its neutral expression.
"Well, let me educate you young Percy. Where should we start…" She twirled her finger through her hair, humming once again. Doing his best to ignore the siren-like music, he straightened his back, anchoring his mind on anything else he could think of. "Let's start with your domain. The easiest way I can explain this is by example. And the best example is me. Tell me Percy, what do you know of love?"
Percy tilted his head. Was this a trick question? He didn't know anything about love, well, aside from the fact that it could make you stronger than you'd imagine. On the other hand, it can make you do extremely dumb things like falling into literal hell with the one you loved. No regrets there however. Faintly he was reminded of that one song that played when he was little and forced his sarcasm down as he answered.
"It's an emotion, just like anger, joy, fear, etcetera." Aphrodite nodded, pleased for now at his answer.
"But is it always a good thing?" Percy shook his head, leaning back as he put together his answer.
"No, it's not. You can love too much…" He was reminded of his previous relationship. How he had begged Annabeth to reconsider, and how he had become obsessed with where she was at all times. Love can turn into anger, possession, jealousy, and everything in between. No, love was not all sunshine and rainbows. His conversation with Athena popped up in his head, reminding him all those years ago. Loyalty can cause him to make sacrifices that didn't need to be made.
"It seems like you're getting it. Like your flaw, loyalty can cause you to be blinded by the 'hero's choice'. It doesn't help that you're also a god of heroes, amplifying that trait even more. But that's not everything. Tell me, Percy, when does loyalty become an obsession?" The god froze, staring at the love goddess. "Oh yes, I kept tabs on my favorite couple in Olympus, especially after everything that happened. It was quite amazing really, the way your eyes turned dark with fury, how I began to truly believe you would kill those who would even look at your Annabeth that way. It made my heart flutter~"
"That wasn't me. I mean, it was, but those thoughts, those weren't me." Percy curled his fingers in, digging them into the palms of his hands. He hadn't told anybody this before. How certain thoughts had started invading his mind when he stayed silent for too long. Only now did he realize it was another side effect of immortality.
"Oh, but it is Percy~" Aphrodite got up and drifted over to him, humming as she sat down next to him. He froze as she started trailing her fingers along his biceps, her voice a silent whisper as the sweet, intoxicating smell of perfume filled his nostrils. "Loyalty can make you do dangerous things in the name of what's 'right'." Her honeyed words whispered into his ear, and he felt the power of her charmspeak grow with each breath. "For Artemis, you would do anything to keep her safe, wouldn't you? You'd carry the sky again if you had to…" He saw a future where Artemis was in trouble, and he could hear his heartbeat grow faster.
"Of course I would, she's my friend, I'd do the same for Jason, Piper…" But his voice trailed off. Sure, maybe he'd do the same, but when would it stop for him? How far would he go? He saw another vision, one where Artemis was about to be taken from him, ichor staining her silver garb, her eyes cold and lifeless. That's when his vision went red, and he could feel the power of a thousand oceans surging through him. Water surged around him as he let out torrential blasts that could level a city if it came to it. Shaking his head, his vision cleared as he looked at Aphrodite, suddenly realizing the precarious situation he was in. Her magic clouded his mind as he pulled away from her. The love goddess let out a disappointed sigh before leaning back onto the couch.
"It's impossible to control the urges, Percy. Just now I showed you a taste, and that even the most experienced immortals fall prey to our desires." For a moment, the goddess looked angry, as if she was annoyed by her own self before it was replaced by her normal expression. "Your only hope is to recognize it and learn how to control it before you end up hurting those you love."
"How?" It seemed impossible to control now that he knew of it. This wasn't like some kind of medical condition where he could just pop a few pills and call it a day. Instead, this was something that he just had to deal with, as if it was on a contract he signed when he became immortal.
"Just like you trained your muscles and your powers when you became immortal. Do you really think only your physical aspects were increased when you accepted godhood? Everything gets stronger, not just the good, but the bad too. Your loyalty, domain, and flaw are like a trifecta of obsession that will weigh you down every step you take." Aphrodite stood up, her hand twitching towards her head, seeming to fight off some kind of urge herself. "For now, I suggest you take some time to learn about your mind, maybe do some meditation, I heard your father has some lovely yoga classes you could attend to." As she started to walk away, she took one last longing look back, before turning around and walking towards some unknown room. "But for now, I would appreciate it if you left my palace. Before I do something I may regret."
Percy's mind still wasn't all there, but he could read the tension in her voice and the hesitation in her body language. It was time to get the fuck out of there before he ended up as another picture on the wall. Making his way back out through the front door, he took in a breath of fresh air. Instantly, his mind started to clear up and he began walking through the streets of Olympus. Aphrodite's words rang through his head, and he decided if he was going to accept any advice from the love goddess, then this would be it. As his boots clicked against the ground, he convinced himself that he would be better than the rest of the gods.
He would control his desires, he wouldn't hurt those closest to him, especially someone who's been kind enough to worry about his well-being.
"For Artemis." He muttered to himself, as his body flashed sea-green, disappearing into the night.
Of course, even though he tried to prevent his loyalty from affecting his friendship with Artemis, in the end, it still took over his reasoning and created his current predicament. As the god walked along the sidewalk, kicking a few rocks down the street with his hands stuffed in his jacket that he grabbed on the way out, he muttered to himself.
"Coward. Yeah, maybe she's right, but I only kept it a secret because she is who she is. Who the hell can just confess to a maiden goddess? How well would that conversation go? 'Oh yeah, I married you because I love you but not really. It was just because a prophecy told me you were going to die so this was the only option! I swear it's not because I have unrequited feelings for you.'" Percy knew what he was saying was nonsense, but it was the only thing keeping him sane at the moment. Once he found a suitable bench near the park, he sat down and placed his head in his hands, leaning on his elbows.
The weight of what he did slowly started to sink in as his face warmed up, gold flushing his cheeks. He kissed her. Not like during their wedding where he was forced to. No, this was a full-on kiss. Not to mention it wasn't exactly consensual either. Well, there goes his chances of ever making up with her.
"Oh, so I fucked up big time. Way to go Perce, first you ruin her life with an unwanted marriage, then you kiss her right in front of the hunt. Nice going, that'll land you on her best friend of the month wall for sure." The cold wind pierced his skin like a painful reminder of what he had done. Surely he could make it up to her? Slowly he shook his head. There was no way he could just apologize and move on, but that was probably what needed to happen. His mind drifted to the prophecy and he chewed on his bottom lip. Why was he worrying about petty romance drama when another primordial was coming after him?
'Because this petty romance drama is important to you. You care about her, so of course you're going to worry about how she feels, and especially how she feels about you.' His mind mocked him, laughing with a bag of popcorn as it watched the show. Unfortunately, it was right. Even after twenty years he couldn't stop how he felt about her. It didn't help the fact that he was literally married to her either, so it went against his morals to even think about going for someone else. But aside from that, he just couldn't feel the same connection he had with Artemis compared to anyone else.
"Gods I hate this feeling. Can't even blame Aphrodite on this one either…though she did say she'd make my love life interesting though I doubt she had the idea of matching Artemis and I together..." Percy muttered, his eyes cast downwards at the ground as he watched snowflakes gently land on the tips of his boots.
"I will say, she doesn't hate you. Angry? Just a little, but I think she's just confused and probably scared." Having not been paying attention to his surroundings, Percy nearly jumped when he heard Dawn's voice next to him. Lifting his head up, he stared at her with a solemn look in his eyes. She was dressed in a large winter coat and a thick pair of leggings, alongside fur boots. Her blue eyes stared into his green, and somehow, he felt better. Not by a lot, but his heart wasn't beating a million times a second anymore.
"I don't know if I can believe you. Dawn you don't understand, I know you don't really have much experience with the Greek gods, but this is Artemis, the goddess who killed people for accidentally stumbling on her bathing. What do you think she'll try to do to me when I purposefully kissed her?" He could see the gears turning in her head as she knit her eyebrows together before she shrugged.
"It's something akin to a woman's intuition. Besides, with the way she was grilling me when you were in your room sleeping? The way she was jealous of me? Please, if anything, she was probably happy that you kissed her." Percy's eyes widened in shock.
"Jealous? Of you?" He didn't want to make Dawn feel bad, but it brought a smile to his face. Of course, she crossed her arms and huffed.
"What? I'm a beautiful, single woman I'll have you know! I have men lining up every day at the coffee shop just waiting to ask me out." Now at this, Percy did laugh, filling the air with echoes of his giggles.
"Yeah, but every time you've come back from a 'date' you say that what they wanted was way too unrealistic. Are you sure you're not the one with unrealistic standards here?" Calming down from his laughter, he could already feel the mistake he made earlier melting away. But Dawn's words still lingered in the back of his mind. It made him giddy in a sense, but he also felt like she was lying to him just to cheer him up. For now, he simply took it with a grain of salt.
"Not my fault hook-up culture is everywhere these days. I mean honestly, is it so hard to wait until marriage?" Dawn shook her head, leaning back on the bench and letting out a sigh. "But in all seriousness Percy, you probably need to just apologize for what you did, then you two can just forget it happened. I'm sure she feels bad for slapping you." His hand reached up to his face. In all honesty, he had forgotten she had slapped him, as the heat of the moment caused adrenaline to run through his veins, blocking out the pain. Now that he was calmer, his cheek throbbed.
"You're right, but I'm going to need some time to sort out my thoughts about all of this. Plus, right now isn't the best time to be dumping relationship drama over everyone. If Artemis is here, then that means Zeus specifically started looking for me. And that means the prophecy has either started or is going to start." Flashbacks of dead demigods and the red mist of Tartarus zipped through his mind like a horror movie, and he kept himself from wincing. Ever since he had gotten to Alaska, his 'dreams' were nothing but memories of the monsters he'd fought and the hell he's been through. Closing his eyes, he bit the inside of his cheek to keep from losing his calm. "Which means I need to be the hero again…" Suddenly, he felt a hand on his own, the warmth spreading through his skin as he looked over at Dawn.
"Percy. If there's one thing I know about you, it's that you will lay down your immortal life to keep someone alive. To do whatever it takes to protect your friends and family. Everyone trusts you to do the right thing, but just know that you can rely on them too. This kind of stuff is a two-way street. A hero is only as strong as the relationships he's built along the way…" She gave his hand a gentle squeeze, and he smiled down at her. "Which is why I'm coming with you." And then his smile dropped.
"Wait wait wait…you're not coming with me. It's way too dangerous for someone like you. You're just a legacy and you've had no formal training." The blonde gave a smug smile, releasing his hand and crossing her arms.
"Then train me oh god of heroes. Let me become your champion so that I may vanquish enemies in your name. Besides, aren't there like, ancient laws or something that prevent you from directly interfering with these kinds of stuff?" Percy grit his teeth, she wasn't exactly wrong. Just because he had some leniency with demigods, doesn't mean he could go on quests or directly fight those that oppose Olympus.
"This really isn't a good idea. You'd be stepping straight into a war. And trust me when I say, this won't be as easy as the midnight walks we would take and find a stray monster in our path." Dawn rolled her eyes, rolling up her sleeve and flexing her bicep. Honestly, she was quite fit for almost thirty years old, plus the few times she did fight, she was a natural.
"That's great and all, but unfortunately, when you made a friend out of me, you're kinda stuck with me. Plus, I can handle myself just fine. I'm sure you're the one who's really gonna need the protection. Oh! I can be like your bodyguard! Gods love that kind of thing yeah?" Now it was Percy's turn to roll his eyes.
"Alright, but I'm not going easy on you." He almost wanted to make her promise not to do anything stupid, but that just seemed like a way to jinx it, so instead he vowed to train her as much as he could before the final fights happened. Dawn just nodded eagerly, getting up and dragging the god up with her. She engulfed him in a hug, and he could smell the faint scent of fruit, probably from the different pastries she would make.
"I won't let you down, Percy!" He could feel his chest crack as she squeezed. She was strong, that was for sure. As he hugged her back, he closed his eyes and sighed. For now he was content.
"Ahem," A voice sounded behind them and they both quickly let go and whirled around to greet the one who interrupted them. As soon as he saw her, his heart started racing once again. "Am I interrupting something?" Gray boots tapped on the ice of the concrete angrily as piercing silver eyes stared them down. Her flaming red hair seemed to glow in the midday sun.
"Good luck!" He heard from beside him, and as he turned to face her, Dawn had already disappeared.
"Wuss" He whispered, before turning to greet Artemis. The sudden memory of how her lips tasted passed through his mind, and he unconsciously licked his lips. It seemed Artemis had remembered the same as her face ever so slightly turned golden and her eyes flicked away for just a moment. However, she placed a hand on her hip and looked him dead in the eye once she had composed herself.
"No more lies, no more secrets. Right now, you need to tell me everything else that's been going on. If you ever want to start to make things up to me, then you'll start talking." Percy gulped. Figuring this was now his best shot at salvaging anything, he sat down on the bench. Patting the seat next to him, he waited for Artemis to sit down next to him. She was hesitant, naturally, but he made no move to talk. As she sat down, Percy turned his head to look at her. Sea-green met molten silver as it seemed like the world came to a stop again.
"So, where do you want me to start?
And there you have it folks. Honestly, while the talk was cool the last chapter, I didn't feel like it really hit the mark for information aside from just revealing the prophecy. So now, we will have an actual heart to heart with our traumatized couple. Also I know I said I was gonna do Penelope's POV, but it just didn't work out. So, yeah. Anyway, I'll see you all in two weeks (Hopefully)