The throne room was in utter shock and silence. The gods and goddesses definitely hadn't been expecting the meeting to go so sideways. Judging from their initial expressions, Percy had a feeling most of the time Aphrodite's meetings were pretty boring and petty. Not this time, though. He looked around, and it was clear that everyone was taken aback by the unexpected turn of events.
Feeling a need to defuse the situation, Percy decided to speak up.
"Aphrodite, maybe you should sit down, have a glass of water, and just calm down a bit," he said slowly and calmly. However, instead of heeding his advice, the goddess only became angrier.
"I'm not calming down, Percy!" she snapped. "I have every right to be agitated! You want me to steal from you and see how you like it?" Percy was taken aback by her sharp response. His mentor had her flaws, but she'd always been easy-going and calm, especially around him. This outburst was entirely out of character. Even Ares seemed a bit shocked by the intensity of her reaction, although he remained in his seat, choosing not to intervene. Ares is the same guy who spends more time with Aphrodite than he does with his sword, and if he felt something was wrong, something most definitely was wrong.
Zeus let out an exasperated groan and massaged his temples.
"Aphrodite, can we maybe do this another day," he pleaded. "Maybe say next millennium? I'm not sure I can handle this right now."
"Looks like someone has a headache," Hermes grinned, teasing his father. Zeus shot the god with an irritated look.
"Believe me," he grumbled, "You'd have a headache too if you were woken up at three in the morning by…" His voice slowly trailed off, but not before being noticed by a certain marriage goddess.
"Woken up by who, dear husband?" Hera asked icily. Her eyes bore into Zeus with a frigid intensity.
Percy didn't need a PhD in psychology to know that Zeus regretted letting those words slip. "Never mind, Hera," he mumbled, going back to rubbing his temples. Unluckily for him, the Queen of the Gods was not so easily appeased. She crossed her arms, a storm brewing in her eyes.
"No, Zeus, please enlighten us. Who's this horrible person who woke you up at three a.m. in the morning? She sounds really rude and disrespectful, isn't it? After all, why would anyone wake their husband up so early, even if he came home smelling of alcohol and who knows what else."
Zeus knew he was cornered, and there was no way out. He cleared his throat, dreading the oncoming storm.
"And I already told you, it was just a minor dispute on Earth," he began. "You know, some mortal issues I had to resolve." Hera's gaze intensified, and the temperature in the room seemed to drop several degrees.
"Mortal issues, Zeus? Again? Please tell me, which mortal issues require you going to mortal bars in the middle of the night, while your wife is alone, waiting for you in the bedroom."
"Problems come out of nowhere," he tried, though everyone knew Zeus was cornered with no way out. He shifted uncomfortably in his throne. "It was nothing serious, Hera, I promise."
"Oh, I'm sure it wasn't serious," she said sarcastically, her voice only becoming icier. "But it's always something, isn't it, Zeus? There's always another dispute to resolve, another mortal to save, another mortal to love, and you always have such creative excuses." Zeus tried to defend himself, but Percy was acutely aware that arguing with Hera rarely ended well, especially when Zeus was in the wrong.
"Hera, it's part of my responsibilities as the king of the gods. I have to maintain order in the world, protect the mortals when necessary." Hera leaned closer to him, her expression unforgiving.
"It seems like you have a special fondness for a particular type of mortal, doesn't it?" Zeus knew better than to continue down this path of argument. He closed his eyes, trying to find a way to defuse the situation.
"Hera, can we discuss this later, in private perhaps?" he half-asked, half-pleaded, but the goddess was having none of it.
"Oh, no, Zeus. We'll discuss this right here, right now, and we can start with which mortal you were seeing last night-"
"No, we're not!" a voice yelled. Percy turned his head to see Poseidon rising from his seat. "Enough, both of you." Hera looked momentarily stunned, her words halted mid-sentence as she turned her attention to Poseidon.
"Excuse me?" she replied, her tone dripping with disdain.
"We have to endure this at every meeting," he snapped, "and I don't know about the other Olympians, but I for one am quite fed up with it. This time, especially, since it's Percy's first proper council meeting, we should try to be civilised and behave normally, or at least as normal as we can."
"Exactly," Zeus chimed in, relieved for the support. "We shouldn't air our grievances in front of everyone. They should be taken care of in private, or even better, not taken care of at all!"
"And of course you'll say that, because you're the guy getting off scot free!" Hera, still fuming, glared, but Poseidon wasn't having it.
"Hera, I said we're not doing this today. Drop it, now." The goddess's eyes sparked with fury, and she looked ready for a fight. Ignoring her husband, she started making her way towards Poseidon. The sea god didn't flinch. Instead, he gave her a look that said, 'bring it on.' However, before things could escalate further, Aphrodite, feeling forgotten, decided to jump back into the fray.
"Excuse me!" she yelled, her face flushed with anger. "I'm still here, and I'm not moving until Athena gives me back what's rightfully mine."
"And I told you, I don't have it," she yawned, causing Aphrodite to only yell louder. Immediately, the whole room seemed to descend back into chaos, with people shouting from opposite sides of the room, and no one making any sense.
Percy rolled his eyes as the chaos erupted in the council meeting. He couldn't help but wonder if this was what every council meeting was like on Mount Olympus. Caught in the middle of divine drama and feuds, it was hard to take it all seriously. He looked around, and his eyes met Artemis's. It was only then he realised how unprepared he was. They were together in private, but how were they meant to act in public? Was he supposed to completely ignore her, or act as a friend, or more, or less? Too tired to think, he did the only logical thing and gave her a nod, as if to say, "What's up?" In response, she all but giggled, a faint smile playing on her lips. Artemis jerked her head towards the increasingly creative and colourful argument the two goddesses were in. She mouthed the word 'Olympians' to Percy, and he grinned in response. He had only been here one meeting and could already tell just how disorganised and turbulent they got. Judging from Artemis' bored expression, they definitely didn't seem to enjoy them either.
Percy watched Artemis look around the grand hall, observing the chaos unfolding. Hera was still yelling at Zeus, Poseidon was glaring at Athena, Hermes and Apollo seemed to be cheering on the fighting, Hephaestus was noisily tinkering away and Hestia was drawing a smiley face in the hearth embers (don't question it.) Then, of course, you had Athena, Aphrodite, Demeter and Ares, all arguing in the centre.
Making sure no one was watching, Artemis turned back to Percy before blowing him a sweet kiss. It was a risky gesture to do in the midst of a council meeting, even if no one was looking, but that's what meant the most to him . In return, Percy double checked no one was glancing at them before making a love heart with his two hands. It was a small gesture, but Artemis's smile showed him just how much it meant. He then mouthed, "You're cute," and Artemis responded with a gracious expression that said a silent, "Why, thank you." The goddess paused, thinking for a moment. However, just when she was about to mouth something in return, the sudden crackle of thunder echoed through the hall, drawing their attention.
Zeus was angry, and by angry, Percy meant angry angry. He was standing up, doing his best to ignore his screeching wife, holding his lightning bolt high. Percy quickly turned his head to the front, realising he had to at least pretend to pay attention, especially seeing as he wasn't even an Olympian and only had a vote on paper. As the commotion died down, he scanned the room to make sure no one was giving him suspicious looks. Satisfied no one had noticed the private exchange between him and Artemis, Percy stretched his legs out.
"Everyone is going to sit down right now and be quiet so we can handle this like civilised gods. Understood?" Zeus demanded, his thunderous voice booming overhead and silencing the quarrelling Olympians. Reluctantly, the divine council nodded, their voices and arguments dimming down. With the exception of Hephaestus's noisy tinkering, the council seemed to have finally calmed down, and everyone sat in their respective seats.
"Aphrodite," Zeus sighed, slumping back in his throne. "Seeing as you're not willing to leave this until tomorrow, why don't you tell me what happened, but start from the top and leave nothing out." The goddess took a few deep breaths to regain her composure, the council in a heavy silence, awaiting her words.
"It all started a while ago," she began, her voice quivering slightly. "Just under three years. Athena approached me one day with an unusual request to help break Percy and Annabeth apart. She claimed it was for some cosmic balance and said something about sons of Poseidon staying away from daughters of Athena, but regardless, I was a bit bored and decided to help."
"You what?" Poseidon interjected with a mixture of surprise and disbelief, but Zeus raised his hand to silence him, motioning Aphrodite to continue.
"I did have my reservations at first, but eventually, I agreed to help her with her plan." The room fell into silence as her revelation hung in the air.
"And then?" Zeus pressed. The goddess sighed, continuing her tale.
"Honestly, I kind of forgot about it. Percy and Annabeth broke up, he went to the underworld, became a god, and became my protégé. I didn't even remember it until one night, Athena had the brilliant idea of telling him everything that had happened." Her gaze shifted briefly to Athena, who remained stoic despite the tension in the room. "Now I was furious with her, and long story short, I ended up slapping her. The next day, Athena appeared at my palace, and she was in a foul mood."
Zeus gestured for her to proceed.
"So then what?" he asked. "Did she slap you back?" The goddess shook her head.
"No, but she asked for my mirror, the special one, claiming it was for some divine purpose. Originally, I thought she was joking, because that mirror is mine, always has been mine, and will be mine until Olympus ceases to exist. I told her this, and she reminded me about what happened yesterday, saying I owed her. I said no and that what happened yesterday was on her and she was lucky I didn't do worse. All she had to say was, 'I asked nicely,' before closing the door and walking away."
"Just a moment," Athena interjected. "Are you implying-" Zeus silenced her with a stern look.
"What then?" the king of Olympus asked. "She took your mirror without permission?"
"Basically," Aphrodite nodded. "Last night, I took Percy out for some dessert. When we returned, the door to my palace was ajar. Originally, I thought it was Percy forgetting to close it on the way out, but he said he was certain he had closed it. I started searching the palace, and would you know it, my mirror was missing."
"Your mirror?" Apollo frowned.
"Yes, my mirror. Still, I didn't want to jump to conclusions, so I conducted some research, talked to some friends, pulled in a favour or two, and wouldn't you know it, I had a map that pointed directly to Athena. Now, we're here, and I want you to make her give it back, or I swear on the Styx we're heading for a war."
Another tense silence fell over the chambers. An oath on the Styx wasn't to be taken lightly, and everyone exchanged uneasy looks. Zeus, however, grumbled, clearly annoyed by the situation.
"Is it honestly that big of a deal?" he mumbled. "I mean it's just a mirror. Why can't you drop it? Hermes can get you a new one in five seconds. I've heard they have this new thing called Bluetooth, thought that may be someone pulling my leg." Aphrodite fixed him with a furious gaze, her voice dripping with anger.
"Do you remember the theft of your master bolt, Zeus?" she seethed. "You accused Poseidon, and a war nearly broke out even though you had no proof. Now I have proof, and I'm not backing down."
"That was my item of power," he reasoned.
"Well this isn't 'just a mirror!'" she yelled. "It's more than that. It has much of my power in it as well. I use it all the time, and now I want it back." Zeus sighed, running a hand through his hair. He glanced around the room at the assembled gods and goddesses, each waiting for his decision.
"Fine," he said reluctantly, turning to his daughter. "Athena, did you take it?" Athena's expression remained composed as she replied, "No, I did not. I have no need for a mirror and definitely no need for anything from Aphrodite's palace." Zeus glared at her.
"Daughter, need I remind you if I find out that Aphrodite's proof is legitimate, you will face far worse consequences than you can imagine." Her eyes widened, but she maintained her innocence.
"Aphrodite, what proof do you have?" she asked, her voice carefully measured. At this, the love goddess couldn't help but smirk, a glint of triumph in her eyes.
"One name, Athena: Harmonia. And now you know I have you dead to rights." Ever so slowly, Percy watched Athena's face pale.
"She wouldn't dare," the goddess whispered. Aphrodite's smile remained, unwavering.
"See, Athena, the thing with paying someone off is they can always be offered more. Luckily for me, I knew exactly what to offer her, and now here we all are, so I'll ask again. Do you have my mirror?"
Athena looked around the room, her shoulders slumping in reluctant admission.
"Fine, I have it," she muttered, her voice low. Aphrodite's triumphant smirk didn't fade as she glanced up at Zeus, who, with a sigh, gave a reluctant nod of acknowledgment.
"Where is it, Athena?" he asked. The goddess hesitated for a moment, as if still unsure whether or not to give it.
"It's with someone else for safekeeping," she sighed. "I'll give it to Aphrodite in three business days."
"Three business days?" she protested. "Today's a Friday, meaning I might not get it until Wednesday! That's ridiculous! I want it by the end of the hour!"
"Well that's not happening," she scoffed. "I'm in the middle of something, and I'm still gonna be in the middle of that today, and tomorrow, and the day after. Consider this payback for you slapping me." Aphrodite glared daggers at her, and for a moment, Percy thought she was about to attack.
"Athena," Zeus ordered. "I want Aphrodite's dumb mirror back by the hour, or the consequences are going to be more than dire. The council will wait here for you."
Zeus paused for a moment, before adding almost curiously, "Why did you even take it in the first place? I mean you're caught now, there's no point hiding it, but for my own curiosity why even bother." The goddess hesitated for a moment, her eyebrows furrowed.
"Mainly for payback," she admitted. "I mean Aphrodite had no right to ever slap me, no matter what I said. I also needed to briefly use it for something, so it was a win-win. I knew Aphrodite wouldn't give it to me so I went to extra lengths. Honestly, I would've gotten away with it if Harmonia hadn't ratted me out. There's no point in me lying though. I got caught red-handed, and it is what it is." Zeus nodded slowly, but Aphrodite wasn't satisfied.
"What do you mean, 'it is what it is'?" she exclaimed. "Because it's not. I certainly hope there will be some punishment, right, Zeus?"
"Definitely," he yawned, going back to rubbing his head. "But honestly, do we really need to go that far, Aphrodite? Like yeah, she stole from you, and yeah, most of us gods wouldn't like it, but it was just a small prank. She borrowed your mirror-"
"-Without permission," Aphrodite insisted.
"-But now you're getting it back. Nothing terrible happened, so why can't we just let it go and write it down as a misunderstanding?"
Percy chimed in, his voice smooth and persuasive.
"I agree!" Percy chimed in. "Let it go, Aphrodite. If Athena gives you your mirror back within the next hour, we can all move on without the whole punishment drama. Just get her to swear on the Styx never to touch your stuff or something. Come on, I'll even take you to that mortal restaurant you've been dying to go to." The goddess thought for a moment before grumbling but conceding.
"Fine," she agreed. "If Athena gives me my mirror back in an hour with a sincere, heart-warming apology, and agrees to owe me a favour, I'll drop the whole thing. Honestly, you're so lucky Percy's here, or else it would be a whole other scenario, but I don't think anyone wants a war after the last two we've been through. Anyway, we have a deal, Athena?" Athena reluctantly agreed, knowing it was the best way to resolve the situation (and that she gets off scott free.) With a determined nod, she flashed out of the room, leaving the council to return to its uneasy peace.
"So, Percy," Aphrodite sighed, the tension in the room dissipating. "You're taking me out to that burger place in Manhattan, huh?" He nodded.
"It's for the greater good of Olympus. How could I ever refuse." The goddess grinned.
"Good, because I don't just wanna go with you." Percy frowned, confused by her words.
"Who are you going with then?" The goddess leaned in close to Percy's ear and giggled softly.
"I'm saying we do a double date." Percy immediately shook his head.
"Nuh, uh, no way!"
"Oh, come on, Percy," Aphrodite whined. "It'll be fun."
"No it won't!" he protested. "It's gonna be awkward like it always is." She cocked her hips.
"Give me just one example of a time when I've made a dinner event weird."
"Last night," he snorted. "We go for ice cream, and it's not even ten seconds before you make an inappropriate suggestion-"
"I was bored!" she mumbled. Percy still shook his head.
"Do you really think I'm ever going on a double date with Ares? Have you lost it!?" Aphrodite had to think for a moment before realising Percy's point.
"Okay maybe I didn't think this through," she admitted, and Percy let out a relieved sigh, thinking he had avoided the situation. Unfortunately, Aphrodite had other ideas.
"Ooh, I know, I'll go with Apollo as friends," she finally suggested.
"Aphrodite, I don't think that's a good idea. Apollo is a bit... unpredictable… especially if alcohol gets involved, and don't for a second pretend you're not planning on getting Artemis drunk." She waved it off.
"Relax, I'll keep my leash on him. Besides, he's the only other person who knows about your love life." Percy grumbled.
"Those are the conditions, Percy," Aphrodite smiled coyly. He thought it a bit more, and reluctantly, Percy agreed
"Fine, but only if Artemis agrees to this madness." Overwhelmed with joy, Aphrodite planted a kiss on his cheek, and Percy could feel Artemis shooting a dagger-like glare their way.
"I'll convince her, don't you worry," the goddess winked. She hugged Percy tightly before releasing him and straightening his shirt.
"I'm gonna stay here for a bit," she told him. "There's no way Athena's weaselling her way out of this scenario." Percy nodded.
"Nice. I think I'll just get some fresh air, maybe see if any nice shops are open." Waving goodbye at his mentor, Percy walked out of the grand throne room and into Olympus's open grounds.
He took his time, strolling through the gardens and walkways of Olympus. The crisp air filled his lungs, invigorating him as he made his way to his favourite spot on the divine mountaintop. While it didn't look special, it was the same place he'd made his decision to accept godhood, and to him, that meant a lot.
As he ascended, the golden hues of the sunset bathed the world in a warm, ethereal glow. He reached his spot, and Percy decided to sit down on the cool grass, staring at the sky's expanse. The view from here was nothing short of breath-taking. A vast blanket of clouds stretched out before him, painting the sky in various shades of orange, pink, and purple. The setting sun, a radiant sphere of crimson and gold, cast long, molten streaks across the horizon.
Percy didn't know why, but for some reason, the dance of colours across the sky comforted him a little. He watched as the sun's lower rim touched the edge of the world, releasing a final burst of fiery brilliance before sinking below the horizon, leaving a celestial canvas awash in hues of twilight. Stars began to twinkle in the gathering dusk, and the feeling of evening enveloped him.
"You're either mesmerised by the stars, or you're more bored than Dionysus on a bad day." Jolted from his thoughts, Percy turned and reached for his sword, his heart pounding, only to realise that the person was Artemis. She smirked at his reaction.
"Mind if I sit down?" she asked. He shook his head, settling back down and making room for her beside him.
"Close call today, huh?" she asked, playfully nudging him.
"Yeah, it was," he admitted, still puzzled by Athena's behaviour. "Honestly, I'm not sure what's gotten into her recently. It's all a bit petty if you ask me." Artemis nodded in agreement, her silver eyes reflecting the fading colours of the sunset.
"Well, that's Olympus for you. Don't tell me you already forgot about the lightning bolt incident way back then." He groaned, recalling his first ever quest. A fleeting feel of nostalgia swept over him. People always say how as you grow older, you reminisce about the younger days when life was simple, but for Percy, the younger days were way more complicated than these days. At least now he didn't have to worry about poisonous scorpions, or angry war gods, or Aphrodite's love scarves (okay maybe he still had to worry about the scarves.) Now, things had calmed down, and for the first time in a while, Percy had a sense of normality, a sense of wholeness, and he had Artemis to thank for that.
"You know, Artemis, you're beautiful," Percy murmured dreamily, quite out of nowhere. The goddess raised an eyebrow in surprise before bursting into giggles. Her laughter was like music to Percy's ears, and he couldn't help but be captivated by how cute she looked when she laughed.
"I'm sorry," she sighed, taking deep breaths to calm down, "but can I ask why you randomly decided to say that?" Percy shrugged, a warm smile on his face.
"Do I need a reason to call you beautiful?" Artemis hesitated for a moment, and then she admitted, "I guess not."
Glancing around to ensure no one was watching, Percy gently slipped his hand into Artemis's soft, warm one.
"Percy!" she whispered sharply. "You can't just do that! Someone could see us." He rolled his eyes playfully.
"Aww, come on, Artemis. Someone could've seen us when you blew me a kiss in the middle of the throne room, and had you been caught, we would've had some serious explaining to do."
The goddess hesitated.
"That was different," she tried. "I knew no one was looking. If someone comes now, we won't see them until it's too late."
"But they won't come," he reasoned. "Everyone's too busy arguing about some other issue in the throne room." Reluctantly, the goddess gave in, allowing him to hold her hand. After a while, she returned the gentle squeeze, her fingers intertwining with his. Under the starry sky, they sat together in serene silence, just enjoying each other's company.
All of a sudden, a playful voice interjected behind them, "I hope I'm not interrupting anything, am I?" Startled, Percy abruptly let go of Artemis's hand, turning around to find an unexpected observer—an eight-year-old girl with a mischievous glint in her eyes.
"Oh, flip," Percy mumbled, a rosy hue tinting his cheeks.
"Hestia, nice weather, isn't it?" he greeted with an awkward smile, ignoring Artemis's withering looks. "Uhh, I was just checking Artemis's pulse through her hand, and examining the softness of it. You know, because I've been looking for some hand cream myself and figured this was the best way to get some recommendations." It was a flimsy excuse, and Percy knew it. Sadly, so did Hestia. The goddess raised an eyebrow inquisitively as if to say, 'Really, Percy?' However, she quickly waved the matter away and spoke with an understanding smile.
"Relax, I don't mind at all," she assured them. "In fact, I'm happy for both of you." A wave of relief washed over Percy. With the fear of being discovered by others dissipating, he began to feel more at ease.
"This is why you're my favourite goddess, uhhh, second to Artemis of course." The goddess rolled her eyes in amusement. Artemis, however, still remained sceptical.
"Are… Are you going to tell Zeus about this?" she asked uncertainly. Hestia didn't even have to think about it.
"No," she said gently. "I think everyone deserves a bit of happiness, especially young Perseus, and Zeus doesn't need to interfere with that. Besides, we have enough issues as it is with this whole Aphrodite and Athena incident.
"I thought that was resolved?" Percy frowned.
"And if you think that," the goddess sighed, "then you don't know what Olympus is like, because these conflicts rarely end in a day. Aphrodite definitely has some sort of revenge planned."
With that, Hestia settled on the grass, sitting opposite the new couple. She studied the two of them curiously.
"Okay, so who wants to talk about how this started? Because the maiden goddess Artemis and the hero of Olympus Perseus getting together is something even the Fates couldn't see coming." Percy grinned before recounting where it all started Cetus. Come to think of it, Cetus may have tried to kill him, but he owed the monster. Call it what you want, Cetus was the best wingman history has ever seen. Without the sea creature, he doubted him and Artemis would've ever spent this much time together.
"Well," Percy began, "it started when Artemis asked me to help her fight a sea monster. We fought it, and I managed to get hurt-"
"-He tripped on a rock," Artemis smirked, causing him to feign annoyance.
"I'll have you know, I intentionally tripped on that for the sole purpose of spending more time with you," he lied. "Anyway, after that, I stayed with the hunt a bit longer. Artemis called me her friend, and I was regularly visiting the hunt on a biweekly basis. Before you know it, I was kinda liking her. Eventually, I asked her out, only for Artemis to reject me because she thought I wanted to just be friends."
"Why am I not surprised?" Hestia giggled.
"Hey!" Artemis protested. "I made up for it after. Aphrodite helped me talk to Percy and we…"
"...Engaged in an exchange of gentle caresses with our lips," Percy finished for her.=, causing Hestia to let out a dreamy sigh.
"Aww, already finishing each other's sentences? That's honestly so adorable." Percy grinned while Artemis rolled her eyes. With a warm smile, the hearth goddess gazed at both of them and said, "It sounds like quite an adventure, but I'm glad you two found happiness with each other. Now, my only question is when do you plan on telling everyone else?"
"Well, we're working on it," Percy chuckled, earning a playful grin from the goddess. Artemis, however, was less amused.
"Hestia, I thought you weren't telling anyone?" she frowned.
"I'm not," she clarified. "But surely, you two are planning on revealing this at some point?" She then frowned, looking at the pair deeply. "Wait, how long are you guys planning on keeping this a secret for?"
"A few years," Percy shrugged. Artemis, however, had a different timeline in mind.
"More like a few centuries," she countered, determination in her eyes.
"Wow," Hestia said. "It sounds like you two need to have a talk about this. Artemis, you can't keep up this act forever. Besides, Percy's mother would surely like to meet you sooner rather than later." Artemis nodded reluctantly, though she didn't seem to be excited by this revelation.
Before they could delve further into their discussion, Percy heard Aphrodite's faint voice in the back of his mind, announcing Athena's return. Hestia swiftly stood, ending their conversation with a smile.
"Well, it was a nice talk," she sighed, "But now, we'll have to see if Athena brought back that mirror. Come, let's go." With that, they made their way back to join the gathering in the grand throne room, with Percy only just understanding how complex Olympian politics were.
As Percy and Artemis re-entered the grand throne room, they saw the Olympian deities rising to their giant forms and taking their seats. Percy quickly separated from Artemis in order to avoid suspicion, though he noticed Poseidon, giving him a curious look.
"Okay, Athena, let's have it," Aphrodite said, her voice dripping with annoyance. "Why are you bringing your minion with you?" As she said this, Percy noticed a young demigod standing behind Athena, and something about him seemed familiar. He couldn't place it until he remembered, and he blurted out, "Malcolm?"
Malcolm nodded in Percy's direction as if to say, 'sup', looking equally baffled by the situation.
"Relax," Athena mumbled. "I didn't take your precious item to my palace in case you tried raiding it, so I gave it to him and just said keep it safe." This only seemed to infuriate Aphrodite more.
"So are you telling me this demigod stole from me!?" she yelled. Panic took over Malcolm as his face paled.
"W-What!?" he stuttered. "Man, I don't even know why I'm here, but I promise, Lady Aphrodite, I would never steal from a god, least of all you."
"Chill out, Aphrodite," Athena glared, before turning to her son. "Malcolm, remember that mirror I gave to you. I need it back."
"Oh, the pink mirror? Yeah, uhh, I haven't exactly got it anymore." For a moment, silence engulfed the room, and no one dared to say a word.
"Do you want to run that by me again," Athena said, her voice as icy as the winter frost. "If you haven't got it, then who does?" Malcolm hesitated for a moment.
"Well, see it was in the morning, like really really early, and I'd just come back from my morning jog when there was this woman standing in front of my cabin door, as if she was waiting for me. She demanded I give her the mirror, making various ominous threats. Anyway, I quickly gave it to her, not trying to cause any trouble."
"WHAT!"
"You said the mirror wasn't important to you!" he tried, but she wasn't having it.
"Yeah, to me," she yelled. "But guess which goddess wants that mirror back, and now what do I have to say?"
"I sent you an IM, remember, and you told me to tell Chiron!" The goddess opened her mouth, before suddenly closing it, letting out an, "Oh, so that's what it was about. I thought you were talking about something else, not the mirror!"
By this point, Aphrodite's patience had worn thin, and she decided to cut in.
"Athena, where is my mirror?" Athena paused for a moment, and a brief flicker of uncertainty passed through her eyes.
"Just hang on a second," she replied hastily. "Malcolm, who took the mirror from you? Malcolm thought for a moment.
"Well, she had dark, black hair with some purple streaks, a mischievous smile, and she was very pretty."
"As pretty as me?" Aphrodite interrupted, causing Malcolm to immediately shake his head.
"Oh, not at all," he promised. Percy rolled his eyes at Aphrodite's need to boost her ego.
"Anything else about her?" Athena asked. "You haven't narrowed it down by much." Malcolm gave an honest shrug.
"I can't remember much, it was quite dark," he admitted. "She was wearing all black, but a very dark shade of black. Hmm, she also had this golden apple tied to her waist. She also-"
"Wait, are you absolutely sure the apple was golden?" she interrupted, her tone laced with urgency. Malcolm nodded emphatically.
"Definitely, I'm certain."
Athena's gaze intensified, her focus now on Aphrodite.
"You set this up, didn't you?" she accused, her voice trembling with anger. Aphrodite appeared genuinely taken aback. She replied, "What? No, Athena, I just want my mirror back." The wisdom goddess wasn't convinced
"Don't lie!" she yelled. "We all remember that Paris gave you that apple, and you've never stopped showing it off. You took the mirror from Malcolm and orchestrated this entire drama to get me in trouble."
"Huh, girl, I just want my mirror back. Stop these games and give it."
"No, no, no. You seem to have forgotten that wisdom is my domain. I can put two and two together better than anyone else. Yeah, I might've rushed stealing your mirror, but I know when something is wrong, and I know you're making all this up! It doesn't take you a whole day to confirm with Harmonia that I did what I supposedly did."
Aphrodite's voice grew resolute as she issued her ultimatum.
"Athena," she glared. "Return my mirror now, because I'm not breaking my oath on the Styx."
"Fine!" Athena said, her tone cold and determined..
"Daughter," Zeus attempted to intervene, but Aphrodite raised her hand up.
"As of today, I, Aphrodite, declare war on Athena for her lies, her deceit and her thievery."
Man, I'm actually pretty happy with how this turned out! This was one of the hardest chapters to write, but c'est ce que c'est. Do leave a review if you liked it, and get ready for the super cool plot twist, thought I have a feeling if you've read my other works you kinda have a vague idea who's involved lol. Either way, hope to update next week!