Aphrodite checked the ornate clock on her nightstand, its hands pointing to the ungodly hour of 3 a.m. She should have been sound asleep, wrapped in the softest of silks, with dreams of beauty and desire swirling in her mind, but something wasn't right. Something gnawed at her, something that refused to be ignored. The world might be at peace, but her mind wasn't.

Getting up, the goddess made her way to the mirror, staring at herself. Her reflection suddenly seemed off. Her honey-blonde hair, cascading in waves, didn't appear as perfect as she wished. It was a minor detail, but for a goddess, it only confirmed that something was wrong. Aphrodite's thoughts wandered to her arguments with Athena. Ever since she slapped her, their arguments had only escalated. Aphrodite could hardly believe how petty it had all become, but she also never thought the goddess of wisdom would stoop so low.

She turned away from the mirror and began searching through her chest of drawers. Her fingers sifted through the contents in a frantic, almost desperate, search, but it was nowhere to be found. Aphrodite closed the drawer gently, a sense of foreboding settling upon her. She slipped into an elegant gown, its fabric caressing her like the softest whispers of love. It would be unwise to jump to conclusions so fast, but she had some visits to make. This mysterious disappearance demanded answers.

"Athena wouldn't dare to truly do this," she whispered to herself. The implications were dire, but she had to investigate further. As she quickly tied her hair up, she began thinking of the man sleeping next door, probably having dreams about a certain moon goddess. Aphrodite had been doing everything she could over the last few weeks to make sure Percy and Artemis' relationship was advancing as smoothly as possible. He was visiting her tomorrow again, and while Aphrodite would love nothing more than to get him all dressed up and ready for her, this was more important. She was sure Percy could manage for a day without her counsel. Quietly, she opened her chamber door, the hinges oiled to silence, and slipped into the corridor. Her steps were hushed as she made her way through the palace, her divine beauty hidden by the cloak of night.

Leaving her palace, Aphrodite emerged into the misty, pre-dawn world, a world draped in silvery shadows and barely observable shapes. She hoped against hope that she was wrong, that Athena wasn't behind this. If she was, this world would be delving into chaos like never seen before. Determined to find the truth, the goddess faded into the horizon, hoping for the best and preparing for the worst.

Alone and afraid, Percy's eyes surveyed the lifeless beings strewn across the battlefield. Their vacant, unblinking eyes stared up at him, accusing him, blaming him. He couldn't shake the weight of the stress that pressed down on him, his heart pounding like a drum. The war was losing; the tides were turning against him.

Despite his failing efforts, Percy was determined. He'd never step out of the ring, no matter how many points down he was. Determined, he ran through his plan again, his every move calculated and precise. He could see the enemy lines advancing, threatening to engulf his forces entirely. The sweat on his brow glistened, a testament to the relentless pressure of this relentless conflict.

Percy's breaths came in ragged gasps as he agonised over what to do. It was a war, and he knew that every decision he made had consequences, some good and some bad. The very future of this game was in his hands, and slowly he was realising that he was cornered with no way out…

"Oh my days, Percy!" Hermes groaned. "It's just a game of chess! Why are you overcomplicating it?" Percy's gaze didn't waver.

"It's never just a game with you, Hermes," he responded. "You've always got some trick up your sleeve." The god raised his hands in surrender.

"No tricks," he promised. "Just a good old chess game. Percy, sometimes a pawn is just a pawn, not an Intercontinental Ballistic Missile."
"I gotta agree with Hermes here," Apollo chimed in. "It just seems like a regular game." With a reluctant sigh, Percy picked a pawn and moved it two steps forwards to give his knight protection from Hermes' rook.

As soon as he finished, Hermes leaned back in his chair, a triumphant smirk gracing his lips.. Percy couldn't help but notice the self-satisfied glint in the god's eyes.

"Oh no, why the smirk?" Percy groaned, suspicion lacing his tone. Hermes chuckled, a twinkle of mischief in his eyes.
"Because, Percy," he said with an air of smugness, "in precisely 32 moves, I'm going to checkmate you with the 'Pegasus Pincer Manoeuvre'." Percy's brow furrowed in confusion.

"The 'Pegasus Pincer Manoeuvre'? Hermes, did you just make that up?" Hermes grinned unapologetically, his hands in the air

"Guilty as charged, but it doesn't make it any less effective. You're in checkmate, my friend. Your king's fate is sealed." Percy's shoulders slumped, and he ran a hand through his hair as Hermes sacrificed a rook for his horse. He stared at the board, contemplating his next move.

"Noble of you to keep fighting," Hermes smirked, "but it's futile now. Come on, I'm giving you an easy way out. Just resign."

"Resigning is no easy way out," Percy snorted. He took Hermes' rook, but the god of mischief was faster, and out of absolutely nowhere, a bishop took Percy's pawn. Silently, he growled under his breath. It was always those bishops that no one could ever see which were his doom.

After a few more futile attempts to prolong the game, Percy finally sighed, admitting defeat.

"You win, Hermes," Percy considered, getting up and swapping places with Apollo. The sun god licked his lips, rubbing his hands together as Hermes reset the board. Being the winner, Hermes started the game by moving his king's pawn two forward. Apollo thought for a moment before copying him.

"Honestly, how are you so good at this," Percy chuckled as Hermes easily took another counter from Apollo after a few goes. "I thought this would be more of Athena's thing?"
"Make no mistake, Athena would make a fool out of me if we played," Hermes snorted. "But against the rest of you, chess is easy. One of the best mortal inventions after planes."
"Don't forget burgers!" Percy chimed in, to which Hermes nodded.

"How could I?" he laughed. "Such juicy, succulent delicacies. Ah, wrong move, Apollo." Swiftly, the god of mischief slaughtered a rook this time, causing Apollo to growl. "To answer your question," he continued. "Chess is just a game of tricks, and guess who happens to be the god of tricks." Percy nodded. In theory, it made sense. Hermes was a pretty smart guy, and chess was a lot more about tricks and tactics, a different type of knowledge.

"Oh, I almost forgot to ask you," Hermes sighed. "Did you and Artemis manage to make up?"
"Make up, or make out?" Apollo muttered under his breath causing Hermes' eyes to open wide and Percy to shoot an evil look.

"No way!" Hermes grinned, a mischievous glint in his eyes. "You guys are a thing now then, huh? I gotta say, Percy man, your charisma must be off the charts for you to get with Artemis. Finally confessing your undying love under the moonlight soon?"
"Or under the stars," Apollo chimed in, simply unable to resist the opportunity to throw more fuel onto the fire. Percy cleared his throat and gave Hermes a sharp, dismissive glare.
"No, no, we're not together," he lied firmly. "Apollo's just messing around, as usual. If he's not careful, I might tell Artemis what he said and see how she takes to it." Apollo raised his hands in surrender, a sly wink escaping his eye.

"Sorry, Percy. I'll zip it," he promised. Hermes, apparently unfazed by the banter, continued to press the issue.

"Alright, alright, let's get back on track. So, did you and Artemis make up after all that misunderstanding?" Percy sighed, his tone shifting from annoyance to a more serious note.

"Yeah, we did. It was just a misunderstanding." Hermes smirked.

"A misunderstanding or the beginning of a beautiful romance?" Percy shook his head, his cheeks reddening slightly, though he did a good job of hiding it.

"And now," he glared, "I'll be telling Artemis what you said as well." Hermes rolled his eyes.

"Jeez, you suck the fun out of everything, don't you?" he snickered.

"Not really," Percy frowned. "But me and Artemis are just good friends, definitely not dating." Even as he said it, his body betrayed him as it blushed, remembering how soft her lips felt on his. Hermes noticed but didn't do anything more than raising an eyebrow. "Can we change the topic?"

Hermes rolled his eyes, giving Percy a knowing look.
"Alright, Percy, we'll change the topic. Hmm, Apollo, what's new in Olympus?" The sun god momentarily looked up from his game, giving an honest shrug.

"I don't know," he mumbled. "Aphrodite and Athena are fighting, but you'd probably know that."

"They are?" Percy frowned, causing Hermes to scoff.

"Wow, that's one remarkable mentor you have," he snickered. "She even keeps secrets from you!" Percy raised an eyebrow, looking at Hermes with a mix of irritation and curiosity.
"Are you gonna keep making fun of my mentoring, or are you actually going to fill me in?" Hermes flashed a mischievous smile.

"Why not both?"

Percy sighed, realising just how much Hermes enjoyed keeping him in the dark. He leaned forward in his seat.

"Alright, spill it. What's going on?" Hermes only sighed, as if this Olympic drama was nothing new.

"Honestly, it's just minor arguments, nothing big. It seems that Athena's holding a grudge because Aphrodite hit her or something." Percy's frown deepened. Aphrodite hit Athena? When was this? And how had Aphrodite walked away in one piece?

"Is that it?" Percy asked. "Wow, they're acting even pettier than Nico when someone drinks his Fruit-Shoot." Hermes frowned.

"What is Fruit-Shoot?" he asked. Percy sighed, momentarily forgetting how gods are unused to mortal drinks and snacks.

"It's a drink," he explained. "And a nice one too. You guys should try it when you next slip into the mortal world. Anyways, is that it?" Hermes shook his head.

"It should be, except now, the two of them are also arguing about jewellery. Apparently, Aphrodite has something that Athena wants, or is it the other way round…?" Percy blinked in confusion.
"Why don't they just, you know, copy it? They're gods, after all. Just create a duplication glitch or something." As if he'd said something wrong, both gods suddenly lifted their heads up, giving him a weird look.

"Because then it'd have no value," Apollo said as if it were obvious. "Seriously, I thought you'd understand that," he added with an exasperated chuckle. Percy nodded slowly, pretending to understand.

"Ohhhh, yeah don't worry, I get it," he mumbled, earning a few nods of approval.

It wasn't much longer before Hermes knocked Apollo's king to the floor, causing the sun god to use a few… creative names that his mother would definitely disapprove of. Hermes on the other hand couldn't help but smirk gleefully. Revelling in his victory, he began resetting the chessboard. Apollo crosses his arms, his expression a mix of annoyance and stubbornness.

"Nu-uh, no way! I'm not playing again. You've already ruined my afternoon enough." An awkward silence settled over as Hermes continued resetting the board. Eventually, Apollo decided to break it.

"So Percy," he began, leaning back in his chair, "when are you planning on leaving?" Percy nearly missed the question, lost in his own musings.

"Uhh… I.. I don't know. I haven't really thought about it." Apollo raised an eyebrow and glanced at the clock.

"Well, Percy, it's 2:13 PM," he frowned. "Are you absolutely certain you don't have anything else to do today? I mean surely you've gotten bored of watching Hermes wipe the floor with both of us in chess by now-"

"Annabeth was worse," he muttered, but Apollo glared.

"Percy!" he snapped. "Focus! Nothing going on at all? Maybe someplace you need to be at two PM? A person to see?" As it suddenly clicked, Percy's eyes widened, and he began to stammer.

"Oh, gods, you're right," he grumbled. How had he forgotten his meet up with Artemis at the Hunt. "I should be on my way." Apollo chuckled and rose from his chair.
"Need a lift, Percy?" he asked. Percy nodded gratefully.
"Yeah, that would be great."

It was roughly now where Hermes started to realise they were leaving him.

"Hang on," he frowned. "Where are you two off to?" Apollo's eyes twinkled mischievously as he shot a knowing glance at Percy.

"Percy has a little meeting with someone, don't you, Percy?" He nodded.

"Yeah, that's right." Hermes raised an eyebrow.

"Wait, but if you guys go, who am I gonna play chess with?" Apollo, still salty from his loss, snapped back, "You can play with Athena. I'm sure she'll be delighted to oblige." The words barely left his mouth before Hermes groaned.

"She's gonna destroy me in five different ways," he muttered. Apollo smirked.

"You'd deserve it," he chuckled. Before Hermes could retort, Apollo grabbed Percy's arm and, with a brilliant flash of light, transported them to the outskirts of the Hunt camp, leaving Hermes to contemplate the impending doom of his chessboard and, possibly, his ego.

The hunt always moved around, but for the past month or so they'd been in the same lush, ancient forest. Towering trees stood sentinel, their leaves casting dappled sunlight over the earthy forest floor. The soft rustle of leaves and the distant call of birds filled the air, filling Percy with a sense of peace and ease.

Percy turned to Apollo, offering a grateful smile.

"Thanks for the lift, Apollo." Giving the god a salute, Percy began walking towards the cam.

"Hang on, wait a second," Apollo called after him. Pausing in his tracks, a hint of unease tugged at Percy's curiosity. Apollo stepped closer, fixing Percy's shirt and straightening out a wayward collar.

"Is that really all you stopped me for?" he frowned. Apollo hesitated for a moment before speaking with genuine concern.

"I just wanted to know how your time with Artemis is going?" A warm smile spread across Percy's face.

"Oh, I thought you'd never ask! It's going really well, actually. Thalia's been supportive, and Artemis... Well, she's been amazing. We've shared a few kisses, and she let me stay over at the Hunt once, although we were in different tents on opposite sides. How come you're asking?"

Apollo paused, as if uncertain of how to continue.

"Just spill it!" Percy grinned, causing Apollo to let out a loud sigh.

"I just want you to be careful," he said cryptically. "Make sure you know what you're doing…"

"You mean in general, or with Artemis specifically?" The sun god just shook his head subtly.

"Goodbye, Percy," he said, before flashing away in a pure brilliant light.

As Percy walked into the heart of the Hunt camp, he was deep in thought about the slightly mysterious conversation with Apollo. His playful demeanour had briefly been replaced by a look of seriousness, and it made Percy feel a little uneasy about things. As he approached the camp's gate, he noticed Phoebe on guard, standing with another girl whom he'd never seen. Phoebe's eyes lit up when she spotted Percy.

"Well look who's here! Percy!" Phoebe exclaimed, giving him a warm, friendly Hi-Five. She turned to her fellow Hunter and said, "Watch over things for a moment. I'll take Percy to see Artemis." As soon as the hunter reluctantly agreed, Phoebe dropped her armour and began leading Percy to her mistress.

"How've you been then, Percy?" Phoebe asked, making a bit of small talk. The sunlight filtering through the dense canopy above casting dappled shadows on the forest floor.

"Pretty good," he admitted. "I got beaten to pulp in chess by Hermes, but other than that I've been having a good day." The huntress chuckled.

"What have you been up to recently? Anything mildly interesting?" He shrugged.

"Not really. Aphrodite's been nagging me about spending some time with her, but really that means she wants me to go out with her, and that's a hard pass from me." Phoebe snickered.

"I have to ask, is she really that bad?" Percy thought carefully about his answer. Truth be told, he didn't even mind Aphrodite that much. She was surprisingly sweet and nine times out of ten put his needs above her own, something he didn't even know goddesses were capable of.

"She's complicated," he finally sighed. "Best to leave it at that." Phoebe nodded, now leading him towards the archery centre.

"So, Percy," Phoebe began, "how's your time been with Artemis?"

"A-Artemis?" Percy blinked at the abruptness of the question. The huntress nodded.

"Yes. How has your time been with her? You two have been spending a lot of time together, haven't you?" Percy swallowed, but decided honestly was the best policy.

"It's been pretty good, thank you very much Phoebe. Artemis is very kind towards me, and I do enjoy the time I spend here, with her, you and Thalia." Phoebe's eyes twinkled with amusement.

"So, for how long have you been shoving your tongue into Artemis's mouth?" The question caught him by surprise, and he flushed crimson.

"What?" he asked.

"I asked for how long have you, Perseus Jackson, been shoving your tongue into my mistress, Lady Artemis' mouth? Seriously, is that too difficult of a question to answer?"

"What? I... I mean, I don't know what you're talking about!" he denied.

Phoebe laughed, her voice light and teasing.
"Relax, Percy. I already know. You and Artemis have been spending a lot of time together, and I mean way more than she even spends with us hunters. When I first asked Thalia about it all, she was cryptic when I asked if something was going on between you two, and it doesn't take a genius to put two and two together." Percy shifted uncomfortably.

"You seem to be taking this very well," he noted. Phoebe's expression grew more contemplative.
"Honestly, I don't know," she admitted. "I've always thought Artemis would stay a maiden forever, just like the rest of us. It's a bit sad to see her dating someone, even if it's you. I mean no offence, don't get me wrong, you're probably the only person I can even begin to imagine being good enough for her, but it's just a little disheartening, you know?" Percy nodded, shifting uneasily on his feet.

"So you're not gonna chase me around camp and demand that I stop seeing her?" Again, Phoebe chuckled.

"No, why would you even think that?"

"Just a hunch," he muttered.

"Percy," Phoebe said after a while. "I honestly don't know how to react to this. Ultimately, Artemis' happiness is most important, but it definitely comes as a surprise when she's being courted by someone for the first time in… well a long time. I'm sorry I haven't got flowers and roses to congratulate you with, but honestly, I need some time to digest this if I'm ever gonna truly accept it. That's just the truth. I'm not chasing you around camp or anything, but I do need time. In the meantime, you're free to keep seeing her, even if that unfortunately involves you shoving your tongue into her mouth-"

"Okay, can you stop saying that please," he begged. The huntress frowned.

"What's bad about me saying you're shoving your-"
"Phoebe!" he yelled. Reluctantly the huntress agreed to stop and the rest of their walk was in silence.

As they arrived at the archery centre, they found Artemis and Thalia there, both holding bows in their hands.

"Hello, Artemis," Percy tried for a smile.

"Afternoon, Perseus," she said, somewhat stiffly. Thalia couldn't help but chuckle at their obvious discomfort.

"How are you guys having awkward greetings," she grinned. "Trust me, you lot are gonna have a lot more awkward moments in life. Are you guys gonna be this awkward when you kiss, or when you play with each other's hair, or when you're in the bedroom?"

"Well they've got nothing to be awkward about in the bedroom, do they?" Phoebe chimed in teasingly. "Honestly, I'm surprised Percy is willing to be chaste for life." Percy's eyes widened as he frowned.

"Chaste? What do you mean by that?" Phoebe blinked, realising her mistake as she saw the expressions on both Percy's and Artemis's faces.

"Oh, I just put my foot in my mouth, didn't I?" Thalia groaned, grabbing Phoebe by the arm and leading her away from the scene.

"Come on, let's give them some privacy," she muttered, "before you cause any more damage."

As the pair left, Percy and Artemis exchanged an awkward glance, both unsure how to respond to that. It was true that they'd never discussed Artemis's vow, but they'd already kissed? He'd assumed she'd at least be contemplating giving up her chastity for him, no? It's not like Percy was desperate for it, but that's what would truly show him how much she loved him. It's the sacrifices you make that count.

"Percy…" Artemis began hesitantly, but he waved it off.

"It's fine," he sighed reluctantly. "We don't need to talk about it right now, or for quite a while anyway. We've only been together for a month, and we're not even official. It's best if we ignore what Phoebe said and try just hanging out, like we originally planned on doing." Artemis opened her mouth to say something, but closed it just as fast.

"That would be nice," she finally said. "Anything you have in mind, Perseus?" Percy pondered for a moment, before his face brightened with an idea.

"Oooh, how about we go swimming?" he asked. "I'm sure you can flash us to a secluded beach somewhere and we can have a splash! Pun intended, of course." Artemis seemed to blush a deep shade of gold.

"You're not seeing… We're not doing that," she said flatly, causing him to shrug.

"Okay… Oooh, how about star gazing? I've heard the stars are amazing in this part of the woods." Artemis raised an eyebrow.

"Are you serious?" Percy blinked.

"Yeah, I thought it would be a nice-"
"Percy," the goddess sighed. "It's the freakin 'afternoon! Which stars are you trying to see?" Percy chuckled, blushing lightly as he realised his mistake.

"Uhh, perhaps we can check out the east? San Francisco?" Artemis snorted.

"I think you won't be finding any stars there either. Percy, something more original, please, and preferably something we can do here."

Percy thought for a moment, struggling to figure out what a huntress might find enjoyable. Had Aphrodite been at her palace earlier, he could've asked her for advice, but of course the one time he actually needed her, she wasn't there.

"Ah, I've got the perfect idea!" he exclaimed, smirking. "How about we play a game? Two Truths, One Dare?" Percy had a playful glint in his eyes, waiting to see her reaction. Artemis furrowed her brow, perplexed.

"I don't know how to play that. What is it?"

"It's a game where we take turns sharing two true statements and one false one about ourselves," Percy explained. "The other person has to guess which statement is the lie. And if you guess wrong, you have to do a dare." Artemis snorted, clearly unimpressed.

"Sounds boring."

"Aww, please," he pouted. "Come on, Artemis, it can be really fun. Just give it a try."

Percy could tell Artemis definitely wasn't convinced, but she gave him a reluctant nod anyway.

"Fine, Percy," she sighed, "I'll play."
"Perfect!" he grinned. "I'll go first then?"
"Sure," she said, sitting on the grass and leaning back against a tree.

"Hmm, hang on, I wanna make this really difficult for you." The goddess rolled her eyes.

"Gee, thanks," she muttered under her breath.

"Okay," Percy decided. "Two truths and one lie. See if you can guess which one is the lie. I can talk to penguins in Antarctica, my brother is dating a harpy, and I had a friendly game of Mythomagic with Hades in the Underworld."

Artemis furrowed her brow, clearly deep in thought, as she considered Percy's statements. "Honestly, Percy, they all sound false to me," she muttered, but Percy shook his head.

"Nah, only one is wrong!" he said happily. "Just guess! Seriously, how hard is it?" Just as she rolled her eyes, a sudden wave of realisation flooded her, and she snapped her fingers.

"It's the second one!" she exclaimed gleefully. "You don't have any brothers, because Poseidon only had one demigod child in the last few decades, and that was you. As far as I'm aware, there are no remaining sons of Poseidon aside from you, so unless your brother is in the underworld, none of your siblings are dating harpies."

The goddess seemed pretty proud of herself until Percy shook his head, a sly smile on his face.

"Nope!" he grinned. "I actually have a half-brother named Tyson, and he's dating a harpy. The lie was that I had a friendly game of Mythomagic with Hades. During my two years with Nico in the Underworld, I played Mythomagic once with Hades, and let me tell you that game was anything but friendly. It got so bad that even Persephone had to intervene to separate us because I wouldn't stop rubbing my victory in." Artemis groaned, realising her mistake.

"I get the part about Hades getting annoyed, but come on, how childish were you to rub it in his face like that?" Percy chuckled.

"Well what's the point in winning if you can't rub it in?" The goddess nodded as if to say fair point.

"What about the penguins?" she asked. "Can you really talk to them?"

"They're creatures of the sea, albeit loosely. To be honest, I never even expected to be able to talk to them until Annabeth took me to a zoo, and I figured I could." Artemis grumbled, letting out a defeated sigh.

"That was more than unfair," she muttered, "but I'm nothing if not a woman of my word. Give me a dare." Percy rubbed his hands together with anticipation.

"Oh, I've had this all planned out," he grinned gleefully. "I dare you to challenge your best huntress to an archery battle and intentionally lose." Artemis's eyes widened in shock as it slowly dawned on her what he was really asking.

"What!? No, Percy, I can't do that! I can't intentionally lose to one of my Huntresses." Percy shrugged, a sly grin on his face. "A deal is a deal, Artemis. You said you're a woman of your word." Artemis grumbled, clearly unhappy with the dare.

"We're together," she whined. "I thought you'd take it easy on me, no?"

"Do you really want me to take it easy on you?" he asked flatly. "That's like pitying someone." The goddess thought for a moment before sighing reluctantly.

"Just because I'm doing this doesn't mean I'm happy about it," she muttered.

"Maybe," Percy casually replied. "But what harm is there in a friendly competition? Besides, it's just one dare."

Raising her voice, Artemis called over her best huntress.

"Atalanta!" she yelled, waving her hands. "Come here right now." Soon enough, Atalanta emerged from the surrounding trees, her bow slung across her shoulder. She greeted Artemis with a nod and a courteous "Good morning," choosing to ignore Percy entirely.

"Atalanta," Artemis smiled. "Percy is here visiting and really wanted to witness my archery skills, you know, seeing as he couldn't hit a cyclops if it was right in front of him. So, naturally, I thought I'd challenge you to a little friendly competition." Atalanta's lips curled into a small, confident smile.

"It's on." She said, her eyes gleaming with a competitive spirit. She swiftly reached for her bow, and notched an arrow in just as fast.

"Where are we shooting, then?" Atalanta asked casually. Artemis pointed towards two targets setup in front of them.

"Best out of ten," Artemis grinned. "Let's see who can hit the most bulls eyes." Atalanta agreed with a nod. Carefully, both she and Artemis aimed at their respective targets.

"Three," Artemis muttered.

"Two," the hunter grinned. Artemis took a deep breath, her body calm with composure.

"One," they whispered together.

The competition began, and each of them let loose arrow after arrow at the targets. The forest echoed with the twang of bowstrings and the whistling of arrows through the air. Percy had to admit Artemis looked kinda cute when she was so serious and concentrated. It's like she scrunched up the front of her face. Eventually the duo finished and they walked over to inspect their shots.

Atalanta, renowned for her archery skills, had achieved a remarkable nine out of ten bull's eyes. However, Artemis's reaction was a sly smile as she showed Atalanta her own results.

"I got eight out of ten," she mumbled.

At first, Atalanta was frozen in shock.

"Wait… I… That means I won?" Artemis nodded ever so slightly, and Atalanta let out a triumphant laugh.

"Artemis," she said, her voice filled with playful taunting, "I can't believe I beat you! I've outdone the goddess of the hunt herself! Oooh, this feels so good! I can't say you haven't had it coming. Wait till I tell Thalia!"
"Wait, wait, wait," Artemis laughed, a knowing smile on her face. "Atalanta, before you get too carried away, there's something you should know." Atalanta raised an eyebrow, her gloating fading as she looked at Artemis.

"What is it?" Artemis held up her bow, showing the distinct break along its length.

"My bow broke during the final shots. That's why I missed the last two." Ever so slowly, Atalanta's triumphant expression fell, and she sighed, realising the twist of fate.
"So, you're saying I didn't really win," she mumbled. "You always win, don't you, Artemis?" Artemis nodded with a small, understanding smile.
"It was a fair competition. You did exceptionally well, Atalanta. But yeah, I'm better," she teased. Atalanta grumbled, her competitive spirit momentarily dampened.

"Fair play, Artemis." With a nod of acknowledgment, Atalanta gathered her arrows and made her way back to her tent, looking somewhat crestfallen.

"That's not fair," Percy muttered as soon as Atalanta was out of earshot. "We both know you intentionally broke that bow as an excuse." Artemis gave him a grin.

"Hey, all you said was someone needed to beat me, and they did. There was no talk about using excuses to get out of it." Percy wanted to protest, but she had him dead to rights. Perhaps next time he should choose his words more carefully…

"Perhaps it's time for a different game," Artemis said carefully, obviously noticing the slight annoyance in Percy's expression. She flashed him a mischievous grin before looking around their surroundings.

"How about we go to my tent?" she suggested. "It's a more private space, and I might have a game or two we can play there." With no other ideas and an air of anticipation, Percy nodded, and the goddess led the way. As they made their way to her tent, he couldn't help but think about Artemis's vow of chastity once more. He tried to push those thoughts aside, not wanting to bring up a potentially uncomfortable topic at this moment, but he could still feel them lingering in the back of his mind.

Once they entered her tent, Artemis took a seat on the bed. Percy followed suit, sitting slightly awkwardly on the edge, unsure about how much space Artemis preferred. The goddess sighed and leaned back, turning to study Percy with her piercing gaze. Percy felt a slight unease under her scrutiny.

"What are you doing?" he asked. Artemis shrugged, sighing once more, and then asked a question that caught Percy off guard.

"Percy, what do you see in me?"

He blinked, taken aback by the unexpected question.
"What do you mean?" Artemis continued to study him intently.

"Well, you could have pursued a relationship with anyone, but you chose me. A maiden goddess with the oath of chastity. Why?" Percy took a moment to think before answering. She had a fair point. Why had he chosen her?

"Honestly, I don't know," he admitted after a pause. "Ever since Annabeth, I wasn't actively looking for a relationship. For some silly reason, Aphrodite kept teasing me about us potentially being a thing, and I don't know, I guess it just started to make me think what if we actually were. Then, the quest to kill Cetus, where I spent more time with you. Aphrodite lied to me, and when I had no one to go to, you were there for me, despite me being a man. You talked to me and even offered me a place to stay. We got closer, and I got past your boundaries. I started to understand you for who you are. And then… Well I kissed you, and I fell in love with the way your lips felt, the way your hands felt, the way your hair felt, and with you as a person."

Artemis blushed, looking away for a moment. For a moment, Percy was afraid he might have shared too much, but her next question surprised him.

"Do you really mean that?" Percy nodded without hesitation.

"Why wouldn't I? You're perfect for me, Artemis." The goddess met his gaze once more, her expression a mixture of surprise and (dare he say) vulnerability. Percy's words seemed to have struck a chord with her, and she didn't seem displeased by his answer. Well at least I'm doing something right, he thought to himself in disbelief.

"What about you, Artemis?" he asked, deciding to flip the tables. "What do you see in me?" Artemis blinked, clearly not expecting the question. She hesitated for a moment.

"At first, I saw a goofy kid who seemed way too inexperienced for godhood. But nevertheless, I've always held some respect for you. I listened to you, and when the time came, I trusted you. When you asked me out… I-I didn't even understand what you meant, so I said no a bit too quickly." She paused for a moment, her eyes filled with regret. "Aphrodite told me the truth, and I realised my mistake. I came to fix it, and in the heat of the moment, we…" She struggled for the right words.

"We engaged in a fervent exchange of affectionate osculation," he finished for her, causing the goddess to let out a light chuckle.

"That's one way to put it," she said, flashing him a smile which he happily returned.

"Well, I'm glad Aphrodite set the record straight," Percy sighed. "I know it hasn't been long, and you're pretty new to this, but I can't say I regret any of it, Artemis." The goddess seemed to relax a bit, a small smile forming on her lips.
"I don't regret it either, Percy."

They sat in comfortable silence for a while, enjoying the connection between them. After some time, Artemis broke the silence.

"Percy, can we... kiss?" she asked hesitantly. Percy blinked, surprised by the question. "Uhh, Artemis, since when have you started asking to kiss me? I thought you loved doing it spontaneously?" She blushed lightly, before shaking her head.

"That was the heat of the moment. This is different." Percy smiled and leaned in closer.

"Well in that case, I'd love to." Satisfied with his answer, the goddess leaned closer, her moonlit eyes staring into his sea green ones. However, just as they were about to kiss, Percy heard a strange voice in his head. It sounded like Aphrodite, and she was asking him to come to Olympus? Judging from Artemis's expression, she'd heard the same message.

"Did you hear that too?" Percy asked. Artemis nodded.

"Yes, I did."

"What does it mean?" Artemis sighed.
"It means that Aphrodite is calling a council meeting, for whatever silly reason this time, and we're obliged to go." Percy groaned in frustration but agreed.
"Alright. Can you flash me there?" Artemis hesitated for a moment, then shook her head.

"We shouldn't be seen arriving together," she explained. "People will immediately jump to conclusions."

"Yeah, but I can't 'flash' like you do, remember. Perks of still waiting for my true form to show." Artemis grumbled but relented.

"Fine, I'll do it, but we better not get caught." Percy couldn't help but smirk.
"Don't worry. Aphrodite will steal the spotlight as usual." Artemis chuckled softly. Percy slipped his hand into Artemis's, and taking a deep breath, the goddess flashed them to the regal, grand hall of the gods.

As soon as they arrived on Mount Olympus, Percy quickly let go of Artemis's hand, trying to avoid drawing any attention. He could've sworn he saw Poseidon raise an eyebrow, but he quickly averted his gaze, focusing on the real reason he was there.

Aphrodite stood in the centre of the room, holding something in her hand.

"Hey, Aphrodite," Percy grinned, lightly punching her on the arm. "Where were you this morning? I had to make my own breakfast, and sadly, it's not as good as yours." Percy had just been joking, but Aphrodite's eyes were filled with anger and hatred.

"Whoa!" Percy exclaimed. "Are you alright? What happened?" Her voice was filled with fury as she pointed an accusatory finger at Athena.

"You thief!" she screeched. "How dare you take my stuff! How dare you steal from me!"

The room fell into shocked silence as Aphrodite's outburst echoed through the grand hall. Percy exchanged a worried glance with Artemis who seemed to be intentionally ignoring him. Zeus was the first to break the silence.
"Easy, Aphrodite, calm down," he began slowly. "Can you explain what happened?" Aphrodite, her eyes still filled with anger, didn't calm down, nor did she give an explanation. She pointed her finger directly at Athena again.

"Athena stole from me!" she yelled, her voice echoing through the hall. "And unless she returns what's rightfully mine, this means war!"

Well, this is where the juicy stuff starts. All I'll say is that whatever plot twists you think I have planned, I can guarantee you it's wrong. The next chapters redefine the definition of plot twists. Anyways, how was the chapter? I was playing some chess earlier in the week, so the chess part was pretty fun to write. And thanks to some helpful criticism I decided to just get Percy and Artemis to hang out alone for a bit rather than date. Oh, before anyone says anything, penguins ARE sea creatures, and he definitely should be able to talk to them.

Hope the chapter was good, and hope to update next week!