Ten minutes before walking into the cave that Percy and Artemis was at, Alexie was practicing her archery skills in secret.

Her technique looked rather familiar.

No.

It was almost exactly the same to how Percy was teaching the other girls.

What the blonde was trying to do was to shoot a target placed behind a tree.

There was a slight wind, so practicing would be possible.

If there was no wind, it would be impossible to "curve" the arrow, unless she was a goddess that is.

But alas, he was but a mere demigod with a small blessing of archery.

A far cry from the archery prodigy of their so called guardian.

For the first week, all she heard was his amazing skills.

He was this.

He was that.

First time picking up a bow and his first shots happen to land in the middle, big deal.

It was only seventy meters away.

'Tak'

It wouldn't be annoying if it was just that.

But what really annoyed her was that he actually began to teach archery.

He was simply lucky and yet had the gall to teach them?

How arrogant was he to teach a group that only used bows?

'Tak'

How does that make any sense?

And how did Artemis allow this to even happen?

Of course, Alexie was fuming.

She didn't believe it.

The absolute nerve of this guy.

'Tak'

Not only that but there were even some girls that attended his lessons.

How completely ridiculous.

There was no way that those girls weren't over exaggerating.

It wasn't that impressive.

She could do it if she tried.

'Tak'

If they weren't then it sounded like an extreme case of beginners luck.

A newbie might think:

Seventy meters?

That's pretty far.

Three bullseyes in a row and as a beginner ?

Wow!

He's talented!

'Tak'

Of course, she wasn't there to witness it, so she couldn't say much about it.

They could go to his lessons, and find out that whether or not he was worth the hype.

If he was a fraud, then that would be the end of it.

Alexie was no fool. She wasn't going to waste her time on his "lessons". She had better things to do than to listen to a male that was for sure.

However, the next day came and the girls were flocking to him.

Like moths to a flame, they were willing to go and learn from this male, which confused her.

Why is it that there were more people attending and not the other way around?

There should be less girls attending?

But, reality was slapping her in the face.

Alexie refused to believe that a male was good enough to teach the Hunt.

The only person that was capable of teaching the Hunt was Artemis since one of her symbols was the bow and arrow.

It would only make sense for Artemis to teach the Hunt, but opportunities to learn from the goddess herself were few and far between.

'Tak'

They learned from hunting monsters and from each other.

That was how the Hunt worked.

And with a system like this, it was inevitable for some casualties to happen.

It's not like they wanted it to happen.

But, sometimes your best isn't enough.

'Tak'

Artemis was a god, but she couldn't be everywhere.

Alexie knew that.

But, it was hard not to be resentful sometimes.

Everyone knew that they were getting themselves into whenever a hunt took place, but that didn't make the pain go away.

It only made the pain sting even more.

'Tak'

Eventually, Alexie swallowed her pride and attended in secret.

Seeing him shoot, it was on a whole other level.

Her first thought was that he lied about never touching a bow before.

Because in her mind, she didn't want to admit that a beginner was better than her.

Even she had to admit that his archery was amazing, almost on par with Artemis.

Of course, it would always be below the goddess known for her archery, but even then it was in a league of its own.

It annoyed her.

It was hard knowing that there was somebody out there with such innate talent.

That they didn't even have to try to become good at something because they were just born talented.

At least.

That's what she thought before she found him practicing alone in the woods one day.

'Well, maybe,' Alexie thought, 'the first day was a fluke. He won't be here tomorrow.'

As it turns out, he wasn't only practicing for that day.

But, he also practiced the following day.

And the day after that.i

And the day after that.

For every. Single. Day afterwards, he practiced his archery at the same place, at the same time, for the same amount of time.

Now, you might be wondering.

How did Alexie know?

Well, the answer was simple.

It was because she watched him do it.

That bastard practiced every single day, no matter it was rain or shine, he was there. Everyday

Now, something to note was that the Hunt travelled a lot, so they were not in the same place for long periods of time.

But, Alexie figured out what direction and how far this guy went to practice.

After months of secretly following him, it wasn't hard for her to find out how far he went out.

It kind of became a routine for her to wake up in the morning to follow him.

Was it creepy?

Most definitely.

But, she reasoned that if there would be a day that he would let up, and she would be there to catch him.

So, it really stumped her when he wasn't there one day.

Alexie went out looking for him, but there were no traces of him anywhere.

Eventually, the demigod gave up looking for him and decided to practice on her own.

'Tak'

Her face crumpled into a frown as she missed the target yet again.

How did that guy do it so consistently?

Clicking her tongue, she drew her bow again when a strong wind blew against her, causing her to let go too early as she stumbled to regain footing.

Looking up, dark clouds covered the entire sky.

Well, shit.

Looking back at the target, there was an arrow right where she wanted to hit.

As much as Alexie wanted to be happy, she'd seen Percy hit so many targets behind objects that she wasn't satisfied with hitting one.

In her mind, she was thinking, 'If I can do that ten more times in a row, then maybe I could start catching up to that bastard.'

The air started to get colder.

No good.

It's going to start pouring any time soon.

There was a cave somewhere around here?

Retracing the steps in her memory, Alexie remembered where it was and made a beeline in that direction.

Approaching the cave, a familiar glow caught her eyes.

It was something she'd seen a million times already.

The light of a campfire.

Somebody was here.

She had to make sure it was safe before she made herself known.

Alexie stealthily made her way towards the entrance of the cave along the rocky walls.

She couldn't see who was in the cave yet because the entrance was somewhat curved. But Alexie could see the light of the campfire reflecting off the wall, so she knew there was somebody here.

Edging closer, the demigod began to hear some voices.

". . . you still showed me sincerity and nothing else. So, how could I not fall in love with you?"

What the.

A confession?

Here?

What kind of romantic setting was this?

Two people stuck in a cave, alone.

Well, they weren't really alone since she just happened to be there, but if she wasn't there then they would've been alone huddled together in each other's warmth, hiding from the incoming storm together.

She felt a sudden ooze of romantic vibes emanating from the cave.

It would've been perfect (for them) if she wasn't there, but unfortunately them that wasn't the case.

It's not like she wanted to intrude.

But by the look of things, Alexie had to be that guy.

What other choice did she have?

Stay outside?

Find another cave?

Wait for them to be done?

That was just suicide.

There wasn't enough time to find another one.

The wind was getting stronger out here.

She had to really hold onto a rock to not blow her cover because her bow was in her other hand.

And it was really cold.

And hell, she wasn't about to freeze to death waiting for this lovey-dovey couple to finish up.

Alexie was in a difficult position, but she wasn't that insensitive.

She was willing to give them fifteen more seconds.

That should be enough time for those feelings to get through.

That was all she was willing to give because there was no way she'd prioritize their feelings over her suffering.

It was only fifteen seconds.

"Artemis..."

Ah.

What?

Artemis?

"All those nights we spent together-"

Those nights?

At that moment, her mind went blank.

It felt like the rest of the world went still.

Even the gust of wind that was about to rip her off the wall felt like a still breeze.

Alexie wondered why his voice sounded kind of familiar.

It was Perseus.

That meant that...

Artemis was the same Artemis she knew.

What the?

What did he mean all those nights they spent together?

They were sleeping together all of this time?

How was that possible?

The only way that Artemis would ever spend a night with a man was if she was drugged somehow, but if she was drugged this wouldn't be a confession.

It would be something entirely different.

So how did this happ-

Oh shi-

My bow!

Her hand loosened from the bow she was holding on to for a second, and it was immediately sent flying away.

Alexie made an attempt to catch it, but it only made the situation worse. The wind tore her off of the wall, causing her to stumble in the entrance of the cave. She was in plain view, but thankfully the wind covered up the sound of her flailing.

All of her gratefulness dissipated when her bow that she lost flew into the cave, making a loud clang as it slammed against the wall.

Her eyes turned towards the campfire where the two would be sitting when she saw the mattress, which also happened to be the first thing to catch the demigod's attention.

"Wh- Wh- Wh- What the fuck is going on here!!!" Alexie shakily aimed her finger at the pair.

This scene looked a little different from her romantic cave confession fantasy.

Why the fuck was there a bed?

And why was Artemis straddling Perseus?

Their faces were awfully close to each other, and there was no doubt in her mind that they would've kissed if she didn't ruin the moment.

Reality never failed to disappoint.

"Alexie," Artemis calmly said, "It's rude to point. And, how long where you there for?"

The goddess looked unconcerned that she was caught red-handed in such a compromising position.

Alexie wasn't there for the entire thing, but she nodded her head nonetheless.

"You. And him. Are really."

"Slow down," Artemis instructed, "and think about what you want to say. We aren't going anywhere in this weather."

Alexie was reminded about the weather outside, so she relaxed slightly.

But that didn't make her less confused about the situation.

"Perseus, some water please," Artemis asked.

A glass of water appeared in his hand, and she took it, offering it to Alexie.

Her throat did feel rather dry, so Alexie gladly took it.

After downing the water, the blond demigod turned her attention back to the pair.

Artemis was casually sitting in between his legs, seemingly very comfortable and unperturbed that they have been found out. It didn't look like the moon goddess cared how Alexie thought of them.

They were sitting on the mattress like a throne while she was on the ground.

Actually, it was more like Percy was the throne and the mattress was just there.

"So, what were you going to say?"

For some reason, it felt like she was granted audience to talk with the king while being in a cave.

Artemis sold the effect with her regal demeanor.

"Since when were you guys- a thing?"

Thinking for a second, Artemis said, "Officially, we've been together for two days."

"Two days???"

Artemis rose her hand to stop Alexie's outburst. "But, I suppose if that answer is not good enough. We'll just say since the trip to New York."

Since New York?

That ages ago!

They've been a thing since then?

How hasn't she noticed?

Or anyone for that fact.

But before that.

"Mistress, can you tell him to stop? He's making me uncomfortable."

Percy was wrapped over her like a blanket and was rubbing her hands like they were cold.

It was weird seeing Artemis being- caressed?

He was being handsy with Artemis, and Alexie was not used to it.

It's not everyday that you find out Artemis was in a relationship with a guy.

Artemis looked her straight in the eyes and said, "No."

???

No?

Artemis continued to speak to explain. "He's my lover, and I like it."

?????

He's.

My.

Lover?

Who was the person in front of her?

This was someone else.

There was no way that this was-

"You don't seem to believe me?"

A slightly menacing aura trickled from the goddess, causing the hairs on Alexie's skin to rise.

It was an instinctual feeling that only happened whenever Artemis was angry.

From that feeling alone, Alexie didn't have any doubts that this was the Artemis.

But how was this possible?

Didn't Artemis have a restriction from the Lethe River?

He said that they slept together.

Maybe, it wasn't that type of sleeping together but laying down next to each other.

That was the only thing that made sense.

"But how?"

Tilting her head, Artemis asked, "How what?"

"How did you fall in love?"

She just witnessed a bonafide confession, first-hand.

How did this happen in the first place?

"Fall in love?" Her face bloomed an ethereal smile that Alexie had never seen in her entire life.

The young demigod never knew that her mistress could smile so beautifully.

It was absolutely incredible.

"When a man treats you with the utmost respect and sincerity, regardless of what tribulations you force him under. It's inevitable- to say the least. Especially... If he's as cute as this. Look at how cute his reaction is!"

Percy had his arms wrapped around Artemis' body, tightly hugging her. His face was hidden by Artemis' bed of hair, but Alexie could tell that he was embarrassed.

What the hell.

Looking closer, she noticed Artemis lower half rotating slightly.

Percy whispered something in her ear and made her giggle.

Besides the flirting happening in front of her, there was something that she didn't notice before.

That something was Artemis' skin. It had a literal glow to it like she was shining.

By this time, it was dark out, and the campfire was the only source of light.

But Alexie could still see it with her keen eyes, Artemis' skin looked as smooth as silk.

And as a girl herself, Alexie felt extremely jealous.

How did she get her skin to look like that?

"Mistress, what did he mean by 'those nights together'?"

Artemis was inwardly confused because she thought that Alexie had heard everything, but it seemed like she didn't.

"He was talking about when I was teaching him about the world." As Artemis said that, it left a sour taste in her mouth because it sounded so cringe. But, there wasn't a good way to explain it. "Perseus came from a place much different than ours, so I taught him about our world."

Alexie let out a sigh of relief. That did make sense.

But, what Alexie didn't know was that Artemis was talking about a different dimension.

The our world that Artemis was talking about wasn't the Greek world, like how Alexie interpreted as, but as a literal different plane of existence.

"And here I thought that you had slept together or something, thank the gods."

Percy and Artemis knowingly looked at each other and got a little embarrassed. Somehow, Alexie hit it right on the nose.

But unfortunately for her, she wouldn't find out any time soon.

All she was thinking was that these two were being flirty right in front of her.

To her, it looked like they were getting embarrassed thinking about it.

Tsk, tsk.

They looked like a pair of virgins.

"So," Artemis seriously said, "what are you going to do now?"

With this information, Alexie could do "anything" she really wanted to.

It didn't look like Artemis was willing to hurt Alexie to keep her secret.

"What am I going to do?" Alexie pondered for a bit, understanding what Artemis was hinting at. "Nothing. Probably. Even if I did expose you two, no one would believe me anyways. But!"

Her exclamation came out of nowhere and alerted the duo.

"You teach me archery!" Alexie pointed her finger at Percy.

"Me?" Percy questioned.

It was the first time he spoke the entire time since she showed up.

"Why not Artemis?"

If he remembered correctly, Alexie hated his guts.

If anything changed during the past few years, that wasn't something that had changed.

At least, according to his knowledge.

"I know Artemis is busy all the time, and I don't want to be a bother. But you. I'll admit, you are much better at archery than I am, and you have nothing better to do. So, you teach me archery!"

Percy awkwardly scratched his head. "Uh. Sure."

Alexie clapped her hands. "Now that, that's over with. You two need a room."

Glaring at Percy, she pulled out a small cube and tossed it to him. "If there's anything missing, you're dead."

"Alright."

Percy looked at the mattress on the ground, then looked at Alexie.

"Stop looking at me."

"Alright, my apologies."

"Perseus, come."

"Yes, my love."

As the lovers disappeared into the tent, Alexie fell onto mattress.

"Phew! Almost got turned into a jackalope."

If Artemis wasn't happy, then she could've easily been polymorphed.

But, it seemed like Percy made her more mellow, which was rather nice.

Not that Artemis was ever abusive towards any of the girls.

It's just that sometimes she could be really scary when she wanted to be.

Also, she would've never thought that Artemis and Percy were dating.

She would've never thought that Artemis would ever have a lover.

What a day...