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Chapter Five

Artemis stalked through the woods, slowly and quietly observing the stillness of the nature around her. The rain fell quietly, the leaves of the trees blocking most of the brunt of the ongoing thunderstorm. The floor below her was entirely mud, having never been given the time to dry in the last three years. It made animals both easier and harder to track. Animal tracks were more likely to stick in mud, however the constant rain made it more likely for the tracks to be washed away.

She slowly crept forward, drops of rain splattering on her face. Raindrops dripped off of the bow slung over her back. She jerked her head to the right as she caught the scent of prey. Moving slowly, so as not to alert the bear that she was near, she climbed an oak tree. She perched herself on a branch that overlooked a cave.

She pulled her bow off of her back and slowly, with care, nocked an arrow. She drew the bowstring back and fired at the dirt in front of the cave opening. The arrow dug itself into the mud with a wet 'schleck'. Heavy footsteps echoed inside the cave, slowly drawing closer to the entrance.

Artemis shifted her weight as she drew another arrow and pulled the drawstring back. She lined up a shot, predicting the actions of the bear. The feathers of the arrow grazed her nose as she held her breath. She watched.

In the darkness of the cave, a large grizzly bear emerged. It moved slowly, cautiously as it spotted the arrow in the mud. As the bear came into the open, the rain matted its fur. It sniffed the arrow before growling lightly. It looked around, its fatal mistake.

Artemis let the arrow loose. It sailed through the air, piercing the hide of the beast, entering the lungs as well as the heart. The bear dropped dead instantly. The Goddess of Hunting dropped down from the branch, rolling as she met the ground. She slung the bow over her back as she came up.

She approached the dead bear. Above the corpse, she could see the faint blue outline of the bear. She reached her hand out. The bear sniffed her hand before nuzzling it. Using her free hand, she pet the spectral apparition. Slowly it dissipated into silver specks. Elsewhere in the forest, a grizzly bear was born.

She looked down at the corpse and knelt down. She grasped the arrow and lightly tugged at it. The arrow barely budged. She sighed and pulled the hunting knife from her belt. She slowly cut around the arrow, avoiding damaging the meat. She tried pulling the arrow again and this time she was able to pull it out.

She pulled a cloth out of a pouch tied to her belt and wiped the arrow down, removing the blood from it before placing it back in her quiver. She put the handkerchief back in her pouch. She turned to the corpse again and rolled the bear over. Using the corpse's legs as handles, she picked the bear up and slung it over her shoulder.

As she turned to return back to her Hunters, she felt a presence near her. She thought it was Apollo for a second, before remembering he was still mortal. She never thought she would see the day that she missed the idiot. Instead, she turned to see Hermes standing there. He was soaking wet, his hair matted and flat. He was slouching and leaning against his caduceus. He looked tired.

"Hermes?" She asked.

"You've been summoned. All of us have, except for Father and Uncle."

Artemis blinked twice. "A meeting?" They hadn't had one since the war started. Not even on either of the solstices. They'd all been too busy minimizing the damage to the mortal world caused by the clashing Gods. All her time and energy had been dedicated to persevering the forests of the world. "Has someone finally come up with a solution?"

"Hera has, allegedly. But I've heard whispers. That she isn't concerned with the mortals but something else."

"What else could be happening?"

"I don't know. I feel like we've gone through everything recently. What could possibly be next?"

"I don't know."

A silence settled between the two Gods, only broken by the falling raindrops. Artemis stared at Hermes, waiting for him to say something. As she did so, the bear started to slip off of her shoulder. She adjusted it, causing Hermes to speak up.

"So, how are you doing?" He asked.

"Fine. Why?"

"Just wondering."

Artemis looked at him strangely. "Okay."

"I'll, uh, I'll see you, uh, at the meeting."

"Okay."

Hermes nodded, before disappearing in a flash of light.

Artemis shook her head. Hermes had never acted like that before. It was almost like he had a crush on her. She froze. 'Oh Gods, please do not. Please do not.'

She wasn't a stranger to the advances of men. All who seemed to think they could change her, think they were the epitome of what a man should be, think she would leave everything behind for him. Actaeon, Bouphagos, Alpheus,... Orion.

She shook her head. No time to dwell on the past. She needed to get this bear to her Hunters, then answer the summons. She turned back the way she had initially came and started the trek back to her Hunter's camp.

As she walked back, she reflected on the past three years. When her Father had first declared war on her Uncle, she thought it would be resolved quickly. A quick bump in their brotherhood. It wasn't the first time they had had a spat, and it likely wouldn't have been the last. But the longer they went on, the more it seemed like it wasn't going to stop until one of them was killed.

The effect of the war on the mortal world was immense. Tsunamis had caused a death toll in the thousands, millions were starving as the constant storms destroyed farmland worldwide, earthquakes shook the earth causing casualties untold in many cities located near fault lines.

Even in her domain, the forest, she was constantly fighting against the effects. The constant rain was overhydrating the forest, drowning many plants. The wind was uprooting trees, just as the lightning was blowing some up. As the forests died, she could feel herself become slightly weaker.

She couldn't ever fade, not with the Moon as one of her domains. Unless the Mortals somehow destroyed the Moon, she was fine. But that wasn't solace against the fact that she was losing the places she deeply cared for.

She had hoped that a solution to end this war would present itself. She hated her stepmother, the bitch that she was, but if she had a solution, Artemis was more than willing to listen.

As she stepped into the camp, she exited her thoughts. Her Hunters milled around, either doing various chores or honing their skills. She felt pride swell in her chest for them. The Hunt had grown since the last Giant War, a boon, for the lost many sisters in the struggle against Orion.

She walked over to the canopy near the center of the camp, right next to the campfire. With the constant rain, she had invested in a bunch of canopies to keep the camp dry. It allowed them to burn fires, cook meals, and save the ground from becoming over-watered.

Sitting by the fire, sharpening some arrows with a whetstone, was her lieutenant, Thalia Grace. The Goddess placed the bear down next to her, right beside the fire.

Thalia looked up, pausing her chore. "How was the Hunt, m'lady?"

"Fruitful. With this bear, we shall feast."

"Feast? For what?"

"Can we not feast just to feast? Do we need a reason?"

"I guess not. I'll put Atlanta on it. Unless you disagree."

"That is fine. I have a meeting to attend. As always, you are in charge. Please, do not burn the place down."

Thalia smiled. "That might be a challenge, with all the rain." She gestured around them.

Artemis let out a chuckle. "That is fair. I will be back soon."

"Godspeed, m'lady."

Artemis nodded and turned away. She disappeared in a flash of light. When the light darkened, she found herself in the throne room of Olympus. Hera was the only one in the throne room. Dread settled in her stomach. She really didn't want to be alone with her stepmother. She tried to ignore the judgmental stare from the Queen of the Gods as she sat down on her throne.

Hera had never liked her, and vice versa. The Queen always had a grudge against her for being a bastard child, one of many. It didn't help that she had decided to remain unmarried, practically spitting in the face of her domains. While she understood where Hera was coming from, did it really make sense to punish the child for the parent's mistake? And at what point do you look at the facts and cut your losses? Why hadn't she divorced Zeus yet?

A bright light in the center of the room shook her from her thoughts. The light died down to reveal the Blacksmith God, Hephaestus. He took his seat as well and waited. One by one, each of the Gods flashed in, taking their seats. In the end, three thrones were empty. Zeus, Poseidon, and Apollo's.

Hera opened the meeting. "Is it so hard to be punctual? I mean, I called the meeting thirty minutes ago."

"Some of us have duties and can't just sit around." Hermes said.

"Hmph." Hera crossed her arms.

"You said you think you know how to end this pissing contest between Father and Uncle?" Athena asked.

Hera stood up. "Yes, I believe I have a solution. It is no secret that this war has gone on long enough. The mortals have been suffering, as have most of our domains. Poor Apollo can't complete his tasks to regain Godhood, not with all the danger."

"Yes, the harvests have all spoiled, no wheat, no corn, nothing!" Demeter said.

"Travel and messages have slowed down as well. Online commerce has plummeted." Hermes mentioned.

Hera raised a hand before another God could talk. "Yes, yes, all proving my point."

"So what is your solution? You haven't said." Athena asked.

Hera stood up taller. "What would kingdoms do to form alliances?" When no one spoke up, she continued. "An exchange of sorts?"

Athena's eyes raised. "A marriage. You want to arrange a marriage."

Hera nodded. "Indeed. I believe that an arranged marriage between my brothers' favorite children will quell their tempers, creating an alliance between the two."

"But why now?" Aphrodite asked. "You've probably had this idea for a while, but why bring it up now?"

Dionysus snorted. "Because Fate has been broken."

An eerie silence settled over the room, a thick blanket of dread. Artemis felt her body go stiff.

"And how do you know this, you old drunk?" Hephaestus asked.

Dionysus leaned back in his chair and summoned a diet coke. "It's all the campers have been talking about the past few days. That Rebecca Day girl barged in announcing it to Chiron. They brought Apollo in who helped them come to a few conclusions." He took a long drink from the can before letting out a dissatisfied grunt. He muttered, "'Tis no Chardonnay."

"Is this true?" Athena asked Hera.

The Queen sighed. "It is. I fear what this information means for us, and as such, I want us to be at full strength, which we cannot be at without my idiot brothers."

"I agree." Athena said.

Artemis did as well. Hera had a good point.

"So, who do we pick?" Hermes asked. "They have a lot of kids, who could possibly be the favorites?"

"I have some ideas. But we need my brother's here first. Hestia, I need you to exude your calming presence to keep them from fighting in the throne room."

Hestia looked up from her place at the hearth. She put the fire poker down and nodded.

Hera turned to Hermes. "Can you please fetch my brothers?"

Hermes nodded and flashed away in an instant.

The room settled into silence. There was a tension in the air, an electricity that had everybody on edge. Artemis leaned back on her throne. She should have known that her stepmother's solution would have been a marriage. It was her that came up with the idea of Aphrodite's. Zeus might've been the one to announce it, but everyone knew who's plan that was.

She, admitally, was curious about who Hera had in mind. It was well known that Athena was Zeus's favorite child. Although, she was in a close second place. But with Zeus's promise to never marry her off, she'd be immune.

Time ticked by slowly as they waited for Hermes to return with the feuding brothers. Three separate flashes in different areas signaled the return. Artemis felt the calming aura of Hestia, heavy and thick. She felt like she couldn't hurt a fly. She wanted to sit down and have a feast, a nice home cooked meal.

"What is he doing here! Explain, wife!" Zeus said, his eyes landing on Poseidon next to him.

"Shut up!" Hera yelled. "Shut up and listen to me." Her eyes burned with rage. "This pissing contest of yours has gone on too long!"

"He started it!" Poseidon said.

"Shut up!" Hera turned to the Sea God, daring him to test her. "Too long have you let the mortal world suffer. And now, we may be facing a threat we couldn't even imagine. Someone powerful enough to rid us of Fate itself! We need a unified council, which includes you." Hera took a deep breath and spoke calmly. "Which is why we have decided that the two of you will join together, in celebration."

"Celebration?" Zeus asked. "What would I ever have to celebrate with him?"

"Your children's marriage!" Hera smiled sweetly.

"What?!" Poseidon yelled.

"Yes, yes. We have decided that your favorite children will be wedded together."

"I don't have a favorite. I love all my children equally." Poseidon said.

"Tsk tsk tsk." Hera walked up to the Sea God and leaned in. "We all know you love one son above all."

"And who of my children are you giving away?" Zeus asked, grumbling.

"Easy, your favorite is Athena." She gestured to the Goddess of Wisdom.

Athena sprung to her feet. "Absolutely not! I will not marry a spawn of his!"

"Aww, that's too bad. I'm not giving you a choice."

Athena was breathing heavily. Her anger was overtaking her. She made a desperate play. "I call in my favor! The one you owe me for helping you with the coup!"

Hera was silent.

"Honor your word, Queen." Athena said, venom filling her words.

Hera's lips set into a thin line, a face filled with displeasure. "Fine. Then Artemis will be our bride." She turned to the Goddess of Hunting.

Artemis felt all her muscles tense up. After an entire life of being the hunter, she felt like the prey, and she had just been caught. She, like her sister before her, sprang to her feet. "You can nott! Zeus swore to never marry me off!"

"Good thing he's not. I am."

"You can not do this! You are stripping me of everything I stand for! Everything I represent!"

"Do you have a favor?"

Artemis bit her tongue. Is this what Olympian politics was now? Using favors as currency, to influence the outcomes? She didn't have any favors her stepmother owed her. Was this really going to happen to her?

She fell black into her throne, collapsing as she felt her world fall around her. She hid her head in her arms as she cried. She cried before the council. She had a hope that maybe it would convince them to pick someone else, but deep down she knew it wouldn't. If anything, Hera was relishing in the sobs. The vicious bitch that she was.

She heard footsteps approach her. When she looked up, she saw Hera standing above her, a blank expression on her face. "In times of crisis, we must make difficult decisions." She said before walking back to her throne.

Artemis wiped the tears from her cheeks. Her pride was starting to take over.. She had to remain strong. She could cry later in the privacy of her tent. 'It doesn't matter, they already saw it.' The back of her mind said.

"Which boy are you marrying me off to?"Artemis asked, muttering to the point almost no one could hear her.

"Isn't it obvious? Poseidon has one favorite son!" Hera said.

"Please, he is just a child. Not even a God." Poseidon pleaded. "Spare him this. He deserves better. Think of everything he has done for us!"

Hera turned to Hermes. "Please retrieve Percy Jackson."

"Please! The son shouldn't have to pay for the sins of the father!"

Hera turned to the Sea God. "Then the Father should have done better." She nodded at Hermes, who flashed out once again.

Artemis sat on her throne. Her eyes were red, her cheeks puffy and wet. She tried to dry them with her jacket sleeve, but to no avail. 'It could have been worse.' She repeated to herself. 'It could have been Triton.'

Hours seemed to pass for her as she waited for Hermes to return with her future husband. She cursed the word. She cursed the world. How quickly everything could fall apart. Just this morning she was hunting a bear, now she was losing everything.

There was a flash of light. When it dissipated, Perseus stood there. He eyed the Gods with a neutral expression. He didn't say a word as he waited for them to tell him why he was there.

"Congratulations, Percy Jackson, you have been selected for a great honor!" Hera said, clasping her hands together.

"If you're sending me on a quest, you could've just sent me an Iris-message."

"No. No quest. You're getting married!"

Percy laughed. "Really? You're marrying me off? Okay, I'll bite. To who?"

"To Artemis, son." Posiedon said. "I'm sorry."

All the humor on Percy's face fell away. He glanced at Artemis before turning to Hera. "You can't do this! Look at her! She's fucking sobbing! You're really going to do this to her?!"

"She is willing to make a sacrifice for the greater good." Hera said, sitting down.

"Just choose someone else. Don't make her suffer."

"We can't choose someone else. She has been chosen because she is one of Zeus's favorites. As the other has used her favor, Artemis is left with no choice."

"You really can't just find it in your heart to maybe not do this. Look at her! Fucking look at her and tell me you don't feel a damn thing!"

"Perseus. It is fine." Artemis spoke up. Her voice was even, holding back both rage and depression.

"They shouldn't do this, Artemis."

"Let it go. I will be fine." She eyed Hera, her silver eyes burning with rage.

"Are you sure? This isn't right."

"Nothing ever is."

"OKAY! The wedding will be in a month." Hera interrupted, her voice firm, not allowing room for argument. She turned to Aphrodite. "You and I will plan it. The rest of you will be required to attend. As will the Minor Gods and the Nymphs."

She turned to Artemis and Percy. "You two will be in charge of your own vows. We will approach you for your attire soon, so be available." Hera closed her eyes, like she was running through a mental list. "I believe that is it. Meeting adjourned."

Most of the Gods flashed out instantly. Poseidon stood up and walked over to his son, shrinking to the size of a regular man. He placed a hand on his shoulder. "I am sorry, son. I never would have thought this would have happened. Not to you, not to her."

Artemis stopped listening and watched as everyone else left. Poseidon left, leaving Percy alone as well. She watched as Percy walked over to the hearth and knelt down. Hestia softly spoke something to him, nothing she could hear. She saw the Son of Poseidon nod before standing and hestia disappeared into the hearth.

It was only she and he in the room now. She stood up and shrunk down in size. She approached him and spoke, "Walk with me, Perseus."

"Percy. Please. Please, just Percy." He sounded so desperate, like he just wanted her to call him Percy.

"Percy. Please, walk with me."

Artemis walked out of the throne room and took a left. Behind her, she could hear Percy's footsteps echoing off of the stone pathway. Something was different about him, but she didn't know what yet.

"You don't have to worry. About the marriage, I mean. We can just avoid each other, pretend it didn't happen." Percy said.

They reached a garden. Tall flowers grew in fields around the stone pathways. A statue of Demeter, carved beautifully in marble. In front of it was a stone bench. Artemis sat down and took a deep breath. Percy stood, watching her, waiting.

"Are you going to sit?" She asked. "I will not bite."

Percy hesitated for a moment, before sitting down at the far edge of the bench, as far from the Goddess as he possibly could. Artemis noticed, but didn't mention it. On one hand, it offended her, on the other hand, she was glad he was giving her space.

"I noticed you never mentioned Athena's daughter. Why?"

Percy traced a pattern on his pants. "She broke up with me. A while ago."

"Oh." Artemis paused. "I am sorry to hear that."

"So was I."

A silence settled between them. Artemis glanced at Percy. Like before she noticed he was different from the last time she saw him. He was older, for one. His hair was longer, shaggier. He was wearing clothes she wouldn't have pegged him for ever wearing. A full suit, red and back that was measured to fit him perfectly. She wondered what he had been doing before they had summoned him.

But the differences weren't just physical. He held himself with confidence and grace he, well, he never lacked it, but it wasn't as prevalent as it was now. He carried himself with weight. Every movement was methodical, unusual for the rash demigod she had met all those years ago. This was this air around him, a tinge of sadness hidden under a lot of stress.

"I do not want to." She said, breaking the silence.

"What?"

"Just avoid each other. I do not want to."

"Okay?"

Artemis sighed. She picked an arrow out of her quiver and fiddled with the fletching. "Do you know why I never wanted to get married?"

"You were traumatized from delivering Apollo."

Artemis chuckled humorlessly. "Yes, that was a factor. But in actuality, it was something else." She sighed before picking a piece of fluff off one of the feathers. "Marriages for Olympians are not great. For most Gods, actually. Look at my Father. He cheats on her every day, and Hera is a conniving, heartless, and cold woman because of it. Aphrodite constantly cheats on Hephaestus with Ares, not even hiding on it anymore. I never wanted that. So I decided to make it my choice. I asked Father to never marry me off. I guess I should have asked for more than that.

"The point is, I don't want to become Hera, or Aphrodite. And I don't want you to be Zeus or Hephaestus." She felt her lips become dry as she tried to figure out how to put her feelings into words. She licked her lips before continuing. "What… what I am." She sighed. "What I am trying to say is, I want to… I want to try to make it work. You are no more a victim of Olympian politics than I am, and I think, I think that we should try to make the best of it."

"Oh."

"What do you think?"

Percy sighed. "I… I don't know. I mean, I don't know if I'm ready for a relationship right now. I have a lot going on."

"Oh. Okay." Artemis took another piece of fluff off a feather and threw it on the ground.

Percy rubbed his hands together nervously. "But…uh… I guess, if you are willing to try… then uh, I guess I'm game too then."

"Oh. Great." She said slowly. "How… how do we go about this, then?"

"I'm not an expert on relationships, but I think usually people get to know each other. Like, go on dates and stuff. Annabeth and I never really had this part of a relationship, being friends first and all."

"Umm, okay. So what, we just.. What?"

"Hang out? That's basically it."

"So, like, once a week, we will go on a date then?"

"I think that could work for me."

Artemis nodded. "Once a week then."

They fell into an awkward silence again. Artemis stood up. "I should tell my Hunters about this development. I will, I will see you in a week then."

"Yep. In a week."

They stared at each for a second.

"Could you?" Artemis spun her finger.

"Oh, yeah, no problem." Percy turned around.

Artemis flashed away, leaving Percy alone in the garden with the promise to see him in a week.

A/N. This chapter was so fun to write. From the beginning to end, it was just a joy. I hope y'all enjoyed it.

Something I've been playing around with is character quirks. So Artemis has one, where she doesn't use contractions when she talks. I hope it didn't make the writing feel clunky or anything. If it did, let me know and I'll just write her normally.

Thoughts?