Percy woke up to a few surprises. First, he was in the same bed he woke up in yesterday so he had somehow been returned to his father's palace. Second, he got up on time. Third, he was perfectly fine despite his lack of sleep. All three were things he was rather happy about given how it would be an awful look for him to immediately be late for his very arrival in the hunt.
While he didn't have much time to relax before his departure, he could at least grab something to eat. Truth be told, he wasn't sure if he even needed to eat at all now that he was immortal but today wasn't the day to find that out. Though he did end up stumbling through the palace again in search of something to eat for a while. Percy found what he was looking for after maybe 10 minutes, eating a chunk of ambrosia (because what else would be in a god's kitchen other than the food of gods) and made his way back to the entrance of the palace.
No more than a few minutes later was when the first rays of sunlight came over the horizon, signalling him that Artemis would arrive soon. Percy barely had anything to do while he waited so he took out riptide and twirled the pen in his hand, transformed it, twirled the sword, transformed it again. It took less than a minute for him to play around with attacks using the surprise effect of the sword's transformation. When the sun fully rose over the horizon, he had started to exercise outright, footwork and all. Lucky for him, the room he was in was ludicrously large so he had more than enough space to work with.
Only when a loud knock shook the doors did he realize that it was time for him to go. Percy put his sword away and turned around and went to the entrance, finding his father standing opposite of Artemis. They seemed to be talking, though he was too far away to make out what they were saying. Poseidon's posture gave it away however as he basically loomed over Artemis, agitation present all across his features. He was warning the moon goddess, no doubt about it.
As he came closer, both his father and Artemis took notice of him and turned towards him. Poseidon's face was still grim, worry etched across it. It was clear he didn't like what would have to follow now and probably hated his inability to change it even more but he stepped aside, letting his son walk out of the palace. Poseidon said his goodbyes with a final hug, letting Percy and Artemis leave his palace despite the little voice in his head screaming for him to do the opposite. He had to trust his son with this.
In contrast to Poseidon's plight, Artemis became visibly more relaxed as they walked away from the sea god's palace, the pressure of his power falling off of her shoulders. She knew that Perseus couldn't feel it but Poseidon had summoned the very might of the sea into himself earlier, something that she knew was far beyond her weight class. She was honestly happy that she was even able to keep her composure at all under his ire.
For Percy however, the current moment was far more conflicted. He hated having to say goodbye to his dad again, especially since it would be months before he would see him again and yet he looked all the more forward to meeting his friends again. Though he didn't really know why they were just walking on Olympus now.
"We are currently staying in Washington up north. Ever since the increase in monster sightings started, we have been patrolling the country and killed as many of them as we could find. We plan to go south now and make a stop at Camp Jupiter. With the information you provided we could get them to help our efforts and maybe even win over the Amazons as well. I wanted to give you a basic rundown of the situation before leaving here."
Artemis abruptly broke the silence, snapping Percy's thoughts back to the present and to his companion who was now holding out her arm. He wasn't sure what she was trying to do so he watched for a moment before realising that she was waiting for him to grab her arm so they could leave. With a light blush colouring his face he did just that, laying his hand on her forearm before the dislocating feeling of teleportation washed over him again.
When the bright light died down he was no longer in the city of gods and was instead standing in the middle of a tent he had seen once before. Furs lined the wall and floor, each belonging to a rare or difficult hunt the goddess had conquered in her life. At a wave of her hand Artemis brought a second chair into being, placed next to her own albeit with a gap between them and prompted Percy to sit down. After doing the same in her own, slightly more ornate chair, Artemis turned back to him. "Thalia will be here in about five minutes, she is out hunting dinner right now. If you have any prayers left to say, now would be the time."
Percy was stunned for a second, not expecting the goddess to poke fun at him before breaking into a chuckle knowing she might not be too wrong about her prediction. Thalia was never the best at reigning in her emotions. "I think I'll be fine, you won't let her blow up your tent." Artemis raised a silent eyebrow, glancing over towards him. "You're awfully confident…you know you'll have to leave the tent eventually, right?"
"Fair enough, but she'll have calmed down by then. At least enough to not kill me." Once more Artemis just raised an eyebrow at him, clearly doubting that Thalia would calm down that quickly and honestly, Percy also doubted it. But hey, what's hope for if not this? They fell silent after that, Artemis closing her eyes and stretching her senses to spot her lieutenant while Percy just sat there and waited.
And how he wished for that to not be the case. Slowly, his thoughts started to drift, his optimism fading to make way for doubt and insecurity. What if Thalia did hold it against him that he disappeared? Or if she held it against him that he was now engaged to her mistress? He knew better than anyone that his cousin could be very impulsive so would she even hear him out?
Within the few minutes he waited, his thought process looped through several waves of doubt, each time forcing him to snap himself out of it just to spiral back in within a couple seconds. It was only when Artemis' body shook once, signalling the return of her consciousness that Percy could fully redirect his focus. A single glance over at the goddess told him that Thalia was on her way here, Artemis' gaze fixed on the flap of her tent.
Percy copied her, waiting for Thalia to get here. As per Artemis' expectation, they didn't need to wait long from there, the flap opening to reveal Thalia, currently facing outside and talking to another huntress Percy couldn't see from his spot. He didn't really know what they were talking about and the conversation ended right as Thalia dropped the flap and turned around, freezing the moment she laid eyes on him. His cousin hadn't changed much in the time he hadn't seen her, still wearing what was essentially a goth outfit with a tiara. If he had to pick a difference then it'd be that she felt a little more mature, more dependable. Hopefully less explosive.
A moment of silence passed between them, Thalia's eyes darting back and forth between him and Artemis, a myriad of emotions passing through them. A scent of ozone filled the air, giving away the tension she was feeling right now and subconsciously she filled the tent with static as well. Percy was just as tense, waiting for any reaction Thalia might have while not daring to so much as blink. After what seemed like an eternity a single "Why?" was all that came from Thalia. And he didn't know how to answer it.
"I…I couldn't…I was in Alaska…I'm sorry…" His voice was frickle and filled with remorse. He did regret not reaching out to his friend at all. She had never done him any wrong and he just disappeared on her. His timidity however served only to irk Thalia more, small bolts of lightning dancing on her forearms as her face frowned with anger. She looked just about ready to explode and blast him with a bolt right where he stood. "Thalia Grace!" Artemis' voice boomed through the tent, freezing both Thalia and Percy if only through the power behind it.
"There will be no lightning fired inside my tent! If you are so frustrated, then ask Perseus for answers but don't you dare wreck my tent!" Her voice was slightly raised, promising consequences to them both should her warning be ignored. Thalia clenched her fists, visibly holding herself back and suppressing her power. "Yes, m'lady…why were you in Alaska, Perseus?"
She emphasised his full name especially, anger still flowing through every word, just barely contained by her respect for Artemis. "Well…" He took a deep breath, here goes nothing… "After I left camp-" At this Thalia scoffed already, this time however not directed at him it seemed. "- I went to Atlantis and stayed with my dad for a while. I would've stayed longer but after a few months…Zeus started to go after dad for hiding me and dad told me to run before he could catch me so I went to the land Zeus couldn't reach"
He was aware of the two pairs of eyes on him. Artemis also had never heard this part of the story. Thalia however looked conflicted now, the anger still very clearly boiling inside of her and only barely being suppressed by her but at the same time the target of her anger was now unclear. Part of her was glaring at him but at the same time there was understanding and empathy in her stance. She didn't know who to blame either and she knew just as well as him that life was a bitch, especially to demigods. She'd lost six years to being a tree because of it.
Thalia tried a few times to say something, opening her mouth just to close it again a while after. Finally, she regained her bearings. "You didn't even call while you were in Atlantis. Why are you back now?" Under all her rage, a sliver of hurt and confusion was now showing itself and Percy felt his heart clench as he noticed it. That was his fault.
"After what happened in camp…I just couldn't talk to anyone. I felt like everyone around me had suddenly started hating me and…I just didn't want to talk to anyone. I didn't think I'd…you know, have to leave entirely." He didn't answer her question about why he was back. He just couldn't switch that fast from those painful old memories to the new bad ones.
At this Thalia's eyes seemed to soften even more, empathy clearly visible now. Well, empathy and anger. She was still angry. "Then why are you here now?" To her credit, she did get the hint that he didn't want to talk about his reason for leaving Alaska. She just picked the one even worse thing to ask him about. And he had to answer this one. Percy couldn't help but throw a frantic look at Artemis who up to this point had taken to silently watching the two cousins. Fortunately, the moon goddess was willing to help him out this time.
"That would be because of me." As she spoke, Artemis took off her glove, revealing a ring almost identical to his own. It was his first time seeing the ring at all but he could immediately recognise it as the pair to his own. And while Thalia didn't know about his ring, she could also connect the dots between his presence in her tent and the engagement ring she was wearing. "Percy, what did you-" Her question was cut short by Artemis as the goddess let her aura roll off of her in waves, making it clear she would explain things. "Our father set this up. The council decided on this engagement and finalized it. That's why Perseus will be staying here for the next few months. He had no say in this matter."
Her voice was sharp and clear, leaving no room for any argument. It was obvious that Artemis didn't want to go into detail about it and it took no genius to figure out why either. So Thalia respected the wish of her mistress and simply nodded her head. It was a lot to take in but this much was all she would get. What followed was an uncomfortable silence, broken only as Artemis got up and walked over to the entrance of the tent, picking up her glove as she did so. "I'll leave you to catch up with each other for now and will be back to get you both later."
This was the last she said before she left the tent, letting the two of them take the time they needed to catch up with each other and with what happened in their lives. Given how much Thalia had calmed down compared to her initial mood, Artemis would hopefully still have a tent to return to by the time she got back.
As she walked around she started to greet her hunters, striking up conversations along the way and repeatedly asking them to gather in the dining tent for an important announcement later. Some of her girls looked confused but none of them complained to her or tried to excuse themselves. They trusted her to only call them for something serious. Would they still trust her later today? Or would they think she betrayed their ideals by allowing for all of this to happen?
It was a pointless thing to even consider but now she felt her guilt grow with every huntress she talked to, every girl she would soon have to tell that she broke the very oath they were all bound by. Slowly she zoned out, eventually finding herself just sitting by the archery range. She didn't even feel like shooting.
Her huntresses were mostly still young, only three old enough to remember her first encounter with Perseus less than a decade ago. Only one old enough to remember the last time she almost had to marry a son of the sea. Maria was sure to remember how they solved that incident too. She just hoped that she'd be able to stop history from repeating itself, both for Perseus's sake and for her own. Poseidon had made it very clear who he would hold responsible should something happen to his son.
A small sigh escaped her lips, something very odd for a goddess. She just couldn't see a good way forward. Either she marries and loses part of what defines her or she rebels against her family and risks the lives of all she holds dear. Neither option was good but she also couldn't think of any alternative outside of the two. At least Perseus had offered her a way out of that damned oath.
With another sigh Artemis got back up. She wasn't sure how long she had dozed off but after checking quickly she realised it had been about an hour. It was about time she got back to Perseus and Thalia. At least nothing had exploded yet.
As she marched back to her tent she couldn't help but notice the empty space next to it that would soon have Perseus' tent in it. How had Hera even done that? Or was it Aphrodite? Both were able to manipulate well when they wished to so she wouldn't be surprised if they used that on her hunters. She had learned to accept minor transgressions like this as she couldn't do anything to the goddesses without looking outright mad to the council.
She gently pushed the flap of her own tent open before stepping inside, once again witness to the conversation between the cousins. This time however, things seemed to have cleared up noticeably. "Yeah, right, you'd take on Hera. You couldn't even dodge her statue, Thals."
Her lieutenant was now no longer fuming with rage but with annoyance for being reminded of her unsightly defeat during the Second Titan War. "You take that back! Without me you'd have been killed years before Kronos even came to Manhattan!"
As their banter was about to continue, Artemis cleared her throat, catching the attention of both of them. While she was happy to see her sister in such a good mood, she also had an announcement to make for the rest of her hunt. And she'd rather have Thalia with her when trying to calm them down after what would definitely cause a ruckus.
"It seems like your talk has been quite fruitful but I'm afraid I will have to interrupt it now. I've gathered the hunters in the dining tent for an announcement and I'd rather have my lieutenant with me when I break the news to them." At that her half-sister got up, walking towards her and waiting for her to leave the tent while Poseidon's son simply stayed seated. "Perseus, you will have to be there too."
"I was hoping you wouldn't say that." Despite his words, he barely looked dejected at all. If anything he was looking better now than he had when he and Artemis had talked yesterday. Something she presumably had her lieutenant to thank for. While she could still spot signs of nervousness and hesitation, he looked a lot more confident than he had earlier today. She wondered if that would last.
But Percy seemed to hold on fine even as they walked to the dining tent. He was fiddling with his thumbs, sure, but his body wasn't shaking like it had when they waited for Thalia. He would just be standing beside her for the most part anyways, she was the one who'd explain everything to the hunt. Which she still wasn't sure how to do. She had learned to accept her situation long ago as she grew older and when she got engaged the first time but the month for which she stayed engaged back then had also been one of the coldest she could remember ever seeing her girls. They had taken out their hatred on the son of Poseidon back then but some had also scorned her. Even if she had felt it before, it was devastating to deal with, especially so shortly after two wars that cost her most of her hunters' lives.
She mulled over what reaction she'd receive for the entire rest of the walk, only stopping her thoughts when she came to a halt right before the tent. While she would have liked to take another moment, she knew that was merely due to hesitation and fear. So she pushed the flap open and entered, Perseus and Thalia following right behind her as she took her place standing at the head of the table.
The effect was instantaneous, all hunters quieting down and staring at the man next to her. She knew at least two of them recognised him as she had recruited them from the demigod camp after the wars and two more knew him from the battle of Manhattan. That was probably what caused the mixed reaction too. While most of her hunt showed clear dislike, the two older huntresses Pauline and Maria showed signs of curiosity instead.
"Huntresses, as you can see we have a guest today. Perseus Jackson, as some of you remember, is a son of the sea that has accomplished many great deeds for Olympus in his years and has fought side by side with some of you, particularly with your lieutenants, both old and new." She noticed Perseus flinch in the corners of her eye as she mentioned Zoe. It seemed to still be a soft spot, even after all these years. Her hunt on the other hand had now turned to her. While some of them still occasionally glanced at Perseus, they were more focused on their patron now. "After everything, he has received immortality through the golden apples and has appeared before the Olympian council two days ago. Lord Zeus and the council have then decided that he is to stay with us for a few months. In an attempt to bury the grudges between them, the council has decided that Zeus and Poseidon are to be brought closer through their children. Because of that…Perseus and I have been betrothed to one another."
Her voice felt stale, however that was possible. She had told this story once before, of peace between brothers and union on Olympus. Her father had told her to present this as the official reasoning. To never tell anyone the truth. She had to swear an oath not to tell it. It was such a bland lie too, especially right now when Olympus had united not too long ago due to the threats it faced but her father didn't care for that. Hadn't cared when he betrothed her once more. It felt wrong to praise Perseus before her announcement but she knew it would probably lessen the insults he'd receive. Maybe redirect some her way.
It was a much quieter reaction than she'd expected too. The youngest three girls were all quiet, either too timid or too overwhelmed to speak up. Her eldest huntress Maria was similarly quiet, having gone through this once before. Her silence was a brooding one, that Artemis knew. The hunters that spoke up were the slightly older ones. The ones that had been with the hunt for long enough to view it as family. Two among them were focused on her and she could see the hurt in their eyes. They didn't understand why this was happening and they felt like they were losing their newfound home.
The remaining seven were all however directing their ire at Perseus. Three of them were outright cursing him, hurling insults his way which, to his credit, he took without even a sliver of a reaction. The last four were talking to each other, cursing Perseus and speculating on his involvement. They didn't bother keeping their conversation quiet so it was easy enough for her to hear. And not just for her. "Quiet!"
A boom echoed through the tent, thunder outside signalling her lieutenant's anger. Sparks were flying up and down her body as Thalia fixed every huntress with a withering glare, only passing the youngest ones. Thalia had always commanded this air of authority not unlike their father's, something that came in handy when leading the hunt. And it was useful this time once more as the noise calmed down quickly, all eyes focusing on her half-sister. "I know this is much to take in, I felt the same when they told me about this a couple hours ago. But this is not Percy's doing nor is it that of Lady Artemis. This was done by the council to promote peace and pushed forward by those on the council that dislike Lady Artemis. I understand your anger but I will not allow anyone to lash out at my cousin who couldn't have influenced the council's decision even if he tried. Understood?"
There was a clear undertone in her speech, her agitation showing clearly. Artemis would have liked it if Thalia hadn't put up part of the Olympian council to take the blame for this, even if they were responsible for it. Nothing good came out of antagonizing them and if her huntresses ever ran their mouths at any of the Olympian gods then she knew her family to be petty enough to punish said huntresses severely.
The huntresses in question however only turned silent. None of them were willing to go against Thalia when she was angry but Artemis could tell that most didn't really listen to her either. But the insults did stop. It took a collective moment of silence before one of her youngest huntresses, Clara, spoke up. "What's going to happen now?" There was an awful amount of fear and uncertainty in her voice. She had personally rescued the young girl and her twin sister from a monster attack two months ago and had since become an idol to both of them and she wanted nothing more than to save them and reassure them now once more. But she couldn't. She didn't know what would happen now. Still, she had to stay strong for them.
"Perseus will travel with us for three months during which we will cross the country to the east coast and then I will leave to stay with him in Atlantis for three months as was demanded by the council. After that our…wedding will be held. I do not know of any implications to the hunt this may bring and I promise you that I won't leave you behind, no matter what. If all goes well, we will roam the country again in six months." It was a naive answer and she knew it. She wouldn't be able to pretend like she wasn't married even if Perseus and her were to avoid each other as much as possible. Not to mention that Hera would certainly push for a deeper bond between the two of them, as would Aphrodite. But she wanted to hope. Wanted to believe everything would…could turn out fine. It was all that remained for her.
Unfortunately, some of her huntresses were also aware of that. Some threw glares at Perseus, others at the floor or the tent. None spoke up anymore, now painfully aware of the fact that their mistress also had no answers, no solution to end this mess. Even Maria bore a look of despair as she recalled the supposed immortality of Perseus. Artemis failed to hold her gaze, the girls' despair too similar to her own. She knew this would be hard, she knew from the very beginning. But it broke her to deliver this news to them, to tell them that their fate was uncertain, that their very patron goddess had failed to do the one thing she was supposed to do. "That's all."
She couldn't bring herself to say more, afraid her tears might spill if she did. Instead she bolted out of the tent, quickly marching back to her own while being distinctly aware of Thalia's footsteps behind her. Of course she would notice. Her lieutenant caught up with her at her tents' entrance and entered right after her before hugging her rightly, ignoring every notion of status between them. And for the second time in just a few days Artemis cried.
Alright, this is a little longer than the last few chapters but I wanted to get both 'announcements' done in one chapter. I skipped the talk between Thalia and Percy because a) It was mostly catching up and banter and b) I have a place and time in mind to reveal the experience Percy made at CHB. Additionally, changing to Artemis' perspective also allowed me to underline her vulnerability on this topic.
That aside I now have a spreadsheet with information so I don't screw up the timeline or the names. Yay. The hunt is very small right now (14 members for those who didn't want to count) because of Orion. Since he killed almost all huntresses and it has only been four and a half years since then…yeah.
If you have any question or feedback, feel free to comment on it and…see you soon.
M