Rumble~
A slight tremor ran through the bedrock all throughout the city. Originating from the palace, from the throne room to be exact. A chuckle escaped my lips as I imagined the cause for it.
I heard a quiet sigh from the seat across from me, and I focused on the beautiful woman joining me for afternoon tea in the coral garden at the south side of the palace grounds. I smiled at her, and she rolled her eyes at me, affectionate but quite done with my antics.
Something she has been for centuries.
"Are you sure about this, husband?" Amphitrite, Queen of the Seas, asked me after a glance at the palace. Her brows furrowed in worry and concern, with a bit of curiosity as well.
"Sure about what?" I asked in return, feeling a little bit playful.
"That! Are you sure about letting Triton hold court in your stead?" Amphitrite exclaimed, waving her hand in the direction of the throne room, where, at the moment, my son and heir is presiding over the court of Atlantis.
"Ah! Yes, I'm sure he can handle an afternoon at the helm of the kingdom." My answer didn't seem to satisfy my wife based on the frown on her face.
"I'm worried; maybe we should go and see what's happening." She turned to the palace again, worry and urgency pulsing from her in waves. I reach over and grab her hand, caressing it to calm her down.
"You'll do no such thing, my love," I said sweetly, but with the authority of a king. "Triton has been chafing under my rule for eons. He wants a chance to rule, and I am giving him that chance." She looked into my eyes, and I shared with her the seriousness of my decision.
"But is that wise? And why all of a sudden?" I could still see the worry in her, but there was also understanding and pride there. Whether that pride was for me or Triton, I don't know.
"Is it wise to let him rule? Yes. It would give him a glimpse into what it is like to be responsible for the entirety of the world's oceans. It would also help immensely if he could take on more of the crown's responsibilities on his own." I shared one of the reasons behind my decision.
"For your question as to why I decided to let him rule now, it is better to let him be in control of the kingdom now, when there is peace all throughout the world, when ruling is relatively easy, rather than him being thrust into it when there is war, when every decision he will make would mean life or death for our people and the world itself." I could see the realization grow in my wife's eyes as she thought about my words.
And while all of that is true, I did have a more selfish reason for putting my heir on the throne.
"Besides, with our son on the throne, it gives me more time to spend with you," I said, pulling her hand to my lips and kissing her on the inside of her wrist.
I saw her eyes widen as her cheeks darkened in color. It seems my words had the effects I desired, as her breathing grew heavier as I stared at her eyes. I removed my lips from her wrist, then pressed her palm against my right cheek, gently nuzzling it as I gave her a wide smile that I knew would get her hot and bothered.
My plan worked wonderfully, it seems, after a minute of staring into my eyes. My wife stood up and grabbed my hand. I found myself being pulled to my feet and dragged back into the palace as she made her way to our private quarters. I smiled at the success of my plans as my wife quite literally rushed us to our room like a surge, unstoppable and unrelenting in her pursuit of passion.
The door to our room closed, and for the rest of the day, the kingdom went on as normal as its king and queen shared an afternoon of delight, leaving the running of their kingdom in the hands of their capable son.
---------line break---------
Flickering lights illuminated the city as far as my eyes could see. I stood atop one of the towers on the wall that encircles the city of Atlantis, my kingdom. I have gotten into the habit of walking along the walls at night, and I do so 3-4 times a week.
After the 3 wars and the almost complete destruction of the city during the war with the Titans almost a decade ago. I found myself wanting to reassure myself that my city and its inhabitants are safe and that there is no one threatening the peace of my kingdom and my people.
Guards saluted as I made my way past them, dutiful soldiers loyal to their duty. All of them are keeping watch over the city and outside the walls as well. A fair number of merfolk were milling about the nightscape of the city as the night descended over us.
My wife was abducted by Benthesikyme and Rhodes for a night out on the island of Santorini, right after our fun time in the afternoon, leaving me alone for the duration of the night. My son, Triton, has done such an amazing job at governing that I am left with no pending duties to take care of.
Kymopoleia, my recently returned wayward daughter, is currently out at the Pacific, having the time of her life conjuring storm after storm for that region. With my leave, of course.
With nothing else to do, I was left to wander the paths of my city, which brought me here, at the wall, standing at the tower, looking at my domain and my subjects. The night was peaceful, and everything was as it should be. All of a sudden, my attention was piqued by a presence from far away.
Out in the state of Washington, within a bordered land lay a lake whose waters were not governed by a nymph or a water spirit. What called my attention was three people currently playing within the waters of that lake. I smiled as I watched the three frolic with each other.
Percy, my only demigod son, was splashing and having fun with his two women. All of them are having the time of their lives with each other. The smiles on their faces, especially on my son's, were like a balm on my heart. His happiness was long overdue, and it brings me joy to see that he finally has it, after all the hardships he went through.
The presence of Piper and Hazel, both heroes of their own merit and both members of my son's harem, only heightened the joy I was feeling for my son. Though it took a lot of work for him to accept the idea of the harem, I am glad that in the end, he chose to give it a chance. I am happy he let Fate take over and let love in his heart once again.
Seeing my son brought about a different memory to the forefront of my mind. Athena's daughter, Annabeth Chase. The wretch hurt my son with her actions and decisions. Her sin against Percy almost started a war between her mother and me, one I was keen on seeing the end with her death or her mother's, who was adamant about shielding her from my wrath even though she herself was quite disappointed with her daughter and her actions.
Remembering how Percy fought hard to convince me to pull back from enacting my punishment, from laying a curse upon her. From doing anything in retaliation, it infuriated me to no end back then. I couldn't understand what brought about that mindset in my son. I thought he might have planned on doing something to the woman himself to get back at her for the pain she caused him.
But that just wasn't my son.
In the end, I gave way. I bided my time to see if Fate had other plans for the two of them, and I am glad I did, so the result has been much better than if I had forced my hand to intervene. My son grew without the burden of guilt he would have had to carry if something had been done to Annabeth Chase. Instead, my son flourished, and his heart healed naturally, with the aid of a number of people; mainly, the daughter of Hades did most of the legwork.
Her persistence and determination to get Percy to open up and to accept her love were awe-inspiring. And when she achieved success and captured my son's heart, that was a day I will never forget. The happiness and elation I felt as I felt my son's heart beat that familiar rhythm it used to have. It was like the day he was born.
Now, my son was more than just healed; he is thriving. With two women in love and devoted to his happiness. What more can a father ask for? There is also the fact that he, along with Hazel and Piper, is now immortal and thus will stay with me, with us, for eternity. Well, that is just the icing on the cake, as the mortals would say.
I took one last look at the three as they have now moved from playing tag in the water to embracing one another as Piper and Hazel share the spoils of my son's body. I turned my eyes away to give them their privacy, thankful that my son has granted me access to his lands, even if it's just within the waters of his place.
With a satisfied smile on my face, I willed myself to return to the palace, ready to end the night waiting for my wife to return to my side.
---------line break---------
It was later in the evening; I was lying in bed, waiting for Amphitrite to emerge from the bathroom. She had just returned from her shopping trip with two of our daughters and wanted to freshen up before she joined me in bed.
I had just raised my head when I heard her come out of the bathroom when I felt a presence enter my domain. Normally, deities not connected to the seas are not able to enter without my expressed permission, with a few exceptions like Hermes, who delivers messages and the like for us gods. And Hestia, because she's always welcome, of course. Who would dare bar her from wherever she wanted to go?
But this presence felt different. Someone I have not felt within my domain for eons. Amphitrite and I shared a look, and with a nod from her, I vanished from our room and materialized in a coral garden outside the walls of the city.
Following the feeling of divinity, I found a goddess sitting on one of the benches in the center of the garden. Right there, playing with a few fish, was the goddess of love and beauty, Aphrodite herself. Looking as if she was just down for a midnight stroll with one of her lovers.
Speaking of lovers, I widened my perception and didn't find her lover anywhere in my domain. Which only served to confuse me further as to the reason why she is here, aside from the question as to how she managed to come in the first place.
"Ares is not here, you know," she called out, confirming what I already knew. She turned to me with a smile so lovely I envisioned my own mother's smile on her face. Such is the power she holds; even we gods fall victim to it. But the vision of my mother also gave me an answer as to why she is here. I at least can be sure she is not here to tempt me or anybody from my domain. If she was, then I would have seen Amphitrite or Sally in her visage. Women who I am attracted to, and not my mother, who I respect the most.
Breathing more relaxedly now, I came to stand before her, and she met my gaze, cutely turning her head up to return my stare.
"How are you here?" I decided to ask how she could enter my domain freely instead of asking for her reason. Knowing her, she'll make her reasons or demands known sooner rather than later.
"Love is patient and blind" is a saying that is very true when it comes to Aphrodite. But "Love is impulsive and carefree" is also just as true as the former. And Aphrodite embodies all that is love in this world.
She tilted her head and sighed, shaking her head as she answered, acting as if me questioning her was the pinnacle of idiocy and disappointment.
"Has it really been so long that even you have forgotten that I was born in these waters?" she asked, and immediately, I knew the answer to my question. "Did everybody forget that I was born of the waters of Pontus and Thalassa themselves!" she added, exuding a little bit of the primordial power she was born with.
"That I am thousands of years older than even Hestia, and that if I wanted to, I could take the throne of any of the domains you three brothers sit on with ease!" Her words carried with them a truth I had forgotten. Here, sitting in front of me, was the oldest of the gods with the power and authority to match.
Her words should have made me wary, but they lacked the will to follow through with it. Like she only uttered them as a reminder. It both assured and confused me even more than I already am. I continued to stare at her until she composed herself, summoning a brush and tending to her already immaculate hair. "But that's not why I am here," she followed up, her attention now on the ends of her hair.
"Why are you here?" I asked, keeping my distance and guard up. Aphrodite's needs have always been more troublesome than she let on. And her requests always seem simple enough until you actually start doing it; then it becomes inconvenient at least or dangerous at its worst.
"Well, first, I would like to commend you for your recent actions with your wife and queen!" I tilted my head at her words. 'My actions with Amphitrite? ' I was about to ask her to explain when she continued speaking. "Your efforts to re-establish a closer family tie with your children have done wonders for Amphitrite's heart! She now feels like how she felt when the two of you first met!" she gushed, banishing the brush for a mirror, which she used to check her reflection.
"I felt a spike of elation from her earlier today, and when I checked, I found the two of you sharing your bed!" I frowned at that; I didn't want my interactions with my wife to be peeped on by anyone. I was about to reprimand her, but she just continued, unaware of the turmoil within me.
"Your wife has now fallen in love with you all over again, Poseidon! Great job!" Clasping her hands together while looking up at me, I saw her excitement and awe in her eyes. I found that she was truly overjoyed by the improvement in my relations with my wife and family.
"Thank you!" I thanked her with all the sincerity I could muster. "You said this is the first reason?" I added, now really curious about the rest.
"Yes, the second reason has something to do with dear Percy," Aphrodite said sweetly with a smile that lit up the darkness of the deep. My mind whirled, and my worry spiked for my son. I had just checked with him earlier, and he seemed fine; all of them seemed okay. I fought the urge to check on my son again, knowing I wouldn't be able to anyway.
"Nothing is wrong with them! You can relax!" Her words assured me at least. But it still didn't tell me why she is here. "In fact, things are going very well for Percy and the rest of them!" She added.
"I'm here to inform you of two things." She held up her hand, showing me two fingers.
"One, Percy's whereabouts have been discovered by the campers," she said, and it didn't surprise me. I was aware of a few campers finding out where Percy is from feeling Hades appearing before the border of Percy's land with his son. From that, I inferred that my son's camp friends have finally found him. The exact details of how they were found are still unknown to me, though.
'Maybe Aphrodite will let me know,' I mused as I replied to her.
"I am aware, though how that came to be is still a mystery to me," I said, looking pointedly at her, moving to join her on the bench. No reason to keep standing; I have a feeling this will take a while.
"It was due to a rescue mission gone south. A bunch of campers was sent to rescue a newly discovered demigod, and they got surrounded by monsters near Percy's land." She started to tell the story, and I listened closely. "Percy took matters into his hands, obviously." She continued dramatically, her hands flailing in the air. "That's when he revealed who he is to the rescuers from camp, since one of them was an old-time camper, someone Percy knows."
"From there, the camp sent a group to find out more about Percy and his time away from camp." Aphrodite shrugged, ending her tale. I was silent for a little bit, mulling over the things that have happened. I turned to Aphrodite and told her what I really cared about.
"So the campers now know about the harem?" I asked the goddess, who is more familiar with that particular curse. She nodded, and that was all I needed to understand that things are changing again. Will those changes be for the better or not? I don't know.
"Some of them do, and those that know are quite accepting of it!" She revealed, while that is a good thing to hear. I would still need to keep an eye on things; it wouldn't be good to have those demigods judge my son for things that happened out of his control.
"Good! The last thing Percy needs from them is their judgment and unwarranted opinions," I said, and Aphrodite nodded at my words. "That brings me to another matter that has to do with the campers," she said after a pause. I could see her reluctance to share whatever it is, and I braced myself for it.
"Annabeth has also learned of the Harem." Hearing her name brought forth a surge of anger from deep within me. I needed to inhale deeply to rein in the turbulent feelings in my chest; otherwise, destruction would visit the shores of the world, and I didn't need more ships sinking and littering the depths of my oceans.
Aphrodite stayed silent as she waited for me to get my bearings. After a minute, I nodded at her, and she took that as the cue to continue.
"A few weeks ago, Annabeth contacted Percy, and she requested a meeting." The more she said, the harder it was for me to keep my anger from exploding. "Percy agreed, and that meeting happened a few days ago at his mother's place in New York," she continued slowly, aware of the unrest I am feeling.
I took a few deep breaths before asking her what happened to the meeting.
"How did it go?"
"It went well. Percy, as you know, is the kind of man every mother would want their sons to grow up to be," she answered. "Percy told Annabeth that he has let go of his anger for her but that he still has not forgiven her." A smile floated onto my face upon hearing that. I was happy and proud of my son for the greatness of his heart. For his ability to let go of the anger that was festering in his heart for years. But I was also happy that he has yet to forgive that wretched woman.
If I were him, I would have never forgiven her; never would I have even thought of ever forgiving her.
It was petty, and it was cruel, I admit. But that is how I feel, and I would not deny that side of me. "The sea does not like to be restrained," and I chafed under my son's wishes for her not to be harmed. But for my son, I restrained myself from causing her harm. For more than seven years I held back, and that was very unlike me.
"The meeting between the two of them ended with Percy offering his help to Annabeth." Help? Why would my son ever offer his assistance to Annabeth? Hasn't she taken enough from my son for her to be needing his help now? "Help?" I repeated, asking for more information.
"Apparently, Annabeth hasn't been doing well since that day almost 8 years ago, and Percy offered his help so she may improve her life," was her answer. I sighed; my son's kindness can be troublesome at times.
"And therein lies the issue. Once Annabeth accepts his help, she will inevitably come into contact with Percy more and more," she added. "And Annabeth is in love with Percy; she's always been in love with Percy." I scoffed at that; her love for my son didn't stop her from hurting him in the past, so her love for him now didn't matter. "And I know for a fact that she will do everything in her power to get back with your son." There was a certain finality in her words, one that spoke of a foregone conclusion for this dilemma.
I was against it, but I also knew I had little to no say about how these things would go. Of the two of us, Aphrodite had a better chance of influencing how things would end up. I wondered if that is why she is here, to offer her services to ensure Annabeth never gets back with Percy. But I also knew that her propensity for drama would more than likely allow for things to head towards such a scenario just so she could enjoy the drama that would unfold from it.
Even if her own daughter becomes a part of it.
"Is there a chance for the two of them to get back together?" I asked directly, demanding an answer.
"I know what you're thinking," she said, looking at me sideways. "You think I would make it so that the two of them would end up together again just for my personal enjoyment!" she guessed correctly. She scoffed at that, tossing her hair over her shoulder. "I will admit to doing that to a number of people in the past, and I will continue to do so in the future," she admitted, her eyes clear and her words direct.
"But I can swear to the creator herself that I won't be doing so for your son and the women connected to him!" Her declaration surprised me. Not just because of her usage of the creator, but because her voice carried with it a hint of fear and longing.
Fear of what? I cannot say.
Longing for what? I dare not ask.
What I can say is that I can tell that she is being sincere and truthful with her words. It gave a small amount of relief, but I still worried about the future of my son.
"As for your question, I can say for certain that there is a chance for Annabeth to get back together with Percy." And there it was, confirmation about what I feared the most. That woman coming into my son's life after what she had done. If I did not run the risk of angering my son and him pulling back from me, I would have killed her already. But Percy made it clear back then that she was to be left alone, that he would leave it to fate to decide her, well, her fate.
"But that depends on a lot of things. When I looked into the strands of their life, I saw countless strands that tied them together. But there were also a lot of strands that were no longer connected with each other." I gawked at her. What does she mean she looked into the threads of their life?
Only the Fates have that power; only they can look and weave the fates of everyone. Not even we gods could, nor are we allowed to.
"What do you mean you looked into their fates? Aphrodite! We are not allowed to interfere with the weaving of the tapestries of life! Only the Fates can!" I retorted, aghast at what I had just learned.
Aphrodite merely shrugged at my response. "Maybe you all can't, but not me." She carelessly replied, and I feared the Moirai would appear to smite the careless goddess beside me. I waited a bit, but nothing happened. Aphrodite smiled at me, apparently knowing what was going on in my mind.
"Love conquers all, Poseidon. That includes the Fates themselves," she stated, like that was a fact known to all. Not something I was just learning now. I've heard of that saying, but I thought it was just some silly thing mortals created. Never in my countless millennia of life did I think it meant what she is insinuating.
"Anyway, it happened when I sent my daughter to be with your son. I peeked into the loom of the Fates because I felt a shift within my domain," she continued while my mind was still processing that truth. A truth that reminded me that the goddess sitting beside me was closer to creation than any of us gods. A fact we have forgotten through the passage of time.
"I followed the strings of love and found the different possibilities that existed for your son and all those that are a part of him and those who will be." I listened attentively, for this is knowledge I would never have the chance at learning normally.
"It was at that time when I exerted a little bit of my influence over the loom—not to mess with them or your son!" She quickly explained, stopping me from reprimanding her. "I simply tweaked it a little to add something else to the tapestry, or rather someone else," she said with a coy smile that I knew would cause me and my son headaches in the future.
I find myself apprehensive to ask, but I needed to know.
"What did you do, Aphrodite?"
"I added my string into the tangled mess that is your son's life thread! And I saw our future!" Her words made me fear the future, for the changes she made might have overreaching effects on all our lives.
"You did what? Why? For what purpose?" I was aghast by what she said. Her playful nature has always been a source of strife for us and the world itself. But for the past few years, she has been rather quiet. Why would she do this now? And why, to my son? Why now, when the peace he sought after is finally in his grasp?
"I didn't do it just to cause trouble, Poseidon." She must have seen the worry and anger on my face, but her words did not assuage my worries a bit. "I have always been a little bit interested in your son. That's why I paid so much attention to him and his life. That's why I had a more active role in his love life." She continued, explaining to me her reasoning.
"But these past few years, I have had a lot of revelations. Personal relationships that I used to think were important I now recognize as less so. People I used to ignore and take for granted, I now find incredibly important and needed." She had her head tilted up as she stared at the dark waters above as if she were looking at the night sky; her eyes had a faraway look in them that I had never seen in them before.
"When I sent my daughter, Piper, to your son, I hoped for her recovery. I prayed that he could help her heal not just her mind and body, but also her heart." Her smile was one I had seen before. When she is thinking of setting up a new love story down in the mortal world. "Oh, I knew Piper would eventually fall for Percy! What woman wouldn't? But I was worried Percy would reject her feelings, and for a child of mine, that would be the worst possible outcome." She turned to me, and I saw a rare seriousness in her face.
"Especially for Piper, as at that time, her mind and heart were on the brink of breaking. If Percy had turned his back on her, if he had rejected her, I would have lost my daughter to Hades. And after all she had done for us, I couldn't let that happen." The vulnerability I sensed from her was something new. I knew for a fact that even if she projects herself as a lovestruck fool most of the time, Aphrodite's heart is one of the most guarded among all beings in existence.
"And so I kept my eye on them, as much as I could with Percy's land being protected from us." She smiled at me as she said this. "I also reached out and met with Piper regularly. It gave me the much-needed push to do the same with my other children, you know!" I shared her grin at that. The stronger bond between us and our children has brought about a boon to us as well as our children.
Because of the closer relations we have with our children, we are more secure in our rule. There is no threat of rebellion or betrayal from our children. We gods experienced an increase in our power from the additional worship and sacrifices made in our honor. And while quests and monster attacks still happen, our children no longer feel abandoned and hold a grudge against us when we do nothing to prevent them.
Never in the long lives of us gods has the understanding between demigods and gods been at this level. Never have we been respected by our children while they, in turn, feel loved and cherished by us.
All thanks to a group of demigods who opened our eyes.
All because my son dared to ask for more of us.
I was broken out of my thoughts by Aphrodite continuing to speak. "And as I continued to watch over them, I saw Percy treat my daughter with a care I seldom see from people nowadays; he cared and cherished Piper without any ulterior motives." The smile on her face was wider now; her body thrummed with barely contained glee as she regaled me with her observations.
"I watched as Percy proved just how much of a better man he is compared to others, gods included." She sent me a wink, and I couldn't help but agree with her words. Percy did embody the best characteristics a man should possess. Aphrodite's assessment of my son filled me with pride, but it also gave me a sense of foreboding for what it would mean for my son and his life.
"I witnessed as Piper fell deeper and deeper in love with Percy. I saw how the other women in his life reacted to Piper's feelings. I saw Hazel accept my daughter and even encourage her to confess to Percy." More and more, I am getting an idea as to what Aphrodite's end goal is for the things she did. "I watched with glee as they worked together to whittle away at Percy's will until he gave up and accepted Piper into his heart and into his harem!" she almost squealed from happiness and excitement.
"I was very happy for my daughter when that happened. Finally! After so long, a child of mine has a chance at love that will last! That a child of mine would escape the fate that has befallen most of my children of late! Finally, Piper would live her life, loved and cared for, forever." Her words carried the happiness she felt, but there was also a longing in them. I realized that, despite being the goddess of love, she had never been loved, wholly and with no other intention than love itself.
Hephaestus, her husband, while in love with her, demanded her hand in marriage as a way to spite his parents. Which resulted in Aphrodite's callous treatment of their union to spite Hera for the forceful way they were joined.
Ares, her lover, only wanted her for her beauty and the glory of taking his brother's wife. Which resulted in the weakening of her power as she destroyed the domain of marital love with her own actions. It also weakened Hera, as the domain of marriage was besmirched by their coupling.
Even I, during our brief affair, only wanted her for what she represented. Another notch in my bedpost, as it were. And I am in her long list of conquered lovers.
"And as I watched my daughter experience love, true love, I found myself wanting the same for me." I knew it. I sighed and was about to tell her not to look for it with Percy. To beg or to bargain if needed, just to make sure she stays away from my son. But her next words stopped me short.
"And so I decided to work on my marriage." I gawked at her, never expecting her to say those words. "You should see your face!" she giggled as she turned to me. I'm sure the shock was evident on my face to cause her to laugh. But her words just surprised me so much. "I know I have been unfair to my husband; he's had his shortcomings, sure, but never had he so blatantly rubbed his affairs in my face like I did to him. And while he had his fun trying to humiliate me and Ares, never had he tried to hurt me like I did to him by having an affair with his brother." She looked contrite as she said this, and I knew she was serious about wanting to be a better wife to Hephaestus.
"I'm not sure if anyone noticed, but I have been slowly distancing myself from Ares. Before, we would have gone on a date multiple times in a week, but now, it has been 3 months since we last went out." She confessed, and I racked my brain and found that what she had said was true.
"I have also been trying to engage with Hephaestus more, talking to him and just taking interest in his work." The smile on her face was soft, like a little girl talking about a crush. "It's hard work, and he is still suspicious of my intent, but I am determined to show him that I am serious!" A determined look took over her expression as she declared her intention to the world as a whole.
I silently commended her and wished her the best in her endeavor. But I still can't see how this is connected to my son.
"I am happy that you decided to improve your relationship with my nephew, Aphrodite. But, I have to ask, how is this going to affect my son?" My question caused her to look at me with a shy smile. "I got sidetracked," she expressed with a smile, and I knew she was going to the meat of things at last.
"It will affect Percy because, when I said I saw the future earlier, I meant I saw my future." She started, her eyes sparkling in a way that put me on edge. "And in that future, I saw myself with a child." She paused, and I held my breath for what I think I already know. "Mine and Percy's child"
I closed my eyes and took a deep breath, trying to calm myself and not cause a disaster on the surface world.
Aphrodite remained silent as she let me get a grip on myself. I took a few minutes, but eventually I managed to open my eyes without immediately lashing out at her. "You just said that you will do better at being a wife; how can you do that and still have a child with someone other than your husband?" I asked tersely. I glared at her, demanding an answer. One that I could accept.
"I did, but I never said I would stop being with other men, only that I would be a better wife to my husband and that I would stop humiliating him by publicly displaying my relations with other men." Her words only served to confuse me more, so she continued to explain. "In the end of it all, Poseidon, I am still the goddess of love. It is in my nature to accept love in all of its forms. It was my mistake to disregard the love between man and wife in favor of love between lovers. I intend to correct that, but that doesn't mean I do the opposite and focus all of my attention on my husband and ignore all the other forms of love available."
I thought deeply about her words and found them to have a certain validity in them.
"I would never begrudge my husband his need to love other women for comfort; that's because I know he held genuine affection for them rather than just physical attraction, just like how Ares does to his women and me," Aphrodite declared, staring me straight in the eyes to show that she means it. "Just as I would hope for him to never begrudge me of mine," she added.
"Besides, no matter how much we have changed with how we relate to our demigod children, we do still need them to be in our lives." That simple line held more truth than any that has been uttered today. We, the almighty and powerful gods, need our children far more than they need us.
"I will just swear to Hephaestus in the creator's name to never take another god as a lover."
That was the end of her words as she sat back on the bench, her hands held in front of her face as she inspected her nails for any imperfection. I studied her for a minute and saw a little bit of the change she was talking about. Her dress was more demure than what she used to wear, as more of her skin was covered as opposed to previous dresses. Must be an effort to appeal to Hephaestus's taste. Her make-up was more subdued, more natural-looking, versus the flashy make-up she wore on her face for Ares in the past.
"I understand, but I am still against you having a child with my son!" I said, pushing back on that future, useless as it may be. "He deserves a quiet and peaceful life! You being a part of it will only bring chaos into it!"
"On the contrary, Poseidon! My presence in his life would bring amusement and excitement into it!" she challenged. My eyes twitched as I kept my cool, failing at that.
"My son has had enough excitement in his life. He doesn't need more!" I retorted.
"If anyone can manage the amount of chaos and excitement I will bring, as you said, it would be Percy!" She shot back, and I was momentarily stunned by her logic. Then again, logic and reason never applied to matters of love, so they never mattered to this goddess in front of me.
"Besides! You have no say in these matters. Only Percy and I do. I am only telling you these things as a courtesy!" She told me with a feral smile before she disappeared in a shimmer of light, leaving me alone in the garden with my thoughts.
I sighed as I let the stress I was holding on to out onto the surroundings. The ground rumbled as waves of sand radiated away from me. I felt the ocean surface roil as 15-foot waves rocked the shore. I felt Zeus's irritation as storms formed and battered the land as he tried to fight me for the wind's control.
I let my more destructive aspect take over for a few minutes before letting go, letting the natural order keep the storms for a few hours before willing them to dissolve in the air. I hoped I didn't make more work for Hades from that little stress relief.
Standing up, I willed myself back into my chambers. I found myself immediately being wrapped in the warm embrace of my wife. "I was worried," she whispered against my chest. I held her closer as I rocked her side to side for a few seconds. She detached herself from me and looked up, staring me in the eyes, silently questioning me.
"Aphrodite delivered news I would rather have not gotten," I told her with a defeated smile on my face.
My wife and queen tilted her head, pulling me onto the bed where I regaled her with the best and worst news I have gotten since that blasted prophecy was brought to my ears years ago.
Percy POV
Rumble!
Thunder woke me up, the sudden loud sound echoing within my room. Flashes of lightning lit up the dark corner of my room as I tried to sit up and check if all was well.
"Umnn!" "Stay!"
A pair of female voices called out to me as two sets of hands grabbed me and held me back from leaving the warm confines of my bed. Looking at my sides, I found Piper and Hazel, still asleep, clutching on to me as if their lives depended on it.
Both women were naked, as we had just enjoyed an intimate night together. Letting my head fall back on the pillow, I concentrated and tried to call on my powers to calm the storm outside. After a minute of trying, I huffed, miffed at being unable to influence this storm.
"Why is Dad so worked up all of a sudden?" I muttered as I closed my eyes, trying to go back to sleep.
After a few minutes, I opened them again, unable to go back to sleep. I turned my head to my left and saw that it was only 3:27 in the morning. Sighing heavily, I started to think of what I could do to somehow fall asleep again.
A smirk worked its way onto my face as an idea popped into my head. I looked to both sides of me and saw the faces of both my fiancées. They looked so peaceful as they slept, so peaceful with no care in the world as they remained unaware as a predator was slowly working its way to disturb their rest. As a predator got ready to devour both of them until it got its fill.
With my arms underneath their warm bodies, I ran my hand from their backs down until I reached their soft, jiggly behinds. Grabbing a handful, I started to mash and grope their globes of soft flesh to my heart's content. Enjoying the feel of their warm, soft skin as my fingers dug into their flesh.
It didn't take long for both of them to wake up and notice my wandering hands. I looked down and saw Piper looking at me with unimpressed eyes while Hazel kept her head down, her hands now busy feeling up my chest, slowly going down as she raked her nails against my skin.
"What's gotten you all worked up so early in the morning?" Piper asked, mirroring my earlier question. I grinned at her and leaned down, capturing her lips as Hazel began tugging on my length, properly waking me up now.
"Blame Dad!" I replied after the kiss. With a grunt, I turned and pinned both women underneath me as they squealed, taken by surprise.
Moans and grunts sounded from the room as I tried to drown out the sound of the storm currently raging outside as a different storm raged within me. One that can only be quelled by the love of the two women sharing my bed.
And so time ticked by as the storm outside subsided. Though the one inside continued to rage until the wee hours of the morning.