Mortal, But At Least I'm Free

Chapter 2

"Apollo I'm not going to help you seduce my son. He can make his own decisions. Leave me alone."

"Oh Aphrodite, come now! We both know he's too pretty to be wasting away on Mount Olympus."

Harry stopped outside the door, listening to his mother and friend talk.

"He's his own man Apollo."

"Maybe it's time he proved it to the gods."

"What do you mean?"j Aphrodite whispered voice caused Harry to hold his breath.

"We make all the other demigods prove their worth. Why not our pretty little Harold? SHouldn't he go on a hero's journey like the rest of them? Fulfill some prophecy? A quest to prove his godliness supersedes his humanity?" Harry was shaking now as he slowly pushed open the door.

"I can't believe you'd say that."

"Harry, love, he didn't mean it. You know how hot-headed Apollo can be."

"No, I meant it. Maybe you should prove yourself, pretty boy. Maybe it's time."

"Apollo this is nonsense! Harry is happy as he is! There's no journey or quest that could make his life any better! Leave. It. Alone."

Silence echoed off the walls of Aphrodite's chambers and sunk heavily into Harry's heart.

"No. Love what happened?" He sighed, lowering himself into the seat beside his mother.

"Nothing happened. That's the problem. Nothing ever happens. I'm tired of the endless fights between Ares and Athena in the corridors, and Zeus at Posiden's throat every time he comes to visit. It's all been done before. It feels like watching the same play on repeat for eternity!" Aphrodite claspped her son's hand.

"I know that the actions of the gods must seem trivial to you-"

"No, no. Mother that's the point. The actions of the gods shouldn't be trivial. I should be in awe. And I think I might be if I had some company. Maybe the company of someone less godly," he scowled in Apollo's direction where the sun god charmed a wide-eyed servant boy.

"What if you had family here?"

"I know you're family, I know that I should be-"

"What if you had a sister?"

Silence followed her words, with only the low rumbling of Apollo's hallway seduction to distract from the whirl of chaos filling his mind. He was hyperventilating, he could hear his pulse in his ears painfully reminding him of his distasteful mortality.

"A sister?" His voice cracked, but so did something in his chest.

"Yes. Not my child, but your father's. She's lonely."

"Why didn't you tell me? I- I could have brought her here. She- she wouldn't have to be so lonely. I could've-"

"Could have what dear? You could have gone to meet her? What kind of relationship would you have?"

"Couldn't I bring her home? There must be a way. Then maybe neither of us would have to be alone."

Aphrodite shook her head in frustration.

"You know she can't. Only the gods can live on Olympus."

"Unless it becomes his quest of course," mother and son jumped at the low, and unexpected voice of Apollo.

"Apollo," Aphrodite growled his name. "I am not sending my son there," Harry's eyes flickered between the two gods.

"It's the only way for him to get his sister here. You know it is."

"Mother. Let me do this."

Aphrodite looked away from both men. Her shoulders shaking for a moment before taking a deep breath and turning to Harry.

"You must be safe. Be so careful. And return to me, my little boy." She gently kissed his forehead, whispered a prayer to some higher god she seemed to believe in. And then she gestured for Apollo to follow after her.