wrath of ares ; seulrene ✔

Chapter Twenty-Two: Hippocampi Help

Aphrodite was looking at them strangely now, but she kept her mouth shut and fiddled with the little breakfast she had.

As if on cue of the scenes, the wind blew louder, and the sky started to hint a shower of rain. Irene knew that the gods were angry at whatever Taeyeon was about to say, but she was desperate.

So she asked; she would never experience being answered for a long time anyway.

"Why did the prophecy say 'daughter of Athena', but Seulgi is Apollo's kid?" Irene said.

Taeyeon winced. "I never thought I'd have to reveal that to you." She played with the sand, letting it run through her long fingers, and stared at her lap for a long time.

Irene waited.

Finally, Taeyeon coughed and cleared her throat. "Seulgi is, like you, a daughter of two Olympian immortals," she said. "I bet you can guess who they are."

Irene was confused, but then realization hit her like a slap on the cheek.

How could she not have known?

Seulgi was a daughter of both Athena and Apollo.

"B-But I thought it was Wendy...."

"You thought wrong, Joohyun. Seulgi was the one who was to accompany you in the prophecy."

"I thought Athena was a....." Irene trailed off. She blushed, cheeks red in embarrassment.

"I know, but I guess not anymore, huh?"

"Well....yeah."

She took a few moments to take in all these. Athena, the proud goddess who fought bravely in battle and the genius, was the mother of Seulgi and the (ex)wife of Apollo? Why was this never told to her from the beginning?

"Does Seulgi know?" Irene said quietly.

"Unfortunately, no," answered Taeyeon.

"She has the right to know, though. She's been anxious about the prophecy herself."

Taeyeon went silent, a sign she didn't want to talk about it anymore. Irene shut her mouth too.

Irene thought about Seulgi. How did she live not knowing who her mother was? What lies were she told? How could Seulgi's innocent mind take all that information up?

She suddenly felt bad for leaving the bear alone, but she had to. It took a little risk to accomplish her quest. Though it had been only three days or two that she wasn't with the younger, she missed her so much and worried profusely about what might have happened to her.

"Irene."

Irene raised her head. Taeyeon had never called her by the name Artemis had given her. She wondered what this meant now.

No, it wasn't Taeyeon who called for her, she realized; it was Aphrodite.

Aphrodite looked at her with a serious expression on her face. It was surprising to see since not long ago she was complaining about the food and her inability to swim.

"Yes?" Irene responded. She didn't want to but this was Aphrodite, her mother and the goddess of beauty, who could turn her into a hot pink explosion.

"Remember when Apollo cut you?"