𝐆𝐎𝐃𝐃𝐄𝐒𝐒 𝐆𝐀𝐌𝐄, Marcus Volturi

ᴄʜᴀᴘᴛᴇʀ ¹³

"That's enough Arty." My whines made her laugh, taking a drink of her wine. "Our dear sister has enough on her plate now that she's a fully fledged goddess. I don't think we've ever seen someone complete their studies so quickly, but she's always been an odd one. Breaking rules and yet our father still hasn't punished her for any of it. I have not yet figured out how she manages to keep him wrapped around her finger the way she does. The only ones who can do that- Well, the only person who has him this devoted is Hera. Perhaps Athena if you take a good look at the way he favors her as a daughter. How she managed that remains a mystery to all of Olympus."

To be honest, I hadn't seen much of my older half-sister Athena. She's been said to be a quiet person who keeps to her favorite places, but she must be around here somewhere. There's no way that someone would miss their younger sister's big day. Is this my big day? Isn't the 'big day' supposed to be a wedding? Whatever. I'll have two big days. Three for the birth of my twins. Shit, I still need to name Marcus and I's babies. He said I could pick a first name for one and a middle name for the other. But I don't know the gender... Oh well, I'll pick four names just in case. No, six. They may not have the right look for my first four names.

Truly given a new lease on immortality. What could I possibly do with my new gifts? Would I figure them out on my own? The questions swirled around in my mind as more people congregated around me.

"Congratulations on your titles, Lady Callidora." I shifted my gaze to a man with long, nearly dreaded hair. He held a command that I felt inclined to bow down to. His large stature towered over almost everyone in the room. With eyes green like the sea and a dagger at his side, I realized who he was. "I'm sorry I haven't been to see you already, my dear niece. I'm afraid it's been a bit busy down in the deep blue sea."

"No need to apologize, you're here now," I said politely, knowing he had seniority. "I'm honored to be in your presence, uncle Poseidon."

He smiled, a little taken aback at my politeness. While I could be stubborn, ridiculous, and playful, I know my place when it comes to my elder relatives. It's best to not mess with those who have more power than you, especially in Olympus.

"I see Hebe and Artemis raised you right." My two sisters blushed gold at the compliment. "I also hear that you had an encounter with your cousin in Italy. Triton is supposed to stay off the shores as long as humans are near. For some reason no matter how many times I tell him to stop he won't. As his father, I apologize for his behavior."

"The vampires make sure that no exposure happens. He's fine. I bet Aro would get Demetri to track him down and harass him if someone were to be exposed to Olympians." My jaw almost dropped at the nonchalant tone Artemis used with our uncle. If this were me, I would expect disciplinary action.

"Mhm, just making my rounds. Politeness is something you could learn about, Artemis," Poseidon scolded before looking back at me. "Again, good job and I hope we have good relations in the future. You sound like a good kid."

Once I responded with a curt nod, he turned tail and left the area, meeting up with other relatives. Left with Hebe and Artemis giggling like mad, I groaned. "Can't you two be normal for one second? That was our uncle, the king of the sea. Are we all so comfortable with each other? I most certainly am not." Marcus placed a hand over my shoulder to comfort me, but I frowned. "You could have made me look bad, you know."

"It was not our intention, sister," Hebe apologized. I nodded, knowing that she wouldn't do anything to damage my reputation. My reputation was hers since she had done so much of the training and lecturing. If there were holes in my manner, it could be blamed on her. Nature knows how much blaming Olympians do on a daily basis. One wrong move and you'll find yourself being blamed for something everyone knows your brother or sister did. Or worse, you'll be harassed into leaving your homeland. That would be awful. Let's keep my reputation high. "Although you should note that not all will be kind and courteous as you are. Take some of your brothers as an example for the hostility that stains our kind."