Artemis' POV
I treaded through the woods with my hunters, the morning sun casting a golden hue. The forest resonated with life until a thunderous roar interrupted our tranquility.
Sigh... Another tedious council meeting awaited. The repetitive routine grated on me:
Father and Hera's ceaseless squabbles about his affairs.
Ares, either smitten with Aphrodite or drawing Hephaestus's irate glares.
Hephaestus, engrossed in crafting or shooting daggers at Ares.
Athena and Poseidon engaging in their banter, sometimes amusingly.
Dionysus, slumbering, unaffected by the usual chaos.
Aphrodite, fawning over her mirror, layering what she insists aren't "chemicals" but 'make-up'. I disagree; it's messy and unappealing. My hunters concur.
Hermes, constantly engrossed in mortal contraptions—texting, yelling, prodding, and fiddling endlessly.
Demeter's exuberant rant about cereal and oatmeal.
Apollo's haikus, often more cringe-worthy than poetic, directed at me.
I honed my arrows, tuning out Apollo's teasing and awful haikus.
Sigh..
"Thalia, there's another council meeting in Olympus. Continue hunting for breakfast," I commanded my lieutenant, her lineage marking her as a daughter of Zeus, thus my half-sister.
Thalia nodded in acknowledgment. "I'll be here. Take care, Lady Artemis," she replied, her tone habitual, serious.
"Oh, Thalia, I'm always safe," I quipped with a chuckle.
"Lady Artemis, please, keep safe. I don't want to witness my cousin holding the weight of the sky again," she pleaded, a solemn look in her eyes.
Sigh... Memories of her cousin, Perseus Jackson, flooded my thoughts. He was a demigod, a son of Poseidon, a hero of Olympus who led and triumphed in two wars. He saved me once, carrying the burden of the sky.
He's the only decent man I've known.
"How many times must I remind you? It won't happen again," I retorted in an annoyed tone.
"See you later, Lady Artemis," Thalia said with resignation.
With a final nod, I teleported to Olympus
...
As I entered, my sister Athena was already seated on her throne, deeply engrossed in what seemed to be a thorough examination—of someone, to be precise.
How did I know? Oh, Athena's telltale signs were unmistakable. Her eyes were keen as an eagle, patiently waiting for its prey. Her lips twitched with concentration, and her facial expression mirrored that of a mortal diligently memorizing the periodic table of elements. Following her gaze, I was surprised to find it directed towards Father and Hera.
She was scrutinizing them.
I glanced between Father and Hera, and after a few moments...
Hold on. Something wasn't right. Why weren't they embroiled in their usual bickering over Father's affairs? Why was there an unsettling silence? Their gaze, fixed yet vacant, left me uneasy.
It was all very strange...
...
Athena's POV
I had been engrossed in reading my favorite fictional mortal book, Once Upon A Broken Heart, when a distant rumble of thunder disrupted my peace.
Ugh, now? Now!?
I despised those dreary council meetings, and Poseidon's incessant arguing made matters worse. I would rather bury myself in a book than endure his constant whining.
Teleporting directly to the throne room, I nodded in acknowledgment to Father, took my seat on the throne, and checked Poseidon's empty chair.
Hooray! Empty as usual.
With a snap of my fingers, I summoned the book I'd been reading earlier, finding an unusual silence enveloping the throne room. That was strange. It was never this quiet, especially when Father and Hera were present. Their ceaseless bickering usually filled the room.
This was getting interesting.
Closing the book, I focused on analyzing the situation.
Moments later, I sensed someone entering—or rather, teleporting—into the throne room. I glanced over to find my sister, Artemis, joining us. I resumed examining the unusual scene before us...
Third Person's POV
As the gods assembled one by one, a noticeable tension hung in the air, accentuated by the unusual silence between Hera and Zeus. The gathered gods refrained from speaking, wary that their words might spark an unwanted confrontation. Athena and Artemis, in particular, were keenly observing the situation between their parents.
Athena discerned that the gathering was waiting on Zeus to initiate the meeting. Seeing her father seemingly dazed, she understood that the meeting wouldn't commence immediately.
Clearing her throat to draw attention, Athena inquired,
"Father, are we ready to begin the meeting?" Her expression remained neutral, but inwardly, she was perplexed and growing increasingly irritated by the enigmatic behavior of Hera and Zeus.
Why were they suddenly reticent with each other? Why the absence of their usual discord? What was happening?
These questions echoed not only in Athena's mind but seemed to permeate the thoughts of everyone present in the room, each eager for answers.
"Uh... yes, yes," Zeus finally responded, rousing from his daze.
"Seems like Hera is elsewhere," Artemis remarked dryly.
"Hera, Lady Hera, Mother, are you with us?" Hephaestus chimed in, waving his hand before Hera's face.
Hera chuckled nervously. "Yes, Hephaestus, I'm here and present for the meeting."
"Shall we commence the meeting?" Zeus interjected, attempting to steer the focus back to the business at hand.
The Meeting
Zeus: "The Fates arrived this morning bearing a new prophecy. Hera, please recite it for everyone's understanding."
Hera: With a roll of her eyes
In realms twain, a child powerful, foretold,
Shall unseat a king whose words are cold.
Daughter born of Titan's grace,
Bears the child, fate's interlace.
Trials, their genesis in tears and betrayal's spree,
Yet triumph emerges in smiles, laughter's glee.
A kingdom anew from the trials born,
A worthy sovereign claims the throne's adorn.
Zeus: Hushing murmurs and whispers
"SILENCE! Athena, daughter, any thoughts on those referenced in the prophecy?"
Athena: Adopting her contemplative stance "I'm uncertain, Father, but perhaps the king referred to in the prophecy might be you. I don't mean that your words are ruthless, but... the child's mother, a daughter of a Titaness, might relate to Theia's only daughter, Selene, or perhaps the offspring of Titaness Phoebe, such as Asteria or Leto."
Hera and Hephaestus: Glares at Zeus
Artemis: "Or maybe the nine daughters of Mnemosyne."
Apollo: "Or the daughters of Tethys. But let's dismiss Metis as Father swallowed her."
Hephaestus: "Or the daughters of Themis, the three Horai and the three Moirai."
Hera and Hephaestus: Glares at Zeus
Athena: "Or perhaps the daughters of the Titaness..."
Aphrodite: Sighs
Ares: "What's wrong, my love?"
Hephaestus: Glares at Ares
Aphrodite: Gives a look signaling disbelief
Athena: "Sigh... Rhea."
Gods: Gasp in horror
Athena: "Which means-"
Hera: "Me, Demeter, and Hestia."
Athena: "However, there are other Titanesses with daughters, and prophecies often have deeper meanings. These are my ideas, Father."
Poseidon: "Do you think I might be the king in the prophecy, or perhaps Hades?"
Athena: "There's a possibility for both, but neither of you fits the ruthless bill. One's just a bit dense, and the other tends to be a bit dark."
Poseidon: Fakes a hurt expression
Athena: Smirks
Gods except for Zeus: Snicker
Zeus: "ENOUGH! How can you joke at a time like this?"
Athena: "We apologize, Father, it won't happen again."
Zeus: "Meeting dismissed."
As the gods departed one by one, their expressions cast in grim solemnity, Hera rose from her throne, fixing Zeus with a piercing glare.
"We'll resume our discussion from earlier tomorrow morning," Hera declared, her tone seething with anger.
"And don't forget, the Divine Olympian Nexus is next week. We have merely five days left to prepare."
Zeus simply nodded, a heavy sigh escaping him as he contemplated the looming tasks.
Hera then whisked herself away, teleporting to her chambers to attend to her affairs.
"Sigh... will there ever be a time without prophecies?" Zeus pondered aloud, his weariness evident. He too teleported to his chambers, ready to attend to his duties as the King of Olympus.