"My Lord."
Kronos glances down at Atlas from atop his throne, eyes narrowing slightly. "Yes, Atlas?" Yet more evidence that his siblings have something planned. Atlas rarely stays for long, despite the training he receives from Kronos.
Zeus snorted. "He's really paranoid."
Atlas bows his head. "You have some visitors."
Kronos raises an eyebrow. "Which sort of visitors?"
"The monster sort," Atlas says stiffly, obviously not too pleased with having monsters in Othrys. Despite Othrys being Kronos'.
The Titan King straightens. "Then allow these monsters in."
Atlas flashes away, not wanting to see the meeting. Across from Kronos, Rhea's eyes narrow slightly at him, before she makes her way over. "You have a plan, I assume?"
"Of course he does," Percy groaned. "He's Kronos."
"I always do," Kronos murmurs back. "Join me, Rhea. This is bound to be entertaining."
"That can't be good," Thalia mused.
She sighs. "I assume threats will be involved? And, if they refuse to cooperate, harm."
He chuckles, enclosing her hand in his once she's sat down in her throne beside him. "You know me so well, my queen." She flushes slightly as he brushes his lips across the back of her hand. "What do you say after I'm done here... we spend some time just with each other?"
Rhea snorts and pushes him away. "I say perhaps tonight. Not in broad daylight." She feels his gleeful gaze on the side of her head and smiles slightly. Of course a promise such as that would get his attention.
"Of course," Artemis echoed dryly. "A typical male."
"Worried the limpets will walk in on us?" he questions with faint amusement.
"They'll be asleep."
"Well, that depends. They may hear you screaming and believe you're being attacked."
Apollo choked on his laughter. "Oh, Chaos."
Rhea shoots him a sharp glare, but he merely smiles. She shakes her head. "Not now." She nods pointedly to the rather horrified empousa which fidgets nervously in front of them. "We have company."
Kronos snorts. "That's never stopped you before."
"They haven't been monsters before, and we haven't had six impudent limpets running around before." Her tone is flat, emotionless and she looks every part the Queen of Othrys as her eyes narrow at the empousa. Severe dislike of monsters such as them runs in the veins of the Titans, its roots settled in Ouranos throwing the six younger brothers of Kronos into the Great Abyss.
"Well, I guess that answers the question on whether the Titans like monsters," Thalia muttered.
Kronos still hears the words of his father some days – They were abominations, Kronos! Putrid monsters which were not borne of me! He forces the thoughts away. It was not the time to linger over thoughts of his late father. But Kronos can't deny that having the empousa stand in his Fortress is distasteful, unwanted and it needs to go. He stands, wanting to get this over with.
Monsters have had regular confrontations with Titans, always ending in bloodshed. The empousa before Kronos seems very aware of that, skittering back a few paces as the Titan Lord steps forwards.
"Clever," Nico muttered. "But ultimately futile."
"You speak for the rest of your kind?" Kronos questions, wanting to confirm that Hecate had sent him the empousa he was looking for.
"Yes," the monster says, her stance all defensive and prideful.
"You know of the Primordials, I assume?" At her nod, he smiles. "Excellent. The incarnate of shadows is walking amongst mortals, daring to enter my territory," he presses his palms together before him, a look of grave importance etched on his features. "I hear you feed on mortals, drink their blood," a brief look of distaste flashes across his eyes before it's carefully hidden away behind layers of deception. "Does your food source ever run out?"
"Sometimes it gets hard... mortals often realise that our villages are being haunted and often become wary," the empousa admits.
"Mistake number one," Annabeth muttered.
Percy blinked. "Huh?"
"She said our villages."
"Oh. Yeah, that's a mistake."
Kronos raises an eyebrow. "Our villages?"
The empousa swiftly realises her mistake. "Did I say ours?" she questions uneasily. "I meant yours."
"Of course you did," he dismisses, almost sarcastic if not for the narrowing of his eyes and the sharpness of his tone. "Why would you suggest otherwise?" The empousa stands her ground as he inches closer, a deceptively serene smile suggesting she should be at ease.
"Oh, she's so dead," Nico stated.
"What do you want from us?" the empousa questions warily.
"I need you to do something for me," Kronos says bluntly. "I need eyes on Erebus, watching him. I need to know what he's doing, when he's doing it and how he's going about it. And I need it reported to me. Spread the word to the other monsters, let them know."
"What will we get in return?"
"The ability to walk out of here, for one," Kronos drawls.
The empousa tilts her head to the side, considering her options. "And if we refuse?"
"She won't walk out of there, duh," Leo muttered.
She shrieks as his hand clamps around her wrist. "You won't," he assures her, eyes sharp and glowing. The bones in her wrist creak in protest as his grip tightens, until a loud crunch echoes around the throne room and a screech rips from between her clenched teeth. The monster dares to hiss at him, baring sharp teeth which can rip through flesh.
Distaste coils up in Kronos' chest, lashing around violently at the defiance before him. The monster drops to her knees, half whimpering and half snarling at him. The sound makes a genuine smile form on the Titan's face. "I really loathe monsters. Perhaps you should consider that before you act foolishly. Not after." He lets go of her wrist, letting her cradle it to her chest. "Your decision?" he prompts calmly.
The monster glares up at him, but he's content in the glance away from him, how she doesn't dare to stand. "Yes," she growls out mutinously.
"Excellent," Kronos smiles. "I'll expect the first report within a week with Erebus' current location." He nods his head to the doors which part silently at the glance. "You may go."
"Well, that was... eventful," Poseidon said lowly.
The monster flees from the throne room, scrambling to get away from him.
Kronos curiously studies the bronze blood over his hand. "Interesting," he muses, before turning to face Rhea. "No comments about causing unnecessary harm?"
"Bronze blood?" Percy echoed. "Monsters can bleed?"
"Apparently so," Annabeth said.
Rhea looks down at him from her throne, frowning slightly. "She was a monster." She nods at the celestial bronze blood on his hand from where he'd crushed the monster's wrist. "You may wish to remove evidence before you go hunting for your limpets."
Kronos drags out a sigh, but summons a rough towel to wipe off the blood. "I wasn't going to hunt them down. As long as they cause few problems, they can do what they wish. I was planning on doing what I could to defend myself."
Rhea's mouth twitches up as she stands. "And after you've done that?"
"I will be locking myself in my room and barricading the door," he says flatly.
Rhea smiles as she shakes her head. "Kronos, let them have their fun."
"Not when it's at my expense," he snaps. "If they want fun they can play with the mortals."
"Hey!" Percy exclaimed. "That's not fun!"
She steps closer to him, until there are mere inches between the two. "Well, they will have their own birthday gifts to you. And I will have mine." The mischievous glint in her eyes is more than enough for Kronos to know exactly what she's referring to. He feels himself start to react to how close she is. He tugs her closer, mouth curling up into a feline smile as their lips meet.
It annoys him when she pulls away, but she doesn't move from his arms, for which he is glad. It's been too long – in his opinion – since they'd merely spent time together. Rhea's heart beats solidly against his chest, comforting in its familiarity. Before his failed attempt at getting rid of Hestia, he'd been lulled into a dreamless sleep for many centuries by Rhea's heart.
Aphrodite cooed. "He really loves her."
"You know," Rhea says finally, her voice soft, "if you miss me that much, you could always beg to be let into our room for a night." Her teasing tone makes him scowl, it was beneath his dignity to beg for anything.
Then his expression brightens. "If I were to visit for the night, would you consider-"
"No. Kronos, no. In the same room as the seven younglings?"
"No!" Zeus exclaimed. "Definitely no."
"Well, you have consented in company before."
"Having sex in front of our brothers is entirely different to doing it in the same room as seven children."
He smiles faintly. "You did offer," he points out.
"I meant without sex, Kronos," Rhea says in obvious exasperation. "Why do you always jump to conclusions involving sex?"
Kronos thinks quickly. "You simply have me addicted to you," he muses. "You're always on my mind."
"Sweet," Rhea snorts. "But don't think it lets you off the hook."
"It's the truth," he defends. "You've ruined me for any other."
"It must suck to be you then," Rhea laughs at him. "Denied by me so many times."
Apollo chuckled. "Grandmother is awesome."
"I know," Kronos moans in mock horror. "I don't know how I survive."
"Neither do I," she mocks before pulling away. "I have to go check on the seven limpets," she informs him, making him scowl.
"Surely they're old enough to last a few hours without you?"
"Surely you're mature enough to last a few hours without me satisfying your libido," Rhea retorts.
Hera snorted. "Probably not. If he and Zeus are anything alike."
"I've lasted ten years! Give or take a few slip-ups."
She rolls her eyes at him, probably the only being who could do that without having their eyes cut out. "Then you can surely last a few hours."
"She has a point," Hades muttered.
He grumbles, but drops the topic. "Fine. I'll hunt down Hyperion – make sure he knows everything he does to me, I will do back to him."
Rhea's mouth twitches up slightly. "Have fun," she smiles. "Try not to kill him when he doesn't tell you."
Kronos is already stalking towards the doors. "He will," he growls murderously under his breath.