Not being able to be close to his children while they grew up was one thing Poseidon regretted the most. His immortal children grew up way too fast, which was quite normal for the gods, but it made him miss out on so many things, and he couldn't get to his mortal children because of Zeus' laws.
Not being able to see his little warrior Princess grow up was not just a regret, thought; it was a raw wound in his heart, and it drove him crazy with need to go to the surface and check on his Sephie. Thankfully, he only succumbed to the urge once – his little girl's life will be difficult enough without monsters sensing Poseidon's aura sticking to her – but it was a moment Poseidon would cherish forever. With those chubby cheeks, fluttering eyelashes and inky black hair already forming ringlets around her face, Persephone Amphitrite Jackson looked like a newborn, wingless angel - not that she needed the wings, they were overrated anyway in Poseidon's opinion.
In short, little Sephie stole her father's heart without even trying, and Poseidon didn't give a damn about the fact.
No matter how painful he found his distance from her, Poseidon managed to maintain it by placating his guilty conscience with thoughts of what would happen if his baby was found by the monsters. He would never forgive himself if his own recklessness got Sephie killed. Sally knew how to protect their child, thanks to her sight, so Poseidon would not have to worry about mourning his baby girl for a while. He desperately ignored the little voice whispering from the edges of his mind about his daughter's inevitable death. She was no immortal, after all, and if the monsters and the Prophecy don't kill her, age would, and Poseidon knew his older brother would never return him his baby, even if Poseidon were fool enough to ask.
Some laws were not created to be broken, Poseidon knew it firsthand, and it was one of the main reasons why he and Hades got along so well. Unlike their brat of little brother, they never dared mess with the natural flow of the universe.
It was the main reason why he overreacted when Zeus accused him of stealing his Master Bolt. The three brothers had their own symbols of power that meshed well with their domains and balanced out the scales of power perfectly, so why would Poseidon feel the need to steal the stupid Bolt? Besides, he was not the one for treachery and thievery – his and his children's most notorious fatal flaw was loyalty, for Creator's sake! Not to mention everyone from the highest reaches of Aether to the deepest depths of Tartarus knew where Poseidon's loyalties were – with his family, and Zeus was still family, no matter how estranged they could become at times.
That being said, he could barely believe how quickly his baby brother accused him of stealing the Bolt, and his first impulse had been to deny any and all accusations to the bitter end. It was only later that he realized who would be the one blamed, once the truth got out, and he wanted to curse himself. Sephie had nothing to do with this nightmare, but Zeus wouldn't give a damn and accuse her of taking the Bolt!
Oh, Sephie, I'm so, so sorry. Will you ever forgive your fool of a father?
Assaulted by the merciless self-guilt, Poseidon refused to go back to Olympus after the Winter Solstice even after Hermes delivered oral and written missives, choosing to drown himself in the work and sneak peeks at his baby girl whenever he could get away with that, with no one wiser.
How could Poseidon keep an eye on Sephie without at least someone knowing, you might ask. The answer is simple. Back during the time of Primordials, Pontus, Primordial of the seas, fell in love with Gaea. The problem, of course, was Gaea's husband, Ouranos, who being the sky itself, would quickly discover any sort of cheating, so Pontus created three green orbs from which he could watch everything in the sea, sky and on the earth and keep his affair with Gaea low-key. Oceanus inherited the orbs when the Titans overthrew Ouranos, and freely gave them to Poseidon when gods defeated the Titans.
"Use them wisely, nephew," Oceanus had said then, and Poseidon could only remember his astonishment at how easily and affectionately the Titan called him 'nephew', so different from Kronos and spit-up word 'son' that sounded more like an insult than family appellation, to be properly impressed with the orbs.
It was only later that he discovered how useful they were. During the centuries, the location in the sky orb remained Olympus and its gossip mill, the sea orb's images varied depending on which location Poseidon was checking in his daily routine, and the earth orb he used to sporadically check on his children. Sephie though, he watched with a particular dedication, which crossed into the maniacal after the Bolt incident. He knew it wasn't healthy, and that he was setting himself up for the inevitable heartbreak when his Princess died, but he always pushed those thoughts away: he had to watch over her.
She was far too beautiful for her own good, just like her sisters and grandmother. His warrior girl was a true child of the sea, her beauty envied by the mortals and desired by the immortals. Poseidon would not let it happen, though: his family was flighty, and Poseidon would never trust them with Sephie's heart.
When she came to the camp, Poseidon thought his heart might stop. Minotaur. Thrice-damned Minotaur chased her to the borders of the Camp Half-Blood as her first true test, and had it not been for the torrential rain he had let out in his anger at his brother, she would've died only meters away from the safety. He cursed his own foolishness for what felt like millionth time, but sent out a prayer of gratitude to Chiron, the satyr and two half-bloods that waited for Sephie to arrive.
Claiming Sephie in the most dramatic fashion he could manage was a perverse pleasure Poseidon wished he could bottle and carry around like a charm as a figurative middle finger to Zeus. By the time he materialized the trident above his warrior girl, she had survived three attempts at her life, made friends in the Camp and showed amazing potential with the sword, and Poseidon couldn't stop grinning, even when his wife assaulted him with her screeching about him being unfaithful again.
Seeing her walk out of the camp with the child of Athena and the satyr friend that brought her, Poseidon flashed next to Chiron, successfully startling his half-brother.
"Hello, Chiron," Poseidon smirked, twirling his Trident in his grip.
"L-lord Poseidon!" Chiron stuttered out as he bowed, completely caught off the guard. "I-I-"
"Enough with the Lord, Chiron, you're my brother," Poseidon shook his head, raising Chiron until the centaur looked him in the eye. "Did you give Anaklusmos to Sephie?"
"I did, my – Poseidon," Chiron hastily corrected himself, noticing the warning look Poseidon was giving him. "She's a natural. Only Luke – our current sword master, son of Hermes – had shown that amount of raw potential, and he had at least two years of being on the streets with..." here he threw a cautious glance at the pine tree that used to be their niece, Thalia Grace.
"Good," Poseidon sighed, letting the years of watching the humankind wash over him and appear in his eyes. "She may just survive this intact."
"She will," Chiron assured the Sea King. "She's strong."
"I know."
With those words, Poseidon let himself dissolve into the fine mist rather than to assume his godly form, and returned to Atlantis to fret over Sephie. He could follow her with the orb, but now that Amphitrite and Triton knew of Sephie, the risk of being found out became too high. His family knew of the orbs, and he was not in the mood to listen to Triton bitch about the Heir being ignored in favor of the bastard children.
While he couldn't watch over her like he did in the months leading up to her quest, Poseidon was still able to hear every pertinent detail of the quest, courtesy of the rumors flying between the Olympians.
The Medusa head package Sephie sent to Olympus honestly made him crack up. Not the most rational of reactions, yes, but he was so worried about her dying by the hand of the monster before they ever met face to face – because there was never any doubt they would meet after this quest – any sign of her being alive and slaying monsters made him smile, and the impertinence of the package pushed him over the line between happiness and hysterics.
Zeus' purple face as he realized he couldn't do anything in retaliation if he wanted his toy back was a nice cherry on the top, too.
Her stunt at the Gateway Arch, on the other hand, made him worry to the point he opened the liquor cabinet in his office to stop himself from imagining every worst-case scenario and fantasizing about sending Zeus to have a nice chat with their Father, in chopped up state of course – all or nothing, as one smart mortal put it. Triton had not been pleased with his behavior, but Poseidon caught a vindictive smile on Amphitrite face when she entered his office and found him rocking in his chair, half-empty bottle of Dionysius' finest in his hand and groaned internally. He wanted his family to like Sephie, but not at the expense of the girl giving him a heart-attack!
Denver incident, in contrast, was a pure joy to watch. Atlantis had a premium reception, courtesy of Hephaestus and his gratefulness for his Uncle allowing his children to help him in the forge. Poseidon argued with Athena all the time and maintained their rivalry on principle, but just like Sephie and Annabeth, when push came to shove, he would save the wisdom goddess and listen to her instructions when it concerned her domain. The unexpected, but very much appreciated side effect of the incident was Triton and Amphitrite being reluctantly impressed by Sephie's powers over the water, and admitting that she just may grow into being the true child of the sea.
He never saw what happened after the questers stopped in Las Vegas, though – Zeus had summoned him to the Olympus and all but locked them in the throne room to wait for Sephie's return. He didn't even allow them to sleep, adamant they were to wait for Sephie to appear on their radar with the Bolt. Thankfully, he had left Alatea with the instructions for the pearls, so he knew Sephie would get out of the Underworld safely.
Naturally, they spent those agonizing five days constantly arguing, with Zeus throwing accusations and insults like candy and Poseidon responding with acerbic sarcasm, only stopping when Hestia grew tired of them and made her hearth erupt.
At the midday of Summer Solstice, Zeus suddenly tensed, his eyes misting over, and Poseidon gripped his trident tighter, recognizing the signs. His brother spotted something in his domain. Not a moment later, Zeus' eyes cleared and the King of Gods growled.
"Your brat is even more impertinent than I thought." Static electricity erupted out of Zeus' fingertips, and Poseidon felt his own powers respond, lighting up the tips of the Trident in stormy green. "She dared to enter my domain, carrying my Bolt!"
"She is trying to return your toy to you before the deadline!" Poseidon shot back. "She wouldn't have done so if the deadline wasn't so close! Besides, do you really want to strike your own Bolt down, because of a bruised ego?"
Zeus looked mutinous. "It still does not give her right to enter!"
Poseidon lost his patience and stood up, the sound of water filling his ears and ground shaking minutely under his feet. "I cannot believe you, Zeus!" His voice echoed through the empty room, amplifying to the point where Zeus had to cover his ears, but Poseidon couldn't care less. How dare his brother treat Sephie's life like that! "She was ripped from her old life, tossed into chaos of our world, accused of thievery and sent on a deadly quest, all in the span of a week! Give Sephie a break, and stop behaving like everyone's out to get you! You're behaving just like our dear Father!"
Zeus flinched at the accusation and opened his mouth to retort, but was silenced by the pointed glares from both Hestia and Poseidon.
"Poseidon is right, Zeus," Hestia murmured, poking the coals in the hearth. "Our little niece is only trying to make the deadline. I'm quite sure she's scared to death that you will blast her out of the sky, despite the circumstances." Here she smiled nostalgically, eyes far away. "Besides, you should at least meet her once in person, before you try to blast her out of existence."
Poseidon blinked at the innocent proposition, before it clicked in his head, and he stared at Hestia with undisguised awe. Why in the world did they allow her to step down, again? His big sister had the best, and most devious ideas, and all packed behind that big doe eyes so no one would suspect her!
Zeus did not arrive at the same conclusion, if his blank expression was any indicative, but Poseidon could read interest in the minute twitches of his body from the millennia the brothers spent fighting and arguing.
"And why, sister, do you think I should meet Persephone Jackson before I blast her?"
"Call it a hunch," Hestia smiled with an air of mystery, creating a small circlet to keep hair away from her face, and leaned to the middle of the hearth to poke at the dying coal. It sputtered before erupting, white hot flames enveloping the coal, tinged with green. "You will understand when you see her."
And he certainly did. As Sephie walked through the grandiose doors of the Throne Room, a backpack that radiated the power of the Sky slung over her shoulder, Poseidon had the utmost pleasure of seeing his brother's face pale and eyes go wild, not believing wat he was seeing. To be fair, Poseidon had not been immune to the image when he first peeked at Sephie life, at her sixth birthday, but still. He was so holding this over Zeus' head!
The exchange went over smoothly from there on, Zeus letting Poseidon do most of the talking, going through the motions, until Sephie mentioned she didn't believe Ares did it alone.
"Then who?" Zeus asked. "Are you blaming -"
"No!" Sephie instantly protested before Zeus could finish the sentence, which made Poseidon suspicious. Why was Sephie defending her uncle so passionately? "He hadn't! It was that thing in the pit!"
Poseidon felt his eyes widen. Father? The following description had only cemented his fear, and he looked at Zeus, opening his mouth to speak.
"Impossible, Father has always been whispering to the weak-minded," Zeus spoke in Greek before Poseidon could get a word out.
"What my daughter heard was not just whispers – someone's obeying Father's commands," Poseidon countered. "Brother -"
"No! I declare the matter closed!" Zeus took a deep breath. "I shall go and purify the Bolt. For returning the Bolt, I shall spare your life, Persephone Jackson, but never think about entering my domain – you will not like the results." With those words, Zeus flashed out, leaving Poseidon with Sephie.
The Sea Lord suddenly panicked. What should he say to his baby girl? Should he apologize? Be reserved? Open? Gods, he didn't know what to do!
"Your uncle would've done well as the god of drama," was the most neutral comment he could think of, and was rewarded by a small snort and smile from Sephie. Promising. Morphing into his human form, Poseidon offered his arm to Sephie to lead her out, which she accepted with an air of reluctance that stung the Sea God, but it wasn't like he could expect anything else. "You've done well, Sephie."
"T-thank you... sir," she tacked on the honorific almost as an afterthought, and Poseidon wanted to laugh. His girl was a true Sea Princess – obedience did not come easy to her, and he commented on it. The blush that colored her cheeks and the mumbled confirmation only made him chuckle.
"I must take some credit for it," Poseidon sighed, shaking his head in fondness. "Sea does not like being restrained, nor does it react kindly to being forced into anything."
Sephie twirled a lock of her hair around her finger looking everywhere at her father, and Poseidon felt his heart crack a little bit, so he tried to get her attention with the news of Sally returning. The sparkle in her eyes when she craned her head told him everything he needed to know, and he felt his heart expand and constrict in the same time. Oh, how much he wished he could come to see Sally and Sephie...
But maybe, he could.
Poseidon's eyes widened as the thought registered in his head. The repulsive stench of the mortal Sally married was enough to hide child of the Sea – it would hide him too, if he didn't linger. The only thing he needed to do was convince Hera to distract Zeus. Good thing the big baby was distracted as it was – seeing Rhea's face on his niece's body was quite a shock.
"Don't say it, Sephie," Poseidon winked, and watching with pride as Sephie's stormy greens eyes widened in surprise and delight. "Plausible deniability. And, whatever happens, whatever you choose to do in your life, know you're a true child of sea." I'll always be proud of you, Sephie Jackson, he tried to convey to her though his eyes. If the smirk and happy glint her eyes gained were anything to go by, she got it, loud and clear.
Keeping an eye on Sephie became mission impossible after the Solstice. Atlantis was in a tizzy over the mortal Princess of Seas residing in the surface world, and Poseidon could not do any of his normal duties without being pestered to talk more about Sephie. It got to the point where Poseidon had to stop a normal council session to bluntly ask what connection Sephie's favorite color had with the illegal shark hunting boats in the Indian Ocean. He put his worries over Sephie on the backburner for a solid month and half, trusting his half-brother to keep her out of harm's way.
"What. Did you say." Poseidon asked in a deathly calm tone, and Chiron gulped, his tail swishing from one side to another in anxiety.
"Sephie was poisoned – by the same person that stole the Master Bolt."
"Who?" Poseidon hissed, seas churning as they started to reflect their master's fury. "And what poison?"
"Pit scorpion's," Chiron whispered in shame. "The boy's name is Luke Castellan, son of Hermes."
"Luke Castellan," Poseidon repeated, recalling the blonde boy with the thick, white scar over his eye and a kind smile. "Wasn't he one of Sephie's friends?"
"Yes, my Lord."
Poseidon took a deep breath before letting reins loose, allowing waves and storms to form all over the world, the earthquakes hitting every corner of Gaea. "And the boy escaped to join Father?"
"Sephie is adamant about it," Chiron confirmed, bowing his head. "She wanted to start the search for him the moment she woke up: Annabeth talked her out of it, thank the Fates."
"She's healed now, I take it?" Poseidon took another breath before pacifying the earth, letting the waves and storms dissipate normally to avoid straining Mist too much.
"Yes. Good as new, physically speaking," Chiron clutched his bow, a frown on his face. "Emotionally speaking... well, I'm glad she has next to no control over your domains, my Lord. Luke's betrayal cut her deep – she admired him, and he took care of her. They and Annabeth had makings of a family. Will you speak with her?"
"I will," Poseidon affirmed, "at her birthday. Thank you for telling me, Chiron."
"Of course." With those words, Chiron disconnected the Iris-message, and Poseidon pinched the bridge of his nose. It seemed like his subjects will get their wish of showering Sephie with gifts they thought were appropriate for a Sea Princess.
Sending Tyson to protect Sephie had been a genius idea – not only it allowed Poseidon to relax a little, it also allowed him to do his work and keep his wife and son calm when the subject of Sephie came up. The only reason why Amphitrite objected to his affairs was because she knew to which lengths Poseidon would go to protect his children instead of paying attention to Atlantis, and Poseidon decided to do his damn best to prove her wrong. Triton's jealousy was thankfully dulled due to the fact Sephie was his half-sister, not half-brother, but it was still present enough to make Poseidon keep an eye on him. He did not need a fight between his warrior girl and Heir.
Even without keeping a physical eye on Sephie, Poseidon knew what was going on in the surface world, so Tyson's and Sephie's prayers for help did not take him by surprise, nor did it make him worry overmuch. The quest was practically tailor-made for Sephie: Sea of Monsters would help her grow in her powers, and it would let Poseidon see and hear every move she made. It was a bit stalkerish by mortal standards, but Poseidon had to stay far away from Sephie for her own good for her entire life – he had to take every chance he could to see how his little girl was.
However, you know what they say about eavesdroppers – they never hear anything good of themselves, or good in general.
"Are you sure?" Poseidon questioned the mako shark he sent to monitor Princess Andromeda. "Are you absolutely sure?"
Yes, my Lord, the shark nodded. The little Lady, her brother and her friend sounded very sure.
"Thank you," Poseidon sighed, waving his hand over the animal, granting him his blessing and dismissing him. Oh, Sephie. Thank you for defending me to the traitor, even if you are not sure of me just yet. Loyal to a bitter end, just like me and your brothers.
"Father?" Triton swished into the courtyard where the shark gave his report.
"The news from the surface," Poseidon explained, concentrating on the cruise ship before cursing. "So, that's how you want to play, Uncle?"
"Father, what's wrong?" Triton's fins twitched in impatience and anxiety.
"The Master Bolt thief from last year is in my domain, on a boat protected by your grandfather," Poseidon hissed, Trident materializing in his hand. "The brat nearly caused a World War III, and now he dares to enter my domain under Oceanus' protection!" Not to mention he put Sephie in incredible danger and poisoned her after pretending to be her friend.
Triton's eyes widened. "You don't think...?"
"I'm afraid so, son," Poseidon growled, the currents speeding around him. "I'm afraid we will have to defend Atlantis."
"Can't you -?"
"Non-interference laws," Poseidon reminded his hot-headed heir. "It would also mean a breach of truce between Oceanus and I, and I have no wish of making Atlantis suffer for any longer than necessary."
Triton nodded, sullen look on his face. "But we will prepare?"
"Of course," Poseidon assured his son. "Can I trust you to train the soldiers for the battle and asses our weaknesses?"
"Naturally, Father," Triton glowed at the thought of Poseidon handing him the responsibility. "I will not fail you."
"I know, son. I know."
Poseidon was peripherally aware of Sephie entering the Sea of Monsters, one place where his and Oceanus' powers clashed and warred over and he couldn't directly watch over Sephie. Still, the Sea Lord had enough allies there to get at least a broad image of her quest. Sirens in particular were very helpful, telling him about the two girls that sailed past them at speeds that should not be possible without any rowers, engines or wind. They also told him of the foolish daughter of Athena, who wanted to hear their song to realize her faults, and his Sephie, who stuffed her ears with wax and saved her friend from falling victim to Sirens' song.
They weren't very pleased with the fact, but they did say Sephie looked all right, although she did bear the signs of being in a minor skirmish, and that she helmed Queen Anne's Revenge. Poseidon cracked up at the name of the ship, remembering Edward Teach and the sword he blessed for the son of Ares before the idiot decided to sail into the Sea of Monsters in search of Circe. A true son of Ares, that one: brash, straightforward and thick as a brick.
In spite of knowing where Sephie was, he was still very glad to feel her presence in more friendly waters near Miami. Sea of Monsters was unpredictable, and you never knew whether it would obey Poseidon or Oceanus – Miami was Poseidon's ground, and Sephie was close to land of gods. It didn't save her from being captured and dragged to Princess Andromeda, though, and Poseidon could only grit his teeth and watch helplessly as the traitor prowled around Sephie, a gleam in the boy's eyes Poseidon did not like at all. What did son of Hermes want from Sephie? He should know Sephie gave her loyalty to Olympus and their children in Camp Half-Blood, and it would be a cold day in Tartarus before she betrayed those she felt loyal to.
"You shouldn't say no so quickly, Sephie," Poseidon heard Luke whisper in Sephie's ear and saw Sephie shiver in revulsion. "Remember, I know you. You poured your heart out to me at the Camp. You wouldn't want all those secrets to be let out, hm?"
"Blackmail? So you can sink lower?" Sephie asked shakily, but Poseidon noticed a discreet motion she made with her wrist, creating a little fountain and a rainbow through which she tossed a drachma. Oh my clever girl. Well done! "Even lower than betrayal of DIONYSIUS at CAMP HALF-BLOOD?"
The following exchange made Poseidon chuckle – Luke was red as a tomato, caught red-handed, Sephie was grinning victoriously, and child of Athena and Tyson looked very impressed. When he saw Chiron enter the scene, Poseidon cut the connection. Sephie would get out of this predicament now. He had nothing to worry about.
However, one question still nagged at him: What kind of secrets did Sephie confide in Luke, and why would she consider them blackmail?