#they wouldn't dare leave if they didn't know the truth about apollo

[izayoichan]

(A little trip to the other side, its time for someone to come home, and yes, this is still spoiler territory for Mahv’s story, sorry!)

Fannar: Will you watch him? Emil: Of course.

Fan smiled, leaving Emil to keep an eye on Arlo, who was having a good day, and was currently reading up on some stuff Fannar had brought him. They had stayed with them for almost three years now, Flynn finishing his degree here, while Emil had been helping with the library he had made once to make sure the new caretakers had all they needed. 

Fannar: Figured I’d find you here. Flynn: Not that hard to guess no.

He smiled as Fan sat next to him by the little pond. The two of them had talked a lot the last few days, Fannar insisting they were good to leave, while Flynn was still not sure as Arlo was still not quite present. After not seeing hide or hair of Apollo for the time they had been there, Flynn had asked Syra, who said he had left after Fannar had been sent home, and was probably off somewhere doing whatever he wanted. Having still been skeptical, he had asked Mal the next time he saw him, where he had been told Apollo was dead. He still remembered that talk;

Flynn: Mal, sorry to bother... Mal: Nah, you don't bother.  Flynn: What happened to Apollo, is he still…

Beginning - Previous - Next

[aphroditelovesu]

Yandere Greek Gods - Profile II

"Even the gods themselves need love and yours is the best of all." - Greek Gods.

❝⚡️— lady l: hey! Here I am again, bringing you the second and probably last part of the profile of the Greek gods. Before reading, I want to make some things clear, I didn't make all the Greek gods, if it wouldn't take too long, I made the most important ones. Of the twelve Olympians and some extras, for example, Persephone and Hades are not Olympians, but they are listed. Maybe in the future I can make the minor gods, but there's no plan. If you want to read the first part click here or search one of the tags below. I didn't do it in alphabetical order or the oldest, I ended up leaving it randomly and some got bigger and others smaller.

❝⚡️tw: yandere themes in general, dub-con, implicit non-con, possessive and obsessive behavior. If you feel uncomfortable with any of these themes, I recommend not reading.

❝⚡️word counter: 3k+

MANIPULATOR

Athena is the Greek goddess of wisdom, craftsmanship and strategy in warfare. Daughter of Zeus and Metis.

"Y/N, you know it's not wise to argue with me about this. You're not going to abandon me to these petty mortals. You insult me ​​by asking me to."

Athena is an extremely proud goddess and that is dangerous. Any affront or insult will not be treated lightly. You will be punished and after being punished, you will be drowned in the caresses of the goddess.

She is manipulative, what more could you expect from the goddess of wisdom? Athena is wise, she knows how to manipulate you very well and you won't even know you're being puppeted unless she wants you to know.

Athena will punish you until you learn, but you won't need to be punished many times, the goddess will make sure you learn the first time.

In a platonic way she will be more tolerable with you, but will still be strict. Athena expects no less from her obsessional perfection. You must be perfect for her and she will make you be.

"I'm so disappointed in you, Ynn. How dare you try to leave? I've tried to avoid physically hurting you, but apparently it's the only way you know how to obey. With pain."

Kinks: dom. Athena is definitely a dom, she wants it and will be at the top.

Nicknames: Ynn (imagine it as the initial of her name plus the letter "e", like Lee), princess/prince.

OBSESSIVE

Artemis is the Greek goddess of hunting, chastity and in some versions the moon. Daughter of Zeus and Leto, twin sister of Apollo.

"Do you want to go hunting with me today, dear? It will just be the two of us..."

Artemis is an obsessive and protective yandere. She is strong and decisive, Artemis wants you and she will have it. From a young age, Artemis always knew what he wanted. A group of hunters who, like her, took a vow of chastity. But after meeting you, maybe she'll reconsider.. or not.

Artemis is one of the yandere most likely to be platonically in love with you. The goddess worships you, simply, you were so kind, innocent and intelligent, which immediately attracted the attention of the goddess of hunting. You haven't been corrupted by the evils of the world yet, and she wants you to stay that way.

If she becomes romantically involved with you, there will hardly be sex involved, but she doesn't mean it's not impossible, because it can happen. But due to her oath, the goddess is much more likely to remain platonically in love with you.

Although she is known to be serious and strict, Artemis is kind and tolerant of you. You are one of the few mortals the goddess has affections for, she wants you to remain pure.

If you remain pure and devoted to the goddess of the hunt, Artemis will reward you handsomely.

"Oh, is my little deer hurt? Tell me who hurt you and I promise to make that person regret it."

Kinks: hunting games. You are the prey and she is your predator. It is Artemis' favorite fantasy.

Nicknames: dear, little deer.

CONTROLLER

Apollo is the god of the sun, music, plagues, prophecy, medicine, arts, oracles, truth, disease, healing, poetry, archery, initiator of young people into the world of adults, masculine beauty, perfection, harmony, balance and reason. Son of Zeus and Leto, twin brother of Artemis.

"You can't leave, Y/N. What if you get hurt? I can't risk your safety."

Let's be clear, Apollo is a controlling god and he doesn't accept to receive a "no", none of them accepts in fact, after all they are gods and you are a mere mortal, but Apollo can be worse, I mean, take a good look at Cassandra of Troy.

Apollo wants to control you in every way, when you wake up, when you sleep, what you eat, who you talk to and even your clothes. Everything you do will be scrutinized by the god.

In addition to being controlling, Apollo is quite protective. Not that you can blame him, after all, all of his lovers have tragically died and he doesn't want the same to happen to you.

As the sun god, Apollo is always aware of where you are. God has hell, wherever you are he will be there. He wants you to be by his side all the time, for you to share your thoughts with him whether you want to or not. Privacy is something you will never know after he sets eyes on you.

Apollo is a very jealous god. He gets jealous so easily it's ridiculous. Apollo is jealous when the wind hits his delicate skin, after all, the wind is a god too. He will always be hovering over you.

"What are you about to play a game? Don't worry, my Muse. I won't let anything happen to you."

Kinks: dom, probably a little daddykink (given the power he feels when you call him that).

Nicknames: sunshine, sun, my Muse.

IN LOVE

Aphrodite is the Greek goddess of love, beauty and sexuality. In some versions she is the daughter of Zeus and Dione, but the most famous is that she was born from sea foam, after the castration of Uranus.

"Love is the most powerful emotion there is."

Aphrodite is the embodiment of feminine beauty. She is the most beautiful and desired goddess. She wants to be adored by everyone, she is adored by everyone. But what she craves most is your attention, devotion and your love.

The goddess is not afraid to show how much she is in love with you. Why should she? She is the goddess of love! Aphrodite wants you to know in every way possible how much she loves you. You are the person she cares about and loves the most, so you should always have confirmation that she loves you more than anything in the world.

Expect to receive many gifts from the goddess. From dazzling silk dresses, jewelry to decorated handcuffs. She will pamper you infinitely, you are her greatest treasure, nothing could be fairer than that you receive everything from the most expensive and the best. Whatever you ask for you will get, have no doubt that any wish you have, even the simplest, will be fulfilled.

The only thing Aphrodite wants in exchange for all the luxury she will provide you with is your love and devotion. Just for her. You must be completely devoted and loyal to your goddess, otherwise she is more than willing to punish you. Her punishments would be both physical and sexual, she has no fear or any hesitation to cause you physical pain.

If you are disobedient or stubborn, know that you will be insulting her. Aphrodite is known to have a dangerous temper and when she is offended nothing can be done to calm her anger, look at the case of Myrrha and Hippolytus. Nothing and no one could do anything to calm the goddess's fury and it's not like anyone will help you, as she is extremely dangerous and is willing to use Ares or anyone else to destroy an entire country as a way of punishing you. And she won't feel an ounce of guilt about it. She would blame you, saying that those people died because you didn't accept her love.

It goes without saying that Aphrodite is an extremely jealous goddess, bordering on possessiveness. Nobody has the right to touch you. You belong to her and her alone. Anyone who tries to touch you will lose their hands or their life, depending on whether she's feeling merciful.

As long as you remain devoted and accept Aphrodite's love for you, you and everyone around her will be protected. Aphrodite loves you so much and wants to stay with you forever. But remember, Aphrodite was once known as the goddess of war and all is fair in love and war.

"Shall we take a shower together, my love? I promise to get you clean. Are we going to do more than just bathe? Maybe..."

Kinks: literally anything. Aphrodite doesn't have a specific kink, she loves to try anything with you.

Nicknames: my love, my passion and my beautiful.

POSSESSIVE

Ares is the Greek god of war. Son of Zeus and Hera.

"I'll take you with me to the next battle. Shh, don't argue with me. I'm sure you'll like it."

Ares, like his mother, is extremely possessive. It has no other adjective to put in. He sees you as his, as a possession, more like an object to be possessed than a person.

You weren't sure why and how you attracted the attention of the god of war. Maybe it's because you're a peaceful and anti-war person that, in a way, you loathed Ares. It was an affront to him and it infuriated him. You should be punished. Not only did you not pray to him, you tried to dissuade the others from stopping the killing. Ares knew you had to be punished severely and that was exactly what he planned to do.

When he went to meet you, it didn't go the way he had planned. Instead of having to punish, he was stunned. You radiated such a calm and passivity that he was fascinated by you. Ares was instantly fixated on you. He wanted you and he would have you. He would make you the perfect wife/husband, but for that Ares needs to make sure you would support him.

Ares is not a gentle god, quite the opposite. He's gross and rude. There's no kind of gentleness when he touches you. Kisses from him are usually rude and it seems like he's always trying to get you pressed like anything, from a wall to your own arms if there’s nothing else.

However, there are moments, rare but there are, where Ares is affectionate with you. This would be more likely to occur if you are pregnant or if it is your first time. In either case, he would be much more affectionate and try to be as gentle with you as possible. It might not seem like it because of Ares' brutal nature, but he can be soft when he wants to.

Ares loves you. This is a fact. But his love for you is twisted, he won't let you walk away from him. His possessiveness is suffocating and uncontrolled, he would beat anyone to death just because they dared to lay eyes on you. No one would be safe from him, not even you. Be very careful with him, Ares is more than willing to hurt you in any way possible to make you understand that you belong to him.

"I gouged out the eyes of that old bastard who asked you what time it was. What? Don't look at me like that! Did you like his attention?! YOU ARE MINE!"

Kinks: dom, rough sex and BDSM.

Nicknames: flame and sweetsoldier.

WORSHIPER

Hephaestus is the Greek god of the forge, blacksmiths, artisans, sculptors, metals, metallurgy, fire and volcanoes. Son of Zeus and Hera. Although, in some versions, he is just the son of Hera.

"I know I may seem disgusting to you, precious. But I want you to love me as much as I love you."

Hephaestus' biggest problem is his insecurity. Not that you blame him, I mean, his mother threw him off Mount Olympus because she thought he was so ugly and he was cheated on by his wife, so you can expect him to be insecure and somewhat paranoid. He knows he doesn't deserve you, he puts you on a pedestal. As if you were the goddess/god and not him. Hephaestus fears abandonment, he will do anything for you, anything so you don't abandon him or betray him. Ask and you will have.

He would definitely be the god who would spoil you the most. Others would too, but not as much as Hephaestus. He is always making new jewelry or trinkets for you. All made with the greatest dedication and affection.

However, Hephaestus can be quite scary. Don't get him wrong, he doesn't want to scare you, but when the god gets jealous (which happens very easily, given how insecure he is) he can become aggressive and threatening. But when his anger fades, all that's left is guilt. He didn't mean to scare you! He loves you! Why did he keep scaring you?

Hephaestus wouldn't force you to be with him. He'll understand if you want to stay away from him, even if it tears him apart inside. Hephaestus will be content to just watch you from a distance if that's what you want. But if you, for some reason, decide to stay with him, you won't leave his side anymore. Choose very carefully.

''Will you promise to stay with me forever, Y/N? I... I really can't let her go...''

Kinks: somnophilia (I can say that Hephaestus would really love to see you sleeping, a bit bizarre I know, but I just think...).

Nicknames: Precious, my life.

DELIRIOUS

Dionysus is the Greek god of wine, parties, life cycles, insanity, theater, religious rites and intoxication. Son of Zeus and Semele, a mortal princess. He is the only Olympian god born to a mortal. He is sometimes replaced by Hestia in the Greek pantheon.

''Today we are going to participate in a celebration! What do you mean by one more? Hmm... Don't worry, baby dolphin, it's the last party I drag you today!''

Dionysus may seem like an easy god to deal with, but don't be stupid, he is not. He's always shrouded in some kind of drunken haze, he's rarely sober, and when he is, it doesn't mean he'll make it any easier to deal with. Because he isn't. In fact, a sober Dionysus is a lot more work and a pain in the ass than a drunk one.

He is a delusional yandere. A little too obvious for the wine god, but true nonetheless. Dionysus is always wrapped up in his delusional obsession with you and drink. There are only two things he cares about most, you and his precious wine. The order doesn't matter much. He's sober enough to know it's wrong and extremely distorted how he feels about you, but he doesn't care one bit. He is a god and you are a mere mortal. Dionysus is delusional enough to think you're ecstatic that he's fallen in love with you.

He's very dangerous. Never doubt it even one for a moment. The god is always in the presence of his drunken worshipers, they are as obsessed with you as their god is with you. You will never be alone again. If Dionysus is not in your presence, his followers will be. All hovering over you. It would be an understatement to say that you will have almost no privacy.

Dionysus will drag you to all kinds of parties. It doesn't matter if you're the reclusive type of person who hates crowds and noisy places, once you're with him you'll learn to enjoy being the center of attention.

You will be pampered and rewarded by the god if you are not a stubborn person. Dionysus is not a bad option to be trapped, but because he is delusional and is almost always involved in his drink, he will hardly notice your discomfort.

''Here, Y/N-nn, take this grape. Wait! Let me put it in your mouth and then we can enjoy the privacy of our quarters...''

Kinks: exhibitionism and threesome. Dionysus won't mind sharing you with someone (especially since then that person will be dead).

Nicknames: baby dolphin, Y/N-nn (basically your name plus the second letter, like Laa).

STALKER

Hermes is the Greek god of roads and travellers, diplomats, merchants, astronomy, eloquence and initiation. He is considered the messenger of the gods, patron of thieves and the guide of souls to the underworld. Son of Zeus and Maia.

''What do you think about going on a trip? You know, just me and you, to a distant, romantic place. Where no one would ever disturb us.''

Hermes is a stalker, ok, let it be clear to you and everyone else. The god was already chasing you before you even knew, before anyone else knew. It is likely that even moiras were not aware of this. He knows everything about you. Your biggest fears, quirks, your biggest desire and even your darkest secrets. Nothing escapes Hermes' sight. You couldn't hide from him even if you tried, after all, he's the god of the roads, Any way you try to take he'll be there, waiting for you with open arms.

He got to know you in a very unusual way, actually. You were hiking with some friends and ended up getting separated from your group, causing you to get lost and, luckily or unluckily (it's up to you), you ended up meeting Hermes, who provided you with the necessary information. You thanked him and ran off to catch up with your friends, but unknowingly ended up leaving a deeply obsessed Greek god.

After that encounter, the god became thirsty for knowledge for you. He's found out everything he can about you. It was the perfect way to get close to you and he did. You wouldn't even notice Hermes' obsessive behavior as he is quite laid back, but don’t be fool, he can be scary and dangerous if he wants to be. However, luckily for you, this is very rare to happen, but if you end up irritating him too much, you will be punished severely, he will have no mercy.

Hermes is not a jealous or obsessive god. He doesn't demand to have your attention all the time for him, he's also very busy. Hermes is a pretty safe option for falling in love, but like I said, he's a stalker, he'll always have his eye on you. So be very careful what you say or do when he is not ''present''.

''You can run all you want, baby... But you know I'll always catch up with you, don't you?''

Kinks: voyeurism.

Nicknames: baby, sweet, little traveler.

INTENSE

Eros is the Greek god of love and eroticism. In some versions he is the son of Aphrodite and Ares, in others only of Aphrodite and in some he is presented as the son of Chaos, which would make him a primordial god.

''You know you can't resist love, my princess/prince. I don't know why you still try.''

Eros is the embodiment of sexual desire, of everything erotic. His emotions are intense and very powerful, which makes him one of the most dangerous yanderes among all the Greek gods. His anger is not to be treated lightly. His love should not be ignored and he should never, ever, under any circumstances, be neglected.

He loves too much, too much. What he feels for you is the purest love there is in the world, at least that's how he thinks, as it's completely twisted and unhealthy. The god is completely out of control when it comes to his love for you, he is ecstatic, overexcited. He wants you on his side all the time and so it will be.

Eros is very jealous. He is jealous of everything and everyone who approaches you. He doesn't like any of this. You are his and he will use force if necessary to make you understand this.

He is an extremely dangerous god when insulted. He will punish you, but his punishments are mostly sexual, but that doesn't mean he's not willing to leave marks on your delicate skin. If you resist his love, Eros will use his arrows on you. He doesn't want that, he doesn't want a puppet, but if that's what he needs to do to make you love him then so be it. You will love him willingly or by force. It's your choice.

''Stand still, Y/N! If you don't want to love me willingly, then I have to force you. Either way, you will love me.''

Kinks: Eros does not have a specific kink. He's willing to do anything in bed, but to be honest, he likes to be submissive. It's his dirtiest secret, he wants you to master it.

Nicknames: princess/prince, love.

CAREGIVER

Persephone is the Greek goddess of Spring dead, life, grain, nature, destruction, herbs, flowers, fruits and perfumes. She is the Queen of the Underworld. She is the daughter of Zeus and Demeter and the wife of Hades.

''No need to worry, my sweetie. I will be here for you. Ever.''

Persephone is a very kind goddess. She has a reputation for being kind to heroes and that's true. She is one of the kindest and gentle goddesses of all the Greek gods, to the point of being quite naive, although this changes a bit after she becomes the Queen of the Underworld.

The goddess laid her eyes on you after meeting you briefly at one of the Olympian festivities. Before she married Hades. You were a goddess/god, a minor goddess/god, but you had been invited and Persephone couldn't take her eyes off you. But she never tried to talk to you, her mother Demeter was extremely protective and wouldn't let anyone near her, so the goddess didn't dare approach you.

But everything changed after her kidnapping and her marriage to Hades, even after she got married and supposedly fell in love with her husband, you were still on the goddess's mind all the time and now that she was away from her mother, she could have the chance to speak with you. And she did. You were exactly as Persephone had imagined, kind and fun. Rumors about your kindness were true and she fell even more in love with you.

Persephone is a very compassionate goddess, she would never force you into anything or try to hurt you in any way. She loves you too much for that. The goddess would never dare do anything to hurt you. You would be pampered and adored by her. You two would do anything together, she refuses to leave your side. Even when she returns to her husband's side, she will convince you to go to the underworld with her.

Getting stuck with Persephone is not a bad thing. She is kind and calm, she would never try to hurt you and would give you all the affection in the world if you wanted. But you have to stay by her side. And she will go up against anyone who was opposed to her relationship, no matter who.

''What do you say we go for a walk in my garden, Y/N-wer? If you're hungry, I've got some pomegranates here with me.''

Kinks: dom and aftercare. Persephone can be kind and all, but in the bedroom she's the one who dominates.

Nicknames: Y/N-wer (mixture of Y/N with flower) and my goddess/god.

[annabethisterrified]

FIRST AND LAST SPOKEN WORDS (PJO - ToA)

Percy Jackson: I'm going to kill her.

I take back almost everything I've said about you.

Annabeth Chase: He's the one. He must be.

I wish I'd been there for Piper. I hope she's doing okay.

Dionysus: Oh, I suppose I must say it. Welcome to Camp Half-Blood.

Pinochle, perhaps? At that, at least, I know I can dominate you.

Rachel Elizabeth Dare: Oh my god! Do you always kill people when they blow their nose?

Hades wouldn't mind you traipsing down to Tartarus?

Nico di Angelo: Don't talk to my sister that way!

Did you hear it? The prophecy she whispered?

Will Solace: It's not so bad, Annabeth.

Well, it didn't sound good.

Piper McLean: Jason, you okay?

And next time, maybe give me a heads-up before popping in?

Jason Grace: Um, I don't--

Sometimes you have to pay the price. Sometimes, you have to let someone else do it.

Coach Hedge: All right cupcakes, listen up!

They've got some great varsity sports teams in Oklahoma. Plus, I hear nature is pretty strong there. Nice place to raise a kid.

Leo Valdez: Yeah right, Jason. We've all been framed! I didn't run away six times, Piper didn't steal a BMW.

Ain't that the truth.

Frank Zhang: That should've killed her!

It's impenetrable and comfortable!

Hazel Levesque: Frank, get them inside, quick!

My sweet, sweet Frank. Could you please not with the sweater wrap?

Meg McCaffrey: HEY! Leave him alone.

You'll come back?

Apollo: Little sister! What's up?

The sun always comes back.

[kallistcs]

Paris shook his head, but didn't say anything, for Hektor kept talking and they both knew, no matter how much it might seem as if Hektor's comparison was true, that whatever else his relationship with Aphrodite was, it couldn't be that. Hektor sounded so measured, at first, calm and thoughtful which stood in sharp relief to the growing alarm in Paris' chest, hearing him.

Those were hardly things to say, so baldly. Or rather, it was completely unexpected to hear Hektor saying them.

He was almost grateful for the familiar accusations, as little as he wanted to hear them, but it was strange to have them levied not at himself, but Aphrodite. Paris wished Hektor had stopped there. Hadn't started to talk about expectations, and not expectations from their family, from their allies, from any and every mortal within the land that had once fallen under Troy's authority, but rather divine such.

Did his brother not realize? What was the divine expectation other than what had been heralded in their mother's dream? Paris bit his tongue, but could think of no good distraction, for both of them.

Perhaps he should just leave. Yet he couldn't make himself do so.

"If the war concerns her, Aphrodite doesn't speak to me of it, and I rather prefer it that way," Paris said, eyes closed as if that could ward off the thoughts Hektor's questions and words had brought up. "She expects nothing of me but being what I am, things I already am minded to do."

Natures and wants that were not very fitting in a war, as so many, Hektor included had said and kept telling him. Paris smiled, lopsided and surprisingly warm, perhaps, as he opened his eyes and dared to step up next to his brother.

"Is that all Apollo has been telling you? No wonder you've become morbid, brother." Paris would like to stop there. But the uncomfortable reminder of Hektor's morbidness, of the certain sense that he wouldn't see Hektor again if he didn't stay instead of leave, either for his bedroll in camp or his bed in Troy, kept him speaking. "What does divine expectation matter, in truth? Why worry about that?"

Divine expectation like being told to reward a golden apple to one of three goddesses. Each just as lovely as the next and yet they all wore it differently, and Aphrodite - to Paris' eyes at least - had always been the loveliest. Divine expectation--- Hektor didn't want to know his thoughts on that. He might think he did, but he didn't.

Up until now, Paris had had little desire to tell him, but the evening was weighing oddly on his heart, and Hektor's words weren't helping.

PARIS !

Suppressing an anticipatory wince for what he was sure to come, Paris eyed Hektor warily. Though there were many manner of questions his older brother could ask, Paris knew he’d like not a one of them, and yet would find some way to field them that would at should at least not actively anger Hektor.

Once, before the ships had come, Paris hadn’t ever really thought he’d need to get even better at that than he’d already been, hadn’t thought it’d come up very often at all. Now it was a vital necessity, as much because they rarely had the time to fight, and Paris didn’t actually want to argue with Hektor, even when he was actually wrong and he had reason to protest what Hektor had just said. Like earlier today. Would-be frustration sat sour in his gut, but dissolved under the uncomfortable certainty that he didn’t want to leave.

And then Hektor asked something so completely unexpected, he was left staring in wide-eyed, honest bafflement for a moment.

“Tell me?” he echoed, a question in his lingering surprise, and drifted forward with the same wary curiosity of any deer venturing forth out of the forest in the twilight.

Getting closer so he might be able to better see his older brother’s face didn’t offer much clarification. But Hektor was Apollo’s favourite - did it have to do with that? Cocking his head, Paris shrugged, a little smile warming his face as his thoughts turned towards his goddess. He might not have met her in person before the Judgement - though he had some suspicion even on that regard - but he’d been hers before that.

“We talk,” he said gently, spreading his hands, as open as that word was. Something slightly different than the implication of Hektor’s use of ‘tell’. “It won’t please you to know, but she scolded me for getting caught in the duel. Wasn’t where I should have been. Mostly we talk, though, when she comes. Not what happens among the blessed immortals, of course, since it’s hardly my place to know such matters, but she’s shared with me places she’s gone, hearts she’s touched. I’ve sung for her a couple times, told her—”

Paris laughed quietly, shaking his head. Things he would barely have told Hektor before the war, things he wouldn’t tell him now. Things he sometimes still told Helen, when she was in the mood to be indulgent or be sweetened into indulgence.

“We talk,” he repeated, now eyeing Hektor with unbridled curiosity. “How so?”

The question alone was an insight into his older brother Paris hadn’t expected, and it felt daring to hope for more, but… If Hektor had asked, hopefully he would be willing to reveal what lay behind it.

THE SMILE THAT BLOOMED ON PARIS’ FACE  was not missed. Hektor eyed it, but said nothing and merely listened. In the quiet of the night with only the sounds of the lapping waves to frame his brother’s voice, Hektor listened to a tale not too unbelievable. A tale he himself found to be familiar to a point. A god who took an interest in a mortal, whether it be good or bad, had often afflicted the Trojan royal family since the very beginnings of Troy itself. History would be the only judge on if that helped them or simply doomed their futures to what was happening now. As if it were all an accumulation…

     Too much of a blessing, turned fast into a curse.

     Perhaps that was his mind souring to the thought after all these years. Long before the war was anything but a nightmarish future that was so far off one could not think it believable, Apollo came to Hektor. The god spoke words of prophecy, none of sweetness, as if he were Hektor’s very own specter of death. It frightened him. Yet Apollo kept coming to him. Not always with doom, but sometimes with soothing. Of speaking of glory that he would make sure would be for Hektor alone. Those were the better days.

     Yet he wondered now that perhaps the better days were the foretellings. The idea that he would not live to see his son grow, or his wife hold grey in her soft hair, they were told to prepare him for now. So that he could face this destiny of his with squared shoulders and a stalwart gaze, rather than be frightened out of his wits and force history to look back on him as a coward.

     Then the question came. Hektor did not think of it happening even though he should have. Far too wrapped up within his own thoughts upon the matter, comparing Paris’ relationship with his own, that he merely thought it would be left at that. Impossible where Paris was concerned, not that he was irritated by it. Hardly the case. Hektor took a deep breath instead, as if a statue had been awakened from its long slumber, before exhaling softly.

     ❛  It is almost as if one could think of Aphrodite as a mortal friend with how you describe her,  ❜  Hektor remarked in a quiet voice. Reflective, almost, as if he were merely thinking aloud.  ❛  It is a wonder if they know they are working us like tiles on a board. Not to be disrespectful, mind, but if it has become so natural to them, it is like breathing…would they know? This war, it’s for them, is it not? Does she ever speak to you about it? You say she did not want you at the duel, that you were supposed to be in bed with Helen where I found you after, does she not know that there are men dying right outside those lofty walls? Or does she ignore it as you sing to her?  ❜

     There was some heat in his voice, but he was no longer looking at Paris, but away from him as his ire was not for his brother. His speech was bordering on blasphemy, but he could not stop. The words poured out of him—nine years of stored anger pushed forth.  ❛  Every night, as I lay my head down to sleep, I hear Apollo’s words whispered in my ears. He tells me of the glory of my death. He tells me that I am but a culmination of the greatest warriors of Troy, and thus there shall be no more. With Aphrodite speaking none and Apollo speaking all, I wonder what they truly expect from us. All of us. Has that ever been a thought in your mind, or do I sit alone in this?  ❜