Thief Of Truth's Heart

Chapter 9

The next day, Apollo and Atlanta sat together outside the grand marble palace of Olympus on a nearby stone bench in silence to be able to process the news that was literally dumped on them a few moments ago.

"Just so that we are clear, Hera is pregnant? With two children, according to Eileithyia?", Apollo asked in a confused daze.

"Yes. And again so that we are in double clear, Uncle Zoos and Aunty Rara had a kid after you and Arty, and never told us?", Atlanta answered in monotone before asking her own question.

"Apparently yes. Just for a triple clear, she was hidden away because she had no other powers than helping in the entire process of childbirth and being able to detect pregnancy?"

"According to what we have been told, yes. And for being in complete agreement with each other, Aunty Rara did not just eat two kids which are now in her stomach?"

Apollo sighed at the innocent question that tumbled out of his best friend's lips, who was looking at him in genuine curiosity.

Apollo nodded weakly. "Hera is not a cannibal, as much as I would like to think otherwise. So no, Hera did not just 'eat two kids'."

Atlanta nodded in return, hair bouncing around wildly. "So where do the babies come from? Did she just want two kids one day, and it was like -poof!! she had kids? How did the kids go into her stomach anyway? Don't the kids feel claustrophobic?"

Apollo wanted to toss himself from the top of Olympus and drown in a pool of embarrassment. Here was his best friend who he was silently in love with, asking him about how kids were made.

What was Uncle P doing now? Where was he when he was needed? That God had hidden himself beneath the waves right after his daughter began her question-answer session, telling Apollo that this would be his ultimate test in proving himself as a suitable son-in-law. Coward.

Apollo sighed in dread. "When two people love each other very much, they..."

"They?"

Apollo panicked and hurriedly answered. "Umm....The guy gives a gift to the girl, the girl becomes happy and gives a baby in return!!"

"Like gift exchange?", Atlanta asked while tilting her head to the side in confusion.

Apollo nodded quickly, eager to get done with the awkward conversation. "Exactly like gift exchange."

Atlanta pouted. "You are not telling me the truth!! Aren't you supposed to be the God of Truth, Phoebus?"

Apollo winced before sighing again. "Alright Lana, do you know about the boss eagle and the boss fish?"

Atlanta looked at Apollo curiously. "Phoebus, who is the boss eagle? And boss fish?"

Apollo nodded gravely. "They are even higher in power than us Olympians. The boss eagle accepts requests of Gods on Olympus, and the boss fish accepts request of the merpeople. The mortals have the stork to do that for them, but it's not relevant for us. So, based on where the man and the woman belong to, the man writes a request to the supreme animal and if his request is accepted, a baby or however more according to the man's wish is crafted with the man and the woman's looks, and is sent to be received by the woman who loves the man. Then you get a baby."

Apollo was proud of himself for thinking up that bold faced lie and telling it to Atlanta without a waver in his voice.

"Really? That's confusing, but so cool!!", Atlanta jumped around in her excitement.

Then stopping in her place, Atlanta gave a sweet smile to her best friend. "Hey Phoebus, we are best friends and love each other right?"

Apollo looked at his best friend warily. "We are best friends and love each other, indeed. Why do you suddenly need to reaffirm that, Lana?"