Melaina's Burden Of The Aegean Sea

Chapter 16

"Isn't this just a delight? You and I bonding as a normal uncle and niece would" Poseidon says, his voice cheerful and calm. Melaina only rolled her eyes as she continued to eat her breakfast. "Is the food to everyone's liking?"

Nodding and humming, Thalia gave him a thumbs up.

"Oh yea," Castor says stuffing his face with the eggs and toast. "So good," he says while chewing, making a piece fall out of his mouth.

"Castor, please, show some decorum," Melaina says, scowling at him.

"Excuse me" He apologised feeling embarrassed.

"Ah, it's alright" He waved off. "My brothers and I used to have a lot of burping competitions back in the day. I was never the best at it" He admits laughing to himself. "It was your father who was rather talented in that field," He says looking over to Melaina.

"I wouldn't have him to be anything less than what he was"

Nodding Poseidon averted his white eyes to Thalia. "So Thalia, my newest niece, tell me about yourself?" He asked smiling. "I would like to know more about you. And please, ask me anything about your father, as well, I would be happy to tell you about him"

"Oh uh thank you, Poseidon that's very kind of you"

"Please stop with the formalities. Call me uncle or-"

"Uncle p" Both Thalia and Castor said finishing his sentence.

"We're all family here. So, please no more with the formalities, ok?"

"Ok yeah, sure. But as for wanting to know more about me ask me anything you would like" She says finishing her food, wiping the corner of her mouth. "But Zeus maybe my father, however, I don't see him that way. I'm sorry if that offends you"

"Me? Offended? No, I'm rather fine with that statement. Not many of his children feel like he's a father to them anyway" he says, placing his napkin on the plate. "But I assume you have some of his qualities?"

"Yup, all things Zeus is in me," She says with a nod. "I'm still getting used to the knowledge of being a demigod but I hope I don't lose the human part of me"

"I won't let that happen" Melaina whispered to her, grabbing at her hand. "I promise"

Poseidon glanced around the room, seeing if Castor or anyone else, saw their interaction, though Castor wasn't paying attention to them. He nodded to himself before speaking.

"Zeus made you out of the best of him"

"Made? I wouldn't say that, I get all of my qualities from my mother, actually"

"Made? Conceived? All the same" He says with a shrug. "So how did you two become such fast friends? This fondness you two have is admirable. She means something to you, yes?"

"Of course! Mel is my partner, but most of all my best friend"

"Don't forget lover," Castor says finally finishing his food, chuckling to himself as he took a sip of his water. Poseidon's ears perked up at the mention of this information. "Mhm, this water is so tasty"

"Thank you. It's Fiji"

"Fiji water from out the bottles?"

"No, that's truly insulting to me. It's from Fiji, itself" He clarifies to him. "But lovers?"

"No. Not lovers"

"We're not lovers," Melaina says overlapping her, yanking her hand from Thalia's grasp. Thalia glanced at her hand but didn't protest. "We are just friends and that's it"

"But he said-"

"Drop the topic," She says to the older man, clearly annoyed with the topic at hand now.

"I understand that it is none of my business, but love is a dangerous thing. Especially, with lives like ours" He says, taking a sip of his water. "If you make the wrong enemies that tend to come after the ones you hold close to your heart" he advised. "And I would hate for anything to happen to her, wouldn't you Melinoë?"

"Is that a threat?" Her dark eyes studied him. "Because if it's threats you wanna make, I'm the wrong one to make threats to" Poseidon gave a smug smile, but to anyone else, it was just a smile. "I take those as fighting words"

"Wouldn't want that?" He says holding his glass in the air. "So it's clear that you mean something to her, but how about you? Does she mean something to you, Melinoë?"

"What's it to you?" Her threatening eyes, looked his way.

Chuckling he adverted his gaze back at Thalia. "Thalia? I have another question for you"

"Yes?"

"Ever, oh I don't know, if I should ask such a thing"

"Please ask anything you would like"

"Oh very well. I was informed that you were murder?.. or died?.. I forget which" he says pondering to himself. "Tell me is that true?"

"That's it. We're done here, so we should get going" Melaina says gathering both her and Thalia's plates, stacking them neatly in the middle of the table.

"Oh? Where do you have to be?"

"Nowhere. What are you doing?" Thalia asked grabbing her forearm, pulling her back down in her seat.

"I don't like the questions, he's asking you"

"Why? What does it matter to you?" Her tone was a bit cold and harsh towards her.

"Talley?" Melaina asked, confusion evident in her voice and demeanour.

"Yes, it is true" She says ignoring her friend. "I died, at Hades hand, but Macaria told me I still had a heartbeat"

"Seems as if Zeus played a hand in that"

Melaina watched, feeling betrayed, as Poseidon and Thalia continued their conversation.

"So, Poseidon... I mean uncle p, please tell me about yourself?" She says disregarding Melaina, tugging on her. "I'm sure you have some awesome and absurd stories to tell"

"Where do I begin?" He says chuckling, as he proceeded to think.

Melaina stood in shock and annoyance at how easily her friends were being manipulated by Poseidon. However, it would have been more shocking if they didn't fall for the sea God's act. She grunt in frustration but instead walked off leaving them there. Thalia watched looking as her figure disappeared in the distance but stayed seated instead of chasing after her.

About half an hour had gone by and no sign of Castor, but more importantly no sign of Thalia. Melaina huffed to herself laying on the bed, staring up at the skylight, pretending to shoot at one of the sea creatures. Just then Castor walked through her room door, making her sit up but once she saw it was him, she huffed and fell back down on the bed.

"Well, hello to you too," he says falling next to her.

"Where's Talley?"

"Last I saw her, said she was going to go to the peaceful part of this place. Whatever that means"

Melaina thought of getting up to join her but thought it would be best to leave her be for the time being. Thalia would soon be back when she was finished and if anything happens, the young woman could take care of herself.

As she walked the halls, Thalia made her way towards the library, if she could even consider it that, but once she saw Poseidon, she perked up ready to talk more with him. However, her smile dropped once she saw him angrily hurling his trident penetrating a wall. Gasping loudly, then quickly covering her mouth she stood shocked. Poseidon, hearing her, whipped his head in her direction, making her swallow hard. Fixing himself, he pulled his spear out of the wall with ease, making his way toward her.

"I'm sorry. I got lost" she lied, staring at the God, becoming uneasy. "This place is so huge, I never know, which way is which around here, Ya know?" she explained with a nervous chuckle.

Poseidon hummed gazing at her, holding his head up height, before giving her a simple courtesy before strutting off, not saying another word to her.

"Well, that was strange"