Daughter Of The Moon

Chapter 3

Artemis

"So to conclude, I suspose one could say that this is what counts as a good year for me." Finishes Dionysus in his usual drunken drawl, one hand holding up a gold challice of red wine, and the other lounging on his grape-vine throne. Gods of Olympus, that guy is dull! And not to mention drunk! It's at times like these that make me all the glader that I took my vow to be a maiden.

"Indeed." Booms Zeus in agreement to Dionysus's summary of the year. Zeus is my father, as well as the king of the gods, ruler of the council, and god of the heavens, sky... whatever; if it has something to do with thunder and lightning, pretty women, pinstriped suits, or large amounts of rain, my father'll be all over it. There are only three council members left to speak before I can get out of this place, and back to Jake.

No, your hunters, scolds a voice inside my head.

No, Jake... says another sneakier one.

No, hunters! You haven't seen them in weeks! The wiser voice retaliates.

Come on Artemis, you know you'd rather be with Jake... your hunters are immortal, but this guy won't be around for much longer...

Hunters!

Jake!

HUNTERS!

JAKE!

HUNTERS!!!

JAKE!!!

"ARTEMIS!" I shake myself focused, and look blankly at Ares, my irritating half-brother and god of war. "You don't have to shout," I reply coldly.

"Well, I we need your attention to get on with this, and I dunno about you, but I have to get on with the rest of my life!"

"You're immortal, and if need be, we can make you sit here for the next century, and you will be none the older." States Athena, willing to pick up any kind of argument with her nemesis Ares, though she still glances at me sternly, wondering why I have probably been staring into space for the last few minutes, and scolding me for it with a glare from her stormy grey eyes.

"Settle down!" Shouts Zeus, booms of thunder echoing around the room as he starts to get irritated by our bickering. I guess the short fuse just runs in the family.

"Now, Aphrodite, goddess of love and beauty. What have you to report?"

Aphrodite beams at Zeus from her throne across the room, and stands up far too dramatically than what is necessary, taking a leisurely stretch as she does so that makes most of the men in the room turn to look at her with mouths agape. Not that I'm jealous, of course. That flirty little harridan can make a hundred godly heads turn, and she still won't earn a shred of my respect.

"Well, I suppose you could say my year has been good..." She sends a flirtatious wink around the hall, and around five assorted gods return it, assuming it was to them. "But otherwise quite uneventful, actually. Nothing naughty like last year." A sly smirk appears on her perfect face, and I recall a memory of her telling us about an incident with a harpy, some silk, and an unfortunate mortal guy, that happened last year. At that time, for the first time ever, I thought I could sympathise with a man after what she did to him when he insulted her.

"But, you see, I have a problem," She makes a heartbreakingly sad face, even a tear glistens in her eyes. And then she looks right at me, and the sly smirk returns. This cannot be good.

"And what is this problem?" Asks Zeus, looking from me to Aphrodite with one raised eyebrow. 

"It's actually not a problem of mine..." She gives a silvery laugh, light winking off her bright white teeth, making whichever gods weren't already ogling her turn to look her way. "It's about a friend."

"A friend..." Zeus strokes his beard thoughtfully.

"Yes, a most dear friend. You see, she has a problem." Zeus will definitely suspect something by now... could Aphrodite know about Jake? If so, I am in deep trouble.

"And who is this friend?"

"I'm afraid I don't think she wants you to know that," Aphrodite grins at me again, practically basking in the moment. I have to clench my fists to stop myself from wiping that grin off her perfect face with a boxing-glove-arrow to the nose.

"It's quite out of character for her to do this... and she must be feeling awfully guilty." Actually, on second thoughts, I don't think I'll be going for a minor-damage arrow after all.

"What did she do?" Pipes up Hermes, a cheeky grin on his face. I guess the god of thievery, and therefore mischief, is eager to know what got Aphrodite's attention so that he can see if he can get away with a similar trick.

"Oh, nothing much, just the whole near-breaking-of-an-oath sort of thing, as I said, nothing much." She replies, waving a hand, very falsely dismissive. Now she's got the whole council's attention.

"And who was this person, Aphrodite?" Zeus is becoming serious, finally growing tired of her teasing.

"Why, she is a goddess!" 

The council breaks into hushed whispers, and all of the goddesses in the room hurriedly start trying to look innocent, that is, with the exception of me and Athena, who looks at me accusingly. You can't hide much from a goddess of wisdom, it would seem...

"Which goddess." Says Hades impatiently, surfacing from his gloomy corner for the first time since his report. His obsidian black eyes flash, and the air around him seems to darken even more, but even his evil charisma isn't enough to get a stubborn Aphrodite to answer on command.

"I'm pretty sure she's like to confess to this herself..."

"Come on Aphrodite, I think you've tired out the teasing," Sighs Poseidon lazily, his green eyes twinkling, and a good-natured smile playing on his face as he twirls his trident around in it's holster. How can Poseidon be so relaxed all the time? I'm having a hard time not jumping up and giving that good-for-nothing goddess of love a taste of her own medicine.

"Oh, okay. Artemis? Would you like to confess?"

Eleven pairs of eyes widen and turn my way.