Battlefields to Ball-gowns (A Bridgerton Fanfiction)

Chapter 3

"Well done, Pol... Now every lady and her mother are vying for our attention." Ares grumbled over morning tea. 

To Artemis, the English tea tasted watered down and yet somehow still too potent leaving an ashy taste on her tongue. 

"How was I to know! Our standing would have been revealed eventually anyway.  And besides, brother dearest, what qualms do you have with women throwing themselves at us?" Apollo teased in his endlessly arrogant way of speaking that always had a way of making people feel looked down upon. 

"No brother, you misunderstand. They do not want your attention, they want your hands in marriage." Artemis answered without looking up from the armory updates in her hand. 

A revolted look overtook Apollo's face at the idea of marriage. Apollo had always been one to fall in and out of love like the ever-changing tides. He was a man of extreme passion, but the idea of loving one person forever was impossible to him. 

The longest lover Apollo ever had was a man by the name of Markus. He was utterly infatuated with the curly-haired soldier, writing songs for him, carving their names into the bark of a tree in the sacred grove, endless rants of Markus' perfection that Artemis had to endure. His one true love lasted a total of six weeks before another had caught his affections.

Anyone with the ability to tame Apollo's fickle heart would be a god indeed.

The posh silk gloves felt strange against Artemis' calloused hands as she flipped through the pages of reports that were sent over from Illyria. 

She tried to tune out the bickering of her siblings enough to focus but found the task more difficult than anticipated. 

"I think I should like to see that one girl again. What was her name?" Apollo asked trying to get his twin's attention. 

"Daphne Bridgerton and I can assure you brother, Lord Bridgerton would kill you if you tried." 

"Ahhh, Daphne! Perfect. The Daphne to my Apollo, the lost greek lovers reunited once again! It is fate, Artemis! Our love shall be pure as it was a thousand years ago. Two lovers torn, unable to be together because of her menacing villain of a brother." Apollo began to rave dramatically. 

"Didn't the Nymph Daphne despise Apollo?" Aphrodite asked. 

"Yes, she turned into a Laurel tree to escape his advances," Ares smirked.

"History repeats itself, indeed. Do you think Miss Bridgerton shall turn into a tree to escape your horrid personality brother?" Artemis teased looking up from the papers, a wide, mocking smirk pulled at her lips. 

Artemis stood handing the stack of papers to Greta before looking back to her siblings, "Though I wouldn't mind going to see the Bridgeton girl. Her brother was rather attractive if you ignore the squirrels growing on the sides of his face." 

Without waiting for a response Artemis took her leave, heading straight out the front door of the chateau Queen Charlotte gifted them.

The house was in central ton, surrounded by the members of English nobility. It was beautiful, with white brick that had ivy crawling up the sides and bright yellow flowers growing in the window sills. 

The cool summer breeze swept across her face as Artemis made her way down the streets alone. She had no problem finding the Bridgerton house, having asked a paper boy where it was. The main problem Artemis had was dodging the snarling suitors that continued to approach her.

It only took a few minutes to walk to the Bridgerton house, ignoring the stares glued to her as she walked. 

A butler answered the door, the polite air of the elder man giving a warm atmosphere to the home already, "Greetings my Lady, how might we help you."