Perseus Potter

Chapter 3

"Dite!" Percy yelled, appearing in his patron's living room. Pruina immediately jumped out of his arms and disappeared into the kitchen, knowing that she would find her favorite treats "hidden" on top of the fridge.

Percy turned to look for Aphrodite but froze when he saw who was on the couch. Hephaestus sat there, staring straight at Percy with a confused expression. "Perseus? What are you doing here?"

"Uh..." he trailed off awkwardly.

Before things could get more awkward, Aphrodite came bounding into the room. "Percy? What's wrong?"

"Ina and I just needed a place to stay before we leave, and I figured, since you said you would help me get ready anyways..." he said. "Sorry for interrupting... whatever was going on here." He gestured between the two with a barely visible smirk, knowing exactly why Hephaestus was there.

Aphrodite blushed a light shade of pink and quickly changed the subject. "Come on, I'll show you where you can stay and then we can start working on your wardrobe."

"Ina!" Percy called loudly. "Come on."

A defiant meow was heard from the kitchen.

He sighed in exasperation. "I can get you some treats later! Don't you want to go check out the room?"

The snowy familiar reluctantly exited the kitchen and followed Percy and Aphrodite.

She led Percy to an extravagant all blue room. Blue sheets, blue curtains, blue carpets and rugs. There was a king-size bed centered on one wall, a large window nook to one side, full of cozy blankets and cushions. A reading lamp was on a small nightstand next to it. The door to a walk-in closet that was easily twice the size of the actual room itself was opposite the bed and was stocked with many different outfits. Percy figured he could turn it into another workshop if he had the time. Bookshelves filled with books and knick-knacks lined the walls, which was a mural of a beach at sunset. He glanced around at in confusion; it was obviously made for him, but he had no idea why Aphrodite would have a room for him in her palace on Olympus.

Pruina immediately headed to the window nook and nestled herself into the blankets. Percy sighed and set his trunk down, not bothering to unpack anything, considering it only held his weapons. He knew his patron would take care of the rest so he didn't worry.

Speaking of... you're probably curious as to why and how Percy became Aphrodite's champion. Well, let's see, shall we?

Percy left the throne room without waiting for dismissal. He couldn't handle hearing Zeus speak about how he was a "hero" and praise him for his service. If he was a hero, why couldn't he save Bob or Damasen? He needed to get away; he needed a break.

Before he reached the elevator, he was drawn to a garden off to the side. It felt as though something was tugging at his core. He wandered into the garden to find a goddess he wasn't particularly fond of: Aphrodite. He was about to leave when he saw the expression on her face. She looked heartbroken.

He cautiously approached the goddess, glancing around to make sure it wasn't some kind of trap. When he got close enough, he sat on the bench next to her. "Are you okay?" he asked softly.

She startled, yelping quietly. "It's nothing. I'm fine," she said, quickly wiping away her tears and adopting one of her signature smiles.

Percy's eyes narrowed. "No, you're not. Now, stop lying and tell me what's wrong," he said sternly.

Aphrodite was silent for a moment, staring at Percy in shock. She knew that he was well-known in most mythological communities for speaking up to powerful people, but she had never experienced it before. She sighed. "I'm not actually a self-obsessed ditz, you know?" she began. "My domain is love, and that includes all aspects. Romantic love, platonic love, familial love, every type of love there is. My mental and physical well-being is connected to my domain. I feel every heartbreak, every betrayal," her voice shook slightly. "But no one wants a depressed love goddess." She looked at Percy with so much emotion that he almost teared up. "We're not so different, Percy. We both hide behind masks."