The One Who Was Forgotten - Rewritten

Introduction

If you're reading this, know one thing:

Everything you have ever known is a lie.

Ouranus and Gaea were once whole. Aphrodite was born misshapen. Zeus was never the true king of the gods.

Artemis was cursed. Once by Eileithyia. Once by Eris. Once by Aphrodite.

Sipriotes was not the first male to cross paths with Artemis while she was bathing. His was just the tale anyone remembered.

The myths and tales that were told to mortals were so that none would know just how they came to exist.

It was not pretty.

Leaving that for another time.

~◇~◇~◇~

My name is Asterios, one of the many sons of King Acrisus.

The youngest.

The weakest.

The dumbest.

At least, that is what I have heard whispered behind my back by the nobles and servants. None would dare speak about me where I could hear them.

I may be a scorned bastard, but I was still a prince.

As I pick my way through the foliage in the forest surrounding the palace intent on checking my traps and hunting a few birds, a low murmur reaches me.

Knowing the forest as well as I knew the palace grounds, I made my way to the lake a few paces away from my current location.

Forgoing the trodden path, I fight my way silently through the overgrown bushes, wincing as the barbs and brambles catch my skin and snag my quiver and bow slung across my back.

Upon reaching my destination, I brush off the leaves that have stuck to my hunting chiton. About to step out towards the owner of the melodious voice that brought me here, I quickly duck down behind the bushes that give the lake a natural door from the rest of the forest as I hear splashing.

Peeking up slightly, I spot a young girl, no older than 10 summers, bathing in the lake. Her auburn hair is soaked through as she moves her finger through it, getting the tangles out. The childhood fat has begun to leave her, and I feel a twinge of pity, as she is not that far off from being given to a prince.

Words leave her mouth as she wrings out her hair, ridding it of the lye and grime, before submerging and coming up with water streaming from her face.

Recognizing the words as a hymn to the God Apollo, I walk a bit closer, closing my eyes and letting the words wash over me.

The girl stops singing as she reaches the final word, speaking words too softly for me to hear but one. Brother.

A daughter of Lord Zeus, then.

A crow caws somewhere above the treeline, and I take that as my invitation to leave, as the girl lifts her gaze to the sky.

I am about to continue on to my hunting traps, when my quiver rustles the branches of the bush.

My breath catches as the girl turns her head sharply towards my hiding spot.

The glint of the sun catches her eyes, making the brown color seem to flare into a silver-like tone. "Come out of there." Her voice is soft, softer than when she sang.

Following her words while feeling like a flogged child, I pick my way through the bush. Wincing as the thorns and brambles catch my skin and draw blood, I finally end up stumbling out on my hands and knees in front of the auburn-haired girl. Blood runs down my bronze skin, tainting the ground into mud as it mixes with the water that had splashed from the lake.