Divine Awakening

Chapter 20 - Truths in Thunder

The vast halls of Zeus's palace were bathed in an ethereal glow as Piper made her way toward the throne room

The towering columns that lined the corridor seemed to stretch endlessly toward the heavens and the air was thick with the hum of power that radiated from the king of the gods

Piper's heart pounded in her chest, a mixture of nerves and determination fueling her steps

She wasn't one to seek out confrontation but after what Apollo had said to her in the forge and Hephaestus's unwavering defense Piper felt a need to confront the situation head-on

Zeus had always treated her with a certain distance, not unkind, but cautious like a storm cloud looming on the horizon, always there but never quite touching the ground

Today, she wanted to break through that distance and be heard

The large bronze doors of the throne room loomed ahead, guarded by two statuesque sentinels

They stepped aside without a word as she approached, recognizing her as one of Zeus's daughters

As the doors creaked open, Piper took a deep breath to steeling herself for what was to come

Inside, the room was vast and imposing

A grand throne made of storm clouds and lightning bolts sat at the far end, and upon it, Zeus reclined, his eyes closed as if deep in thought

The sound of the door closing behind her echoed through the chamber, pulling his attention

His eyes opened slowly, two piercing orbs of electric blue that seemed to flicker with storms

"Piper," Zeus greeted, his voice a rumble of distant thunder "What brings you here, child?"

Piper stepped forward, feeling the weight of her father's gaze on her

She knew Zeus was powerful, the ruler of gods, but she had never really known how to speak to him or how to connect with him

Yet today, there was something more important at stake than her own discomfort

"I need to talk to you" Piper said, her voice steady though her nerves buzzed beneath the surface

Zeus nodded and a wave of his hand summoning a smaller chair from the side of the room, inviting her to sit

She declined the seat, preferring to stand

The air crackled slightly, the tension between them palpable

"I had a run-in with Apollo yesterday," she began, her gaze never leaving his "he insulted me and dismissed me, really"

Zeus's brow furrowed though he remained silent waiting for her to continue

Piper took a deep breath, recalling the sneer on Apollo's face, his words dripping with arrogance

"He said I was wasting my time in Hephaestus's forge and that I'm not like the other gods and that no amount of training or learning would change that because he implied that I didn't belong here and that I'll never be one of you"

Zeus's expression darkened, the storm clouds that surrounded his throne swirling more violently as his fingers tightened around the armrests

Lightning crackled faintly in the air, but Piper wasn't finished

"And Hephaestus," she continued as her voice gaining strength "he defended me by standing up to Apollo and he told him I was more than what Apollo thought that I'm learning control and discipline and Hephaestus didn't have to but he did"