Fallen Protector [Percy Jackson Fanfiction] [In HAITUS]

Chapter 18: Unexpected

ARTEMIS

I was feeling dreadful as the minutes tick by. Augustine hasn't said anything ever since sitting down after coming inside my tent

He was sitting upright and crossing his arms; his lips pressed into a grim line

It's been a few days since Perseus was taken away. I scolded the hunters for their behaviour and made sure to double their works. Honestly, I need to rethink on how to educate those girls properly.

I had been waiting for Perseus to return for weeks now, anxiously thinking of things and words that would get him to forgive the hunters for their doings.

But instead of seeing him, Augustine arrived and was now sitting silently in front of me.

I cleared my throat "Is Perseus alright?"

"My uncle is fairing well, moon goddess" Augustine leaned forward and clasped his hands together; elbows resting on his knees "But I am not here for that. I am here to deliver the outcome of a debate made by the council."

"Debate?" I swallowed past the sudden lump in my throat "What does that have to do with me?"

"Generally, you are involved in the matter that was discussed" Augustine lazily swung his leg to the other "Specifically speaking... your hunters were the one that was discussed"

"My... hunters?"

Augustine nodded "The council has decided to issue a punishment to those... girls."

He said it with so much disgust that I fought the urge to glare at him in contempt for talking about my hunt like that

I can't complain since his reaction is normal. I let the hunters do whatever they want with Perseus, and in turn they took advantage of that and Perseus is now suffering under something I don't even know because of my carelessness

Then his words dawned on me and I snapped my eyes to his direction. He was sitting upright and tapping his foot against the ground, impatiently waiting for my response

"Punishment?" I asked with incredulity

Augustine sighed and I could almost feel him rolling his eyes at me "Yes, bitch goddess. A punishment has been issued. Uncle will be the one delivering the punishment, so I suggest you tell your hunters that you love them while you still can"

I ignored his clear display of disrespect towards me and stood up from my seat "What did my hunters do to make them deserve a punishment?!"

"You don't know?" Augustine asked with mocking curiosity "You don't know that your hunters abused my Uncle's kindness by doing despicable things to him while speaking of him like he is some kind of dirt on the sole of their shoes? You don't know that your hunters had just committed an act of treason against our kingdom?"

"Treason?!" I spluttered "We never did anything to your kingdom!!"

I reared back with the force of malice and anger rolling off of Augustine. He was leaning forward now, his mouth set on a sneer

"Oh, you did" He whispered "We offered you our alliance and your hunt decided to trample with it by doing things to my uncle that would have surely killed him if he was not an immortal. You let your hunters do whatever they want with him. You're the reason as to why everything turned out to be this way. You were aware of what was going on and you did not do anything to put a stop to it. Our kingdom would have overlooked it if you had just done something, but you did not. You abused the power bestowed to you by my Uncle and had ordered him to do everything. We made a deal, bitch. The deal was for my Uncle to look after your hunt as a guardian, not for him to be your fucking slave!!"