The Gorgon Queen

Chapter 13

I was picking the wood off the table when I heard the back door open and two sets of footsteps make their way toward me.

Perseus was Athena's brother? But how?

I never knew that Athena had a brother, then again neither did she. How could Poseidon keep this from her? I don't know how I would feel if Mother and Papa kept Stheno and Euryale a secret.

I looked up as Athena walked in, followed by Perseus. He was wearing a brown cotton shirt that was unbutton at the neck. I could see the lean muscles slipping through. His hair was even blonder than I remembered, for the last time I saw him was under the cover of darkness and I wasn't in the right state of mind.

"I see your wound has healed up nicely." Perseus said as he took a seat beside Athena. I looked between the two of them and I slowly started to notice similarities.

They had the same shape nose, straight but rounded out softly towards the end. Their skin tones were the same shade of ivory, but Perseus looked more tan for he was outside in the sun. The only differences I could tell were their hair and eye color. Where Perseus's hair was a bright blonde, Athena's was a flaming red and her eyes were a vibrant green, while Perseus's were a honey hazel.

"But it seemed to forbid you to speak." Perseus said as he caught me staring. I shook myself out of the daze and reached up to where the wound on my head was. It had healed up nicely, no scar far as I could tell.

"Um, yes, the wound is healed. Thank you again for you assistants that night."

Perseus nodded and for a moment none of us spoke. Looking between the two siblings, I could tell that there was tension between them. Not the type that siblings have when their angry with one another, for I know that feeling. This was different.

It was as if they were strangers, meeting for the first time.

Feeling the need to clear the air, I broke the silence.

"So, how did this," I gestured between the two of them, "come about?"

Perseus looked at Athena. He slightly nudged her arm and instead of flinching away, Athena nodded. Even though they just met, I could tell that they already shared a language, one that didn't need to be spoken.

"I thought my family died in a fire when I was a baby," Athena started, "Uncle told me that my father was a blacksmith and one night he didn't put the fire all the way out in the furnace. It caught on a few strands of hay and it led to the house, where it engulfed in flames. Uncle said that he heard me crying, for he lived in the cottage behind us. As I grew up I remember asking about my parents and that's the story he told me. He even said that I had an older brother, and that he too parished."

At the last part, Athena looked at Perseus, who was looking down at his hands with keen interest.

"And when you told me that a man named Perseus saved you," Athena said, averting my gaze back to her, "It made me question." she sighed, "So, I confronted Uncle about it, many times for he kept deflecting me. But them he caved and gave me that letter," she pointed to the letter that was in front of me.

"After I read it, I knew it was true. That I had a sibling, a brother. But I didn't know that my father was Zeus himself!" she leaned back in her chair, gathering her thoughts, "I tracked down Perseus and when I found him, he too was surprised to see me."

"Achilles never told me that I had a sister, or who my father really was." Perseus chimed in. My head whipped towards him, "Achilles?"

It couldn't be. That was a very common name these days. But when Perseus nodded, I knew my suspicions were nothing but fact.

"He's the legendary warrior everyone knows him to be," Perseus said, "He was even training me to become just like him, but now I'm wondering if it's all because of our father."

"Zeus didn't want us to know about each other," Athena said, looking at her brother, "in the letter he gave Uncle he states that 'he didn't want the pressure of a sibling on my shoulders.' I'm guessing he wanted the same for you."

I suddenly felt like I was intruding on something that I had no business being in. I didn't know what type of family drama Athena and Perseus were getting into, but as I was a friend of Athena's I couldn't just turn my back on her. After all, she was there for me these last couple of weeks through the pain that family went through, and still is going through, and even after the assault. The least I could do, was be there for her, even if it wasn't my place.

"Why wouldn't Zeus want you two to know each other?" I asked. They both looked at me, sharing the same expression.

Hurt and confused.

They both had been lied to their entire lives, and now that they found each other, they were determined to find answers.

"That's what we're going to find out." Perseus said, sitting up a bit straighter.

"What do you mean?" I asked.

Perseus suddenly got this glimmer in his eye. The same glimmer he got when he was speaking to Stheno about how he murdered those men in order to save me. Perseus was ever afraid of anything, he never, even though I could sense a slight tremble in his posture.

"Perseus and I have been discussing over the last few days, hence why I wrote to you so late," Athena said. She too had sat up straighter, looking more regal than I ever seen her before.

"We've decided to go to the Temple of Zeus, in Mount Olympus, to ask him why he had us separated."

I felt a spark of excitement go through me. My sisters and I needed to get to Mount Olympus as well, but first we needed the Deity Stones. If my sisters and I could join Athena and Perseus, would they be willing to help us find the stones?

It would take some time, but once we got the stones before Hades did, we would be on our way to the temple and all of us would get what we need. It would only take time.

"That's perfect!" I said, my excitement taking over for both Athena and Perseus looked at quizzically. I sat back, tapping my fingers against the table.

"It's funny you mention that, because I need to go to the temple as well."

Athena peered at me, "Why?"

Sighing, I leaned in and told both of them the information that Mother told me.

I remember Stheno warning me about secrets, for when spoken, some could use them to cause chaos. Others, would cower away in fear.

I wish she warned me about the third thing.