บท 73: DA : Chapter 73: Doubts of the Heart IV
( Rhea POV )
Rhea sat on her throne as she slowly tapped a finger on the arm rest, her face giving away nothing as she looked down as Andromeda, still in mortal height, and the meek and quiet Medusa standing next to her in silent support.
Rhea glanced to the equally stoic Hestia sitting on her throne off to the side with Percy's throne between them. As for the king himself, he was currently with Lupa and checking on something with his wolves in northern Norway.
She'd listened silently as Andromeda had come to them with the egging on of Medusa to explain her plight to them.
Whatever good mood she'd previously had for the day went up in smoke and now her throat felt dry as she contemplated her fellow goddess. Andromeda kept her head tilted down and barely dared to make any eye contact as she squirmed under their gaze. Right now it wasn't a friendly atmosphere.
This wasn't Rhea and Hestia, two of the warmest and friendliest goddesses that gave a comforting presence with smiles and care, the ones anyone could approach for a friendly ear and support. This was Queen Rhea and Queen Hestia, firm rulers and fighters hardened in the flames of war and millennia of backstabbing politics.
Queens capable of making hard decisions if needed, rulers willing to offer in equal parts mercy and safety to those truly deserving of it … or being the executioners to those beyond redemption.
And right now, they were the wives that just had a goddess ask them to willingly allow their king and husband to cheat, going against his vows sworn to Styx and Chaos herself.
Rhea wasn't sure about Hestia, but her own initial reaction that she'd mercilessly stomped down when Andy explained what she wanted from Percy had been to snarl and put the goddess in her place.
She didn't care at the moment that this was Andromeda, Percy's sister that she helped raised and loves, the girl that had helped them in their own romance. Right now she was feeling slightly hurt and almost betrayed that Andromeda had grown feelings for Percy, even if it really wasn't her fault.
She was also angry at the suddenness of the situation. Why couldn't have Andromeda approached sooner and slowly brought up that she was growing feelings for Percy so that Rhea could have given it time and adjusted instead of suddenly all but barging in and passively pleading to sleep with Percy.
She could feel how her jaw tightened at the thought as her eyes narrowed to slits. She knew she was both territorial and possessive, there was no denying that.
It hadn't been easy coming to terms with knowing at first that she'd have to share Percy and a large part of her willingness to share had been knowing that Percy had genuine feelings for Hestia beforehand even if he hadn't been aware.
She would have never willingly harmed him by forcing him to choose and even until Hestia had actually arrived, Rhea had her doubts about it all even if she wanted Percy to be happy.
But now her temper was high and she was doing all she could to keep her nails from turning into gleaming claws capable of tearing apart even the toughest drakon scales. She gave a side glance to Hestia, impressed with how calm the goddess looked even if Rhea could see the slightest wisps of steaming drifting off Hestia's head and shoulders.
Deciding that she couldn't trust her voice at the moment she sent a mental probe at Hestia to open a private conversation with her. It took merely a second before the communication was established.
'So … how are you feeling about this?' she asked tightly even within her mind.
'Holding it in for now,' was the response. 'I … I don't want to be angry with her … it's just …'
'I know, I feel it too. But what do we tell her for now?'
'Well I'm certainly not going to just smile and say go ahead right now. In fact I really want to say the opposite and not in a very nice way either,' Hestia quipped back as she glanced to Rhea.
'So what? Send her away for the moment?'
'It may be for the best … otherwise we might say or do something that we'll really regret. Not to mention it will hurt Percy if we do.'
Rhea mentally sighed before nodding and cutting the connection as she returned her full attention to Andromeda, noticing for the first time that the young goddess' eyes were getting watery as she still looked at the floor.
Rhea knew Andromeda could feel the anger rolling off them and was probably assuming the worst … and Rhea wasn't sure if her assumption was unfounded at the moment. So she took a deep breath before speaking, her tone steady yet cold.
"I'll be honest Andromeda, I'm not happy about this. I can't say yes …" she raised a hand as Andromeda finally looked up at them, the hurt clearly in her eyes but she remained silent. "… I'm not saying no either. Not at the moment anyways but you've given us a lot to think about so I think it's best that you give us some space for a while."
She didn't say any more as Andromeda nodded weakly before slowly turning, whispering something to Medusa, and then flashing away back to their home above the planet. Medusa gave them a meek look before dissolving into shadows as well, leaving the queens alone for the time being.
They remained quiet for a minute or two before Hestia waved her hand to erect a barrier locking in sound and from anyone entering the throne room. It wasn't by any means a barrier strong enough to stop any of the other council members from entering but it did send the message 'Private conversation' loud and clear.
It took another minute or so before Hestia broke the tense silence … and not in an expected way. She all but roared as she slammed her hand on her armrest as the flames in the hearth erupted like a geyser, turning the throne room into an oven but Rhea didn't really care at the moment.
She focused on keeping the Earth steady lest she unleash all manner of earthquakes across the globe even though she could feel a few active volcanoes getting more active.
The hearth kept raging for a while as Rhea trained on her breathing, willing herself to calm down as Hestia finally started to settle as well.
Looking at her sister wife now, Rhea noted how feral she looked with her newly gained fangs displayed in a vicious snarl, her crimson glowing eyes and steaming red tips of her hair, her dainty nails having elongated into scarlet talons with the slightest fringe of scales along her knuckles.
Rhea's own claws had finally come out in their golden glory and she could feel how her hair had become wilder to resemble that of a mane. 'Between the two of us throwing a tantrum we could level most of human civilization,' she thought darkly as they reigned themselves in, Hestia looking as tired as Rhea suddenly felt.
"What are we going to do?" Hestia asked softly after her draconic features had receded and the hearth had returned to normal.
"I don't know," Rhea replied as she looked at her lap.
"But we have to do something, not ignore this," Hestia continued as she got up and slowly started to pace the throne room. "You heard it yourself. Her domains are acting up and it's starting to affect her."
"I know and I get that … it's just," Rhea stopped as she looked at Hestia. "There is more to this than letting Percy cheat to sate Andromeda's needs."
"He wouldn't anyways," Hestia said. "His loyalty is still his defining feature, even if he doesn't give it away like free candy anymore. And his sister needs him …"
"She wouldn't be his sister if they went that way. Not to mention it isn't as easy or simple as it was with you and me being lovers as well as sister wives. You and I spent a grand total of twelve hours being mother and daughter.
One when you were born, spar minutes in the rare times we met during the war and even that was at a distance, another one or so after the war before the titans were locked away, and that one dinner in the House of Night. It was weird at first but we didn't have anything in the past to go on," Rhea cut in sharply.
"Percy and Andromeda on the other hand have decades being siblings and unlike Andromeda, Percy isn't a Love god capable of having his feelings shift like hers. And we don't know if he even feels like that towards her so even if we allowed it, who's to say he would actually go through with it."
"But we know that Percy is always willing to help those that need him. Even if he doesn't feel like that towards her, he still would just to help her," Hestia retorted.
"Yes and he would make himself guilty. You saw how serious he was with his vows to us, to remain faithful and caring. Even if we pushed him to do it, and that is a very big if, he would still berate himself for touching another woman, not to mention he was never the sort of guy to go with a one night stand."
"But it wouldn't be a one night stand," Hestia replied as she paused to look at the hearth. "All of us need to connect with our domains and give in fully at least once to all the emotions and concepts connected to them but being separated from our domains can be just as bad."
"Yes and I don't know whether that makes it better or worse," Rhea said as she rubbed her temple.
"There something more about this bothering you, isn't there?" Hestia suddenly asked making Rhea snap her head up to look at her. "You got too angry, too quickly. I saw how you almost lashed out within minutes of Andromeda asking to be with Percy before she explained why. So, what's bothering you in particular?"
Rhea held her gaze for a while as she thought about it. Sure, it was millennia in the past but it would seem that it was relevant again. She sighed before nodding and then beginning to explain.
"I once dealt with similar things back in my tenure as queen of the Titans. First of all I was given like some damn prize to Kronos by my mother …"
"And now both have faded," Hestia quipped with a predatory smirk which Rhea mirrored.
"Thankfully but at the time, I tried to appease mother and make do with it. However, because of that I was basically docile and submissive all the time which lead to several … issues." Hestia raised an eyebrow before motioning for Rhea to go on.
"Kronos was a controlling and jealous ass. He felt entitled to me and wouldn't allow me to even get close to other men on friendly means, however he only really paid attention in his bouts of jealousy, otherwise he was content to have me home while I knew he was off bedding whatever slut opened up for him just because he was king."
Rhea took a pause to collect herself and retract her claws as the memories surfaced.
"It hurt, knowing I was doing so much for him only to be tossed aside like that but I tried to tolerate it. However, what really started to piss me off was that some of those women actually had the nerve to parade the fact that my husband preferred their company to mine.
Even if I wasn't egotistical, it still hurt to know I was a laughing stock that couldn't keep her own husband in her bed, that I wasn't even properly respected beyond being cordial on important events while tolerating every back-handed insult sent my way," she growled as she got up and started pacing.
"Even got to the point that I actually snapped and nearly beat to death one goddess … she certainly wasn't receiving compliments on her beauty again," she added darkly. "But now it might just start again …"
"What do you mean?" Hestia asked with a tilt of the head.
Rhea sighed while running a hand through her hair. "What I mean is that you, me, the council, what we do has more significance that just our laws and maintaining our domains. We may not like it but we are also keyed into the politics of the Mystic world now and soon the Mortal world. We have to maintain certain stances and behavior from now on, otherwise we might appear weak."
Noting Hestia's frown Rhea continued on will looking her sister-wife in the eyes.
"Let's be realistic here. We didn't create Mount Cartier and this city from the pure goodness of our hearts and every single resident of the city should know that. It is a power move, a declaration, and a foothold for what comes next. The same as not all the gods coming here are because they believe in us or for a Utopia.
They saw the play at hand and followed along for their own reasons whether it was safety, a chance to increase their own position, or a thirst to watch Olympus burn. Regardless, they are just as many selfish reasons as there are altruistic and at the center of it all is the council. We rule by example, and if that means being cold and ruthless if the situation demands it, then so be it."
Rhea paused as she sat back down on her throne and fixed Hestia with a hard look.
"So what happens if we draw back and allow Andromeda what she wants? What's to stop other goddess, and you know there are several, from trying as well? And what's worse is that we would have to tolerate the behavior as long as they don't actually do anything unless we want to make ourselves out to being jealous bitches."
"But it would be known why Percy had to do it," Hestia interjected only for Rhea to shake her head.
"It wouldn't matter. Gods can be just as flawed and selfish as any mortal. Remember, give an inch, they take a mile. It would send a message that we aren't equal to our king, that we are simply his, and he is free to do as he wishes. Even with the reasons it would paint us in the same light as Zeus, Hera, and Aphrodite.
The king taking what he wants, the queens in this case being forced to bear with it in resignation, and the slut using her domain as an excuse to bed whoever she wants." Rhea raised her hand to stop Hestia from interrupting.
"It doesn't matter if that isn't the truth, gods are petty and they will gossip just to entertain themselves. Why do you think Percy had been planning with Nyx for decades how to keep the gods busy rather than letting them be a population of lazy, overpowered and overfunded college students running around and causing havoc with their terrible birth control? We hate it but the fact of the matter is that appearance matters now."
"And accepting Andromeda will have consequences beyond just her relationship with Percy," Hestia agreed as she actually sat of Percy's thrown to sit next to Rhea.
They both felt Percy's consciousness pass over them to check before leaving again, knowing he was fine with them sitting on his throne from time to time.
"Yes … and we have to consider if those consequences are worth it or not," Rhea replied as both sat in silence, stewing in their own thoughts.
They were silent for several minutes until Hestia took Rhea's hand to get her attention and once Rhea was looking, Hestia began.
"What if we make it another power play?" she asked with an odd glint in her eyes.
"Such as?" Rhea asked with a small frown.
"Well … letting Andromeda sleep with Percy on a regular basis would undermine our authority and could also weigh Percy down with guilt, right?" Rhea nodded as she waited for Hestia to get on with it. "But what if we also had a similar deal?"
"Are you asking to get your own lover!?" Rhea asked in mix of shock and horror. "You would actually consider letting another man touch you!?"
"Of course not!" Hestia snapped back with obvious anger over Rhea even considering she would do such a thing. "I'll happily scream that I'm Percy's, no one else!" She then took a moment to collect herself while still glaring slightly at Rhea. "However … after our first night, things changed between us. We aren't just married to Percy but each other as well," Hestia continued with a faint, silvery blush at the end as she squeezed Rhea's hand affectionately.
Rhea relaxed and smiled at that, even going as far as leaning forward and giving Hestia a small kiss that was gently returned for a few seconds before breaking apart.
It had honestly been an in-the-moment decision to kiss Hestia during that night, mostly to tease Percy but after Hestia had taken charge along with Percy, Rhea had been more than happy to opening up their relationship to be an honest three-way.
A slightly embarrassing conversation and morning sex had settled it and Rhea can honestly say the three had never been happier. It practically eliminated any jealousy over who got more time with Percy and allowed all of them to truly bond to each other.
"Okay …" Rhea said in a pleased sigh as some of her earlier tension dissolved with the kiss. "So what do you mean with a similar deal."
"Well, if we look at it from an honest standpoint, Percy is the only one that is strictly straight," Hestia explained getting Rhea to snort.
"We could just turn ourselves into the opposite gender and let Percy get a feel for being on the receiving end," she joked … though she might just bring up the idea some time just to see.
"Huh," was Hestia's reply even if Rhea could tell she was thinking about it judging by the growing blush. "Anyways, I doubt that would mean he would want anyone other than us but that aside, Percy's straight and we're not. So, who's to say he should be the only one to ah … enjoy the perks of sleeping with another goddess."
"Are you … suggesting we join in on these sessions?" Rhea asked with a raised eyebrow to which Hestia nodded before raised her finger.
"Think about it, if anything, Percy is fair. He doesn't like having things handed to him, especially if he doesn't feel he earned it.
Not that I would ever even dream of asking him to, but if we wanted to be allowed to sleep with other men just because he can with other women, then he would. He would hate it but he would tolerate it if we demanded it. However, what's to say that we can't simply be part of this."
"I can't believe it," Rhea murmured in near awe. "To think I managed to corrupt you so quickly, I made Nyx proud!" she squealed while wiping away a non-existent tear getting slap on the shoulder from Hestia.
"Okay miss shameless but on a more serious note," Hestia continued as Rhea chuckled slightly. "Like you said, the image is important and we would have to find a way to stop from being undermined and having any old hussy trying to get our man so, why not make it so it's not Percy's lover but our lover."
"So making Andromeda a concubine?" Rhea asked with a slight bit of distaste. That might not go over so well and it might still put Andromeda in a bad light.
"Not to stereotype her but she is a Love goddess. I might not have liked Aphrodite but I was around enough to hear about how gods with the love domain are rarely limited to one sexual preference. And it would be her decision too … and I'd be lying if I said I didn't find her attractive."
"But we'd also still have to go back and convince Percy about this whole thing and in this scenario, his fidelity isn't working with us, not to mention our vows," Rhea pointed out.
"Well, we could go to Styx and even contact Lady Chaos to adjust our vows enough to allow only someone approved by all three of us to be our lovers."
"Lovers? As in plural?" Rhea asked with narrowed eyes.
"We both know that there are some others that genuinely love Percy like us," Hestia replied with a sigh. "It would be at least fair to offer the option to some of them rather than let some get resentful."
"Oh Chaos … look at us, one minute considering murder and now we are planning to form a harem of all things for ourselves and our husband," she moaned as she rubbed her temple.
"It really does seem that Percy has the shittiest luck and the luck of the devil at times," Hestia giggled.
"At least we know he'd be able to handle multiple women," Rhea purred as she recalled Percy's behavior during their first night in their new house.
The predatory glint in his eyes and how he radiated dominance as he held her down and took her. A delicious shudder ran up her spine just at the memory … and the morning after when Percy was on top of Hestia and truly showed the draconic goddess who was truly the one in control.
'Gods I might just jump him next time I see him,' she thought as she eyed Hestia and wondered if she could get away with a quickie before any of the others in the council returned from wherever they were.
"We should meet up with Percy," Hestia said, snapping Rhea out of her perverted train of thought.
Hestia waved her hand to disperse the barrier much to Rhea's chagrin but before she could comment on her little plan they both noticed Nico walking in looking oddly pale. Odd considering his normal pale was more of an other-worldly glow, now he just plain looked saw-a-ghost pale, as ironic as that was.
"Nico?" Hestia asked making the demi-primordial start as if he hadn't noticed their presence before… How he didn't see two, hundred foot goddesses was beyond Rhea.
"Oh, hey Hestia, Rhea," he said absentmindedly as he looked to Andromeda's throne and frowned at the apparent lack of said goddess. "By the way, do you girls know where Andy is?"
Rhea and Hestia shared a glance before looking back to the heir of the Pit. "She's … busy at the moment. Why, did you need something?"
"Ah … well … umm …" Nico muttered as he shuffled his feet and getting the goddesses more curious by the second. "Well … it's just … I needed Andy advice on something."
"And that would be?" Hestia asked as she leaned forward. "You could just ask us to see if we could help."
Nico remained silent for a few minutes while he opened and closed his hands, muttering to himself. He then finally turned his head up to look at them.
"Umm … I need some advice because …" he paused as he took a deep breath, getting Hestia and Rhea at the edge of their seats in anticipation.
"… Styx proposed to me."
"…"
"…"
"WHAT!?"
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Don't forget to throw some power Stones, to keep the story going.
...
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