DA : Chapter 145: Love Crushed II

It was his driving force to keep him moving forward, to bear the pain and torment of war left on his shoulders under a prophecy. To keep his own alive, to strive for peace, to simply survive … and that first love crushed him, turned into betrayal and lies.

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Annabeth Chase had been his first true love and Hestia knew, just as well as Rhea, Andromeda, and their harem that no matter what happened, a piece of his heart would always stay hers. It was why even now he couldn't cut her down even if he wanted to.

Because knowing she had been a victim as well had left a fragment of hope, the irony of which wasn't lost on the Primordial Goddess of Hope, that there could have been more to it. Even if he accepted that she would never be part of his life again and he wouldn't be in hers, that past and its scars would never leave him.

And it was knowing that which got Hestia so reactive. She already suffered the cold pain that is isolation, to sting of being forgotten and left without voice. To watch as her desperate pleas were ignored, as her family twisted and contorted into something she could no longer recognize as family. And then her husband came, the first to truly see her, to bother and hear her even if she had been pushed to the sidelines in the fires of war.

Then that war ended and the demigod that had become a close friend over the year before Hera hid him came to her and only with her, allowed himself to break. She watched as the strongest demigod shattered after being too strong for too long, all the pains and regrets during the wars and those lost under his command or leadership, of his time in Tartarus and all he saw. She held him as he lost one of his greatest reasons for even pushing on.

Listened as he spoke about his dreams that would never come, of growing old together in the possibilities of New Rome. He had his mother at the time but she, just like Paul and Andromeda at the time had been mortals and would always need to be kept at some distance just for their safety.

His father, like the other gods, would stay away from their children as was expected and by law. At that point it would even been possible to convince him to take godhood then and there. In fact, Hestia had already been considering it because she wanted him to stay with her but then that meeting happened.

In their self-centered pride and ego, they murdered his family thinking it was necessary to separate him from his mortal connections but nothing could have been more wrong. They took what was already a broken demigod and gave him a focus. Something to hate, to see as the cause of so much suffering. They took their hero and created their executioner, one devoid of any ties to them. And he had carried through with it so far, even while trying to spare demigods where he could and keep the battles away from mortal homes.

But now that same goddess came back, begging and pleading the case with the use of a completely innocent child. Something new that would tie him to her in some shape or form and Hestia simply couldn't trust it. It didn't matter for the reasoning behind it or who the child was, she knew her husband was still a hero at the core and would not abandon a child, regardless of the linage.

Even if he'd been just as upset to be named the godfather and gave a front, Hestia knew her husband and that he'd already been monitoring Cloelia's shadow since Chase told him, completely bypassing the protections of Ogygia within the hour.

And even if Hestia would not hold anything against the godling, Chase was another case all together. She didn't trust her and within the deepest recesses of her own heart, she had her own darkness. A spot of doubt, of familiar fears that whispered how Chase could use her own daughter to return to Percy's side.

It didn't matter how irrational, how much Hestia knew Percy would never forget or abandon her, it was a vicious scar of her own past that would never fade. And Percy knew it, just as he knew of his own doubts or Rhea's, but together they reassured each other, just like last night.

Last night's activities had been all about her and after everyone was refreshingly spent, Rhea surprised her by leaving her alone with Percy, dragging a sleepy Andromeda with her to the love goddess' room. She'd appreciated it and after another round, the pair fell into sweet unconsciousness together. Even once they woke up it had been for another round of sweet love-making, leaving them where they were now with her resting on him.

"Honey…"

"Hmm?" she hummed as she turned her head up to look into those flaming black and icy blue eyes.

"So … are you okay with it?"

He didn't need to say what, she'd already known it had been on his mind since the meeting yesterday. She sighed softly as she nuzzled against his chest, peppering it with kisses before looking at him and nodding. He smiled in return before sitting up and kissing her properly and then getting up.

She was a little annoyed at losing her body pillow but followed after, both dressing with a thought. Her in a scarlet chiton and black sash around her waist, and sandals while he went with dark grey jeans, blue shirt, and his ever present Coat of Darkness into a design much like a leather jacket, finished with simply drakon hide leather boots.

With both ready they flashed away as a notice to their approach, arriving just at the gates leading out of the city limits and to the path down the mountain. Upon arrival they saw that they weren't the only ones with most of the council save Phoebe and Styx being present along with Atlas as the proper guard and Athena, pup in hand, saying their goodbyes. Eyes turned on them as Hestia schooled her features the moment she saw Chase and walked to Rhea and Andromeda's side as Percy approached the minor goddess.

"Chase," he said evenly with a nod at the shorter goddess. Without really waiting for a reply he held his hand up in a moment the shadows condensed around it.

Within seconds they dispersed to reveal an icy blue bracelet with a very small wolf charm attached to it. He offered it to the goddess expectantly and after gawking a bit she gingerly took it.

"Does this mean …?" Chase trailed off as Percy lightly shook his head.

"I don't know if I could accept such a role," he said, seeing the goddess' crestfallen face and even the way Athena looked at him almost pleadingly from the side. "… However, that won't mean I can't keep an eye out just in case. Just make sure she wears that because once it's on, only she can take it off."

"Thank you," Chase said warmly as she held the charmed bracelet to her chest and smiled radiantly at Percy making Hestia bite back a growl.

Percy looked at her with narrow eyes for a moment, seeming unsure about how to really respond to such a genuine thanks from the goddess. "You're welcome," Percy murmured softly as he turned around and walked back to Hestia's side before Hestia and Rhea each stood to one of his sides with a hand held in theirs.

With that finished Chase gave a hug to her mother and some bows to the council members as they nodded in response and then Chase turned to walk down the path.

"Be safe … Annie," Thalia said softly making the goddess pause to glance back and nod before she took off in a jog, the protogenoi watching her move.

They knew they were actually close to the metaphysical border of the 'Land of the Gods', only several miles in fact so Chase would only need to run for less than an hour before she was far enough to safely flash away and not run the risk of running out of energy. Though as she left a silence filled the air as some of the protogenoi looked up at the sky as a breeze passed over them.

It was only a matter of time before this peace and quiet came to an end, and the war truly began…

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Don't forget to throw some power Stones, to keep the story going.

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