Olympus Reborn Book 3: A New King Rises

Chapter 8:

Artemis's POV:

So I didn't leave Percy anything to eat for breakfast, but in my defense I'm pregnant with the first godly children in millennia, and our adoptive daughters wouldn't have allowed him to eat either as they wanted the last pancakes. So can I really be blamed for his lack of eating, plus we have cereal he could have had that and make Demeter happy at the same time, so it's a win win. Anyways besides my husband's lack of eating breakfast, Estella crawled into my lap and fell asleep, so we went and I stayed with her in bed until my limited training time for our adopted daughters was up. 

Once the hour for their training was up, I found myself without the heart to wake Estella, so I just carried her sleeping form with Percy and I as I told the girls that training time is over and work time is to begin sending them off to their rooms, so they can finish them. "You don't think we are being too harsh right" Percy asked me

"Nope, their rooms need to be finished and as we need to finish the palace...so I'm giving you two options now, you come with me so we can finish the plans for our room or we go shopping for the kitchen. So what's it gonna be" I said

Percy seemed to really be thinking hard before finally deciding, "why don't we go with the kitchen that way we can also get furniture for the other common rooms if we find anything we like" He said, in a compromising manner, and I have the feeling we are going to get stuff for the entertainment room ordered, though I imagine it's going to mostly be him choosing things for that room.

Le Time Skip says Hello there

Estella woke up when we were in the middle of ordering our dining room table from Hephaestus...she may have let out a scared yelp seeing him for the first time. "Estella this is Hephaestus" Percy explained to her softly, "He may not look like much but he's really nice once you get to know him" He continued which got a slight glare from Hephaestus to him, "Though he's a very reserved man" Percy finished, which got a slightly grateful look from Hephaestus.

"What does it mean to be very reserved" Estella questioned

"It means he likes keeping to himself, and doesn't like being bothered" Percy said

Estella seemed to think for a moment before finally deciding her words, "Then why are we here if he doesn't like being bothered", which got a chuckle from Hephaestus, which is the first I've ever heard from him in many years.

"Because, your brother is calling upon a debt I owe him from long ago little one, a debt that's older than you" Hephaestus explained, and I can tell he was doing his best to make his voice sound as normal as possible, as to not scare her more than he already has.

"Oh, but why do you owe him a debt" she asked

"He did something for me, though not to expected outcomes, he still did the task for me. Though he's going to have to pay for cost of material for his order" Hephaestus added for her

Estella looked like she was about to question him further, but I decided to stop her curiosity before we spend the entire day here with her asking questions for Hephaestus to answer.

"Estella, sweetie, Hephaestus is also a really busy man so why don't we head home and see if we can find you a room for you to decorate as you wish" I said to her, and she seemed to like that idea as she shook her head yes, and Hephaestus gave me a thankful look as he's not much of a conversationalist and was becoming uncomfortable.

"Now why don't we say bye to Hephaestus" I said

"Bye bye Mr. Hephaestus" Estella said cheerfully, as Percy and I were walking out after saying our farewells as well.

As we were walking away from Hephaestus's Palace, low and behold we are confronted with the evilness that is my step-mother herself. "What is she doing here" Hera snarled, and Estella immediately hid her face in my hair.

"I've have yet to pry my little sister from my wife's arms" Percy sassed, which isn't completely true, but she hasn't spent much time out of my arms since, Hera said that he would have to pry her from mine and auntie Hestia's clutches.

Hera turned to look at me like I'm a disgrace to the family, which from her view is true since she hates all the children of Zeus that aren't by her. "She's mortal she shouldn't be here" Hera threatened with a clear undertone of take her off Olympus or she dies. Which caused Estella to burrow herself further into my hair and start crying, and for Percy to step in between us and Hera.

"I don't take threats to my sister or wife lightly, Hera" Percy warned with his hand on his sword, and I have a feeling he saw the look she gave me, and I'm happy I'm not seeing the look he's giving her.

Hera scowled at him before turning and leaving, forgetting whatever she was going to talk to Hephaestus about. Thankfully though right after Hera we literally walked into Hestia, who took to trying to comfort Estella as she was quite upset from the encounter. "Don't worry about Hera little Estella, she's a big meanie to everyone" Hestia said softly, which didn't seem to do anything for Estella, as she only held closer to me.

Hestia gave a sorrowful face to Percy and I, before she got really angry, "Excuse me a moment I need to go see my sister...and maybe teach her a few lessons with my fist for speaking to a young child in the way that she did" Hestia said, in a manner that I'm sure not even I can muster and made me want to leave Olympus...quickly.

"We should probably head home" Percy whispered in my ear. I nodded in agreement before covering Estella's eyes with my hand before, and we flashed back into our palace throne room, not before hearing Hestia scream at Hera and threaten to bring mother into the matter. Yeah I'm happy we left if grandma Rhea is going to get involved.

Estella, however, seemingly was on her way to crying herself to sleep, despite mine and Percy's best efforts. Once Estella's sobbing stopped, I could tell Percy was about to explode and possibly go murder Hera, but I put my hand on his shoulder to stop him. "She doesn't need Hera's head Percy, she needs her brother, she needs her family" I said, but that didn't seem to quell his anger, "plus if we want her killed I know a group of girls who would be more than happy to kill Hera, especially if they hear how she made Estella feel" I added on, which got a chuckle out of my husband.

"Hera made Estella feel how now" Thalia asked stepping into the throne room.

"It's not important right now, Thalia" I said plainly, but she was looking at Percy not paying attention to me.

Thalia after about three minutes seemingly got whatever she wanted from the look on Percy's face before getting angry herself, "And just when I thought there might be the slightest sliver of that bitch, Hera, being a good person. I should go kill her" she said with anger and hate in her voice

"Thalia Grace you will do no such thing" I said, and that got her attention

"But...but she hurt Estella, and just when she was starting to open up" Thalia defended

"and we will need to get her back to that point, but till then no action is to be taken against Hera or against Olympus" I ordered, which seemed to irritate Thalia, "plus Hestia is currently taking care of Hera" I added just to keep her from doing something stupid.

"I always knew I loved auntie Hestia the most" Thalia said happily

"Now update us how are the girls doing with their rooms" I asked

"Oh they have Chris running off fetching samples of everything from tile, to hardwood, to carpet, oh and like every single paint sample available" Thalia said and just then Chris came in dragging a shipping container in with him.

He was breathing heavily, before collapsing seeing Thalia, "I...I think...I got...everything" Chris said in between heavy breaths, and promptly passing out on the floor.

"good" Thalia said before she went to get the girls, who upon coming down only took out like ten percent of the samples, before returning to their rooms. 

"They did that just to make him tired and work harder didn't they" Percy and I asked

"it's the most probable answer, anyways I have oversight to conduct" Thalia said leaving us with a passed out Chris. 

Percy left a note for Chris telling him to just leave the shipping container as is, for now, to go get some rest until tomorrow, and to pray that the girls don't have as many request tomorrow. Then we left to lay down with Estella for the second time in the day.