epiphany ━━ chapter iv. . . . a goddess and rosy cheeks
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HERA LOOKED LIKE a regular mom with a bright smile and a caring look in her eyes. That wasn't how Nova had expected the queen of gods to look like at all.
She served them sandwiches and poured lemonade in small cups while smiling at all of them.
"Queen Hera," Annabeth said. "I can't believe it. What are you doing in the Labyrinth?"
Hera smiled. She flicked one finger and Annabeth's hair combed itself. All the dirt and grime disappeared from her face.
"I came to see you, naturally," the goddess said before walking over to the daughter of Apollo and removing all dirt from her features as well.
"I didn't think—" Annabeth faltered and shared a nervous look with Percy. "Well, I didn't think you liked heroes."
Hera smiled indulgently. "Because of that little spat I had with Hercules? Honestly, I got so much bad press because of one disagreement."
"Didn't you try to kill him, like, a lot of times?" Annabeth carefully asked.
Hera waved her hand dismissively. "Water under the bridge, my dear. Besides, he was one of my loving husband's children by another woman. My patience wore thin, I'll admit it. But Zeus and I have had some excellent marriage counseling sessions since then. We've aired our feelings and come to an understanding."
She kept looking at Annabeth with a sunny smile. "At any rate, I certainly bear you no ill will, my girl. I appreciate the difficulty of your quest. Especially when you have troublemakers like Janus to deal with."
Annabeth lowered her gaze. "Why was he here? He was driving me crazy."
"Trying to," Hera agreed. "You must understand, the minor gods like Janus have always been frustrated by the small parts they play in the universe. Some, I fear, have little love for Olympus, and could easily be swayed to support the rise of my father."
"Your father?" Nova asked with a nervous smile. She still didn't feel completely safe with the goddess.
When Hera didn't answer her, Percy turned from his spot next to her so he could whisper in her ear.
"Kronos is Hera's dad, too, along with being the father to Zeus, Poseidon, and all the eldest Olympians." he thought for a moment. "I guess that actually makes Kronos my grandfather..." he grimaced.
Nova nodded slowly at his explanation, the movement causing Percy's lips to graze her cheek for a split second and the boy immediately drew back.
She tried to smile at him for explaining, but he kept his gaze away as his cheeks turned a rosy colour.
Was something wrong with his face? Nova wondered.
Hera stared at the fading mosaics of the Olympians. "I'm the goddess of marriage, you see." she stated intensely at the five children. "I'm used to perseverance. You have to rise above the squabbling and chaos, and keep believing. You have to always keep your goals in mind."
"What are your goals?" Annabeth asked.
She smiled. "To keep my family, the Olympians, together, of course. At the moment, the best way I can do that is by helping you. Zeus does not allow me to interfere much, I am afraid. But once every century or so, for a quest I care deeply about, he allows me to grant a wish."
"A wish?"
"Before you ask it, let me give you some advice, which I can do for free. I know you see Daedalus. His Labyrinth is as much a mystery to me as it is to you. But if you want to know his fate, I would visit my son Hephaestus at his forge. Daedalus was a great inventor, a mortal after Hephaestus's heart. There has never been a mortal Hephaestus admired more. If anyone would have kept up with Daedalus and could tell you his fate, it is Hephaestus."
"But how do we get there?" Annabeth asked. "That's my wish. I want a way to navigate the Labyrinth."
Hera looked disappointed. "So be it. You wish for something, however, that you have already been given."
"I don't understand."
"The means is already within your grasp." She looked at the brunette boy. "Percy knows the answer."
"I do?" he asked.
"But that's not fair," Annabeth said. "You're not telling me what it is!"
Hera shook her head. "Getting something and having the wits to use it ... those are two different things. I'm sure your mother Athena would agree."
The room rumbled like distant thunder. Hera stood. "That would be my cue. Zeus grows impatient. Think on what I have said, Annabeth. Seek out Hephaestus. You will have to pass through the ranch, I imagine. But keep going. And use all the means at your disposal, however common they may seem."
She pointed toward the two doors and they melted away, revealing twin corridors, open and dark. "One last thing, Annabeth. I have postponed your day of choice, I have not prevented it. Soon, as Janus said, you will have to make a decision. Farewell!"
She waved a hand and turned into white smoke. So did the food, just as Tyson chomped down on a sandwich that turned to mist in his mouth. The fountain trickled to a stop. The mosaic walls dimmed and turned grungy and faded again, and just like that, Nova's first picnic in many years was over.
Annabeth stamped her foot. "What sort of help was that? 'Here, have a sandwich. Make a wish. Oops, I can't help you!' Poof!"
"Poof," Tyson agreed sadly, looking at his empty plate.
"Well," Grover sighed, "she said Percy knows the answer. That's something."
They all looked at the boy in question, but he furrowed his brows at them. "But I don't," he said. "I don't know what she was talking about."
Annabeth sighed. "All right. Then we'll just keep going."
"Which way?"
Grover and Tyson both tensed. They then stood up together like they'd rehearsed it. "Left," they both said.
Annabeth frowned. "How can you be sure?"
"Because something is coming from the right," Grover said.
"Something big," Tyson agreed. "In a hurry."
"Left is sounding pretty good," Percy decided and together they plunged into the dark corridor.
author's note i feel so motivated to write this story bc i have so many ideas for nova and percy 🤭
