A Prince's Prophetic Switch

Christian

"Neptune will then be pacified, for if we
are all of a mind he can hardly stand out
against us" ~The Odyssey, by Homer 

Thinking you might be able to breathe under water is something. Something incredibly stupid. But trying to force yourself to is even worse. This was one of the many things that Christian had stupidly tried. Luckily, he was able, but he had to go through the experience of feeling like he was about to drown literally 10 seconds before.

Now, he was at Neptune's—he wasn't comfortable enough yet to start calling him his father's—residence. He couldn't call it a house, it was much more than that, but he also couldn't call it an empire. It was more of... well, a kingdom.

Needless to say, Christian was astonished to hear that one man could oversee all of... whatever this was, even if he is a god. It hadn't yet sunk in for Christian that Neptune was one of the big three, meaning one of the sole most powerful Roman gods of all. It also hadn't quite sunken in that Christian was not currently wanted there, but to be honest, even if it had, he wouldn't have cared in the slightest.

Now, all know Neptune is strong, not to mention powerful, but upon seeing him, Christian burst out laughing. He wore seaweed wrapping his waist, holding his toga in place. And his sandals... well, maybe they weren't sandals. They had a piece coming out from the sole, landing in between his first and big toe.

"Son." He said, in a serious tone.

As soon as Christian recovered from his laugh, he stared at who was called his father. He nodded Neptune on, not trusting himself to speak.

"You were not needed here until—" Neptune started, but was quickly cut off.

"I know, but I found it..." Christian trailed off. What was he to say? I found it unfair that you, lord of the tides, had better things to do than take care of your own son, who you were not even supposed to have? That surely wasn't the sophisticated thing to say.

"You found it unfair?" Neptune asked, but his tone suggested it wasn't really a question.

"Yes." Christian admitted, at last. He straightened his posture and looked to face the god.

"Son, you can't just—" Neptune started, but Christian quickly cut him off.

"If you're about to tell me that I can't come down here without permission, that life is not fair, then don't bother speaking. I know. But guess what? I've had enough of unfair by now. Maybe, just maybe, you can put other people first. I don't care who you are, nor who you think you are, but you don't treat me with disrespect. Do you hear me?"

For once in all of history, the god had nothing to say. He simply stood there, like a fish out of water. Slowly, his face twisted into a scowl. He had never, in all his years of living, been disrespected like he had that day. It was odd, that was for sure, that a mortal could silence a god. But Christian wasn't afraid. His adrenaline, still rushing, caused him to look the god straight in the eyes, and state, "I asked you a question."

Neptune, just now seeming to realize the situation at hand, threw his hand, ripping through the water like a knife. But Christian dodged, somehow, and smiled menacingly. "Terribly sorry," he spoke, voice traveling loud as the effect of adrenaline wore off. "I suppose this wasn't the greatest impression I could have made."

"No," Neptune agreed, bitterly. "it most certainly was not." A merman swam by slowly, obviously eavesdropping, and Neptune's tone changed drastically. "But, we all have our flaws, and as long as we admit them," Neptune paused, looking for a change on Christian's face. There was none. "then we can all forgive, can't we?"

"Surely." Christian agreed, sensing the warning in Neptune's voice. One more outburst, and you'll regret it.

"Let's start from where we left off. As I was saying, Son, you can't just come down to my palace without warning. The guards will shoot you down. I might have, if not for the warning from your assistant, Jade."

Christian felt a sudden pang in the gut at Neptune's words. Did he truly mean what he said? Or was he just speaking for the eavesdropper? The eavesdropper that, based on the scowl on his face directed right at Christian, didn't like him very much.

"Terribly sorry," Christian started, then silently cursed himself for repeating the same phrase twice in such a brief time period, but continued anyway. "it seems I have forgotten my etiquette amidst my... enthusiasm."

Neptune scoffed. It was an unpleasant sound, but the merman seemed amused enough. "Enthusiasm, you said it was? I would say it was closer to arrogance."

Christian stayed silent at hearing this, and Neptune took that as a win.

"Yes, I suppose you are correct, as always," Christian forced a smile. "I would expect nothing less from a god."

"Well, meet my brothers, and your expectations might change. They are anything but."

Yeah, yet you were irresponsible enough to have a child with a mortal, while Pluto, Lord of the Underworld, had not. Yet he's one of the 2 insensible ones of you and your brothers. How ironic. Christian thought. His thoughts must have shown on his face, because Neptune scowled.

"Leave us." Neptune ordered the eavesdropper, who was also apparently a guard. He nodded, turned to face the door.

"So, my arrogant son," Neptune smirked, thinking of this as a punch to the gut. Seeing it was not, his smile faltered, and he continued. "I would like you to know that when a god has a plan, you will follow it. Fair in your eyes, or not."

Christian nodded, barely listening to a word Neptune had said. Instead, he was wandering over to piles of wood, etched with attack plans, and defenses. Lots of defenses. The only thing was, they weren't even good plans. Christian laughed and tossed a few of the boards at his father.

"Who drew these?" Christian asked.

"Ishan, my—" Neptune cut himself off, and Christian understood, nodded.

Christian grabbed a blank piece of wood and a nearby conch shell and etched a new plan.