Past Changes

Chapter 21

"My Lord."

Kronos glances down at Atlas from atop his throne, eyes narrowing slightly. "Yes, Atlas?" Yet more evidence that his siblings have something planned. Atlas rarely stays for long, despite the training he receives from Kronos.

Zeus snorted. "He's really paranoid."

Atlas bows his head. "You have some visitors."

Kronos raises an eyebrow. "Which sort of visitors?"

"The monster sort," Atlas says stiffly, obviously not too pleased with having monsters in Othrys. Despite Othrys being Kronos'.

The Titan King straightens. "Then allow these monsters in."

Atlas flashes away, not wanting to see the meeting. Across from Kronos, Rhea's eyes narrow slightly at him, before she makes her way over. "You have a plan, I assume?"

"Of course he does," Percy groaned. "He's Kronos."

"I always do," Kronos murmurs back. "Join me, Rhea. This is bound to be entertaining."

"That can't be good," Thalia mused.

She sighs. "I assume threats will be involved? And, if they refuse to cooperate, harm."

He chuckles, enclosing her hand in his once she's sat down in her throne beside him. "You know me so well, my queen." She flushes slightly as he brushes his lips across the back of her hand. "What do you say after I'm done here... we spend some time just with each other?"

Rhea snorts and pushes him away. "I say perhaps tonight. Not in broad daylight." She feels his gleeful gaze on the side of her head and smiles slightly. Of course a promise such as that would get his attention.

"Of course," Artemis echoed dryly. "A typical male."

"Worried the limpets will walk in on us?" he questions with faint amusement.

"They'll be asleep."

"Well, that depends. They may hear you screaming and believe you're being attacked."

Apollo choked on his laughter. "Oh, Chaos."

Rhea shoots him a sharp glare, but he merely smiles. She shakes her head. "Not now." She nods pointedly to the rather horrified empousa which fidgets nervously in front of them. "We have company."

Kronos snorts. "That's never stopped you before."

"They haven't been monsters before, and we haven't had six impudent limpets running around before." Her tone is flat, emotionless and she looks every part the Queen of Othrys as her eyes narrow at the empousa. Severe dislike of monsters such as them runs in the veins of the Titans, its roots settled in Ouranos throwing the six younger brothers of Kronos into the Great Abyss.

"Well, I guess that answers the question on whether the Titans like monsters," Thalia muttered.

Kronos still hears the words of his father some days – They were abominations, Kronos! Putrid monsters which were not borne of me! He forces the thoughts away. It was not the time to linger over thoughts of his late father. But Kronos can't deny that having the empousa stand in his Fortress is distasteful, unwanted and it needs to go. He stands, wanting to get this over with.