Chapter Text
Fear was the only thing Thetis could think of when her son was born.
She looked at her son as he was brought into her arms and felt more love and affection than she had ever felt for anyone else. She did not think this one would survive past childbirth like the others had not, but this one was strong. To think that the fates were going to take away her precious boy, and for what? Her son stopped crying as babies do, and stared up at her with big green curious eyes. She could not let him die.
She knew his idiotic father would not heed Elithea's warning and would want him to be trained to be a warrior, as expected. He would be blinded by the promise that his son would be a great hero. Such a fool he is.
As the baby started to coo in Thetis's arms, she knew she had to do something.
"M'lady, would you like us to go tell the king that his son has been born?" One of the servants requested.
"No, leave us," She said sharply. The servant flinched back but did not say anything more, and she and the others left. She wanted to be alone with her son.
Was this her curse? What had she done to deserve this? She was once a powerful shapeshifting nymph, one of the most beloved by her father, catching the affections of Zeus and Poseidon. Now she has been reduced to the wife of a mortal below her status and shamed by her family. She could no longer live like this.
She kept the curious baby close to her as she dressed in more proper clothes, hoping to make herself as presentable as she could. She then fashioned some cloth into a straddle to keep her son close to her chest, hoping that her husband would not come in and stop her. Then she made a prayer.
"Please, Father, help me one last time, take me to Olympus,".
Thetis walked through the lush, beautiful halls of Olympus tentatively. She clutched her baby closer to her chest, shielding him from the area and passing by the gods
She had not walked these halls for a long time and did not know if an Olympian (Most likely Hera) would come and send her away. She hoped the queen of the gods was not present since that lowered her chances. If she could get Zeus alone, she could do whatever she wished.
It is so easy to control him with little persuasion, though it did not work on her wedding day. She begged anyone she could to let her go, but it was, of course no use. The fates were cruel.
They were going to be even crueler to her son.
She approached the great room where Zeus would be. He is her only help now. A god opened the door for her, and she slowly stepped in. She looked up and saw the ruler of the gods on his huge throne, and she bowed at his feet. Thetis was thankful that the throne where the queen of the gods should be was empty.
"O' great thunder bringer, ruler of all, I've come to make a noble request," She said in the loudest voice she could. She could feel his cold stare looming over her. She wondered what would happen if this did not work.
After a long moment he responded. "Why shall I help you and why are you not with your new husband your still obligated to be with him," he said with his loud thunderous voice.
She was still able to keep her composure. "You shall help me because I obeyed your demand to marry Peleus and because this matter has to do with a boy who could have been your son." She lifted herself and presented her baby to him. "So I should have one request to save his life,".
He regarded the baby for a moment. "Go on, what is your request?".
"The fates have been cruel with my son, and I have gotten a prophecy saying that he will be known as the best of the Greeks." She paused for a moment. "But he will die nobly in battle and be very young," She looked up and saw that Zeus showed no emotion on his face. "He could live a long life in obscurity, but with how he will be brought up with my husband, I doubt my son will go for that,".
The king of the gods sighed bored. "And what do you want me to do? Not even I can defy fate,".
Thetis took a deep breath. "I want you to allow me to bathe him in ambrosia and grant him godhood."
She looked up and saw that the king of the gods had a baffled look on his face. "You think you, a mere sea nymph, could be granted such a request like that?" she said, anger entering his voice. Fortunately, she had more anger and determination in her.
She walked closer to him and bowed to his knee, and sweetened her voice as much as she could. "It is just one request from an old friend, and what harm will it bring to you and the Olympians? I will keep my son with me, where he will be safe, and maybe you and I could catch up," She said, putting a fake smile on her face.
She could feel his whole demeanor changing. He stroked his beard in thought. "The others might not approve of it," Zeus said.
"Yes but your there ruler you decide what you want to do you still made Phyche a goddess even of Aphrodites requests to not," She pershauded.
He gave it one last thought. "Alright, your son will be granted permanent godhood though he will only be a minor god and will only be known as a god nothing more," The king of the gods decided.
Thetis smiled a real one this time. Her dear boy would be saved! "I will also pardon you from your marriage with King Peleus, you may return to your sisters, you did provide him what he wanted," He continued. Oh, how the fates have been kind to her today. Finally freedom.
He then signaled for the cupbearer Ganymede to come over with his chalice filled with ambrosia. One sip could turn a mortal into a god. Thetis carefully handed her boy to Zeus, where Ganymede started to pour the drink all over the child. She could feel a strong aroma entering the room and she had to block her eyes.
Then it all stopped, and Thetis finally looked back at her son. He was still a baby, but she could tell that he had changed.
"He will still age like a normal mortal for a while then he will be free to do what he wants with his form since he will be a shapeshifter like you," He held up the baby."What have you named him?"
Thetis had several failed sons before this one, and she had the same name for all of them. "Achilles,". She responded.
"Well, he shall henceforth be known as the god Achilles," He loudly boomed. Thetis had not realised that more gods had entered the room, all with different expressions on their faces. Most of them seemed to be curious or angry, but some were hopeful and happy.
She held her baby boy gently and smiled.
The fates were not going to take away her son.
A few years later, in Opus
Patroclus' throat closed in horror, looking at what he had just done. A young boy lay limp on the ground with his skull cut open, with blood oozing out, and it was all his fault.
Patroclus could not remember much of what happened, just that he ran and they found him by the gnarled ankles of an olive tree, limp and pale, covered by his own vomit.
When Patroclus looked up he expected to see a look on his fathers face nothing less than anger. Surely he would execute him for his crime the boy family was power and he was their eldest son. Maybe his father would show mercy and just exile him but that was just cold comfort for Patroclus.
But when he looked up, all he saw was his father's strong gaze with a grin on his lips. He thinks that was the only time he saw his father smile. "I always thought you were a cowered boy, but it seems you have proven me wrong," He said with something Patroclus has never heard in his father's voice before. Affection.
This was all wrong. Patroclus should be punished for his crime, but all his father was doing was rewarding him.
Menoitius held out his large hand his his son, and he accepted it. "You will make a fine warrior one day," His father praised. Patroclus wanted to smile, but he just could not. What he did was cruel, and he could never forgive himself. He still had the image of the boy in his head, and he doubted he would ever get it out of his mind.
Sadly, this would be the first and last day his father would ever show gratitude to him. Life would get harder from here.