Chapter Text
The Weight of Blood and Oaths, Book One: The Sea Queen’s Ruse
Chapter One: The Queen’s Curiosity
She could always tell when it happened again, the moment a new connection between her and her husband’s realm snapped into place.
The moment a new demigod of the sea was born.
As it had every time before, her heart ached at the betrayal of her husband, at the fact that no matter how much he loved her he could not seem to stop himself from taking another mortal lover into his arms and joining them in their bed.
Even her husband, for all his might as king of the sea, knew better than to bring his mortal lovers into the bed they shared.
Once more her heart sank as a new life tethered itself to the sea, to her domain. She did not blame the child, how could she? A newborn babe had no more say in its parent’s decisions than a turtle did over the ocean’s currents after all.
Still, that did not mean she wasn’t angry, oh no. She was furious at the betrayal of their wedding vows as she had been every time before.
Her husband might be the king, but he would be sleeping on the couch for the next decade for this latest transgression.
Sighing, she looked up at the flickering light above the surface of the waves from her garden. Schools of fish swam free of fear above her head, despite the presence of more than a few sharks that patrolled the waters above.
They knew better than to shed blood anywhere near the palace and its surrounding city.
“Mother.” A voice grumbled from behind her, making her pause in surprise before turning her head to spot her son, clothed in his usual pearl-studded armor. As always, his black hair floated around behind him in a low ponytail, his green skin shimmering underneath the light that made it to them from the surface.
She watched knowingly as her son’s annoyance caused one of his two tails to twitch angrily, no doubt he too could sense the fact that he now had a half-sibling thanks to his father’s infidelity. “Triton.” She greeted, nodding her head simply as she turned to fully face her firstborn child. “What brings you here?”
“Can a son not visit his mother?” Triton asked, clenching and unclenching his fist.
“He can, but you and I both know that’s not why you’re here.” She mused, her eyes narrowing at the familiar habit. “The child is blameless and you know it my son. Do not blame them for being born when they had no say in the matter.”
“I…yes mother.” Triton sighed, looking out onto the city surrounding their palace. “I thought that perhaps this time…I do not doubt father loves you mother, I can see it every time he looks at you, but I cannot understand how he keeps hurting you like this.”
“...we might be gods, but even we make mistakes Triton.” She sighed, turning back to her garden. “Your father cannot help but be enraptured by mortals, just as the rest of the Olympians…it is part of who he is and I have long since accepted that. I know Poseidon loves me, he has for many years, but his heart is as our domain, vast and untamed no matter how much I wish it would not stray.”
“...are you sure I cannot simply throw his mortal lover to the sharks?” Her son grumbled.
“I am sure.” She chuckled, knowing her son didn’t mean it. “You know I do not blame her either. I have no doubt your father seduced her with his charming ways.” She closed her eyes, letting the familiar currents sway against her skin as she traced the new life tied to her domain to its source. “Hmmm, a son.” She mused, feeling the lifeforce of the newborn. “It appears you have another half-brother to pretend to despise my son.”
“I do not pretend to despise them Mother.” Triton growled behind her. “I simply remind them that they are mortal and will one day die while I remain father’s heir.”
“And yet I have seen you help your half siblings many times from the shadows Triton, just as I have seen you mourn their deaths when you think no-one is looking.” She smiled, turning her head to her son and chuckling at the slight blue tinge to his cheeks. “I know you my son, I know how kind you are underneath your responsibilities and your station…I even know how you visit Kym when you think your father and I are not looking.”
“...regardless of her circumstances, Kymopoleia is still my younger sister. I will not have her thinking I have abandoned her.” Triton said firmly, straightening his back.
“Peace my son, you are not the only one who does so…though your sister will not speak to me, nor will she answer when I try to visit her myself.” She admitted, her smile falling at the thought of her daughter. “...is she well?”
“She is angry and bitter at father for gifting her to Briares and angry at you for not trying to persuade him not to do so…but even still she loves you both. Even after all these centuries she still uses the mirror you had made for her and handles it with great care.”
Ah… she remembered that mirror. Crafted for her daughter out of the finest coral the sea had to offer and accented with pearls and gems from her own collection.
She would trade every single bit of her remaining gold and jewelry for just one real smile from her bitter daughter.
A stirring in the sea's currents made her pause and sigh before she straightened her back, her lips tightening into a thin line. “It appears your father is on his way to speak with me Triton, I would like to do so alone.”
“Of course Mother,” Her son murmured before the sound of his armor shifting from a bow reached her ears. “I shall take my leave. Please do not hesitate to call for me if I am needed.” Triton finished, a flash of light behind her letting her know that her son had vanished to give her and her husband some privacy.
Again.
“You have done it again.” She ground out, her eyes flashing in anger the moment she heard the sound of her husband’s footsteps coming closer. “How many times must we have this conversation?” She asked, turning to glare at the man she loved, at the ruler of the seas. “How many more times will you bed a mortal when you know it leads to nothing but tragedy?”
Sea green eyes looked at her with sorrow, swimming in regret for the actions of the man they belonged to.
And yet her husband did not try to deny or justify his betrayal.
“I have done it again.” The Olympian admitted, his eyes drifting in the direction of the faint connection to their realm that had initially caught her attention. “I have sired another child with a mortal and in doing so I have hurt you my wife.”
“...was she beautiful?” She asked, gripping her arm to keep from screaming at the god in front of her.
“...why do you ask questions you know will only hurt you my love?” Poseidon sighed, aging before her very eyes until wrinkles covered his entire face. “I despise doing this to you Amphitrite. I do not relish breaking our vows, to say nothing of your heart.”
“Then why do you insist on doing it?!” She snapped, slashing her hand through the water and wincing as a school of fish in the distance scattered from the rough current that formed from her actions. “Why, after all these centuries of our marriage do you insist on siring more demigods? Are our children not enough?! Does our son mean nothing to you? Are our daughters nothing but bargaining chips to you?!”
Stern lines appeared on her husband’s face as the anger she had seen countless times in their marriage roiled within the god’s eyes. “Do not question my love for our children Amphitrite!” Poseidon thundered, sounding more like his brother than the king of the sea. “The love I feel for our children is no less than that I feel for the demigods I sire.”
“...even Kymopoleia? The daughter you gave away simply to win a battle?” She hissed, her own eyes flashing in anger.
“To win a war! The Titans would have-”
“-do not speak of the titans as if all of them were the same!” She snarled, distantly noting that her and her husband’s anger was causing the waves to surge and rage on the surface. “Lest you forget husband both our parents were titans, and though your father may have been cruel, mine was not. Unless you wish to say your mother was no different than your own father?!”
“...no, no I do not.” Her husband sighed, sitting on a seat of seawater that formed behind him. “I have no intention of denying my wrongdoing my love, but neither will I allow you to blame the child or his mother for-”
“-I do not blame them Poseidon, I blame you. I am not your sister, I have never blamed your demigod children for their birth, nor have I ever acted on my anger and attacked your mortal lovers. Do not compare me to Hera, I might be angry and hurt but I am not vengeful.” Slowly her shoulders slumped as she fell into a seat of her own, taking one of the sea king’s hands into her own. “...I know, husband, that you cannot help yourself, just as I knew that you would not be faithful to only me when I married you. I only wish that you would see things from our point of view. Every time you do this you wound my heart, every time you sire another son you provide another challenger to Triton’s status as your heir, Benthesikyme and Rhode distance themselves from their mortal siblings so they do not need to grieve another loss, even Kymopoleia…Kym will not speak to us and yet still she keeps her storms far from the demigods you sire out of a desire for even one more person not to abandon her as she feels we did.”
“...I know my love, I know.” Her husband murmured, waving his hand slightly and soothing the raging waves on the surface. “I will speak to Triton…I have no intention of ever allowing one of the demigods I sire to deprive him of his birthright.”
“And what of Kym? Will you continue to ignore her as you have for all these years?”
“I have not been ignoring her, I simply…I cannot face her.” Poseidon sighed, lifting his head to stare at the shifting light coming down from the surface. “Every time I think of seeing her I cannot get her tears, the anger in her eyes from that day out of my mind. I do not regret the decision I made to marry her to Briares…but I regret that it cost us our daughter.”
“...I love you husband, but your actions have fractured our family far too many times. The wounds you have caused are festered…you must swallow your pride as a god and a king and apologize to your family.” She stated, smiling knowingly at her husband’s grimace. “I know, I ask for much Poseidon, but is it not a small price to pay to see our daughter again?”
“..it is Amphitrite my love,” The king of the seas agreed, as the aged wrinkles on his face began to smooth out. “Should Kymopoleia choose to speak with me, I will apologize. I long ago swore I would never force her to do anything she did not wish to again, not after she was married to Briares. The choice to see me shall remain with her alone.”
“...I suppose I will have to accept that.” She mused, pursing her lips slightly. “Know this husband, though I understand your nature and I do not blame your mortal love nor the child you two have produced, I am still angry. You might be the king of our domain but do not think to join me in our bed for some time. That is the consequence of your latest tryst.”
“A consequence I will bear without complaint.” Poseidon accepted, nodding his head slowly before slowly shifting his attention back to the source of the faint connection to the new demigod.
“...go to him,” She sighed, turning away from her husband in order to make her way back to her chambers. “But be quick about it, your brother is not a fool and is not likely to miss your presence on the surface for long.”
By the time she had reached the doorway leading into the palace, her husband was already gone.
—Four Years Later—
Every day she could sense her husband’s newest mortal child grow as he grew from a newborn to a young child. Every year the demigod’s connection to her realm became stronger, as if it were a thread slowly becoming a rope. She knew, even without meeting the child, that the demigod would be powerful, all of her husband’s children were, but this one in particular had a stronger connection to her realm than many of the others.
How strong would the child’s connection to the sea be once he reached his prime? What abilities would his father’s blood grant him? And most importantly…
…what was it about the surface world and mortals that led her husband to sire such children?
Not once in the four years since the demigod’s birth had she allowed her husband into their bed and, as he had told her, he bore the consequence of his infidelity without complaint, he had not even left the sea other than that first time he’d left to see his newborn child.
A part of her was not ashamed to admit that her husband’s distance from his mortal lover and demigod child pleased her, even if it was unfair to the child.
She might not blame the demigod for his birth, but in a way, she thought it a fitting punishment for Poseidon.
Still…for once she found herself…curious. Aside from when she was initially fleeing her husband’s advances, she had never left the sea but now she found herself wondering…what was it about the surface that was so enticing to Poseidon? Surely the surface and its inhabitants hadn’t changed that much since she’d fled to the Atlas Mountains…then again the mortal’s ships had changed many times over the centuries…perhaps she should see for herself?
‘Rhode has been telling me I need some time away from the court.’ She mused, glancing outside of the window of her bedchambers. ‘...perhaps…perhaps some time away from the palace would do me some good, even if only for a few hours.’
Of course, even if she didn’t know much about the surface world, she did know that the clothing they wore had changed significantly, her husband’s fascination with…what did he call them? Hawaiian shirts? Either way they were vastly different from the chitons of Greece that she was familiar with.
‘Benthesikyme has been spending time on the surface recently,’ She reminded herself, remembering her middle daughter’s newfound love for something she called clubbing. ‘Perhaps she could give me some advice on what the mortals are wearing these days?’ Slowly she closed her eyes, reaching out to her domain as she sought out her daughter.
There was her husband of course, he was dealing with an issue with one of the merchants charging an unfair amount for their wages, her son Triton was training with the royal guard, Rhode was…ah, she was helping a pod of whales with the birth of a new calf, and Benthesikyme was…
‘Oh!’ She flushed, severing the connection to her middle daughter upon realizing Benthesikyme was apparently busy…entertaining a naiad. ‘Well, that certainly wasn’t what I expected to see.’
“Mom?!” Her daughter’s voice rang in her mind, increasing the heat in her cheeks from Benthesikyme’s strained tone. “Was there a reason you had to interrupt me when I’m-”
“No! No, I..apologize daughter, I was unaware you were…occupied. I merely wished to speak to you about some minor matters. It can wait until you are…finished.”
“You kind of ruined the mood.” Benthesikyme grumbled. “I’ll be there in a few minutes, next time warn me before you reach out will you?”
Right, because she expected to see her child pleasing a freshwater nymph with her tongue. “I will, daughter. I…please give your bedmate my apologies, I did not mean to interrupt your time together.”
“No mom, I’m not going to-” Her daughter started before cutting herself off with a sigh. “I’ll be there in a few mom, just give me a minute to get Brook settled.”
“Yes, of course, I shall see you soon.” Brook was it? Maybe Benthesikyme would introduce them to each other?
—
“So let me get this straight,” Benthesikyme sighed, rubbing her temples with her fingers. “You connected with my mind, while I was in bed with my girlfriend, to ask what the mortals are wearing these days so you can go up to the surface out of curiosity?”
Heat warmed her cheeks, burning her face at the reminder of her daughter’s activities. “I…wouldn’t put it quite like that..” She murmured, looking away from her child’s raised eyebrow.
“Uh-huh, well first thing’s first before we even get into fashion, you need to loosen up.” Benthesikyme deadpanned, gesturing at her vaguely. “Formality is all well and good when you’re down here being the queen but on the surface? Not gonna fly.”
Fly? Why would she attempt to fly? She wanted to see what was so interesting about the surface, not visit Zeus’ domain. “Why would I need to go in the sky?”
“Go in th-mom it’s a turn of phrase. It means it won’t go over well.”
Oh, well why didn’t she just say so? “So I must…loosen up?” She asked, unsure of where to even begin with something like that.
“Yeah, down here you’re Amphitrite, queen and goddess of the seas, but up there? Up there you have to be someone else like…like getting into character in a play! You know, like how I get all serious and shi-stuff, I said stuff, during the feasts you host every few years.” Her daughter explained, quickly correcting herself at the slight frown she sent her way.
Benthesikyme might also be a goddess, but she was still her child, one who knew better than to curse where her mother could hear her.
“I see.” She murmured, putting aside Benthe’s near slip in decorum. “A character in a play…yes I believe I can do that. I suppose I shall have to assume a different name while I am up there as well.”
“Might help, “Amphitrite” isn’t a very common name and any demigod, monster or, Olympus forbid, god in disguise will know it’s you…well maybe not the demigods, not many of them seem to remember us “minor” gods.” Benthesikyme grumbled, rolling her eyes in annoyance. “Least the smart ones know enough to at least pretend to know who we are until they figure it out.”
“Mmm” She hummed, giving her child a slight nod. “Now a name…hmm I suppose names have also changed in the past few hundred years?” She asked, sighing at the slight snort her daughter gave in response.
“That’s putting it mildly…how about Emily? It’s easy to say and remember.” Her daughter offered.
Emily…no that didn’t sound right. “No, I don’t believe that fits.”
“That’s kind of the-okay okay…how about Amy? It’s short and simple and you could say it’s the shorter version of something like Amelia?”
Amelia…that was quite nice actually. “Yes, I do believe that will work very well.”
“Okay, we have a name picked out, next is lightening up how you talk.” Her daughter said, sitting down on a small armchair. “For starters you can use more contractions and lose about ninety-percent of the formality. It’s okay to be polite, but you’re not going to be in high society up there.”
“Very well, I shall-”
“-stop!” Bethesikyme interrupted, holding up her index finger. “Right there, no-one says “I shall” these days, just say “okay”.”
Wha-but that was so improper…then again, she did suppose that was the point. “I...okay.” She replied, wincing at how undignified she sounded.
“Good! We can go over more as we get you into some new clothes!”
—
“I think we have it!” Benthesikyme exclaimed, stepping back from her handiwork. “It’s perfect! Stylish yet casual, great for pretending to be a mortal on the surface!”
She hated all of it. “I don’t know…must it be so tight?” She asked, tugging slightly on the odd striped blouse her daughter had shoved her into. “And these…jeans, they’re not very discreet.”
“They’re not supposed to be,” Her daughter started, rolling her eyes. “Mortals don’t hide how they look these days…well a lot of them don’t, but remember, you’re not going to be Amphitrite, queen of the seas up there! You’re going to be Amelia, a normal mortal woman. You’re gonna have to do some things up there that you don’t do down here, like walking instead of just floating everywhere. Also, stop pulling on your T-shirt!”
“I’m not a fool, I’m well aware mortals don’t float on the surface.” Really, what did her daughter take her for? “They need those…machines to travel through Lord Zeus’ domain.”
“Planes mom, they’re called planes, well either that or helicopters, hang gliders-it doesn’t matter, the point is mortals can’t do a lot of things, but they can do one thing that might be an issue.” Her child said, digging into the back pocket of her blue skinny jeans before pulling out a simple sea shell on a braided cord. “Gotcha, there you are.”
What in the world? “And that is?” She asked, curious about what seemed to be a fair number of enchantments made on the shell.
“This! This is…well if I’m completely honest I don’t remember what Hecate called it, but it hides divinity.” Her daughter explained, tossing the shell up and down before snatching out of the air. “This baby’ll suppress the natural divinity within anyone who wears it, I had it made when I started going to the surface. I was originally going to give it to a son of mine,” the younger sea goddess admitted, her eyes growing sad for a moment. “But…a child of Ares killed him before I could…well anyway, if you wear it, monsters and other gods will think you're just a demigod. It even works on clear-sighted mortals since the enchantments have nothing to do with the Mist.”
“How…why would you have something like this made?” She wondered, slowly reaching out with her fingers before pulling them back.
“Simple, it can make demigods appear to be the same as any other mortal.” Benthesikyme explained, softly stroking the ancient shell with her thumb. “Chrysanthos…my son was not a fighter, he wanted to live a quiet life outside of the manipulations of the gods and the hunger of monsters so I had it made for him. Unfortunately, the mortal woman my son had chosen to spend his life with was also wanted by a son of Ares and…and he was killed.”
“I…I believe I remember you speaking of him to me once.” She admitted, searching her memory. “That was during the journey of Odysseus if I remember right.”
“Mhm.” Her daughter agreed, nodding slightly before sighing and placing the shell in her hand. “All I ask mother is that you take care of this…despite the painful memories it is still important to me.”
“Of course, daughter.” She murmured, holding the shell and cord carefully. “I swear on the Styx I will return this to you.”
Even as deep in the sea as they were, separated from the sky by what might as well have been a whole other world they still heard it. The sound of thunder roaring across the sky, sealing her vow with the goddess of unbreakable oaths, hatred, and the dead's passage.