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Hecate let out a heavy sigh and took one of the small bottles of ambrosia from her table—a gift Melinoë had given her. Today, because of the celebration marking the liberation of most of the House of Hades, Melinoë and several residents of the Crossroads had gone down below. Titania, however, chose to celebrate the victory over Kronos alone, so she could reflect on everything that had happened.
She was now in her tent, which was draped with various protective amulets and runes. The woman sat on her makeshift bed, unsure whether she should open her apprentice’s gift now or save it for later.
Suddenly, footsteps sounded outside the tent, and a minute later Angustias entered, wearing her usual tight black dress and lacking her witch’s hat.
“It’s surprising to see you here instead of down there. Weren’t you invited?” she said, tilting her head.
The goddess of the Crossroads merely snorted, carefully watching as the witch slowly approached.
“It’s too noisy and too bright there. I stayed for a few minutes to see how Melinoë was adapting to her new acquaintances, and then I left when I noticed Zagreus had started helping her. In the end, I like the forest far more.”
She replied as the woman carefully sat beside her. Hecate turned her gaze back to the bottle of ambrosia.
“Don’t you like the drink?” Angustias asked, tilting her head.
Titania shook her head.
“No, it’s just… it brings back memories. Very old memories.”
She smiled faintly, then looked at her companion again.
“Did you know that ambrosia used to be much stronger than it is now? The Olympians couldn’t drink it, so they changed the composition.”
“What? I thought the whole point of ambrosia was that it doesn’t intoxicate,” Angustias said, her eyes widening in surprise.
The goddess of the Crossroads laughed softly.
“That’s what it’s for now—pleasant sensations. But before? It was meant to make even Titans dizzy. After their fall, the gods weakened it. Even for them, it was too strong.”
Hecate slowly and carefully opened the bottle as she spoke.
“So you can’t just get drunk from ambrosia?” the witch asked thoughtfully.
Titania nodded and waved her hand, summoning two goblets.
“Yes. Unfortunately, the current ambrosia doesn’t intoxicate me. Hm… perhaps if I drank an entire barrel, something might happen, but otherwise…”
She narrowed her eyes, studying her companion.
“Did you really want to see me drunk that badly?”
“And who wouldn’t?” Angustias shrugged, taking a goblet as Titania poured the liquid.
“A strict, serious goddess of the Crossroads suddenly losing control—it sounds like something worth seeing.”
“Well, if you happen to have a barrel of ambrosia, you just might,” the woman replied with a snort.
The witch nodded seriously, then chuckled softly.
“Seems I’ll have to run all over the world like Melinoë to get that much of this drink.”
She paused, lost in thought.
“And you don’t mind that the drink became so weak? Maybe you liked being a little drunk?”
“Not at all. I actually like that the gods made it milder. I always drank ambrosia for the taste, not the effect. Let the Olympians get drunk on it—it suits them.”
Hecate replied as she removed her mask, revealing the gold-black scars on her cheek. Carefully, she took a small sip of ambrosia. Angustias sniffed it slightly, then took a cautious sip herself, tasting the unfamiliar drink. She hummed and licked her lips.
“Tasty,” she murmured, taking another sip.
Titania nodded and continued drinking slowly. For a while, she stared into the emptiness before speaking quietly.
“You know, it sounds foolish, but… I envy her.”
Angustias, who had been calmly drinking, coughed and looked at her. Noticing that the witch’s goblet was nearly empty, Titania waved her hand and poured a little more.
“Envy who?” Angustias asked, tilting her head.
Hecate looked away.
“Melinoë. It’s strange, but I envy the fact that she has such a family. A loving one.”
Angustias frowned and studied Titania carefully.
“Since you brought up family… what about yours? I’ve heard almost nothing about them except that they exist.”
“What do you think?” the goddess of the Crossroads replied with a sad smile, taking a sip and refilling her own glass.
“Angustias, I… was more a mistake than a desired child. My father, Perses… was an animal.”
Hecate frowned, clicked her tongue, and took a large gulp of ambrosia.
“He simply violated my mother, and she could do nothing to stop him. He was a Titan, and a powerful one. My mother, Asteria, was merely a star deity. She couldn’t oppose him.”
She sighed heavily and took another sip.
“Of course, she became pregnant afterward. Back then, there were no methods to get rid of children, so she abandoned me in the forest, hoping I would either die or be taken in by another deity.”
Titania grimaced and covered her face with her unmasked hand. Angustias gently placed a hand on her shoulder, squeezing lightly to comfort her.
“It’s… hard for me to blame her for it. But that doesn’t mean I feel much love for her.”
She swirled the liquid in her glass and poured herself more ambrosia.
“After that, Gaia herself raised me—if you can call it raising. I simply felt that she was nearby, and that many things that happened to me were her doing.”
“Well, I can say that upbringing produced an incredible woman,” Angustias smiled and kissed Hecate on her damaged cheek.
Hecate smiled, leaning slightly into the witch.
“Yes, but considering some of her other children, I was incredibly lucky to turn out this way,” she replied, closing her eyes.
The goddess of the Crossroads sighed again.
“I’m truly happy for Melinoë that she has a place where she is welcome. A place where she was wanted and awaited. But sometimes I wonder—what if I had that too? What if I had a family that loved me, protected me, and worried about me?”
The witch thought for a moment, looking away, gently stroking Titania’s shoulder as she drank.
“Hecate, let’s be honest—you do have that. You have your lunar sisters, Melinoë, and your other apprentices. You have the entire Crossroads. You may not be bound by blood, but if you look closely, you act like one family.”
She said this, but Titania seemed lost in her thoughts, barely listening. Angustias frowned, then hummed thoughtfully and leaned closer to her ear, lowering her voice.
“Consider this a secret, but the stories about the moment you were kidnapped were… slightly embellished.”
Titania frowned and opened her eyes.
“What do you mean?”
Angustias smiled and took a sip from her goblet.
“Let’s just say everyone was losing their minds. Selene, glowing constantly, tried to search the Underworld with her light. Artemis chased after Melinoë every minute—to help her and to try to fight Kronos herself. Circe and Medea formed a temporary alliance and searched for you with spells. Nemesis calmed the shades at the Crossroads—roughly, of course, but effectively. And that’s only a small part of what was happening.”
The witch set her glass down on Titania’s bed and gently embraced her.
“My dear, I don’t know what the Moirai had in mind, but maybe they did this on purpose. I know it sounds sad, but what if they wanted you to meet Selene as a child and become her friend? What if they wanted you to meet Nyx afterward, so she could teach you how to control your power? What if they wanted you to befriend Hades—so that later you could give Melinoë a home?”
Angustias kissed her on the cheek again, making Titania blush faintly.
“Maybe your dark chapter has finally ended. And maybe it’s time to enjoy life with those who may not be related to you by blood—but are bound to you by soul.”
She took Titania’s empty glass and set it on a nearby table, placing her own beside it. Then she gently pulled the goddess of the Crossroads onto the bed, taking her hands. Titania smiled at her partner.
“Well… this time, I do feel a little better,” the goddess said, resting her healthy hand beneath her cheek.
“And maybe I’ll feel even better if you tell me what else happened while Kronos had me. I suspected everyone was worried, but… not to that extent.”
Angustias smiled, narrowing her eyes as she saw Hecate finally move away from thoughts of family.
“Oh, you have no idea how many stories I have for you.”