Chapter Text
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The rich sun loomed over the cloud surrounding Mount Olympus, the kingdom of the gods, the home of the pantheon.
The quiet god of the changing moon was relaxed on one of these clouds, looking down at the green and plains below. The heavens had loomed over the earth, he could see everything from above. Yet, he was not admiring just the wondrous view, his eyes were set on the kingdom of Pylos, specifically a certain prince that wandered the halls at this time.
Simoneus rested his chin on the palm of his hand, tilting his head as his eyes followed every movement.
"Lord Simoneus," A voice spoke behind him. He was not startled, he did not jump, he slowly lifted his head up right, but did not move his gaze away.
"What is it?" He asked, not bothering to ask who it was.
"You're watching him again?" The voice asked, almost amused.
The god lifted his eyebrow and finally turned his head to the source of the voice.
A nymph, one of his cousins, Artemis's, hunters. One who he knew well. One who Artemis allowed around him, Simoneus had no interest in women anyway. He slowly blinked.
"Avianya," He greeted. The nymph was standing on a nearby cloud, her piercing gaze sharp even with her one pale eye that had been cut.
"What did you need?" He asked.
"I noticed that you are watching him, again, Lord," The nymph pointed out. The god exhaled slowly through his nose.
"Don't you have hunting to do?"
"Don't you have godly things to do?"
Simoneus never minded her quips back, he wasn't like the others who would find such words disrespectful, though sometimes her smart words could be annoying.
"It is day." He pointed out the obvious, turning his head away.
"So it is," The huntress nodded, looking around.
"Why are you so fascinated by the young prince? I would not expect it from you," Ava asked.
"His beauty," The god rumbled, "His intellect, how he moves with such... grace... mostly," He continued. "What god cannot be?" He countered.
"If you are so infatuated with him, why can you not go down and woo him?" The nymph tilted her head, though her question was meant to be a joke.
Simoneus paused, perking up like the thought finally clicked in his mind.
"Woo him..." He muttered under his breath.
The huntress on the other cloud paused. "... Wait, Lord, I had meant it as a--"
The god did not let her finish, he waved off one hand and shifted on the cloud, "I had assumed you were only smart words, not ideas," He said.
Ava blinked.
"I should. Thank you for the idea," Simoneus said, with a snap of his fingers, he disappeared off the cloud.
Avianya was left to ponder in silence.
Whether this will go well...
Or bad.
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The days had passed since that interaction. Simoneus had put thought into his idea and plan. He was informed that the princess of Pylos was seeking a suitor, and that meant that the palace was open. He had thought it through; he would be disguised as a suitor for the princess, yet seek out the prince's hand instead. It did not matter whether he succeeded with the princess, his heart was set on the prince, this was a way to interact with the prince, to enter his heart and mind, to show that he needed no other... except Simoneus.
Today was the day that the suitors were welcomed, Simoneus was on a cloud again, watching as the suitors were welcomed into the palace. He did not care for those men, he did not care for the princess, he did not care for the place of a king, he was already a god. He cared for Gracus.
"You are really going through with the plan?" Ava, the huntress had appeared again.
Simoneus only nodded.
"What is to say he is not... interested?" The nymph ask.
The thought made the god's eyes darken.
"Oh.. he will be," He rumbled.
Ava hummed.
"Well," She sighed. "Then good luck, Lord," She said.
Simoneus only hummed in response before he vanished again.
The streets of Pylos were bustling with activity, the clamor of people chattering, the noises of animals in pens, and the clatter of trade was in the air.
Simoneus had appeared from a nearby alley, this time in his mortal form rather than his divine. He strolled up the trail toward the palace, his stride confident, shoulders squared, his mind set on only one thing. He had managed to slip into the line of suitors at the gates of the palace. They were checked by the guards at the front, each being asked their name
When it was his turn, the guard held up a hand. "Name?" The gruff man asked.
"... Simon." Simoneus answered with a curt nod.
"Purpose for coming here?" The guard asked.
"I come as another suitor." 'Simon' replied. He did not specify for who.
"Make your way to the throne room first, please." The guard instructed.
Simon nodded, stepping into the gates and through the palace. He strolled through the corridors, looking around at the art and statues cast along the wall, though none had interested him.
He reached two large doors, two guards opening it promptly for him. It was a large, long room. There were a clamor of suitors already in the room, some chatting, some looking far too nervous to be there. Simon stepped further into the room. The king was sat in a large throne at the end of the room, the princess was not yet there, but someone who he truly longed for was.
Gracus--Grace was there, in a small throne sat next to his father, dressed in formal tunic and a gold laurel crown.
He looked the definition of divine. Of beauty. Simoneus had never seen anything so... breathtaking up close. He was more stunning this close than from above.
The breath nearly left Simoneus's mortal lungs. He persevered closer into the room, slowly making his way closer to the group of suitors. Yet, his eyes were on Grace the entire time, and it only took a short moment for the prince to notice. Their eyes locked then, dark cocoa iris's locked onto icy blues. None moved for that moment.
It wasn't a staring contest, it wasn't to scrutinize or study, it was heavy eye contact, as if the room were to fade around them, and it was only them two.
The contact broke when Grace had shifted nervously under the man's gaze, shifting his eyes away to look elsewhere. It almost amused the god.
After nearly an hour, more suitors had entered the throne room, there was no more than 40 men at least, Simon was cast off to the side, waiting for an announcement to be made.
"Quiet, please," The king's booming voice had finally spoken, the chatter of the suitors had almost immediately stopped.
All heads turned to him.
"I understand that you are all suitors for my daughter, Adreane," The king said. "I will be setting terms and challenges for each suitor and it is your way that you will win my daughter's hand." He continued.
The king made a clap with his hand, and in entered the princess, dressed in rich jewelry and fine cloth, a silk chiton that reached her ankles, and a bejeweled laurel crown. Most of the suitors gawked in awe of her beauty, most looked close to fainting. Simon, did not seem captured, no, his eyes lay on a different beauty elsewhere. The princess sat in another throne beside her father.
"There are rules for this predicament, gentlemen," The king started again.
"You must win her fairly, by challenge or your own wooing ideal," He stated. "You will not pursue her by force, you will not threaten or use aggressive methods to make her say 'yes'," He said firmly. "Our palace is open to you, the showers, food, chambers, and sectors are available, you are guests, respect our home and you will be respected in return." He nodded.
Half of the suitors nodded along, the princess looked disinterested, and the prince just looked like he'd rather be anywhere else.
The king smiled at the confirmation that he was understood.
"Good," He said.
"Then we will begin tomorrow."
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