Timeskip: Three Days
Three days had passed since the pantheon meeting.
To the surprise of many, Grayfia and Koneko adapted rather quickly to their new lives in Olympus. Of course, a large part of that was thanks to Rhea. The Titaness had practically adopted both the Yokai and the devil from the very first day, taking them from one temple to another, introducing them to several goddesses, and making sure they never lacked anything. Aphrodite, Demeter, Hestia, and even Hera had spent time with them during those days. Amaterasu also remained in Olympus a little longer before returning to Takamagahara to attend to her own responsibilities, using her stay to get to know Damon's family better.
Grayfia, for her part, did not take long to find her rhythm either. Barely a day after arriving, she had already begun managing Damon's temple with greater efficiency than any of the nymphs.
What attracted the most attention was that the Lucifuge had left behind her familiar Underworld maid uniform. In its place, she began wearing the traditional robes of Olympus's attendants, an elegant white Greek outfit decorated with subtle golden details. The change did absolutely nothing to hide the devil's extraordinary beauty. If anything, it accomplished exactly the opposite.
More than one god found himself distracted while watching her during those days, while several nymphs had already begun whispering among themselves that the King of Olympus had only attacked the devils to bring back the silver-haired beauty. Naturally, there wasn't a single piece of evidence supporting such a rumor, but that did nothing to stop the gossip. The nymphs simply seemed a little jealous that the newcomer had so easily secured a position so close to the King of Olympus.
Grayfia, naturally, appeared completely oblivious to all of it... or she had simply chosen to ignore it altogether.
Meanwhile, the young Nekoshou spent much of her time wandering through the gardens alongside Rhea, accepting every sweet the Mother of the Gods insisted on giving her with very little resistance. Even Aphrodite, after discovering the Nekoshou's insatiable appetite and how deeply her love for chocolate and sweets seemed to run, quickly grew fond of the little girl.
Amaterasu, on the other hand, used those days to get to know several of Damon's sisters better. The Queen of Takamagahara surprisingly got along well with many of them. Even Hera eventually understood why Damon spoke about Amaterasu with such affection. Rhea also grew fond of the sun goddess, seeing in her a mature woman who was completely sincere about her feelings and more than worthy of standing beside her son.
And after Amaterasu made it clear that she had no problem sharing Damon, the intentions of a certain Queen of Olympus only grew stronger. Of course... that was a matter for another time.
Damon had not remained idle during those three days either. Ever since taking the throne, decisions that once piled up for weeks now arrived directly on his desk. Reports from Camp Half-Blood, petitions from minor gods, disputes between temples, and documents concerning the various factions constantly accumulated before him. Fortunately, Grayfia had organized everything according to priority, while Athena provided detailed summaries of the matters that genuinely required his attention.
In short, the Goddess of Wisdom and the Lucifuge had ended up working together quite well, something Damon could not deny. Athena, in particular, had been an enormous help. Little by little, he was beginning to understand how her mind worked. She was an exceptional strategist, probably one of the greatest he had ever met, capable of analyzing a problem from dozens of different perspectives. However, that same personality made her far more effective as an adviser than as an absolute ruler. Under someone willing to hear her ideas and make the final decisions, her talents became truly extraordinary.
It was precisely one of those reports that caught Damon's attention.
Poseidon had finally claimed Percy Jackson as his son.
The news did not cause much of a stir throughout Olympus. Had this happened before Damon's arrival, it would have likely sparked arguments and the constant fear that Zeus might decide to eliminate the boy before he had the chance to grow. Those days, however, had disappeared together with the former King.
Now, no one viewed the recognition of another child of the Big Three as a threat to the throne. If anything, it served as yet another reminder to everyone within the Greek Pantheon of just how different Damon's rule was compared to Zeus's. Percy's existence no longer represented the beginning of another war between brothers, but simply the long-overdue acknowledgment of another god's child... even if that god happened to be one of the most important.
XXXXXX
"So... you finally decided to claim Percy... hmm."
Damon observed Poseidon from the main hall while the God of the Sea slowly nodded. His expression remained serious, although he seemed noticeably more relaxed than usual.
"That's right, brother. I believed the time had finally come," Poseidon replied. "I've been watching Camp Half-Blood over the last few days. I don't know if you've seen it yourself, but the demigods have been training much harder than before."
"I've seen some of it," Damon answered calmly. "And Athena has kept me informed about the rest."
Setting one of the reports aside, Damon looked back at Poseidon. Percy's claiming wasn't exactly surprising. Ever since meeting the boy, his connection to the sea had been painfully obvious. What Damon truly cared about was what Poseidon intended to do now that he had finally acknowledged Percy publicly.
"Have you spoken to Percy yet?" Damon asked.
Poseidon avoided his brother's gaze for a few seconds before answering awkwardly.
"...No. To be honest... the boy hasn't exactly been happy with me these past few days."
The redhead let out a long sigh while slowly shaking his head.
"And why the hell are you dragging this out even longer? You're only making things harder for both of you. Go talk to him. Be the father that boy deserves. I'm sure you've spent years piling up questions of your own, and if you keep avoiding them, this whole mess is only going to get worse until it eventually becomes my headache."
Poseidon remained silent, clearly uncomfortable, but he didn't interrupt a single one of his brother's complaints.
Leaning one arm against the back of his chair, Damon continued.
"And stop thinking the kid hates you. Yeah, he's angry... but he's not resentful. Percy is a good kid, Poseidon. He's got a genuinely good heart, the kind that thinks about everyone else before thinking about himself."
"He's clumsy, constantly screws things up, and he's still just a kid with a lot left to learn. But whenever someone needs help, he never hesitates. People like that are actually pretty hard to find," Damon continued sincerely. "Don't throw that away because of pride... or fear. You're still in time to become the father that boy deserves. Believe me... plenty of people spend the rest of their lives regretting not taking action."
Poseidon lowered his head slightly. Even if he would never admit it aloud, part of him had feared Percy would reject him completely after learning the truth. After so many years of absence, he couldn't exactly blame the boy for feeling abandoned.
"...I'll try," the Sea God finally answered quietly.
Damon nodded once.
"It's the very least you can do."
Silence settled between them once more. Poseidon appeared to be processing everything he had just heard, but Damon still wasn't finished.
"And one more thing. Percy wants to see his mother. Take her to him. You know exactly where Sally is."
Poseidon nodded again, this time wearing a bitter expression. The truth was, after learning that Hades had not only returned Sally Jackson to the world of the living, but had also made sure she was given a far better life, allowing her to leave years of financial hardship behind, Poseidon couldn't help feeling an overwhelming sense of regret.
Because he could have done exactly the same.
He had possessed the power to protect her, support her, and give her a proper life. Honestly, he deeply regretted not preventing those years she spent working endlessly just to support herself and Percy. Perhaps that one simple act would have made things far easier when it came to building a relationship with Percy. Perhaps Sally would never have been forced to remain with someone like Gabe.
And yet... he had done nothing, and now he regrets it—for leaving her alone for a years, forcing her to bear all the consequences of a relationship between a mortal and a god, while he simply returned to the sea without even sending so much as a letter letting her know she wasn't completely alone.
Poseidon, still trapped within his own regrets, shifted his gaze toward one of the hallways. At that moment, a woman dressed in an elegant white-and-gold Greek robe walked past in the distance. Grayfia didn't even acknowledge the Sea God's presence. She simply continued with her work until she disappeared around the corner.
Poseidon watched her for a moment before looking back toward Damon.
"By the way... I've heard a few rumors these past few days," the Sea God commented. "They say a devil from the Lucifuge family is staying here in Olympus. Grayfia... if I'm not mistaken."
Damon raised an eyebrow upon hearing her name.
"That's right. Why do you ask?"
Grayfia's presence in Olympus had become a frequent topic of conversation among the gods. For many different reasons, although Damon knew perfectly well that most of the attention had very little to do with politics and far more to do with the devil's beauty. Even so, being Damon's personal maid meant no one dared cross the line.
"I was simply curious," Poseidon finally replied. "It's still strange seeing a devil living among us. Besides... she's an exceptionally beautiful woman."
Damon stared at him for several seconds without changing his expression. On its own, the Sea God's comment could have been nothing more than a harmless observation... However, considering Poseidon's history, it was difficult not to question his intentions.
"I hope you're not thinking about doing anything stupid, brother." Poseidon blinked, clearly confused by the sudden change in Damon's tone. "What do you mean by that? I was only commenting on what I've heard."
"If you say so," Damon replied. His voice, however, lost some of the calm it had carried until that moment. "Because I've also heard what happened with Medusa. And let me tell you something... every time I remember that story, I feel like giving you another beating right here and now. I'm not happy with you... or with Athena, when it comes to that matter."
Silence fell between the two of them.
Poseidon knew exactly what Damon was referring to. For thousands of years, that story had been buried beneath different versions, filled with excuses and justifications. Some blamed Athena alone, others blamed Medusa, while a few conveniently failed to mention the God of the Sea, who was just as guilty as Athena... if not even more.
But Damon knew the truth.
A woman had ended up paying the price for the actions and conflict between two gods, transformed into a monster and abandoned for centuries while they simply continued living their lives.
"...It's been many years," Poseidon finally muttered, even though he himself knew those words were nothing more than a cheap excuse.
Damon slowly shook his head.
"What exactly are you trying to say? That because thousands of years have passed, everything somehow fixes itself? That's not how things work, Poseidon. All time does is make it easier for everyone to pretend it never happened. Sooner or later you'll have to face reality, whether you want to or not... because I'll make sure of it."
Poseidon felt a knot form in his throat. He didn't even know how to defend himself against his brother's accusations. He knew there was no way out of this conversation unless he wanted to provoke Damon's anger.
"...I suppose you're right," he admitted in the end.
Damon leaned back in his chair, his expression relaxing slightly. "I just hope you don't repeat the same mistakes. Grayfia is here under my protection, and she's more than capable of taking care of herself. Make sure you show her the respect she deserves. She's my maid... not Olympus's maid."
Poseidon remained standing in front of him, silently processing both the warning regarding Grayfia and Damon's words about Medusa. Damon wasn't directly accusing him of intending to do anything, but he was making one thing perfectly clear—he would not tolerate even the slightest act of disrespect toward the Lucifuge.
"I wasn't planning anything like that with Grayfia," Poseidon clarified at last. "I was only curious. But... as for Medusa... I won't deny that I made mistakes."
Damon studied him for a moment before giving a slight nod. "Hmm... I'm glad we're on the same page."
Poseidon accepted those words in silence. He didn't know what he could possibly do after so much time had passed, nor whether Medusa would even be willing to listen to him. However, the reality remained that both he and Athena would eventually have to make amends for what they had done to her.
After saying goodbye to his brother, Poseidon left the hall. His body dissolved into a stream of seawater that briefly flowed across the marble floor before disappearing, leaving behind only the faint scent of salt and ozone.
XXXXXX
Several hours later, the God of the Sea appeared outside Cabin Three at Camp Half-Blood.
The area was completely quiet. The day's training had most likely already ended. Through one of the windows, however, Poseidon could see Percy sitting on his bed, resting Riptide across his legs while staring into space, completely lost in thought.
The boy was still trying to process everything he had learned over the past few days. Their earlier conversation had probably only made things more complicated.
Poseidon remained outside for several long seconds.
He silently cursed his own cowardice. He had fought Titans. This should have been nothing. He had ruled the oceans for thousands of years, watching civilizations rise and eventually fall beneath the waves. And yet... For some reason, knocking on this door felt far more difficult than any of those things.
Damon's words echoed through his mind once more. "Be the father you should have been."
Poseidon took a deep breath, raised his hand, and knocked twice. A few moments later, Percy opened the door. The black-haired demigod looked at the man standing before him with complete confusion.
"Uh... who are you, sir?" Percy asked hesitantly, feeling strangely intimidated by the overwhelming presence radiating from the man before him.
Poseidon simply gave him the warmest smile he could manage before speaking.
"Hello, Percy."
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