The Winter Council
The King of gods boomed into the chamber, once more gaining the dwindling attention of his fellow Olympians, “Before we adjourn this solstice meeting, is there another matter of import yet to be discussed?”
Simultaneously, Aphrodite and Hephaestus raised their hands. The Lord of forges lowered his hand; a silent indication for Aphrodite to continue.
The goddess of love took—to her unknowing peers—an unnecessary, deep breath, “Hypothetically, if a god were to, say, isolate a small portion of their essence into a mortal fetus. And say if that fetus continued to grow and live the life of a normal mortal witch, eventually marrying and producing a baby with another mortal wizard…”
The goddess of Wisdom pinched at her brow and let out a heavy sigh, “This mortal witch wouldn’t happen to be you, would it?”
Aphrodite nodded.
“You are wondering about the blood status of the offspring? Be it fully mortal or halfblood?”
Aphrodite paused for a moment before giving a hesitant nod.
“the child would still be considered a demigod by our laws and standards, of course, depending on the quantum of essence you as the parent passed along.”
“Dependent?” Aphrodite raised an eyebrow, “How so?”
“How many children have you had? You should know by now. Regardless; let’s say we have a quantum of five thousand, a regular demigod would have a quantum of about–”
Athena continued her ramblings for what felt like yet another lifetime when Aphrodite interrupted, allowing a fair bit of her British sass to pass through, “We understand quite well, thank you for such a riveting discussion.''
She sent a silent and discreet stinging hex towards Hephaestus—James.
For his part, the fire god showed no reaction, seamlessly adding a comment to the conversation, “Hypothetically, the father may or may not have been also a god in mortal form.”
A brief moment of silence engulfed the council room of the gods, before the entirety of the council, save Aphrodite and Hephaestus shared a collective exasperated sigh.
Hera gave a resigned sigh, “A godling… By the fates, tell us you at least know where they are and their current condition.”
“They are currently at the home of my mortal form, Lily’s sister.”
Artemis interjected, “Why are they not with you now? or at the very least not being looked after by one of your attendants? A godling cannot be left at the hands of mortals alone.”
“We were not quite sure if we were allowed to interfere.” Aphrodite answered.
Hephaestus continued, “Our deaths took place nearly two months ago. It took that long for our essence to fully integrate itself. And so Dite and I only regained our memories on the seventeenth of this month.”
Zeus grumbled out, “You are, at the very least aware of his exact location, a house address? State it now and someone shall be sent to retrieve them.”
“Number four Privet Drive in Little Whinging, Surrey of England.”
The smell of gunpowder seemed to permeate the room in an instant, its source made evident when Mars spoke through his guise of Ares, “This sister wouldn’t happen to be named Petunia Evans, would she?”
Silence engulfed the Room.
Artemis spoke once more, “If we did not have ample reason to take them already. Here it is… Greek and Roman? They’d both be dead before they are grown.”
The goddess of battle strategy nodded, “I concur, the child must be taken from the mortals. My son is a professor at their magical school, Filius Flitwick.”
“As is my daughter, Pomona Sprout,” Demeter mentioned.
“Mine too, Poppy Pomfrey, greatest healer in her year.” Apollo boasted.
“No, the child is a godling, a god shall be sent to retrieve him. Hermes perhaps?” Hermes rose at the mention of his name.
Artemis rose from her throne not a moment after. Effectively catching the attention of the whole room. “It is within my domains to care for children, it is night, and it is currently my shift to drive the moon.”
“Very well daughter,” Zeus agreed, “make haste.”
With a diminished light, Artemis vanished.
“What brought this forth to begin with?” Athena interjected.
“In truth? We, that is, I and Hephaestus, grew tired of Hera’s meddling in our relationship. In the same vein as to how I sense love, and Hephaestus; the inner workings of his creations-”
“We came to the conclusion that Hera could sense our tattered bonds and sought to mend them at any opportunity. Taking inspiration from when Apollo was rendered mortal, and Dionysus' own rebirth, we drew out the bits of our essence that contained our marriage bonds, our love for one another—little as it were—and handed them over to Hades who sought the assistance of Hecate.”
“Hmm,” Zeus mulled over his thoughts, “Hera?”
Hera visibly straightened, “I- yes… I believe their conclusion to be an accurate summation of events. At the very least, they are closer than before and I seem to feel somewhat less scattered.”
“Happy you mean?” Hephaestus muttered.
“And content with our relationship as we’ve made it.” Aphrodite pointed out.
Ares made an audible grumble of disappointment.
“Be calm, brother,” Hermes teased, “I’m sure Venus would be ammiable.”
Apollo offered his insight to their brotherly banter, “Give it a decade, the child shall be off to their own adventures—to boarding school, Hephaestus will be engrossed in a project, and Aphrodite will be bored.”
Said goddess merely stared nonplussed, “I can hear you.”
“As can I..” the queen added.
“And I,” Hephaestus sighed, “and as much as we may deny it, he speaks truth.”
“If I may offer my own insights, holding a relatively stable marriage.” Poseidon interrupted. Silence rang, pointed glares from those married.
He continued regardless, “Amphitrite and myself came to an agreement, centuries ago; with mortals, we must inform one another of any we wish to pursue and depending on the mortal, the other may wish to join in. Many of the children I have claimed in the past are the result of such, and of them, half are Amphitrite’s in reality.
“As for nymphs and other nature spirits, we may do as we please.”
Unsurprisingly, it was Ares to ask, “What of fellow gods?”
“What of them?” Poseidon nonchalantly waved off, continuing at the indignant expressions and rising tension, “I always return to my wife in the end, as she to me. Amphitrite does not mind so long as she is not inconvenienced.”
Aphrodite sits, contemplative against her throne. A stray aspect—in form of a dove—sat vigil atop a windowsill as silvermoon light coalesced into a familiar auburn-haired girl.
“I am amiable to this arrangement,” the goddess of love at last announced, “Hephaestus?”
“Hmm…” said god hummed his reply, “yes, yes… sounds good to me’”
Pointed silence as he fiddled with a celestial bronze stick, thin bunches of smaller sticks sticking out at one end. Aphrodite gazing fondly as her husband welded the pieces together. Finally done, he lifts his eyes to the silent room.
“Umm…” As a god, Hephaestus has perfect memory and recall. He turns back his auditory recollection to when he had begun his little project. One second more of silence and he was ready with an answer, “Is that not unalike to our current arrangement?”
“How do you say?!”
“As the goddess of love, I had accepted it fact that Aphrodite would not be restricted in who she would share her love with.”
“What of your nets, and constant interruptions of our dates!” Ares rumbled.
“In the first instance, Aphrodite and I had just married. I had simply done my duty to defend my bride.
“As for the instances after Aphrodite had informed me of your mutual attraction, if you recall, most came after you had vexed me, and the others were requested by some clients.
“Nevertheless, I swear on the river Styx, so long as I am informed of such affairs and the resulting offspring, I will take no offense nor action against, unless bid so by my wife, Lady Aphrodite.”
Thunder rumbled in the distance and yet simultaneously echoing from the central throne.
“I and Lady Styx have taken your oath, and hold you to your word.”
“Aye, Father.”
“By the same as Hephaestus has sworn, I so swear the same, so long as I am informed and notified I shall take no offense unless bid so by my husband, Lord Hephaestus.”
Once more thunder rumbled in the distance and simultaneously yet again echoing from the central throne.
Zeus repeated his warning a final time. And as Aphrodite voiced her agreement, a sliver glow grew from the Council Room’s grand entrance.
It soon faded to unveil a visibly agitated Artemis holding something tight to her chest. Slight fidgeting would reveal the form to be a toddler.
A few gods rose at her entrance, Aphrodite first to reach her and with arms held out.
The protector of youth was reluctant but released the child to his mother as Zeus called for her attention.
“Daughter,” Artemis kneeled at her father's throne out of habit and a lack of an available target, at least while Aphrodite held a child.
“Rise, take your throne, and share with us the cause of your upset.”
Artemis sat, “I believe this to be a private matter best to be discussed with Hephaestus and Aphrodite in private.”
“Very well,” he turned his attention to the whole of the council, “Any further matters of importance?”
Zeus allowed a brief moment for additional comments, “Very well. Hephaestus, Aphrodite. I expect an audience by the weekend." They nodded in agreement, “Apollo, stay to examine the child. We shall revisit the godlings' progress upon the Summer Solstice. Council dismissed.”
Hades and his throne were the first to sink into the shadows. Then Hermes— upon his winged shoes—phasing through the walls.
Hephaestus quickly rose and strode swiftly across the chamber to reunite with his wife and child.
Artemis allowed them a moment of privacy, meeting the eyes of her brother. She glared, <'You are hiding something’>
Apollo stared back, resigned, and defaulted to formal speech, <Yes, and I suspect it may be related to what you had discovered at the mortal dwelling.>
“I’ll wait until after you explain your side.” He then broke away. Stepping forward and receiving the godling from Aphrodite, and summoning an examination table to sit them down.