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Merchant's daughter || Goddess of the Hunt

[pencap]

You love him,  you do, and here’s the miracle: he loves you too. You are allowed to lick off the colour from his lips to listen to the hymns in his pulse to bask in the sunlight of his voice You are allowed  to have him. You love each other, you do, and here’s the tragedy: it’s not enough. You are allowed to watch the sun swallow him whole and burn him up to stain your fingers to the bone holding him together to count the constellations in his eyes as they blink out You are not allowed to save him.

you can love him, but you can’t keep him ( j.p. )

[kingofvalencia-arthur]

“Perhaps the church can offer you. us guidance. It might not be divine, but It would be something. 

[freya-vadas]

“Even if it can’t offer guidance, I find it offers comfort. It’s nice to know that you aren’t alone in difficult times.”

[urielstar]

Uriel didn’t hold back the laughter that escaped from her at Freya’s comment. “I think I just might have to help you with that.” she smiled. Uriel let out a sigh as she thought about all the times this door had been slammed in her face before. “They think I’m a bother. They were polite at first when I came to them but now I’m just a nuisance to them. Still it isn’t going to stop me.”

[freya-vadas]

“Men who think they’re too good for you are a nuisance in general,” Freya replied, casting the door one more dirty look before turning her back on it. “If they won’t take you, why not go to someone who has benefited from study at a university? I’m sure someone would be willing to tutor you.”

[kingofvalencia-arthur]

“I do not think that god detests us that much, Miss. Vadas.”

[freya-vadas]

“Still, it’s better to be safe than sorry in that respect, Your Highness. I was considering even visiting the church.”

[alicethewise]

When Life Gives You Lemons... || Athena and Artemis [Greek Week]

[alicethewise]

“If talk about him reached me, think about how Apollo will react when he hears it.” Artemis and Apollo were close. Very close. Despite the fact that they bump heads at times. And knowing Apollo, if he heard news about Orion, things would get worst. “I do not think of you as naive. I know you are committed to your vow. Things change, however. He is turning into your temptation and making you unbalanced.”

Athena smirked. The young goddess was doing her best to lie to Athena but the older goddess wasn’t easy to trick or sway. It would take a lot more for Artemis to convince her otherwise. Especially when it didn’t sound or look like Artemis believed herself. “The more we talk about this, Artemis, the more your lies come up to the surface.” She reached out to touch Artemis’ arm in a rare comforting manner. Athena wasn’t known for being friendly or even motherly in anyway, but when the moments came, it meant she cared dearly about the person and their feelings. “Do you see what he is doing to you? I may not be able to tell you what to do but I will give you advice. And like I said before, you need to move on from him. Because the moment he does die, there is no telling what you may do. Start saying no, start distancing yourself. The moment the wrong person catches onto any of this, they will use it against you. I love you too much to let that happen to you. So that is why I say for the sake of both of you, move on.”

[freya-vadas]

“Apollo will just have to deal with it. He’s had plenty of mortals that he’s favored and done much more with than I have done or ever will do with Orion. He has no grounds to act rashly,” she refuted stubbornly. “He should just be content that I’m happy. You should be content that I’m happy. I don’t confront you about your heroes. I’m sure that I can resist temptation just as I have done in the past. I have a strong will, Athena, you know that. Things do change, but this won’t.”

It was quickly becoming apparent to Artemis that Athena wasn’t buying her lies, and how could the other goddess believe them if Artemis herself couldn’t even believe them? She glance up at the Athena as the goddess of war placed a gentle hand on her arm and sighed. “Then I must be more hopeless in this than I expected. It’s so stupid. I know he goes out and chases after other women and goddesses alike, but when I’m with him and we’re hunting, it feels…it feels like we’re one. He’s like me. I’ve never felt like someone’s completed me like this before with the exception of my twin. How do I just let that go?” The confusion and conflict was clear on Artemis’ face. She knew that she was not meant to fall for the charms of men, especially the charms of a mortal man even if he was a demi-god. “Athena, I fear my feelings for him have gone deeper than I can control. I don’t know what to do. I don’t know how to move on from this.”

[freya-vadas]

[greek week]

[cleveryoungpatricia-deactivated]

Phoebe gently put a hand on the girl’s back. “No, if I had do you think I would have let him do it?” She said gently, “Have you seen what you’re father did though? Have you looked up at the stars? The moon is dark tonight, you can see them well. I think you would be pleased.” She smiled gently, glancing up at the sky. “Just look.”

[freya-vadas]

“I don’t know what anyone is or isn’t capable of anymore,” she replied, her body stiffening involuntarily at the touch before forcing herself to relax. She nodded. “I asked him to do that. I prayed to him for it, but...I would rather have him here with me.” She finally turned her eyes to the sky to look at the new constellation before letting out a bitter laugh. “I must be a horrible virgin goddess to let a man have so much power over me. What irony.” True, she’d kept her vow, but she’d still never intended to let her emotions get so far.

[freya-vadas]

[greek week]

[cleveryoungpatricia-deactivated]

Phoebe knelt down beside her granddaughter but didn’t touch her. “My dear,” she said gently, “you are right, there is nothing to talk about. Why don’t you come with me? To wash up. You can’t say no, I already know it will happen.” It was a fib, she didn’t know but she thought it might persaude poor Artemis a little faster. 

[freya-vadas]

“And did you know this would happen?” Her eyes never left the spot even as her grandmother knelt down to be level with her. “Did you know what Apollo would do?” She didn’t like being so suspicious of her family and second guessing everything they might say, but if she couldn’t trust Apollo, who could she trust?

[freya-vadas]

[greek week]

[itsgonnacostyou-blog]

“As I am supposed to do — as you are meant to protect the women under your care. But instead, when they lay with a man, you get furious, don’t you? You kill them and then blame it on their lust.” She smiles then, hardly kind. “I did not do this out of spite, though I do find it ironic.” Her gaze turned up to the other, a sneer on her lips, “Blame me all you want, but take a moment to consider what would have happened had Orion lived. You and your brother at each other’s throats, your virginity no more once Orion has his claws in deep enough. This was meant to be this way.”

[freya-vadas]

“You presume too much. I am serious about my vows and I do not and did not intend to break them, no matter what my feelings for Orion might be. Apollo would just have to get over himself for my sake.” She’d foolishly believed that he and Orion might be able to settle their differences for her, but as it was, she’d been horribly wrong. Not that she’d admit that to the Fate, of course. “If you have no part in this, why are you here gloating?”

[hearthofhanna]

[ greek week ]

[hearthofhanna]

“Artemis, do you know why I swore on my oath and went against my wishes to start a family of my own? Because I didn’t want to cause a fight and a rift between my current family. I choose them and not my selfish needs. Do I regret that decision? No, I do not. Do I regret having my oath? No I do not.  Do I regret not being to have children of my own, a family to call my own, someone to actually call me mother, a baby that is mine to cherish and love unconditionally forever? Of course I have that regret. But I will never, never go back on my promise, no matter how much it hurts me to make that promise.”

 Her voice broke at that point before looking back at the mortal family, watching as one of children hugged their mother, giving her sloppy kisses. Hestia breathed in deeply, closing her eyes. “It’s hard, but you have to learn to forgive and forget. Tht is the first step of bringing a family back together.  

[freya-vadas]

Artemis shook her head at the question. She’d never thought to ask why the other virgin goddesses swore their oaths, she only accepted that they had and moved on with her life. “Birthing a child isn’t the only way to have a family of your own, you know. I have my nymphs. We are not blood, but we are very much a family. Some have been with me since they were very young. There are ways for you to keep your promise and have your family. Hell, even Athena has her pet projects in some of the heroes.”

She couldn’t help her eyes from hardening a little when Hestia spoke of forgiveness. “Perhaps, but some things take more time than others. I will never forget what Apollo has done to me, and it will be a very long road to forgiveness for him if he ever attains it.”

[alicethewise]

When Life Gives You Lemons... || Athena and Artemis [Greek Week]

[alicethewise]

“I don’t misread anything dear Artemis. I wouldn’t react as I have if this was not important.” the young goddess was frustrated at her questions but Athena did not care. She would not stop until she received the answers she wanted to hear. And from talking to Artemis so far, this seemed like a conversation that she barely had a chance to have with anyone it seemed. Apollo was not a likely option to talk about Orion and Leto, well Athena didn’t know much about the goddess and her relationship with Artemis. “Men have a funny way of changing a woman’s mind. Sometimes we have the choice to change and sometimes we do not. I know you are one to keep your promises but if I hear talk even in Olympus, then you should know something is up with this whole situation.”

“If you know who this man is, why continue on with your infatuation with him?” It was clear as day that this demi-god meant something special to Artemis. The way she spoke against him and her thoughts about him. She knew him too well for this man to just be nothing. Athena was never in such a position but she knew that her half sister needed guidance, welcomed or not. “You speak of him in such a way….” Athena stopped herself and decided approach this differently. “When I see a human male with the ability to become something greater than he is, I get…attached to him. I seem to want the best for him because I enjoy watching him grow into a hero.” Athena moved and sat down, facing Artemis as she continued. “Goddess like us, our lives are different. And when there is a male who matches us in a certain way, we find ourselves in sort of a hole. This hole is the feelings we hold with this man. He might grow old and die and you say that it is nothing but you lie to yourself. Because him dying is important to you. His actions, his movements, his thoughts…Why do you think I looked over Odysseus the way I did? My situation may be different from yours but I know when I cross the line. Artemis, you need to unattached yourself from him. He is your Icharus and you are his sun.” Artemis couldn’t let this man wrap himself in her world like he did. Athena couldn’t let her go down that route. “Can you truly continue to build sandcastles with someone when it will all be washed away? Let him go.”

[freya-vadas]

“How important can he be? He’s just a mortal, demigod or not.” Even as the words fell from Artemis’ lips, she knew they felt wrong. He was more than just a mortal to her, and the fact that even Athena could see it should prove it to her, but Artemis was stubborn, and she hated being wrong. “I know the power of me, why do you think I vowed to be a virgin so early in my life? I’ve seen how they destroy women’s lives. I was conceived from Zeus’ infidelity. Do not think that I am so naive.”

“I’m not infatuated with him,” she ground out, still in denial. How could she, a virgin goddess, let her emotions, her yearnings get so out of control? She knew the dangers in her feelings and yet she felt them anyway. Usually she liked the challenge of defying herself and keeping to her vows. It was usually a fun challenge, but this was more than she’d ever bargained for. “I don’t get attached to mortal men, Athena. I never have. I find the heroes especially to be to arrogant, but…” This one was different. She knew it deep within her, but she still could not bring herself to say it. She couldn’t find her voice as Athena spoke, too much of it hitting too close to home. Finally she shook her head. “You don’t know, Athena. You’ve never grown too attached to one in a way that you know you shouldn’t.  I am not weak. I don’t bend to me more lustful instincts the way other gods and goddesses do. I’m meant to be stronger then this, but,” she finally leveled her gaze with Athena’s, “I can’t let him go. Not this one. Not even knowing that I’m likely nothing but prey to be hunted to him, and I hate that I feel this way. I hate that I’ve let him get to me like this, but I cannot hate him.”

[freya-vadas]

[greek week]

[itsgonnacostyou-blog]

“Doesn’t it hurt?” Her tone is mocking and cruel. It amazed how little these Olympians can withstand, and yet off they went, tearing families apart simply from their own greed. How many women had Artemis slaughtered simply because they fell prey to the many temptations of man? How many had she even considered to forgive? “Your brother is a contemptuous man, I suspect. Was he jealous your attention was coveted by another, or perhaps he, himself, sought Orion’s affections? So many different stories I’ve heard.”

“This was not my doing. You should point fingers at your brother. He’s the one who wanted it this way.”

[freya-vadas]

“Because you would know this feeling of grief, wouldn’t you, Atropos?” she asked sarcastically. “You who just watches people’s lives play out from your pedestal in the underworld?” Her eyes narrowed at the Fate’s words as they only fed Artemis’ anger at her brother, and yet she was also just as desperate to try to find a way to absolve him of his guilt. She still couldn’t wrap her head around the fact that her other half would betray her like this.

“You cut the thread of life. You could have easily planned this. I don’t know how, and I don’t know why, but you are the one here rubbing it in my face, not Apollo.”

[alicethewise]

When Life Gives You Lemons... || Athena and Artemis [Greek Week]

[alicethewise]

Athena wasn’t a goddess to truly care how her actions effected others. As far as she was concerned, if there was something she needed to make sense of she made sure to go straight to the source. Since she did not care to deal with this Orion fellow, she decided to deal with Artemis instead. “Of course there is Artemis. If there wasn’t, I would not be here bringing up the subject with you.”

She walked closer to Artemis and took a moment to look around at where they were while her younger half sister made some sort of excuse. A hunting companion? The young virgin goddess needed to do better than that. “Don’t tell me you tell yourself he is a simple hunting companion to help you sleep at night. The boy is the child of Poseidon. Even Triton and Rhodes isn’t that innocent and they are the more sensible of the offspring to come from our uncle.” She looked back over at Artemis and caught her eyes, reading them as though they hid the most important story ever to be told. “I’m here because I know you, Artemis. This Orion…he is more to you than even you could truthfully admit to yourself out loud. Unlike others, I came to the source for the truth because I seek it always. So tell me, who is this Orion truly to you?”

[freya-vadas]

“Then you misread the situation,” Artemis snapped, though her frustration was more at herself than at the other goddess. It wasn’t Athena’s fault that Artemis didn’t know how to deal with these new emotions nor did she want to know how. “Just like you, I have made a vow of chastity. Just like you, I have no plans of breaking that vow. There is nothing for you to be concerned with. One man cannot and will not change that.”

“I know who he is, Athena. You don’t need to tell me twice. Do you think I took him on as my hunting companion without knowing what sort of man he is? He’s the sort of man who can never be satisfied. There will always be someone or something for him to hunt and lust after. One person, even one goddess would never be enough for him, so don’t worry yourself. Nothing will come from whatever you think this is. In the end, he will grow old, he will die, and he will be nothing to me just as I will be nothing to him far sooner than that. Does that satisfy your question? Who he is to me now does not matter,” she lied to herself. Deep down, she truly believed her words to be true. She knew the hunter well enough to know that she was only an entertaining challenge to him that would soon pass. There was no use in her admitting her attachment to him when it would soon have to end.

[freya-vadas]

[greek week]

[elledusautoir]

Leto knew that nothing that had transpired had anything to do with her, but when your child is alone and full of sorrow every fiber in your being begs you to shoulder the burden so she does not have to. “Artemis.” There was tenderness in her voice as she tried to coax her daughter from looking down at the ground. Staring would not bring him back. Standing here would not bring her closer to him. His scent would only linger in the air for so long before it was carried away and scattered by a gentle breeze. If Artemis allowed it tears would form and she would taste the salt fresh on her lips. Leto knew that no matter how many times her daughter tried to fight off the tears they would eventually come. 

She would be there to wipe away the translucent liquid from her daughter’s cheeks and under her eye’s. Leto would remind her daughter that tears were not the ocean and she would not drown under their weight. Slowly she reached her hand up to tuck stray strands of hair from her daughter’s face. “Silence is only an effective choice of communication when it is between you and your thoughts. Silence should not be chosen now, Φεγγαράκι μου.” 

[freya-vadas]

At the sound of her mother’s voice, Artemis didn’t move. It was only when Leto tried to tuck her hair behind her ear, that Artemis flinched away, resisting swatting her mother’s hand away as she moved. She wasn’t feeling especially familial at the moment given that her brother, her other half, was the one responsible for Orion’s fate and for her part in it. “You want me to speak? Fine, I shall speak then. I will demand to know where Apollo is, what’s being done about what he did. Or does that even matter, because Orion was just a demi-god? Is his life just inconsequential?”

Rather than letting all the emotions she felt well inside of her and turn to tears, they manifested as anger. Even now, she was too proud. She would not show her tears to anyone, even if that person was her mother. “My most effective choice of communication will be seeing that Apollo sees that this will not be let alone. Even if I must do it myself.”

[freya-vadas]

[greek week]

[itsgonnacostyou-blog]

“Ah, he does look much better when he’s not breathing.” She wasn’t ever particularly fond of Orion. His arrogance could have suffocated even the strongest of lungs, and this end for him had been fitting. “Poor thing. I think I see his finger twitching.”

[freya-vadas]

Artemis’ gaze raised to the Fate, a look of anger and understanding broke her features. “You did this, didn’t you?” She stood and faced the goddess. “You cut his thread out of some kind of spite, didn’t you! I don’t know what he’s done to you or what I’ve done to you to cause this, but you didn’t have to do it like this!”

[the-beautiful-antonia]

[GREEK WEEK]

[the-beautiful-antonia]

“She is very beautiful indeed especially considering she’s mortal.” Aphrodite hesitated for a moment before reluctantly handing over the baby. She knew Artemis loathed Adonis yet she did not think the goddess capable of hurting his daughter, but she still kept a watchful eye on her.

[freya-vadas]

It didn’t escape Artemis that her presence put the other goddess on edge. In fact, it brought her some amusement. “Fear not,” she said as she took the child in her arms, “Just because I don’t think much of Adonis...or you from time to time...does not mean that I would hurt an innocent baby girl. There are better ways to take out certain frustrations.”

[alicethewise]

When Life Gives You Lemons... || Athena and Artemis [Greek Week]

@freya-vadas

There was a lot of talk going around about Artemis and this Orion guy. Athena didn’t usually pay too much attention to gossip. But when Artemis’ name cam about, she started to listen. Apollo and Artemis were two of her very small list of Gods she actually could stand to be around. And when word came out that the young virgin goddess had FEELINGS for this demi-god who took more from his father than she liked, the goddess knew she had to step in and talk to Artemis. The girl was young and needed to know that men were weak unlike them. 

Stepping onto the forest grounds, she made her way to where Artemis usually stayed with her annoying group of nymphs that watched over her. Coming to hidden clearing, she spotted Artemis and walked over to her. “We need to talk Artemis.” she spoke as she made her way to her sister. Her eyes cut over to the curious nymphs. “And if you lot knows what’s good for you, you would leave now.” her voice demanding, no sense of amusement in it. It wouldn’t be long until they left. They might have not left for anyone but they knew not to disrespect Athena, the Goddess who could kill them with no mercy at all. “Now that they are gone,” the wise goddess turned back to Artemis. “Let’s talk about this Orion character. Explain.”

[freya-vadas]

Artemis had just been minding her business and enjoying her day when suddenly she heard Athena’s voice and the next thing she knew, her nymphs were being ordered away and she was being interrogated by the older goddess. She liked Athena, really she did. She and the other goddess usually got along well, but what she did not like was being questioned about things that not even she really knew the answer to.

“There’s nothing to talk about,” she said gruffly, still cleaning her bow from where she’d been seated before Athena came in. “He’s just a hunting companion. That’s all.” Not even she fully believed the lie, but it was one she wanted desperately to believe in. What was she, a virgin goddess, supposed to do with feelings for a man? Especially one who let his eyes wander so. He would never be satisfied with her, and even less so without any...physical relations. Allowing herself to feel for him was a huge mistake, and she was almost certain that was why Athena had barged in. “Is that all you’ve come to see me about? You’ll be sorely disappointed if it is.”

[hearthofhanna]

[ greek week ]

[hearthofhanna]

Hestia kept a nice smile on her face as Artemis spoke. The other goddess had a point, but Hestia couldn’t help it because that is what she loved the most was the fire burning in a warm family household. “I do not regret in any vows that I have made, Artemis. My vow is the reason why I have treated all of you guys like my own. Not for being your aunt, but because you are my blood and through everything family will always, always come back to each other. But with that said, I always wanted a family of my own, children to call my own. But my duties as a goddess comes first before my own needs. And that I will stand by that.”

[freya-vadas]

“That doesn’t make sense,” Artemis frowned as she took her eyes from the family and looked at the other goddess fully. You say you don’t regret your vows, yet you wish for a family of your own. So you must regret your vows at least in some part.” Freya herself was struggling with questioning if making her own had been a wise choice, but she attributed that to her anger at her brother and her recent loss of Orion. It had been many years since his death to the mortal world, but to her, time seemed short. “I’m sure family does always come together, but sometimes it is hard,” was all she could say on that matter.