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Chapter Text

The birth of Aphrodite’s oldest daughters wasn’t heralded by the loud crying of children, the shaking of the earth, or anything of the sort. Their birth was announced by an awkward Helios, asking if he could pick which girl would be his bride or if they would rather choose for him. The two gods, still basking in their afterglow, asked what girls he was talking about.

The Titan of the Sun merely pointed down, and following his finger, Poseidon and Aphrodite finally saw who the blonde was referring to. In the space where the sand meets the sea, stood two confused-looking girls holding each other’s hands.

At first glance, Aphrodite could tell they were newborn goddesses. A pair of divine twins they were, yet they looked as if they were sisters years apart in age. The ‘older’ one took the form of a fourteen-year-old girl, while the ‘younger’ child looked like a six-year-old. 

They’re hers, a possessive part of the goddess of love sang in her head, there’s no way they could not be. They’re too beautiful to have been born solely out of Poseidon, because there’s no way to deny that they’re also his, but that doesn’t matter. It was Aphrodite’s beauty that helped her bed partner father these two beautiful little girls instead of the monsters that usually came out of him.

Before Aphrodite could realize what she was doing, she was already standing in front of her daughters, looking at their beautiful little faces. The older one reminded the goddess of love of herself, which seemed like an odd thing to say when the only thing they have in common is that they’re both beautiful, but it’s the way she carries herself.

Aphrodite’s ‘oldest’ daughter is graceful; she holds herself like a queen holding an audience with her court, even as a newborn. She has long hair, almost to her hips, a beautiful blue color so deep it’s nearly black or so black it’s close to blue. Her eyes were the same color as the seawater surrounding the island.

Then, Aphrodite saw how her ‘youngest’ peaked out from behind her ‘older’ sister and had to hold back a coo. The little one doesn’t have the same innate queenly grace as her sister, but she more than makes up for it with how precious she is. Her hair is pure black, like someone took the night sky and weaved it into her daughter’s head, falling just below her shoulders. Her eyes were of the sea, just like her sister’s, but they flickered as if they hadn't decided which one they’d be just yet.

Her girls were so beautiful Aphrodite could cry, and they were all hers, if it wasn’t for the useless men of her life.

“Marriage? They were just born” Aphrodite hissed at Helios, burning with unexpected anger. Her daughters’ lives had barely started, and they wanted to shackle them already!

“I know” Helios sighed as if this situation of him getting a beautiful bride with the King of the Gods’ annuance is somehow a burden on him ”I was only planning to get a piece of land, not a bride” He explained, only to earn a glare from Aphrodite, Poseidon, and surprisingly enough, even from the ‘youngest’ girl “However, just because it’s unexpected, it does not mean it’s unwanted. I’ll treat your daughter with all the respect my consort deserves.” He quickly recovered with a smile that could be charming, if Aphrodite didn’t feel like tearing his face off.

“And what about the other one? Is it fair for her to lose her birthright because of you?” Aphrodite pointed to her ‘youngest’ child, who’d be robbed of the rightful worship she’d get from her place of birth if she were driven out by the Sun Titan marrying her older sister.

“It’s not mine” The little one said, drawing the eyes of everyone present. “The island is Rhodes” She mumbled, once again hiding behind the ‘older’ one.

“Perseira” The older one said, patting the top of her little sister’s head. “How can you say that, you were born with me, you’re also part of the island” She said softly to her ‘younger’ twin, eyeing nervously all the other gods around them.

“Maybe, but it’s yours, I can feel it” Perseira insisted. “Besides, you’re gonna get married to the shiny man.” Aphrodite could see Helios slowly mouthing the words ‘shiny man’ to himself. “And the island is your dowry. It’s not mine, and I don’t want what’s not mine” She stubbornly declared.

“There’s no need for us to be so extreme” Helios said, kneeling so he could be on the same eye level as his little sister-in-law “im not a tyrant” He said, laughing softly when he saw how the young one stared at him suspiciously “The Island may be your sister, but you were still born here, Perseira Rhodius, and I’ll not rob you off of it”

“You’re gonna be the major god worshipped here” Perseira said with finality, not complaining or self-pitying, but stating a fact.

“I know” Helios shrugged. “But that doesn’t mean I’ll forbid the worship of other gods. Besides, isn’t it a boon that my land is also the birthplace of my cute sister-in-law?” He winked conspiratorially at the young girl whose face momentarily softened, before it went right back into her stubborn pout.

The scene was nice, admittedly so, but it still does not erase that this Sun Titan is trying to wed Aphrodite’s newborn daughter, and the girl’s useless father is not saying anything about that. While the trio was having their little moment, Aphrodite called the earth shaker to the side and asked him:

“Why aren’t you saying anything?” She hissed at him, glaring at the man because why would he stay quiet when their daughters were being stolen?

“What do you want me to say?” Poseidon hissed back “Zeus already decided this marriage will happen, we just got out of war and can’t afford a conflict with another Titan!”

“So, you’ll let him take away both of our newborns?”

“Of course not! Only Rhodes is his bride, I’ll take Perseira—”

“You’ll not, you decided Rhodes’ marriage, and I can’t fight you on that, but Perseira is mine” Aphrodite interrupted him, not wanting to let her ‘youngest’ daughter be taken from her. She couldn’t save Rhodes from her impending marriage, not with the smitten way the girl started to look at Helios as he was talking to Perseira, but she could take her ‘youngest’.

“She’s my daughter, Aphrodite; she belongs with me under the sea” Poseidon shot back.

“You mean the kingdom you still have to settle? Oceanus was locked away, but you still have to establish yourself as King” Aphrodite reasoned with Poseidon, leaning closer to him with a conspiratory grin, she added “Besides, I heard you’ve got eyes for a certain daughter of Nereus” She said, running her finger across Poseidon’s chest, right where his heart would be, if he had one “Why don’t I help you with that?”

“What exactly are you saying?” Poseidon said, grasping her finger as he looked inside of her eyes with a serious expression, but Aphrodite could see the gleam of interest shining in the depths of his eyes.

“Something beneficial for the two of us” Aphrodite smiled, intertwining her fingers with his. “You go establish your kingdom, I’ll help you get your bride, but, in return, I want to be the one who’ll raise Perseira.”

“Are you truly going to deny your daughter a father who wants to raise her, Aphrodite? Will you be the one to tell her that because of your selfishness, she doesn’t have more people to love her?” Poseidon taunted, hitting the goddess of love right where it hurts, but she’s not backing down just yet.

“Of course not, I wouldn’t be so cruel” She smiled innocently at this stubborn god “Perseira is still a young child who needs the type of attention that you wouldn’t be able to provide at the moment” She sighed, putting her free hand over her chest “What I’m offering is this: I’ll raise our daughter while you go establish your household, and once you’re done, you’ll come to me and we’ll split custody of her” Giggling, she also said “Of course, since I want my daughter to have full family on both sides, I’ll help you with your pursuit of that daughter of Nereus”

“That—that sounds doable” Poseidon said, and Aphrodite was surprised to see how much she could see Perseira in his expression. “However, I have a request: I’m Perseira’s only father, whatever husband or lover you decide to have will remind himself of that.”

“Are you saying I’m not allowed to bring the ones I love around my daughter?”

“I do not care what happens inside or outside of your bedroom, but I’m the only man who’ll decide matters like marriage for my daughter, and I’m the only man she has to listen to.” Poseidon apparently felt very strongly about no other man being allowed to discipline his children. Good to know.

“That’s acceptable” Aphrodite said, also not being willing to allow any man to have unearned authority over her child.

After that conversation, Aphrodite took little Perseira back to her home in Cyprus. Separating the newborn twins involved some tears and many promises to visit one another, but it was easier than she expected. Perseira did have a few tears in her eyes as she said goodbye to her twin and their birthplace, but she seemed to easily accept that newlyweds need time to themselves.

Having her little daughter live with her was a new experience for Aphrodite, probably because the goddess of love had never raised a child before. She’s never had anything against children; she just never had them before, but Aphrodite always thought it’d be interesting to feel the difference between motherly love versus the romantic love she’s so used to.

And if she were being completely honest? Motherhood made Aphrodite realize that she hadn’t been loving her lovers with all of herself like she always thought she did. Does she have any intention to change what she’s been doing up until now? Of course not, it’s not Aphrodite’s fault that it took making the most beautiful little girl in existence for her to realize every other love she ever had was pleasing at best.

“Mama, how do you want your hair?” Perseira asked, and Aphrodite couldn’t see her daughter’s face, but she knew her sweet little thing was making the same expression her father does when he’s concentrating on something. While it made Poseidon look intimidating, it made Aphrodite’s little Perseira look heartbreakingly adorable.

“Hum” Aphrodite hummed, in fake deep thought. “Whatever my little attendant thinks would make me look the prettiest” She exclaimed with a clap of her hands.

“Mama would look the prettiest either way” Her sweet daughter replied with a matter-of-fact tone, but her hands quickly got to work as she attempted to recreate a braid she saw one of her mother’s nymphs doing on her.

Perseira’s a genuinely sweet child, and Aphrodite is not ashamed to say she has no idea where she got that from. The little goddess can be shy and a bit awkward with her words, but she somehow manages to be as kind as she’s beautiful. That, Aphrodite thinks, is a feat because for all that her daughter doesn’t seem to notice her own appearance, Perseira is an incredibly beautiful little goddess.

Which is why she got a surprise when her sweet little girl suddenly attacked one of her nymphs.

“M—my Lady, please help! Lady Perseira has—” The nymph started, only to be silenced by a glare from the always smiling Aphrodite. The nymph looked like a proper mess; the goddess of love has high standards of presentation for her attendants, so the sight was already offensive enough, but then the nymph also offended the usually easy-going Perseira, so the goddess of love is not feeling inclined to kindness towards this being.

“Perse” Aphrodite kneeled to her daughter’s level and looked at her little girl’s face. “Can you tell your mama what happened?” She asked in a soft voice, tilting her daughter’s face by the chin to see her eye-to-eye and check if she had not gotten hurt in the scuffle. She didn’t.

“She wanted to hurt you” Perseira said, the tides in her eyes turning violent as she spoke those words, turning to glare at the nymph once again. “My mother allowed you the honor to serve her; she clothed and fed your pathetic self! Instead of being thankful for it, you turn around and try to hurt her! Didn’t your whore of a mother teach you about loyalty, or was she too busy trying to remember which donkey fathered you?!” She glowered at the cowering attendant.

Oh, dear, that’s where Aphrodite’s and Poseidon’s personalities went.

“My love, how about you explain to your mama what happened?” Aphrodite smiled down at her daughter, only to turn to look at the nymph who looked like she wanted to protest and said, “Quiet.” 

“I—I felt she was bad” Perseira admitted. “I don’t know why, but out of all of your nymphs, she felt the most disloyal. I could ignore that, but that feeling started getting worse every day; it was eating me alive. So, I started following her around, and found her meeting with one of your suitors, that one you rejected for being too annoying” Aphrodite remembers that one, they had barely met and he already expressed jealousy over all her other suitors, and even her daughter “I heard her plans of leading you outside of the palace, and feeding you a sleeping potion disguised in a pastry so h—he could…” Perseira trailed off, anger filling her eyes, but she couldn’t bring herself to say the rest.

Aphrodite had to laugh, she laughed, laughed, and laughed as if it was the funniest thing she had ever heard. Once she finally stopped, Aphrodite patted her daughter’s head for being such a good girl to her mother, before roughly kicking the face of the nymph still lying on the ground.

“Oh dear, that’s what I get for being so kind—” Kick  “I kindly accept you into my household as an attendant—” Stomp, kick, stomp “Fed and clothed you. Yet on top of betraying me, you still have the nerve to upset my daughter.” Kick, kick, kick. “You even dirtied my skin and clothes with your disgusting blood. Have you got no shame?” Aprodite glared down at the bloody mess on the floor. It was not even twitching, but the goddess of love knew she didn’t hit enough to kill.

Aphrodite could have found another way to immediately punish that errant servant, but she was feeling quite aggrieved and had to vent her anger in a way that would momentarily satisfy her. She’ll give this nymph a proper punishment later.

“Perse, my love” Aphrodite said, dropping to her daughter’s level and hugging her sweet little girl. “You truly are your mama’s pride and joy” She complimented, kissing her daughter’s cheeks and leaning back to watch her baby’s beautiful face.

“I am?” She asked, confused, as if she didn’t expect to be told that.

“Of course you are” She exclaimed, getting up, carrying her child in her arms. “My sweet girl, you did so much to protect me, but next time don’t take such risks” She said, stepping over the still body of the traitorous nymph. “Next time you suspect a servant, you can just tell me, and your mama will get rid of them” Aphrodite cooed to her child. 

“And, what if I get it wrong?” Perseira asked, brows furrowing, and Aphrodite did not bother to resist the urge to kiss between them. 

“I don’t think you will” Aphrodite assured her, and she wasn’t lying. The way her daughter looked when admonishing the servant, the way her eyes changed, it made Aphrodite suspect that her child had found her domain—”And even if you were wrong, it doesn’t matter to me. I’ll love you either way” She shrugged.

“You’ll love me even when I’m wrong?” Perseira asked.

“Oh, my darling, that’s when love truly flourishes.” Aphrodite winked down at the little girl in her arms, earning a shy smile in return. “Will you help your mama choose a new outfit for the day?” She asked her daughter, figuring that since she’ll have to change out of her clothes soaked with the nymph’s ichor, she might as well play with her child while at it.

“Uhum.” Perseira nodded eagerly, earning herself another kiss on the forehead from her mother.

Truly, motherhood is one of the most rewarding things in Aphrodite's life, but it also brought her a whole new set of worries she never imagined having. Although she did not raise Rhodes, Aphrodite still gets worried whenever she visits her daughter and sees the state of her marriage.

Do not misunderstand her, Helios may be a disgusting cad who stole Aphrodite's oldest daughter moments after her birth, but he does not mistreat Rhodes or treat her with any less respect than what she deserves as his wife; it's just that…he clearly does not love her. That alone infuriates Aphrodite, that Sun Titan should thank the fates every day that he was able to snag Rhodes, but he’s still too hung up on his late wife, the Oceanid Perseis, to appreciate his perfect bride.

Of course, Aphrodite offered to make Helios fall in love with Rhodes, but her oldest refused, saying she wasn’t going to lower herself to beg for her husband’s affections. Aphrodite respected her daughter’s wishes, but it still got her thinking, this time about her youngest.

Perseira wouldn’t be able to take unrequited love in her marriage. Aphrodite knows her daughter enough to know that she’d likely fade out of grief if she had to endure the same fate as her twin sister. Her sweet little girl, who’s been growing more and more each day, will never have to put up with loving and not being loved back if Aphrodite has any say about it.

Her youngest daughter's growth is a reason for celebration, but also plenty of worry for Aphrodite. Turns out that Perseira’s sweetness is not a strange quirk of children she’ll outgrow given time; her daughter’s a genuinely sweet and kind girl who’ll only hurt people if it’s to defend others or herself. It sounds admirable, but the thing is that such women rarely lead happy lives.

Oh my, Aphrodite should focus less on her motherly worries and more on the reasons her daughter gives for her to celebrate. For example, after the incident with the attendant, Perseira awakened her first domain: loyalty. Once again, the goddess of love has no idea where she got it from, but it certainly wasn’t from Poseidon, and she’s self-aware enough to know it was also not inherited from her.

Speaking of Perseira’s father, just like Aphrodite had initially suspected, the man has completely forgotten about their youngest child. The goddess of love is not as angry about that as one could assume, after all, her initial plan of having Perseira all to herself for as long as she can is working out seamlessly. Poseidon is not a bad father, all things considered, but when Aphrodite offered their ‘custody’ deal regarding Perseira, she knew something like this would happen.

Between building his kingdom, taking control of the seas, courting the beautiful Nereid of his dreams, establishing his household, and visiting Rhodes to make sure Helios knows not to mistreat their daughter, Aphrodite had assumed he’d end up neglecting Perseira enough so she could selfishly hog their daughter as long as possible. 

The goddess of love did not expect her former lover to completely forget their daughter, which she knows he did for one simple reason: Poseidon’s daughter with his wife, Amphitrite, was given to the giant Briareus as a prize for winning the war. If Poseidon had indeed remembered Perseira, at the very least, Zeus would also know about Aphrodite’s sweet little girl and think she’d be the perfect bride for that brute of a giant instead of Poseidon’s…spirited daughter. 

Well, Aphrodite is not complaining; she’d rather have other people’s daughters suffering than her own. If Poseidon’s neglect saved her daughter from marrying an ugly, smelly, giant, then the goddess would be thankful that he is the way he is.

While Aphrodite has been keeping her daughter’s existence under wraps to not call attention to her sweet little girl, she hasn’t been keeping Perseira completely isolated. Rhea has met her granddaughter and completely adored the little girl who looks so much like her son, but with a sweeter personality that no one is quite sure where she got it from.

“Maybe she took after Hestia” Rhea had commented, watching as Perseira put a baby bird back in its nest after it fell off,

Dione has also met Perseira, but that was more because Aphrodite wanted to show off her first child to the woman who took such good care of her when she first emerged from the sea. The oceanid had taken one look at Perseira and declared that only Aphrodite could make such a beautiful child, but she also had a laughing fit when she heard that the little girl’s domain was loyalty.

“Goodness, in a few years this is going to be the best joke to tell at parties” The oceanid said, wiping the tears she got from how hard she had laughed.

Then there was Phoebe and her daughters, Asteria and Leto. In all honesty, Phoebe only got to find out about Perseira because Rhea wanted to show off her granddaughter to her sister, and Aphrodite agreed because her daughter should be shown off, but also because Phoebe had two daughters around Perseira’s age who immediately loved Aphrodite’s daughter at first sight.

“Perse, Perse.” The redheaded girl, Asteria, clung to one of the goddess of loyalty’s arms during one of her visits. “C’mon, you have to judge mine and Leto’s archery contest.”

“I don’t know why you’re so eager to have Perseira watch you lose, sister, but I’ll gladly oblige with your wishes” The blond girl Leto said, clinging to Perseira’s other arm.

“You guys know I’m terrible at archery, right?” Perseira asked, letting herself be dragged by her two little friends.

“We know” “It does not matter” The two girls said, as they dragged Aphrodite’s daughter off to play, or ‘play’, whatever they decided to do.

That little encounter led to the discovery of Perseira’s second domain, love at first sight. Finding that out made Aphrodite deliriously happy; of course, her daughter has something of hers to carry around! But, Perseira, being the shy child she is, only wanted to know how to control it instead of embracing it.

“I don’t want to make people accidentally fall for me” Her daughter explained, looking down at her feet.

“Oh, my love” Aphrodite said, tilting her daughter’s head to meet her gaze. “With how beautiful you are, people will love you no matter what you do, but Mama will teach you so no accidents happen” She soothed her anxious child. 

Life’s good, amazingly so, but of course someone had to ruin it.

It was a sunny day, Perseira was playing in the fountain one of Aphrodite’s lovers commissioned for her in front of the palace. The goddess of love was watching her daughter from a distance, for no reason in particular other than to appreciate the child she brought into this world. The sun was pleasantly warm, the birds were singing a sweet tune, and Aphrodite’s child was safe and happy within her line of sight when it happened.

She noticed him before he noticed her, and for that, Aphrodite will always be grateful. He was a giant, tall and strong, with a rather ugly face, hidden behind a thick brown beard that was as curly as the hairs on his head. The giant was resting on the highest branches of one of the trees surrounding Aphrodite’s palace. He wasn’t doing anything, but Aphrodite instinctively felt the hairs on her arm rise when she saw the way he was watching, not her, but Perseira. It was the look of a man in love.

Love at first sight, that’s Perseira’s domain, and now that Aphrodite is feeling panic rising in her chest, she finally understands why her daughter seemed so afraid of it.

“My love” She called out to her daughter with a sing-song voice that did not betray her feelings. “You’ve already played enough for the day.” Aphrodite appeared in front of her and naturally picked up the soaked little girl, unaware that Perseira’s current size makes the sight a bit silly.

“You need help applying rouge again, mama?” Perseira asked, not fighting against her mother’s hold.

“How did you guess?” Aphrodite laughed, twirling her child around in her arms. The goddess of love made sure that she knew exactly where the giant was before transporting herself and her daughter back to the safety of her domain.

Clearly, Aphrodite needs to get rid of some trash.
_________________________________________________________________________

Poseidon feels like he’s forgotten something.

It’s a feeling that’s been nagging his brain for a long time. Well, maybe not for a god, but long enough that even after he was done building his kingdom and establishing his household, he couldn’t help but think he was forgetting something, and that was driving him mad. Even his wife, Amphitrite, noticed something was bothering him, but when she asked, the son of Rhea genuinely could not find an answer.

Amphitrite, the King of the Seas, couldn’t help but smile when he thought about his wife. Although Aphrodite hadn’t in fact lied to him when she said she’d help him win over his bride, his lady still put up a fight, not being too fond of the constraints of marriage due to her seeing how male gods treat their wives. 

The Nereid loves him, just like how the goddess of love had promised, but that still did not mean she was initially willing to wed him. Poseidon bitterly found that out when he went to propose marriage and she looked at him with those love-filled eyes, and promptly replied “No” before swimming away like her life depended on it. 

The rejection was awful, the earth shaker had to admit; it hurt even more than when Hestia had rejected his suit. He truly loved Amphitrite, and he knew she loved him back. Because of that, getting rejected by her was actually one of the worst moments in his life, and Poseidon was famously cannibalized by his own father.

It all worked out in the end. Delphin, Poseidon’s lieutenant, went to the goddess and convinced her to have a conversation, potentially even give him a second chance, and that worked. Amphitrite is a graceful, quiet goddess who’s surprisingly direct once she drops her initial shyness. She did not refuse Poseidon due to a lack of feelings on her part; she refused him after seeing how male gods treat their wives, and deciding she did not desire to have anything to do with it. 

Amphitrite is of the sea, a woman she may be, but there’s nothing more that she values than her own freedom, and she’d rather suffer away without her love than wither away without her freedom. 

Other men would have found that revolting, or even just some useless blabber, but Poseidon couldn’t have been more sure that he’d found his perfect match if he tried. He did not want a wife he could treat as one would a puppet. He did not want a docile doll, so easy to control that she’d accept whatever he said. Poseidon wanted his regal, sharp-tongued, independent Amphtrite, who didn’t care what he did outside of the marriage home as long as she had her freedom.

The sea does not like to be restrained, and that applies even to marriages, which brings him to his current issue.

Shortly after their marriage, Amphtrite had given him a daughter, a beautiful girl they named Kymopoleia. From the moment she was born, his daughter had been…difficult to say the least. The girl was not born fully formed like Rhodes had been; Kymopoleia was actually born a babe who grew into her adult form in less than two years, which is nothing too unusual, but the issue is that the girl never outgrew the clumsiness of a child.

From windows to rooms, and even an odd coral reef here and there, Poseidon’s daughter is a clumsy young lady with a bad temper and a domain over violent storms. The only time when she’s not clumsy, and accidentally breaking things she shouldn’t is when she’s fighting with her trident and breaking people on purpose.

Personally, Poseidon never had a great issue with his daughter; she is the way she is, and he’s not going to waste energy trying to change how she is. At least, Kymopoleia is strong and not one to let anyone push her around, and the King of the Seas finds those things great characteristics to have.

The issue is that he’s having to deal with the tantrum she’s throwing over her marriage to Briares.

Fucking Zeus, who decided to reward the giant for his loyalty to their cause during the Titanomachy, decided that the perfect gift for that would be Poseidon’s most troublesome daughter. The king’s excuse was that he had not impregnated his wife, Metis, just yet, and it’d be disgraceful to give such a loyal man like Briares an ill-begotten bride, so his niece was the next best thing he could give the man.

That’s a load of bullshit, and Poseidon is not dumb enough to believe in it. His best guess is that his brother is hoping that being a wife will calm down Kymolopeia’s moods, or that she’ll find a way to kill the giant before he eventually becomes a problem. It’s a toss-up at this point.

In any case, Poseidon likes Briares. He can see the giant is a good man and will not mistreat his daughter…he only hopes that whatever children they have do not look anything like their father. Well, as long as the one getting beaten in that marriage is not his daughter, Poseidon supposes he can live with the ugly grandchildren.

The one suffering more with that marriage is not even Kymolopeia, it’s Poseidon’s wife, who’s been having to deal with their destructive daughter’s moods on top of having to deal with their newborn son, Triton, who, unlike his sisters, is still in his baby form even months after his birth.

So, to ease the burden on his wife, and Kymopoleia too, he supposed, Poseidon went to ask Aphrodite if she could make Kympoleia fall for Briares. It was a solid idea. If his daughter came to love the giant, then she’d finally stop her ongoing tantrum, and Amphitrite would be able to focus on Triton, who’s an exceedingly clingy child. 

It was a great plan, which he completely forgot about as soon as he saw the reason why his mind kept nagging at him, saying he forgot something; his daughter with Aphrodite, Perseira.

He saw her before she saw him. At the entrance of her mother’s palace in Cyprus, Perseira was lying on her stomach on the side of a foundation. The young goddess was moving her index finger in a circular motion, drawing random shapes in the water without ever touching it, while one of her mother’s doves sat at home on top of her unbound hair.

Poseidon’s daughter was no longer the shy newborn goddess hiding behind her older sister; Perseira was now a beautiful young girl. Despite how young her form is, now looking like she was about 12 years old, the lord of brine could see that his daughter was almost the mirror image of her grandmother, with some echoes of Aphrodite in her appearance.

She was dressed in a light pink peplos, something similar to what he’d seen Aphrodite draped in before when she felt like being dressed. Unlike her mother, Perseira was wearing minimal jewelry, a golden bangle around her wrist and a red rose arm clasp.

His daughter grew up so much since the last time Poseidon saw her—

“She’s a beautiful little thing, isn’t she?” Aphrodite said, appearing by his side, her appearance changing to look like Amphtrite, but the look in her eyes gave away her identity. “Of course, there’s no other thing she could have been with me as her mother” She gloated with a proud look in her eyes, but her eyes softened as she glanced at their girl.

“She’s also my daughter” Poseidon said with no heat.

“Fancy words from someone who just remembered her existence” Aphrodite shrugged, gesturing for him to follow her.

“Was it something of your doing?” Poseidon asked, taking one last glance at his little girl before going to follow her blasted mother into her palace’s garden “Aphrodite, I asked you—”

“Of course not” Aphrodite rolled her eyes. “My domain is love. If you wish to ask about lost memories, you’ll have to seek out Mnemosyne ” She said, dramatically summoning a pair of lounge sofas for them to sit on.

“Then how could you have known that I forgot about her?” Poseidon insisted, unwilling to accept that he had forgotten a child he had wanted to raise.

“It was an educated guess” Aphrodite said, rolling her eyes when she saw the way Poseidon stared at her. “You never came back for her, dear, even after your kingdom and household were already established. We had thought—”

“We? What do you mean by ‘we’?” Poseidon asked with urgency, hoping it’s not what he thinks it is.

“Perseira and I” Aphrodite said with a sheepish smile.

“Aphrodite, you mean to tell me that my daughter is aware I’ve forgotten about her?”

“How could she not be? When at every opportunity possible, you’ve shown her that her existence was completely forgotten?’’ Aphrodite snipped “I even tried to tell her that maybe things were complicated under the sea, but then you went to visit Rhodes…”She trailed with an awkward look on her perfect face. “It was easier to tell Perseira that you forgot about her than the alternative.”

“Which would be?” Poseidon pressed, wanting to know what would be worse than a daughter of his thinking he’s forgotten her.

“That you found her lacking.” 

“Why would you tell our daughter that? What kind of mother are you?”

“Poseidon, I’m trying to be kind due to our shared daughters, but watch how you speak to me” Aphrodite said through gritted teeth, her beautiful face distorting with barely concealed anger “You do not get to question me as a mother, when you haven’t even been a father to my Perseira” Her voiced echoed through the garden, before it all went away and once again she was in her normal mood “Understood?” She asked with a smile.

“Understood” Poseidon said, choosing his battles. He doesn’t need Aphrodite’s rage directed at him.

“Glad that we agree then.” Aphrodite smiled brightly at him, plucking a rose from her garden, she brought it to her nose and inhaled. “And to answer your question, I didn’t have to tell Perseira that you found her lacking; she thought that on her own.” She sighed, slumping her shoulders

“Are we sure she came to that conclusion all on her own? I struggle to see how a child raised by you could have possibly thought that about herself” Poseidon questioned, knowing that a child raised by Aphrodite will sooner suffer from an inflated ego than from a low sense of self-worth.

“I had the same idea, I actually wondered if one of my attendants or lovers were saying something foul to her without my knowledge, but the answer was no”  The goddess of love sighed, pressing the rose against her chest “Then I asked her if she resented you, your family, or even Rhodes for the neglect, and you know what she said, Poseidon?” Without even giving the god time to answer, Aphrodite continued “Perseira said that she can’t blame you for ‘not liking her’ and she even looked offended when I asked if she resented your wife, her twin, or even your other children!” Aphrodite lamented, looking uneasy as she clutched the rose in her palm. “Do you understand? Our daughter will sooner loathe herself than those who wrong her!” 

Without thinking twice, Poseidon pulled Aphrodite against his chest and started comforting his child’s mother as his mind raced with the information she just provided. He should be happy that Perseira does not hate him for forgetting about her, but what Aphrodite just said worries him even more. It’s great that his Perseira is a sweet child, but the world is not kind to sweet women. 

Mercy is only good to those who receive it. Poseidon’s fully aware of that, but he’s never minded being a hypocrite. He’ll take advantage of his daughter’s merciful nature, but he’ll not take without giving.

“As her parents” Poseidon started, determination filling his veins “It’ll be our duty to correct the wrongs made against our daughter. We’ll defend her even when she’s unlikely to defend herself.”

“Oh, Poseidon” Aphrodite said, delicately wiping her tears from his chest “I’m so glad that you said that, our Perse does not deserve anything less.” She smiled at him with the same smile he loves seeing in his wife’s face, but another thing caught his attention.

“Perse?”

“That’s Perseira’s nickname” Aphrodite said, summoning a bronze mirror to fix her appearance. “Our daughter really enjoys being called that“ She said, snapping the mirror away.

“What is she like?” Poseidon asked, he shamefully does not know anything about his daughter. He never even heard rumors about her, which is quite unusual, seeing that her mother is Aphrodite.

“Oh, Poseidon, she’s such a sweet child” Aphrodite sighed, leaning into Poseidon’s chest “I don’t know which ones of us she got it from, maybe it came from Hestia or even Lady Rhea, but Perseira’s just the sweetest” Aphrodite played with the fabric of Poseidon’s chiton tied around his hips as she spoke “But do not get fooled by her sweet face and demeanor, our daughter’s also very protective” She spoke as if she was letting the King of the Seas in a secret.

“Truly?” Poseidon’s starting to feel curious

“Yes, and you wouldn’t expect it” Aphrodite giggled. “This one suitor of mine was making a fuss at the entrance of the palace, near the fountain she likes to play in. Well, at some point he started to say some crude things about me, and before I could even deal with him, Perseira drowned him” The goddess of love recalled with a fond smile “She then took his sword, said if he ever came back she’d use it to hack him into pieces and then send him back to whatever hole he crawled out from ”

“She did so?” Poseidon said, surprising himself with how proud he was. His daughter may not be the type to defend herself, but at least she’s capable of doing so if the situation calls for it.

“She did” Aphrodite had a proud smile on her face “She’s quite good with the sword too, even when sparring it’s like fighting against a hurricane” She happily sighed, before turning to Poseidon “You should give her a proper sword, it’ll be a great gift for when you introduce yourself to her” The goddess of love advised.

“I’ll do so” Poseidon hummed, his daughters seem to tend to like their weapons, except for Rhodes, but she’s always had the poise of a queen like her mothers. “Has Perse manifested a domain yet?” He suddenly asked, not exactly expecting anything too grand, seeing that his daughter’s twin, Rhodes, also did not manifest any grand domain.

“She did” Aphrodite said, a jubilant smile spreading across her cheeks. “My Perseira—” Poseidon noticed a bit amused that when she’s especially proud of their daughter, Aphrodite wholly claims her to herself “—Has manifested two domains ever since she’s come to live with me” She said with no small amount of flourish.

“She did?” Poseidon asked, intrigued yet proud. “What are her domains?” He was curious to know what domains his child has. Most minor gods are born without a domain. If they’re really lucky, they’ll get a minor domain related to nature or the place they were born; otherwise, they’re as good as nymphs. 

“Love at first sight” Aphrodite said, clearly delighting in every syllable of her sentence. “As you can see, my beautiful girl took after her mother” The goddess of love said with plenty of mirth. 

“I take it Perseira’s delighted at that?” Poseidon was slightly amused seeing Aphrodite’s display of motherly pride.

“Oh, I wish” Aphrodite sighed, propping her head onto her hand. “Perseira’s a surprisingly shy child. When she discovered her domain, the first thing she did was ask if there was a way she could control it.” Aphrodite shook her head as she tutted “Of course, I taught her how to control it as much as possible, but how can you control something as unpredictable as love at first sight? If it’s meant to be, it’s meant to be.”

“She’s a thoughtful child” Poseidon nodded, privately thankful that he doesn’t have to worry about Perseira enjoying her domain to the point it becomes an issue; he’s already dealing with Kymopoleia. “That was her first domain then?”

“No” Aphrodite trailed off, her face adopting an awkward look. “Love at first sight is our daughter’s second domain, her first one is the reason why I’ve been keeping her existence under wraps for the most part” She said, fiddling with her own hands.

“What is Perseira’s first domain?” Poseidon asked, feeling his chest filling with worry. A god’s first domain is their identity, what they’ll be known for the rest of their existence. There are some exceptions, there always are, but that’s the rule. If Perseira’s domain was so bad that Aphrodite was reluctant to speak of it—

“Loyalty” Aphrodite said, laughing in an almost hysterical way. “Poseidon, the two of us made loyalty” The goddess said as if it was both the funniest and worst thing she’s ever had to say.

Loyalty is a great domain. The type that’d have Perseria be a well-regarded goddess, welcomed in whatever court she ever decided to join in the future, with an almost guaranteed spot as the favorite of any king, and with how beautiful she is, Poseidon’s daughter could even become a queen in the future.

That destiny is something truly worthy for the little girl who’d gladly fight with everything she has to protect her mother, yet together with the wave of pride Poseidon felt wash over him, he also felt in equal parts a sense of dread. That domain is a double-edged sword; it’s terrible for the same reasons it’s great.

If it were solely the domain of loyalty, Poseidon would have been worried, but it was the blasted mixture of loyalty and first love that was making him think about the worst possibilities. If it were solely loyalty, Perseira would have likely been competing for the second most sought-after bride in Greece, together with Poseidon’s own sister.

Now you mix loyalty and love at first sight together—

“I know that face, and I thought the same thing too” Aphrodite sighed, hugging Poseidon’s waist as she rested her head against his shoulder, her long hair tickling his back. “Our poor daughter, Poseidon, how much do you think she’ll suffer because of her beauty and domains?” The goddess of love lamented as she hugged him tight. “I can’t even take my poor Perseira to visit her twin sister because I’m so worried about our son-in-law trying to claim rights over a second bride” She started to cry, causing Poseidon to panic both at her words and his children’s mother’s tears.

“He wouldn’t dare” Poseidon protested. “That Sun Titan will stay clear off our daughter, he’s already got the perfect bride in Rhodes, Aphrodite” He said, hugging the crying goddess. “Our daughter will not suffer” Poseidon promised, both to his former lover and himself.

“But what if she has to wed like our Rhodes, or even your other daughter, Kymopoleia?” Aphrodite asked, looking up at him with tears falling freely down her perfect cheeks.

“Zeus already took two daughters from me. If he wants another marriage to happen, he’ll have to go out and beget the bride himself” Poseidon said. “If it depends on me, our daughter will never experience being married against her will” The King of the Seas declared.

“Oh, Poseidon, I knew I could trust you.” She snuggled deeper into his arms.

_________________________________________________________________________

Amphitrite has no illusions about the type of man she married; she may love Poseidon more than she’s ever loved anyone in her life, but she’s deeply aware that, as much as her husband returns her feelings, he’ll never be faithful to her.

That thought should hurt her, and sometimes it really did, but Amphitrite’s always been a realistic goddess. In fact, she actually considers herself to be quite lucky when it comes to her marriage to Poseidon. He respects, allows her the freedom she so needs, and although faithful he’ll never be, she’s never been made to welcome his mistresses or bastards into her household, at least until today.

Amphitrite had finished dealing with another one of Kymopoleia’s tantrums when Delphin came to announce her husband’s return, which wouldn’t be too big of a concern if it weren’t for the dolphin asking her to listen to her husband before jumping to any conclusions. Of course, that was the worst thing her husband's lieutenant could say because that just made her expect the worst, and that’s what she got.

Her husband had brought a bastard home; he brought home a child he had made with another woman while married to her.

The child was a small thing, even though she was standing at her full height; the little girl only came to Poseidon’s waist. Her stepdaughter’s hair was so dark it resembled the night sky, sea green eyes that seemed to imitate the calmest tides, and a face that both held a great resemblance to her mother-in-law and a childish charm of its own, with her rosy, chubby cheeks and the way she looked around the throne room in wonder. Although she was born out of betrayal, Amphitrite had to admit she was quite the precious thing that held a great resemblance to both her husband and his beloved mother.

It’s no wonder Poseidon brought her over to Atlantis; at least Amphitrite can comfort herself that it’s not a boy to challenge Triton’s place as heir before she goes to ask her husband what on earth he was thinking bringing a bastard into her household.

“Husband” Amphitrite announced her presence, tearing her eyes away from her stepdaughter to address the cad she chose to marry. “Welcome back“ She greeted him with a nod, not saying anything more, so as to let the man she married explain himself.

“My love” Poseidon greeted her warmly, like he wasn’t bringing over the child of his latest indiscretion into their household. “I’d like to introduce you to Rhodes’ twin, Perseira” He said, gesturing to the little girl standing next to him.

“I wasn’t aware Rhodes had a twin” Amphitrite said, stepping closer to examine the little girl who was her children’s older sister. 

“Father also forgot” Perseira said, right before putting her hands over her mouth like she wasn’t supposed to say that, then looked up at Amphitrite with the same look she’s seen from her children when they’re caught being naughty. “Sorry…my lady?” The little goddess said the last part like a question, clearly unsure of what to call her

“Perse” Poseidon’s voice cut through the moment before Amphitrite could even answer as he looked down at his daughter with an almost soft smile “Why don’t you let Delphin take you out to play? Father will talk to your stepmother about some important matters” He said

“Ok” Perseira nodded, before adopting a doubtful look on her face as she stared at her father. “We’ll do what you promised later, right?” She asked, looking adorably suspicious at her Poseidon.

“Of course we will” Poseidon said, looking down amused at the little goddess questioning him. “We’ll go later, promise” He said, then he did the oddest thing. The king of the Seas crouched down to his daughter’s level and intertwined his pinky finger with hers in a display that was as comic as it was heartwarming.

“Pinky promise” Perseira declared with a serious look on her sweet face before swimming away to join Delphin. “I’ll take my leave. Father, Queen Amphitrite.” She nodded to each one of them before swimming away from the throne, leaving the two older gods to it.

“She warmed up to you rather quickly” Poseidon commented with a charming smile, but the queen of the seas was not going to entertain this charade.

“I’m glad that is the case, seeing I was unaware that Rhodes had a twin” Amphitrite replied, staring unamused at her cad of a husband. “I have to ask: are you counting on her to cover for you and agree that girl is her twin, or do you expect me to believe that you genuinely forgot you had a daughter that was our oldest’s twin?” She asked, raising an eyebrow at how stupid her husband thinks she is.

“As embarrassing as it is to admit, I indeed forgot about Perseira after leaving her with her mother” Poseidon coughed, trying to cover the flush rising on his cheeks “The original arrangement had been that Perseira would stay with her mother while I established my kingdom and built my household under the sea, but so many things happened that I ended up…forgetting about my daughter” He said, wincing at the end.

“And why did I never hear about Perseira before? Even though gossip” Amphitrite questioned, Poseidon forgetting about his daughter is one thing she could believe, she doesn’t have the highest opinion on men, but Perseira’s mother is Aphrodite. 

From the second the goddess of love emerged from the sea, the only thing that accompanies her more than the gaggle of lovestruck suitors she accumulated in her short time on earth, is the rumors. Amphitrite struggles to believe that if Perseira was indeed Rhodes’ twin, there wouldn’t have been any rumors about Aphrodite raising a beautiful little girl on her own.

“Aphrodite had been keeping Perseira’s existence under wraps due to our daughter’s domains” Poseidon explained, running his hand through his hair. “The only ones who’ve met her are my mother, Dione, Phoebe, and her daughters.”

“I understood your mother and Dione, but why Phoebe and her daughters?” Amphitrite couldn’t help but ask, maybe Aphrodite wanted to know if her Perseira had a prophecy in her destiny?

“My mother wanted to show off her grandchild, and Aphrodite thought Perseira could use some socialization with girls around her age.” Poseidon shrugged, never being one to understand the world of women, if not to strategize on how to get under someone’s clothes.

“That makes sense” Amphitrite hummed, already planning which girls from respectable families in Atlantis could serve as Perseira’s playmates, before shaking her head. “May I ask what are Perseira’s domains for them to cause her mother such worry?” She asked, wanting to know what scared the usual dauntless Aphrodite so much she felt like hiding the daughter she loves.

“Loyalty”

“Loyalty?” Amphitrite repeated incredulously, not even because it's great, any parent would be proud of their child to have such domain, but because—”You mean to tell that the child you—” The queen of the seas gestured to her husband “conceived with Aphrodite, has the domain of loyalty?” That’s the most unbelievable part of everything she’s just heard right now.

“It’s a—pleasant surprise” Poseidon shrugged, not even trying to defend himself, as he’s self-aware enough that it does sound strange that he and Aphrodite made the goddess of loyalty.

“You can emphasis on the word surprise” Amphitrite sighed, thinking the fates are really mysterious in their ways to allow Poseidon and Aphrodite to have been the one bringing forth the goddess of loyalty— “You said domains, I assume that loyalty is her main one, so what is her second domain”  The queen of the seas asked, furrowing her brows.

“Love at first sight” Poseidon sighed, and suddenly, Amphitrite understood why Aphrodite kept her daughter’s existence under wraps. “Perseira’s a sweet child who delights in spending time with those she loves, and will only fight if it is to protect others or defend herself—” Amphitrite raised a hand to stop her husband.

“Your daughter seems like a sweet child, but that does not matter” Amphitrite said, meeting her husband’s eyes. “I’ll not begrudge or mistreat her.” How could she mistreat a child who was born before she even married her husband? The child had no choice in being born, but Amphitrite had a choice in the man she married, and the Nereid chose Poseidon for the better or for the worse. “Just like how I accepted Rhodes, I’ll accept her twin” She firmly declared, not allowing him to think he could influence her decision on what she accepted or not.

That declaration earned her the same smile that made her fall for her husband in the first place. That lopsided, unguarded grin with too many teeth that always makes you think he’s up to no good, and takes away Amphitrite’s breath like nothing else. 

The things you do for love, that’s why Amphitrite seldom mocks the countless fools head over heels for Aphrodite. She’s done much worse for a less pretty face.

“Thank you, my love” Poseidon said, pulling her into her arms, making her fishes momentarily disperse. “I swear the two of you will get along like nothing else” He said excitedly, and Amphitrite was willing to believe him just this once.

Having Perseira Aphrodities in her household was not as big of a burden as one could have assumed. While the girl took after her mother in beauty, she did not take after the goddess of love’s tendency to want attention at all times, even though both mother and daughter have the tendency to get said attention anyway. 

It was almost funny the way Perseira automatically hides behind her father whenever she catches someone staring a bit too intently at her. Her husband, a bit unused to being a father to a child who sought him out for protection, responded the only way he knew how: with violence.

Interestingly enough, her stepdaughter has a kind heart; she certainly did not inherit it from either of her parents and would rather not see people’s innards hung at the courtyard over the crime of making her uncomfortable.

“You shouldn’t be so kind” Amphitrite advised her stepdaughter as she twisted the girl’s hair into a braid. “Instead of appreciating, people will confuse your mercy for weakness” She told the little girl sitting in front of her.

It was nice being able to do the hairstyles she’s wanted to do on her daughters ever since she was a young girl. Kymopoleia refuses to sit still and would rather wear her hair loose or have it fastened on a hairband. Rhodes will sit still and delights in prettying herself up with different hairstyles, yet she seldom visits these days, being too busy organizing her husband’s worship in her island, and establishing their household. 

Perseira will not stand as still as her twin, being prone to fidgeting and kicking her legs, but she’ll allow Amphitrite to play with her hair as much as she wants and will even do her stepmother’s hair in return.

“I’m not being kind.” Amphitrite couldn’t see her stepdaughter’s face, but she’s quite certain that her child pouted. “I just don’t think making me feel weird is enough reason for someone to die” She explained, petting one of Amphitrite’s fish who decided to seek out the young princess’ attention. “People will stare at me for the rest of my life, I’ll have to get accustomed to it” She said with a shrug.

Sighing, Amphitrite was once again reminded why her husband was always so worried about this one daughter of his. Perseira is too gentle. The queen has seen her stepdaughter at the training grounds, showing off the sword her father gifted her. Perseira Aphrodities is more than capable of defending herself; she’s just too kind to do so.

After being gifted her daughters, Amphitrite is having more sympathy for her own Father and Mother, as it couldn’t have been easy raising so many girls…and Nerites, but her brother is usually counted amongst the daughters.

Speaking of daughters, although the queen of the seas had initially been worried about introducing Kymopoleia to Perseira due to how—different the two girls’ personalities are, but they got along surprisingly well.

“It’s not fair!” Kymopoleia screamed, smashing a wall in the playroom as she threw another tantrum. “I’ve never wanted to be a wife, why do I have to be one for that useless lump of a giant?! Three heads and not a single one of them doesn’t make me feel like throwing up!”

“Kym—”

“It’s really not fair” Perseira agreed, currently in her older form as she played with Triton on the floor. “You shouldn’t have gotten picked as a bride if you didn’t want to wed him” She commented, poking her little brother’s chubby cheeks and giggling when the baby glared at her. 

“I know!” Kymopoleia wailed, but it didn't sound as angry as before. “Why couldn’t thunder cock go out and make some stupid, blind princess who’d have wanted Briares as a husband!” She complained, stomping on her feet.

Thunder cock…how will Amphitrite scold her daughter for saying that when her husband faked a couching fit to hide his laughter at the term?

“He probably didn’t want a daughter of his with him” Perseira said, waving a toy in front of Triton “The stupid, blind princess couldn’t have a sense of smell either, I've heard he’s smelly—but he seems kind” She amended, wincing when Triton started pulling on her unbound hair and delicately pulling it from his grip.

“Fuck that!” The goddess of violent storms exploded “He could be as kind as he’s ugly, I still don’t want to be his wife!” She declared, glaring at the older goddess.

“You don’t have to be” Perseira absentmindedly said, frowning as she picked up another toy to try and get Triton to show a reaction.

“Are you stupid?” Kymopoleia asked flatly, momentarily stopping her tantrum to look at her older sister on the other side of the room. “I’m already married to that sad lump of flesh” She said, ignoring her father’s admonishment for calling her older sister stupid.

“Yeah, but you don’t have to act like it” Perseira shrugged, uncaring at the insult.

“I can do that?” Kymopoleia asked, voice filling with curiosity, bypassing her father, she went and sat next to Perseira. It should be noted that even when Perseira is in her older form next to her siblings, she’s still shorter than Kymopoleia, even when sitting down.

“Of course” Perseira said, handing a toy to her younger sister. “Marriage is mostly about attitude anyway. You don’t have to act married to him if you don’t want to.” She started to advise her younger sister that Amphitrite couldn’t help but attribute to Aphrodite.

“What if he beats me?” Kymopoleia asked with a challenge in her eyes.

“You kill him” Perseira said so casually that made both of the adults in the room freeze. “Everyone sleeps at some point, especially giants. If he beats you, pretend everything is fine, and when he goes to sleep…” She trailed off, making a gesture with the doll she had in her hand as if to decapitate it, which earned a giggle from the baby she was playing with.

“Aren’t you the goddess of loyalty?” Kymopoleia asked, now also waving a toy in front of Triton “Shouldn’t you advise me to be loyal to my husband or something of the sort?”

“Maybe?” Perseira shrugged “It’s not like you have to be loyal to someone you didn’t choose to be with, do what you think is best”

“And what if I choose to…cheat on him?” Kymopoleia asked, now trying to tease her older sister.

Thinking for a second, Perseira shrugged “I guess that’d make him ask for a divorce” Before going back to playing with their little brother. 

Watching her children play together brought Amphitrite a happiness that almost made her ignore the concerning conversation she had just witnessed her daughters having. Of course, the things Perseira was saying could be blamed on her mother, but—

Feeling his wife’s sideways glance at his person, Poseidon laughed “I suppose loyalty is more flexible than fidelity” He said, shooting his wife an amused look.

“I guess so” Amphitrite sighed, realizing people weren’t exaggerating when they said to be mindful of who you have children with, as they may take too much after their other parent.

Hopefully, Triton takes after her.