Strange Love

"So, baby brother, are you going to tell us how you and this dear girl met?" Chary asked sending him a mischievous smile.

Chary rolled her eyes in over-exaggerated irritation as she nodded her agreement. "You don't have to remind us of that."

He held his eyes tightly together for several moments as he worked his way through a suitable version of the story without actually lying about anything. "You know the council ordered 'The Great Hunter' to find the Kraken." He exaggerated Ry's title making air quotes with his fingers as he rolled his eyes. "And the order was carried out with some limited interference from dear ol' dad. Funny story, almost ended up in your territory while looking for her."

Chary arched a brow, "That still doesn't explain how you- Oh... I get it!" A wicked smile curved her lips. She leaned over and whispered as quietly as possible into Scylla's ear.

Scylla's eyes widened in shock. "That's the stupidest thing I've ever heard!" Her eyes shot back and forth between Arei and Chary. "And it worked?"

Chary shrugged, "Always has."

"ANYWAYS!" Arei interrupted. "We ran into each other a few times and each time was so unbelievably crazy, I just had to get to know her."

Chary arched a brow. "Crazy you say?"

Arei chuckled, "Yeah, can you believe black stallion is on her list of favorite foods?" He winked down at Jos as her cheeks blushed a hot red.

"Too bad she wasn't successful, would have saved everyone a lot of trouble in the long run." Chary said sarcastically.

Jos tilted her head in absolute confusion. "Why is that?" She asked innocently.

Chary narrowed her eyes at her brother, "Because that horse is a real asshole. He can be a real dick sometimes AND never seems to know when to do the right thing..." She tilted her head menacingly, "Wouldn't you agree, Rion?" She used the name she knew him, and Orion gave to people when they planned to switch out or impersonate the other.

He narrowed his eyes at her, sending her a silent threat. "Yes, well mistakes were made. The horse forgave her almost instantly." He ran his thumbs over her shoulder. "Hopefully when the time comes that the horse will need forgiveness, it will be returned." He bent and kissed the top of her head. "I have to go see father now." He said with his lips still pressed against her hair. He straightened and nodded to his sister and Scylla. "I'll be back in a bit."

Charybdis and Scylla exchanged looks. Chary let out a heavy breath. "Yes, yes we are." She shrugged, "Are the stories true? Were you born with your curse?" When Jos only nodded, she continued. "I can't imagine which is worse. Being born this way and knowing nothing else... or having the knowledge of how great life can be and having it all taken away."

***

"I need her aligned with us, Areion, do you understand? The girl is powerful. The courts will see that she be useful to them if not aligned to me." Poseidon said pacing back and forth in front of the large window overlooking the massive library below.

Arei ran his hands through his hair. "Well then you need to break the curse that's on her, because as it is right now, she's too out of control to be of use to you or the council. I'll be surprised if they don't make up a reason to have her locked away for life... or Olympus forbid, have her executed."

Poseidon paused, the hand stroking his sculpted jaw thoughtfully fell away. "She is that out of control? Even as old as she must be?"

Arei nodded. "If the stories are true, which I have no reason to doubt them, that puts her at somewhere around 2000 years old... give or take..." He shrugged. Not all that old compared to many other demi-gods but still..." He leaned back in the chair he was sitting in and ran his hands through his hair. "You'd think by that age she'd be more in tuned with herself and the world, but it's quite the opposite." He stood and walked over to the window quickly locating her below. "Instead, she knows very little about herself or how to control any of it. She's still so innocent..."

Poseidon arched a brow at the warm, affectionate way he spoke of the girl. His eyes narrowed as another thought crossed his mind. "How innocent?" He asked. Arei's expression was enough of an answer. Poseidon nodded his head. "Not so innocent now I assume." He clasped his son on the shoulder as he nodded. "And she seems overly attached to you. This could work to my favor still yet."

Arei frowned. "What are you getting at, father?"

Poseidon smiled, "I believe you know well what I'm getting at." He motioned toward the door. "What do you say we go down and welcome her to the family."

Arei winced, "Father don't do or say anything stupid! I'm almost certain the girl... Joslyn thinks Ry and I are the same person... and furthermore once she finds out we're not there's a damn good chance she'll want neither of us." He turned away from his father's probing eyes not wanting him to see how much pain the thought caused him. "We fucked up... and I'm not sure there's any fixing it at this point." He confessed.

Poseidon shrugged, "Even more reason to act quickly. Marry the girl while she is still willing, by the time she finds out there will be little she can do."

Arei rolled his eyes. "Of course, that's what you would say." He shook his head. "I'll not trick her."

Poseidon chuckled sarcastically, "Then you'll more than likely not have her." He shrugged as he turned toward the door. "Look at it this way giving her your name would most likely keep the courts from finding a way to imprison her."

"How by trapping her in an arrangement of another kind?" Arei growled. "Besides, if she was angered enough upon finding out the truth, then I'm not entirely sure I'd be able to live through her wrath."

Poseidon laughed, "You're a son of mine, of course you could."

It was Arei's turn to shrug. "Not without harming her to the point of near death, and I'd rather she kill me instead."

Poseidon shook his head. "Every day, you become more and more like your uncle... I will never understand either of your abilities to be so caught up with a single woman."

Arei forced a laugh as he walked past his father. "Well, if the worst insult you have for me, is that I'm too much like Hades when it comes to love verses you and Zeus then I'll take it as a compliment."

"You know it would be the best thing for her, even if she hated you for it at first. It would give her protection at least." Poseidon said, following his son down the corridors. "I'd like to see it done before her next hearing." He added on a final note as he pushed past Arei and blocked the door. "That is not a request. See to it, son." He didn't wait for Arei's reply. Instead, he pasted on his usual good natured, friendly façade as he pulled open the door. With his hands lifted dramatically into the air, he said loudly. "Ladies! Having such beauties under my roof all at the same time, this should call for a celebration! In your honors!" He walked over to where they were sitting and flopped flamboyantly down on one of the chaise lounges.

Arei rolled his eyes as he watched his father put on his usual show of easy-going humor and benevolence. If only the world knew what the other side of that coin looked like... He tried to hide his aggravation as large aqua eyes sought his. He forced a smile and sat down beside her, resting his arm over the back of the chair behind her head. He held his father's steely gaze as she nestled against his side.

Chary narrowed her eyes as she looked back and forth between the two men. No doubt they were already in some sort of disagreement. It had always intrigued her how two twins could be so completely different. Had this been Orion, the drinks would be flowing, women in bounty, and tales of victories and conquests filling the air... but not with Arei. The two could never quite see eye to eye. If Poseidon told him, he was on fire and to douse himself with water. She was convinced he'd purposely use lamp oil instead. Shaking her head, she broke the awkward silence. "Rion, she was just telling us about some of your adventures over the past four months." Chary said nodding to Jos. "I was surprised to hear how little of the world she'd experience until now."

Arei nodded, relieved that the conversation was in a relatively safe area. He gave them a recap of most of their activities providing the relevance of most. "You see, I assume the council will want proof of the progress of her 'taming'. So, I thought we'd spend this last bit of time teaching her less needed tasks, but still things that would help her look more cultured to them."

Poseidon's eyes trained on Jos. "I was just explaining to my son, there may be an easier way to convince the courts and Zeus of your intergrade into society... one that could please us all. Something I think you would quite enjoy."

Jos's eyes widened in curiosity. "What would that be, Sir?"

Arei growled, "Not now!" He pushed up from the chair. "Come along and I'll show you where we'll be sleeping." He said with only barely contained irritation as he held his hand out to Jos.

Jos's eyes flickered back and forth between father and son. "But... but..."

"Not now, Kitten." He whispered softly. "I'm tired and you have to be as well after last night."

She nodded reluctantly and lifted from the chair. She gave everyone a nod before turning to follow Arei.

Once the large doors to the library were slammed shut, Chary arched a brow at her father. "What have you or rather are you trying to do now?" She pursed her lips. "If you are thinking of using the girl as you have us, then you're mistaken. The girl is nothing like us. I doubt she'd be willing to take down a vessel on command alone and you, oh mighty god of the sea, have no way to control her cursed form."