DA : Chapter 78: Hard Choices I

There was also the pain that she had kept so close to her chest for millennia bubbling out, desperately trying to break free in rebellion after so much heartbreak and empty promises. It was all there as clear as the brightest day he could bring and in that moment he knew one thing.

He couldn't bring himself to go farther

...

He had a mission. Seduce Amphitrite, break the fidelity that had lasted the longest of any marriage within the Olympians, unravel the stability of Atlantis and so cripple their forces. Divide the sea kingdom between loyalty to their king, a conquering force, and the last dregs of loyalty to Amphitrite, daughter of Oceanus and actual royal of the sea.

But he couldn't do it. She hadn't asked to be in her place, she hadn't wanted to be with Poseidon but the choice was taken from her.

Whisked away from her own sea gardens while her father fought the upstart Olympian, coerced into a marriage to spare her people and settle the last scraps of resistance against Poseidon. A captive within her own home.

Too long she had been used as a means for others … and he would not be one of them.

So with a gentle hand he slowly thumbed away the few tears that had started to fall down her cheeks.

"Yes," he said softly.

"Then why?" she asked in a whisper even as she leaning slightly into his touch. "You must know the danger touching me will bring you."

"And I could ask you the same," he replied. "Why now of all times? You rarely come to the surface as is and yet tonight you came with the obvious intention of breaking fidelity."

She looked away in shame for a moment, her eyes becoming stormy, before she returned her gaze to him.

"He's gone too far," she replied in a cold tone even though he could hear the quiver underneath. "I tried to stomach it every time he took on a new lover. Being free and wild like his oceans he claims," she scoffed. "However I could deal with it as long as his conquests and their lives stayed far away from mine but then all that business with one of his lovers began."

"You mean the murder of Mrs. Blofis," he cut in much to her apparent shock.

"You know?" she asked making him sigh as he sat back on his knees with her sitting up to look at him properly, never mind her exposed chest.

"Yes, it is not as well kept a secret as the Olympians think," he replied with a tired gaze. "And how do you know?"

"Hestia told a few days after it happend," was Amphitrite's simply reply before she glanced down for a moment and then continuing. "But yes, that was the sign of his changes.

Something happened to him after that. Even if I never truly loved him, I can't say that he wasn't romantic and kind at times but … ever since that day he became colder.

Cynical, more easily angered, and even more promiscuous. Then when Hestia disappeared he came back both enraged for his own failure to keep her safe and sad at her kidnapping."

She paused for a moment as she bit her lower lip before looking at him.

"When Hestia told me about how he'd struck her … I was furious myself. I dismissed him from my bed and kept it as such for all those years but when he seemed so utterly broken for his failure, I finally relented and tried to soothe him.

And yet … it wasn't my name he said, even in the middle of our union and I kicked him out again."

"Who's name?" he couldn't help but ask, even though he got a feeling he already knew who.

"… Sally," was the hesitant reply before Amphitrite took a shaky breathe. "… I don't remember too well what happened the rest of the night, only that by the end I left him in our chambers with an Atlantian crystal dagger in his thigh and I left to my son's wing of the castle.

I remained there for several days until I finally decided that I would be moving to my own personal wing and keep my distance from my husband but when I went to our chambers …"

Amphitrite stopped as more tears started to come out and her breathing turned into choked sobs.

Not being able to stand the sight of her crying Jason moved forward to envelop her in his arms, caressing her back softly as she cried into his chest. He didn't know for how long he held her but he didn't care.

He simply held her, understanding her tears of heartbreak … after all, not too long ago he had wept the same and found himself in Hemera's motherly embrace.

After some time she finally settled down until her crying broke into sparse sobs and occasional hiccups but she didn't try to move away from him as she spoke softly.

"Never in all those years had he broken the sanctimony of our chambers. But this time, he brought one of his lovers, a mortal one, to my bed. And what's worse, he was telling her of how he'd make her a queen in her own right as I just stood there and then turned back to me and winked.

I've never felt so utterly humiliated in my life," she said as she hugged him tighter. "Is that all I am in the end? A trophy that can be discarded when I'm not shiny enough? A broken toy?"

"No," he answered firmly as he pulled back so that he could look at her. "You are more than that bastard could ever understand."

He then cupped her face and made sure her eyes were locked with his. "You're too good for him Amphitrite, you always were." He bit his lip for a moment as he thought about what he was going to say. This was going completely against the plans … but he couldn't just leave her, not after hearing all that.

So he made a choice.

"Come with me," he said, making her eyes widen but he soldiered on before she could interrupt. "I can take you away, far from the reaches of Atlantis. A safe place, a home where you can find happiness."

"But what about my people?" she asked. "The truth of Atlantis is that many of the merfolk think little of Poseidon and his handpicked court.

Many still favor the old ways in the time of my father, even if at times he himself had been rather cruel though fair. Without my presence they would begin to voice against my husband again … and I fear how he would retaliate now more than ever."

To that Jason really couldn't think of a way to get around it. The truth was that of the elder council, not all the protogenoi had been on board to move on. Pontus and Thalassa, born only of Gaea, were much like her and wished for more control of the world at large.

Oceanus had been the favored sibling of Pontus and so blessed by Pontus giving Oceanus and Tethys their domains of Oceans and Fresh Waters respectively.

Thanks to Nyx they knew that it had been the two youngest members of the elder protogenoi that had hidden Oceanus after the first Titan War … and now Pontus was taking an active role.

By rule of thumb all members of the new council were avoiding the oceans as best they could. Until they could devote their time to not only fighting the two remaining elder protogenoi but also isolating such a battle to minimize the risk to the mortal realm, they were effectively tied down in how they could go about with the seas.

And it honestly scared him that he would be able to do little to help her if she was in the sea itself. Jason was strong, no question there, but even he would be hard pressed to fight Pontus and Thalassa on their home turf, especially not if they had more support from other tidal titans and monsters.

Still, grasping at straws Jason held a palm up and focused his power until a marble of pure light formed before he cast a mild glamour on it to make it similar to a pearl with a necklace. Once formed he looked to Amphitrite again and placed the necklace in her hands before clasping them within his.

"Then if you can't leave with me now then take this with you. If you feel like you are in danger or there is an emergency, crush it and it will bring you too me," he said sternly. "Promise me that you will. I can understand that you feel responsible for your people but there is only so much that you can do alone but you don't have to stand alone."

Amphitrite remained silent as she looked between his face and the necklace now in her hands, seemingly unable to believe that someone would willingly risk so much just to help her.

"Just … who are you?" she asked softly as she looked into his eyes.

He paused as he thought about that. Even when the time came to declare war, they planned on staying relatively hidden to feed the famous Olympian paranoia.

What better way to undermine an opponent than one constantly looking over their shoulder and questioning their own allies while they moved within the shadows.

But could he risk telling her his real name? If the Olympians knew, than anyone with a connection to them could be in danger, even the innocent and those having nothing to do with the war.

"Jason … Jason Grace," he found himself saying before he could stop himself.

He wanted to bash his own head for that but for the life of him, he couldn't bring himself to regret it right now.

He should make her swear on Styx and her immortality for her silence, hell, even knock her out and simply have Mnemosyne wipe all her memories as is … but he couldn't do it. He just couldn't hurt her, wouldn't hurt her, not after she opened up to him like she had.

However it was her warm smile that really settled it for him. Those soft lips pulled into such a tender expression with her eyes gleaming in a happy glow … it was worth it.

She then surprised him by leaning closer and giving him a soft kiss. It was the only true kiss of the night without either hiding something behind it. He returned it as his arms found her waist again yet he didn't try to deepen it or pull her closer. They warmth and touch of the embrace was enough as is. After they pulled back she flashed him another smile.

"Thank you, Jason," she said as she tied the necklace around her slim neck.

He flashed her a smile of his own as he got up and snapped his fingers, returning their clothes to a proper state much to her surprise. She looked at him with curiosity to which he found himself winking as he turned around.

"You know how to reach me …" he said softly before letting himself dissolve into particles of light.

A mission failed … and yet he wouldn't have changed anything about that night …

===================

Don't forget to throw some power Stones, to keep the story going.

...

if you want to support me or just to read ahead of the public release, you can join my p@treon :

p atreon/Moonhorse