Chapter 6: The Daughter of Beauty
Josephine dreamt of war.
She tossed and turned throughout the night. The beginning of the dream
was pleasant. It started with Josephine in the comfort of her bed at home,
playing violin.
The music radiated across her room, and her head nodded along with each
note she played. The bedside lamp beside her started to flicker. She stopped playing
and glanced around, just as the image of herself began to become blurry.
The scene shifted. She was alone, in a cemetery, crying. Her knees were
pulled to her face in agony and despair, the teardrops hit the already damp
ground as she wept. The name on the headstone in front of her was unreadable—it
was covered in vines and was rusted as if it’d been there for centuries, just
decaying away…
The sweat dripped off her forehead and onto the silk pillowcase.
Her heart began to race, faster and faster. The dirt around the
tombstone started to rumble; the ground shook with such force that it caused Josephine
to fall on her back. She felt the grip of hands on her ankles as they pulled
her down, beneath the rubble…
She woke to smell of freshly baked sourdough and rye.
She sat up in her bed. She was breathing heavily and had to place her
hand on her chest to keep from hyperventilating. It was hard enough as it is,
being here, away from her family. She needed her mother. Eventually, she found
the strength to throw her sheets into the hamper and wash herself up in the
bathroom.
Mornings in the Grande Hall were quite regular. The only difference was
that she didn’t have to hear her brother’s disagreements, and she didn’t have
Eleni there to prepare her breakfast. She missed those things more than most.
She looked at herself in the mirror, her golden hair and porcelain skin just
reminded her more of home. She closed her eyes and could practically feel her
mother’s warm embrace, the fragrance of water lilies, and the familiar soothing
voice that echoed throughout Josephine’s entire body—from her toes to her
temple.
I promise, Josephine, he sees you.
She heard a soft knock at the
door and the light murmur of a voice that sounded feminine, yet powerful. When
she answered, a happy Persephone stood there, smiling wide, “Ready?”
“Ready for what?” Josephine asked as she moved away from the door to sit
next to the luxurious vanity—that she was never going to use. She knew it was filled with makeup, powder,
and moisturizer, but she didn’t need it. She had certain perks being the
daughter of Aphrodite.
“The brothel, of course,” Persephone entered the room, lightly closing
the door behind her, “Don’t tell me you’ve changed your mind already.”
“Well, you’re in luck, because I haven’t.”
Persephone sat on Josephine’s bed, crossing one long, tan leg over the
other, “Good. I was up all-night thinking about how we could get out of
training today. We need as much time as we can get. The journey to Troy will
take us at least four hours if we trek by foot.”
Troy. The battleground of the Trojan War—where her father killed, and
showed no mercy towards those that didn’t obey. Paris of Troy had kidnapped
Helen, so the Greek gods declared war. Josephine didn’t know how she felt about
visiting the place where so many people died, and why Hermes would even attend
a brothel there in the first place.
“I’m not even going to ask why there’s a brothel in Troy in the
first place. And why can’t we just… teleport?” Josephine asked.
“We can’t teleport because they’ll sense it. This place is covered in
ancient magic—far beyond what we’re capable of. The Grande Hall is protected
because it’s a sacred place.”
“So why don’t we get far away from the Grande Hall, and then teleport? I
don’t see why we’d have to walk. That seems a little excessive. I know
we’re goddesses and all, but really?” Josephine huffed, blowing a stray piece
of hair out of her face.
“The airways during teleportation are risky. Hermes controls all
teleportation routes himself. He’d know we’re coming before we even used our
magic. And also, from what I remember, you don’t even have magic… yet,”
Persephone smirked at her, “There should be some tunnels under the Hall that will
lead us to the entrance of Olympus. We just need a way to get past the guards
without raising any suspicion. And you… being the daughter of beauty and all…
would be the perfect distraction.”
Josephine broke into a light laugh, but it slowly faded when she
realized that her accomplice was serious. Josephine had never touched a man,
let alone let a man touch her. She’d never been interested in what people
called love—her mother taught her at a young age that love comes with lust and
drama and submission. Just the thought of allowing men to gawk at her made
Josephine want to throw up.
“You’re not serious,” she said. She abruptly started shaking her head,
“No, no, no. I am not going to be used as some pawn for you to get through. Why
can’t you be the distraction?”
“Josephine,” Persephone started, “They’ll obviously recognize me.
Daughter of Demeter, lover of Hades, queen of the Underworld. As soon as
they set their eyes on me, they’ll notify Zeus.”
Persephone had a point. Nobody knew who Josephine was. They only knew of
her brothers, and she would most likely just look like a wealthy commoner going
for a midday stroll.
Josephine’s focus shifted to her original goal when coming to the Grande
Hall. They had exactly twenty-eight hours until the next Trial. With the trek
to Troy, that left only twenty-four hours. She’d guessed that they’d be there
for at least six hours, and then the trek back to Olympus, which only left a
mere fourteen hours for her to train and prepare herself for the next portion
of the competition.
“And how are we going to get out of training?” She asked Persephone.
Josephine shifted most of her weight onto the left side of her body; the hard
bottom of the chair ached her tailbone. She’d always preferred comfort over
fashion. Apparently, this place didn’t get the memo.
“That one… I’m not sure about yet. Ideas?”
Josephine thought long and hard. Like Persephone said, there were guards
almost everywhere—and they reported straight to the gods. If they saw
Persephone and Josephine in any tunnels, their excuse for not attending
training would falter. They needed to figure out how to convince their mentors
that they weren’t fit to train today.
“We could say that we’re still recovering from our battles yesterday,”
Josephine replied. She sat forward and rested her elbows on her knees, “Lock
our doors, go out the windows. Sneak back in somehow and find a way to the
tunnels without being caught.”
Persephone’s grin grew wider, “So what are we
waiting for?”
~
Josephine stalked the entrance to Olympus. Persephone hid behind a large
pillar, and the world slowed as Josephine stepped into the light and onto the
stone path that led past the row of guards.
She had visited the hairdresser in town, the white-blonde curls framing
her oval face and her skin gleaming with stardust. She smelled of fresh
coriander and lavender; the perfect mixture to lure a man straight to her. As
she walked, her lavish gown brushed the ground beneath her, and her shoes clicked
with the stones. She needed to catch their attention, somehow.
She glanced down at her hands, which were holding a bundle of lilies and
a book. They wouldn’t suspect much: a wondering girl taking a stroll to Siren’s
Cove, or maybe a writer on an exploration to learn about the Forbidden Slopes.
Either way, they wouldn’t recognize her, and she was set up for victory.
One of the guards caught her eye. His black hair sat perfectly
underneath the blue armor he wore. Cloth covered everything but his eyes; a
starry yellow void looked at her with lustful intent. She stopped in her tracks
and lazily dropped her book, “Oh my! How clumsy of me!”
She wondered if Persephone was in the shadows laughing at her. They’d
practiced before they left. Persephone had played the part of the guards, and Josephine
played herself. Josephine hated herself for even doing this.
Mother would be so ashamed…
The guard rushed to her and removed his helmet. Josephine couldn’t look
away—she was astonished to find he was the most handsome man she’d ever seen.
The man’s facial structure was more than just godly, she was sure he could cut
a piece of paper with his jawline. The smirk on his face said it all—he was
thinking the same about her.
“Jason,” He said, reaching his gloved hand out towards her, “And you
are?”
The other guards watched with ease, a hand on their holsters as they
watched. Josephine looked beyond them and noticed Persephone, creeping her way
into the forest in the distance. She was much quicker and quieter than
Josephine originally thought.
“Ana,” Josephine replied, bowing halfway to thank the man, “Thank you,
for helping me pick this up. I can be quite clumsy sometimes, and this dress
and these shoes don’t help.”
He handed the book back to her, and nodded, “Of course. Where are you
headed this afternoon, Ana?”
Josephine and Persephone didn’t practice this. She hesitated, before choosing
the only logical explanation as to why a woman her age would be wondering
outside of Olympus’ gates.
“I- Uh… I’m a writer,” She said, holding up the book emphasis, “I’m
writing a non-fiction piece about the Oracles. I need some samples from the
Forest, and then I will visit the Oracles. I will be back in a jiffy.”
He nodded slowly once again, studying her. He stepped aside, “Well, I
hope you find whatever it is you’re looking for, madam. Enjoy your stroll.”
Josephine smiled at him and started walking away briskly, towards the
dark forest in front of her. She could feel the breeze get cooler and cooler as
she walked. She let out a heavy breath when she got far enough away from the
guards. Their laughter faded into the distance as Josephine took her first
step, ever, into the Forbidden Slopes.
She noticed that the leaves on the trees were a dark violet, mixed with
some burnt orange. The ground was mossy, as if the forest thrived in humidity,
and the mist danced off the logs and underbrush. She could hear songbirds in
the distance, and the high-pitched weeping of the crickets. There was nothing
remotely ‘forbidden’ sounding about this place. It was the most beautiful area
Josephine had ever been.
She glanced around, looking for Persephone, before trekking further and
further into the trees. She started to hear the sounds of running water ahead,
so she walked in that direction while calling for her friend, “Persephone! I
don’t know why you’re hiding, but it’s not cool.”
No answer.
Josephine sighed heavily and lifted her dress to walk over a large log
that blocked the path. She grunted as she weened her way over the wood, a part
of the lace getting stuck on one of the protruding branches around it. She
yanked it and fell forward.
“Shit!” She said as she jumped up and wiped herself off. When she reached the other end, she kept
walking until she found a break in the trees and a narrow body of water in
front of her.
“Persep--,” Josephine stopped mid-sentence when she laid eyes on the
Goddess of Spring, sitting by the running stream. She seemed to be deep in thought
as she ran a stick along the shoreline. Josephine approached her slowly,
pushing the long branches out of the way as she walked.
“You okay?” She hovered over Persephone. The sound of a bug buzzed in
her left ear, so she swatted and stumbled back.
Persephone glanced at her and smirked, “It’s a bug, princess. Have you
never seen one before?”
Josephine scoffed, “Of course I’ve seen a bug, Persephone. Now, let’s
go, before we find out why this place is called the ‘Forbidden Slopes’.”
Her friend stood and chucked the stick to the other side of the stream
and turned towards the mountains in the North, “That way. That’s the way to Troy.”
Josephine followed her gaze and began to break out into a full-blown
sweat just imagining trying to climb those mountains., “Please tell me you have
another plan to get over those mountains, except for walking. That would add
another two hours onto our time, and need I remind you… I’m in a ballgown.”
Persephone turned to Josephine and smiled wider, dusting her friends’ now
dirty sleeves, “You know me so well already. Yes, I have an idea. But you’re
not going to like this one either.”
I'm glad you enjoyed this chapter. I love Persephone too, but who knows, what's a fantasy novel without a little betrayal? 
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