"Ah. A god wants to learn from me, a commoner." I said placing my hands on my chest in fake happiness. "This is the best day of my life. People shall sing about this day."

I twirled around in the courtyard as Apollo sat on top one of the tables, with his feet on the bench, a weirdly folded paper in his hands.

Apollo rolled his eyes as he crumpled the paper in his hand and threw it at me. It hit my head with perfect aim and bounced off as I stopped spinning. "Just teach me."

I chuckled as I picked up two more sheets of paper and walked to him. I sat down beside him and passed him.

"Here, fold halfway," I explained as I began making an airplane. Apollo followed me as I finished the airplane and let it fly.

It twirled around a bit before landing smoothly on the ground. "Voila!"

Apollo folded his last crease and lifted his plane up to shoot. It fell down without a second in air. "You know this is probably because I must have done something to piss off the wind gods. That's all." He tried to explain.

"Sure, Apollo. That's probably it." I humoured him as I laughed. He laughed along.

"Someone with so much life and happiness shouldn't be down here," Apollo said as he leaned forward and picked up his plane.

My smile died. Life and happiness. If only he knew. Apollo looked at me with concern but before he could say anything,  we heard footsteps.

A woman walked into the courtyard with Ansel trudging behind her. The woman was dressed for combat; a silver bow and a silver quiver hung on her shoulder, matching her short silver hair.

Oh Golden Drachma, she wasn't...no she couldn't be...

Apollo got down from the table and walked towards them. "What are you doing here?" Apollo addressed the woman.

She didn't give him a second glance. Instead, her eyes fell on me. I didn't drop my stare as she continued to scan me top to bottom. She looked at Apollo and then back at me.

And then she laughed. She laughed like it was an inside joke.

Apollo's face became guarded. He turned to Ansel. "What is she doing here? How did Hades allow her inside?"

Ansel scoffed. "When does your sister do anything other than what she wants?"

"You are Artemis!" I explained as I got down the table and walked to Apollo's side. "Holy shit. I'm a huge fan. You're seriously the only god that I respect."

"No offence." I quickly told Apollo, who threw his hands up in a giving up fashion and walked away. Ansel followed him.

I turned to the goddess. "So, this whole hunter thing..."

×××

I walked onto the terrace, following the sound of strums of chords. Apollo was sitting on the terrace sill with a guitar in his hand.

"I forgot you are also the God of music," I said as I walked to him.

He looked at me over his shoulder. "I am the god of many things. It's hard to keep track."

I sat down beside him on the sill. I leaned forward to see that it was a long drop. "You will catch me if I fall right?"

Apollo leaned forward to see the height and then turned to me. "Sure. Right after I find another woman and have another child. Don't worry, you'll still be in the air."

I didn't know whether to laugh or to frown. "How many children do you have?"

"More than I can count," Apollo replied as he strummed a few more chords. "But I do make sure they live a good life. I make sure they have a roof over their heads, clothes on their back and food to eat."

"That's good I guess." It was more than I ever had. It got quiet after that, other than Apollo's guitar strums.

I watched as Charon rowed the boat up to the entrance and dropped off a group of people looking as confused as I was on my first day.

"Do you sing?" Apollo asked.

"Not as good as you, I suppose. But yes, I sing. Made a living off it for a while." I replied.

He raised an eyebrow. "Sing for me."

"You want me to sing for you? The God of music? You do realise that's like singing for Beyoncé?" I replied.

"Beyoncé? I'm not above her?" Apollo asked, a smile tugging on his lips, but he looked just a bit annoyed.

"No one's above Beyoncé." I shrugged. "I mean, you know among the living."

Apollo shook his head. "You're too young. You haven't heard so many great artists." 

I shrugged in a what-can-you-do fashion.

"Sing," Apollo repeated.

"Fine. Strum." I replied. Apollo didn't seem to have a problem with me ordering him around but I made a mental note to reduce it.

I could order Hades around but I was trying to win Apollo over. And what would Hades do? Kill me? Torture me? Probably. Then I'd just take Artemis up on her offer.

"Little do you know how I'm breaking while you fall asleep." I began softly. But my voice increased slowly. "Little do you know I'm still haunted by the memories." Apollo began strumming a little louder.

"Little do you know I'm trying to pick myself up piece by piece. Little do you know I need a little more time." I continued as my gaze met with his.

"I'll wait, I'll wait... I love you like you've never felt the pain, I'll wait." He sang, his voice like an angel. "I promise, you don't have to be afraid, I'll wait. Love is here, and here to stay...So lay your head on me."

"I'll wait, just wait. I love you like I've never felt the pain, just wait." We sang together in harmony and I felt like I was back on earth singing by a bar to make enough money for dinner. But i was completely free of any tension. The only place I could live. If you know what I mean. "I love you like I’ve never been afraid, just wait. Our love is here, and here to stay...So lay your head on me."

Apollo strummed a bit more and brought the song to an end. He looked into my eyes, neither one of us moving.

And then I softly whispered. "You think I would have sung that well if it was in front of Beyoncé?" He looked away, laughing.

The sound of claps made both our heads turn behind to the door of the terrace. Ansel stood there clapping slowly.

I caught a glance of Hades behind Ansel. But he quickly turned around and left.

I rolled my eyes. Men. They get too emotionally attached.