Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

Gran was furious.

Not that it was anything new. Furious was Gran’s default setting. You would assume that the goddess of love and beauty would be more likeable, but unfortunately under all those “good” looks is nothing but a cold, bitter heart.

Gran had never been this furious, however.

Usually, Henry would know why - mainly because he was the reason. It doesn’t matter what he did, Gran would always sniff out a flaw. Which is why this was such a surprise. It wasn’t just the sheer amount of anger (Henry swore he could see steam curling out of her ears), but the fact that, for once, he wasn’t the cause. He almost wanted to celebrate. Almost.

There was still a furious Gran, after all.

Thankfully for Henry, he didn't have to ask her what was wrong. Gran launched into it herself.

“Do you know what the mortals are up to, boy?” she sneered.

“No, Gran. I don't know what the mortals are doing,” Henry replied, already bracing for the storm.

“They have decided to worship a mere mortal instead of me! Can you believe it? A mortal! As if anyone could be more beautiful than me! I am a goddess! Of love and beauty, no less! Yet they think some lowly mortal is better?”

Wouldn't be surprised, Henry thought, but he didn't dare say that out loud. At this point, Henry wasn't even listening to Gran. He learned to tune her out long ago. Nothing good came from listening to her anyway.

“-then that stupid Alexander-”

“-need to do something. Need to make them pay-”

Now, Henry was fully listening. It wasn't good when Gran wanted revenge. She never actually did anything to enact her revenge. She preferred delegating the task and hoarding the credit. And since he was the only person around, well, the job was clearly going to land on him. Which will happen in 3… 2… 1…

“HENRY!”

“Yes, Gran?”

“I need you to punish this Alexander mortal. Make him pay. Find the ugliest monster you can find, something truly revolting, and use your arrows to make him fall madly in love with it.”

Henry’s stomach twisted. He hated using his arrows. The thought of making a mortal fall in love against their will? He didn’t like it one bit. Forcing them to fall in love with a monster? That’s downright cruel. However, he didn’t feel like facing Gran’s wrath. Especially when today was already such a good day. It wasn’t like he could refuse anyway.

“Okay,” he muttered, regret already settling in his gut. “Do you know anything about this mortal?”

“Does it matter?”

Henry sighed internally. Of course it does! How else will I know who to shoot? But he doesn’t say it out loud. Deep breaths, Henry, deep breaths.

“Just wanted to know,” he said lightly, walking towards the window. “I will go and do it now.”

Then, without another word, he leapt and soared out of the window.

જ⁀➴ ♡

“Hazza! What brings you here?” Pez greeted Henry brightly, ushering him inside.

Pez’s house was luxurious, over-the-top, and comfortable in a way that made Henry feel like he shouldn’t be allowed to sit down. Not that it stopped him. He had been here more times than he could count.

“Would you like some tea, Hazza?” Pez offered, already halfway to the kettle.

Henry shook his head. “I need information.”

If anyone knew anything about this Alexander person, it would be Pez.

“Straight to business?” Pez tsked, but he didn’t seem bothered. “You wound me, Hazza. But fine, what are we unraveling today?”

Henry explained his situation, telling Pez about Gran’s fury, that apparently the mortals are worshipping someone else instead of Gran, and the punishment she had planned. The more he spoke, the more Pez’s eyebrows climbed up his forehead.

“So,” Henry finished, rubbing the back of his neck, “do you know anything about this Alexander person?”

“Are you seriously going through with what that witch told you to?” Pez asked, frowning now.

“It’s not like I have a choice.”

“There’s always a choice.”

“Not when she’s involved.” Henry’s voice had gone quiet, tense. “Please, Pez. Just help me?”

Pez didn’t respond. This alone made Henry nervous. It was rare for Pez to be quiet. Is he going to refuse? Henry stared, frozen. Pez silent was never a good sign. The silence was deafening, and each passing second seemed to stretch on forever.

“Fine.” Pez finally answered.

“Really?” Henry jolted up in disbelief.

“Of course I will help you Hazza, but on one condition.”

Henry groaned. “Of course there’s a catch. What is it?”

“I have a plan. And I need you to follow it exactly.”

This made Henry pause. It wasn’t that Pez’s plans were bad exactly, but they always came with a side of chaos. Still, this was his only hope. Plus, Pez’s bizarre plans had a weird way of working out - one way or another.

“Okay, what’s your plan?”

“Well,” Pez said with a mischievous glint in his eye, “it depends.”

Henry frowned, confused, but chose not to dwell on it. Pez was always up to something, after all. This was probably another one of Pez’s antics.

“On?”

“Details, timing, fate, the color of the moon tonight, who knows?” Pez winked.

Henry wrinkled his nose. “That doesn’t make sense.”

“Since when do I make sense?” Pez grinned and then clapped his hands. “Now sit tight, Hazza! There is a lot I can tell you about Alexander.”

And there was. Pez launched into a rather enthusiastic monologue about Alexander (and his sister and best friend as well) and how he was a prince, adored by mortals, and blessed with looks that rivaled the gods.

“-and his sister? An absolute goddess. And she’s a mortal! Can you believe it?”

“Pez, please stay on topic.”

“Right, right! Of course, Alexander. He’s said to be more beautiful than that witch, you know? But his sister-”

“Pez, please.”

“Okay, okay! But did I mention his best friend yet?”

“If you say one more word about his sister or his best friend-”

Somewhere in the middle of all this rambling, Henry realized he was sipping on some Earl Grey. He didn’t even remember accepting the tea, but enjoyed it nonetheless.

“He’s just your type, Hazza!” Pez announced suddenly. Henry nearly spat his tea out.

“What? ” He asked in disbelief.

“I’m just saying! Gorgeous, clever, moody, you’d be perfect together!” It didn’t take long for Henry to put two and two together.

Henry stared, wide-eyed. “This is your plan, isn’t it?”

Pez just shrugged, but he was far too pleased with himself. Henry, still in disbelief, sank back into his chair. He may be lonely, and painfully single, but he couldn’t possibly imagine being able to get a lover. Gran made sure that his so-called “dalliances” would never see the light of day, squashing any spark before it could ever become something real. If he ever were to get a lover, it would be of Gran’s choosing.

“As much as I appreciate your concern, I’m not making someone fall in love with me. It must be of their own volition.” Henry said quietly, “It has to be real. It has to be their choice.”

“Listen, Hazza, this is for your own good! You’ve been single all this time, and you need someone in your life that cares for you other than me and your sister! Someone who actually sees you!”

Henry shook his head. “Pez, you know what Gran would do if she found out.”

“So what? That witch has already decided for so much of your life! Ever since your father has been sent to rule the Underworld, she’s had you on a leash! You deserve better! You deserve choice.”

That stopped Henry cold, because it was true. He was tired. Tired of being pushed around. Tired of pretending not to care. Tired of being alone. Tired of Gran walking all over him. After decades of hiding, a small, dangerous flicker of hope sparked in his chest. This might work. Maybe, just maybe, he could make a decision for himself. Still, he had to be careful.

“Okay,” Henry relented, “but I mean it. No manipulation. Not even a drop.”

Pez grinned as if he didn’t just shift the weight of Henry’s entire cosmos. “Oh, Hazza, trust me. Alexander’s going to fall so hard for you, ballads will be written about it!”

Henry couldn’t believe what he just agreed to. Still, a part of him hoped that Pez was right.

Chapter Text

This whole worshiping thing is starting to get out of hand. At first, Alex found it kind of funny. As time progressed, however, it has turned out to do more harm than good. It’s gotten to the point where he couldn’t even step out of the castle without a huge group ambushing him. After the first couple of times, it was quickly decided that Alex was to be kept inside the castle for everyone’s safety. Unfortunately for Alex, that means that he hasn’t been outside for weeks . It may not have seemed like much, but it felt like forever for him. He’s been practically bouncing off the walls, bored out of his mind.

Alex looked outside through a window. Big mistake. The second the people outside saw his face, they started causing a ruckus. He immediately stepped out of view, but they still clamored in an attempt to see the prince’s face. Surely they’ll get tired at some point… right?

“Alejandro! Good news! They are considering building a temple in your honor!” Nora then suddenly barged in.

“Are you allergic to knocking or something?” Alex grumbled, rolling his eyes. He really wasn’t in the mood to deal with Nora right now.

“What’s the fun in that?”

“It’s called manners!”

“Alright, alright,” June called out from somewhere down the hall, “let’s antagonize my brother later, ok?”

“Boo,” Nora pouted at her, “but fine.”

“Why are you guys here anyway?” Alex asked.

“Saving you from all the moping you’re currently doing, of course!” Nora said gleefully.

“I’m not moping! I’m just bored.” Alex crossed his arms.

“Sorry Little Bit, but Nora is right.” June piped in, now lugging in a huge bag full of letters into Alex’s room.

“What’s this?” Alex gestured towards the bag, confused.

“Well, you’ve got fan mail now!” Nora said with a shit-eating grin. “And we are going to get drunk, read them, and laugh about them.”

“Fuck yeah,” a matching grin was now on Alex’s face, “let’s get wasted!”

It wasn’t too different from their usual routine, but instead of gossip it was going to be fan mail. I have fan mail, Alex thought, and didn’t Nora say something about a temple? Nora was probably just joking, but he doubts that it would be a joke if things kept going the way that they were.

“I knew you would say that!” Nora pumped her hand in the air, and June unceremoniously dumped all the fan mail onto the floor. To Alex’s surprise, the letters kept spilling out of the bag.

And spilling.

And spilling.

And spilling.

Alex figured that the bag was enchanted, he wasn’t a stranger to those, but just how many letters were there? Even Nora and June couldn’t hide their faces of shock as the letters kept on coming. Soon, Nora and Alex were scrambling to move the letters from the pile so that it wouldn’t get too high, quickly covering the floor with them. It took a while, but finally all the letters were out of the bag. At that point, the letters were up to Alex’s shins. He looked at Nora and June, wide-eyed stares matching his own.

“Oh my gods.” He wasn’t sure which one of them said it, but he shared the sentiment. He could basically swim in these letters if he wanted to. At this point, a temple will be the least of my worries.

“Well, there’s going to be a lot of drinking, won’t there?” Alex tried for a joke, but his face fell flat at the appalled looks of his sister and ex-girlfriend-turned-best-friend.

“I’ll uhh, get the drinks then?” he said, trying to move through all the letters. It was very slow, like walking through molasses, but eventually he managed to get to the door and out of his room. He walked down the hall, taking his sweet time. It was very rare for him to be able to go out and stretch his legs, after all. After two flights of stairs, he finally reached the cellars. Large pithoi were lined along the walls, each holding various commodities inside. Alex walked towards the amphorae, where they held their wine. He looked around, trying to find a good drink, before settling on some fancy wine from the Aegean islands. He grabbed the amphora, and started to lug it up and back to his room.

“You know we have servants who can do that for you, right?” June asked Alex when he finally brought the amphora up to his room. Alex ignored her, instead trying to find a place to put down the amphora without crushing any of the letters, before giving up and doing so anyway.

“Ooh, what did you get?” Nora asked, opening the lid as soon as Alex set the amphora down.

“The good stuff,” Alex grinned wickedly.

“From the Aegean Islands?”

“The very one.”

“Sweet,” a grin of her own was now on Nora’s face. “Let’s get this party started!” They each grabbed a pile of letters, poured out their drinks in goblets, and got to reading.

જ⁀➴ ♡

“Alexaaaaaandrooos, your eyes are like… like the morning dew-” Nora read dramatically, giggling a fit. “Is this supposed to be sexy?”

Alex nearly dropped his goblet from his sudden laughing. “Waiit, wait! Let me see that!” he squinted at the parchment in Nora’s hand. “ Dew ?? Seriously? Like… moist??”

“Ooh, maybe you make people really hydrated!” June snorted, movements sloppy as she tried to high-five Nora, splashing some wine in the process. No one really cared, mainly too drunk to notice. The floor was littered with stains from previous spills throughout the years, including a couple new ones from tonight. Plus, either they’d clean it up tomorrow, or the servants would.

“Exactly!” Nora nodded a little too enthusiastically, her own goblet sloshing around dangerously. “Dew is… nature’s thirst trap!”

Alex was wheezing. He wasn’t sure how long they had been doing this, reading these awful letters and getting drunk on wine, but it was hilarious. He grabbed the amphora, still pretty full with wine, and refilled his goblet. Despite how much they’d been drinking, the wine seemed to be endless. Even more giggles erupted from June and Nora as they hunched over a letter together.

“Alejandroo! Listen to this one!” Nora called out.

Then June picked up the letter, reading it out loud in a sing-songy tone, giggling at every word.

“Ohh Alexandros, youuu are a radiant liiight-”

“-shiiiiiniiiiiing in the daaaaark,” Nora sang in the same sing-songy tune, totally off-key.

“What kind of a haiku was that?” Alex snorted into his wine, “that was like poetry written by a goat!” He fumbled through the pile of letters, nearly face-planting into his goblet before triumphantly pulling out a piece of crumpled parchment.

“Okay, okay, listen to this one!” he slurred, waving the page around. “To gaaze upon your faaace is to glimpse upoooon the heaaaveeenss-” Alex then suddenly tried to stand, but then swayed a little too far back and fell into a pile of, surprisingly soft, letters behind him. His arms were flung out like a dramatic stage actor, and his goblet was lost somewhere amongst the letters. It was probably for the best anyway. Alex had a lot to drink, the room already spinning.

“Olympus above! I’m just a man! A mere, humble… humble man!” A little too honest. He tried to laugh through it.

Suddenly, Nora collapsed on top of him in her laughter. “Heeee’s asceeeeending!! Loook at him gooooo!”

“Oooh I should write back!” Alex declared, then started to pretend as if he was writing a letter in the air. “Dear devotee, I haaave… have, ascended… to maximum moistness! ”

“YEEEEES!” Nora pumped her fist into the air. “We’ll start a religion!”

“Too late,” June groaned, gripping at the edges of the chamber pot. Alex wasn’t sure if she already threw up, or was going to. Probably both. “They already did.”

The room then dissolved into howling laughter once again.

જ⁀➴ ♡

The laughter eventually quieted. June was curled against a mound of discarded mail like it was a bed, while Nora was sprawled dramatically over said mound like a long-suffering poet. Both had fallen asleep, the wine finally caught up to them. Alex sat cross-legged on the floor, swirling the last bit of wine in his cup. His mind was elsewhere, however, as it often does when he’s drunk. He stared at the letters around him, reading all of their praises.

Radiant.

Divine.

Chosen.

He reached for one at random. The parchment was soft between his fingers, and despite all it went through the handwriting was still visible.

"To gaze upon your face is to glimpse the heavens. I would offer my life for a smile.”

A bitter laugh escaped from Alex’s lips.

All these words, written so carefully. All this reverence - it should have felt flattering. All the attention, the devotion, so many people would’ve given anything to be in his place. To be loved, adored, worshipped. But instead all he felt was loneliness. He felt trapped, forced to play a role that he never auditioned for.

They claimed to love him, but it didn’t feel like love. None of these people knew him. Alexander Gabriel Claremont-Diaz. The chaotic baby who almost ruined multiple priceless artifacts. The judgmental child who dared to filibuster the whole court. The reckless teen who was ready to fight anything and everything that stood in his way. There were some things that even June and Nora, the two people that he is the closest to - the ones he shares nearly everything with, don't know. Like how hard he tries to pretend that everything is fine, or how sometimes he still misses his father so much that even after all these years his chest still aches. Instead, they knew the version of him that they created.

A god.

He laid back against the sea of letters, staring up at the ceiling. The letter, still clutched in his hand, now slipped through his fingers and joined the rest of its brethren. It might’ve been all of the drinking, but the letters seemed to whisper into Alex’s ears.

Was this what being chosen felt like? Alex didn’t know. But what he did know was that it felt like a cage. He wasn’t sure how much more of this he could handle.

Chapter Text

“Ok, so here’s the plan.”

“Are you sure this is going to work, Pez?”

“Just trust me, Hazza.”

જ⁀➴ ♡

Henry wasn’t sure if he trusted Pez.

Sure, they’d been inseparable since the moment they met, a time so long ago that even they themselves had forgotten. Even now, all these centuries later, they were still like two peas in a pod. Despite all this, trust was perhaps too strong a word for someone who somehow convinced a group of nymphs to pretend to be temple priestesses so that Henry could slip out of Olympus unseen - and somehow succeeded. Only the Fates knew how.

Still, there was a certain charm to Pez’s chaos. A kind of boldness that Henry envied, especially since it always seemed to work. Which is probably why he was here now: wearing mortal clothes that restrict his wings, standing outside of a palace, and getting surrounded by a sea of humans.

Are these his worshippers? Henry wondered, glancing around at the suffocating crowd. He’s seen gods whose skin shimmered like gold, and spirits woven from starlight, but none of them had ever gathered mortals like this. Not even his Gran, the epitome of beauty, had such a dedicated following. It seemed as if all they did was wait outside of the palace, hoping for a glimpse of the prince. How beautiful must this mortal be?

“Are you here to see him too?” a voice breaks Henry’s thoughts. He whipped his head around to the source of the voice, and found himself face-to-face with a mortal woman.

Henry blinks at her. “Something like that.” He really didn’t want to have small talk. Especially not now, when he had to focus on his task. So he tried his best to shove his way through the crowd and make his way towards the gates.

જ⁀➴ ♡

“You just have to fly up to him! It’ll be easy!”

“What if the mortals see?”

“Well, you’ll obviously be invisible to the mortal eye!”

“Ok, but how do I get him to fall in love with a monster? The monster needs to be the first thing that he sees after I shoot him.”

“Seriously, Hazza? You’re still planning on making him fall in love with a monster?”

“I have to.”

જ⁀➴ ♡

Henry really didn’t want to do it.

It was supposed to be simple. Wait until Alexander was asleep. Use his powers to teleport them both to Pez. Wake him up. Shoot him with an arrow. Make sure that the first thing Alexander sees is the monster that Pez would hopefully provide. It was an easy enough task - in theory.

But the bow felt heavy in his hands, and the arrows on his back weighed him down like bricks.

He was now in the palace grounds, having slipped into the palace gates thanks to a commotion that happened with the crowd. He wasn’t sure what caused it, nor did he really care. He wasn’t going to question it. It was probably Pez’s doing anyway. So here he was, within the palace grounds, and invisible to the mortal eye. It felt like there was nothing but himself, his bow, and his arrows. Oh, and also the unbearable weight of what he was about to do.

Henry looked up to where, according to Pez, Alexander’s room should be. Guilt gnawed at his ribs.

I have to finish this.

જ⁀➴ ♡

“Just remember, Hazza. You’ve only got one shot. Make sure to hit the heart - but not the soul. The soul is already his.”

“What do you mean by that?”

“Nothing! Now go! Don’t miss.”

જ⁀➴ ♡

Henry was going to miss.

Not because he lacked the skill, he’s never missed a shot before in his entire immortal life, but because he knew. He knew it the moment he laid his eyes on Alexander, sleeping peacefully in bed.

It was unfair, really, how bloody gorgeous he was.

No wonder so many people were waiting outside for a glimpse of him. If anything, not enough people were out there. Henry’s breath caught. He really is more beautiful than Gran. He thought numbly. His hair, an artistic mess of curls, spread softly against the pillow. His lips parted slightly as he breathed, unaware of the god’s presence. Henry wanted to kiss those lips. He wondered how they would feel, pressed against his own. He wanted to devour Alexander whole.

You could add up all the beauty in the world, and it would pale in comparison to him.

He tried to shake the thoughts from his head, but it was futile. He needed to get a grip. He needed to complete his task and get this over with. He repeated it like a mantra in his head.

He took a deep breath,

Complete the task.

and raised his bow,

Complete the task, complete the task,

the golden arrow glowed, thrumming with divine power,

complete the task complete the task,

and took aim, right at the heart.

completethetaskcompletethetaskcompletethetaskcompletetheta-

Henry hesitated.

At the last second, he shifted his aim and fired. Not at Alexander’s heart, but at the goblet beside him, shattering it. Alexander startled awake, and their eyes locked. It was brief, but it was enough for Henry to panic and fall.

He stumbled back from his perch on the window, off balance, heart thudding, wings flaring - and fell. As he dropped, he could distantly feel a sudden prick. Like a prick from an arrow. He had accidentally nicked himself with his own arrow.

Oh gods.

Do I need to blindfold myself now? Hide away forever? he wondered in a rush of panic. What if I fall in love? Whatifwhatifwhatif-

But it was too late.

For when he looked up, dazed and breathless, he saw Alexander again. Alexander, in all his glory - still half-asleep, still confused, and most of all, still devastatingly beautiful. His brow was furrowed with concern.

And just like that, Henry disappeared.

જ⁀➴ ♡

He reappeared in a meadow, just where Pez had said he would. But there was no Pez in sight. Henry was lying flat on the grass, blinking up at the constellations, and waited.

He waited for the telltale signs: the unrelenting desire, the compulsion to run back to the palace, the ache, the madness. The curse of an arrow to the heart.

But nothing came.

In the distance, Henry could hear the distinct hoot of an owl. Above him, the stars kept on twinkling. The world kept on moving, blissfully unaware of Henry’s internal turmoil.

Maybe I’m just immune, he tried to reason with himself. Maybe it didn’t work. It was the most logical conclusion, after all.

But deep down, Henry knew the real reason. It had worked. He was already in love, with or without the arrow.

Chapter Text

Alex knew he was drunk, but he didn’t think he was this drunk. There was simply no explanation for what had just happened. The man at the window. Him falling down to the ground. Him disappearing before Alex’s very eyes. The mystery man had to be a figment of his imagination, born from Alex’s loneliness. Perhaps he was so lonely that his mind had made up an imaginary friend just for him? He wasn’t sure why his imaginary friend would leave, maybe it’s an omen instead - a sign that he’s doomed to be alone forever? Put upon a pedestal and only to be watched, not held?

Alex tried to reason with himself, but then he saw on the ground the fractured pieces of a goblet. Next to it was a golden arrow. Alex blinked, rubbed his eyes, and blinked again, trying to see if this was yet another figment of his imagination. But the goblet and arrow were still there, lying on the floor. Alex immediately knelt to the floor, eyes now purely focused on the goblet and arrow, scared that if he looked away for even a second they would disappear.

Instead, when he picked up the pieces, the truth hit him: this was all real. It had to be. For if the goblet and arrow were real, then the mysterious man must be real too. Which really brought up more questions than answers.

Who was he?

What did he want?

When did he slip through the gates?

Where did he go?

Why did he shoot Alex?

And probably most pressing question:

How in the world was he so fucking beautiful?

Rationally, he probably should’ve alerted someone about the intruder, especially since he probably attempted to kill Alex, if the arrow was anything to go by. That thought pulled Alex out of his spiral, the situation suddenly becoming very serious. He immediately stood up, grabbing the arrow and what was left of the goblet, and hurried his way out of his room to let someone know about what happened.

જ⁀➴ ♡

Turns out, Alex was not getting assassinated.

No, it turned out that the arrows weren’t regular arrows, they were the arrows of the god of love, Enrikos. Which meant that the gorgeous stranger was none other than Enrikos himself. But was he the one that was trying to make Alex fall in love against his will? Or was Enrikos doing it under someone else’s orders? After all, people are forced to do things that they don’t want to do all the time.

Alex tried as hard as he could to recall the stranger - no, Enrikos - but his sleep-addled brain offered very little. Just that he was unmistakably very handsome. Stop calling him handsome, Alex chastised himself. This man could be trying to do very bad things to you. But another thought crept into his mind instead. What if he didn’t want to do it? He tried his best to wrangle any straying thoughts. All that mattered right now was handling the situation. He could worry about the beautiful stranger another time.

Instead, they were handling things by bringing in the advisors. Not that Alex was surprised, this was their job after all, but he absolutely hated it when his mom brought them in. The majority of the time, it was just screaming matches and nobody getting anything done. It was a little too reminiscent of his younger days, when the halls were filled with his parents fighting over every little thing.

“We need to do something about the boy!” one of the advisors yelled above all the others, pulling Alex out of his thoughts, a crooked finger pointed at Alex. He was old-fashioned, and is always trying to push some sort of marriage scheme onto Alex and June. And Alex bet that it was just what he was going to propose. Not only was the advisor unoriginal, but always insisted on calling him “boy” or other similar names. He was 21 for fuck’s sake.

However, before another word could come out of the advisor’s mouth, the door burst open and June and Nora entered the hall, a grave expression on their faces. The advisors, engrossed in their debates, didn’t even realize it. Alex saw as they walked towards his mother, sitting on her throne and looking very bored. Nora bent forward, and whispered something in his mother’s ear. He watched as his mother’s eyes widened ever so slightly, but quickly replaced with a mask of indifference. What news could they have brought?

Then, his mother stood up from her throne. All of the screaming suddenly died down. It was in moments like these that Alex is reminded just how powerful his mother is. Despite being a woman, she could control the room with just one movement.

She cleared her throat, then announced to the room.

“The Oracle has spoken.”

Right, Alex remembered now. In the midst of all the screaming he had forgotten that his mother sent June and Nora off so that they could use Nora’s gift of prophecy. A rare, quiet hush had fallen over the room. His mother then extended her hand towards Nora, gesturing to her to tell everyone the prophecy that she received.

"Adorn this boy, O queen, for wedlock dread, and set him on a lofty mountain-rock. Renounce all hope that one of mortal stock can be your son-in-law, for he shall wed a fierce, barbaric, snake-like monster. He, flitting on wings aloft, makes all things smart, plaguing each moving thing with torch and dart. Why, Filippos himself must fearful be. The other gods for him their terror show, and rivers shudder, and the dark realms below."

Alex couldn’t believe his ears. Was this seriously his fate? To be wedded to a monster - all because he was a little too pretty?

Were the gods really so petty?

It felt as if the universe had conspired against him. He hadn’t asked for the worship, hadn’t wanted to be adored. This wasn’t like Arachne and her boasting, declaring that her weaving was better than Athena’s. For he never put himself higher than the gods, but the people. It wasn’t his fault that they seemed to insist on worshipping him, seemingly forgetting the goddess of beauty that already existed.

But what was he to the gods anyway?

He was just an ant, a tiny speck of mortal flesh amongst a sea of others.

He was nothing to them - and now that he was something they wished to punish him.

Because no one can outshine the gods.

Accidental or not.

As much as he wanted to scream. To fight. To curse the gods and heaven above, there truly wasn’t anything he could do.

You can’t defy fate.

He remembered the stories he learned growing up. Oedipus, fleeing his home to avoid fulfilling the prophecy of killing his father and marrying his mother, only for it to be the reason that the prophecy was fulfilled. Even almighty Filippos couldn’t escape fate - swallowing pregnant Metis to prevent being overthrown, only for the child, Athena, to have been born anyway. All throughout his life, he was told the same thing over and over again.

No one escapes fate.

Not even the gods.

And most certainly not him.

Chapter Text

Henry wasn’t sure how long he had been lying down in the meadow. It could’ve been seconds, it could’ve been hours, and Henry would’ve been none the wiser. Time was a funny thing like that.

What wasn’t funny, however, was his current predicament.

And by his current predicament, he means his love for Alexander. How could he force someone like him to love a monster? Henry could never forgive himself if he forced that kind of fate on Alexander.

Out of the corner of his eye, Henry spotted a familiar blur of motion - Pez, sprinting through the meadow with panic etched on his face.

“Hazza!” Pez cried once he reached him, “Here you are! I’ve been waiting for you all night!”

Henry blinked, confused. “All night? Why would you… oh.” It hit him then - the reason he had come to the meadow in the first place.

“I’m so glad you’re alright! When you didn’t show up in the woods, I was worried sick! It took a lot of time to get that monster, you know? And-”

“Wait, sorry. Woods? We were supposed to meet in the woods?”

“Yes?” Pez frowned. “Hazza… could you tell me what happened?”

So Henry told him.

He told Pez about the crowd in front of the palace, all waiting in hopes of being able to see Alexander. He talked about slipping through the gates, flying up to the mortal’s room. He talked about how he looked as he slept-

“Hazza? It sounds like you’re in love with this mortal.” Pez interrupted.

Henry flushed. “Sorry, Pez,” he mumbled, and went on.

Then came the part where he’d had to shoot Alexander.

“You shot him, Hazza? You were supposed to bring him to me first!” Then, Pez gasped. “Were you so enamoured with him that you forgot about the plan?”

Henry paused.

Yes, his mind whispered, he was. Blinded by the beauty that was Alexander. So much so that he had forgotten about what he was supposed to do.

“Hazza! You really did fall in love with him!” Pez leaned forward.

“Hush, Pez.” Henry resumed the story, finishing it with as much dignity as he could muster.

જ⁀➴ ♡

When he was done, Pez crossed his arms. “So what you’re telling me is… in your haste you have accidentally shot yourself with your own love arrow?”

Henry solemnly nodded.

“And now you’re in love with Alexander?”

“...Well I would’ve been in love with him regardless.”

Pez stared at him, then raised his arms dramatically. “Oh, we have to do something about this!”

Henry sighed, already regretting half of his life choices - and all of his recent ones. Pez was muttering to himself, pacing through the tall grass like a nervous peacock.

“But Pez-” Henry started. Unfortunately, it didn’t seem like Pez was listening anymore.

“No, no this is a disaster. You were supposed to bring him to the woods, Hazza! There was a whole plan! ”

Henry winced. “Yeah, well your plan didn’t account for me being a complete idiot, so here we are.”

“You’re not an idiot,” Pez said quickly.

“I shot myself with my own arrow.”

“...Okay, so you’re a lovable idiot.”

Henry groaned and let his head fall back into the grass. He stared up at the clouds, letting the weight of everything he was trying not to feel settled in his chest.

Despite only seeing Alex for a moment, Henry knew what he was feeling was real. He truly was in love.

“I should undo it,” Henry said quietly.

Pez paused mid-pace. “Undo what?”

“The arrow. The bond. Whatever connection the magic has made between us.”

There was a beat of silence. Then Pez barked out a laugh. “Undo it? We don’t even know how.”

“I’ll find a way.”

“You say that like there’s a How to Undo Love Arrows for Dummies scroll sitting around somewhere.”

“I don’t know! Maybe I’ll just crawl into a cave for the next millennium.”

“Hazza, you can’t just run away and hide! This isn’t just about the arrow anymore. The Oracle’s involved. There’s a whole prophecy-”

“There’s a what? ” Henry said, sitting up now.

“A prophecy!” Pez threw up his hands. “While I was looking for you, I went back to the palace and overheard it!”

Henry’s stomach dropped. “What did it say?”

“I don’t remember the exact wording,” Pez admitted. “Something about Alexander being sent to a mountain. And wedded to someone…”

Pez gasped. “It must be you, Hazza!”

“How could it possibly be me?”

“There was something about wings! You have wings!” Pez gestured towards Henry’s wings.

“That still doesn’t mean-”

“Come on, Hazza! You’re in love with him, right? This is fate! We have to do something about this!” Pez was beaming now, eyes shining.

Henry sighed. There was no stopping him now. “Ok, so what do you want me to do? Fly back into his bedroom? Say, ‘Hey, sorry for disappearing after attempting to make you fall in love with a monster with my love arrows, but now you’re going to have to marry me because of the divine prophecy. Also, I think your eyes are really pretty and I might’ve shot myself with my own love arrow, but that has nothing to do with any of this.’ Yeah, I’m sure that’ll go over great.”

Pez rolled his eyes. “A little smoother than that, maybe. But no need! The prophecy says that Alexander will be sent to a mountain, right? So we just collect him from there!”

“He’s not a crate of figs, Pez.”

“You get the gist!”

“But what if Alexander hates me?”

“Ooh, what if you stayed invisible the whole time! That way, he won’t know who you are!”

Henry blinked. “You think that will work? What about Gran?” In all the chaos, Henry had nearly forgotten about what started all of this in the first place.

“Why wouldn’t it? Come on! We’ve got so much to prepare for your Alexander!”

જ⁀➴ ♡

Apparently, Pez’s plan was to decorate the long abandoned palace that Henry had.

“I don’t get why you never use this place, Hazza!” Pez said, hands on hips. “It is perfectly secluded! No one will think to look here!”

And he wasn’t wrong.

In just a few hours, the palace was transformed. Pez conjured lush plants, velvet couches with plush pillows. He summoned elegant drapes and glittering tapestries. Statues. Fountains. Frescoes that shimmered. Invisible servants flitted around silently, awaiting orders.

The palace, long forgotten, had come alive again.

Henry couldn’t help but admire his friend’s work.

“Wow Pez, I- I can’t thank you enough.”

“Oh hush, Hazza. There is no need to thank me! Just… maybe don’t ruin the plan this time?” Pez flashed a grin.

Henry nodded, “Of course, Pez.”

“Well then,” Pez said brightly, “I shall be off to collect your precious Alexander. Ta-ta!”

With a wink, he vanished, leaving Henry alone.

Henry sighed and sank onto one of the soft couches. The palace was ready, while Henry was anything but.

Chapter Text

Alex was never really good at waiting.

Once everyone was gone and he was left standing at the top of the mountain, it was just him - and his thoughts. Probably only seconds had passed, but they stretched into hours.

He hated how the whole ordeal had felt like a funeral. The way his mother and the others had looked at him with half pity, half relief, as if he were already gone. They could’ve at least pretended this wasn’t a death sentence. The silence made it feel like he was doomed.

He probably was, but did they really have to dress him like he was headed to his own funeral? He was getting married, not buried. Though, maybe in this case, those were one and the same.

The prophecy did say that he was to wed a monster, after all.

The journey to the mountain hadn’t helped. The attendants had refused to meet his eyes, whispering prayers under their breath as though he were contagious. One had offered him a small bouquet of wildflowers before running off, and now they sat limp in his lap, petals trembling in the wind.

By the time they reached the summit, the sun was already dipping low, bleeding into the horizon. The attendants had barely waited for him to step off before they were gone, vanishing down the mountain path in a cloud of dust.

So now he sat here, alone, in the silence that followed.

The mountain was beautiful - in a bleak, desolate way. The air was thin, cool. Wild thyme grew between the rocks, and the wind moved through the patches of wildflowers that clung to the rock like whispered voices. From here, he could see everything: the river winding through the valley, the distant glow of the city, the ocean beyond. The sun was setting, painting everything in molten gold.

A good backdrop for a tragedy, he thought bitterly.

He was just beginning to wonder if he should start building himself a grave when a shadow flickered across the rocks.

He was no Enrikos, unfortunately, but he was certainly something. His hair was an unmistakable shade of bright purple, and, unless Alex had finally lost his mind, he seemed to be… floating? 

Alex blinked once. Twice. The man was still hovering several feet off the ground, as if he’d just decided gravity wasn’t for him.

“Are you who I’m supposed to marry?” Alex asked before he could stop himself. The man didn’t look like a monster, but then again, looks could be deceiving.

The man laughed, bright and melodic. “No, strumpet. I am merely here to bring you to him.”

Alex blinked again. “...Strumpet?”

But before he could ask for clarification, the wind picked up.

It began as a whisper, then grew, swirling around him in dizzying circles. Dust, petals, and leaves spun into the air, and Alex barely had time to shout before his feet left the ground.

The wind wrapped around him like invisible hands, lifting him higher and higher. His stomach dropped. The world below blurred into patches of color.

Persi, he thought incredulously. He’d seen his likeness carved into temple walls, painted with mischief in his smile.

And now here he was, purple hair and all, ferrying Alex through the sky.

He wanted to close his eyes, but curiosity and disbelief kept them open. The sky was so wide it almost hurt to look at. Persi flew ahead of him.

“Hold on, would you?” Persi said cheerfully, as if they were out for a pleasant afternoon stroll instead of flying through the air.

The whole thing felt like a fever dream.

Maybe they truly did just hold his funeral. Maybe he was already dead and this was some elaborate afterlife prank.

જ⁀➴ ♡

After what felt like forever, and also possibly no time at all, the wind began to slow. The air grew warm again, fragrant with flowers and the faintest hint of something sweet - honey, maybe.

Before Alex knew it, his feet brushed against solid ground again. He stumbled, knees buckling slightly, and had to steady himself on what appeared to be a marble floor.

When the world stopped spinning, he realized he was standing in a vast courtyard.

It was beautiful.

Columns of ivory stone stretched toward the sky, draped in flowering vines. The air was warm here, perfumed with jasmine and honey. A fountain gurgled nearby, golden fish darting through clear water, and the walls shimmered faintly, as if the whole place was touched by starlight.

It felt too perfect, too deliberate, like something from a dream.

“Welcome to your new home, strumpet!” Persi announced proudly, arms spread wide.

Alex turned slowly, taking it all in. “This… is mine?”

“Well, it’s someone’s, but for now, yes! Consider it your bridal suite!”

Alex opened his mouth, then closed it again. “I’m sorry, did you just say bridal suite?”

Persi grinned. “You’re welcome!”

Alex blinked. “That wasn’t a thank you.”

“Close enough!”

He wanted to argue, but he was in enough trouble with divine beings already. Plus, his brain was still trying to catch up with the fact that he’d been whisked off a mountain by a flying god who called him strumpet.

“Look, uh…” he started,” is my- is the monster here?”

Persi tilted his head. “Patience, darling! All will be revealed in time.”

That did not make Alex feel better.

But before he could demand an explanation, a door opened on its own.

Or rather, there was no door. The air shimmered, and suddenly there was a corridor, wide and bright, lined with tall vases and silver mirrors. It was as if the palace itself had decided it was ready for him.

Persi gestured dramatically. “Go on, then! You’ll find everything you need inside.”

“Everything I need,” Alex repeated, looking at him. “Including answers?”

Persi just winked. “Eventually.”

And then, before Alex could blink again, he was gone.

Just, POOF. Gone.

Alex stared at the empty space for a long moment. Then he sighed, rubbing a hand over his face. “Fantastic,” he muttered under his breath.

With nothing else to do, he turned and stepped into the palace.

The inside was even more dazzling, and somehow worse. The ceiling soared high enough to fit an entire temple inside, covered in frescoes that shimmered faintly when he moved. The air smelled faintly of roses and sunlight, if sunlight could have a scent. Plush couches in rich colors were scattered about, and the walls glowed with some unseen light.

He turned in a slow circle. “Okay,” he said out loud, mostly to convince himself this was real. “I’m either dead, hallucinating, or in the world’s most aggressive real estate scam.”

From somewhere nearby came a faint sound - soft footsteps, like slippers on stone.

Alex froze.

“Hello?” he called out.

No answer.

He took another step forward. “If you are the monster I’m supposed to marry, I’d appreciate at least a hello.”

Still nothing, though the air seemed to hum faintly, as if listening.

Alex swallowed, then muttered, “Cool. Love that for me.”

The palace didn’t answer, but something in the air shifted, as if it were listening.

He hesitated, then took another step forward. The walls seemed to hum faintly beneath his fingertips, warm like sunlit stone. The vases that lined the hall were filled with flowers he didn’t recognize. Some glowing faintly blue, others swaying even though there was no breeze.

A low sound echoed somewhere in the distance. They weren’t footsteps, but they definitely couldn’t be chalked up for the wind either.

Alex swallowed. “Right,” he muttered. “Definitely not creepy at all.”

He wandered further, trailing his hand along the wall. Light seemed to pour in from everywhere at once - soft, golden, alive. It was beautiful in that unsettling, divine kind of way.

When he rounded a corner, he found himself in what looked like a sitting room. A fire flickered in a marble hearth, though no one was there to tend to it. Bread, figs, honey, and wine sat neatly arranged on a low table, as if waiting for him.

“Okay,” he said slowly. “That’s… interesting.”

Still, his stomach growled.

He reached for the bread.

A faint breeze brushed the back of his neck. Cold. Deliberate.

Alex froze.

“...Hello?” he said again, quieter this time.

Nothing.

But the air was different now. He could sense it. That strange electric weight, like when a storm was about to break. His heartbeat quickened.

“I swear, if you’re the monster I’m supposed to marry, I would really appreciate knowing what’s going on,” he said, voice unsteady but firm.

The fire flickered once, brighter - almost in response.

Alex took a step back. “Right. Great talk.”

He turned toward the corridor again, trying to shake off the prickling at the back of his neck.

Behind him, unseen, the air shimmered, just for a moment, in the vague outline of wings.