Chapter 35: Holy Matrimony

This chapter's gonna be a short one, just one I felt I needed to write. Here you go :)

Chapter 35: Holy Matrimony

Days Earlier

Artemis winced as the cold brush touched her face. She hadn't wanted makeup, but Larissa insisted she look her best that day. They weren't putting too much on anyhow, just a bit to lighten her face up and make her silver eyes stand out. Selena sat behind her, doing her hair as Artemis used to do to her when she was a girl. Those days were gone now, Selena had grown up, but Artemis thankfully had Sapphire to braid.

She missed when Selena was young. She'd tag along with the Hunt from Fall through to Spring and then spend the Summers at camp. She looked just like a female version of Percy, it was hard to look at her on the bad days. Then there was the time when Thalia shaved the sides of her head, giving her a mohawk that went down to her back, and then when Phoebe had given her a face tattoo that she kept for two weeks before Artemis made her get it taken off by Apollo. She still had slight marks on the left side of her face where the tattoo was once located, though it was very faint and you could only see it from up close. That was a weird time.

"So I don't get it. Why aren't you and dad already married?" Larissa asked, pulling away to look over her face. Artemis shrugged. "Technically we are, we just never had a wedding. Well actually, we technically did have a wedding, but it was on our couch." She said, and Selena stuck her head out from behind her.

"Oh yeah? And was the honeymoon on a couch as well?" She teased, and so Artemis decided to hit her back even harder. "Where do you think you were conceived?" She smirked, making Selena pale. "Forget I brought it up." She mumbled, making Larissa chuckle.

Larissa turned her head so she could get a bit on the side. "I thought you and dad didn't want to have the wedding until after the war, what happened to that?" She asked her mother. The goddess pursed her lips, not wanting to say what was on her mind for fear of it upsetting her daughters.

"We just.... Couldn't wait is all. It's been 17 years since we were together, Riss. Now that we're reunited we're making up for lost time." Artemis told her, and Selena decided to pipe in again. "I know. Sometimes you guys don't fully shut the door at night and we can all hear your 'making up for lost time.'" She jested.

When they were done with the makeup and hair, Larissa pulled the dress out of its box. A long white gown that was as tall as the goddess herself. It was strapless and sleeveless, and came with its own heels and bridal gloves. Selena rolled out on her swivel chair. "Aw, it's so beautiful." She said, scooting over and helping Larissa bring it over.

They helped their mother dress, and Artemis winced as they tightened the back. "It's like this thing is made for children." She cringed, looking at herself in the mirror. She thought it looked great, at least trying to see it from the eyes of Percy. The dress hugged her curves and complimented her medium skin and auburn hair. The silver eyeliner did its job as well.

They finished dressing her, and after a five minute break to have some drinks (only one of course), Larissa checked her watch. "Alright, we're due to start. Let's get going." She said, walking to the door of the eldest daughter's room and holding it open for her. Artemis nodded and put the beer bottle down, standing up and walking out with her daughters, both of whom were in their bridesmaid dresses to go meet with Nyx and Sapphire.

Percy stood at the altar patiently, not breaking a sweat, which was uncommon for a man in his position. Usually its the groom's job to sweat up a storm in the minutes leading up to his marriage, but Percy wasn't at all nervous about it. That just goes to show the amount of faith he had in this. He had no doubt Artemis would say yes, because he knew they loved each other. They had six children to show for it, though to be fair she only birthed one of them.

As Calix was the eldest, he was his father's best man, and he leaned over to the elder god. "Y'know, if you break her heart, I'm gonna kill you." He threatened with a grin, making Percy give him a quick side-glance. "I would clap you in a fight, boy." He said.

Urion leaned over from his place as a groomsman. "You already have, many times." He reminded the pair, and Calix blew a raspberry at him.

Achilles cringed. "Hey dad, keep the kiss nice and small. I don't really wanna stand here and watch my parents make out with each other." He pleaded, and Percy rolled his eyes. He almost felt like making the kiss spicy just to spite his second son, but decided that for the sake of everyone else in the room, he'd keep it PG.

Luke looked down at his watch, then back up at them from his seat in the front. "They should be here soon. Be ready." He warned them, and Percy immediately straightened himself out as he waited for his bride.

Artemis stood on the other side of the door, flanked by Larissa, Selena and Zoe. They were all giving her encouraging nods, and she took a few deep breaths as she prepared to open the doors. She felt a little tug on her right hand and she looked down. Sapphire looked up at her with a bright smile on her face, and she gently squeezed her mother's hand. Artemis smiled gratefully at her and opened the doors, still with her hand linked to Sapphire's.

Percy's breath hitched as the doors swung open, and five silhouettes appeared in the doorway. As the light flooded in on them, they revealed themselves to be five of the girls most dear to him. Artemis walked up with her left hand holding a bouquet, the other clutching their youngest daughter's hand tight. The girl in question had a basket on that arm, and with her other hand she picked flower petals out of it and threw them to the sides gracefully.

Larissa and Zoe helped hold up Artemis' long-ass dress, while Selena walked just behind and to the side of her mother as they approached the altar. When they got to the steps Sapphire gave Artemis' hand one last squeeze and let go, walking over to sit by Bianca and Silena.

The four women ascended the steps and the three bridesmaids went to stand to the side, with Selena being right next to Artemis. The goddess in question approached Percy, who smiled and took her hands. "You look beautiful." He whispered to her, making his wife blush. 'Thank you' she mouthed back, and they waited for Nyx to begin the ceremony.

They had told Nyx to keep it short, and not to bother with all the unnecessary shit that prolonged ceremonies. They just say their vows, say I do, then they're done. "Percy, do you want to go first?" She asked, and everyone turned their eyes on him.

He took a deep breath, going over what he had practised in his head for hours. "Artemis, I know we've technically been married for like 17 years, but we both wanted a real wedding with updated vows and witnesses and everything, so here goes."

"I promise that I will be faithful and loyal to you, moon. Uh, shit, sorry, I'm tryna remember our original vows." He sighed, looking over to the groomsmen and the bridesmaids. His children. The guys gave him a thumbs up, and Percy turned back to her.

"I've already given you five children, plus an additional little girl, and I even spared you from having to, uh, incubate five of them, which I know sucks. I promise that if you want any more, I'll use my power to spare you the pain of nine months morning sickness and weird cravings, if you want." His wife smiled, and Selena looked slightly offended, feeling like her dad was calling her out.

"I promise to love you, no matter how you act, how you look, you will always be mine, and I give myself up in order to be yours only." He swore, and Artemis looked down to stop herself from shedding tears.

It was too late for Selena, and Larissa rolled her eyes at her younger sister.

Artemis cleared her throat, deciding in the heat of the moment to wing it like Percy sorta did. "I... promise to love you with all my heart for all eternity. I promise, not only to you but also to our beautiful children," She said, looking between the sons and daughters of Perseus and Artemis. "that I will be the most loving mother they could ever have, and to the five of you who lived your whole lives without one, I'm sorry. I'll make it up to you." She said, and said children smiled at her.

"I promise to be faithful to you, as I was for 17 years," She reminded him, making Percy flush and give her a lopsided smirk. "and I vow that I will never feel for a man what I feel for you. I love you, Percy, and I'm glad to become your wife, for real this time." She finished, smiling as she rubbed the back of his hand with her thumb.

Nyx nodded. "Now, the rings?" Percy looked behind him, to Calix who stepped up with the ring fished out of his pocket, and on the other side Selena did the same.

Both Percy and Artemis took the rings from their children and presented them to each other. They were the same ones they had had for the last 17 years, freshly polished and shining bright as the day they were first worn.

Percy took her hand and slipped the ring on, while Artemis did the same with his. They compared jewellery, and Percy gave her a cheeky smile.

Nyx smiled. "Now for the best part. Percy, do you take Artemis, goddess of the hunt and moon to be your eternal wife and true love, you godly mate now and forever?" She asked, and Percy swallowed. "I do."

She turned to Artemis. "Artemis, do you take Percy, god of heroes and time to be your eternal husband and true love, your godly mate now and forever?" She relayed the same question to Artemis, who nodded without hesitation. "I do."

Nyx stepped back. "Then... I pronounce you god and wife. You may kiss the bride." She said, looking to Percy. Without any hesitation or consideration for his family and friends, he swooped his eternal wife into a deep and passionate kiss, one which she eagerly returned.

With the ceremony officially over, everyone in the room clapped, and the demigod spirits got up and moved all the chairs out of the way.

As they released from their kiss Percy and Artemis were overwhelmed by the hugs from their children, and Percy himself was almost bowled over by Sapphire.

Percy took Artemis' hand and she looked up at him. They both leaned in for another quick kiss, thoroughly grossing out the kids, before descending the stairs and heading for the door.

"Ahem." Urion said from Percy's left, and he rolled his eyes. The god snapped his fingers, bringing out half his liquor cabinet onto the tables. "Don't give any to your sister." He said, nodding to Sapphire.

Calix watched as the happy couple left the room to consummate their marriage and Selena took Sapphire off to find the apple juice, all the while ignorant to the gold mist floating behind him, gradually moving closer.

I know what you're thinking. NO CHOICE. I know, I know. I just wanted to write this first. Idk when I'll update next. I'm sure you've seen on the news about the California fires. Unfortunately those things are spreading north of the border into Oregon, and there was like three big ones on the other side of Medford from me. Since we live in a forest in south Oregon, my dad has decided to pack us up and we're heading to Louisiana.... into hurricane season. Good planning dad. But hey, I get to bring my girlfriend, I get to swim in alligator infested bayous, and I get to live in a small mansion so meh. Plus my grandparents have a very secure basement thanks to Hurricane Katrina so I'm gonna bunk w the girls in there thank you very much. But yeah, between that and my Halloween story i gotta write by 10/20 Idk when the NC chapter's gonna come out. Hell I might get bored n update BSC or Taste before then, who knows.

Word Count: 2194