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"I hate you Artemis." I glared at her when the world stopped spinning.

Artemis didn't reply. She was too busy greeting someone.

That someone had flowing blonde hair and was very tanned, this made her white toga stand out.

She resembled Apollo's normal form quite a lot. As the two spoke Artemis' form seemed to change to resemble the woman and she actually looked like she was Apollo's sister for once.

Then it hit me who this was. Leto. Artemis and Apollo's mother. Titaness of Motherhood and Modesty.

Leto turned her golden eyes on me.

"And this is Ariadne?" She asked Artemis. I shifted. Artemis nodded, Let's eyes rested on my stomach and I felt the sudden urge to wrap my arms around myself, it was almost like she was X-raying me, "And she's pregnant."

I cleared my throat, "so I'm guessing you're Leto."

"Yes I am," she smiled, she spread her arms and smiled a warm friendly smile, "I have heard so much about you from my children, I am so glad to finally meet you. Now," she glanced back at Artemis and then back at me again, "tell me, where is my son?"

I exchanged a glance with Artemis. "Well that's complicated," I confessed.

"Father is angry at him again." Artemis nodded, "He blames Apollo for egging Octavian on in his endeavour to defeat the Greeks."

"Ah," Leto crossed her arms.

"I will try and talk him down," Artemis assured her mother, "but it seems that Ariadne can't keep her temper in check. So Zeus is mad at her too, which won't help, so I thought she could stay with you for a while."

"That would be appropriate," Leto eyed my stomach again, this time I did cover it with my arms.

"I have to go," Artemis sounded slightly worried about her brother, "I have to speak on Apollo's behalf."

Artemis did go. Leaving me and Let alone.

"So, why haven't I met you before?" She asked me, "Apollo comes to visit me all the time."

"I don't know," I replied, my arms still wrapped around my stomach in a protective manner, "Apollo never mentioned you to me."

Leto didn't seem to like this fact, "how old are you?" She tried to change the topic.

"Almost nineteen." I stood my ground under her gaze.

"You're still a child yourself," her eyes softened, "how alone you must feel."

"I'm not alone," I snapped back, only realising after I said it that it was wrong. Right now I was alone. Apollo was Zeus knows where, the crew of the Argo and all of the Demigods were no doubt still fighting for their lives against Gaia, and I was alone with a woman I had never met before, having broken an oath on the Styx to my mother, carrying a child who was supposedly extremely powerful.

I didn't want to admit it, even to myself, but I was alone.

Leto gave me a sympathetic look, "believe it or not dear I understand how you feel, I was alone once too, Hera had cursed me, and I needed to give birth, but no one could aid me. Then I had my two wonderful children and I never felt alone again."

I gulped.

"You know most goddesses don't have to go through pregnancies," Leto continued, "but I think that it is an excellent way to prepare for motherhood, you shall experience it all, quite right too, how else should you prepare to raise my grandchild."

I gulped again, "um, my lady..."

"Leto," she corrected me, "you may even call me mum if you wish."

"Leto, how am I supposed to ever be ready for this?" I asked her, "any of it?"

"You can't," said said in a comforting manner, "no one is fully prepared for motherhood, you would be a fool to think you can be fully prepared."

"So what am I supposed to do them?" I asked her.

"Do your best." She told me, "that is all you can do."

I looked around, I was in a large room, with a high ceiling. There were white marble columns lining the hall and a beautiful marble staircase the wove towards the upper levels.

"Where are we?" I asked, looking back at Leto, who's togo matched the room pretty well.

"We're in my house." Leto smiled, "come, I will show you."

Everybody meet Leto, Leto meet everybody.
The WiFi at my ski apartment actually works so I am able to update! I also started working in a new book (a Harry Potter fanfic) so keep and eye on my profile for info about that.
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~Em xx