When I arrived at my father’s home he was not available to greet me in his conference room slash throne room. His housekeeper, Hana, told me the king of the races called Titans and Olympians, was swimming in the Sea of Japan. I left my constant companions to walk out to the edge of a nearly circular bay three hundred yards outside his front door. The bay itself was nearly a mile in diameter and the deep water ran up to the sandy beach. The volcano that created the bay was long since extinct, but the scar it left behind was clearly visible.

Zeus swam toward shore when he saw me standing on the sand.

A cold east wind churned the waves up to nearly six feet and a damp spray wet my clothes. Clouds piled up on the horizon and I wondered if they would bring rain or snow. The air was certainly cold enough for snow. A sudden gust of wind blew my coat open, sending a chill deep inside.

Dad swam in powerful strokes toward the beach. “Aren’t you cold?” I asked Zeus when he was in earshot.

He climbed out of the water, naked as a newborn. “Athena, it is good to see you again. And I find the cold water invigorating. However, the wind is as cold as Hera’s heart, so let’s go inside, please.” Zeus jogged toward his house, his wet dark hair sticking to his back. I followed at a more leisurely pace.

Of my companions, I think Bill Townsend is the most thrilled to be able to visit Zeus, again. Helios is always happy to see him, too. He had been one of Zeus’s spies until we married, so he and Zeus had a close relationship.

Hermes was glad of the visit because he was still in a pig’s form and was eager to be changed into human form, again. Circe’s handiwork could not be easily undone.

And Ares? Who could ever tell what lurks behind Ares’s brow? Ares spent most of his time glowering or snapping sarcastically at me.

Hana the housekeeper opened the door for me when I stepped on the front porch.

“I’ll be in momentarily,” I said to her. She nodded and quietly closed the door, again. I had never seen my father’s home in daylight before. The one time I visited was well past midnight when the bay was lovely in the moonlight.

Under the storm-tossed clouds, it was truly stunning. Small evergreen trees outlined the bay and the wide yellow beach provided a nice contrast in color between the dark green of the trees and the steel gray of the water. A hill rose to the right at least fifty feet and the left side of the bay was flatter.

Helios appeared beside me. “Zeus chose his home well,” I told my husband.

“Not such a bad idea, owning an island,” Helios conceded.

“Perhaps we should buy one for your horses. It will take years for the valley to regrow,” I said, feeling another pang of guilt at the damage I had wrought. I sent the power in every direction, felling trees and routing animals from their hiding places. Every time I encountered an animal, be it the smallest bird or a fully grown deer, I utterly destroyed it. Within seconds, the entire valley was laid waste, from the smallest flower to the tallest tree that reached its wooden arms toward the sun. I felt every death of every blade of grass, every fish in the lake, every majestic tree. I felt worms die and crickets and spiders. None suffered, but all were dead, that spark that makes them grow and thrive gone forever. Out and out the wave of destruction spread, up to the tops of the unnamed mountains that surrounded the once peaceful valley. The snow melted and the mountains became nothing but bare rock. The memory still stung like a million bees. I shook my head to dispel the images.

“There are hundreds of uninhabited islands all over the planet. Definitely, something to look into,” Helios agreed.

The door behind me opened and my father said, “Come out of the cold before you crack.” After just a very few minutes, Zeus sported dry hair, blue jeans, and a starched white shirt. Boots of black leather covered his feet. I stepped closer to him and he pulled me into an embrace. Eli embraced Zeus, too.

“Bill is here?” Dad asked me. My father seemed as eager to see Bill as Bill was to see him. Maybe they just liked each other.

“Of course. And Ares and Hermes,” I said.

“Waiting in your conference room,” Eli added.

We three walked in that direction, Eli on my right placed an arm on my shoulders, and Zeus on my left encircled my waist. Zeus asked me, “What do I owe the honor of your company?” We entered the conference room.

“We are here about Hermes.”

“Ah, yes. Circe is still turning people into swine. She really needs to learn a new trick,” Zeus said. Actually, Circe had learned too many new tricks of late. Then, “Bill, it is good to see you again.” The King held out his hand and shook Bill’s warmly.

“Great to be here, Your Majesty.” Bill beamed as he shook Zeus’s hand.

“I told you already, call me Zeus. Now Athena, did you bring Hermes here just to show him off? He is a rather attractive pig, I must admit. Blue ribbon quality, at the very least.”

“No,” I said, taken somewhat aback. “We would respectfully request that you change him back to human form.”

“I can’t,” Zeus said.

“Why not?” I asked.

“He is yours.”

“But, I tried and it didn’t work.”

“Try harder.”

I gave my dad an irritated look. He returned the look and then said, “Athena, once I made you my heir there was a transference of power. You draw power from every one of your followers, but even more from your power partnership with Ares, Helios, and Bill. I have, in essence, abdicated, though not officially, yet. I cannot alter Hermes because he belongs to you and it is up to you to change him. But, if you tried and you failed, ask yourself, does Hermes really want to be an Olympian, again or do you want it for him?”

I had no answer.

Zeus continued in a milder tone, “Athena, this is part of being a leader. It is not just making decisions that will change the course of history. It is mostly about dealing with your followers. It is mostly about doing what is best for them, even if it's not necessarily what you want.”

Ares frowned deeply and asked, “Are you saying that you gave up some of your power when you named Athena your heir?”

“Not really giving it up. As an Olympian, Athena draws power from those around her. The more people she has following her, the stronger she will get. Because there are a finite number of Olympians and Titans, as she gains followers, I will lose followers.”

The story has been illicitly taken; should you find it on Amazon, report the infringement.

“But, Dad, won’t that make you more vulnerable?” Ares asked.

“Maybe,” Zeus conceded.

“What about those who seek to overthrow you?” Ares asked.

“What about them?” Zeus asked.

“Will they be able to succeed?”

“They will likely start attacking Athena, instead. You see, Ares, the attacks were not aimed at me directly, but at my position and I no longer hold the position of King. With the exception of your mother, Hera, of course. I think she still wants me dead regardless of who is in power."

“And where is she, these days?” Ares asked.

“Your mother and Poseidon are currently thick as thieves. Last I heard my dearly beloved wife is living the high life in Kuala Lumpur. Now, what have you accomplished since last we spoke,” Zeus asked me as he sat in his accustomed chair. Hana brought glasses and a bottle of expensive Bordeaux wine and vanished as if she were spirited out of the room. I sat beside the King.

“I have secured lodgings on the Chesapeake Bay--the entire three upper floors of a high-rise building. I have gathered Mom, as you knew I would, Mnemosyne, Phoebe, Titan, Leto, Boreas, Calliope, Irene, and Bia. It’s only been a couple of weeks, so more will arrive presently.”

“You’ve made a good start,” Zeus agreed. “And your followers are mostly Titans." Zeus looked thoughtful for a few moments. "Listen to the Titans. They will guide you well. Gather as many as you can and ask their oaths to you to be witnessed so they cannot renege later.”

I nodded and replied, “Before anyone is allowed to join my circle, they have to face Mnemosyne and she verifies their sincerity when they take their vows.”

The King smiled at me in approval.

Zeus leaned back in his chair and took a deep breath before continuing. A sad look crossed his face. “Much of what I learned as a monarch was learned the hard way. I didn't have anyone teaching me anything. In the beginning, I just wanted to be the most powerful person on this planet and I cared little for humans. You have a much better start than I did in that you already have a great affection for humans. Don’t ever lose that.

“I’ve given your leadership a lot of thought and I have decided you already know more than enough to be a successful ruler. Athena, my dear, you will forge a new era in our kind. You will accomplish things that I should have but didn’t. You should have been the ruler right from the start.” His eyes clouded with memories. He shook them away and continued. “Do not tolerate those who oppose you because, in the long run, you will be miserable.” He rose and then said in departure. “My queen, you can learn nothing more from me. Trust yourself and your advisors.” My father, the king, went on one knee before me to do me obeisance. There was a collective gasp in the room. Zeus had never knelt before anyone before.

Then, the King, looking suddenly as young as a teenager, rose to his full height and vanished from the room. The portraits along the wall of the conference room vanished with him.

“Where’d all the pictures go?” Bill asked.

“Wherever Zeus went,” I said. “Eli, can you see him?”

Eli’s eyes lost their focus for a few moments and he sadly shook his head in the negative.

A piece of paper gently floated down from the ceiling and landed on the table directly in front of me. My name was written in an elegant hand on the outside. I unfolded it and read aloud:

“ ‘My Queen, my dearest child, take my home and my island. I have already removed everything that belongs to me, including Hana. It is now yours to do with as you please. I will be in touch.’ He signed it with an elaborate Z.” His golden crown that was adorned with diamonds and amethysts appeared on the table in front of me and his ring of office - an amethyst signet with a carved lightning bolt buried in the center of the large jewel.

I stared at the symbols of office and felt my mouth hanging open in disbelief. If this was Dad’s idea of a joke, I didn’t find it very funny.

I reread the note to myself, not quite believing the words.

“That solves the problem of buying an island,” Eli said.

“You were going to buy an island?” Bill asked.

“Eli and I very briefly discussed it outside a few minutes ago. I was going to get Dion to find us something, but this will do quite nicely.” I stood and walked to the window that overlooked the bay. “I have apparently been dropped in the deep end of the pool.” My brain couldn’t fully grasp what just happened to me.

“So, now what?” Ares asked.

“Eli, how many Titans and Olympians are there on Earth right now?” I asked.

“Three thousand four hundred ninety-two.”

“We should likely start spreading the word, slowly, that Zeus is out of the picture. But, first, I want to look around my new home,” I told them all.

My new house on the bay boasted ten large bedrooms, twelve bedroom suites, a very well-appointed chef’s kitchen, a formal dining area, two smaller dining rooms, the conference room, a library, a greenhouse, a family room big enough for a family reunion, two smaller cozy family rooms, at least six offices, an outdoor bonsai garden, stables, and thirty-nine bathrooms.

I walked from room to room, each one sparsely decorated, and imagined how they could look with a little loving care.

After nearly an hour of exploration, I chose the bedroom suite closest to the conference room that had a heavenly view of the bay through French doors. It even had a connecting door with the large conference room. The bedroom suite was custom-made for me, I thought, with four different sleeping areas and four bathrooms. Each of my power partners could have their own private space, but still, be close enough to attend to me if I needed. No sharing of facilities around here. But, nothing less is appropriate for a queen.

A queen. The Queen. I am the queen. It happened so quickly that my head had not stopped spinning. What did it mean? What did it entail? Who could I go to when I needed advice? My companions were as inexperienced in this regard as me.

What to do next? I had better make a decision before Ares decides to goad me, again. The house was sparse without any decorations or any of those “homey” touches. That is something Hebe and Ariadne could take care of without my help. I would decorate my bedroom, but everywhere else could be done by others.

Just two months ago, I only had a small apartment above the bookstore and a little house in the Caucasus Valley. Now, I owned Bill’s house and it was already bursting and tiny compared to the house on Olympia Island. I owned the top three floors of the Highrise in Norfolk.

Perhaps Bill’s house could be a refuge away from my entourage. I couldn’t stay away from Eli, Bill, or Ares for any length of time because I would always be compelled to return. The four of us were all much stronger when in close proximity.

I lingered in my bedroom, trying to gather swirling thoughts. Eli came to my rescue. “Athena, my heart, it may be time to hire some servants.”

“Servants?” I asked.

“Yes, those who specialize in service. A butler, a chambermaid or two, a chef, a groundskeeper, a personal assistant. This place is far too large for you to care for, alone. Your days of attending to your own domestic duties have ended.”

“But, Eli, I like making my own bed,” I whined.

“Athena, stop thinking like a bookstore owner and start thinking like a Queen.”

“Oh, no! The bookstore. I suppose I should close it.”

“Yes, you could.”

“I think I will give it to Julie Adams. She has been running it for the most part, anyway.”

“Good idea,” Eli said.

“Are you going to agree with everything I say?”

“Not forever. Athena, I can feel your brain whirling. You are jumping from one thought to the next at high speed. I can barely keep up. Zeus just dumped all of this in your lap and you need time to process it all. Ares, Hermes, and Bill are waiting in the corridor.”

I nodded and sent them a mental message to come into the bedroom. Eli addressed them when the two men and the one pig arrived. “It appears our Athena has chosen the bedroom with the bay view. You three can select any of the others in this suite.”

“After choosing our new palace quarters, then what, your majesty?” Ares asked.

“I don’t know, Ares. I just don’t know,” I snapped. “Why not try doing something useful instead of continually hurling your barbs in my direction.”

“What Athena is asking,” Eli said, “Is that you make a suggestion. She cannot think at the moment. A lot has happened in the past few hours.”

“Dad told you what to do,” Ares said. “Find your enemies and destroy them.”

“He also told me to solidify my position as Queen.”

“Okay. At least that is something. You sit like you are on a grand throne waiting for everyone to come to you. Why don't you try recruiting some help?”

Actually, Ares’s advice was good. I nodded, thoughtfully.