"Hercules? Here?" Athena growled, her voice low and dangerous. "I broke my vow of chastity for one night with him, and now I'm stuck with his spawn?"
The doctor, a middle-aged man with a balding head, gulped nervously but stood his ground. "It might be comforting for you to have the father present, my lady."
Athena scoffed, her lips curling into a smirk. "Comforting? Ha! That man is about as comforting as a sharp stick in the eye."
The doctor, not used to such language from a goddess, blanched but quickly recovered. "As you wish, my lady."
Another contraction hit, and Athena gripped the edge of the birthing bed tighter. "Bring me wine. Lots of wine."
A servant scurried off to fulfill her request, and Athena took a deep breath, focusing on the task at hand. She remembered the night she spent with Hercules, the demigod and son of Zeus. He was strong and arrogant, just like she expected. But there was something about him that drew her in, a spark of mischief in his grey eyes that she couldn't resist.
And now, she was paying the price for that one night of weakness. She could hear the cries of her twins, Annabeth and Telemachus, as they made their way into the world.
The doctor returned with a goblet of wine, and Athena took a long sip, letting the liquid burn its way down her throat. "You're doing well, my lady," he said, trying to offer some words of encouragement.
Athena snorted, her lips curling into a smirk. "I'm a goddess, you fool. I was made for this."
And with that, she pushed again, bringing her twins into the world with a final roar of pain and determination. The doctor quickly handed the babies to a servant, who wrapped them in blankets and handed them to Athena.
She looked down at her children, her expression softening. "You may be the spawn of Hercules, but you are also mine," she murmured, her voice filled with a fierce love. "And I will raise you to be strong, controlling, and direct, just like your mother."
The servant nodded, taking the babies to be cleaned and swaddled. Athena leaned back against the pillows, her body spent from the labor.
"You did well, my lady," the doctor said, offering her a small smile.
Athena raised an eyebrow. "I told you, I'm a goddess. This was nothing."
The doctor chuckled, shaking his head. "I'll leave you to rest, then. And if you need anything else..."
"I won't," Athena interrupted, her voice sharp. "I need no one but myself."
The doctor nodded, taking the hint. "Of course, my lady. I'll be just outside if you need me."
As the doctor left, Athena allowed herself a small smile. She may have regretted her night with Hercules, but she didn't regret her twins. They were a part of her, and she would do anything to protect them.
She closed her eyes, drifting off to sleep as the sounds of the birthing chamber faded away. She was a goddess, and she had just brought new life into the world. She was strong, controlling, and direct, and she would make sure her children knew that from an early age.
For now, though, she would rest. She had earned it.
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