162 Masquerade of emotions

Arei nodded, surprise evident in his expression. "Yes, gods yes!" He turned cupping her face once again, this time lowering his forehead to hers. "It has been bothering me to no end..." His brows tented as he searched her eyes. "You said you've notice things, what has been your theories?"

Jos tilted her head, "Theories?"

Arei nodded, "Yes, what do you think I've been lying about?" A server walked by with a tray and offered them drinks. Arei took two flutes, handing one to Jos.

Jos took a long drink as she studied him. "Why don't you tell me what you've been lying about instead."

Arei nodded. "I've let this go too long now, haven't I? I'm causing you more pain by keeping it, obviously..." He tossed back his drink and held his hand out for the server to come back. Taking two more glasses, he threw them both back one after another before taking a fourth. He twirled the glass by its long thin stem. "Alright... here goes..." He held his hand out for hers. When she placed hers in his he lowered to one knee and placed a kiss across her knuckles. "Hi, my name is Arieon, son of Poseidon. It is more than a pleasure to make your acquaintance... and I think- I know I'm in love with you."

Jos tilted her head, "I understand, Rion is a shortened form. Why is that a big deal?" She asked.

Arie cleared his throat. "Because my brother also goes by that same 'shortened' name... when we want to pretend to be one another."

She furrowed her brows still not understanding. "Rion, I-"

"Arei, please. Even if this is the only time, I'll ever hear you say it." He interrupted.

"Arei, I don't understand exactly what you're getting at." She said. She pulled her hand away and began playing with the stem of her glass before taking a testing drink of the bubbling liquid inside.

Arei let out a frustrated sigh. "This really isn't the place for this conversation." He turned to the railing as he ran his hand over his stubbled chin again. His eyes caught on the center cutout below. He turned and quickly pulled Jos over to the railing. "You see those horses below?" He pointed down to several kelpies visible from below the glass dance floor. "Watch as they surface. He wrapped his arm around her waist, pulling her against his side as they both watched the beautiful black stallions leap from the waters turning into handsome men as soon as the bodies came into contact with the ground.

Jos gasped but didn't draw her eyes away. They widened as they searched him. "Are you one of those?"

Arei nodded, "Not quite in the way that they are kelpies and I'm a demi-god but in the way that I am a stallion in my other form. A black stallion." He said, holding his breath as he waited for the information to sink in.

He bit his lower lip as he tried spelling it out for her farther. "You have spent time with my brother and I both at the same time. I was the-"

"There you are! I'd wondered where you'd made it off to!" Poseidon said, making his way up the stairs. "I have some people here who'd love to meet you, my dear child." He stepped aside as a nearly white-haired man stepped up the last few steps followed by a woman more radiant than the sun. She Wore a golden crown that glistened in the pale light and a beautiful floor length gown with a slit running all the way up her thigh. It was set in a rich teal and lined in gold. Large jewels adorned her neck, ears, and wrists; all matching the dazzling dress. Poseidon held his hand out as he held his son's gaze steadily. "I'd like to introduce, by brother and his radiant wife. Zeus, Hera... This is the Kraken, Joslyn, my son's soon to be bride. Isn't that right son?" He turned a pointed look to Arei.

Arei nodded holding Jos tightly against his side. "Yes, that is the plan. We are waiting to announce it formally until after her final hearing in a little over two months." His eyes shifted to Hera. "After your blessings of course, Aunt Hera."

Hera stepped forward and studied Jos. She took her hand and flipped it over in hers now studying the lines of her palm. Hera then nodded and stepped away. She turned to Arei and smiled sweetly up at him. "I wish the two of you a long and happy time together."

Zeus narrowed his eyes. "The Kraken, huh? I'd like to know more about this." He held his hand out to Jos. "Would you mind, dear?"

Arei tightened his grip on her. "We were just heading back downstairs actually. Why don't you join us and we can all catch up together?" He shot his father a pleading glance.

Poseidon nodded and clasped his son on the back. "Sounds like a grand plan." He released his son and turned toward the stairs. "I'll lead the way, but it is the usual spot I set aside for our own private use." He continued talking to his brother and Hera as they vanished down the stairs.

Jos tugged at Arei's jacket. "That was... my... great grandfather?" She asked concern heavy in her voice. When Arei nodded, she swallowed hard, "And he will want me... to claim?"

Arei sighed, "More than likely... So please, we'll finished this conversation later. Just please don't make any rash decision because of what I've said so far, alright?" She nodded and allowed him to lead her down the stairs. He paused outside the entrance to the family's private party nook. "The first half of the story I'm about to tell is a lie. I have to, the truth of how it started cannot be known." Arei whispered holding both her hands in his. "I'll tell you the full truth tonight." He waited until she nodded before bending and kissing her lips. "Please forgive me for all this." He said with his lips still pressed against hers.

***

After an hour of Arei retailing the details of his and Orion's involvement in her care, strategically leaving out the orders from Poseidon and his involvement in her care up to the past year. "So, Orion contacted me after my last battle and asked if I'd step in." He smiled warmly down at Jos. "This one was a bit too much for dear old brother to handle." Zeus arched a skeptical brow. "Seems unlikely Orion would willingly let such a beauty pass by. Are you sure there wasn't another reason?" He leaned back against the chair with an air of arrogance. "I'm sure, had you run this all by the council they would have approved it."

Arei sent Jos a worried look, knowing this lie was necessary but that it could also hurt Jos. "We saw no need for her knowing the truth... until now."

Zeus huffed out a laugh. "So, you decided a crowded party full of highly important people was the best place to tell your potentially dangerous lover the truth? I'll admit, that's ballsy, even for you."

Jos placed her hand on Arei's thick arm and could feel the tension he was holding there. Staring up into his eyes she said. "Arei knows by now, my feeling for him couldn't... wouldn't be changed. He has been honest with me in the fact that he'd been hiding something for an exceptionally long time. He chose tonight to tell me because-"

The tension melted from Arei's body and he smiled down at her. "Because I didn't want this night and the announcement of our engagement to be darken by overhanging lies." He cupped her face, stroking her cheek with the pad of his thumb. A sob interrupted their tender moment.

"That was beautiful!" Percy wiped a tear from her eyes as her husband pulled her closer to his side. "Wasn't it, dear?" Hades nodded, whispering something against her ear as he kissed her neck.

"Indeed... Very moving." Zeus agreed flatly as he tapped his index finger against the bell of the fluke he was holding. "Indeed..."

"If you have no other questions, brother, I'm sure my son would like to show his beautiful lady around, introduce her to his friends and other family," Poseidon turned his attention back to Arei, giving him a silent warning. "Allow her to become more acquainted."

Arei struggled not to show a reaction to his father's warning gaze. He nodded, "Yes I still haven't introduced her to Peg." He glanced around the room. "I'm surprised he's not in here now, actually." He turned his attention back to Jos. "I could also introduce you to Hermes, I'm sure he's here somewhere. He would be your grandfather." He helped her to her feet and moved toward the exit.

Zeus stood and blocked their way, "Speaking of family," He held his hand out to Jos. "I should be surprised; you haven't mentioned my relation to the girl." He narrowed his gaze a Arei, "Or have you?"

Jos nodded, "You are my great, grandfather."

He nodded, "Yes, I held your father in high regard. Maybe sometime you'd allow me to give you a more bias account of things." He winked.

Jos nodded nervously, "I would like that, thank you."

He kissed her hand and stepped aside. Arei nodded a goodbye to Zeus and the other before leading Jos out of the room. He quickly scanned the room for his brother. Finding him dancing and carrying on joyfully in the center of the crush of dancing bodies, Arei gripped Jos tight and pushed through the crowd. He used his massive frame to shield her as they went. "Peg! I need to talk to you, now. Upstairs in my chambers." He called over the music.

Reading the urgency in Arei's tone, he nodded and bent to whisper something to Andromeda. She nodded and whispered something back to him. Releasing the woman's hand, he turned back to Arei. "I'll meet you there in fifteen minutes. That way no one is suspicious of the three of us leaving together."

Arei agreed and headed for the massive open double doors. Once he'd gotten Jos to the upper hallway leading to his bedroom, he spoke in a low voice. "The part I lied about down there, when it was ordered that Orion go alone to find you father went against those orders. He sent Ry and I both. I was to stay hidden and in horse form, to aid Orion if needed. Father knew the two of us could capture whatever beast there was and determine its usefulness just as Zeus knew that Orion would likely fail and weaken father's courts more. We had to hide who we were and, in the beginning, it only made sense to hide that information from everyone... including you... By the time I realized I wanted you to know, I feared you wouldn't have accepted the truth." He paused in the hall. "I understand you've been hiding your emotions about all this tonight, and I appreciate it... but I must know now. What are your true feelings on all I've said?"

Jos searched his face. "I haven't hidden my feelings. Those were my true sentiments. I knew you were hiding things, and this explains a lot. It doesn't change my feelings for you." She pushed herself up on tip toes and wrapped her arms around his neck.

Arei didn't fight against her hold, instead, he met her lips with his. "You don't know how much that means to me. I've been so worried."

"How touching... Truly..." A hand came out of thin air and as if moving reality itself, opened a space for a large frame to step out of. "But you see, I'm harder to lie to."

Jos's breath caught as Arei's hands tightened around her. Her eyes widened as she watched Zeus fold the cloak over his arm. "I'm not sure which is worse... one brother using this to hide his wife's pregnancy, my wife not telling me about it either... or learning my other brother has been plotting to keep me away from my own granddaughter." He looked up from the pocket he'd been fumbling around in. "I suppose you could have real feelings for her, but only time would tell... right?" He lifted his hand opening his palm toward them reviling a beautiful white lotus. He quickly closed his hand, smashing the flower. "We shall see if either of your feelings are quite as legitimate when put in different circumstances." He grinned at the pair of bewildered eyes staring back at him. "Good luck, may love prevail." He said before blowing the powdery remains of the flower in their faces.