Love's Immortal Pantheon Vol 3: Orion's Star

“Oh, powerful and almighty, Zeus, I beg a word please.” Artemis fought not to roll her eyes as another giggle erupted from the blonde on her father’s lap. A groan followed the laughter and Artemis had to keep from shouting at her father to stop playing with his current flavors of the week and listen to her but she was not a child and she did have manners. Sometimes. Artemis resisted the urge to grit her teeth as the fondling continued this time with his hand caressing the groin of one of his new male servants.
“That’s it,” Artemis muttered before she strode forward, yanked the blonde off of his lap and pushed the man away. “Both of you, out of the room now,” she growled.
She released the wrist of the woman and watched them scurry out of the room.
“Artie, that wasn’t very nice,” Zeus pouted. He picked up a goblet only to scowl. “I need more ambrosia. Where is that…oh, yes, you sent him away.”
The god glared at her and she glared right back. She didn’t request that he stop calling her that. Instead she let it pass. For now. “Father, I must insist that if you care at all for Hera’s, feelings you won’t do this.”
She waved her hand in the air trying to find the words.
“Do what? Enjoy myself?” He got up, leaned over the table and poured himself more ambrosia. Zeus sat back down and looked up at her. His bright blue eyes sparkled with untold mischief. Artemis shook her head. He will never learn. She sighed aloud.
“I didn’t come here to fight. I actually came here to ask a favor. I just don’t think you’d understand.”
Artemis turned to walk away when Zeus called out stopping her. “Don’t go Artie, come, come sit down next to me, tell me what is you think I won’t understand.”
She sighed and made her way around the table. The only seat next to him was one on a low stool. With great reluctance she sank down to find the seat hard and uncomfortable.
“Talk to me.” Zeus made a rolling motion with his hand as he took a sip from his goblet.
“Um, well, as you know father, I have a great fondness for Orion.”
“Yes, I know. What do you want me to do with him?” He peered at her with intense interest which caused her to squirm a bit.
“I would like to reward him with a second chance at life. I want you to send him back down to Earth.” She watched many emotions flit across his face before his features became serious.
“I can’t do that.” Zeus returned his focus to the banquet laid out on the table before him and began gathering food for his plate.
“What do you mean, can’t?” Artemis demanded.
“He’s a part of the sky, Artie. I can’t just pluck him down from the heavens and make him human again. People would notice. He’s a constellation now. Besides that he has two week vacation coming up. He gets those every ten years. Why can’t he just keep doing those?”
“I don’t think that’s enough for him. It’s torture for him to get a taste of a life he can’t truly have. You pluck people off the runways of Milan and street corners of New York. Olympus is now filled with mortals you’ve fancied and yet you can’t give one man another chance at life? You could always give him a new body, just take down his consciousness and put it in the new form,” Artemis pointed out.
“Well, Pygmalion, has just made up some new clay that he’s been dying to try out.” Zeus stroked his beard. “How about this, he takes his two week vacation and if he chooses to stay, he can.”
Artemis stood up. “Thank you father. If you’ll excuse me, I’ll send your, erm, company back to you.”