"Arrogant, stupid, annoying… annoying… GREEK!" I screamed, stabbing the dummy through the face repeatedly. My mind flew twice as fast as my hands, reeling off words to describe him. Not all of them were pretty. Suddenly I heard footsteps behind me and I wheeled around, my gold sword aimed at the chest of the offender.
"Whoa, whoa, Rey!" he half screamed in a mega macho way. I sighed and lowered my sword from Leo's direction to the floor.
"What do you want, Greek." I asked, spitting out the last word. He raised an eyebrow and I couldn't help but roll my eyes at him. Leo claimed the step between us and gently slid the imperial gold weapon from my grasp.
"I wanted to ask you something." He mumbled, inspecting the blade with too much care, too much concentration. I immediately felt worried, running the possibilities through my head.
"I want to know… Reyna, will you go out with me?" he gushed, biting his lower lip. I sighed and took my sword.
"You already asked me that, remember Leo? And I said yes, and then we got married." I told him, showing him the band on my left hand. A little girl suddenly flew through the door, clinging to my legs.
"Mummy, Mummy, will you come and read me a bedtime story?" she pouted, her deep chocolate eyes shining up at me.
I glared at Leo, stroking Piper's hair. "Why isn't she asleep?" I demanded. "You know she's meant to be in bed by half seven and it's now – quarter to nine!" I thundered, taking my daughter in my arms.
"Of course sweetie, Daddy and I will both do it." I carried her up the stairs in my arms, throwing Leo the occasional 'This-isn't-over-but-don't-even-think-about-running' death stare. As I laid her down on the purple covers, she opened one perfect eye sleepily.
"You know which one, Mummy." She muttered, already half asleep. Leo sat down next to me and slid his hand into mine as Piper closed her eye again. She would be asleep in minutes but I would keep telling the story long after she was gone, laughing about the stupid bits.
"Once upon a time there was a beautiful Caribbean princess, who lived in the sea with her beautiful sister. She lived there for a long time, very happy, before her island was ruined by a boy."
"Uncle Percy." Leo added helpfully. I glared at him and carried on.
"The beautiful princess learned to fight like a warrior. She was taught by the wolf goddess Lupa, who made her strong and courageous."
"Not to mention humble" snorted Leo annoyingly. I pouted at him.
"The beautiful princess was then taken to her camp, Camp Jupiter, where she was no longer treated like a princess. She was treated like any other, a legionnaire. No one important, or special. No one beautiful." I heard a sniff next to me; this bit always got to Leo. I rolled my eyes again and turned to the sleeping girl.
"She worked hard for many years, becoming centurion and then… finally… praetor. She felt strong, and courageous, and beautiful again. She worked with her co praetor, Jason Grace -"
"Uncle Jason" Leo told Piper, who was now snoring softly.
"Jason Grace," I insisted, pretending I hadn't heard him. "Who made her feel beautiful." I could almost feel Leo scowl next to me, but I squeezed his hand and rested my head in the crook of his neck.
"Then, one day, Jason went missing. He just went. We searched for months and months until, finally, someone arrived. But it wasn't Jason."
"Uncle Percy." Leo smirked again, stroking my hair softly.
"He was strange, he didn't fight like Lupa had taught the princess. He didn't look like a Roman, with his green eyes and black hair. He took two of the princess' soldiers –"
"Mammy Hazel and Uncle Frank" Leo reeled off.
"And led them to the evil giants. They won, and the camp's eagle, which had gone missing several years before, was restored." By this tie I was smiling, waiting.
"And then," I beamed, touching Piper's cheek. "Mummy's world turned upside down. A Greek warship landed in Camp Jupiter, and the Caribbean princess fell in love when a boy got off." I turned my face to Leo's, pressing a short kiss to his lips. "The Spanish príncipe stole the princess' heart. They fought side by side, always together, always loving. When all of it was over, they rode off into the sunset together," I stood and dragged Leo out of Piper's room as quietly as I could, smiling at my husband.
"That was beautiful." He whispered, inching closer to me. "But not quite as beautiful as my Caribbean princesa."