Disclaimer: Even when the country is in revolution, I will still not own the rights of PJO.

It seemed to Piper McLean, that all of France was covered in a blanket of shadows.

No one really knew what exactly was happening in the country or what was happening outside. All the French knew that their fair country has descended into anarchy and that foreign powers were invading them. The elite had already fled to Austria; the commoners live in fear of La Guillotine.

As for His Majesty King Louis XVI and his wife Marie Antoinette, they have fallen to the bloody blade of the accursed execution instrument. There was no monarchy in France anymore or there a leader to guide the people. There was just a bloody facsimile of a democracy that was bound to fail.

And where was Piper in the midst of this chaos? Well, she was in Paris trying to do what everyone else was trying to do – survive. Food was scarce as trade was cut off and the economy was down in the drain. Piper couldn't decide whether pre-revolution or during revolution was France better off at. All she could do now is to look for bread.

They bounded into the revolution filled with a hope that France will be freed from her monarchical chains and will be a glorious democracy. Instead, they ended up with a mess of political powers grabbing the chance to rule the country. The concept of "popular sovereignty" was introduced and there were lots of interpretations of it. Personally, Piper did not care who would run the country as long as it is a democracy and that it doesn't end up like this.

She has since then moved out of Paris and traveled to the countryside where things were more peaceful to an extent. There was less blood that was for sure. She lived in an abandoned house with a slanted roof and glass windows. Piper was hoping that the revolution would pass as she stayed here. She was not in the mood to get her head chopped off.

Honestly, she wanted everything back to normal. If this was what a "democracy" felt like then Piper wanted no part of it. Unfortunately, you can't turn back the time. For now, Piper had to put up with this pandemonium.

It was dreadful being alone out here, it was boring as there was nothing to do (besides keep quiet and farm anyway). She wasn't that far from Paris, a mile or two actually. Piper made sure that she kept out of the borders. Foreigners weren't exactly welcomed here.

Still, Piper was lonely. She didn't dare go back to her home. The McLean family used to be the one of the most powerful families but they have since fallen from grace. As far as Piper knew, she was the last remaining member who was both alive and in France.

It's been several years since she left. Piper was now eighteen – an age where most girls found their love and married them by now. Unfortunately for her, she still hasn't found love for reasons already known.

Then one hot summer day, Piper wasn't the only one out there.

He came in all bloodied and sordid, as if he just came out of a battle and dragged himself over here. His white uniform was drenched in sweat, bloody, and other nasty things. Slung over his back was a gun with the bayonet tinged with red.

When Piper first saw the stranger, she wasn't sure whether she should save him or leave him out to die. But morality and pity came out in the end and with much difficulty; she carried him to her house where she tried her best to take care of him.

He was rather handsome with blonde hair and blue eyes and a nicely toned body too. He must have a girl back home, wherever his home was, who loved and cared for him. She must be distressed after finding out that he didn't return back home.

The man almost died a few times. Piper will tell you right now, it was God dammed hard to treat infections when you only have cloths, water, and an infinite amount of patience. Nevertheless, the soldier pulled through and his fever broke. It was a miracle that he lived.

Three days after Piper found him, he woke. It was late at night when Piper heard a shuffle in the "guest room" (which was just a regular room with a blanket and a pillow). Lighting a candle, she went inside the room where she found him standing upright with bedhead.

He said something in German that Piper could only understand after years of lessons. "Hello. Where am I?"

"You're in France," responded Piper in German. "You were dying so I brought you back here." Piper was 100 percent sure that had a ton of grammar mistakes, but she hoped that it was good enough so that he could understand her.

"Ah, I see. Well, thank you for your help. Might I ask the name of the beautiful angel that saved me?" He smiled and gave a little bow.

Piper felt her heart flutter and her cheeks flushed. Beautiful angel? Seriously? Even in my old, brown rags and messy hair? He must be mad. She gave him a slight smile in return. "My name is Piper McLean from France. Yours?

"Jason Grace from Austria at your service," he said. He made a motion to bow but suddenly winced in pain. "Well, it seems that I have not fully recovered."

"Of course you haven't. I may have patched you up, but you aren't going anywhere Mister Grace – not until all your wounds are healed. I have some bread and cheese in the kitchen. Help yourself to them."

Jason shrugged. "If you say so. Aren't you going to have some too?"

"I already ate and I'm not hungry. I'll see you in the morning Mister Grace, if you decide to stay that long." And with that, she extinguished the candle and left Jason in the darkness.

The next morning, Piper surprisingly found him again in her house. He was outside sitting on the ground looking out in the distance.

"Guten tag, Mister Grace. How are you feeling?"

"Better than ever," replied Jason. "And please call me Jason. 'Mister Grace' is just too formal."

"Very well then, Jason. Am I treating you well for living in a shack in the middle of nowhere? Not bad right?"

"Why yes, yes you are. You are doing a wonderful job. And I appreciate your efforts, but what are you helping me? We are enemies are we not? You are from France and I am from Austria. Are our countries not engaged in war right now?"

"Psh, if we were enemies I would've let you die," Piper snorted. "What does it matter if our countries are on opposing sides? We're still humans right? We shouldn't kill our own species. When I saw you hurt and damaged on the field, I saw you as a human being. Not as a soldier."

Jason was speechless. From the moment he was born, Jason was raised to become a soldier. His father was a general who was revered by his comrades. His mother was a starlet who often fawned over the soldiers as they came back from war. And his sister, well, she was rebellious but she's a brilliant warrior.

The second he turned sixteen was when he joined the army, but his military career began much earlier than that. He played with toy soldiers learning battle formations and terms. His father often took him to the camps where he would see war in action. To Jason, it was a daily routine of life. He fought to protect Austria and did not consider the consequences of his actions. He did what he had to do.

"Jason? Are you alright?"

Piper's voice snapped him out of his trance. Amazing, he was a decorated soldier in the prestigious Austrian army and now he was living in a shack with a Frenchwoman. Oh how far from grace he had fallen.

Jason stayed with Piper for a few more weeks. Not because he wanted to, but because he was still not well enough to go out in the world. Revolution is still thriving and if Jason dares to cross the border now, he will surely get caught and get beheaded.

He did not trust Piper. It was unnatural for someone like him would get along with someone like her. It defied all the rules that he had been taught. The French should not be trusted. The French are blood thirsty savages. And yet here he is helping a Frenchwoman with laundry and food.

"Do you have any relatives?" asked Piper. They were outside taking a break from the day's labor. An uncomfortable silence passed over them since it started and her question broke it. She's been getting better at German and him at French.

Jason nodded. "Yes - my mom, my dad, and my older sister."

"What are their names?"

"Why are you even asking me this?"

"Because I want to know, now what are their names?"

Jason sighed. "Beryl, Jupiter, and Thalia Grace. And before you say anything, yes those are their real names. I know it's not 'normal' but it's just how it is, okay?"

"I wasn't going to say that their names were weird," Piper said. "They're actually quite pretty. Do you get along well with them?"

"I guess you can say that. My mom and dad are often away so Thalia has to take care of me. She isn't the best parent, but she tries her best." Jason gave a small smile. "How about you? Your language and diction are polished for a poor peasant girl. Did you come from an aristocratic family?"

Piper raised an eyebrow. Impressive that he caught on. "Yes. My mother fled to your country and my dad went with her. I am an only child. The McLean family used to be wealthy and powerful. Look where we are now." Piper raised her arms. "I suppose it isn't all that bad. I don't mind being impoverished."

"…I'm sorry that happened."

Piper shook her head. "Don't be. It's not your fault. I'm not lonely anymore now that you're here."

"What if I'm not here? Will you miss me when I leave?"

Piper looked down and said in a voice barely higher than a whisper, "Yes, yes I will."

Jason hated to admit it, but he could feel himself falling for Piper.

Despite the unseemly clothes that she dressed herself in, anyone could tell that she was beautiful from a mile away. She was hardworking, friendly, resourceful, and above all, genuine. She wasn't hiding anything from him. Any question he would ask, she would answer truthfully.

Don't get him wrong, he missed his family back home; Thalia most of all. But it felt nice to get away from them if only for a little while. No more drills or getting up early. He didn't have to act like a prodigy in front of Piper.

Jason could be himself, he could be free. And perhaps, that's what all Jason really wanted.

When it was time for him to leave, Jason and Piper took one last look at the sky together. France was experiencing a decrease in its radical attempts to "democratize" itself for now at least. Her country finally knocked some sense into itself. Piper supposed that everything gets better with a little time.

It was dark under the moonless sky, but it made the stars shine all the more brighter. In Piper's hands was a candle, the only source of light. She was dressed more finely than the other days, a blue dress from her aristocratic years that has somewhat diminished over time. Jason was simply dressed in a starched shirt and trousers.

"I guess this is goodbye," said Piper.

Jason nodded. "Indeed it is."

"You won't forget me, will you?"

"Of course I won't. How can I forget the woman that saved me from death's door? Well thank you for the help."

"It's no problem. I'll see you around, maybe."

Before Jason left, they embraced. Piper felt safe in his arms. He was her soldier; he was there to protect her. A pang of sadness went through her body. Piper never noticed how lonely she was before Jason arrived. It was nice to talk to a human being instead of the empty fields. They had good times together… and this will probably be the last one.

Or maybe it won't.

Taking her head into his hands, Jason pulled Piper into a deep kiss. It was just them and the stars and for once in her life, she forgot about her troubles, her trials and tribulations.

Breaking off the kiss, Jason whispered, "Look what we've made." His face was soft and gentle in the candle light. With his golden hair, he looked like an angel from the heavens above. "We've made something that was impossible during this time, we've made something beautiful."

And they indeed made it. In a time where it seems that infinite chaos surrounded Europe, a dark swirl of the unknown and the fearful, they've made friendship, love, laughter, and happiness. But most of all - hope. For once in their young lives, all was well as they sat beneath the clear sky together.

It's shorter than I actually wanted but it's good… I think. This is my first "successful" romance I've written in a long time. I do admit that it was rushed , but I tried.

As my history teacher so eloquently put it, the French Revolution was "one hell of a time." There are most likely some historical inaccuracies in here since I based this off from my memory of world history last year. Nevertheless, it feels good to write a story instead of an essay.

This idea went through a lot of drafts and I started this last year actually… I finally had the determination to finish it just now. Amazing what a cup of hot chocolate and reading A Tale of Two Citieswill do to you.

And yay, its spring. But it's still 20 degrees Fahrenheit here or -6 degrees Celsius for my non-American readers.