I don't own Percy Jackson and the Olympians or Heroes of Olympus!


Reyna Avila Ramírez-Arellano was the new praetor of the Twelfth Legion of Rome, but no one seemed to feel like celebrating. Which made sense, seeing as Praetor Valerie had been murdered –stabbed in the back twenty-three times –by a traitor within New Rome who apparently had a sense of irony (1). It had taken all of two days for the election to be concluded and for Reyna to be elected as the new Praetor.

The Second Cohort had cheered somberly for their Centurion, while the Third Cohort still mourned deeply for their fallen soldier. The First, Fourth, and Fifth all watched and beat their shields with their gladii (2) when appropriate.

"We'll defeat the Titans soon," Praetor Marcus promised, "and then everything can return to normal."

Reyna nodded along, but the prior Centurion seemed a little overwhelmed. Her recently-donned toga was somewhat crooked and her Praetorian medal and cape were slightly off, but not one of the Legionnaires cared. She was their blood, their soldier, and their leader. After the brutal murder of her predecessor, the Legion was too somber, mourning too deeply, to care about their overwhelmed Praetor.

When the evening muster was over, Reyna took her new seat beside Praetor Marcus. The two purple-clad leaders watched their soldiers dine in silence. They too ate silently until the older Praetor spoke. "You'll be a great leader, Reyna."

The dark-haired girl with the obsidian eyes nodded. "Thank you, Praetor Marcus."

"Just Marcus, we're equals now."

She nodded. "Right, of course." They continued to eat in silence until the evening meal was over. At that point, Marcus told the Legionnaires to go to the barracks and get some rest. They would need it for the upcoming battles.

"Do you need me show you where your villa is?" Marcus asked.

"I think that I'll sleep in the barracks tonight. For the last time, I suppose." Reyna decided. She knew that the villa would probably be safer for her, but still... She wanted to spend one last night with her comrades-in-arms, just one more night as a regular -or as regular as a Centurion could be -soldier of the Legion. She thought it was too early for her to be Praetor. She had only been at Camp Jupiter for three years. Not nearly as long as some of the other, more qualified Centurions. Then again, she was the daughter of Bellona. Leadership positions, especially in times of war, came easily to the children of the fierce war goddess.

"It's weird, isn't it?" Marcus asked suddenly as they stood up. "You spend years living in one room and fighting beside certain people, but one day happens and then you're their leader." He mused aloud. "Sometimes I wonder…"

Reyna tilted her head. "Wonder what?"

The experienced Praetor shook his head. "Juno knows it's nothing. Get some rest, Reyna. Tomorrow I have to introduce you to the intricacies of paperwork. Then we'll get working on new strategies."

Reyna frowned at the reminder. Now that they knew that they had had a traitor, all of their battle strategies and tactics had to be redone so that they could still surprise the enemy. "Of course, Marcus. I'll meet you in the principia after morning muster."

He nodded. "Sleep well, Reyna, among your friends and comrades. Tonight is your last night sleeping soundly as a regular legionnaire."

Reyna nodded and began to walk to the barracks of the Second Cohort. But as she approached the block of barracks, someone grabbed her arm. Remembering what had happened to Valerie and acting on her own battle instincts, Reyna quickly elbowed her attacker in the face and kicked them in the kneecap. In a second, she had her ceremonial pugio in her hand and pressed to the attacker's neck. "Jupiter Almighty, Reyna!" The attacker cursed.

"Jason Grace?" Reyna asked cautiously as she moved her dagger away from his neck. "What are you doing?"

The blonde boy released her and clutched his knee in pain. "You didn't have to kick me, jeez." His blue eyes looked over at her, and a lazy grin spread across his face

"I thought that you were attacking me, Centurion." She scowled when she saw the expression across his face. "And stop looking at me like that."

He ignored her request, and instead tackled the trickier part of their conversation. "Rey, I would never attack you." He replied. "You should know that."

She rolled her eyes and crossed her arms in front of her chest. "You grabbed me from behind, Grace. How was I supposed to know who you were?"

He pouted. "I thought that you would recognize my touch."

Reyna scowled. "Now you think that we're lovers or something?" she asked. "I have work to do, Grace. Get out of my way."

"No. The Centurions decided that we have to protect you and Marcus. Julian from First is going to stay by Marcus' side."

"And you think that I'll let you stay by mine?" Reyna asked skeptically. "I hardly know you, Jason Grace."

He shook his head. "You know me, Reyna. And I know you. I know that you fight well but are trying to forget your past before Camp Jupiter. That's okay, we all are. I know that you obviously felt some kind of attraction to me when we fought the Trojan sea monster together, but you pulled away suddenly after Charleston. Why?"

"I don't need to explain myself to you, Jason." Reyna replied stiffly. "If I must have a 'bodyguard' then I want it to be Serena."

"No can do, she's in charge of the patrols around New Rome to protect the civilians." Jason replied. "And Gwen is good at calming people down. She's needed among the ranks."

"So they think that you're expendable?" Reyna asked after a moment of thinking about his reply. She tilted her head to the side and raised her eyebrows at him.

"No, I volunteered. Had to arm-wrestle Octavian for the job, by the way." Jason told her, as he –along with almost everyone else in camp –knew about her aversion to the legacy of Apollo.

Reyna shivered involuntarily. "Thank you, then. It seems that I owe you one, Centurion Grace."

Jason shrugged. "Kiss me and I'll call it even."

Before the blonde realized what the girl in front of him was doing, Reyna punched him in the jaw. "No way in Tartarus, Grace."

"Mars above, Reyna! I was joking, you didn't have to punch me, for Jupiter's sake!" Jason cried out.

Reyna stared at him levelly. "You never joke about matters like that, Grace. I know that you were serious."

He shrugged. "It doesn't matter, Reyna. Come on."

"Where are you going and why do you think that I'll follow you?" Reyna asked suspiciously.

The Centurion of the Fifth Cohort sighed. "We already went over this, Praetor Reyna. I'm protecting you. We're going to your villa, where you'll be safer. There's only two main entrances. Aurum can guard one, and I'll guard the other."

With an internal sigh, Reyna accepted the fact that Jason was right; it was safer for her to sleep in the villa than in the barracks. But that didn't mean she would have to like it. "And Argentum?"

"He'll stay with you and protect you while you sleep in case anyone or anything manages to get passed me and Aurum."

"I don't need this level of protection, Jason."

The son of Jupiter stared at her in disbelief. "Valerie was murdered in her sleep. Stabbed twenty-three times with a dagger until she finally died. There's no way in Tartarus that I'm letting you go to bed without fully knowing that I can protect you."

"Why do you care so much, Jason?" Reyna asked tiredly. "Why do you care what happens to me?"

"You're my Praetor, Reyna. It's my duty to protect you. But above that, I care about you as a person. I don't know if I could handle what would happen if you die."

"What do you mean?"

"The Legion would go into an uproar. They love you, even if they didn't show much of that love today. But just you wait until after the war. The legionnaires love you, as do the Lares and the citizens of New Rome. Besides, there might even be civil war over who to elect in your place. The Legion couldn't handle that right now. We need to be strong and united while we are facing Saturn and the Titans."

Reyna nodded slowly. "Okay, then. You can stay and protect me to the best of your abilities, Centurion Grace. I do not need it, but I will accept your help."

He nodded and smiled. "Finally. For a moment I thought that I would have to drug your or something."

Reyna stepped away from him. "What?" She asked in alarm.

Jason grimaced. "Joking, Reyna. Joking. I would never drug someone, especially not a girl as pretty as you."

She stared at him. "Really?"

Jason looked offended. "I may be a flirt, but I would never stoop so low as to drug a girl to get her to sleep with me." He said finally. After a moment, he grinned and added, "I don't need a drug. Just to ask and I'm sure girls would line up."

"Thank Bellona that Gwen keeps you out of trouble."

Jason shrugged again. "She can't keep me out of all trouble, just the big stuff."

"Jason Grace, you wouldn't." Reyna groaned.

"What? I'm passing on my legacy to future generations." He joked. When Reyna rolled her eyes and continued to look disgusted, he leaned down and whispered in her ear, "Don't worry, you'll still stand out from the others, Reyna."

Reyna felt her cheeks grow hot. "Stop it, Grace. If you're going to be doing this, then don't make things awkward."

"You're the only one who's awkward, Reyna. I'm fine."

She pinched her lips together into a tight line. "Jason Grace…" She warned.

"You sure keep repeating my name, Praetor." Jason remarked. "Kind of makes me want to hear you say it in a different setting."

"I won't hesitate to beat you to a bloody pulp, Centurion."

"You love me too much to do that, Rey."

"Do I?" Reyna challenged.

Jason smirked. "Yeah, you love me so much. Don't you, Reyna? Don't you love the blue of my eyes and the gold of my hair? And how deep and rough and Roman my voice sounds?" He mocked her.

Reyna's eyes widened in horror. That was something she only thought in the back of her mind when they were in peace. Never had she thought that anyone would know, or even guess about the feelings she harbored for the son of Jupiter. "What?" She choked out. "Where did you hear that?"

He grinned. "The infirmary after the battle where you were injured. Some newbie gave you a bit too much nectar and painkillers. You were pretty loose-tongued in that state, Rey."

Reyna scowled, but didn't give the cocky son of Jupiter the satisfaction of reacting the way he thought that she would. Although, in her anger, she didn't question how Jason had head that. Had he visited her when she was in the infirmary? Instead, she tossed her braid behind her and continued to walk forward towards the Praetors' villas.

The villas were actually just one U-shaped building broken up into two L-shaped villas. Passed the wooden front gate was a green garden which acted as a courtyard for the villas. Reyna hesitated to open the wooden door of her own villa, but she finally forced herself to. It felt wrong to be in the villa. Valerie's things were still inside, even if they were perfectly organized. Reyna flicked on the lights, and then the two checked the villa for trespassers. As Reyna checked the kitchen, she found an empty mug of tea in the sink. Valerie must have had it before she went to sleep. The sleep from which she would never awaken.

Reyna checked the kitchen while Jason checked the bedroom. "Yell if anything happens." Jason had told her. "I'll be there in seconds."

The two demigods met up in the entryway, which also acted as a living room. "It's empty. But Valerie's things are in the bedroom. You might want to sleep on the couch tonight, and we can find you some new sheets tomorrow." Jason told her as he flopped onto one of the couches.

Reyna nodded. "Yeah, okay." Her attention turned to Aurum and Argentum, who were sitting by the door and stared at their owner in silence. "Are you going to get some sleep, Jason? You need it too."

"I'll be fine." Jason answered. "You need the rest more than I do."

"You need rest as well, Grace." Reyna retorted. She nodded her head at the other couch. "Get some sleep. Aurum and Argentum will wake us up if they notice anything." As she spoke, Argentum stood up from his position by the front door and approached Reyna. As the new Praetor lay down on the couch, the silver dog placed his head in front of her face. She scratched behind his ears, but still felt curious as to why the mechanical dog liked to have his ears scratched so much. It wasn't as if he was actually a living dog, after all.

Reyna tugged her cape around herself and fell asleep on her couch. She didn't bother taking off her armor or shoes, nor even her crooked toga. Instead, she wrapped her cape around herself and used it as a blanket. Out of the corner of her eye, Reyna noticed Jason watching her as she fell asleep. But then everything went dark as the newly elected Praetor of the Twelfth Legion of Rome fell into a dreamless sleep.


Thanks for reading the first chapter! So, yes. Jason's character is totally different than in HoO, I know. I just thought that he might have a very different personality when he grew up as a Roman than he would when he was a 'Greek' amnesiac. Also, I took inspiration from Asteria daughter of Koios's version of Jason in her fanfic "'Radiens Domum' Returning Home (Mark of Athena)." This story will follow Jason and Reyna through the Titan war and afterwards up to Jason's disappearance. I may or may not continue it during the eight months Jason was gone, or perhaps after the two reunite in The Mark of Athena. In any case, thanks for reading, please review and tell me your thoughts!
~Nerd

1. Julius Caesar was stabbed 23 times when he was assassinated by a bunch of the Roman Senators (there's a lot of names, and I didn't want to list them all. Look it up if you are interested).

2. the plural of gladius, which is an infantry sword (think: stabby stabby weapon)