Nathan's POV

"Are you sure this is a good idea Sam?" I asked nervously, running a hand across my hair which had been fixed and combed by Sam. I followed a few steps behind her as she led me through the busy New York streets. I looked down and checked if the bouquet I had with me was still ok and not crushed by the throngs of crowds we had to pass to get here. Sam hardly seemed to care as she swiftly ducked and dodged through the people in her effort to lead me.

For a daughter of Aphrodite, she was pretty cool. She wasn't as bitchy as the rest of her siblings and agreed to take me to Demeter's headquarters to ask for her blessing. She was a head shorter than me but with long blonde hair that went down to the middle of her back, big amber eyes and somehow made shorts and a T-shirt like gorgeous.

She stopped a few minutes later in front of a store and pointed up at it. It was a flower shop, albeit one larger than some apartment buildings. It rose up five stories high with windows practically overflowing with green trees and shrubs that should not have been able to survive inside a shop like that. Hanging from the second floor was a simple wooden sign with the words written in bright yellow paint. Demeter's Garden. Not the most subtle name.

"Are you sure this is the right place?" I asked sarcastically, but inside I felt myself shrink back. It might not have been as large as Mount Olympus or as fearsome as the Palace of Hades, but there was something about this place that made me shiver. It had an untamed, primeval sense here. Although it could just be because of what he had to do.

Sam rolled her eyes and grabbed me by the arm and led me inside. "Come on lets go."

Inside the place looked like a jungle had sprung to life in the building. The floor itself was soil and the ceiling was made up almost entirely of glass that allowed the sun to bathe the whole place in its life and leave the room a mix of yellows and greens. There there a huge open air gallery that rose up to the third floor and in it grew dozens of exotic trees and plants straight out from the amazon.

All of which could poison, strangle or crush him like a bug if the goddess wasn't pleased. A young woman in a pantsuit stood behind the answering desk and smiled at us, patiently waiting for us to approach her. I felt the mist get a bit distorted around her and blinked once. When I opened my eyes the woman had transformed into Dryad in a dress of leaves and flowers.

Sam took the initiative and approached her first. She had a pleasant smile on her face and looked around. "I'm looking for your boss. Is she in today?"

"She is, upstairs on the top floor." The Dryad smiled broadly as she gestured towards one of the larger trees. It was in the corner of the gallery. Its trunk twisted around and around at the canopy, but it also started to twist apart when she gestured for it. It soon revealed an elevator right in the middle of the tree. "Feel free to take the elevator."

The two of us nodded, both a bit surprised as it happened but started to step inside regardless, careful to step over the roots as they did. Sam pressed the button to the top floor and the bark wrapped back over them and sealed shut.

Nature music played over the speaker as they ascended. I rubbed my fingers nervously against the stem, making sure the test tubes holding their water was still there. Sam smiled reassuringly and patted my shoulder. "Don't worry about it, I'm sure she won't kill you."

"Thanks," I replied and nodded my head slightly as the elevator doors opened up for them. We stepped out and entered to a another garden, though this one far less wild than the one downstairs. The room was instead a more conventional garden with plants you could probably find in any backyard from suburban home.

A woman in her late thirties was on her knees, tending a compost field. Her long brown hair was tied back into a ponytail and was dressed in a dress of various hues of green. She looked like an older version of Katie. "Demeter?" I asked, stepping forward.

"Thats Lucy Gardner here," She replied, not glancing up from her work. Even as she reached for a spade and started to dig into the dirt. "Are you here to buy flowers?"

"No ma'am, I'm here to speak to you." I replied, coughing once as my voice began to crack.

Any attention she might have given me now disappeared in that minute. "Then get to the poijt and make it quick."

"Well, um I got you these flowers." I said and held them out for her to see. Demeter turned away from compost, just enough to look at the flowers and take them. She gave only a curt nod in return but it was enough to encourage me to keep going. "So is that your reason for coming here? To give me flowers?"

"Well, umm no-" I began to say.

"So that isn't your point then," Demeter replied flatly, though a bit of irritation began to show in her voice as well as her face which began to crinkle in annoyance. She continued to dig her spade into the dirt, slamming it impatiently.

I gulped softly and slowly shook my head. "Well, no. I came here to ask you for your favor Lady Demeter."

"Ahh, there it is." The goddess said and struck the dirt with her spade hard enough for it to get embedded into the ground. She turned and regarded me slowly, narrowing her eyes and her lips pressing together in a thin line. She eyed me up and down like a mother-in-law to her new son. That didn't fill me with much confidence for what I was about to ask next. "Isn't that what you heroes always want. Very well, what is it you need? A magical potion? Some special power?"

"Your blessing to ask your daughter out on a date." I managed to say. As the words came out, the knot in my chest slowly disappeared. It just sounded right when I said it and I nodded once again as I finished saying my request. I held out the flowers towards Demeter for her to take. Behind me, Sam flashed two thumbs up in encouragement.

For a moment, the sternness vanished from the goddesses face and was replaced with a look of surprise. This lasted only for a moment and the scowl returned to her face. She took the roses from my hand and inspected them like how a jeweler would inspect diamonds. She took a sniff of the roses and nodded. "These are good flowers, at the very least you know how to pay your respects to me."

She waved her hand and a flower vase materialized out of thin air. Demeter placed the roses on it and started to turn back to her work. "Now which daughter do you wish to take on a date?"

I smiled, feeling myself relax. "Katie Gardner ma'am."

She stopped at once and the turned back towards me. The spell holding the flower vase suddenly broke and it started to fall from the air. Demeter turned towards it at the last second, leaving the vase hovering just a few inches in the air. She snapped her fingers and the vase disappeared, but then turned back towards me. "Katie Gardner?"

I nodded my head slowly, feeling the nervousness begin to sink in once again. A thin line formed on her lips as she studied me. "You do understand that she is my oldest child mr…"

"Nathan, ma'am."

"Mr. Nathan. She is my oldest child and my heir. I know that she will not inherit my domain nor my powers, but this is still a very big request you are asking." Demeter folded her arms together and glanced at him, seeming to decide she wasn't impressed at looking at me.

"Now Lady Demeter, if I may interject Katie is quite fine with dating Nathan," Sam said suddenly and stepped behind me.

"And yet you still came here to ask for my permission." She retorted, shooting her an annoyed glare. She started to pace the ground slowly, her sandaled feet clicking on the tiled floor. "Though I suppose it does show your respect and good sense."

That was good. I nodded my head slowly.

"But this is still my oldest daughter, and I can't just give her away like that." She countered to herself and rubbed her chin. "This is a difficult decision to make."

"Umm, lady Demeter with all due respect, parents don't normally control their childrens love life any more. Arranged relationships is more of a 19th-century thing." Sam interjected.

"And I got the roses," I added.

"Nonsense, children are never too old to be controlled, " Demeter said dismissively and looked around. "True, but back in the day heroes would bring back all sorts of treasures to offer to the parents of the women.

"Is there something else you want Lady Demeter?" I asked, placing my hands behind my back and bowing respectfully before her. Though as I did, I crossed my fingers and prayed to the remaining eleven Olympians that the answer was no.

Instead, the goddess simply turned back. "I suppose I will need to get back to you on that, though in the meantime you will not be permitted to court my daughter. Understand?"

"Yes ma'am."

"Good, I will be in touch once something comes to mind. Worry not, I'm sure something will come up quickly. There's always work that needs to be done here." The last part didn't seem to be directed at me but towards herself. Sam took my by the shoulder and steered me towards the elevator.

"Hey," Katie said looking up from the steps of her cabin floor when she noticed the two of us coming back to the cabins. She stood up and jogged towards us. She looked to me, her green eyes scanning me for any sign of hope. "How did things go with my mom guys?"

I felt the blood rushing to my face as I caught a glimpse of her bright green eyes and brown hair bobbing in every direction. I quickly pulled my hoodie over my head to try and avoid the blush forming on my face. "H-hey Katie. Umm, it wasn't that good. W-well at least your mom didn't turn me into a sunflower like Sam said I would."

"Ya, that's because you brought the roses like what I suggested," Sam playfully punching me as on the shoulder and took a step forward. She forced a smile on her face and tried to seem optimistic. When she glanced back and saw the disappointment on my face the smile disappeared. "Hey, it's not the end of the world."

Katie looked at the two of them with growing concern. "What do you guys mean? What happened?"

"S-she said no," I replied, barely managing to get the words out.

"She said no?" Katie asked, seeming to have a hard time comprehending the meaning of the word. A moment later it all seemed to sink it and started to become crestfallen upon hearing this. She leaned in and gave me a hug.

"Technically what she said was that she needs you to do a quest for her in order for you to gain her approval." Sam corrected.

"Y-ya, so what about it? She'll probably ask me for something impossible."

Katie brightened up instantly upon hearing this. She glanced at me in surprise and squealed happily, her arms wrapping around me and her hug felt more like a boa constrictor wrapping around me. "Is that what she said?"

"W-well y-ya, b-but what difference does it make?"

"You idiot," Katie said playfully, pushing away as a big grin formed on her face. "My mother isn't like the other Olympians, she rarely asks for anything major. She'd probably ask you to go across the country to get some exotic fertilizer or give some extra hands in her flower shop."

"Are you sure?" I asked, wiping the sweat from my palms against my jeans and let out a small sigh of relief.

"Ya, I am." She said with a smile

That was the best thing I heard today and I finally began to return the smile she gave me, slowly at first. I wrapped my arm around her and started to hug her back. "That's great to hear. Thank you."

She happily hugged back. "Don't thank me, your the one who's going to be doing the working."

I chuckled and nodded, taking her hand in my own as I started to head towards the dining pavilion. "Come on, let's get some lunch. I'm starving."