AN: Hello all! Welcome to my new story! For those of you who have read my Elizabeth Jackson series, this does not directly connect to those at all. So here's the deal with this story. It will be a short-ish fic. There will be twelve chapters published daily until the story is over. The chapters will be somewhat shorter than the ones in my Elizabeth Jackson series, so this will be a slightly different format than those. I do hope everyone enjoys this story! I hope you enjoy the story and DFTBA!

Disclaimer: I do not own Percy Jackson and the Olympians or the Heroes of Olympus, which both belong to Rick Riordan, nor do I know the myths, legends, and stories that I reference over the course of the story which belong to all of human kind.

Jason Grace and the True King's Sword

Chapter 1

December 17th

The Pontifex Maximus stood in the Temple of Jupiter, waiting and thinking. It was the first day of Saturnalia, the most important Roman holiday. Thus today was the most auspicious day for the grand ceremony, where he would officially consecrate the first stage of the Temple Project. But it was also another important day for Jason Grace. Only a year ago he was waking up in a bus without any of his memories. Now he was back at Camp Jupiter. It wouldn't be long before he gave a speech to a huge crowd of Romans and Greeks.

Jason loved his new role. He felt so lucky to be able to contribute to both of his homes – Camp Jupiter and Camp Half-Blood – in an important and meaningful way. He was an integral part of building a brighter future for everyone, and there was nothing more he could want besides that. The only downside was he had to sit and pray for hours in his father's temple. Jason didn't fully understand why opening a temple for Kymompoleia meant that he had to spend the entire morning in his father's temple blessing it, but these were the Romans, and tradition was everything.

"Bored yet?" a voice drawled from behind him, making Jason jump.

He turned and found Nico di Angelo striding towards him. "Pluto's Pauldrons, di Angelo!" Jason exclaimed. "I swear I'm going to have to buy you a bell." Nico had changed a lot that past few months since Gaea had been defeated. He lived at Camp Half-Blood more or less full time now. Before he'd always seemed so small, and he almost seemed to try and shrink into himself. Now that he was at Camp, getting three full meals a day and working out on a regular basis, he'd really filled out. He had a lean muscular build now, like a cheetah. He also stood straighter now, a result of his vastly improved confidence. Even his black hair, which had once been shaggy and shrouded his face, was now short, making his face easier to see.

His clothes, too, reflected this change. Before his clothes had always been a bit large. Like everything else about his old look, Jason believed that it was so he could hide inside himself. Now, though, he wore black skinny jeans and a black Camp Half-Blood t-shirt (Jason didn't know they came in any other color than orange until he'd seen Nico in that shirt. Nico had apparently flat-out refused to wear the orange). Nico had even traded out his overlarge Aviator Jacket for a nice leather jacket.

Jason was happy for his friend. It was good to see that Nico finally felt like he belonged someplace. It had done wonders for his confidence. That and the realization that Will Solace liked him and the subsequent relationship had completely transformed Nico di Angelo. Jason had been worried about Nico during the Quest.

"I figured you could use some company," Nico said. "You've been in here for what? Six hours?"

Jason nodded, sighing. "It's all about tradition here. I'm dreading how long I'll have to stay in here praying when the next set of ten temples open."

Nico shuddered. "I'd rather be back trapped in that jar beneath Rome again. Not too much longer, though. Only a bit longer until the ceremony. Then you can head back to Camp Half-Blood."

Jason missed Camp Half-Blood. Although Camp Jupiter had been his home first, he felt more comfortable at Camp Half-Blood. He preferred the Greek style of doing things, and he wasn't constantly chafing under the rules there. Not to mention that heading back to Camp meant that he could see Piper again. She usually came with him on his many and frequent trips to New Rome, but unfortunately she'd had to stay behind this time. She'd promised to help Percy and Annabeth plan what Percy was calling, "The First Annual Very Jackson Christmas Party." The Saturnalia celebrations were fun and intense, but Jason wished that Piper had been able to come and experience them, too.

"You going to Percy's Christmas party?" Jason asked Nico, changing the subject. "I hear it's going to be a blast. And Annabeth and Piper are helping him, so it'll actually be fairly organized."

Nico chuckled. "Yeah, if Percy was running the whole thing by himself it would be a mess. But yeah, I was planning on coming. Will went home for couple weeks to see his family, so I'm completely open. Who all is coming? Do you know?"

"Piper and I," Jason said. "And Frank and Hazel. I think Rachel and Reyna are coming, too. Grover's coming. I don't know who else Percy invited."

"Lots of Half-Bloods," Nico observed. "We'll be sure to attract some monsters."

"Hopefully they'll give us Christmas off," Jason joked. "And besides, what monster is going to want to mess with that many demigods at once?"

Nico chuckled. "Fair point." The two friends fell silent for a few minutes. Nico spoke up again, "Hey man, I wanted to thank you."

Jason looked over at Nico, confused. "What for?"

"Just… being there," Nico explained. "I wasn't in a good place, and you were the first person who really understood who I was and not only accepted me, but pushed me to accept myself, too."

Jason smiled slightly. "Hey, it's no problem. What are friends for, right?"

Just then, the doors behind Jason started to creak open. Nico turned to him. "I'd better get out there. See you in a couple minutes, Pontifex Maximus." He turned and strode behind one of the columns and faded into the shadows. Jason turned to see the two people approaching him: Reyna and Frank. Both were dressed in their praetor armor, purple capes billowing behind them. Neither of them had changed all that much since the war had ended. Reyna was still intense, Frank still a teddy bear underneath his professional football player physique.

Frank smiled. "Ready, man?"

"I've been ready," Jason said, straightening his toga and adjusting his glasses. "Seriously, what is with the six hours of prayer?"

Reyna shrugged. "You know how we Romans are with traditions. Just be happy you didn't have to slaughter any animals."

"Or stuffed animals," Frank added as a joke.

Jason chuckled. "Fair enough." He stretched briefly. "Alright, let's get this show on the road."

Frank and Reyna led the way back to the doors. "Big crowd out there," Frank commented. "The whole legion is in attendance, and a lot of the citizens from the city are here, too."

"Not to mention all the Greeks that are here," Reyna added. She smiled slightly. "It's time to teach them how Romans party. Saturnalia begins as soon as this ceremony is over."

As the double doors opened, Jason's eyes were blasted with an intense beam of sunlight. He held up his hand to block out the glare. The sound of the crowd was deafening. Cheering and clapping dominated the entire hillside. Once his eyes adjusted to the light, Jason looked around. A crowd of thousands was sprawled out across Temple Hill. Right in front of Jason was a podium with an attached microphone. Standing on either side of the double doors of the temple were the Legion's centurions, Hazel smiled as Jason and gave him a small wave. Rachel Dare was also standing nearby. She smiled slightly, but she didn't look very good. She had deep purple bags under her eyes, no doubt from the countless hours she'd been pouring into restoring the Sibylline Books. The power of prophecy still hadn't been restored. Next to Rachel there was an open spot, Reyna motioned Jason over there. Jason went to take his place. Reyna and Frank then strode up to the podium to begin the ceremony.

"Hey Rachel," Jason whispered as Reyna started talking.

"Good afternoon, Pontifex," she replied, yawning slightly. "How were the six hours of prayer?"

"Dull," Jason answered. "How are you doing? You look exhausted."

"I am exhausted," Rachel said. "Trying to get the prophecies out of Ella is like herding cats. I don't want to rush her, because she's entitled to her rest and her individuality. We're not going to force the information out of her. But still, sometimes I get really frustrated."

Jason nodded. "I understand. But you know, you should totally rest, too."

"Yeah, yeah," Rachel said. "I'll get some rest come Percy's Christmas party. Until then, I'm gonna keep working."

Jason wanted to say something else to assure Rachel that the world wouldn't end if she took a break, but just then Frank said into the microphone, "And now a few words from the Pontifex Maximus, Jason Grace."

Jason strode forward slowly and stood at the microphone. Public speaking was nothing new for him, but he was still a little nervous. He cleared his throat, and the sound echoed across the hillside. "Thank you all for coming here today," he began lamely. "Today is a day of celebration, but it's also a day to recommit ourselves to the work ahead of us. We are opening a brand new temple today in order to honor Poseidon's daughter, Kymompoleia. For too long, we have decided that only certain gods are worth our worship. This had led to fighting and jealousy amongst the gods. We almost lost two wars because of it. Many gods sided with the titans, and some gods even sided with Gaea. It's not because these gods are bad or vile or evil. No, it is because we failed to honor all of the gods.

"Therefore, today we mark a beginning of a change. Today we open the first of many new temples here on Temple Hill. This is a cause for celebration. But today is more than just a celebration of our achievements. It's also a day to recommit ourselves to the task ahead. We cannot rest until all the gods are honored, both here and at Camp Half-Blood. It won't be quick or easy, but I know that the Temple Project will usher in a new era of prosperity for our shared Greco-Roman heritage. Now let us go forth and praise all the gods!"

The crowd burst into applause, and Jason let out a deep breath. It was the largest crowd Jason had ever spoken to and he'd hit it out of the park. He stepped back as Rachel took the podium. He fell into line next to Reyna. She smiled at him. "Nice job, Jason."

"Thanks," Jason replied, still awash with relief at being done.

"How are things going at Camp Half-Blood?" Reyna asked quietly.

"Not too bad," Jason said. "Annabeth has given me innumerable designs for new temples and cabins, so I'll probably look over them when I get back."

"Ah, leave it until the new year," Reyna said. "Take a break for a couple of weeks."

"You're telling me to take a break?" Jason joked.

"Oh, shut up," Reyna retorted. They fell silent again as Rachel continued her speech. "You know, it's nice to just talk as friends again."

Jason had been thinking the same thing. Before he'd been kidnapped by Hera/Juno, Jason and Reyna had been best friends. Of course, Reyna had wanted to be more than friends, and that was where the problems came up. When Jason returned to Camp Jupiter with a girlfriend that had really strained their friendship. Things had been awkward between Jason and Reyna for a while. It was really nice that their friendship was getting back to normal.

There were more claps, and the massive crowd in front of the temple of Jupiter began to disperse. Rachel came over, smiling. "Saturnalia has officially begun. It's time for this oracle to get some well-earned fried foods before I get back to work."

Frank and Hazel congregated with them, too. "I would kill for some fried dough," Frank added.

Hazel wrinkled her nose. "I've never been a fan of that stuff. It's just bread with sugar on it. What's the big deal?"

Frank held his hand to his heart, wincing. "How could my own girlfriend say such a thing to me? You wound me!"

They all laughed. From down the steps, Jason heard a voice calling, "Jason!" He turned and saw Nico hurrying up the steps.

"Hey man!" he called. "We're going to get some fried food, you wanna join?"

"I'd love to, but you can't," he said, frowning. "I just got a message from Camp Half-Blood. You and your girlfriend have received a mysterious summons. I'm afraid you've got yourself a quest. You're gonna have to hop on the next flight to New York."

Jason felt a massive frown appear on his face. Just great. It looked like the holiday season wasn't going to be quite as peaceful as Jason had hoped.

AN: Alright that's it for today. See you tomorrow!