Disclaimer: I do not own or Percy Jackson or Heroes of Olympus. They are property of Rick Riordan.
A/N: Hey there! It's been a while since I publish something. Midterm week is just ending but life still goes on. I have an interview this Thursday for an internship and I'm super nervous. Send me your good vibes and wish me luck! Another tumblr prompt! I had a whole different idea before but then this little idea popped up in my head. Hope you enjoy it! Read and review as always guys!
Prompt: Yello! Could you please write a Jeyna prompt where its based in Ancient Rome and Jason is the son of the Emperor but Reyna and her family are visiting.
For Rome
"FATHER!" Jason shouted when the sword plunged through Emperor Jupiter's back and out of his chest. The dark-haired man gasped silently as he coughed up a steam of blood. The crimson liquid dripped down his chin, staining his purple toga. Jupiter's blue eyes glared at his attacker. The blond man sneered at him as he pulled out his sword. Jason struggled against the strong arm of Frank as people around them screamed in horror. "You monster!" Jason screamed, trying to grab something to throw at him. Frank's dark brown eyes warned him as he grabbed the twenty year old prince's arm. "Let me go, Frank." Jason hissed, eyes seething.
"Long live the Emperor." Senator Octavian pronounced as he plucked the golden crown of leaves off the dying Emperor's brow. The curtains behind the risen tables pulled out, revealing Octavian's personal soldiers with spears, swords and shields. The ambitious young man placed the crown on his blond head, smirking down at Jason with malice blue eyes. Jason growled from his spot as Octavian pointed his sword at Jason. The young heir of Rome met the madman's gaze. "Leave no survivors." He ordered turning to exit as the carnage started.
"OCTAVIAN!" Jason shouted as Frank shoved him back. "Frank, he's getting away!" Jason proclaimed, trying to push past the broader young man. Frank shot him a glare as he pressed a gladius in Jason's shaking hands.
"That's suicide chasing after him. Go through the kitchen." Frank ordered as men with spears and shields Jason didn't recognize rushed towards Frank. They wore armor with a purple fabric wrapped around their upper arm. Frank grabbed a quiver of arrows and bow from one of them. "Run, Your Highness, and don't look back. FOR ROME!" His men cried out in unison as they met Octavian's brutes. Jason stumbled, being pulled with the tide of panicked people as they ran in various directions.
Jason ground his teeth together, standing against the tide. He will not run. He will not leave his home to this tyrant. "FOR ROME!" Jason shouted as he lunged to the nearest man, slashing a wide arch. The attacker gasped from the pain as blood sprayed from his wound. Jason flinched as the warm substance splattered his face. The prince of Rome spun around, looking for another target. He felt nothing, no fear no remorse as men around him fell under his steady hands. It was like years of training took over as he watched life leave his enemies' eyes. A disgusting copper smell evaded his nose. "ARG!" Jason shouted as his sword plunged into another man's unprotected stomach. "That's for my father."
"What are you doing?" A female voice demanded. A hand grabbed the back of toga. Jason turned, about to plunge his bloody sword into his attacker. A solid metal clang of cool steel meeting solid metal stopped him. The girl in front of him held a large dinner plate of pure gold, deflecting his attack. A pair of dark steady brown eyes gazed into his wild blue ones. She grabbed the front of his toga, pulling him into a crevice as more men ran by, missing them completely. Octavian's large force had lit the garden on fire, casting menacing glow which danced across her beautiful features. "You're supposed to escape through the kitchen!" The girl hissed into Jason's face. Jason felt the blood lust slowly leave him system as he regained his breath and blinked at her.
"Your Praetor Nero's daughter…" Jason murmured as he took her in. Her white stolla was drenched in blood but there were no visible wounds on her. Her raven locks were tumbling down in messy curls. Clenched in her right hand was a bloody hairpin, her weapon of choice. "Where's your father?"
"Jupiter, you're not supposed to be here. Get to the kitchen. Find Hazel and follow her instructions." She tried to grab his gladius but Jason kept a firm grip on it. Her lips curled into a scowl. "Listen to me, Your Highness."
"I'm not going to leave my people." Jason said in a steely voice. She stepped pushed herself in his path, using her body to keep him against the wall. Cries and screams could be heard along with loud clangs of steel clashing. The sound of death and dying enveloped them as they stared at each other. "Let me go."
"You can't win this on your own. You're going to get yourself killed. Your people don't need you to die. You need to live for them." She whispered grabbing the front of his toga and shook him. Her words pressed against Jason's chest like her hand. "Live." She ordered and Jason wanted to obey but couldn't. Not when so many people around him were dying. Not when he could do something.
"Reyna!" Frank's voice carried over the horrible sounds as he ran towards him. His men were fighting valiantly but they were being pushed back by the sheer volume Octavian brought with him. The dark-haired man gasped when he noticed Jason. "Your Highness!" There was a hidden fury behind his brown eyes as he shouted commands to hold their position. He loosened a few arrows before stepping towards the pair. "We need to go. Now."
"I know, Frank." Reyna hissed as she lowered her hand. "I'm sorry, Your Highness." Jason turned, not sure why she was apologizing until something slammed into his forehead. He gasped out of shock and fell back against the wall, touching his head as the room spun around him. Reyna dropped the metal plate and grabbed Jason's arm. "Frank, grab him and give me your bow. We're leaving!" She ordered with authority of a commander.
"Ugh…" Jason groaned as he turned his head, trying to relieve the throbbing. Cool fingers touched the side of his face, gently running a cloth against it. The young Roman could feel the ground underneath him sway, making his stomach roll. It's all a crazy dream. He thought with his eyes clenched shut. I'm safe in my room, sick from drinking too much wine. I'm going to the market with Dakota like every other day, talk philosophy with the boys and flirt with the market girls. My father is still alive. Jason opened his eyes, expecting to see the familiar white stone walls of his spacious room. He took a sharp breath of the salty air, eyes jumping around in a panic. This wasn't his room.
"Calm down, Your Highness." Jason turned at the sound of her voice, feeling the panic recede as the sight of Hazel, a handmaiden at the palace. She cradled a bowl of cool water in her lap as she dipped the cloth in it to wash his face. She looked unharmed with her curly cinnamon brown hair pulled underneath a piece of fabric. "You're safe now." Her golden eyes flickered in the dim light as the wood creaked around them.
"Safe?" Jason repeated taking a look at the room they were in. It wasn't a jail cell which has to be a good sign. The room was sparse with only a bed, desk, and chair. Jason's toga was draped over Hazel's chair. He had a soft blanket covering his form. "Where are we?" He asked, looking at the ceiling as it creaked.
"A ship," she answered as vaguely as possible. Hazel looked down at her hands, feeling Jason's gaze on her face. She took a deep breath before elaborating. "A ship to Alexandria." Jason sat up quickly, feeling the blood rush to his head. Alexandria… but… He touched his forehead, feeling the lump which knocked him out as his mind tried to catch up. Hazel's cool hands touched his shoulder, providing a soothing presence.
"What? Why? What happened in Rome? Why are we running?" Jason asked as words fell out of his mouth. His thoughts were bouncing around, trying to figure out how long he's been out. "Where's my father? Mother? My guards? Frank? That girl… Reyna?"
"Slow down, Your Highness." Jason looked up quickly, blinking the spots away as the dark-haired beauty stepped in. She wore a simple toga with a thick brown shawl draped across her shoulders and chest. Her hair was pulled into a braid, falling over her shoulders. Attached to her side was his gladius, clean from all the blood. "Everything will be answered in time. Hazel, please get Frank. I'll tell His Highness what I can." Hazel nodded her head and left the room, leaving the two alone. "Do you remember me?"
"You're Reyna, daughter of Nero. My future wife." Jason said, remembering the whirlwind that was caused at its announcement. Reyna smirked at his words as she sat in Hazel's vacant seat, poised and obedient like a perfect Roman daughter but Jason knew there was more underneath those dark eyes. "You were visiting with your father to cement the agreement and meet me before…" Jason couldn't bring himself to say it. Saying it would be like breathing life into the gory event, cementing its existence in history. "Where are my guards?"
"Dead." Jason bit the inside of his cheek, trying to keep a stoic façade. Reyna continued, "The palace's personal guard aside from Frank and his team were found dead. Poison in the wine they shouldn't be drinking." Jason's fingers curled around the blanket, unable to believe her blunt words. "You were lucky we were there."
"Take me to your father." Jason demanded. The girl frowned, creating a tiny crease between her eyebrows. Jason needed someone, not Reyna, to explain what was going on. His whole world was turned upside down. "No disrespect but you did smack me in the head with a metal plate." Her lips curled in a small smile when a knock broke their odd but comfortable silence. Frank peek his head in. He looked well with only a bandage wrapped around his forehead. "Frank." Jason greeted feeling relieved to see his friend.
"His Highness wants to speak to my father." Reyna said, standing up as she fixed her shawl. "Get him dressed and bring him up deck. I hope you have your sea legs." Jason watched as she left the room with her head held up high. Jason stood up with unsteady legs as Frank helped him slip on his toga.
"Do you know her?" Jason asked as his friend. Frank was silent as he handed him something to keep his toga tied. Frank joined the palace guard a few months ago, quiet and unnoticeable, until he was wielding a bow and arrow. He was deadly and impressive, Jason promoted him to captain of his guard. But right now, Frank was avoiding all of his questions. "Frank."
"Praetor Nero will clear everything up." Frank explained before opening the door and leading Jason up top. The air was salty but refreshing compared to the stale air underneath. Jason could hear seagulls flying with the wind and jolly rhythmic chants of the oar men. The white sails were full with wind propelling the modest ship along with its rowing crew. At the bow stood three figures with matching dark hair and imposing stance. "Praetor Nero, Lady Hylla, Lady Reyna." Frank greeted with a bow.
"Praetor Nero," Jason greeted trying to sound confident. Nero was a tall intimating man with a purple cape attached to his signature golden armor. His dark piercing eyes which his daughters inherited stared straight across the expansion of sea. Nero was his father's age but seemed older because of the hard lines on his face. War always seemed to add years to people. Jason greeted the other woman. "Lady Hylla? I thought you ran off." Hylla smirked, a wicked expression on the older girl.
"Do you believe everything they tell you, Your Highness?" Hylla addressed as her fingers curled around the spear she held. She wore a pale yellow stolla with light tightly bound leather armor pulled over. Usually women were forbidden to handle weapons but there Hylla stood beside her father proudly wielding a spear.
"Please ignore my daughters." Nero stated with a slight smile. It took a few years off of his scarred face. "They were raised unconventionally. Your mother is fine. She's resting below." Jason sighed in relief, nodding in thanks. "I apologize about your father. We were too late. Octavian's forces outnumbered us greatly. It's a miracle we got out with minimum casualties."
"You knew?" Jason asked. Nero and Reyna traded subtle glances. "What aren't you telling me?"
"They were whispers at most." Reyna explained, running her hand over his gladius as she bit her lower lip. "But there were signs. It's been brewing for a long time in the Senate. My father tried his best to quell it but Octavian always had a way with words. Hylla and I took precautions. We didn't know who to trust outside our family and men." Jason stared as she spoke with convection, unlike many women in Rome. Nero smiled at his daughter with pride.
"Frank and Hazel?" Jason asked, looking at the two.
"They are ours." Hylla picked up, gesturing to the crew. It was a mix of men and women, working hard with each other as they managed the sails and oars. "We needed people who you've trusted if this was going to work."
"We never expected Octavian to act so soon." Nero said with an angst expression. "I'm sorry, Your Highness, I've failed your father."
"How are you feeling?" Jason looked up from his hands as the young woman entered his cabin. They've been at sea for days now, slowly approaching Alexandria and leaving the only place Jason knew his whole life. Reyna held a tray with stale bread and salted dried meat, nothing like the extravagant meals he ate at the palace. Everyone has left Jason alone with his thoughts, busy with their duties and preparing for the uncertain future.
"Lost." Jason answered truthfully as she sat the tray beside him and sat on the creaky wooden chair. He had finally grown used to the roll of the ocean but not the facts of their circumstances. His father was murdered in a coup staged by their trusted senate member. Jason and his mother were on the run, most likely declared dead. Rome could potentially launch into a civil war and Jason wasn't sure if he was ready to lead, if he should lead. "So is our engagement fake?" Jason asked, trying to think of something else. Reyna laughed a kind of laugh that shook her shoulders and brought a bit of happiness to her striking face. She gave him a soft smile.
"I'm sorry to disappoint you, Your Highness." Reyna replied, touching the dagger by her side. From the many days on the ship, Jason knew it was Reyna's nervous habit. Everyone was armed with a gladius, spear or dagger. Nero was a firm believer in being ready for anything at all times. The enemy wasn't going to wait for you to get your weapon. "It was a convenient story to get our people into Rome without much suspicion."
"And your sister running away? Another story?" Jason asked. Reyna regarded him with deep dark eyes, deciding if she could trust him. She saved his life while risking her own but secrets were different. Secrets held power and trust couldn't be given out freely. Jason learned that the hard way and now his father wasn't here to protect him any longer. I have to make my own decisions now. I have to protect my family and myself.
"All lies are built on some truth." Reyna finally replied as she tore a piece of Jason's bread and popped into in her mouth. She chewed intently as she thought of her words. "Hylla did run away after her engagement. It was political marriage. We needed her future husband's support. Her running created a huge scandal but ultimately revealed what a horrible man her future husband was. My father called it off but Hylla didn't return. She found her place within a group of warrior women, carving her own path. I convinced her to help, saying she could influence the future of Rome. She and her warrior sisters were the ones who smuggled your mother out before the carnage started." Reyna paused, thinking about that night. It still plagued Jason's dreams as well. If he just did something different, maybe his father could be saved. "I'm sorry we weren't enough."
"Why me?" Jason asked the question which was bubbling in his throat. Reyna looked at him with honest eyes as he spoke. "You could have easily saved my father. With your extensive planning, you could have smuggled him out of the palace or something but you didn't." Reyna's eyes revealed nothing as Jason laid out his thoughts. "Is it because Octavian attacked suddenly? Or is there something else? I know you're not telling me something. Reyna, if I'm going to trust you, I need to know. Did you purposely not save my father?"
"You and I both know there's no right answer to that question, Jason." When she used his first name, he knew she was serious. It wasn't 'Your Highness' or something along those lines. Right now, Reyna was speaking to him as an equal. "I did what I could to give Rome its best chance. You are Rome's only hope." Her voice was even; steady as she spoke with convection. He could see Nero within his daughter, the unexpected commander of this whole operation. "People may have hid this from you but your father wasn't an ideal ruler. Why else do you think there was a coup? He was slowly bleeding Rome dry. The Senate was fed up with him. The military was running the country. My fried tried to support Emperor Jupiter but he isn't blind. Rome was losing faith in their emperor." There was sadness in her eyes as she spoke which shifted to anger. "With Octavian taking the throne, the Roman empire was thrown into turmoil. There's distrust because he took the throne. The empire will be divided as news travel. Octavian won't get all the support and he can't prove you're dead. He doesn't have a body. You're too prompt of a figure in Rome to take a body." Reyna reached out, taking his hand in hers. They were steady like her deep brown eyes and words. "One day, you are going to rally the people of Rome, remind them who their true leader is and return this empire to its formal glory. I will do everything within my power to support you."
Jason could feel the weight of her words, the bond slowly forming between the two young adults. Right now, Rome didn't know their emperor was dead. That a new era was slowly starting. At this moment, Jason needed to put his feelings into words to the strong girl in front of him. He squeezed her hand and reached up, gently pulling her towards him so their foreheads were touching. He could feel Reyna's breath against his lips and her pulse thumping underneath his palm. There was an unwavering trust and hope in her eyes. She really did believe her words and him.
"I promise you, Reyna, daughter of Nero. I will return. I will save Rome but only if you're by my side." Reyna squeezed his hand, answering his question.