Jason noticed her subtle movements as she paced the praetoria. Her posture was as stiff as ever, but a small- was it a wince?- seemed to occur as she passed by Jason, who was standing before her.
Her normally braided hair was frizzed up and messy; it was most unlike her usual self- perfection and accurate. Dark, intimidating eyes seemed to soften every so often as she passed by Jason and looked up to examine his expression.
Jason could have sworn she thought he had changed into a Greek. And perhaps he had been changed some bit. Things had changed, so did he not have any reason to change, too? Ever since he had been delivered a quest by Hera (or Juno, either one was still distasteful), he felt- different. Of course, he still had that strong aura of Jupiter around him, everyone always mentioned that. He still had that eagle- signifying his parentage- branded onto his skin, telling everyone that his allegiance still stuck to Rome. But, did his mind change as he went to the Wilderness school and destroyed the venti, battled with his new Greek friends, gone to Camp Half-Blood, and nearly die- only to be saved by a Greek "Venus spawn".
And if all that was true, Jason thought still watching Reyna pace across the unblemished marble floor. Had he changed for the better? Had he changed for the "greater good"?
He felt his mind jolt awake once he had noticed Reyna stop treading footsteps across the floor. Her shoulders slumped and she turned to Argentum and Aurum. Their hide glowed faintly, for the room was dimly light at the moment. Yes, the windows were transparent, allowing the only light source in the room- the moonlight of Diana- to illuminate the room. The light casted by the moon ever so often began to flicker.
Reyna whispered a small utterance to the dogs and momentarily glanced at Jason, but she immediately returned her eyes to face the dog-like automations. The dogs beaded ruby eyes glanced back at her and escaped out of the room, sitting at the entrance to the praetorian. Reyna slowly traipsed to the metal-gilded door, and (with an eerie knock as Jason thought) she shut the large doors.
She returned to face Jason, who had been standing solitary for the past while in which Reyna had been in a deep trance, not speaking at all, and showing little to no emotion on her demeanor. Jason looked into Reyna's face; she returned the gaze and studied his face intently.
It seemed that her face had never changed since Jason had first met her in Camp Jupiter. With her trademark glare, freshly braided hair, strong appearance, she had always- somehow- been somewhat of a scary person to Jason. But after being praetor and "acquaintance" as Reyna had called it, he always saw her in a different light. She was his confidant and friend- more loyal to anyone than a dog could ever be. She always seemed to have a straight face on, but Jason (as one of the few who had witnessed the rare occasion) knew better than to judge Reyna off of her daily façade.
To Jason, he saw a girl smile and say small, snide- yet funny- joke towards Jason. A girl with a tough life, but the best discipline and control over her. Of course, almost all demigods had the roughest lives of anyone. Leo: the death of his mother and rejection from society. Piper: her inability to lead a normal life she longed with a sting in her heart and the ache of her head. And himself: a boy given birth to merely appease a goddess and fulfill a so-called-prophecy.
But Reyna had had a much more different life than he had. Her own home was taken away from her by Greeks; she now had to face the prophecy that now stood before her, and somehow trust (with all her remaining willpower) to trust the "Graecus". She had to stand up to the speaker: Octavian. Though Reyna had been on "solo" ever since Jason was abducted, she had somehow withstood (as much as she could) to Octavian.
Jason furrowed his brow as a distant memory reoccurred to him.
"Hey there Miss Praetor!" shouted Jason, running up to catch up with a walking Reyna. She was dressed in normal attire, much different from her praetor costume. Reyna simply wore jeans and a bright, neatly ironed Camp Jupiter t-shirt. Jason simply fawned over her as he finally caught up to her and viewed her appearance. "Isn't it cool how we are bothpraetors, Reyna?"
"After being merely close friends for some time now?" She half-smiled to Jason. "I guess I would have to admit it will be a tad bit different. Am I right, Jason?"
"Tsk, tsk, tsk. So formal, Reyna! Come on, we don't get officially turned into praetors until tomorrow! Chillax!" Jason struck an awful pose as he said "Chillax!".
Reyna giggled and she smiled; her face lit up completely with pure glee. "Just remember that people follow after us. We don't want any more people taking up to 'crazy poses of Jason'!" She turned to Jason and nudged his elbow.
"Ha-ha. I guess we don't! Come on, I have some spare denarii. Want something to eat?" Jason offered, spreading his arms in persuasion. He took to a pouty face.
Reyna merely scoffed at his antics. "Sure." She took his arm, and the two began to walk across the pathway, soon to be greeted by much more friendly circumstances later that day.
"Jason?"
He looked up at Reyna. Her eyes had turned hazy. "Umm…" In truth, he didn't want to admit to Reyna about his sudden trance of her. He replied simply. "Yes?"
Reyna rubbed her arm and glared at Jason. "May I speak to you?"
"Sure… I guess."
"You do know that things have been hard being the single praetor while you have been gone." It was a final statement. Reyna had never been one for loopholes- that was for Octavian- she was straight and to the point. The fewer questions, the better a meeting was to be. She merely paused to let Jason understand; she continued to her next sentence. "I would- I suppose…"
Her voice failed her and Jason saw her eyes begin to haze even further. "May I confide with you?"
Jason nodded solemnly, meeting Reyna's eyes with his bold, Roman ones.
Reyna grasped his arm; Jason caught his breath, Reyna never did that to anyone. She normally avoided all contact with people; only when she was battling did she ever find the need to do such a thing. "You have… changed." She continued, correctly deciding that Jason was unsure of the meaning of the statement. "For the good of you and the rest of the demigods."
The grip on Jason's shoulder slackened, and her hand slid off; Jason caught her hand. "Thanks."
Reyna stared into his bright blue eyes, as if searching for any flaw in his word. She sighed and spoke more confidently. "Yes. I would like to congratulate you on your quest. It seems it was quite the skirmish compared to what we both have been through!"
Jason nearly gasped as he realized Reyna had just stated a wry joke. "Yeah, I love killing sea monsters. I mean- they are so much more entertaining!"
Reyna smiled and shook her head. "Oh, Jason. In many ways, you have stayed the same loyal Roman you had once been. But now, I fear you are morphing into a Greek. A fear I, too, worry myself shall sooner or later greet." She sighed. "Yes, Jason. Brave Reyna is finally relieving herself of the one fear that has tortured her for so long, to her former fellow praetor."
Jason's mouth gaped opened. He was unsure of what to say.
"Oh yes. The praetor of Camp Jupiter, admitting her cowardice and lack of bravado!" Her voice turned into a whisper. "I have become a traitor to my own people and gods. I already fear the fates have left me to suffer."
"Narrate, ego sum Romanum?" Tell, am I Roman?
Jason gripped Reyna's hand tighter. He spoke with vigilance and poise, gifts that were given to true Romans. "Reyna. You are Roman. Valde Romanus! Very Roman! You are the best fighter I have ever seen. I knew you couldn't stand this any longer." Reyna's head sunk low. "Nobody could stand Octavian for that long-"
Reyna snickered.
"He is an insane alien! Hmm… I sound like Leo. Oops. But you have lasted longer than any one praetor has with stood, and you have dealt as praetor an individual. I would never deny that you are brave."
Jason rashly took his free hand and caressed Reyna's face. She retreated a step backwards, and snatched the hand Jason hand been holding back to her side. Jason stood there, confused.
Reyna stepped forward and gripped Jason. It was probably the sweetest moment with Reyna that Jason had ever received. He embraced her and patted her back as tears streamed down her cheeks.
"Thank you, my fellow Roman."
Jason was almost taken aback and embraced Reyna even more in their hug. The couple stayed so for a while. Nothing was spoken to enable the bliss to continue longer. Reyna drew away first. Any evidence of her crying was inconspicuous, and she smiled mournfully at Jason.
"Ahem. You are welcome," Jason replied. Reyna's thin curve of a smile opened into a full one as Jason brought Reyna's hand to his mouth and kissed it lightly. When he returned his eyes to look at Reyna, her face was turned into a light shade of rosy pink.
She smirked. "Such behavior between praetors at night is disapproving. To think you have more of that quest to research! A praetor hanging out with another person at night with no dogs or witnesses? How shameful."
Jason blushed as he realized how awkward it would be to tell everyone his story as he woke up in the morning. He shook the thought away and gave Reyna his arm- just like he had done when he had first became praetor. He opened the door and greeted the dogs- his arm still entwined with Reyna- with a pat.
"They have missed you."
Jason waved the comment aside and led Reyna outside. A clear view of the moon was now even clearer. He smiled at Reyna; she returned it.
Reyna finally pulled her arm out of Jason's and started her way toward her lodging. Jason, however, grabbed her arm abruptly. She turned slowly to face Jason once more.
"I trust that when the decision comes, we will both make the correct choice?"
Reyna grimly smiled, her eyes gleamed with her usual bravado and they looked glorious in the stark night. "Yes, on the River Styx." She pondered for a second and spoke. "And you, my fellow praetor?"
"Yes. On the River Styx."
A cry of lightning and thundered sounded amongst them.
"Good." She stepped up to Jason and embraced him with a hug one last time.
"Good night, Reyna," Jason said after the two had broken up the quick hug.
Reyna pulled up to Jason and give him a short, yet surprisingly euphoric kiss on the cheek. Jason surprisingly did not collapse in fear that Reyna had surprised him once more. "And I bid you goodnight as well my fellow praetor."
"Confidant," replied Jason.
"Soldier."
"Roman," announced the two in unison. They both gave one another a firm handshake, and departed their own ways.
Jason's head kept swarming with reoccurring memories of what he had just done, and what had just happened between him and Reyna. With the last thought of the kiss Reyna had planted on his cheek, Jason smiled and continued walking into the night with the thoughts of the girl flooding his thoughts with each step he planted on the gravel pathway.