The Song of the Sea
I tried to control it, tried to maintain it, tried to contain it. But I failed terribly, and I don't know what to do. I tried to hold back, and accept the fact we ain't perfect, and what we got goin' on might leave us both with bruises.
—Wild Heart, Sabi
I. Clicking Hearts
Jason is the first one to go down the rope ladder, with Annabeth following close behind, probably not even thinking about the possibility of falling. Maybe she saw Percy Jackson, Piper thinks. The name has been imprinted in her mind, so much has she heard it in the last six months. Camp Half-Blood doesn't have one camper who is unable to retell at least one of the stories about his quests. Piper McLean is no exception.
As she climbs down the ladder, she wonders if Percy Jackson is as remarkable as everyone seems to think he is. She wonders if she will be disappointed. Piper knows he looks the part of a leader, with the handsome face and the strong build, from the pictures of him everyone at camp has. It is almost scary the way Camp Half-Blood's devotion to him runs so deep. Once, she had remarked during a sing-along that Percy kind of looked like a God. Drew had sniffed disdainfully at her, and had informed her that it was very appropriate that he did, since he had declined godhood at the end of the Second Titan War last summer.
Piper jumps the last few feet to the ground. Before her feet touch the ground, she feels Jason's arms wrap around her. He sets her down carefully on the grass as she gives him a grateful smile. She would have pecked him on the lips, but Piper becomes aware of the two hundred eyes glaring at her. A girl dressed in a purple toga is watching her and Jason dispassionately, one eyebrow raised at Jason. Piper can see from the corner of her eye the sheepish look he gives her, and Piper smiles.
"It's good to see you again, Jason." The girl in the purple toga, who she knows is a praetor, speaks. All eyes shift to her.
Jason is about to answer the praetor when Annabeth interrupts him. "It's a pleasure to meet you. My name is Annabeth Chase. Do you happen to know someone by the name of Percy Jackson?"
Piper tries to stop herself from glaring at Annabeth. The crowd, who has now swelled to something closer to three hundred, doesn't hold itself back. Annabeth stands unbothered by the attention as if she doesn't even notice it, looking expectantly at the girl, who Piper has a feeling is the Reyna Jason has told her about.
"Yes. Our new praetor will be here shortly."
Jason stiffens. Piper strokes his arm gently and is glad that Leo hasn't yet come down from the ship. She is afraid that if he was here, he would have said something like, See, Jason, I told you you shouldn't wear the purple dress. She smiles a little, thinking of Leo.
Piper wants to reassure Jason, wants to tell him that this was how it was always going to be, but she is also afraid that the legionnaires would overhear her. The last thing she needs is for the Romans to believe Jason is weak now he has spent time with the Greeks.
Leo chooses that moment to come sliding down the ladder. He jumps and amazingly lands on his feet, and Piper wonders if Jason had anything to do with that. Jason winks at her, and Piper knows he did.
Apparently Leo does too because his first words are, "Thanks, man." He claps Jason on the back.
The Romans don't like that, but whether it is Leo's behavior or his familiarity with Jason, Piper doesn't know.
Suddenly whispers break out among the legionnaires. What? Piper thinks. What did Leo do? But when Piper looks up, the Romans are looking in the other direction. Reyna whirls around, her back facing Annabeth. Her hands are held tightly at her sides. Piper has no doubt that the moment Annabeth moves for her dagger, several archers will shoot her. No questions asked.
The crowd parts slowly, and Piper has an open view of three teenagers walking side by side. The tallest guy, who is in the middle, has his arms around a buff boy a little shorter than him and a petite girl with dark skin and light brown hair.
"Reyna." The tall guy with the windswept black hair greets the praetor so quietly Piper almost doesn't hear him. Piper isn't surprised by her identity.
Annabeth squeals. She shouts "Percy!" as she runs at the guy Piper now notices is wearing a purple toga.
Percy Jackson. This is Percy Jackson.
Piper inches forward, eyes wide. Jason's arms go slack around her waist and fall to his sides in surprise. Piper knows that he is as skeptic of the Hero of Olympus as Piper is. She knows without looking that Piper's expectant expression is mirrored in the faces of both Jason and Leo.
Annabeth jumps at Percy Jackson. He caches her in his arms. Piper hears the twang of arrows being fired too late. For a moment, Piper thinks that Annabeth is dead because who else had moved but her? When Piper is able to assess the situation, though, Annabeth isn't even bleeding.
She is cradled in the arms of Percy Jackson, who is laughing. The guy seems to be completely unconcerned by the arrows lodged deep in a curtain of water. The curtain falls to the ground, creating a puddle, and twenty arrows end up swimming in it. Percy sets Annabeth on the floor, probably aware of the Romans glaring daggers at Annabeth.
Hades, if they hated her before… or if looks could kill… Well.
Annabeth has other ideas. She latches onto him, arms encircling his neck. She crushes her lips to his.
Piper hears another set of twangs. She opens her mouth to shout out a warning at Percy Jackson, since she is certain that Annabeth is lost to the world now. Percy doesn't need a warning, however, but a strangled noise escapes Piper's throat anyways. The puddle rises from the ground and creates a shield around Annabeth and him.
Reyna raises a hand, palm up. "Stop!" The archers, still hidden, obey her. Percy doesn't immediately drop the water shield this time. Reyna is glaring at Annabeth and Percy, but mostly at Annabeth.
Piper McLean doesn't notice.
Percy Jackson is looking at her. His face is as handsome as she remembers it being in the photos, but his eyes are so piercing, so green, so incredibly alive in a way that none of the photos at camp had managed to capture. They are looking right at her. Right at her, and she blushes.
Piper feels cold and hot at the same time. This guy, Percy Jackson, is so incredibly powerful that she chokes on her words of caution. There is this aura around him that doesn't allow her to look away. She had said, months ago, that Percy Jackson looked like a God. As Piper stands on the Forum, gazing into his piercing green eyes—eyes that she knows would forever haunt her dreams if she doesn't find a way to keep them on her—she believes he is.
Piper understands, finally, why the Greek campers refused to forget about this man. This was the closest anyone can come to fighting side-by-side with a God. She is both enraged and thankful to the Gods. Why didn't they force him into godhood when it was clear no one would fit the part better than him? merges into Thank the Gods they didn't take him away.
Percy Jackson's lips are still attached to Annabeth Chase's, but his eyes are on Piper.
A satisfied smile crosses her face when she becomes aware of that fact. Annabeth is kissing him and he is looking at Piper. Butterflies are fluttering on her stomach. He wants me, Piper tells herself. He wants me. She knows this with the conviction only a child of Aphrodite can have over matters of love and desire.
Something clicks.
It is beautiful, it is ambrosia and nectar and how Piper imagines being in Elysium would be like. This is contentment but more. This is happiness. This is what being around her mother feels like, except it is now multiplied more times than Piper can count. It is kissing Jason but not. It is feeling safe but afraid to forget how that feels. It is incredible.
This is Percy Jackson? All of a sudden, Piper understands why Annabeth was such a wreck for six months, searching for Percy like a madwoman. Once a girl felt like this, how could she ever give it up?
Piper doesn't know, and that is why she won't. She can't. She wouldn't give this up. Piper needs his eyes on her forever, like they are now. The alternative would be unthinkable. She slams the door shut on that thought. She won't think of it. Jason, who made her tingle seconds ago, doesn't matter. Annabeth, who she had come to respect and love like a sister, means next to nothing now.
And she would do anything—suck up to the Romans, even—to make Percy stay with her.
In her mind, she swears it on the River Styx. Thunder rumbles, and Piper knows there is no turning back. Her mother's gentle laughter alerts Piper of her presence. She is not reprimanding her, not at all. Piper feared she would for a moment, due to all the times she had heard of how Aphrodite favored Percy and Annabeth together. Aphrodite approves, and Piper is glad.
Percy Jackson is still looking at Piper when Reyna tears Annabeth from him. He looks away, and Piper becomes aware of Jason's burning gaze drilling onto her back.
The Song of the Sea
The senate house is a high-ceilinged, circular room with a semicircle of tiered seats. The other half of the room is an expanse of polished grey marble. On it stand only three structures. On the very back of the room—but not quite touching the wall—are two chairs carved out of grey marble shot with white. They are an arms-length apart. The third structure is a podium made of the same material as the praetor chairs. All three are protruding from the floor, as if they had been carved out of the same slab of marble.
Piper supposes that they are, in fact, carved that way. Somehow.
She seats on the right section of the senate house, with the other Greeks. They are the East, so the Romans had insisted on their group taking the whole right side for themselves, which means that there are about fifty empty seats on their side. Octavian had insisted that it was only right that the East stay in the East and the West in the West, to ensure tidiness—even if it meant that the Romans got crammed into the right. Despite this, the left side has ten seats to spare once the Lares and the veterans had filed in after the Legionnaires.
Piper, however, feels like Octavian is subtly snubbing them. As they are now, the Greeks are to the Praetors' left, which means the Romans are to their right, and that is usually a place of honor. Already she dislikes the augur of Camp Jupiter.
Percy is seating on the left chair, closer to the Romans, and Reyna is seating on the right one. Piper had wanted to argue that since Percy is Greek, he should be seating on the right one, but she quickly drops the idea. She doesn't want to remind the Romans—half of which are looking at Percy with awe in their eyes, half of which are barely concealing sneers—that Percy is Greek.
Jason seats besides the aisle on the first row, on the right side of the tiers. Percy had seated himself on the praetor chair Jason had occupied only months before, and the first five rows on the left side had filled up before he had been able to decide where to seat. So instead of seating at the back, he had chosen to seat with the Greeks. No one had complained, but Reyna did give him a mournful look, as if he had sentenced himself to death.
Maybe he did, Piper thinks.
Annabeth seats next to Jason, and Piper seats next to her. Leo is to her right.
Percy motions for Reyna to start the meeting. She stands up and walks to the podium. Her voice is strong as she addresses everyone in the room. "I would like to take the time to greet the Greeks. Both my co-praetor and I welcome you to Camp Jupiter, and, subsequently, New Rome. The senate has already been made aware of our joint activities during the Second Titan War. It is my duty to thank you in behalf of Rome for defending the gods' seats of power. For this, I believe a celebration is in order." For the tiniest second, Reyna looks at Percy from the corner of her eye. Percy leans forward slightly, a movement that can be confused as interest if one hasn't noticed Reyna's gaze. Piper understands this for what it is: Deference from Reyna to Percy.
Alarmed, Piper tilts her head to the side a little, so that if anyone happened to look at her, it would look like she is staring at Annabeth. In truth, she scans the Roman crowd, searching for recognition in any of their faces.
Only the dark skinned girl and the heavily-built Chinese guy recognize the two gestures from the praetors. The girl is biting her lip, staring at Percy with worry. The guy is frowning. Percy is looking at the two, but his face remains calm. Piper wonders if he is always this way, so deathly calm, or if he is just nervous like she is. Under normal circumstances, Piper wouldn't have noticed the interaction between the two praetors, but her ADHD—undiagnosed and not as prominent as other demigods'—was keeping her focused on the task at hand, taking in every detail around the room.
Octavian, thankfully, hadn't noticed.
Piper turns towards Reyna once again. "Tonight we will have a feast in both camps' honor. Us Romans would like you to feel at ease, but now we must discuss the events leading up to our mutual discovery of the others' existence. Since this all started with your disappearance, Jason, why don't you explain to the senate what happened?"
Reyna goes back to her chair as Jason replaces her in the podium. "Romans. I haven't set eyes on Camp Jupiter for eight months. I have missed the barracks, the War Games, and a million other things I won't know I've missed until I try them again. I've missed my friends and walking down the Via Praetoria at night. But I can't bring myself to regret my time with the Greeks. As Hera's champion it was my duty to—"
Jason stops when Octavian stands up. "Don't you mean Juno, Jason?"
Murmurs ring out throughout the senate house. "Well, yes, but it was actually Hera who—"
"There it is again. Aren't you Roman enough to call her Juno?" Triumph is evident in Octavian's voice when he directs himself to the Romans, completely ignoring the Greeks and the praetors. "Don't you see? He is no longer one of us. We can't trust him. He is a Greek now. They have corrupted him."
Percy nods at Reyna, who from her chair says, "Octavian, please. Let him continue. He hasn't explained his disappearance yet. Jason, we don't need a speech. Tell us what I asked." Reyna looks guilty about chastising Jason, but Piper thinks that is probably not a very big consolation to Jason.
Concern floods her for a second about her ex-boyfriend when… With a jolt she realizes that she has stopped thinking of Jason as her boyfriend. Now she thinks of herself as single, and that is not right. The thought disappears from her mind when she shifts her attention back to Reyna and Percy once again. Why does he rely on Reyna to say what he wants to? Why doesn't he do it himself?
Octavian answers Piper's question. "Why doesn't our Greek praetor answer for him? Certainly, he is more of a Roman now than our old one." He crosses his arms, and Piper understands: Speaking up with Jason in the room puts Octavian in a position to attack both Percy and Jason. Better to let Jason suffer the embarrassment alone.
Percy hesitates before he takes the podium from Jason. Jason plops down on his seat once again before Percy speaks. "I arrived at Camp Jupiter less than a week ago with almost no memory. When I awoke in the Wolf House, I had no memory at all. If not for Lupa, I wouldn't have known my own name." Piper doesn't think it fair that Percy gets to wax poetic about his memory loss when Jason won't be allowed, but she doesn't mind listening to his beautiful, deep-but-not-too-deep, dreamy voice.
"Before I arrived at Camp Jupiter I met an old lady going by the name of June." Annabeth hisses quietly at the name. "I carried her into Camp Jupiter past the Tiber and she revealed herself to be our Juno Moneta." Piper doesn't miss the way the Legionnaires are nodding in approval at his use of the goddess' Roman name, or the way Annabeth stiffens when she notes Percy is calling himself a Roman.
"I don't know what exactly happened with Juno, but since the last Giant War started with her capture, I'm… assuming Jason and two others went on a quest to save her from the King of the Giants." Percy looks at Jason for confirmation and Jason nods. "I disappeared from New York in late December, days before the current damage to the Wolf House was caused. Since I woke up a mere two months ago, I think it is safe to say that Jason was kept hidden by Juno until her time of need, to prevent him from recovering his memories until after the quest." Again Jason nodded. "She was obviously freed. I don't think I know anything else on the topic."
A Lares speaks out. "Why bring you here and him over there?"
Apparently, Percy had been expecting that question because he answers after only a brief pause. "I suppose Juno wanted to bring the two camps together by choosing two people who she believed capable of completing the two quests."
"Why you?"
Piper thinks she sees Percy grit his teeth, but she isn't sure. "I don't presume to know the mind of a goddess, but my nearest guess would be that she thought she could trust two demigods who had defeated each at least one Titan." To Piper it is clear what he isn't saying outright about Hera's thoughts. The goddess' thinking is surprisingly easy to trace: Jason and Percy, as children of the Big Three, are both born leaders. Jason is Roman and Percy is Greek. They can be exchanged.
It isn't difficult to understand when the word exchange is mentioned, but Percy is careful to avoid that word.
"As I have already mentioned, Juno has set in motion the prophecy of the Seven. These Seven are Juno's chosen. Frank, Hazel and I are three of seven. Jason," Percy almost flinches when he says the name, "Piper and Leo make up another three. The seventh demigod hasn't been stated outright."
"Then what's blondie doing here?" Annabeth is glaring at a boy with short red hair.
Percy stares at the boy. "Sorry, what was your name?" Piper thinks he is stalling, but maybe he is also mocking the redhead.
The boy turns red. "Larry."
"Right. Annabeth Chase hasn't been been confirmed as the last of the Seven, but Juno has spoken to me personally of her involvement on the quest. Her… role will be determined later in the day." Annabeth is gaping at Percy, and this doesn't escape anybody.
"I think that someone must give us a perspective of what it's been like at Camp Half-Blood for the past several months. Someone with no connections to the Roman Camp." Percy looks right at me. Oh, no.
Oh, yes, he seems to be telling her. "The daughter of Aphrodite."
Piper stands up and tells her story uninterrupted, using her Charmspeak freely. She tells of her welcome at Camp Half-Blood, omitting details such as her relationship with Jason and her rivalry with Drew. She tells of Khione and of Enceladus, keeping to herself how close she had been to betraying Hera. And of the fight in the Wolf House she tells the most, hoping to make Jason look better in their eyes. Her tale has the opposite effect on the Romans. They are looking at him with pity, something Piper knows Jason hates.
She goes back to her seat after the dark-skinned girl that seems to be close to Percy takes the podium from her. Hazel's retelling of their quest is short and precise, but the Roman campers are listening intently, which makes Piper believe that whoever had told this story before had been even more tightlipped. She can't help but think it was Percy, since the Chinese boy looks completely out of his element seating on the front row of the Roman side.
When Hazel mentions the eagle, Jason stands up. "You found the eagle?" Piper almost laughs at the disbelieving tone Jason uses. She doesn't understand what the eagle is, but Piper doesn't want to look ignorant in front of a dozen people who already think her beneath them.
"Yeah."
"You got it back or did you just—"
Hazel cuts him off. She is glaring at Jason. "Of course we got it back. We sure as Pluto wouldn't have come back without it. Percy wrestled it from the hands of the ghost of Michael Varus, and fell from a glacier to avoid losing it." The offhand comment about Percy catches Piper's attention more than anything else. The way Hazel had said does words was like saying Of course we got it back. Percy was with us. What did you expect? An expression of righteous indignation morphs into a deer-caught-in-headlights look.
At the same time, all the Romans start speaking at the same time. "Michael Varus! You never said anything about him—" Reyna's voice is heard above the others before Percy cuts her off.
"I didn't know it was him, alright? Hazel's a daughter of Pluto. She could see who it was, I had no idea."
Octavian, who seems to not care from whose hands Percy had pried the eagle, pounces like a snake. "Yes. We finally got it back. We don't want to lose it again. Everyone here is just assuming that the prophecy of the Seven is coming to pass. Has it ever been stated outright?"
"Why, yes. By Gaea and by Juno." Hazel's voice is icy.
"When? Are we supposed to believe what you say with no proof?"
Isn't that what you always do? Isn't that what everybody always does? You believe in the heroes! Piper wants to scream at Octavian, wants to tell him to stop being so selfish. What would he gain by hindering their quest? Was dethroning Percy and preventing Jason from taking the praetorship worth the gods being thrown into Tartarus?
"I'm sure Juno Moneta will appear to us soon, announcing our quest officially." All eyes turn to Percy. "Who knows? Maybe she'll do so today."
Octavian makes a sour face. "Very well. We'll wait until midnight. If you're right and you are six of the Seven, then Juno Moneta won't abandon you in your time of need. Is this meeting dismissed, praetors?"
"Not quite. An inspection must be made on the Argo II. For safety measures." Reyna looks at Percy, who nods his approval.
"The children of Vulcan will be leading the inspection. Have them report to me directly, Centurions. Meeting dismissed." Octavian is the first out of the double doors. Slowly, the room empties itself out until only the two praetors, Frank, Hazel and everyone on the Greek side of the room is left.
Frank breaks the silence. "You need a tour of Camp Jupiter."
"Are you volunteering?" Reyna looks gleeful, as if she was waiting for someone to say just that.
Percy shoots her a dirty look. "As praetor, shouldn't you be welcoming them more openly?"
"You are a praetor too."
"Oh, for a day, you mean? You have been one longer."
"You have to learn some time."
Watching the two praetors argue is like watching a match of ping pong. It's fast and it's a waste of Piper's time, as fun as it is to watch. "What about Jason?"
Reyna and Percy don't even turn to look at her when they say, in unison, "No."
"Why not?" At Jason's words, the two turn. Piper sort of feels offended that Jason warrants more attention than her, even though she knows it is perfectly logical that he does.
Reyna answers him first, in clipped words. "The Romans don't trust you. You won't be running around alone, if we have anything to say about it."
Percy is next. "You sealed your fate the moment you sat on the right side. You should have demanded a seat on the Roman front row. Hades, there were demigods in the first four rows that had no business being there. By Zeus, what were you thinking?"
"I didn't want to make a scene."
"Well, now—" Just as he is getting worked up, Percy stops suddenly. "We shouldn't be talking about this here. We could be overheard."
Leo pipes up. "The Argo II—"
Reyna stops him. "Will be going through scrupulous inspection very soon. About that, I think it would be best if you actually oversaw the inspection, Percy. Go make sure Octavian doesn't sneak too many of his."
Leo perks up. "Hey, can I go with you?"
Percy shakes his head, and Leo's face falls. "My presence will be bad enough. He won't stand for you being there. Frank, Hazel, you coming?"
They both nod, following Percy to the doors. Before they exit, Annabeth calls for Percy. "Can I talk to you—for just a moment?"
Percy glances back at Annabeth. Piper hopes that the jealousy isn't too obvious in her face. "Can't it wait?"
Annabeth looks downtrodden. "I guess."
Percy nods his head. "Go with Reyna. She knows all about the architecture."
For once, not even that is able to make Annabeth perk up.
The Song of the Sea
Halfway through the tour, Reyna pulls Piper into a hidden alley. Jason had chosen to remain on the Fifth Cohort barracks catching up with his friends. Annabeth had become enamored with Jupiter's gigantic temple, and had stayed there with Octavian, of all people.
Piper can tell by the way Reyna drags her away that she doesn't want Leo to follow, since she doesn't even tell him of their departure as he is occupied talking with a faun. Piper lets herself be carried away. Yes, Reyna is dangerous, but she is also a diplomat. She won't kill her. At least not yet.
The alleyway is spacy and surprisingly clean. Piper leans on one of the whitewashed walls, as does Reyna. The praetor speaks first, "I'll make you a deal." Piper is pretty sure that a deal with the praetor, more used to the language of threats and power plays, is not to her advantage.
Reyna must have seen the doubt in Piper's face because when she looks back at the praetor, Reyna has a reassuring smile dancing on her lips. "What kind of deal?"
Reyna's smile widens until she is showing teeth. Not enough to seem threatening, but close. The praetor, however, isn't looking at Piper. She is looking at the wall, which means she is thinking about something else entirely. "I'm not an idiot, and neither are you. Jason and Percy, for that matter, aren't either."
Piper nods slightly, trying to look as absorbed in her own thoughts as Reyna so that if the other girl decides to snap out of her daydreams, Piper looks equally unconcerned with the conversation. "I know." She lets some Charmspeak sneak through her voice, in order to make it sound smoother.
"That daughter of Minerva, though, she's an idiot." Piper launches into a giggling fit. It manages to snap Reyna back from wherever she was and she soon joins Piper.
When they calm down enough, Piper says, "I'm sure she would take offense to that."
"Oh, but it's always that way. The children of Minerva may call themselves the most intelligent, but they hardly ever have the brains to navigate through politics. Or relationships." Reyna giggles again. Piper follows.
They had slid to the floor in their fits of laughter. The pavement is smooth beneath Piper's legs, and even if it had been dirty, Piper wouldn't have minded.
"She's my friend, y'know." Piper giggles once again. If Annabeth knew of what I want with Percy, she sure as Hades wouldn't consider me a friend.
"Sure she is." Reyna seems to find it equally funny.
Piper glances at the faraway opening of the alleyway. "Leo must be wondering where we are." Reyna waves her hand at the alleyway's opening. "You aren't worried he'll get into trouble?"
"Oh, no. Dakota was trailing us. He'll keep him entertained." Piper doesn't bother to ask who Dakota is, so Reyna continues, "You want Percy, I want Jason. You've got Jason, and I can tear that pesky blonde away from Percy with a little pressure. You in?"
Reyna looks so smug Piper is tempted to say yes right away. "Won't they know?"
Reyna shakes her head at Piper and smiles. "Of course they will. They won't care." Piper raises her eyebrows, forcing Reyna to elaborate. "I didn't miss that look between you and Percy. No one did. Pluto, only the daughter of Minerva and the son of Hephaestus. I bet rumors are going around about the five of us. So you like him and he likes you. Jason likes you, but he isn't going to be too happy when you tell him to his face you're leaving him for Percy. So he'll come crying to me." Reyna is smiling like Christmas has come early.
"What if Jason chooses to keep to himself?" Reyna looks at her like Oh, you poor thing, so young but Piper thinks her concern is legitimate.
"And lose more power? His best hopes now are to latch himself to me." Piper must have still looked confused, but Reyna sighs good-naturally and says, "Look, it's going to happen anyways. It'll just be faster this way." Reyna holds out her hand for Piper to shake. She moves her fingers playfully, urging Piper to shake her hand. She can't help but think how different this Reyna is to the one giving speeches in the senate house. She looks like she is high.
Piper has to shuffle away from the wall to shake Reyna's hand. "Let's be friends?" Piper purposely makes her voice high-pitched, like a little girl's.
Once again, they slump to the floor in fits of giggles. "Sure." Reyna's tone is similar to Piper's.
They both laugh harder.
The Song of the Sea
It is late afternoon by the time the inspection of the Argo II is done. Percy declares the ship safe and not a threat to Camp Jupiter. Everyone—everyone who is considered important enough—is seating on a long rectangular table. On one end of the table seat Reyna and Percy, and the other end is empty. To Percy's right is Annabeth, something Piper is bitterly jealous of. She takes comfort in the fact that he isn't paying her much attention. Percy is keeping himself in check, not looking at Piper either, but she thinks that is good. He doesn't want people to know he wants her.
Percy doesn't want Annabeth to know. Piper has other plans, but they won't be set in motion for a while.
On Reyna's left side is Jason, seating in front of Annabeth. Piper herself seats besides Jason and Frank Zhang seats besides her. In front of Frank seats Hazel Levesque, who Piper finds is a delightful conversation, but she doesn't look too happy about seating next to Leo. The Queen of the Amazons and her second-in-command seat nearby, as do Tyson and Ella the Harpy. The group of four serves to separate the Seven and Rayna from the Centurions.
Juno appears just before the end of the feast, so beautiful she can't be anything but a goddess. Reyna and Percy stand up to greet her properly, but the Queen of the Gods motions for them to sit.
"Romans and Greeks, for years the gods have kept you separated, afraid of the lengths you would go to, to destroy the other. In the last war you worked unknowingly together. Kronos was not an enemy to trifle with, but Gaea is all the more dangerous. I have chosen my Seven, the seven Heroes of Olympus, to stop Gaea from destroying Western Civilization. Frank Zhang, son of Mars," The buff Chinese boy stands up like a good Roman. Why can't they just wave? Why stand up for everything?
"Hazel Levesque, daughter of Pluto," Hazel follows Frank.
"Leo Valdez, son of Hephaestus," Thankfully, Leo has the decorum to get up from his seat. Piper grabs his hand before he gets a chance to wave. She drops it before anyone notices.
As much as Piper dislikes the Romans' uptight society, she follows their example. "Piper McLean, daughter of Aphrodite," Piper stands up gracefully. She is self-conscious of her clothes for once, but quickly forgets about it when the next name is announced.
"Annabeth Chase, daughter of Athena," Annabeth is shocked and Piper is sure her expression is reflected on her own face. Jason and Percy are likewise surprised, but no one says a thing.
"Then there are the two leaders of this quest. Today in the senate, a question was left unanswered. Why did I choose to swap two men from each camp? I chose to exchange them," Piper flinches at the word, waiting for something to explode. "Yes, it was partly because of their remarkable feats of battle, their natural leadership ability, and because they have earned the trust of Olympus. But most importantly, I chose them because they both have ties among both of you. My own champion, Jason Grace, son of Jupiter, has a Greek sister."
The Romans are looking at Juno like she is crazy. "Thalia Grace is the Lieutenant of Artemis, the Greek form of Diana." The hall is deathly quiet. "Stand up, Jason." He does so carefully, as if he is afraid it is a trap.
Piper understands the part about Jason having Greek connections, but she doesn't get how Percy could. If Percy had a long-lost sister, then surely Piper would have met her already at this camp. Surely she would have been in the meeting. With a jolt she remembers something Hazel had said mere minutes ago. Frank is a legacy of Poseidon.
What if Percy is a legacy of a Roman deity?
In a second, Piper has discarded tens of Gods. Not Minerva, Athena hates him. Not Mars, Ares hates him. Not Jupiter, Zeus doesn't let him fly. Not Bacchus, Dionysus hates him. And the list goes on… Piper has a long moment of panic when she thinks it is maybe Venus.
No, please, no, she keeps thinking as Juno talks about Percy.
"And the most remarkable of the Seven, Percy Jackson, son of Neptune… and Poseidon." Percy doesn't make the same mistake as Jason; he stands up quickly, but he is visibly shaking to Piper.
No one speaks, and Piper is terribly confused. Her mind blanks out. What does Juno mean? The happiness she feels when she doesn't mention Venus is overridden by confusion.
Piper hopes Juno explains on her own because no one seems to be brave enough to question the goddess.
"What do you mean?" Except Annabeth, of course.
Piper glances at Juno, afraid she would blast Annabeth to pieces. "I mean, daughter of Athena, that Percy Jackson is both a Roman and a Greek."
"How?" Piper is glad Percy speaks this time and not Annabeth. She seems to like him better.
Juno smiles, and if Piper thought that Reyna's expression a few hours ago was smug, then Juno's is much, much more than smug.
"Unlike Frank, your link to Rome is not through your distant ancestor, but your own parent. Poseidon was in his full form at the time you were conceived."
"Is that normal?" Jason sounds incredulous.
Juno frowns at him. "Of course it isn't normal. I knew the time for the prophecy of the Seven was coming, so I made a deal with Poseidon because I didn't want a child of Hades' or Zeus' to take the glory! If he conceived a child who was both a Roman and a Greek, and he or she reached the age of sixteen and survived the first Great Prophecy, then that same child would unify Rome and Greece and lead the demigods to victory against Gaea. Do you know how long this plan has been on the works?" There is a soft tapping sound coming from nearby. Piper does a double-take when she realizes that the Queen of the Gods is tapping her foot against the floor.
Juno looks much less godly now she has worked herself up. There is silence, but Juno doesn't seem bothered. "So, yes, those are the Seven. You sail at the latest the day after tomorrow at noon. Annabeth Chase will be staying here with Reyna, daughter of Bellona. The other six, with Tyson the Cyclops and Ella the Harpy will be sailing in the Argo II. You will stop in Camp Half-Blood and the Cyclops will stay there. The harpy will accompany you to Rome, as will Rachel Elizabeth Dare, the Oracle of Delphi. Do not fail me, Heroes."
And with that, the goddess disappears in a gust of wind.
The Song of the Sea
A/N: It's funny. Basically all my stories start out as one-shots. Breaking Hearts was this tiny snippet in the beginning, and Waning Moon was this longish oneshot. I also have this idea for a Perlia story narrated by Jason (weird, right?) that actually came to me way before this, but got shoved back because of this. That was originally a oneshot, but it will probably be a story. Unless Mark of Athena sneaks up on me and I cram everything in ten thousand words.
So there was basically no interaction between Percy and Piper here. I apologize about that, but it's the first chapter. I'm setting things up. I did my best with the politics, and I think I did a good enough job. Reyna ran away with me. I have no idea what happened with her, okay? But I like her this way. She's OOC, but I think that I can fix that for next chapter. We just saw so little of her here.
Also, I chose to sneak in my theory on Percy being the son of both Neptune and Poseidon. I kept expecting for Percy to get a what? moment in The Son of Neptune when someone told him he was a Roman and a Greek. I'm hoping it will be in the Mark of Athena, or in whatever book comes after. It's not fair that Jason has got Thalia as a link to the Greeks but Percy has got nothing… yet.