Jason was about the most uncomfortable he'd ever been. And he had a sinking feeling that it was only going to get worse.
For starters, the chairs in the Principia were abnormally hard. He tried not to squirm, but his butt was already starting to feel sore, and he hadn't even been sitting for ten minutes.
But the chairs weren't the main cause of his jittery nerves.
He was sitting across from Reyna, trying not to meet her hard stare.
It felt so weird. His instinct told him to sit on the other side of the desk, in the chair next to her. Old memories rose up in his head, of him and Reyna sitting side by side, doing paperwork together and occasionally sharing a joke. But he knew better than to even think about taking a seat in the empty chair next to her. If he so much as glanced at it, Reyna would probably be at his side and run her dagger through him in a flash.
Jason stared at the Roman-style, cobblestone floor, his hands twiddling in his lap. He could feel Reyna's sharp gaze piercing him, making him feel extremely self-conscious. He may as well be sitting naked in front of her. His mind was reeling with questions, mostly wondering why she'd brought him here, away from his friends, just after Leo had landed the Argo II in a hovering parking lot above the forum. Jason supposed the reason was to talk. Reyna wanted him to bring her up-to-date on what he'd been through since he'd disappeared from Camp Jupiter. But if she expected him to tell her everything, he'd better get started right now, or they could be talking all night, and Jason would miss the feast the Romans were preparing for the Greeks, their surprise guests. Jason's empty stomach rumbled at the thought. He hadn't eaten since before they'd left Camp Half-Blood, which was hours ago.
He suddenly became acutely aware of the fact that he was alone with Reyna. Although this would have never bothered him before, now the realization made sweat break out on the back of his neck.
He tried to sit patiently, waiting for Reyna to speak. Her dogs, Argentum and Aurum, laid on either sides of her desk, heads in their paws, glaring at him. Jason felt a wave of sadness rush over him. The dogs had never been particularly fond of him, but they'd never outright disliked him. He remembered days when Aurum would happily lick his hand when Jason approached, and let out a cheerful bark. He also recalled that the automaton dogs responded to their mistress's emotions, something Hephaestus had rigged up in them on his last visit to Camp Jupiter, a few years ago.
Reyna must have a real sore spot for him.
He hurriedly tried to create a mental list in his mind about what he'd done that would've especially ticked her off. But, being ADHD, that list got blown out the window in about two seconds.
"So . . . Jason," Reyna finally said, breaking the silence. Her words felt like ice cracking, and when she paused, Jason could almost imagine himself standing on a silent, frozen pond, wintry winds brushing at him from behind. "I suppose you can fill me in a bit on what has happened to you all these months?"
Jason swallowed. He nodded nervously, then began to roughly summarize his life since Hera had kidnapped him and wiped his memory. He told her about waking up on a bus with Piper and Leo, how he'd been taken to Camp Half-Blood, and, most importantly, about the quest he'd gone on with his new friends.
"And after that?" Reyna prodded. Even her voice sounded like winter: cold and hard, intent on making him miserable.
"Um, I just . . . hung out at camp, while Leo built the Argo II, and everyone searched for Percy Jackson. When we heard the smallest news of him, it was one of the best days in months—especially for Annabeth. She was ecstatic." Jason shook his head, smiling a little, remembering the radiant joy in Annabeth's face—although Reyna did not seem to share his fondness of the memory. If anything, the coldness in her eyes hardened, and her mouth clenched harder. Jason cleared his throat. "Then we, uh . . . came back here."
He was back to fumbling with his fingers nervously, waiting for Reyna to speak.
The praetor stood suddenly. She began to pace behind her desk, clasping her hands behind her back. "Are you happy to be 'back here,' Jason?" she asked. She seemed to mock his choice of words for his former camp.
"Yes," he answered honestly. "I'm excited to see all my old friends and New Rome—the whole camp."
Reyna gave a sharp nod in acknowledgment to his answer. "I've been wondering, Jason . . ." She stopped pacing, and leaned forward on her desk, toward him, placing her palms on the smooth surface of the wood. "You've heard that Percy Jackson has claimed the role of praetor. Would you like your job back? I'm sure I could work it out . . ."
"No," Jason decided instantly.
Reyna blinked. "What? You . . . don't want your old job as praetor back? Your old role . . . with me?" She gasped and staggered back at his answer.
Her dogs began to growl.
"I'm sorry, Rey." Jason knew he was taking a dangerous step, using his old nickname for her at a time like this, but he couldn't take it back now. Best to role with it. He took a deep breath. "But I've got a girlfriend now, Piper. And if you got to know her, she's amazing, and she means more to me than anything. If we survive this battle with Gaea, then I'll have to decide which camp I'm going to stay at, but that decision's not here yet, and . . . all I know for now is that I'll be with Piper."
Reyna's dark eyes were smoldering embers.
"I'm sorry," he added hastily, thinking, It's true, as Reyna stormed around the desk and behind his chair. "But I can't leave her. And it wouldn't be right, me being praetor with you like before . . ."
"Before, Jason," Reyna said bitterly, practically spitting out the words, "was perfect." A low growl emitted from her throat, and she raked her fingers through her hair, pulling pieces out of her braid, causing dark wisps to stick out the sides of her head. Jason thought he heard her cursing the gods under her breath. She turned to face him, and he was surprised to see stinging tears in her eyes. "I though you thought more of me than that. More than just a . . . colleague. I thought you wanted to be a praetor, Jason, to be with me!"
Argentum and Aurum sat upright, their ears pointed toward the ceiling, unmoving, looking like silver and gold statues, aside from their red eyes blinking.
"Perhaps I did, once . . ." Jason admitted, thinking of the time long ago, when he glanced at Reyna and felt a sliver of hope that someday, they might be more than just praetors together. "But I have Piper now. And . . . I'm sorry. I'm truly sorry if I'm causing you any hurt. But there's no other option for me, in the position that I'm in. Surely you can see that."
Reyna had placed a slender hand on the wall above her head, her back to him, and was taking deep breaths, trying to calm herself. Jason held his breath anxiously, awaiting her answer.
"I suppose I can . . . understand your position, Jason. And I imagine I would only do the same in your place," Reyna said slowly, gathering her thoughts. Her back straightened and she turned to him, lifting her chin and looking him in the eye. "But you do not know how much hurt you have inflicted upon me, how much pain I was in when you were gone. I . . . I was excited for your return."
Tears welled up in her eyes and she turned to face the door, about to leave the Principia, when Jason jumped forward and caught her hand, swinging her around to face him, and then suddenly they were hugging. His arms encircled her, his chin resting on top of her head. Her hair smelled familiarly of the strong vanilla shampoo in the shower stalls in the barracks, which everyone hated because the water ran too cold. But Reyna had never been one to complain.
He could feel her heart pumping next to his, slowing down, starting to calm as she was swept back in time to old memories of them being close together like this. He felt her shoulders shaking slightly as she tried to stifle her sobs.
After a minute, she pulled away and furiously wiped her eyes with the heels of her hands, taking a few quick breaths until she had diminished her crying completely.
"Don't be mad at me, Rey," Jason begged quietly. "I really am sorry. Do we have to resent each other for choices we've made, and the positions they've lead us to? Can't you respect my choices, and forgive me? I don't want to lose one of my oldest friends." He tried for a comforting smile, but was sure it looked like he was nervously grimacing instead.
Reyna wouldn't meet his eyes, her shoulders slumped, head bent, looking at the floor. She was probably embarrassed by his hug, but Jason didn't care. There was still a fond affection between them that had to come out every now and then.
"You said before was perfect," he went on quietly. "Well, months ago, we really weren't more than friends. I remember precious moments of our friendship that I don't want to be lost just because of a stupid interference by the gods. Remember that time we were sick of paperwork and had a jelly bean–eating contest? I threw up for two days afterward—everyone in the barracks complained that I woke them up when I had to run to the bathroom at night—and you still beat me." Was that a smile tugging at the corners of Reyna's mouth? She was always better at keeping a straight face out of the two of them. Jason sighed in frustration. "You know what? Just forget it. Even if you won't forgive me, I'm sorry. I've just felt like I needed to tell you that."
Reyna sucked in a breath. She was still looking at her shoes. "That's the second time I've been apologized to in a way very untraditional to Romans recently," she muttered. She slowly glanced up to meet his eyes. "Maybe it's time I started allowing a little un-Roman, outside discord to enter my cohorts. The cohorts could finally learn some manners from you and . . ." She broke off, hesitating, then shook her head. "Never mind." Squaring her shoulders, staring straight at him, her purple cloak rustling behind her, she fully looked like the praetor she was, once again. "I will accept your apology, like a true Roman leader. I wish you all the happiness with Piper McLean, and I might just take up that offer on getting to know her. As for you . . ." Reyna hesitated. Suddenly she gave the tiniest of smiles. "Yes, we will remain friends. Although I doubt we'll ever get back to being the close friends we were when we first met, before any of this became complicated." She waved her arms in the air, gesturing to the whole world, and Jason understood what she meant. Reyna dropped her arms, still smiling at him. Now Jason could spot a line of her white teeth as the corners of her lips lifted more. "And after this war is over, I'd like to hear more about that quest of yours at Camp Half-Blood."
She opened the door to the Principia and gestured for him to step out first. "Now, shall we go to the feast? The others are surely waiting."
Jason's face broke into a grin. He nodded, and stepped past her, out of the Principia to stand in the warm sunshine outside.
Reyna followed him, closing the door behind her. "Oh, and Jason?" she said, causing him to spin around on his heels to face her. She had a tender smile on her face now, that brought up warm memories in his mind. "I haven't forgotten those moments of friendship we shared, either. I would not spoil those memories for the world."