► Hope you enjoy :)

► I sadly don't own any of these awesome characters :'( they belong to Rick Riordan

► But anyway read! :0


Piper and Aphrodite were still making the wedding cake. They had started in the morning, and were still making it. Normally the wedding cake would

only use 17 eggs, but at least 180 people were attending the wedding, so multiply the recipe by 10, and you get 170 eggs. 170 to break. 170 to stir.

Aphrodite broke them while Piper beat them. Her hands trembled as she did so. Not only were they handed the task of making the cake, and catering the

wedding, but the process to get the eggs was unbelievable. They wanted to use fresh eggs so they ordered 200 chickens to lay them. 200 to fatten up.

200 to castrate.( Sorry for interrupting, but if you don't know what castrate means, I DO NOT recommended looking it up. I'll explain later ) Sadly

these horrible projects were given to them. Given to Aphrodite for her experience as a cook, and to Piper as a punishment.

"I will not allow you to ruin your sister's wedding by acting as a victim," Mama Hera told her, "you will help Aphrodite with all of the preparations from now

on. And don't let me catch you spilling even one tear. Do you understand?"

Unfortunately for her, Piper had to agree to all of these conditions. But the problems grew even worse. They started when she had to castrate the first

chicken. And lets just say that means putting her hands on a part of the chicken so that it's edible.

When she touched it she almost fainted. Her hands were sweating, and she felt like vomiting.

To make matters even worse Mama Hera was there when Piper was castrating the chicken.

"Are we having problems?" she observed.

Piper wanted to throw something. "Of course I have a problem," she thought, "my sister is marrying the guy I love, and I wasn't even allowed any

justification in this. Now you have the nerve to ask if there's a problem!"

As if she had read her mind, Mama Hera slapped Piper across the face in rage. Piper landed next to a dead chicken on the floor.

Without a word she got up, and furiously beat the batter. When finally they put the cake in the oven to bake for 30 minutes they took a break. Mama

Hera had gone to help with the wedding dress. They both let out long sighs. The wedding was the next day, and they still had the icing and filling to

make. They started on the filling.

" Your mother is gone child," Aphrodite gently said, "go ahead and cry. I don't want you crying tomorrow in front of everyone. Especially not your sister."

Aphrodite knew Piper was about to have a breakdown, and that she couldn't continue cooking. Drew and Aphrodite were never close. She was

annoyed at how picky that girl was. Piper was the opposite and would eat anything (except those nasty soft-boiled she hated ).

Now Piper was hurting. Tears washed out of her eyes as she cried and cried. Aphrodite hugged her while the girl cried. They didn't let go until Piper

cried, and no tears came out, which is painful.

"Now child," she said to Piper softly, "let's finish the cake, and hope your tears didn't affect the filling."

They continued, and the smell of the apricot filling made Piper remember the evening they had made the marmalade.


She had just come from the garden after she picked fruits. Unfortunately she forgot her basket, and clouds were starting to set in so she had to improvise and

use her skirt to carry them. Doing wedding business, Leo was getting ready to go into town to deliver some things, and waited for the carriage in the kitchen.

Piper entered the kitchen with her skirt slightly pulled up carrying the fruits. She murmured to herself about all girls wearing skirts, and when were they going

to be allowed to wear pants. Then startled, she saw him, and dropped a few apricots. He bent down to help her get them, and she realized he could see part of

her leg. So he wouldn't look she accidentally let go of her skirt, dropped the rest of the fruits on his head.

"I'm sorry, Leo. Did I hurt you?" she asked with concern.

"Nah," he responded unhurt, "it takes more than a few apricots to hurt this hombre duro."

She smiled at his humor, and forgave him a little. Sadly that happiness did not last long.

"But," he added, "I hurt you. Let me explain..."

"I didn't ask for an explanation."

"Please let me say something."

"I did," she snapped back, "and all you gave me were lies. Just leave."

She stormed out of the kitchen.


While Aphrodite and Piper were making the icing they added red coloring to give it a pink color. Aphrodite knew something was wrong when Piper asked

"When are you going to add the food coloring?"

"Child, you're tired. Go to bed and let me finish the coloring."

She kissed Piper's head and shoved her out the kitchen. After the icing was finished decided to try the filling that Piper had cried over, to see if her tears

affected it. It tasted fine, but she suddenly felt a strange longing.

She remembered all the weddings she helped with and attended. Aphrodite herself wasn't married. She had a fiancé once though, but Mama Hera had

sent him away. It had never bothered her so much as it did than now. But, why?

She finished the cake then went to her room, where she wept all night.

In the morning she didn't have the strength to get up so Piper had to manage on her own the next day.

Before the wedding ceremony in the church began Mama Hera pulled Piper aside and said to her:

"Remember, you will be obedient the entire time. This is your sister's day. You will not show the slightest sign of emotion, or else."

So like always she obeyed her mother even though she felt like breaking down all over again.

But it was very hard to keep a straight face. It seemed like everyone at the wedding had moved their attention from Drew, to Piper.

Every Piper went she heard her name.

"Poor Piper. Her sister is marrying her sweetheart."

"I know. I saw them one day in the village together so genuinely happy, holding hands and all."

"They're also going to be living in the same house. If I was Mama Hera I would have Drew and Leo packing across the border!"

Each word was a stab to her heart with a dagger. But she managed as long as she blocked out all the voices.

She kept doing this until everyone took the party to their home to celebrate.

She was able to do this, thinking of other sweet memories until:

"Aren't you going to congratulate me?"

It was Leo, standing side-by-side Drew. She had congratulated her sister. Now it was his turn.

"Oh, yes. I hope you two will be happy for a long time," she said mustering as much happiness as she could, but still with a little indifference.

She gave her sister a hug, then him.

Seeing the hug as an advantage he whispered in her ear:

"I'm sure I will be, because this marriage has given me what i really wanted. A chance to be close to you. Who I really love."

And she had thought the flame in heart was about to go out. His words were a fresh breeze on the embers that almost went out.

She had to hold her feelings in for months. And those words gave her such a dramatic relief.

She wanted to stay in his arms, but what she saw made her let go.

Mama Hera was staring daggers at them. The newlyweds walked away as she came closer.

"What did he say to you?"

"Just his thanks, Mami".

"Don't play games. I have had enough of those. Don't let me catch you alone with Leo or you'll be sorry".

"Yes, Mami".

Her mothers threats did not phase her. Now that she knew the truth she couldn't wipe her smile off her face.

Piper couldn't wait to go tell Aphrodite the news, that she had been right, but she couldn't leave the table until everyone finished their cake.

No one said she couldn't gobble it down though. So that's what she did.

So wrapped up in her own thoughts, Piper didn't notice what was happening all around her. Something very weird was going on.

The very second everyone took a bite of their cake, they started crying. Just crying and crying for no reason.

Even Leo, the funny man, couldn't control his tears.

Even Mama Hera, the devil, I mean the strong lady, who hadn't wept a single tear when her own husband died was silently sobbing.

But crying wasn't all that happened. That's what everyone felt at first. Then they all felt pain, and grievance. Then something else.

Everyone was yelling, crying hard everywhere. Unfortunately not everyone made it to the bathroom in time.

So the people who couldn't just vomited where they were. It was the most repulsive sight ever.

They were all throwing up. Every single person except one.

Piper.

The strangely had no affect on her. She had left the wedding after she finished eating.

Drew, who was most concerned about not ruining her wedding dress, couldn't hold it in any longer, and threw up, right in front of her new husband.

Nothing could ever convince her that Piper hadn't poisoned the cake, and purposely ruined her wedding.

She spent many months moaning in bed. Then one night she pointed something out to Leo.

"I'm finally feeling better. Doesn't that mean we're ready?"

He knew exactly what she meant, but didn't dare say anything. He knew that he wouldn't be able to avoid the situation any other way.

Before they did anything, he swore to himself:

"I'm not doing this for any reason other than to have a child to serve a life on this planet."

It was the longest and uneventful time in his whole life.

Piper on the other hand was more scared about Mama Hera finding out the truth.

The night of the reception she got the worst beating from her mother ever.

Mama Hera was also convinced that Piper ruined the cake to make her sister suffer.

It took two weeks for her to recover from her beating.

Sadly Piper could convince her mother that the only extra ingredient added were her tears. Neither could Aphrodite.

"Aphrodite," Piper said happily searching for her, "you'll never guess what happened!"

But when Piper had finally found her, she was dead in her room clutching a picture of her fiancé.


Next chapter will be up soon as possible :D

So for now review and stuff, bye!