Disclaimer: All publicly recognisable characters, settings ect. ect. are the property of their respective owners (Rick Riordan). The original characters (if there are any) and plot are property of the author (me). No money is being made from this work. No copyright infringement is intended.


The meeting, although it was exciting to attend one, was quite the opposite of what it had she had thought it to be. It was mostly the Teddy Bear Killer defying everything Percy, Reyna and Jason said, with a quick introduction of each other and a brief on the prophecy so far squeezed in beforehand.

Piper did not speak one word throughout the whole meeting, afraid that she might charmspeak the Romans' augur into slicing himself open with his own blade if she did as much as open her mouth. She didn't mind though; she just observed everyone as carefully and she could while sitting there.

Hazel Levesque, child of Hades, had a mass of curly hair atop of her head. Although she had the posture of a true Roman, it was her eyes that gave her vulnerable self away; they keep darting from Reyna, as if too make sure that she was actually allowed to be there, to straight ahead again, and then if Piper watched very closely, to Leo. She had no idea why Hazel's eyes strayed to him.

Maybe she likes him. Maybe Leo has finally found a girl who finds his incredibly short height attractive. Not to mention his bad jokes as well. A mean voice said from the dark corners of her brain.

Piper shooed the mean, Drew-like person away from her subconscious. Leo is her friend. She would never be mean to him.

Frank Zhang, son of Ares from what he had said. He sure didn't look the part with his baby-like face and she thought she saw him carry a bow earlier on. His back was straight and his face was unchanging; exactly how the legion wanted him to be, but Piper knew that he was simply faking this hard exterior. It must've been his friendly aurora that gave him away.

Jason Grace, son of Zeus and Hera's chosen champion. Piper did not know why she was now observing her boyfriend; she practically had had eight months to do so. It must've been that now he was back in New Rome, in a room full of people he knew, she couldn't help but think differently of him. He had suddenly transformed in to a charismatic leader and soldier, not that he wasn't already one before. She somehow knew that he was in his element.

Reyna. The name tasted bitter on the tongue. She was the daughter of the war goddess, Bellona, and the praetor of the legion and New Rome. She was also cold, serious and uptight; everything was straight-to-the-point with her. She took no nonsense from Octavian, and although she avoided making any speeches, you could just hear the sense of authority dripping from every word she did speak. Even just sitting there, she radiated power, confidence and had an air of a real leader about her. She was also stunning; her face belonged on the cover of a magazine, her hair is what shampoo commercial models would die for and she was able to make her unflattering toga seem as if it just came off the runway.

Was Piper envious of this girl? Yes, definitely. Was it because Reyna was beautiful or was it because she was a threat? That question made her think.

The Roman praetor definitely held great beauty but beauty was never something Piper cared about. But what of hers was Reyna threatening?

Nothing but our relationship with Jason. The voice in her head said.

Her lips pursed into a thin line. So, maybe her memories with the son of Zeus were nothing but lies, maybe Reyna really did have something going on with Jason before he disappeared, but that was eight months ago. A lot has changed since then.

She sat up straighter and crossed her arms. She had just decided that Jason was hers; not Reyna's, but hers.

Not that he isn't already ours. Spoke the voice again.

She will keep him by her side, always be there for him. She will love him and he will love her. It was quite simple, really.

I'm getting a little possessive over here. She thought nervously to herself.

She had to remind herself that Jason was a person, not an object that she could just label as hers.

He can be friends with Reyna as long as it's just that; friends. She thought.

Piper let a small smile form on her lips before closing her eyes and saying a silent prayer to her mother; the goddess of love, Aphrodite.


Roman's are so complicated, aren't they? They are always making the effort to appear tough, even when they don't want to or aren't. Am I talking about Reyna? You bet.

And no, the voice was not evil Gaea. I was trying to show that all Aphrodite girls, even the seemingly good ones, like Piper, can be kind of mean. It's only a matter of shoving the voice into the dark corners of their minds or giving in and listening to it, like Drew must've done, and because Piper's better judgement was clouded by her love for Jason, she let it, with all its jealousy and hatred, take over her.

Next chapter: Prepare for heartbreak and tears because we will be following the son of Jupiter. But who will the tears belong to?