Ok, first off, I'd like to say thanks to all of my reviewers and subscribers and favoriters. Secondly, I'd like to say thank you to Percy Jackson. I have a huge test on Greece and it's so easy thanks to my man Percy! Yeah!

Disclaimer: PJO isn't mine

Luke's POV

Today we all woke up bleary eyed and drowsy. Staying up so late to play poker was not a good idea. We all had to get dolled up for the winter solstice this afternoon and time was ticking by pretty fast.

There were all of the others: running around trying to get beautified and fancy. The Aphrodite girls were working overtime to help them all.

And then there was me: dragging through the hotel room completely terrified of what I was going to do this evening. I was cranky and grouchy. I was scowling at anyone who tried to talk to me. I was barely even excited to see the gods in a full fledged shout-off.

When there was only a half an hour before it was time to head out, I had hardly changed and still probably looked like death. But, finally, Annabeth was able to elbow her way through the massive crowd of campers and force me to fix my hair and all that.

As much as I had been trying to block him out all morning, Kronos had eventually snapped through my mental wall and started scolding me.

Luke, we don't want anyone's suspicions to be acting up. You must act natural, especially around the gods. If someone realizes our plan before we can take action, all is lost.

"Your plan. This is your plan, not ours," I grumbled. But, as petulant as I was, I did not want to get found out. That would mean death and none of the gifts that Kronos had offered me. I decided to get ready and try not too look so cantankerous.

I brushed my teeth and combed my hair and put on some nicer clothes. All without the help of an Aphrodite kid, I might add. After looking in the huge wall mirror in our room, I had to admit that I looked pretty good for someone that was about to face certain death.

"Now that's better, Luke," Annabeth agreed when I had just finished tucking in my dress shirt. She nodded her approval and together we walked over to where a group of campers had queued up by Chiron.

While I was changing Kronos had assured me that it was fine if I left Backbiter at the hotel as long as I had it ready for tonight. A shudder ran down my spine when I thought of what exactly I'd need that sword for.

Mr. D had to leave early this morning so he could get everything straightened out before the solstice meeting, so it was up to Chiron to do a headcount of us all and make sure no one wondered off while we walked to the palace.

The walk to the palace of the gods went much too fast. I had a splitting feeling in my stomach like they'd know I was up to something. I knew my face had gone pale at the thought so I tried to force it to color again.

Meanwhile, Annabeth was skipping next to me, quietly rambling on about stories she'd heard of the solstice. We respectively brought up the end of the line.

All too soon, we approached the palace. It seemed so much bigger and more beautiful up close. Even I caught my breath.

It is nothing, Luke, compared to the grand palaces that I'll be able to build for you. You could have any palace made entirely of anything you'd like. Solid rubies or platinum, if that pleases you. I could let you have a palace twice this size made completely of gold.

That got my attention. I didn't know where he'd be building this palace or where he'd get the gold but I liked the idea. I peeled my gaze from the stunning marble exterior and followed the rest of the group inside.

It was colossal. Several Bill Gates sized mansions could fit in one corner of the palace.

Thrones the size of the one recliner in our hotel room were in a curved half circle smack dab in the center of a gold and silver trimmed marble floor. Each throne was designed to fit the occupant's liking and they were arranged in the same order of our camp cabins.

We gasped just like we had when we all first came to Olympus. For a moment I even forgot to be scared.

Zeus, who was sitting in the front most throne, motioned to a corner and had us all sit down there. We campers obliged and sat pretzel legged with our mouths hanging open once again like goldfish.

"And with our guests seated comfortably, let us begin the winter solstice meeting," Zeus stood and so did the other gods.

While they were all on their feet, I could get a proper look at all of their thrones.

There were the male gods' thrones: Zeus's was regal and made of white marble and gold trim. Poseidon's looked like an old chair from a pontoon boat. Hephaestus's was made of different precious metals all smelted together. Ares's was red and gruesome, etched with scenes of death. Apollo's throne looked like a regular beach chair but it was solid gold. Hades, who didn't have a throne, stood in front of a regular fold up chair with a slightly torn seat. The throne of Dionysus was wound together grape vines. My father's, Hermes's, chair was a simple bronze throne but with wings sprouted from the sides.

And there were the female goddesses' thrones: Hera's throne was like Zeus's but thinner and with silver accents. Aphrodite's was a big, pink stool that would normally sit in a beauty salon. Athena's chair seemed to be made wholly of books that were bound together. The throne of Artemis was glittering and seemed to be made of nothing but solidified moonlight. Demeter's was a trellis shaped like a chair but it was covered with vine plants.

One by one, Zeus would call out a god or goddess's name and they would sit back in their throne. Once everyone was seated, Zeus regarded us coldly. "Please fellow immortals, restrain yourselves from arguing so barbarically. We have guests." We all shifted uneasily. "Hermes, what is first on our agenda?"

Magically, a scroll appeared in my father's hands. I was overridden with disgust but I held my composure. "Our first order of business: discuss repairs for island recently destroyed by Poseidon."

"Ah yes. I did hear that my imbecile of a brother took out one of the Florida Keys with a hurricane," Zeus mused while he conjured up an image like an Iris message of a wrecked beach that I assumed was the said island.

"That island was a mediocre excuse for a dwelling place! Few people were on it when I drowned it! And besides, not a one person on there was a believer of the Greek gods!" Poseidon argued his case but with his last remark the rest of the gods agreed it was time for that island to go under.

I couldn't believe that the gods would destroy some person's home just because they didn't believe in Greek mythology. There was a time when I didn't believe in all this too. Look at me now. I'm helping plot the downfall of it all.

Hermes nodded and checked off something on his list. "Alright then, the next order of business: Global warming. Zeus, how many times do we have to tell you? It doesn't benefit anyone if you put more holes in the ozone!"

Many of the gods shouted their agreements at Zeus who sat there looking pleased with himself.

This was going to be a long day, something that I was thankful for at the moment. The longer the better.

Sorry if anyone seemed OOC and sorry if the throne descriptions contradicted with any book descriptions. I didn't really have time to look back in the books. And only two people entered in the most positive review contest thing. I'm going to leave it up for another chapter if no one else enters. PLEASE REVIEW!! Here's the form one more time:

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