After leaving the heat of Ax's forge, the chill of the London air seemed especially biting as they made their way down the road. Nighttime had fully established itself by this point; the streets were dim and gloomy, with flickering shadows moving in the windows of candle-lit rooms. Annabeth had lit a lantern and was holding it out in front of them, lighting up a few square feet in front of them as they avoided puddles and holes in the road. Percy had eaten another piece of ambrosia, under risk of random combustion, Annabeth had warned him sternly. The strange medicine had made him much more clear-headed and capable, though his arm still ached abominably and he could swear that he felt a thrumming underneath his skin that could not have boded well for his desire to remain thoroughly uncombusted.

Though night had fallen, the streets were still active as people rushed to get home or attend other, less savory activities. One man stumbled out of a tavern, waving his tankard in the air before falling unconscious right at Percy's feet, snoring loudly. As Percy stepped over the man carefully, a pair of watchmen turned the corner and walked towards them. After looking suspiciously at the three of them walking alone at night, they picked the man up and hauled him off to the jailhouse, still snoring.

Through the windows of a coffeehouse Percy saw a heated argument between two men in maladjusted wigs, their words muffled by the thick panes of glass. Though they never laid hands on each other, their debate was accentuated with wild hand gestures and pointing, one man pounding his cup on the table so hard that his drink splashed all over his sleeve.

They made their way through a slightly shadier part of the city, where he was sure thieves would be happy to attack three young people alone, especially when one of them had a currently inoperable hand. Darkened figures glared at them as they passed, remaining just outside the light of the lantern.

Just as Percy was silently debating whether it would be worse if they were attacked by monsters or a group of street thugs, they arrived at a garishly-decorated building that stood out brightly from the dull-colored street. The walls were festooned with golden frills and curls, shimmering from the light of rows of lit lanterns along the walkway. Two statues of women flanked the heavy double doors, water spewing from their mouths into a small fountain below. From inside, Percy could hear the sound of laughter and violins playing.

The three of them looked at each other uneasily.

"This is the place?" Grover asked.

Annabeth nodded. "This is where Aphrodite should be. With any luck, we should be out of here quickly."

"Why do I feel unlucky?" Percy muttered as they walked up the steps to the front door.

On the door was an ornate bronze knocker in the shape of a dolphin. Percy pointed this out as Annabeth used it to knock on the door.

"A dolphin. Maybe she's friends with Poseidon."

"The dolphin is Aphrodite's symbol," Annabeth explained. "I don't think it counts as liking Poseidon."

Annabeth was about to knock again when a plank from the left door slid open, revealing a pair of brown eyes looking at them suspiciously.

"What do you want?" a feminine voice asked from behind the door.

"We're here to see Aphrodite," Annabeth replied. "Axiocersus sent us."

The woman's eyes narrowed, but she stepped back and Percy heard the sound of a heavy lock opening. The door silently swung open, washing them in warm light.

The woman behind the door was glaring at them, arms crossed. She was wearing a gleaming chestplate over a pale blue hoop skirt, making her look like the world's most fashionable knight. Her eyes softened as she looked over them, eventually landing on Percy's bandaged arm.

"You wanted to see the Lady, you said?"

"We have some questions about the Sword of Peleus. We were told she had some information about it."

"Peleus." The woman made a sour face. "That was a bad job." She glanced behind her, as if checking that the coast was clear. "Alright, I'll bring you to my Lady. Follow me." She pushed the door open all of the way, allowing the three of them to step cautiously into the building.

As their eyes adjusted to the light, Percy and Grover both gasped, faces blanching. Annabeth's eyes widened as she took in the scene. "Of course," she muttered.

The room they had stepped into was warm and lush, velvet lining every piece of furniture. Roaring fireplaces lined the walls, with expensive couches and chairs set up in semicircles around the flames. Pastries and cups of tea had been set out on tables, along with tall glasses of wine. In the corner, a quarter of violins were playing a rowdy tune, just loud enough to not disturb the patrons.

It was a brothel. Women wearing far too little than was decent walked around, talking casually with their male customers. One couple was…doing their own thing in the corner, causing Percy to blush even further. A thick fog of tobacco smoke lingered above their heads, making him feel light-headed.

The armored woman chuckled at their discomfort. "Welcome to the temple of Aphrodite, kids."

"This isn't a temple!" Percy protested. "T-this is-"

"Why not?" she questioned. "Aphrodite is the goddess of love. It's only fitting that this is how we honor her."

Percy seriously doubted that the men he saw were there because of their piety, but he remained silent.

The armored woman led the way through the brothel, chatting amiably with patrons and the girls on duty. Percy followed, determinedly looking directly ahead of him.

"Lauren!"

A tall woman in a thin red dress walked up to them, grinning widely. The armored woman smiled back, stopping in the middle of the room.

"Elizabeth. I thought you were on shift for another hour."

"It's pretty quiet tonight, so Rachel let me off for the rest of the night." Elizabeth's gaze fell on Percy, who was still trying to look stoically ahead of him. "What's going on?"

Lauren pointed behind her. "They want to see the Lady."

Elizabeth's eyes widened and she let out a sly giggle. "All three of them? I didn't know she took-"

"They're on a quest."

"Oh." Elizabeth nodded, understanding. "Demigods. Well, best of luck to you!" She gave them a dazzling smile. "And if you come back with the story of how you saved the world, I'll be sure to give you the heroes' discount." With a final wave, she started to leave the room, maneuvering through furniture and people who were otherwise preoccupied to move out of the way.

Once Elizabeth had left, Lauren continued to lead them through the brothel, ducking through heavy curtains to reach the back rooms, where even fancier furniture sat and expensive tapestries hung from the wall. Behind a closed door, Percy heard muffled thumping, as if someone was hammering a nail into wood. He didn't know it was possible, but he managed to blush harder than he was already.

The smell of tobacco was stronger in the more confined space, giving Percy a heady feeling. Revelers in private compartments glared at them as they passed, one man standing up and quickly pulling a curtain over the entrance, a look of shame on his face.

They reached an ornate set of oak doors at the end of the hall, engraved with splashing dolphins and scallop shells. Lauren approached the doors and rapped smartly on them. A few moments later, an airy voice from inside bid them enter. Lauren pushed open the heavy doors and led them into the audience chamber.

Aphrodite's private room was awash with red cloth draped from the ceiling and walls, framing the front of the room as if it were a stage. Cushions littered the floor, fringed with gold trimming. On the wall was a large painting of a naked woman standing on top of a seashell. Attendants in barely any clothing walked around, picking up plates and looking shyly in their direction. One woman was brushing Aphrodite's hair with an expensive ivory brush.

Aphrodite herself was relaxing casually on the front dias of the room, which looked more like an enormous bed with dark blue blankets and pillows. Her elegant gown seemed to ripple as she sat up, examining them closely.

Percy had never seen someone as beautiful as Aphrodite. Long blonde hair framed her face, practically glowing in the candlelight. A warm smile graced her lips as she cast her gaze between them. Every time she looked at Percy, his knees felt weak.

"Visitors," she said softly. "A boy and girl demigod, with a satyr chaperone. I can definitely work with this."

Annabeth curtseyed, bowing her head. "My lady, we were sent here by Ax-"

Aphrodite cut her off, stepping off of the bed and approaching Annabeth. She ran Annabeth's hair through her fingers, nodding approvingly.

"Very nice. I can tell you take good care of yourself." She placed her hands on Annabeth's shoulders. "Those gray eyes, you're one of Athena's, aren't you? They're unique, but I'm afraid gray is a rather dull color. Well, I suppose that can't be helped. I'd say light colors would suit you best, though I think yellow would be a bit much. Stop standing so straight: you look like you're hiding a sword down your shirt. You aren't, are you?"

Not bothering for a reply, Aphrodite moved onto Percy, twisting his head to the side to examine him. "Ooh, bright green eyes. That's lovely. Your hair's a mess, though, and you reek of fish. A Poseidon boy." She looked between him and Annabeth, a hand over her mouth. "Oh, I absolutely love it. You've a whole Romeo and Juliet situation, that's precious."

"Who?" Percy asked, thoroughly confused.

"Clean you up, put you in a nice dark coat, you'd look positively dashing." She raised his burned arm, running a hand across the bandages. "This is bad," she said, tsking. "There'll probably be scars, and not the handsome kind, either. You're lucky children of Poseidon are resistant to fire, or you would've lost the hand. There's nothing for it: We'll just have to give you gloves." She pointed to his necklace. "And you already have thematic accessories. Not too obvious, either; that's perfect. I'm thinking maybe a pearl ring, or…no, that's too much."

"No, this is my swo-" Percy started, but Aphrodite was already examining Grover.

"We can still spruce you up a bit. Who knows, maybe you'll be next? Well, I know, of course. But telling you is no fun." She wagged her finger at him as if he had suggested it. "Or we could do a whole betrayal sequence later, now that would be interesting. You know, I've always wondered, with the whole bottom-half thing, do you have…never mind. Obviously, you'd do best in earth tones. Maybe a green cloak, make you look more intimidating. You've got to keep these two in check, after all." She giggled. "Have you thought of artificial horns? At least until your real ones grow out fully."

Horns? "My lady." Annabeth broke into Aphrodite's rambling. "We're here for your assistance on a quest."

"And that's what I'm giving you right now," Aphrodite replied, parsing through Grover's thick hair. "I do hope you've been paying attention."

"It's about the Sword of Peleus."

Aphrodite suddenly stopped, pouting. "Now why would you ruin my mood by mentioning that name?"

"Please, my lady. It's important."

"Important? What could be so important that you would risk angering a goddess?"

Annabeth hesitated. "The sword…it's missing, my lady."

Aphrodite looked at her blankly. "And why should I care?"

"Because it's a powerful magical item, and for it to just be gone is-"

Aphrodite waved for her to be silent. "No, it's important because Athena lost her precious toy. She put you up to this, didn't she? This is just like her."

"My lady-"

"Don't you my lady me after you rudely ignore my fashion advice and come prowling around for that bastard's sewing needle."

Though not directed at him, the word "bastard" still angered Percy. "Can I ask why you dislike Peleus so much?"

Aphrodite sighed, visibly trying to calm herself down. "It was at his wedding." As she spoke, one of her attendants pulled out a cushioned chair and she sat down with resigned grace. "His and that b- sea goddess, Thetis. Zeus forced us all to go, though he was ogling her throughout the entire ceremony. And then Eris shows up just to make a mess of things. And then she wonders why we don't invite her to parties!"

"Eris?"

"The goddess of discord. Must you interrupt me while I'm telling my story that you asked for?"

"Sorry."

"So Eris, that absolute hag, is miffed because she wasn't invited, even though no one likes her and she always ruins everything. She brought a prize: a golden apple labeled "To the Fairest." Naturally, I claimed it, but then Hera and Athena had the sheer gall to suggest that they were more beautiful than me. Me! We had to have a whole competition about it!"

"Forgive me," Annabeth interjected. "But didn't you win the competition?"

"Only after having to bribe Paris with the most beautiful mortal in the world! The fact that there was a debate at all is an affront that I cannot abide! And Peleus didn't even have the courage to keep control over his own wedding! He just let it happen, not even offering to be the judge."

As she ranted, one of her attendants approached with a swatch of silk, dabbing her forehead carefully before spraying a flowery perfume over the goddess. Aphrodite sat with her hand on her forehead, the very picture of grief.

"I honestly think I've become less confident because of that disaster. Beauty is my…purpose, my whole sense of being. To have those two say that they were better than me, I…" She stopped, fanning herself. Her eyes watered beautifully, and a single tear slid down her face. Percy's heart ached to see her like this. He felt illogically angry with himself for causing her such sadness.

"But about the sword-" Annabeth interjected.

"I don't give a damn about any sword!" Aphrodite snapped. Percy looked at Annabeth, shocked that she would disturb Aphrodite in her moment of weakness. She glared at Annabeth angrily. "I just bared my soul out for you all, and you insist on prattling on about the sword. Athena's always been tactless, but I didn't know her children suffered the same affliction."

"You have my sympathies, my lady, but we didn't come here to hear your grievances with Peleus," Annabeth said slightly harshly. "Do you know anything about the sword, or not?"

Aphrodite leaned back in her chair. "I don't like the tone of your voice," she decided. She gestured for her servants to come closer. For a second, her eyes flashed bright pink. "Seize them."