Hey guys! Sorry for the really, really, REALLY late update. But hey, I had huge writers block. I would just like to thank everyone who has given me never-ending support and awesome reviews and "follows".I'm not really sure if a lot of you guys will still want to read this...but I hope that those of you who will shall enjoy it. I'm kind of tearing up now because my story, my very first Percy Jackson fan-fic...has finally come to a close. Once again, thank you to all those who have stuck with me and Carly 'till the end. And keep those awesome reviews coming please! :-D
Well, everything was going great during the trial. And by 'great', I meant horrible, if you sensed my sarcasm. Let's just skip to the part where all the gods made the conclusion that I must be executed and that my mother must be punished for her broken oath by watching me die. They are rather nice, aren't they?
"Carly Blaire, on this day, the council will be making the decision on whether you shall be executed for your mother's broken promise or not," Zeus exclaimed loud enough for everyone to hear. "NOOOO!" Nico screamed and kicked while the two satyrs pinned him down. "SILENCE, Son of Hades! This trial does not concern you, thus you should learn to keep your mouth tightly shut." Zeus said, his voice threatening. I was kneeling on the cold marble floor, my hands and ankles in bloody shackles. You would think that the Lord of Lightning himself would have some manners when it came to treating girls with a little bit of respect. Well, think again. I glanced at my mother; her expression was as brittle as ice.
"Those in favour of the execution of the demigod Carly Blaire raise your hand, and make your vote known." Zeus said, his eyes searching the council members. My heart sank as I watched majority of the gods raise their hands, except for my mother, Apollo, Athena, Aphrodite, Poseidon and…Dionysus? Gods of Olympus, I've never been more grateful to our Camp Director in all my life. He caught my look of astonishment and I could hear his usual droning voice in my head saying "Don't be too surprised Blaire, I'm doing this for Ariadne, for love." Mr.D glanced at Nico's direction and looked back at me, and I could have sworn I saw a small smile on his face. But even with 6 out of twelve gods on my side, there was absolutely no hope for me.
And then, the most unexpected thing happened.
A cloud of dark mist appeared at the center of the council, and then Hades, Lord of the Dead appeared, with a ghostly smile on his face.
"What are you doing here Hades?" Zeus spat, his eyes turned to narrow slits, "As you can see, we're in the middle of an important trial." Hades rolled his eyes, "Yes, dear brother, you are in the middle of conducting a trial of an innocent girl, whose actions and words you have completely ignored. I am here to set things right…um, not just for Ms. Blaire's sake, but…for my son's good as well." Hades said taking a quick and uncomfortable glance at Nico, like he wasn't quite used to being a supportive dad who did things for his son. Nico seemed shocked himself, since his father was supporting me for him.
Zeus closed his eyes and massaged his forehead and temples, like he was getting a massive headache, "Hades, you are no longer an outcast to this council since the Titan War, and yes, you have full right to have a say in the councils trials and decisions, but this does not mean that you alone can tip the balance of this child's fate. You have to see that Artemis has broken a sacred vow of maidenhood."
Hades smiled at his brother, "I do agree that she has broken a sacred vow…then again brother, haven't we all? In had Nico, Poseidon had Mr. Jackson, and you had Thalia. But I don't see myself, Poseidon, or you getting any sufficient 'punishments', then again, you killed Maria di Angelo, so I suppose that crosses me off the list. What about you and Poseidon, hmm? What sort of 'punishments' have you received?"
Hades looked at Poseidon questioningly, the god of the sea raised his hands in surrender, "Hey, I'm on the girls side, so don't go all lawyer on me." Poseidon said. Hades shrugged and looked at Zeus, his dark eyes glittering with challenging sort of spark, as if to say "Go on, try me, but you can't deny that I'm right." Zeus looked ready to explode…but he managed to compose himself, he stared right back at Hades, waiting for him to continue.
Hades gave a small nod at is brother and faced the whole council, "We gods are all powerful beings who can control the forces of nature and even the world itself, but we tend to forget our mistakes, which results in us being complete hypocrites. I don't usually defend a mortal, but I find it unjust that we take away her innocent life, a life full of hardships, discovery…and love, just because of a broken vow caused by the same reason: love. We show mortals that we should be feared and respected, and we show mortals and immortals that vows must be kept, but I disagree in the way we're doing it now. I rest my case here. Those who still want the execution of this girl may vote so, but remember that, as much as I hate to say it, we are not so different from mortals when it comes to breaking vows."
The whole council was silent, and I don't blame them. I never, ever thought that Hades could be so…how should I put this to words? Deep? Convincing? Truthful? I was shocked at his beautiful speech, but I had doubts on whether it would save my bloody butt.
I was wrong. It did save my bloody butt.
Zeus sighed, "Very well…after my brothers say in things, we shall do the voting once more. Those in favour of the execution of Carly Blaire and etcetera, raise your hand and make your vote known."
Not a single hand rose up in the air.
Hades smirked, and Zeus gave a grimace…I suppose he found it hard to believe that his former outcast of a brother persuaded the whole council. Dionysus gave a small smile, and my mother looked like she was going to cry out of joy.
As for me, I was just plain relieved.
The satyrs released me from my shackles, and I ran to Nico and hugged him. And then I sort of sobbed (I was trying not to look like a big cry-baby in front of the council), while Nico held me tight in his arms (a bit too tight, but I didn't really mind). We withdrew as Hades walked to us. I didn't know what to say, but I looked at him in the eyes and said "Thank You." Two words, but I think they expressed everything.
Hades wore a very small smile, he produced a black, inky smoke that covered us, sort of like squid ink. I closed my eyes and held on to Nico. When I opened them, we were back in Camp Half-Blood. Everything seemed like a dream, but I knew it wasn't. I was alive, and Nico was by my side.
I looked at him, "I thought…I thought I was done for."
Nico just smiled, "I was scared too. But it's over."
We leaned in closer, our heads touching until our lips finally met. I didn't care if anyone was watching. I was in an entirely different world, and it was just grand. Hey, when you just escaped a death-by-lightning bolt trial, public displays of affection were the least of your worries.
It was late in the afternoon, a week after my trial, and I was finished packing my bags (well…bag). Camp was coming to a close, but it seemed a bit too early for me. I shouldered my backpack and headed out of my cabin, knowing that I'm going to miss Camp Half-Blood. I would miss Susan, Chiron, Percy, and Annabeth
But there was someone I was going to miss even more.
I walked to the strawberry fields and looked up at Half-Blood Hill, when I heard someone clear his throat. I turned and found Nico, dressed in his usual jeans, skull shirt and aviator jacket. He was holding a long, black, elegant bow that looked like it was carved from smooth, black stone.
"Hullo Nico…are you going to go all soppy and give me a good-bye kiss?" I asked, giving him a mischievous grin.
"Close, but not exactly," he said, handing me the black bow, "This is for you…I made it myself."
"Oh…oh Nico…I love it."
"So…where are you heading to?" he asked, a grin spreading on his face.
"Oh, I'm thinking of staying with my gran for awhile…and then I'm thinking of joining a hunt with this really cool bow that my boyfriend made for me."
Nico smiled, "I know this sounds all mushy and cliché but…I'm gonna miss you Carly. So much."
I smiled and hugged him tight, let go, and kissed him lightly. "Oh come on, it's only going to be a few months. You promised to stay in touch, didn't you? I expect you to keep that promise." I smiled and gave him a small wink.
"You bet." Nico replied, he placed a hand on my face and caressed it lightly.
I smiled and waved as I walked towards Half-Blood Hill, watching as Nico got smaller and smaller. I suppose I'm not exactly the 'new girl' anymore. I'm Carly Blaire, daughter of Artemis, and that was something that no one could change.