As Reyna's eyes opened, she almost expected to find herself back in the cavern. She expected to feel dirt under her back and terrible pain in her knee. While there was pain in her leg, it was pretty subdued. There wasn't a heavy weight on her chest. As Reyna slowly tried to sit up, a hand gently pushed her back onto the bed.

"Imperator, you need to relax," Arcadia said. Reyna slowly looked up at the goddess. Arcadia sat next to her and smiled slightly. Reyna slowly looked around. She could feel that she was laying on a rather soft bed, which meant it belonged to one of the houses of New Rome. "How are you feeling?"

"I'm not sure," Reyna admitted. She slowly moved her hand down to her right knee. Her fingers brushed against a bandage. Arcadia gently grabbed her hand. Reyna looked at the goddess.

"Your leg was nearly severed at your knee, but it will heal," Arcadia said. Reyna laid her head back against the pillow and let out a tired breath. She was scared to look at the damage to her knee. Arcadia's hand gently rubbed hers.

"Nearly severed," Reyna repeated. She took another shaky breath and slowly lifted her head, enough to see a bandage wrapped around her knee, but otherwise, her leg looked fine. Reyna laid her head back against the pillow and let out a shaky, relieved breath. She could feel the eyes of the goddess studying her. Arcadia sat by her. "How long was I asleep?"

"A few days," Arcadia replied. "We're still at Camp Jupiter. The barbarians had been routed and sent back to Rome. We'll have to protect our borders, but I doubt any of the barbarians will be able to mount an attack on us in the immediate future. Hopefully, we will be able to restore our base before then."

"We'll worry about our borders, after the camps are safe," Reyna said. Arcadia nodded in understanding. Reyna slowly lifted her head and looked back at her leg. "Will I be able to walk again?"

"You will," Arcadia replied. She gently rubbed Reyna's hand. "Avaris was able to save Aquitaine's leg after the tree fell on it. Your injury was much easier for her to deal with."

"Aquitaine's leg is mostly metal and a bit of bone," Reyna began. Arcadia didn't respond to that. Reyna sighed tiredly and tried to think. Over the last few days, all she remembered was drifting in and out of consciousness. She was sure that Hylla and Arcadia had been at her side most of the time, but now, she didn't see her older sister anywhere now.

"Where's Hylla?" Reyna asked. She must have looked concerned, since Arcadia smiled at her. "She's safe, right? Is she okay?"

"Hylla is safe. She is with her wife right now. They are just getting dinner," Arcadia replied. She studied Reyna's face. Reyna allowed herself to relax. Her hand slowly moved down to her knee again.

"Imperator, it will take time, but do not be discouraged. Your knee will heal fully. It will not turn out like your hand did," Arcadia said. She studied Reyna's hand and gently helped her make a fist. "Do you blame yourself for what happened at the the infirmary?"

Reyna looked away and stared at the ground. She remembered trying to catch that vial as it had been thrown into the air. It slipped right between her fingers. If she had been able to catch it, how many lives would she have saved? Arcadia gripped her hand tightly.

"Don't blame yourself, imperator. You did everything you could," Arcadia said. Reyna closed her eyes. She knew that she had done everything that she could, but it wasn't good enough. It never was. Reyna took a deep breath and tried to calm down. They heard a gentle knock at the door.

Reyna slowly opened her eyes, worried about who it was. The only person she really wanted to see was her sister. Anyone else would just make the talk awkward, or they would be hostile to her. Reyna took a shaky breath. She needed to calm down. The only thing she could do was push forward and do what she thought was best. That meant she needed to repair a lot of bridges that her actions had burnt.

"Is she awake?" Nico asked, as he stepped into the room. He looked at Reyna, and a smile came to his face. Reyna smiled back. Nico walked toward her side and sat by her. "I told you that I had your back, and I meant it."

"You saved my life," Reyna said. She closed her eyes as she felt the pain come back to her leg. For a few moments, she could hear Beleza's taunts. A hand grabbed her forearm, and she slowly opened her eyes. "Thank you, Nico. I don't know how I can repay you."

"You don't have to repay me. I was just helping a friend," Nico said. Reyna looked at him and tried to get rid of her disbelieving look. Nico simply smiled at her. "After Arcadia destroyed the barrier at Camp Half-Blood, we came to Camp Jupiter to help. I sensed that you were in trouble. I could feel how close you were to death, and it was a lot more than you are now."

"I still owe you," Reyna said. Nico shook his head in protest. Reyna closed her eyes. Beleza had taunted her that there was no one to save her, but Nico had been there. It seemed like Reyna's life had been saved plenty of times by her friends, but maybe, that wasn't a bad thing. "Did I miss anything important?"

"The Olympians want to talk to us, which isn't a surprise," Arcadia said. Reyna slowly opened her eyes. She couldn't imagine that the meeting would go well, but sooner or later, they would have to talk to the Olympians. They couldn't just ignore them forever.

"The dead have been buried," Nico replied. He took a shaky breath. "Everyone else is taking care of their injuries and staying at Camp Jupiter. I think everyone wants to talk to you, even if they won't admit it."

"Great," Reyna muttered. She laid her head back and heard a knock. Arcadia tensed and quickly stood. Reyna lifted her head enough to see the Titaness that was standing at the doorway. Rhea was standing at the doorway and watching her with kind eyes. A smile came to Rhea's face.

"How are you feeling?" Rhea asked. Reyna didn't say a word. Nico slowly stood and gave Reyna a reassuring nod. He left the room. Arcadia crossed her arms and didn't move an inch. Rhea slowly looked at the goddess. "Arcadia, can the two of us be alone?"

"No," Reyna answered. Arcadia glanced at her and nodded. Rhea frowned, but she didn't say another word "Anything that you want to say to me can be said to both of us."

"I understand that you don't trust me anymore, Reyna. I am sorry for that, but I want to earn your trust back," Rhea said. Reyna remained silent and glared. "I also want to talk to you before the Olympians do. How are you feeling?"

"I'm not in the mood to play games. I know that you don't even care," Reyna muttered. She stared up at the ceiling. Why was Rhea even bothering her? For some reason, the Titaness was not getting the message through her thick skull. Leaving Rhea's ring in the elevator didn't get the message across, and telling the Titaness that she wanted nothing to do with her seemed to only encourage Rhea more.

"I do care, Reyna. I have been trying to help you however I can," Rhea said. Reyna smirked and shook her head. One of the last things that she wanted to do was talk to Rhea. "I know that you are mad, but we must talk."

"I really don't care what you have to say," Reyna snapped. She tried to sit up, but pain flared in her side. Arcadia gently placed a hand to her right arm. "Rhea, I do not want to be your champion. I don't want anything to do with you. Hell, I don't want anything to do with any of the Olympians. It is their fault that there has been so many wars. The Olympians have made so many mistakes over the centuries, and their children are the ones who pay the price."

"Reyna, you cannot be an enemy of Olympus forever," Rhea stated. Reyna looked down. "Do you know why Zeus insists that you are an enemy of Olympus? It is because you worked with my husband, and the Olympians understand that you allowed Kronos to use you a vessel to be able to destroy Ouranos. What you do not understand is how easy it is to fall back into that temptation. Do not be surprised when you hear Kronos' voice in your ear."

"I know you hold hatred in your heart, but you must think clearly," Rhea said. She took a few steps forward. Arcadia quickly blocked Rhea's way. The Titaness shook her head. "You must forgive the Olympians."

"Forgive them for wanting me dead?" Reyna asked. She shook her head. "I don't get it, Rhea. My mother told my father that as long as one of our bloodline remained to fight for the homeland, Rome would be safe. If that's actually true, why do all of the Olympians want me dead? I've been fighting to save the Olympians and this world, and the Olympians want to repay me in death. Why?"

"Everyone has seen what you are willing to do to protect Rome," Rhea said. Reyna looked down and remembered the horrible things she had done. She remembered the people that she had killed. There was time when she even tried to kill her friends, all to save her home. In the end, it wouldn't matter. Her home was taken from her. Reyna took a deep breath and looked at Rhea. The Titaness watched her. "The Olympians only have one question on their minds when they see you. What wouldn't you do to protect Rome?"

"We have already seen the horrors that you committed, when your sister was on the verge of death. The gods have watched you face down threat after threat and only grow stronger. You destroyed Ouranos Metis, and the assassins, even if you had help. What happens when you decide to turn against the gods? Who will protect them?" Rhea asked.

"I wouldn't," Reyna snapped. She sat up, despite the pain that it caused. Arcadia gave her a sharp look. "I had the choice to destroy the Olympians, when I was on Mount Olympus with Burza. All we had to do was walk into the throne room and soak the world in a golden shower. Instead, I did what I thought was right, and I am still being questioned about it. I have been questioned about everything that I have done!"

"You don't even want me as a champion. I'm just a status symbol to you," Reyna muttered. She laid backwards and stared at the ceiling. "I'm tired of arguing, Rhea. I just want to be left alone."

"I understand," Rhea said. She sighed softly. "I'm sorry, Reyna. I hope that one day you can forgive me. My offer will always be open to you."

Without another word, Rhea walked out of the room. Reyna placed a hand to her face and took deep breaths, despite the pain that it caused. Arcadia sat by her but didn't say a word. Reyna tried to calm herself down, and she felt a hand gently rub her shoulder.

Reyna slowly opened her eyes and tried to clear her mind. Talking with the Olympians was a whole mountain that she would climb later. For now, all she wanted to do was get better and relax. A gentle knock at the door caught Reyna's attention. She slowly looked at the door and was surprised to find Quirinus.

"Quirinus?" Reyna asked. She looked at the Roman god. He wore a full set of Roman armor, but the design of it seemed to be from an older era. There was a small, content smile on his face. He lost his smile as he examined Reyna. "What are you doing here?"

"I wanted to do two things. The first was to check on you," Quirinus answered. He took a few steps closer. Arcadia seemed ready to jump in front of him, and it seemed like she was waiting for any sign from Reyna. "The second was to warn you."

"About what?" Reyna asked. She glanced at Arcadia, and the goddess stepped in front of Quirinus. For a few moments, Quirinus studied Arcadia. A small smile came to his face, and he shook his head. He easily pushed past her and walked towards Reyna. Quirinus sat by her side.

"How are you feeling?" Quirinus asked. Reyna studied him. Quirinus had never been outright hostile to her, and he had even helped her a few times. Reyna laid her head back and tried to relax. She sighed softly and felt her leg once again.

"I feel terrible," Reyna admitted. She closed her eyes and let out a tired sigh. The talk with Rhea just left her mad, and that's all she felt. How long was she going to feel this anger? Would it ever go away? "I can't really feel anything, unless I move."

"You will need to rest. I am sure that it something you will be hearing many times," Quirinus said, and he smirked. Reyna smirked as well and studied Quirinus. He lost his smirk and seemed to become more serious. "We must talk about your plans for the future."

"Protect the world," Reyna answered. She looked back at the ceiling. "It doesn't matter if it is from monsters, other demigods, or even the Olympians. I just want to protect the world however I can. You should know that by now."

"It is a very noble cause, and it may lead to disaster," Quirinus warned. Reyna looked at him. "The best intentions can lead to ruin. I do not want to threaten you, Reyna. I just want to warn you about what may or may not happen if you go through with your plan."

"I assume that you will go back to Rome and bring stability there. You will rebuild your base and bring the Sixth Legion back to full strength," Quirinus guessed. Reyna nodded. "From there, you will keep an eye on the demigods and Olympians from Rome and intervene if you think it is necessary."

"That's what I was thinking about doing," Reyna replied. She glanced at Arcadia. The goddess looked relaxed, but her fingers rested near her dagger. Her gaze had not moved from Quirinus. "I'm guessing the Olympians won't like that and have sent you to give me a warning."

"I have not spoken to the Olympians, outside of helping them with their war," Quirinus replied. He gave Reyna a knowing look. "I speak to you from my own experience and the things that I have seen. War is all you have known for a long time, but there will be peace. You will need to learn how to navigate it."

Reyna looked away and tried to keep her anger in check. Quirinus was just trying to help her. Part of her expected it to be another lecture, and the last thing she wanted was for another immortal to lecture her. Reyna spoke, "I think I can negotiate with the camps well enough."

"I am sure that you have the immediate future handled, but I am more worried about what will happen decades and centuries from now," Quirinus said. Reyna frowned and looked at the god in front of her. "At the moment, almost everyone at the camps know about you. They have fought besides you."

"They know the story of the former praetor who was exiled from her home after fighting Ouranos. She helped the camps fight off another threat, and she gained a legion along the way. The former praetor and her new legions would help the camps take on assassins," Quirinus continued.

"Years from now, the demigods who fought alongside you will move on with their lives, and new demigods will take their place. These new demigods will hear your story from the people who fought with you. Eventually, the demigods that fought by your side will move on, and your story will be repeated by people who never fought with you. They just remember what they were told, and your story will become legend," Quirinus continued. "There's a funny thing about legends though. The story is never right."

"As the story is passed from the lips of one demigods to another, the details will be lost. In a century or maybe even a few decades, the legend will be altered. You will be known as a former praetor, who was exiled after she destroyed Ouranos. Why was she exiled? Was it because she did something that the gods didn't agree with, or were they afraid of her power? This former, disgraced praetor found herself a new legion, and she declared war on Camp Jupiter. A new threat came along that caused the legion and Camp Jupiter to work together, but who knows what is going to happen now that the threat is long gone and the legion has been gathering strength," Quirinus said. "That is just one possible variant of the story."

"People always talk. It is nothing new," Arcadia muttered. "Who cares what they say about the imperator?"

"Reyna's intentions may be good, but in decades, it may not been seen that way. If the legend of the imperator is twisted, any action she makes will be seen in a negative light. The Olympians may try to do something harmful to the camps, and Reyna will step in. The camps will not see it that way though. They will see a former praetor finally stepping out of the shadows and going against the gods. They will see her as the threat that she is trying to stop."

"So how do I avoid this?" Reyna asked. She frowned and thought about the words. Quirinus was telling the truth. If Reyna had heard about the things she done and realized that the person in the story had been hiding in Rome and gathering strength, she would be more than a little worried. Would people start to see Reyna as a monster? Some of them already saw her like that.

"You must continue to have contact with the camps," Quirinus replied. "Even if it is just once a month, you must have a presence within the two camps. The Hunters of Artemis do this. They visit the camps every so often to rest, recruit, and mingle with their fellow demigods. They have a cabin as permanent reminder of who they are. You must find a way to be remembered for who you are in the camps."

Reyna nodded in agreement. She glanced at Arcadia. The goddess spoke, "We do have a negotiator, and it is possible that we could visit the camps. The only problem is that this entire theory hinges on the belief that the camps will want to see us. We don't know how it is going to turn out with the Olympians, and that will determine how our relationship with the camps is. We don't have solid footing here."

"I know," Quirinus said. He looked at Reyna sadly. "The Olympians will judge you harshly. There is a darkness inside of you, and it scares them right down to their core. You've unleashed that darkness before, and they've seen the results. I've seen you harness and control your darkness, but what happens if you lose control again?"

"I won't," Reyna muttered. She looked away. Quirinus grabbed her arm. He squeezed it gently. "I know the evil that I hold inside, and it scares me, Quirinus. I am doing everything I can to keep it hidden and locked away. I'm not going to lose control."

"You're going to cling to your morals to help you. That is good," Quirinus stated. He studied Reyna. "It is a good idea to have morals and convictions, but you must be careful that they do not blind you. Reyna, you cannot be an enemy to the Olympians forever. You must forgive them and find a way to work with them."

"What if they don't want to work with me?" Reyna muttered. She closed her eyes and tried to hide her frustration. Reyna knew that Quirinus was only trying to help her, but something told her that she was going to hear the same thing plenty of times. An angry sigh escaped her.

"I don't know," Quirinus admitted. He let go of her arm. "It will not be easy, and I do not know how you should navigate the path ahead. I just know that you must be careful. If you'll excuse me, I must take my leave."

"Thank you," Reyna said. Quirinus looked at her and smiled. Then, he turned and left the room. Reyna laid her head back against the bed and stared at the ceiling. She could see Arcadia watching her closely. Reyna closed her eyes and tried to relax.

"What do you think we should do next?" Arcadia asked. Reyna shook her head and didn't answer. Truthfully, she didn't know. One of her biggest concerns was how everything with the Olympians would go. If things went wrong, hos badly would her life be destroyed? A tired sigh left Reyna. Both conversations left her exhausted and confused. All she wanted to do was get some sleep and try to think over her next steps.

Reyna laid her head back against the pillow and closed her eyes. Meeting the Olympians was something that she had been putting off, but she couldn't do that for much longer. She would have to meet with them sooner rather than later, but she wanted to do that while standing on her own two feet. Another tired sigh left Reyna. She tried to open her eyes, but when that failed, she finally allowed herself to relax the best she could and fall into a restless sleep.