Hylla sighed as she looked around at everyone who was attending the meeting. Part of her expected this to turn out like the rest of the meetings did, but a larger part of her thought this one would turn out fine. The mood was a lot lighter than it normally was, and the different groups were all mingling.
Hylla looked around and did a quick headcount. Reyna wasn't at the meeting just yet, but that was because the doctor was checking over her leg. Hylla looked down and took a deep breath. Reyna was going to be fine. It would take time for her leg to heal, but she was already up and moving around, even if it was extremely limited.
They were holding their meeting out in the street. She didn't know whether it was to give visibility to all of the groups or just to enjoy the weather, but she didn't really care. It could have also been because some of the important buildings were either destroyed or badly damaged. As long as the meeting went well, Hylla wasn't going to worry about the specifics. She glanced around.
While the leaders would be talking, most of the groups would be watching the meeting. Hylla glanced back at her Amazons. Most of them had gone back to the Amazon base, but she was keeping a few there to help them sort out the logistics of rebuilding the camps, again.
Hylla sat down in one of the chairs that lined the street. Out of the corner of her eye, she saw Kinzie sit next to her. Hylla smiled and kissed Kinzie's cheek. She spoke, "After this, we are going out somewhere and having a special night."
"We still haven't had our honeymoon," Kinzie whispered. She kissed Hylla back. "I was thinking somewhere far away from here. No islands though."
Hylla smiled and spoke, "You can pick out where we go. I just want to spend time with you."
Kinzie smiled and kissed her once again. Hylla forced herself to pull away and lean back in her chair. After a few moments, she heard someone carefully sit next to her. Hylla turned her head and smiled at Reyna.
"Hey," Reyna greeted. Her face was pale, and she looked like she was in pain. Hylla gently grabbed Reyna's hand. Her little sister closed her eyes and sighed painfully. "Did I miss anything?"
"Apparently, you missed the part where the doctor told you to not walk anywhere," Hylla lectured. She watched Arcadia sit by Reyna. Hylla knew that Arcadia had probably helped Reyna walk over there, but she didn't know why Reyna was walking at all. Her sister shouldn't have been walking on an injured leg, and she was going to have a talk with Avaris.
"Avaris has been monitoring me closely," Reyna muttered. "Besides, I'm not going to be stuck in a bed all day when there is a ton of work to do."
Arcadia leaned forward and gave Hylla a look. The goddess spoke, "The imperator has only walked a total of ten feet since she has woken up. I've been keeping an eye on her, to make sure she does not overdo it."
"Can we start the meeting already? You two know how much I hate getting lectured," Reyna said, but there was a small smile on her face. She slowly opened her eyes and looked at Hylla. "Why do you have a bruise on your neck?"
"Don't worry about it," Hylla said quickly, and she brought her hand to her neck. Reyna chuckled and looked away. Hylla didn't feel anything weird with her neck, and she realized that Reyna had been messing with her. "Once your better, do you know what I'm going to do?"
"Take me out to dinner," Reyna replied, with a small shrug from her good shoulder. Hylla rolled her eyes. She couldn't stop the smile that came to her face. Reyna was actually making a joke. She was actually smiling, and she looked happy. Hylla knew they still had a long road to go, but this was progress. That was all that mattered.
The clopping of hooves caught Hylla's attention, and she slowly looked up. Chiron was standing in the middle of them and looked as if he was trying to get the meeting started. All of the talking slowly stopped, and Chiron looked around. He spoke, "Thank you all for meeting one more time before we head our separate ways. There are a few things we have to talk about, but let us begin with Sally. What did the Fates do with the strings of the champions?"
"As far as I know, the strings were cut," Sally replied. "The peacekeepers were finally released from this life, and they await judgment in the Underworld. I do not know anything else other than that."
"The barbarians have fled back to Rome as well," Arcadia said. Everyone turned their attention towards the goddess. "No more peacekeepers walk this earth, and their master, Eirene, destroyed herself and Eris by throwing both of them off of Mount Olympus. There are no more immediate threats to the camps."
"Which means we switch from talks of war to talks of peace," Thalia said. Her eyes moved right towards Reyna. Hylla glanced at her sister. Reyna was staring at the ground, as if content to sit back and relax. After a few moments of Thalia staring, Reyna's eyes flickered up. "The Hunters of Artemis will be going back to what we do best. We will continue to visit the camps, but we will make a few more trips out to Rome."
Hylla tensed as she heard the thinly veiled threat. Reyna didn't react though, as if she had been expecting it. Arcadia spoke, "If the Hunters of Artemis do stop by Rome, we will make sure they have a safe passage through our lands."
"The Amazons will also be offering support," Hylla said quickly. All she wanted to do was change the topic. The meeting was going well so far, so she didn't want an argument between Thalia and Reyna to ruin it. "Camp Jupiter will need supplies to rebuild, and we will need to find out how to repair the barrier for Camp Half-Blood."
"Hecate is already working on a solution," Chiron said. Hylla looked at him and nodded. "Now, there is also the prophecy to look at. Rachel discovered that there was a new prophecy attached to this war. Rachel, what was the first line?"
"The curse shall be lifted," Rachel said. She glanced to her right. "And after talking to Clarisse, I think the curses are that of the twelve peacekeepers. They were cursed with the burden of their strings and everything that it entailed."
"Like trying to take out the gods," Annabeth added. She glanced towards Reyna. "The greatest of rewards will be inflicted. That was the immortality that was given to the champions of the Fates."
"Caesar and Brutus reignite their war," Clarisse continued. A heavy silence settled over everyone. Hylla glanced at her sister, but Reyna was still staring at the ground. A glance up showed that Annabeth was focused on Clarisse. "Amends can only be made at first battle's shore. Considering the gods aren't dead, I think amends were made."
"Cycle of the distinguished twelve will persist," Sarah said. Hylla glanced up in surprise. The demititan was sitting with her fellow leaders, and she seemed to straighten up as everyone looked at her. "We thought it was talking about the peacekeepers, but it's actually the Olympians. There is a cycle that started with the Primordials and then the Titans. That is the cycle of revolution, but there is also a cycle of failure. The cycle of failure is the one in the prophecy, and it's why the Olympians are still here."
"Peace will fall a the eternal city's tyrant shall desist," Arcadia finished. She frowned. "Peace will fall was more literal than I thought. The eternal city is Rome, and her tyrant was Seva. When Seva died by the hands of a peacekeeper, peace fell, literally. There is no tyrant left in Rome."
Arcadia said the words so casually, but there was no missing the statement she was trying to make. Her eyes swept around the other leaders, but no one said a word. Reyna just remained silent and stared at the ground. It seemed like Reyna was scared to speak, or she thought it would ruin the meeting. Hylla gently placed her hand to her sister's leg.
"The demititans will be going back to the base where the three demigods first met us," Sarah said, as if she could sense the potential for tension. "We have deemed it safe to return, and we are going to try and restore some of our numbers, before we go back to how things were before we met the demigods. We want to keep communications up and work together though."
"Camp Half-Blood would also like to build a cabin for the demititans, so they can visit whenever they want," Chiron said. Sarah looked surprised for a few moments, but she glanced back at the other leaders and received two nods and one shrug. Sarah looked back and nodded.
"Thank you. We are honored," Sarah said. She leaned back in her seat and played with the ring that was hanging from her necklace
"The demititans are also welcome at Camp Jupiter anytime," Frank added. He glanced at Astrid. "There is another matter we would like to discuss. Reyna, we have already talked to the Senate, and they have decided to overturn your exile. We realize that it was a rash decision and was not given fair consideration. Camp Jupiter would like to offer you your old position back, if you will take it."
"I would stand aside," Astrid added. Reyna had been staring at the ground. After a few moments of silence, she slowly looked up. Reyna quickly looked back down. Everyone had their attention on her.
"No," Reyna whispered. She closed her eyes. "Camp Jupiter was my home, but a lot of things have changed since I was exiled. I appreciate the offer, but the answer is no."
"I understand," Frank said, and his shoulder seemed to sag slightly. The smile that he put on his face seemed forced. "You are welcome in the camp anytime though. And, I'm sorry, Reyna. What we did to you during that trial was unfair. I wish we could take it back."
"We've all made mistakes," Reyna whispered. Hylla gripped Reyna's leg tighter, to show her sister she was there. "I think it's best that we try to forgive each other and start with a clean slate. The past is in the past. That's where it needs to stay."
Everyone fell silent for a few moments. Reyna was busy staring at the ground, as if she thought that making eye contact with someone would cause an argument. Hylla wanted to pull her sister close and tell her that everything would be okay. Instead, she just held onto her sister's leg.
"There will be another dinner tonight, before we see everyone off. Does anyone want to add anything else?" Frank asked. No one said anything. Hylla knew that there would be a lot of side conversations between groups, but it was good to have this meeting. It was also great that it didn't end with everyone in another argument. "Then, everyone is dismissed."
Hylla watched the Hunters of Artemis clear away first. They were soon followed by the Greeks and demititans. Sarah stayed behind to talk to Chiron. Hylla watched most of her Amazons leave, and then, her attention moved towards her sister. Reyna was sitting back in her chair and staring at the sky.
"Are you okay?" Hylla asked. Reyna gave a half shrug. It broke Hylla's heart to see. She had seen her sister switch moods almost instantly the past few days, and it seemed like the conversation with Frank and knocked her back into a bad mood. "Hey. You cannot shut down on me, Reyna. You've been doing well."
"I'm just tired," Reyna muttered. She took a deep breath and sighed. "I'm sorry. I can feel my mood shifting for the worse, but I don't know how to fix it."
"You just need to talk to someone," Hylla said. Reyna nodded and closed her eyes. "And, I want to talk to you at least once a week."
"We'll meet once a week," Reyna said. She didn't open her eyes, but it looked like she was close to falling asleep. "Maybe get lunch and catch up. I won't ignore you, Hylla. I promise you that I'm not going to do that again."
"I know," Hylla said. She rubbed Reyna's back gently. Hylla heard someone step up near them, and she turned her head. One of her Amazons, Philippis, was standing over them.
"Queen Hylla, I'm sorry to interrupt. I just have a question," Philippis said. Her gaze looked at Hylla and then moved towards someone else. Hylla followed the gaze and found herself looking at Sarah. The demititan seemed to have finished her conversation with Chiron, but Annabeth had stopped her. "You know the demititan, right? Is she single?"
"She's still mourning the loss of her girlfriend," Hylla replied. She studied Sarah. The demititan was still playing with the ring on her necklace. "But, you can always try, Philippis. The worst she can do is say no."
"Thank you, Queen Hylla," Philippis said. She walked towards Sarah. The demititan finished her conversation with Annabeth and turned right into Philippis. The Amazon smiled at Sarah. While Hylla couldn't hear what they were saying, she knew that Philippis could charm almost anyone.
"I didn't know you played matchmaker," Reyna commented. She had opened one eye to watch Sarah and Philippis. "Isn't that the Amazon that was hitting on me when we had that paintball fight?"
"Why do you think I put her on your team?" Hylla asked. Reyna glanced at her and shook her head. There was a small smile on her face. Reyna laid her head against Hylla's shoulder. "Don't worry. I will find someone for you next."
"Hook the goddess up first. She won't admit her feeling for Sparta," Reyna said. She hissed in pain as Arcadia grabbed her ear. "Let go! How did you manage to get it just like Avaris?"
"Plenty of experience," Arcadia answered. She finally let go. Reyna slowly rubbed her ear and glared at Arcadia. The goddess just raised an eyebrow. Hylla watched the two of them and relaxed. It had taken time, but Arcadia and Reyna seemed to actually care for each other. Reyna would be in good hands around the goddess.
"You two save us a spot at the dinner," Hylla said. She nodded towards Kinzie and stood. Hylla walked towards Philippis and Sarah. The two seemed to be in deep conversation. Sarah had stopped playing with the ring on her necklace, and she almost seemed to be blushing. Philippis had a smile on her face.
"Just make sure to give send me an Iris message," Philippis said. She handed a business card to Sarah. "If you have an open spot at dinner, keep me in mind."
"Yeah," Sarah said. Philippis turned to walk away. She winked at Hylla and kept walking. Hylla hid her smirk and glanced at Sarah. The demititan was staring at the business card in her hand. She slowly looked up and seemed to notice Hylla. "I don't know if I can let Alex go."
"You don't have to let her go completely, but you can't keep torturing yourself over this," Hylla said. She glanced behind her and focused on her wife. Kinzie was talking to Reyna. "I was in your shoes before, and I let it tear me apart, even if I didn't show it. Alex wouldn't want you to keep spiraling down a pit of depression."
Sarah took a deep breath. Tears welled in her eyes, but she nodded. Sarah rubbed the ring and then spoke, "Thank you, Hylla."
"I'm the one who should be thanking you," Hylla said. Sarah glanced at her. "The demititans have had our back throughout all of this, and we haven't given you guys enough credit. We owe the demititans, but I owe you a personal debt, Sarah."
"You really don't," Sarah began. Hylla held up her hand. She wasn't going to let Sarah argue with her. "Hylla, you don't owe me a favor. Seriously."
"Sarah, you've saved our asses more times than you're willing to admit. Just take the favor," Hylla said. Sarah finally sighed and nodded. Hylla held a hand out, and Sarah shook it. "If the demititans need anything, let me know. And, I'm sorry. I shouldn't have punched you in the face."
"Like Reyna said, it's in the past," Sarah said. She looked away. "It's okay, Hylla. I forgive you. Just try to avoid knocking anymore teeth out. I have an Amazon to impress."
"She'll be impressed alright, and she'll be off next week," Hylla said. Sarah nodded in understanding and gave Hylla a grateful but nervous smile. The demititan then turned and walked away. Hylla glanced around at everyone once again.
The wars had taken their toll, but in the end, it was worth it. All Hylla wanted to do now was enjoy her time with her wife and stay connected to her sister. Hylla had fought so hard for her peace, and she was going to keep it. Hylla felt someone lean on her back.
"We have a little bit before dinner, and Reyna was telling me of some of the places that no one goes to anymore," Kinzie whispered in her ear. Hylla smiled and turned around.
"I would love that," Hylla whispered. She pulled Kinzie close and kissed her. Kinzie kissed her back and started to lead her away. Hylla smiled happily. Moments like these made all of the fighting worth it, and with a little luck, there would be many more moments like this to come.