Piper was in the strawberry fields watching the younglings when I sat next to her. She had a serious look but at the same time, she looked sad.
"Hey"
"Percy"
"Can I ask you something?". I was a little nervous, I went to look for her to give me some advice, she was in the same situation as me.
"Sure"
"How...
"Nancy stop throwing the strawberries!"
"... are you holding it ?, I can't."
"Sorry what?"
"I just don't know how you do it, I already fought with Malcolm, with Jason twice not to mention that I got into the wolf's mouth for going to Olympus".
"I don't, Percy. I just ... I hope this is a nightmare and I just want to wake up". I could tell she was just as desperate as I was.
"But is not"
"Exactly, that's what bothers me."
"And we can't do much," I said taking a strawberry and remembering the taste of Annabeth's lips, it was always strawberry.
"I ... well, I always suspected."
"What? That the gods hate me?"
"About Jason," she said ignoring my comment.
"That he is an asshole?" I said leaving the strawberry in the basket.
"No. I always thought that he was attracted to her but knowing that he is in love and worse still having heard it from his mouth was ..." That sounded strange to me.
"What the hell are you talking about Piper?"
"What?"
"Where did you get that Jason is in love with Annabeth?"
"From the recorder. Where else?" she looked at me like it was obvious but I didn't understand anything.
"A recorder?"
"Yes, Percy, the recorder. The one my mother gave me, the one with the video of her talking to Jason".
"What video?"
"Or projection or whatever it was. Where he tells my mother what he feels and ..." Seeing that I shook my head and looked at her in panic, the pieces fell into place.
"Wait a minute, don't you know what I'm talking about?" she said opening her eyes as wide as I did.
"No!"
"But what Leo didn't tell you?" My friend's voice radiated panic.
"Tell me what? That Jason is in love with my girlfriend and is not a spell?" I felt that the earth would split in two, I was furious.
"Wasn't that what you wanted to talk about?"
"No Piper! I just wanted to know how you were and that you would give me some advice to calm down or something and ...
"Oh Percy! I'm so sorry! I shouldn't have said anything I thought you knew ...
"Well, no! I didn't know anything and now I ...
I was exhaling rage, I didn't even finish the sentence and ran away leaving Piper crying and cursing herself for opening her mouth.
"What did I do?"
...
Annabeth woke up in a new room, something about her was familiar but she couldn't think clearly. She was a little stunned but had a pleasant vanilla smell.
She sighed in relief at her clothing. At least she wasn't wearing that ridiculous dress anymore. she wore an even more ridiculous one. A red dress with lace on the chest and a gold ribbon on the waist. The skirt was a little wide and it reached above the knees, she was wearing red ballet shoes and when she touched her head she noticed a ribbon.
"I am not a doll to play dress up."
She staggered up from the bed remembering Aphrodite's visit and then the floor on her face.
"She could have told me she was going to knock me unconscious."
She walked around the room and to her relief discovered a window. She ran ready to break the glass for some fresh air and froze at the sight of the window.
"It can not be"
...
"How dare you take my daughter out and send her there?"
"And how did you dare to lock her up? Or rather, to interfere?"
"She's my daughter"
"I do not care"
"What do you mean you don't care?"
"Well no, it's also your fault for trying to ruin my favorite couple."
"But...
"You had no right to intervene, Athena, that IS the rule, right? I thought you loved the rules". The goddess said sarcastically.
"It was all part of my plan."
"To cheat and beat me? You don't need it". Poseidon said taking place in the discussion.
"You have something to tell me?". The goddess of wisdom said looking at him seriously.
"Let's get this over with. The bet is over".
"What did you say?"
"What you heard".
"Then you accept that your son did not succeed? That he is not enough for my daughter?"
"Not so fast Athena. On the contrary".
"Explain yourself".
"You do not understand? Wow, the goddess of wisdom did not understand something".
"Do not provoke me".
"I mean to leave the bet aside since you heard Percy, he will not give up for anything in the world. I think that shows that he really loves your daughter".
"Then what do you propose?".
"Leave them alone. What you tried to do, locking up Annabeth was too much. Let's not put our hands, Aphrodite did the right thing by taking her away. As far as I am concerned, I renounce the bet".
"Then I win."
"Nothing of that. The bet is invalidated because I don't give up, I just take my hand off the table. Still, we all know that Percy will do it".
"I agree". Zeus said.
"But...
"The bet is canceled, let's let them solve this and so they will know if Perseus deserves your daughter". The greater god did not allow Athena to replicate.
"What will happen now?" Hermes asked from his throne, now wearing a cap and a T-shirt in addition to his flag with the legend "Team Percy".
"Who wins Percy or Jason?" Apollo was wearing a matching T-shirt and had a huge foam finger waving in front of Dionysus's face.
"We'll see. Aphrodite take care of this".
"I'm already doing it, don't worry."