so im back with another installment of this fic. props to stellarys, mans has been a constant source of motivation for me to complete this chapter so yall can thank him and check his fics out. they're pretty good. that's my recc for today i guess.

and yeah join the servers, the links are on my profile.

hope you guys enjoy this chapter!

Diana's eyes fluttered open in the cold expanse of the morning sky.

She sat up against the mast slowly, rubbing her eyes to shake off the sleep. She shivered, feeling eerily cold for some reason. Reflexively, she pulled her leather cloak close to warm herself, frowning in confusion.

That was strange. She never felt cold.

Her hand snaked above her vambraces to feel her skin and she flinched violently. She was nightmarishly cold to the touch. Her heart hammered as she hesitantly set her hand on her arm and almost recoiled yet again. Her skin was freezing.

Diana swallowed thickly.

She felt...dead.

Blood roaring in her ears, she looked around to take note of her surroundings. Immediately she knew there was something wrong. She was still on the Iremia but the world looked...bleak. Like someone had stripped off the vibrant hues, leaving only splashes of black and white on the palette.

The wood on the ship was rotting, pungent greens infecting the once rich colors of the Amazonian ship. The sails were torn and slashed, caked with mold and grime and the mainmast was cleaved in half.

Wordlessly, Diana stood up. Her hands trembled as she glanced around. She inhaled sharply when she looked past the ship's rails. Where she had expected to see the endless seas, she saw an endless expanse of nothingness stretching in all directions.

An unending plain of white with absolutely nothing on it—no vegetation, no hills, no water—stretched as far as her eyes could see.

Her skull throbbed. The monotonous colors were messing with her brain. She could not even locate the horizon— distinguish where the land ended and the heavens began. Everything was the same shade of dull white.

"Percy?" She croaked, finding her voice again. She pushed past the torn sails. Her head felt dizzy. "Percy?"

She passed through the main deck into the sterncastle deck. The captain's wheel was abandoned, green patches of algae clung to the spokes of the wheel. The rotting wood beneath her feet creaked and groaned with each stepping, as her search for her friend became more and more frantic.

"Percy!"

There was no reply. Her mouth felt dry, and her heart hammered in worry as her hands snaked around her belt to unsheath her sword.

A glint of bronze caught her eye and she froze midstep.

Slowly she turned around, and her eyes widened. On one of the barrels, a bronze Xiphos stood upright, its point pierced into the wood of the barrel. She swallowed and stepped forward to inspect it. The familiar etchings greeted her eyes confirming it was indeed her friend's blade. Dried blood and gore matted the surface, and the leather had been ripped out from the hilt.

"What is happening?" She whispered to herself, taking a step back from the barrel. Her ears rung, filling the deathly silent surroundings around her. "Where am I?"

The world spun around her as her head throbbed and she stumbled on her feet.

A flash of blinding light lit up in the distance. Diana turned to look.

Her face morphed into horror as the light gave way to the biggest explosion she had ever seen in her life.

A cloud of molten plasma lifted above the ground in a dome of fiery heat, burning her even from such distance. The light was so radiant, she could only compare it with the sun in that instant.

The very ground sprang forward from the eruption as if it were liquid. The shockwave blasted past her at blinding speeds, sending her stumbling backward.

Despite the tremendous explosion, the muteness of the place remained unchanged. The dome of fire raced towards her in deathly silence, only her heavy breathing and ringing ears audible to her.

Her heart hammered in terror, yet she couldn't move from her spot. It wouldn't matter even if she could, the eruption would catch up to her regardless. There was no escaping alive.

A sinister chuckle swept across the plains, the wind carrying it to Diana's ears.

"I am waiting for you, Daughter of Themyscira."

A blinding orange light overfilled her eyesight, and her body burned under the fire. For a moment, all she could feel was agonizing, excruciating pain before she screamed and her eyes snapped open.

Diana jerked awake on her makeshift bed, gasping for air. Her hands latched onto her cloak and her head swiveled around wildly to assure herself that she was still here, on the boat, and no she wasn't dead.

Panting heavily, she leaned her head onto the mast as she tried to collect herself. A thin sheet of sweat glittered on her skin, making her shiver in the cool winds of the sea. Her eyes flitted around her, focussing on mundane things until she calmed down.

It was still dark around her, she noticed, under a haze of rampaging thoughts. The stars were out that night; a never-ending plain of breathtaking flickering lights in the dark of Night.

Diana loved the stars. She always had, ever since she was young. She would spend hours gazing at them, studying the different constellations until the early morning hours. Her mother had taught her all about the stars- all about Orion and his belt, Orpheus and his Lyre, Chiron the Archer, Kallisto's plight, and many more.

A small but tired smile bloomed on her face as she remembered the fond memories of her childhood, momentarily forgetting about her nightmare.

"Diana?" Percy's voice sounded from the back of the ship.

She swallowed, wiping the sweat from her brows hastily. Different or not, she was still an Amazon at the core. Showing weakness, especially in front of a man, seemed cowardly to her.

"I did not know you were awake," She cleared her throat, standing up shakily from her bed and smoothening her clothes. "I thought you'd be asleep by now. Pushing the ship must've exhausted you."

She heard the son of Poseidon's footsteps approach.

"I needed some time to think about the notes," Percy replied, coming into view. "Plus, my ADHD gets worse whenever I'm anxious and- " He faltered, taking a look at her state. His eyes swept over her form and Diana felt strangely self-conscious. She could only imagine how disheveled she looked.

"Are you okay? You look all shaken up." There was a concerned edge to his tone.

"I'm fine," Diana said tightly. "Just...startled."

"Nightmare?"

Diana blinked. "How did you-"

Percy chuckled but there was a bitter edge to his tone. He stepped forward and leaned against the railings of the ship, his hair ruffling in the cool ocean wind. Despite this, he looked...old. Tired. Exhausted. Diana knew that expression. She saw it every time she looked into her mother's eyes.

"I've had my fair share of nightmares," He muttered. "Being a demigod, the only one in the world-" His eyes flitted towards her. "-the mortal world, hasn't been all sunshine and rainbows. It makes me a magnet for bad luck."

Diana pursed her lips.

He exhaled and leaned back, looking so, very tired. "Don't even get me started on the monsters. I've always thought how unfair it is that the monsters were left behind when the gods died by Ares' hand."

Diana frowned and asked, "What do you mean?"

He blew a puff of breath and ruffled his hair. "Monsters. Cyclops, Hellhounds, Furies," he elaborated airily. "All those nasty creatures."

"Ares left them behind to spread carnage in the Mortal Realm," Diana recalled. "In hopes, they would kill any stray Amazon winding up on the mortal shores. And an occasional mortal as well."

"Yeah, well, they don't attack the Mortals," Percy chuckled bitterly. "They're clouded to the monsters. Simply too unimportant for them to kill."

Diana furrowed her brows. Soft pads of her fingers traced the pattern on the mast of the ship absently.

"Then who do they attack?"

"Me."

Diana stiffened.

"They come for me," Percy murmured, gripping the rails until his knuckles turned white. "They always have. Ever since I was little. Ever since I could walk, I've had to run. Because it was just my luck that I was the son of an ancient sea god."

The waves turned choppy around them. Diana had to hold on to the rails to stop herself from falling when a particularly rough wave crashed into Iremia's side.

"Sorry," Percy muttered and the waves calmed once more. His bright green eyes dimmed a little.

Diana blew a breath of air, internally wondering just how much control he had on the Sea. If he was indeed Poseidon's last son, it would make sense he'd be the most powerful. It was good that he had the same enemy as her, but she was afraid if he ever betrayed her, defeating Ares would be the last of her problems. She was sure she could beat him in combat but if he added his powers into the mix? She wasn't sure.

"You were saying?" Diana prodded gently when Percy looked at her uncomfortably.

"A gorgon told me I smelled like buttered bread to her," He suddenly spoke after a moment of silence. "Which is surprising because I was expecting me to smell like saltwater taffy. Or at least something related to the ocean."

Diana blinked. "A gorgon?"

"Yeah. Stheno was her name. Met her in California," Percy wrinkled his nose. "She kept trying to get me to eat her poisoned treacle pudding. Fortunately, she was terrible as a salesperson and didn't have any blue candy."

Diana stared. "The sister of Medusa…offered you poisoned samples?"

Percy cracked a smile at her incredulous tone and nodded.

"How?"

A mono-syllabic question was all she could come up with in front of the absurdity of a winged gorgon being a salesperson.

"Monsters adapt to the times," He shrugged. "I once met a cyclops who was a Bureaucrat's butler. Poor guy could not speak more than two syllables and was paid next to nothing but he had a place to sleep, and that was enough for him. One of my friends ran a bar in London. A pretty modest place where soldiers would come in with their sweethearts and drink the night away, relishing the peace while they could. The bartender was an Empousa."

"Did you kill her?"

"Gods, no," Percy laughed. "I try not to start any fights these days. Because usually, they find me. Plus, she made a mean French 75. I wouldn't kill her even if I wanted to."

Diana chewed on her lip. "I don't know what to make of that," She admitted. "Themyscira has been a safe haven for Amazons for millennia. No one has crossed our barriers in all these years, and everything I know about monsters and such has spawned from the ancient texts of Greek philosophers. And I don't think Aristophanes mentioned bartending anywhere in his works."

"Yeah, I don't think the big man would've seen this coming," He huffed. "It would surprise you how many monsters lead, well, normal lives in my world."

Diana couldn't respond to that. She didn't know 'normal' herself. At least not in the sense in which it applied to the mortal world.

"You were saying something about Monsters smelling demigods?" She asked instead. She was interested in getting to know more about this. It could help her to be prepared when they set out on their quest. "Could you tell me more about that?"

"Yeah," The son of Poseidon muttered, his face becoming somber once again. "They can sense godly blood. The more powerful the demigod is, the stronger their scent is. And being the first demigod in a thousand years might as well have had a beacon lit above my head to signal monsters that their dinner was this way."

He exhaled tiredly and glanced at the moon above. Diana could very well imagine how Lord Poseidon looked based on the man in front of her. Something told her the resemblance between Percy and the God was uncanny.

"How did you survive?"

"My… friend's grandfather found me when I was four. I escaped foster and was on the run. He saw me trying to find food in an alley behind his house," Percy said. "And he took me in."

Diana didn't miss how his voice caught on 'friend'. A lump of pity formed in her throat. She swallowed thickly, wondering what else the poor demigod had suffered through his childhood. She was about to ask him about his past but a quick glance at him stopped the question in her mouth. His jaw was set hard and his eyes were storming over, obviously anticipating the question. She still wanted to ask him about it along with his hesitation while mentioning his teacher, but she recognized his uneasiness and decided to spare him.

"You mentioned you were familiar with nightmares," She spoke hesitantly. "And you were also correct in assuming I had a nightmare that woke me up. I don't know what to make of it, truthfully, and I was hoping you could give me insight."

"Demigod nightmares are always obscure. From what I have experienced, they're usually signs of our future. Some of them can even be prophetic."

Diana shuddered. "I hope that isn't the case with this one. Have you ever had one about…Ares?"

Percy looked up sharply. "You dreamt about Ares?"

Diana grimaced. She didn't particularly want to recollect the dream sequence but she was confused and needed to share it with him. It didn't seem fair to her to hide such a big thing, especially since they were unofficially on a quest together anyway.

"Yes," She answered. "I did."

"Tell me about it," Percy demanded, taking a step closer to Diana. She had to stop herself from tumbling backward at the proximity. She could count the faint freckles under his tanned skin. His eyes glowed eerily in the darkness.

"That was the plan, Percy," She said, somewhat sarcastically, taking a step back.

The son of Poseidon remained undeterred but Diana could see his cheeks taking on a pink hue. "Yes, sorry," He cleared his throat and said in a more composed voice, "Can you tell me about it?"

Diana took a deep breath and started to narrate the dream. The cold voice of Ares still rang in her ears.

Diana found herself beside Percy as the two disembarked from the Iremia.

They had docked the ship in one of the piers after being helped into the inland waters by a mechanized boat. Diana had been slightly worried when the boat had approached them because it was similar to the one that had attacked Themyscira, but Percy had quickly put her worries to ease, promising that the ship was friendly.

Diana was fascinated by just about everything she laid her eyes on. The mortal world was far too different than she had expected. All her knowledge about it had spurned from the various books at the Amazonian libraries, but it seemed severely outdated.

Overdressed people filled the narrow streets of the place, going about their normal lives in strange carriages. There were posters stapled to the light poles; each shouting out the headlines of War and Votes for Women. There were plumes of smoke emanating from the various chimneys atop the buildings, and the smell of freshly baked bread wafting through the streets from a nearby bakery.

A carriage honked loudly behind Diana, startling her as she moved out of the way. A short man shouted curses at her and she blinked. Undeterred, a small smile bloomed on her face, looking at some children playing at the edge of the curb.

So, this was the world of men.

"We need to catch the noon train to the mainland," Percy said, grabbing Diana's arm and leading her down the cobblestone path. "We have an hour to get to the station. I know a cabbie a couple of blocks from here, he'll give us a free ride. He owes me a favor."

"What are they doing?" Diana asked, tilting her head, too distracted by the world around her to pay attention to Percy's words. "Why are they holding hands?"

Percy frowned and followed her eyes to see a couple holding hands, looking very much in love. He relaxed and smiled.

"Oh, it's because they're together."

Diana glanced at his hand before grabbing it. Percy blinked, obviously startled. He coughed, letting go of her hand immediately.

"No, not together together. We aren't together...like that."

"What do you mean?" Diana asked curiously. "Like what?"

Percy cleared his throat uncomfortably. "Uh, in love," He clarified. "We aren't in love. A relationship, if you will."

"Oh," Diana said eloquently. Her cheeks felt hot.

"Yeah," Percy said, equally as uncomfortably. "Come one, we'll have to walk for a bit before my friend can give us a ride."

Diana nodded mutely and followed Percy towards the more populous part of the town. As she walked, she couldn't help but notice the strange looks the passersby were giving her. She buried herself into her cloak tightly, feeling strangely conscious about all the glances.

"Why are they looking at me like that?" She muttered to Percy. He blinked and glanced around like he hadn't noticed the stares. His face twisted in realization.

"Your clothes," He murmured, glancing fleetingly at her armor. "Or lack thereof. We're drawing too much attention. We'll have to buy you some clothes before we go further."

"What is wrong with what I am wearing?"

"It's not something women wear around here," Percy explained uncomfortably. "Fashion has changed in the last five thousand years. And no offense, but you do stand out like a sore thumb."

Diana glanced towards the bustling streets filled with overdressed women.

"Do they wear that when they go out for war?" Diana asked, incredulity lacing her words. "How do they even move in those dresses? They look terribly bulky for battle. Not to mention, the lack of protection or an armor."

Percy blinked before wincing. "Right, forgot you haven't seen the world in five thousand years. Uh, women don't exactly-" He caught himself, as if remembering to whom he was talking. "Let's just say things are much different than they were. I'll, uh, tell you about it on the train. Better not to tell you in a busy street just in case you start whacking heads."

Diana tilted her head inquiringly before nodding. "I'll hold you to that. I would love to learn more about this world."

"Sure. Let's focus on finding a decent shop for clothes for now."

Diana twirled in her mid-length checkered skirt outside a local shop, called Selfridge and Co. A dark brown coat rested on her shoulders, over a white buttoned shirt. A pair of warm white knee-high stockings peeked from below her skirt. Her sandals had been swapped for boots as well.

"This is surprisingly comfortable," She remarked, touching the fabric of her coat. "I am starting to see why your women wear this. Certainly a lot comfier than just armor and vambraces. And warmer, too."

She glanced up with a smile to look at Percy. Her smile melted into a frown. "Why are you staring at me? Does it not look good?"

Percy blinked. "Oh, no, it looks very good. It suits you. You just…remind me of someone."

"Thank you. Though I have to say, you do know how to pick clothes for a woman. Do you have someone in your life?" Diana raised an eyebrow, looking interested.

Percy scratched the back of his neck. He seemed to do that when he was nervous or sheepish, she had noticed.

"Nah, I haven't got time for all that," He shrugged, a little sadly. "I'm a soldier and…against Ares, well, it isn't wise to get attached to someone."

The way he spoke put Diana slightly on edge. She understood what he was saying. The God of War would shamelessly hurt your loved ones to get to you. But the way he said it sounded like he had already gone through that. Which meant he had crossed paths with Ares before. And he had lost someone as a result.

Diana frowned. "You say it like that's happened to you. What-"

"That's enough questions," Percy snapped, "We're getting late for our train. Let's go, Diana."

Without even deigning for a response, he turned and marched out into the streets. Diana blinked, surprised by Percy's sudden change in character. If nothing, then this only proved Diana's thoughts correct about him losing someone to Ares.

She narrowed her eyes. There was a lot more to Percy than she had expected.

Jerking her coat, she ducked her head and followed the son of Poseidon into the streets.

The trains fascinated Diana.

The duo had reached the railway station just in time for their train. After a rickety drive in a worn-down carriage courtesy of Percy's friend, who had flirted with Diana many more times than she was comfortable with, they finally arrived at their destination.

Percy still seemed distracted and a little bit upset at Diana, something she could not quite figure out. It wasn't as if she had forced him to answer her question. She hadn't even known Percy would get upset.

In fact, Percy didn't even reprimand his friend when he made the moves on her. Though she suspected it was more because he never noticed it instead of just ignoring her plight because of what had happened. He did seem awfully out of it, not even responding to the call of goodbye from his friend.

The train ride was fun for about the first couple of hours until Diana decided she'd had enough of the monotonous scenery of yellowy fields of wheat stretching in a never-ending plane. They were pretty, she admitted, but staring at even the loveliest of roses for hours would rob the charm of it.

It didn't help Percy was in his own little bubble throughout the ride. Barring some distracted small-talk with Diana, the son of Poseidon didn't seem to be too inclined to start any conversations. She thought about apologizing…for whatever she had done but thought the better of it. After all, she didn't even know what she'd apologize for. Asking a sincere question? In the end, she just decided to leave him to his own devices and tried to get some sleep until they arrived at…wherever Percy was taking her.

Her tiredness quickly took over her as she dissolved into a dreamless sleep.

They reached the station in the evening.

The moment Diana stepped out of the train, a single thought struck her. She liked this region far better than the metropolitan city she had docked on.

There weren't any tall buildings in sight, nor were there any industrial establishments spewing smoke out of them. Instead, vast planes and soft hills stretched in front of her, holding sparse but huge and tasteful mansions atop the rosy soil.

Brightly colored birds chirped happily in the trees outside the station. Even the skies weren't spared a chance to appear drab. The setting sun's light scattered and refracted magnificently- painting the sky in a deep, rich orange.

Only a handful of carriages awaited them outside. Diana looked around her in strange-found joy while Percy informed one of the drivers of their destination.

The ride was relatively short. Even more so than the one from the docks to the station. Despite this, Diana was completely captivated by her surroundings, not being able to pull herself away from the glass window inside the carriage. This was much closer to what she was expecting about the beautiful world of men.

In contrast to the densely packed buildings in the city arranged like a depressing lattice, this region was much more spacious. Every hundred meters or so, a new mansion was present, each uniquely designed according to the wishes of its occupants. Some had massive lawns with acres of free space, while others had lakes and ponds brimming with ornaments and trees.

No doubt, this was the residence of the rich upper class.

Soon, the carriage pulled up in front of a Victorian-type house with grand roman-styled gates and statues. It was certainly an eccentric mix of the two- something that shouldn't have worked on paper but did in practice.

"Beautiful, isn't it?" Percy spoke up, a reminiscent smile on his face. "Arthur did love merging two wildly different cultures and creating something new."

Diana blinked, a bit surprised that the moody demigod had finally decided to talk to her.

"Arthur?" She asked. "Your…friend's grandfather?"

"Yes. And in a lot of ways, my own."

Diana looked around. "This place really is beautiful," She agreed. "I can only imagine how the interior would be if it looks this pretty from the outside. My friend, Menalippe loves architecture. She'd be enamored if she saw this place."

"Menalippe," Percy scrunched up his eyebrow in remembrance. "The girl who punched me?"

Diana laughed. "Yes, she also loves inflicting pain on others."

"I noticed."

Percy pushed the gates open, the metal creaking and groaning as if it had been years since they were used. Diana raised an eyebrow- surely Arthur would've employed a guard outside his mansion. In fact, she had noticed that every single house they had driven past had one except this one.

"Never needed one," Percy said out of the blue as if he'd read her mind.

Diana blinked. "What?"

"A guard. You're thinking about that right?" Percy guessed. "Why does every house down the street has one and this does not?"

She nodded.

Percy shrugged, "Yeah, we never needed one. We rarely have visitors. Arthur doesn't have any other family and for some reason, there's never been a break-in in this place. I suggested it once but Arthur just laughed it off and smiled at me like he knew something I didn't."

"Hm."

The two began walking towards the porch of the house on the path. It was at least a few hundred feet away from the entrance, and Diana internally wondered what kind of work did Arthur do if he could afford such a lavish mansion.

"I like to think he's warded this place against thieves," Percy cracked a grin, kicking a rock absently on the path. "He always had this mystic, magic vibe to him. Like Merlin instead of Arthur."

Diana tilted her head. "He hasn't. Warded the place, I mean."

Percy blinked and laughed. "I wasn't being serious, but do tell how could you tell that?"

"I would've sensed it if he had," Diana explained abashedly. "I can sense magic, and unless your grandfather is an Olympian, I doubt he has warded the place."

Percy chuckled. "Yeah, I'd probably know if the old man was an Olympian."

The pair reached the entrance to the house. If Diana thought the gates were presumptuous, the doors were nothing short of brazen. There were almost as tall as the masts of Iremia—embossed in various roman and Victorian etchings.

"A bit overkill, don't you think?" Diana raised an eyebrow.

Percy laughed sheepishly. "Arthur was always a bit extra."

"I can imagine."

He shook his head and knocked on the door. Well, 'knocked' was putting it lightly—he basically slammed on the door as hard as he could. The wood rumbled and groaned and Diana reckoned he had just woken up half the street with it.

She counted ten beats before the door creaked open and—

"Perseus!"

Percy laughed as he was engulfed in a hug by the shorter woman at the door.

"Esther, I can't breath!" He cried, all the while grinning like a madman, struggling to get away from the old woman's death-grip.

"Oh, look at you!" The lady gushed, fussing over Percy's clothes when she finally let him go. "You look so different since the last time I saw you."

"We met just a year ago, Esther," Percy said warmly. "I've hardly changed."

"Oh stop lying," She argued. "You look so much thinner, Percy. Don't they feed you boys at the army?"

Percy rolled his eyes fondly. "I'm alright, you mother-hen. Now will you us let in or do I have to stand here all night?"

Once Esther ushered them in—all the while babying over Percy, who looked very uncomfortable— much to the amusement of Diana.

"Where's Arthur, by the way?" Percy asked, once Esther had calmed down once again. "It feels like I haven't seen him in years."

Esther's kind eyes dimmed slightly. "He isn't here, Percy. He's hardly here, anymore. This war has turned him into a headless chicken running everywhere, I tell you!"

Percy frowned. "I thought he had retired from work?"

"He had," Esther agreed. "But with the war, and everything…he decided he could do his best to help outside the comforts of his home."

"Do you know when he'll be back?"

Esther shook her head sadly.

Percy's face fell before he turned towards Diana. "Well, I guess it's just you, me, and Esther for tonight."

Esther blinked as if noticing Diana was standing there for the first time. Diana didn't know whether to feel insulted or apathetic. Surely, she wasn't that unobtrusive….right?

"Oh, forgive me! Who is she, Percy?" Esther asked a mischievous smile on her lips and a twinkle in her aging eyes.

"This is Diana. She's my…companion," He replied awkwardly.

Diana smiled in greeting. "Nice to meet you."

"Diana, this is Esther—"

"I can make my introductions myself, Percy," Esther interjected. Diana laughed, deciding she liked the old bird.

"I am Esther, Diana," She held out her hand, and Diana was surprised at her strong grip. "I'm this house's housekeeper. It's wonderful to meet you."

Percy rolled his eyes. "You're basically our family, Esther, stop introducing yourself as our housekeeper," He scolded gently.

Esther smiled and shook her head. "So, how did you meet Percy, Diana?" She asked, turning to her.

Diana blinked. "Uh."

"We just ran across each other at a bar," Percy smoothly lied. "She has a brother on the front and she needs someone to take her there."

"At the front?" Esther said, scandalized. "You want to take a lady to the front?"

Diana frowned in indignance. "The lady is right here. And she can handle herself."

Esther blinked before giggling aloud. "Oh, I like her, Percy. I apologize, Diana, I didn't mean it that way. I'm sure you're more than capable enough to handle yourself but the front is a dangerous place to be."

"I just want to meet my brother, that's all." She said, playing along with Percy's lie.

"Say," Esther hummed. "How have you liked traveling with Percy, Diana?"

From the corner of her eye, Diana saw Percy tense up.

"Uh," Diana said. "He's been wonderful. We've been together since we ran into each other at…the bar."

"Together?" Esther asked, her eyes brightening up.

Diana frowned in confusion at her reaction.

"Yes?" She replied, realizing the slip too late. Before she could clarify that they weren't together together as she had mistakenly implied, Esther beamed.

The old lady's eyes widened and her face lit up in happiness. "Oh Percy, I'm so happy for you! Truly! This is what she would've wanted— you are finally moving-"

Percy's grin melted off, his face darkening. Esther froze up, mid-sentence at the change in his demeanor. Diana was equally surprised.

"We are just traveling together, Esther," He grit. "Nothing more, nothing less. Diana just misspoke. Now, if you'll excuse me, I need something. Is my room unlocked?"

Esther flinched at his frigid tone. "Perseus, I'm-"

"Is my room unlocked, Esther?"

The old lady sighed sadly and nodded. "It is. Practically untouched too. You'll find everything where it was."

"Thank you." He muttered and shouldered his coat, walking up the stairs.

"Percy."

The boy paused mid-step and sighed. He turned towards the old lady whose eyes were full of empathy and kindness. "I'm sorry," said Esther finally after looking at the boy.

And then he was gone.

Diana felt like she was intruding on a very private matter between the two. She suddenly felt very, very awkward as she was left alone with the housekeeper. It surprised her how much at ease she was with Percy as opposed to any other person from this world. She supposed it made sense— he had saved her life once before, after all.

"I'm sorry you had to see that, dear," Esther whispered, her eyes still where Percy had left.

"I don't even know what that was," Diana admitted softly. "Is he always this rude towards you?"

"Goodness, no," Esther said sorrowfully. "He is the sweetest boy I've met. Has never spoken to me out of anything but respect. I was out of line today. It's just— you look so much—" She caught herself. "It isn't my place to say. If Percy trusts you, he'll tell you himself."

Not knowing if Esther's words were a sign for the future or just the ramblings of a sweet old lady, Diana merely nodded and gestured awkwardly at the house.

"Do you mind if I take a look?" She inquired hesitantly. "I'd like to see more of the house. Just to spend time until Percy…"

Esther smiled kindly. "Of course! Even after all these years in this house, I still cannot stop myself from getting carried away by its beauty. If you want, you can start from the courtyard. We have endless beds of flowers and exotic plants there. I think you'll love them."

"Thank you," Diana said. "I'll do just that."

Diana passed by a statue of a flying pig, of all things.

One thing she was certain of now, was that Arthur really fit into the theme of the stereotypical eccentric wealthy person. The house was every bit as amazing as she'd imagined, but the sheer number of strange statues had taken her by surprise.

If she recalled correctly, she had passed by a woman crying over a snake, a singular massive urn, a wild boar impaling a man (beside—wait was that lettuce?), and a vulture feeding on the corpse of a woman.

She was thoroughly disgruntled, to say the least.

By now, it was almost nighttime. Diana looked out of the window of a room and deduced it was roughly eleven. Surprisingly, she wasn't hungry at all despite not eating since the day before when she left Themyscira. She suspected it was the sense of anticipation she had about when they'd actually encounter the God of War.

Diana hummed, as she absently retraced her path to the main hall where she presumed Esther would be, giving in to her internal musings.

How would the God look when she'd face him?

Diana didn't know the answer. She had always assumed the writings and paintings of the Olympians at Themyscira to be the most accurate, but she couldn't really be sure anymore. After all, she had learned, only a few hours ago, about how monsters worked human jobs and had normal lives. Moreover, everything about the mortal realm was wildly different than what she could've imagined, so what was to say Ares would be the same as the scriptures.

Deep in thought, Diana walked through one of the house's many many doors. However, instead of entering the pantry as she'd expected, her eyes were greeted by a large canvas hung above the fireplace just in front of her.

She frowned in confusion. She must have taken a wrong turn somewhere. Turning around, she stepped out to leave the room until something caught her eye.

She turned to face the canvas. Her eyes fell on the colors smeared on the fabric. It was an aging man, sat on a regal-looking velvet-bound chair, his mustache-clad-head held impossibly high and proud.

'Arthur,' she guessed.

His appearance looked aged— with his subtly wrinkled face and white-peppery hair, but his posture was anything but. It spoke of uncontended confidence and pride—a sure mark of a soldier.

Diana couldn't make out his finer details—the room was lit too dimly for that. She considered lighting a candle to better inspect him but thought better of it. She turned to leave again but froze when she saw the painting on the side.

Her eyes widened, and a soft gasp left her mouth.

It was Percy. And beside him was an impossibly beautiful girl.

She stepped closer to the canvas.

The son of Poseidon looked very much younger than he did now—about nineteen, but she could recognize him anywhere. He still wore the same crooked smile and had the same wild raven hair as he did now. His eyes—still the color of the Aegean sea. However, there was one glaring difference.

He looked happy in the painting.

There was a twinkle in his eyes, something Diana had yet to see in the short time she had traveled with Percy, and he was staring at the girl with nothing short of absolute adoration—like she was the only thing in the world.

Speaking of— the girl.

If Diana could imagine a goddess, it'd be Aphrodite that she would compare with her.

Her lush brown hair cascaded down her shoulder, splaying outwards. A rosy blush was painted on her cheeks as if she had noticed Percy staring at her and was doing her best to not comment. Her face was twisted in a laugh, and her multicolored eyes twinkled in mirth as she clung on to the son of Poseidon.

Diana swallowed and took a step forward to inspect the painting when—

"I see you've found her."

the story's finally kicking off whoo

(to the reviewer who said my geography is horrendous- well you're right, and I'm trying to get this fic proof-read/beta-ed by someone who knows ww1 history really well. i do have duckie, who's agreed to help me but that'd take a while. until then, well just try and enjoy the story and ignore the BS geography lol)

also, thanks for the 500 follows :)

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