Laying on my back, watching the clouds drift by, I felt calm for the first time in a long while.

I will always be grateful for Deme distracting me, but sometimes I really do need to feel my emotions. We were untouched by the hurricane, my powers capable of that at least, but I exhausted myself. I told everyone that Deme was in charge, then knocked out, sleeping from midnight to late evening.

Annabeth would have called me a Seaweed Brain for yelling at a god, and then would have listed out a hundred and one strategies for how to best stage a revolution. Grover would have given me that nervous smile of his, and a suggestion that maybe my Pater didn't really mean to lie to me like that. Mom would have given me a hug and told me that no matter what, she'll be there for me.

Deme called me an idiot and told me my veil was crooked. I mourn my old family, but I'm not disappointed at my new one.

The ship wasn't sailing faster than it would normally be, I had tired myself with that hurricane. Well, not tired, but I am tired, and if I tried to use the amount of concentration that sailing quickly required, I would lose focus after five minutes and zone out until Deme pulled me back to the present to tell me that we stopped moving again.

That's fine, it gives me plenty of time to just stare at the stars.

Annabeth taught me the constellations, but they're all wonky right now. Three thousand years have changed their positions a bit, and I was left to puzzle out where the familiar ones were. Orion, Ursa Major, Cassiopeia; it was strange to think that they have only been constellations for less than 500 years, but they have. Several constellations weren't even in the sky yet; Zoe, Centaurus, and Libra.

In the quiet night, with only the waves crashing, it was easy to identify Deme's footsteps.

"Aren't you going to bed?" She asked, wrapping her shawl around her.

"I woke only a few hours ago," I pointed out.

She didn't reply to that, only kneeling down on the ground next to me. We sat in silence for a few minutes.

"Do you think we'll become stories too?" She asked softly.

"What?"

Deme flushed. "Like the stories of the heroes. Herakles and Jason. I want to be spoken of like my grandmother spoke of Ahurani."

"The goddess of healing?" I asked. She nodded, "And protector from evil spirits."

My eyes drifted back up to the sky, where Zoe should be. "Maybe. I don't think we'll be forgotten so quickly after our death."

"Mother once told me that immortality is never being forgotten," Deme whispered. "I'm afraid of death."

Something in my heart panged. Deme isn't a demigod; she doesn't have powers or godly blood to help her. She'll die, and sooner than I would naturally.

"It's okay," I told her. "Death isn't scary, it's kind."

"How do you know?" She asked. "I mean, how are you so certain?"

"Because I lost so many," I whispered. I reached over to hold her hand, squeezing it gently. "I've been there, the Underworld. It's not a bad place; you'll get Elysium, I'm certain of it."

She squeezed back. "I'll still fear, I know I will, but that is comforting. Thank you."

We stayed there, staring at the stars until we stumbled back inside, clutching each other for comfort.

I startled when Avraham approached me.

It's not like I've been avoiding him, I just don't know how to talk to him. Most of the other slaves I'd freed all looked at me and saw the daughter of Poseidon, or a water spirit, or even the descendant of a Pharaoh. Avraham, and two other ex-slaves named Levi and Kelila were Jewish, and I was honestly awkward around them. I haven't talked to many monotheists in the past two years, and while I was very aware that the Egyptian gods were real (meeting Carter Kane proved that), I had no idea about all the other gods, but I could only assume they're real too.

"Lady Rhea?" He asked, holding up a map. "May we talk?"

"Of course," I smiled at him, stepping back from the prow. "What is it?"

He handed me the map, "I've been looking at possible routes. You said we would be staying in Aegina for seven days, yes? Well, Kythnos and Naxos are on route. Kythos has some of the best metalsmiths in the Minoan seas, and Naxos is an Olympian sanctuary too, is it not?"

I nodded, "Yes. They're close, and Sifnos is a slavery hub with their mines; we might be able to free a ship or two passing by. Good work."

He smiled, taking back the map. "My father was a cartographer and navigator before he and my mother settled in Ilium, he taught me how to guide a ship."

"It's a good thing I have you on my ship then!" I said, cheerfully. "I may have perfect bearings at Sea, but I have no idea where I'm going."

He laughed. "Yes, I'll say."

He tucked the map away into his belt, then ran a hand through his hair. "Actually, my lady, I was wondering if I could talk to you about your powers."

Oh dear. "Yes?" I said nervously, "Is there something wrong?"

He realised that I looked defensive, and smiled gently, eyes sparking with kindness. "No, nothing. I was just wondering if you have the ability to turn seawater into freshwater? I understand that you have no trouble bathing in the sea, but the rest of us are just using a single barrel of water a week, and I was just wondering if you could help."

I flushed, "Sorry! I forgot that- I didn't realise! I have no idea to be honest, but I can try."

He laughed. "It's alright. Just do your best."

I did manage it, but it also meant we had a barrel full of salt alongside the two barrels of water.

"Well, we have something to trade now," Ekrem commented. "You will be one rich pirate, Rhea."

Rubbing my temples, trying to stave off the headache from doing something with my powers I've never done before, I sighed. "A salt-trading, slave freeing, pirate princess of the Aegean. Pater would be so proud."

Deme stifled a laugh. "I'm sure. This'll be easier next time when you don't do it already tired. Let's get you to bed."

"Goodbyes are a stage of living, a requirement for us all. We shall all regret it once it is done, but it is necessary for us to learn to say goodbye, no matter how bad we are at it. Goodbyes be bittersweet, and may the See You Again ring true."

Aegina was on the horizon, and the ship buzzed with excitement.

Shloka had grabbed her two children, Sandhya and Raja, and had them running errands all day, trying to get everyone who was leaving the crew packed and ready. Rashana was directing the younger ones around with her cane, yelling in anatolian for them to hurry up. Levi was climbing the mast in his excitement, and Deme had yelled at him no less than four times to get down.

All the while, Avraham, Ekrem, and I just watched the chaos, passing a wineskin between us.

"Everytime we dock, it'll be like this." Ekrem commented, "Making landfall is a chaos all of its own."

"They're excited, leave them alone," Avraham said, watching as Raja nearly fell on his face trying to carry a stack of rope taller than him.

"I would step in and help them," I took a sip. "But I think Deme is enjoying bossing them all around."

Ekrem snorted at that. "You can say that again. Deme is half my height yet enjoys staring me down like I couldn't snap her in half like a twig."

Avraham shook his head, "I very much doubt that. Have you seen the dagger she carries with her?"

I smiled proudly. "I taught her that."

"We can tell," both men said dryly.

"Oi!" Deme marched over to me. "Rhea, why are you just sitting there?"

"I'm sailing the ship," I pointed out. "And I'm all packed."

She gave me a look. "Fine," I groaned, handing Ekrem back his wineskin. "I'll get it ready."

They watched me go below deck to grab the gifts for the island as a thank you for sanctuary.

We headed straight for the Hearth of Hestia, leaving our offering of a small bowl of salt, and registering our ship as an official Aegina guest.

I quickly realised that I was out of my depth when Ekrem stepped up to talk to Lord Karinax who welcomed us into accepting the barrel of salt in return for a dozen ex-slaves asylum. Mama may have taught me how to poison a king who talks over me in diplomatic treaties, and Papa did teach me how to talk circles around my enemies in the courtroom, but when it comes to negotiating trades and doing bureaucracy, I realise I'm far too blunt at this to do it properly.

When Ekrem stepped back, and a servant was being called for to help incorporate the ex-slaves into a new and better household, he turned to me with a smug grin. "For a princess, you are quite bad at this."

"Good thing you're sticking around," I grinned back at him. "My crew will need a good trader."

He winked, and stepped up again to help give orders.

Goodbyes are tough.

I will admit that I have a few Abandonment Issues, and this makes saying farewell all the tougher, but I was comforted by the fact that they'll all be safer now.

Roshana pulled me into a hug, touching foreheads, and she patted my cheek like a loving grandmother would. "You keep your chin held up high, understood?" Deme translated for her, "You have a good heart, don't let anyone spoil it." I was blinking back tears as I pulled her into another hug.

Shloka pushed her son forward, and I was surprised to see Raja shyly hand me a little pouch of Henna. "As thank you," Sandhya said for her mother. "A gift."

I tried to refuse, but Shloka was adamant. I was touched, and I promised to treasure it.

Levi, scrappy young helion that he is, asked that his goodbye be a kiss on the cheek. Avraham and Shloka both moved to hit him upside the head as soon as the words were out of his mouth, and he just laughed. In good humor, I gave him a light peck on the cheek that had Deme screeching about impropriety and then ruffled his hair.

There were a lot of goodbyes, sixteen of twenty-five had decided to stay on Aegina rather than sail on, and I was near tears for all of them.

They were happy tears though, and that in itself was a blessing enough.

Maybe I am learning to let people go.

"Sweet friendship, bless me with your love, your kindness, and your mercy. Let us walk together, hand in hand, until the light dims and dusk turns to darkness. May your golden light stay."

Aegina is a small island, with only a single city, two major temples, and a lot of white sand beaches.

While Aegina was a trading hub, with many ships sailing in and out constantly, the population of the island was low, only three hundred permanent residents. Not exactly a good place to find new crew members.

So the newly dubbed ship, 'The Black Pearl' (I was having fun, sue me), would soon leave Aegina with a crew of 11, nine of whom were once it's slaves.

Ekrem and Avraham had both elected to stay, and I named them second and first mate, respectively. They had no idea what that meant, and I stumbled over my explanation, having not much idea either other than Captain Jack Sparrow had them.

Hyrmione, a Greek-Trojan dancer, was the only one younger than me at 17, but she was a deft hand with small blades. Her older brother, Dolops, was 24 and the only one other than Ekrem with experience sailing.

Nysia was 28, Anatolian, and the best damn cook I've ever met, second only to my mom. She has no trouble smacking my hands with a wooden spoon if I get anywhere near her stew. Kelila, 22 and Jewish, if she was not found sewing and dyeing wool, was always found beside Nysia, chattering about fashion and hair.

Brison was 19, and he knew Leon before they both got taken from Ilium. Leon was 31, and the guard in charge of training Brison. They both carried swords, and were capable with spears, so I had no problem asking them to spar with me.

Lastly, we had Ammeris, a sullen man of 27, who was always carrying around papyrus and ink, ready to scribe down all our possible adventures. He was Egyptian, and wore neat cornrow braids that I was a bit jealous about.

We had restocked the ship pretty easily with the sea salt I harvested easily, and Ekrem leading our negotiations. All that was left for us to do is finish packing up, but as Avraham and Kelila had asked for a day off as it was Saturday and Shabbat, I had given everyone the day off.

Some, like Ekrem and Dolops, left to have fun in the town, others like Hyrmione, Nysia, and Brison decided to spend the day in the marketplace. Last I saw Leon, he had grabbed ale and had been coaxing Ammeris into telling him what he was writing. Deme and I ate mid-day meal with Avraham and Kelila, then left them to go explore the city a bit more.

As Deme got distracted by a vendor selling face veils, my eyes caught the Temple of Apollo Delphinios down the pathway. The sun was catching it in just the right way that it seemed to glow gold, like a god was… in there.

Oh.

I guess he's finally ready to apologise.

"There's a horse at the gate, and you must figure out if it is a blessing or a curse. Either requires trust, and my the gods forgive me for not being shy with it."

As my sandalled feet climbed the marble steps up into his temple, I wondered what I would find inside.

Not this.

Apollo was laying on the floor of his temple, wearing a familiar yellow-gold chiton that brought a blush onto my cheeks, with a deer skin peplos I think is his sisters', and his hair braided in a way that I am certain is Artemis' doing as it was the style she favored. He didn't look at me as I walked in, continuing to stare up at the ceiling and it's beautiful depictions of his achievements.

"Hey," He said.

"Hey." I replied, tilting my head to the side as I took him in. "Is the floor comfortable?"

The priests and priestesses weren't around, but I saw the wisp of a chiton whipping around a column, making me think he had dismissed all of them.

"Not really."

I sat down on the floor beside him anyways, legs tucking under me in a way that let my short chiton fan out beside me on the cold stone.

His head tilted to the side, and soon he was looking up into my eyes. "I sorely regret ever causing you any distress."

I raised an eyebrow, "Causing me distress? You tried to control me, got angry when I refused, and then gave me a flashback when you started using your godly power."

He winced at the reminder, cheek twitching. "I was reminded of the fact that you are mortal, and as a mortal, you can die and be injured very easily."

"So you were worried for me?" I translated what he refused to say, and the flicker downwards of eyes confirmed it. "Apollo, look at me, I have the curse of the styx, even if they tried, it'll be pretty damn hard for them to succeed in killing me."

"Blessing of the Styx," He corrected, trying to change topics away from his vulnerability.

"It's a curse," I stated firmly. "And you aren't changing topics so easily. Apollo, you were worried for me, so you tried to control me. You don't do that, would you do that to your sister?"

He flinched plainly, and I sighed. "She also spoke about this with you?"

He looked angry for a second, defensive and golden, then he caught my eyes again and calmed. "I visited her for a few weeks, I needed her insight."

"Look," I forced his attention on me. "I'm angry that you broke my trust when you tried to control and scare me. You haven't apologised for that."

"You demand a lot from gods." He said.

"Only what you can give," I said, a defiant tilt to my chin.

His lips twitched upwards. "I apologise for exerting my power over you."

I couldn't help the soft smile that graced my features. "I accept your apology."

His eyes turned to his altar, and he sat up, blonde hair snaking down his back. "You're still coming to Delos?"

"Never wasn't going to."

He laughed in surprise. "So certain I was going to apologise?"

"I know your sister would step in eventually," I told him. "That peplos suits you, by the way."

He winked at me, "Don't tell Artemis I stole it from her."

He stood up and offered me his hand. "That offering stone has a lot of good food, want to share?"

I was taken aback for a second, a shared offering is something for married couples, but the earnest look in his eyes as he tries to win back my trust makes me push propriety aside. "Sure."

He beamed, truly sunlike.

Something in my heart fluttered, but I pushed it down. 'It's just nerves, last time I saw him he hurt me,' I told myself. 'I'm just afraid that he's going to hurt or betray me again.'

I'm not so sure.

A/N

I'm back with another chapter! Sorry for the bad quality, school started and I have homework, and my laptop broke so I'm on my mom's old one, but then we had a random 3-day lockdown, but it's okay I have my shit together again! I managed to get a hopefully satisfying chapter out!

So, Rhea and Deme have a heart to heart, Rhea and Avraham start to bond, Docking ships are always a nightmare, Rhea probably watched too much Pirates of the Caribbean as a kid, and then Apollo pops back up in the Chiton that Rhea made for him to play up the 'we're married I'm sorry' angle that Rhea has no idea exists and is happening. Ah, I love miscommunication! I was tempted to add an 'Artemis yelling at Apollo' deleted scene, but I'm running out of energy, sorry.

Fun history fact time! The constellation Libra actually used to be a part of Scorpio, and they split up into two different constellations after ancient greece. Salt was very expensive and a good trading piece, because it was hard to separate salt and water. Everytime you entered a new city, you were supposed to go to the Hearth of Hestia and pray/offer to her to earn guest rights, as then you get the legal right to be treated well, and you aren't supposed to be attacked anymore (by mortals unless you break the laws too).