Estelle

Sighing, Estelle approached the Lady of the Hunt. Yes, she was intrigued by Grace's plan, but she could scarcely believe she'd allowed herself to be pulled into it.

"Mi'lady," she bowed, all formal-like, earning an eyebrow raise from the goddess. Suppressing another sigh, she rose and fidgeted a little trying to remember the lines she'd mentally rehearsed. Curse it all, she knew exactly what she wanted to say, but now that she was face to face with Artemis…

"Yes, Estelle?" she prompted with the smallest smile.

"I am grateful for every skill you have taught me, and plan to hone those skills to as close to perfection as possible throughout my service to you… But I'm afraid one necessary ability has remained out of my reach and I would like to rectify that." If Estelle was shaking as she spoke neither she or her goddess chose to comment on it. Actually, Artemis didn't comment at all; just raised her eyebrows and inclined her head, waiting for Estelle to continue. Gritting her teeth, she did. "I can't handle a sword worth anything," she spat out, breaking eye contact and kicking some dirt. "When it's a life or death situation I do not want to be a liability. I know there are any number of teachers I could request, but I thought that, considering just how awful I am, the best one might be… my brother."

With a deep breath she finally looked back up at Artemis and found her smiling gently.

"I'm so relieved you finally asked."

"You… are?" Man, she thought, her swordplay must be even worse than she imagined and she didn't think that was possible.

"Of course, Estelle. I have never had a doubt as to where your loyalties lie and it has been most disheartening to watch you suffer at Percy's absence from your life. I am glad you're finally willing to let him come back to you."

"And you're…okay with that? With me…being his sister?"

"Thalia is my lieutenant and second in command. Some of my huntresses have been with me for over two thousand years. And yet, no matter how close we grow and how dependent we are on one another. No matter what familial ties we forge within the Hunt, Apollo is my brother. My twin and my other half. He is a male and acts as such and worse at times, but he is my brother. I will not fault you for having your own."

Her smile was so kind and her words so warm that Estelle couldn't help but dart forward and hug the goddess. Artemis returned her embrace and Estelle recalled the last time she was held by her. Tears formed in her eyes, but this time it wasn't from loss, but from relief and comfort. Instead of losing her brother, she was reconnecting with him.

Taking a step back and swallowing as much of her emotions as she could she tried to push her boundaries just a little more in order to move Grace's plan along.

"Do you think the girls will mind him being around as we spar?" She watched for Artemis' tell that she was surprised, her ears would adjust as her jaw moved almost imperceptibly, and then forged on before Artemis could recover. "I think he would be more than willing to help anyone willing to improve, so long as they don't mind who they're sparring with."

"Percy is not unwelcome in our camp," she said slowly. "I trust him to be respectful and know he is conscious of our sisters. Go make an offering, I will have a sparring ring prepared."

Estelle blinked, not expecting to move so quickly, but then quickly rushed off to the fire. Once there, she stopped. She didn't have an offering on hand. Backtracking to her tent, she dug through all of her things. She couldn't find anything worth offering to a god, let alone her brother. Sitting and grumbling for a moment, she considered that fact. He was her brother. Smiling, she recalled their little battles in the apartment, where he'd dramatically fall to the ground as she leapt at him. And the tickle wars. The movie marathons and him trying so hard to read her bedtime stories before giving up and making some up. He came to as many of her school events as he could.

As her eyes landed beside her bedroll, she grinned, grabbed her offering and sprinted to the fire.

Several shouts tried to stop her as she brought up her uncapped canteen and dumped its contents into the fire.

"Oh, Perseus Jackson, please accept-"

"Really?"

She spun around and found her brother, in all his godly glory, standing behind her with his arms crossed and water dripping from his face.

As her peels of laughter filled the air Percy's false anger broke, his scowl replaced with a smirk and his arms unfolding so he could knuckle her hair.

Grabbing his hand, Grace's schemes were momentarily forgotten as she excitedly showed him around the camp. Bouncing on her toes, she highlighted her favorite things and introduced him to those she'd become close to.

.

Percy

Following Estelle around the camp felt like the past years had never happened. He could imagine their mother and Paul were still alive, that she hadn't joined the Hunt, that he hadn't died. Her smile and happiness were always infectious, and right now it warmed him with nostalgia.

The water to his face had been Hestia's doing, he knew. A joke on Estelle's part taken to a new level by the middle man. He didn't mind. It was a great bit of physical comedy and gave him a good entrance back into her life.

Finally, after he'd been introduced to at least two-thirds of the Hunt and shown where Estelle sleeps, and how the archery targets moved, he was brought to a sparring circle with supplies laid out around it. Thalia was there, excitedly twirling her spear with a near-giddy energy that rivaled Estelle's bubbliness.

"Lady Artemis." Percy dipped his head in greeting and was met with a kind smile. "So," he turned to Estelle, puzzled, "this is new, right?"

She opened her mouth with an excited intake of breath before deflating as if he'd knocked the breath out of her.

"You knew all of that." Turning in a circle and letting out a frustrated huff she rounded back on him. "You let me prattle on and you knew everything already! You've been here before. And you're a god! Oh, I'm so stupid!"

Percy couldn't help but laugh and could see Artemis and Thalia trying to hold back snickers as well.

"You were so excited, and I got to spend the tour with you. Of course I let you 'prattle on.'" He poked her ribcage to elicit a smile, albeit involuntary, and she stuck her tongue out at him.

"Well." She flourished at the circle, "this is new. It's-" she turned to look at it and scowled for a moment, "a circle." Her lips flattened into a line and the scowl deepened.

Trying so hard not to laugh, Percy lifted an eyebrow and glanced at Thalia.

Crossing the distance, Thalia hopped over one of the supply crates and animatedly detailed the new sparring circle and the rules that Artemis had enchanted it with.

It was only then that Percy figured out that his teaching Estelle sword fighting was what prompted her to finally let him back in. He wanted to be hurt by that realization, but seeing her genuine smile at being with him staved off any of those negative feelings.

Taking his place by his sister in the center of the circle he worked on correcting her grip first. As he moved on to her stance he could feel three other Hunters come to join Artemis and Thalia at the circle's edge. It took very little effort to consciously ask Artemis for permission to tutor the others. He was met with warmth and gratitude.