Annabeth was running through the gardens on Olympus. She needed to be on time - otherwise Hera would be angry, and that wasn't something you wanted. She passed some of the houses that were still in ruïns - she would have to design those after the queen of the gods had been satisfied.
Architect on Olympus wasn't an easy job. The Gods were demanding, and sometimes they wanted something that contradicted something someone else said. Annabeth just came back from Athena's place, and she thought that a chunk of land belonged to her, while Hermes had just told Annabeth that he wanted a huge swimming pool over there. When Annabeth had brought this up to her mother, the goddess angrily walked over to her brothers house. After two hours of sqaubelling, Annabeth had told both gods she needed to go to Hera and that this meeting had to be continued at a later moment. Luckily, the Olympians had understood.
Annabeth arrived in front of a divine café. Hera had insisted on meeting up there, and even though Annabeth had told her repeatedly that it was easier to meet up in her old palace, the queen of the gods couldn't be persuaded into changing her plan. Annabeth looked around, but the goddess was nowhere to be seen.
Annabeth waited for fifteen minutes. She sighed. She had already prepared for gods showing up late, but this was getting ridiculous. Annabeth had a schedule, and in thirty minutes she had to meet up with Hestia. She waited another five minutes. Just when she was about to write down that she needed to make a later appointment with the goddess, Hera came walking down the stairs to a higher platform (There were a few houses of minor gods on said platform).
The gods that had been chatting, eating and playing in the middle of the square quickly went out of the way while she marched down the flight of stairs. Hera looked around the place. Annabeth noticed that the gods, goddesses, nymphs and other creatures all looked to their feet as soon as Hera's gaze landed on them. It was clear that Hera had a lot of autorothy, and when she turned to Annabeth, even she felt her shoulders lower under the Queen's gaze. Yet, then she remembered that Hera was the one who almost dropped a statue on her head during the war, and Annabeth straightened her shoulders again.
Hera treaded over to Annabeth (the demigod truly couldn't use the word 'walk.' The queen of the heavens just doesn't simply 'walk' somewhere) and stopped in front of her. 'Let's sit down, shall we?' She said while walking to the door of the café. She didn't tread through it, but waited in front. After a second, a nymph came sprinting to it and opened the door for the queen, who walked through. Annabeth quickly followed, and could just catch the door before it closed.
Hera had already chosen a table, which from the looks of it was the table she always sat at. It had a bouquet of lilies and peacock feathers in a vase standing on top. Annabeth sat down on the chair across of her. The daughter of Athena saw a nymph standing in the door to the kitchen. She quickly ran back into the kitchen, and came back with a minor goddess. The goddess walked over to their table. She was the first person that didn't look scared when approaching Hera.
The goddess smiled to Hera. 'Do you want the same as usual, Mother?' Hera gave her a small nod. 'And what does the young lady want?' the woman asked. 'A cup of tea, please. Without sugar. Earl Grey.' The server giggled. 'You are one of Athena's daughters, aren't you?' Annabeth nodded. 'Are you Hebe?' She asked. Hebe nodded. 'Funny. Not a lot of people recognize me.' She walked back to the kitchen again.
Hera turned to Annabeth. 'So. I heard you already made a concept design of the new palace.' Annabeth nodded, and got the blue prints and drawings of the house out of her backpack. While the goddess was looking over them, Annabeth looked at her watch. She had seventeen more minutes before she had to leave to go to Hestia. She sighed. The goddess looked up. 'Something wrong?' She asked, with an annoyed tone. Annabeth quickly shook her head. 'No nothing, er... My Queen.' It came out sassier than Annabeth had meant. Hera raised an eyebrow and opened her mouth to say something.
Luckily, Hebe came back with the tea and a cup of wine at that moment. She put the drinks down. Hebe sighed lightly. 'The quality of wine is still going down. Sorry, mother.' Hebe winked and walked back to the kitchen. Hera took a sip of her drink, while studying a part of a drawing.
When there were only eight minutes left, Hera pointed at a fountain in a part of the garden. 'The design is fine, but this fountain isn't anywhere else on the property. Maybe you should scrape the other fountains and place this one everywhere. Also, which type of wood do you want to use for the floors?' Annabeth blinked. 'I thought oakwood was a good material.' Hera took another sip of her drink. 'Maybe you should use Birch wood. I think it might suit better.' Annabeth took out her notepad and wrote some things down. Hera rummaged through the drawings and blueprints again. 'Also, who are supposed to be the neighbours?'
'Zeus on the left and Demeter on the right side,' Annabeth answered. The queen seemed to be content with that answer. 'Alright. It is slightly bigger than the previous palace, but I think there needs to be more room for my lillies and peacocks.' Annabeth slid a drawing towards herself and got out a pencil. The drawing was a small map of the house, made so that she didn't have to doodle on her blueprints. She drew a new wall on it, and erased another one. 'This way there is less space for the bubble bath, but more room for the flora and fauna.'
Hera looked at it for a minute. In the meantime, Annabeth drank her tea and looked at her watch: There were five minutes left. She swallowed her tea and started to think of appropriate ways to tell Hera that she needed to leave to go talk to Hestia. Annabeth didn't think Hestia would be mad if she was a few minutes late. To be honest, Annabeth wondered if Hestia could get mad at all. Maybe she could get mildly displeased.
'You could also make the lilies grow around the bubble bath, and put the peacocks in a certain part of the garden.' Hera drew something on the map. Annabeth quickly wrote down the suggestion, and breathed deeply. 'My queen, I am very sorry, but I should go to Hestia. She is waiting for me in, er... two minutes, now.' Hera raised an eyebrow. Annabeth stared at her. The queen of the heavens shrugged, and waved at a nymph for the check (Because even she still had to pay). 'Alright. I'll pay the check. You go to the hearth, I guess.'
Annabeth put her drawings and blueprints back in her backpack, and got her wallet out. She smacked three drachma's on the table and stood up. 'Tell Hebe she can keep the change..., if you don't mind, lady Hera.' After that, Annabeth walked out of the café. She obviously had to open the door by herself.
Annabeth walked to the central hearth, in the middle of the square in front of the old, ruïned palaces. As expected, Hestia was already there, minding her own business. Annabeth sighed and sat down in front of her. Hestia looked up and smiled warmly. It was a very special smile, one that makes you feel like you are being wrapped in a warm blanket straight from the dryer. Annabeth felt her muscles relax. All the tension that Hera had caused in her, started to leave her body.
Hestia noticed, and pulled a blanket out of nowhere. She wrapped it around Annabeth's shoulders, who cuddled up in it. 'That was a very annoying meeting I just had,' She told the goddess of the hearth. Hestia chuckled softly. 'My sister can be… demanding. It wouldn't surprise me if she throws a mountain of knew requirements for the house on you the next meeting. The first talk about her property are the ones where she cares the least, most of the time.' Hestia pushed a cupcake into Annabeth's hands. 'Now show me what you made for me, please.'