I was nine, and I was running through the gardens in Hera's hall, giggling madly with the young dryads that resided on Olympus with my long, raven hair flowing behind me in a mass of curls that refused to be tamed. I was stomping my way through a well maintained patch of dandelions, making the seeds fly into the air. I froze suddenly, and then sneezed a squeaky sneeze, blowing all the floating seeds away from me. The dryads gave a tinkling laugh, then led me to the base stone statue to play braid that hair. I remembered concentrating really hard on trying to braid Nana's slippery green hair, when I sneezed again, knocking the base of my head against the hard stone base of the statue. It hurt.

I was never one to cry at any situation, even at the tender age of nine. So what did I do when I'm barely two digits old and had hit my head against stubborn hard stone? I stood from my perch on the mossy grass, turned and glared as intimidating as possible for a nine year old at the tall statue staring down at my petite form. I remembered looking at the two figures in fighting stance, armed with impressive weapons and yelling indignantly that they had no reason to condemn me to that hurtful head injury. It's quite a funny scene now that I think back to it.

"I don't even know you!" I remembered yelling, then noticing a small pile of brown poo at the edge of the stone base, before laughing crazily and pointing, saying that they got their share of karma. Now, in the possibilities of the subconscious mind and the manipulations of Hypnos, my fuzzy dream vision focused in on the figure with the armored girl about 17 years of age, and zoomed in to the perfectly carved irises of her best feature upon her face. If I could put colors onto the sculpture and looked into those swirling greys –

I jolted awake from my fainting spell with a ragged breath and a racing heart. My eyes frantically searched around for familiar surroundings. White walls with no decorations whatsoever, a bedside table with a pitying display of flowers. Another table, bigger with simple design, was at the foot of the bed. Bed. I sat up slowly, still groggy from sleep, and looked around. I noticed that it was still dark outside, and a strong fire was going at the nightly sing along gathering, as I'd been informed of. I sighed in relived, knowing that I hadn't slipped away for too long. Now, to see if I can sneak away and join the others at the sing along…

I silently slipped out from underneath the comforter and tip toed to the door. I turned the doorknob carefully, and nudged open a silver of space, before slipping out into the hallway undetected. I stepped gingerly onto the wood paneled floor, before running on my tip toes towards the front door. As I was just reaching out to push open the door that lead to the porch, a loud cough alerted me to a presence at the end of the hall which I just brazenly ran down on.

I turned, and smiled as innocently as I could at Chiron's neutral face, to which he indicated for me to enter his office with shake of his head towards his opened door. I followed him in and shut the heavy door close. He indicated me to sit on one of the chairs and folded his arms with a serious face. I gulped and took a seat on the left chair.

"Would you mind telling me why you were sneaking around in the woods late at night?" he asked sternly, he must have been wondering why on earth would I even consider going into the woods after the orientation, which gave us a list of monsters that could be found in that patch of dark greenery.

"I was just wandering around after dinner, and I got lost," I lied as best as I could, and it seemed like he was convinced.

"Did you hear anything?"

"What do you mean? Weren't there only two people nearby? The two that killed the monster," I questioned to the best of my ability, as if I hadn't been eavesdropping at all.

Chiron gave a soft harrumph, before nodding to himself as if trying to reassure whatever thoughts he may have.

"Off you go then, no need to explain why you'd want to sneak out," he gave an understanding smile that I answered with my awkward one before rushing out of the Big House.

I marched down towards the campfire and sat at the back of the crowd. Everybody around me was in high spirits, the flame at the center burning a high and bright yellow orange, reflecting the campers' mood. They would be, I thought, having come back to the place where they are safe and surrounded by people like them; all with the same suffers and wins.

I, on the other hand, felt a little out of sorts. It hasn't even been a full day yet, and I had gotten myself into such a confusing situation! But now was not the time to reflect and be moody, I did come here to have a bit of fun, didn't I? A boy about my age was sitting a few feet away from me, and I decided it's time to be a bit more sociable.

I scooted over and stuck out my hand, saying, "Hey, nice to meet you, I'm Rose."

Time seemed to slow down. The face that turned to face me was not one that I had expected. I had expected dull colors: brown, green, blue, black; not the liquid gold that pooled in the deep irises of the boy's eyes that stood out against his dark brown spikes, strong jaw and a slightly crooked nose. He looked down towards my hand, then back up towards my face, before tentatively taking my hand in his and giving it one solid shake.

"I'm sorry," he said, before shaking his head a bit and looking back at me with a small smile.

"Uh, I'm Xav, nice to meet you too," he gave a small wave, and I laughed. Who gives a wave when you introduce yourself? Xav does, apparently.

That's when I noticed that everybody was standing up and heading back to their respective cabins. I stood as well, giving a hand to help Xav before saying bye and heading to Cabin 11, before I noticed that Xav too was heading towards the Hermes cabin.

"Hey," I turned around and said to Xav who had been walking behind me, "Your dad's Hermes?" I asked surprised, because he looked nothing like Hermes' children.

"Oh, no, no, I'm not, I'm just bunking with them for now," he shook his head, a hand coming up to play with the spikes.

We kept walking and I thought to get some questions in to fill the silence. "So how long have you been here?"

"Three years," his answer came fast.

I turned to give him a look that expressed my shock. "Three years? How come you haven't been claimed yet? Are you not thirteen yet?" questions kept popping into my head.

"Whoa, slow down. It's not a big deal. Yes I haven't been claimed, that's why I'm bunking with the pranksters, and no, I'm not thirteen," he huffed out incredulously, "Do I look like I'm thirteen?" a hand waved down his lean body, and my eyes followed. Nope, not a prepubescent body at all. Hot damn. I shook myself from these teenage hormones filled thoughts before asking, "Then how old are you?"

"Fifteen," he replied.

Unfortunately, my interaction with the hot dude had to end. We stopped at the junction towards the boys and girls dorms. "I've got to, uh, head to bed, so uh, goodnight," he said, while giving a shy smile.

"Night to you too," I greeted back with a nod, before turning down the girls' hall.

As I slipped under the covers after washing up and making sure all my drawers were locked, I thought back to my hectic day that may have been normal to anyone else. From that elevator ride, to my first ever car ride, then towards the conversation in the office, all that activities, and of course, inevitably, another conversation which I've eavesdropped on and my talk with Chiron. Many things could've been the center of my thought before I fell asleep, but the last thing I thought of was hot, liquid gold that pooled and pooled into a warm cocoon, wrapping around me and strapping me in, a willing prisoner to the irresistible pull.

"Get up, sweet cheeks!"

My ears bled at that dreadful attempt to get me awake, and I forced my eyes open and moved out of my bed just to stop this sweet cheeks nonsense. Dan's voice had never been as annoying as it did at this moment.

It wasn't until I started to head towards the showers to get cleaned up that I realized Dan was not the only one up to this 'sweet cheeks' thing. Whispers of laughs followed as I walked towards a stall, someone even shouted out to me before throwing his head back and laughing heartily. I looked down at myself, and upon finding no sticky notes saying ridiculous thing stuck anywhere on my body, I shrugged and continued on my path. A rich voice chuckled to my left, and I turned to only stumble back a step in surprise. My foot caught on a stubborn brick and gravity was bound to slam my back onto the ground if not for the strong arm that shot out and held on to my waist before pulling me upright.

I peered up at those sparkling golden eyes that were mere inches away from my own, my eyes widening as I looked down towards our pressed up bodies. Xav followed my gaze and the both of us pushed away from our unintended embraced and blushed a bright red. In the light of day, Xav looked much younger and lighter, the sun casting light shadows against his high cheek bones and the slight chubbiness in his cheeks. Another big difference was his spikes. In their place was soft dark hair than flopped down carelessly all over his head.

After we both had a laugh at my clumsiness, Xav gave me the reason for everyone's seemingly coordinated nickname for me. "Um, you got 'sweet cheeks' written on your, uh, the back of your pants," Xav said while trying to stop his laugh from breaking out. He was not really successful.

Having realized what he said, I turned to inspect my butt.

"What the – oh gods, who the heck –" I stammered out upon finding my pajamas had that offending phrase written in bold red strokes of marker right where my butt cheeks are.

Xav laughed at my mutterings of death threats and pushed me towards the bathroom stalls, "Go. I'll meet you at the dining pavilion."

Smug hot dude.

Breakfast was filling and I had trouble getting up and moving on to the activities for the day. This time, it's combat lessons.

"Oh yes, this is what I'm waiting for," I rubbed my hands together in anticipation.

"Combat lessons? That's what you're most excited for? Wow, you may be a child of Ares, although it's hard to say," Xav mused incredulously.

I'm hit with the realization that my first friend, in all technicalities, can't know anything about me. Neither do all other friends that I'd make in the future. Xav doesn't know that I'd been cooped up in Olympus all my life, the one place all demigods wished to go. Xav doesn't know that I'm not a demigod; I'm just a mere mortal. Xav doesn't know that learning how to battle was the only thing that I was interested in because it might just make me fit in with all the other magical powers the inhabitants of Olympus possessed.

Said friend looked at me, a little concerned that my mood had just ran down so quickly, but I gave him a reassuring smile to assure him that I'm alright.

"Who knows? Maybe I'll be a representative of violence," I gave a wry smile.

Combat lessons were held in the arena. We were herded over to the center where an instructor stood and a wide array of celestial bronze weapon were laid out in a long table next to the raised platform.

"That's Percy Jackson, the hero of Olympus and everything else, he's kind of big around here," Xav pointed to the instructor and explained his significance.

I squinted my eyes and tried to pinpoint where I'd seen him before. His name I've heard of, but the sentiments were not the same. Apparently, the Olympians don't like him that much. But the name Percy…

That was the name the grey eyed woman yelled the other night when I was attacked. So this was the guy that had been 'dealing' with Hera. Well, since he's the hero and all, it seemed to not be abnormal for him to have relations with the Olympians. But how do I factor myself in this complicated equation that I'd thought I'd been a part of just yesterday night?

Maybe I might just be thinking too deep in this.

The lesson was starting and Xav had dragged me over to the weapons table to help me outfit myself. I shook myself from these musings and got my mind ready to keep up with these battle reflex armed demigods.

"Ambrosia? Where are you?" a woman adorned with a flowing robe flitted in and out of rooms down the hallway, softly calling for a young girl about four who was currently hiding in the walk in closet of said woman trying to find her, thinking this was a game of hide and seek. But the increasingly worried and agitated tone of the goddess said otherwise.

"There you are," Hera sighed in relieve, and then quickly arranged her features into one of disapproving that demanded attention. "Why were you hiding here? Didn't I tell you that you are not allowed into my quarters?"

The little girl was picked up by the goddess and they were proceeding quickly down the hall and into a floating stone bridge arching over clear blue sky and scattering white clouds, a beautiful day in Olympus. Ambrosia's big eyes widened as she spotted the clouds and tried to reach out to touch them, when she was quickly pulled away by a slim hand.

"Were you listening, Ambrosia?" Hera's eyes darkened.

Little Ambrosia nodded guiltily, grey eyes brimming with tears as her full attention focused on the goddess. Hera sighed at the familiar sight, and she put little Ambrosia down onto the stone bridge and held on to her shoulders tightly to make sure that she listened to what she had to say.

"Now, Rose, I need you to go to Aunt Volumna and ask her to lock the chamber's door, alright? She is in your room; can you do that for me?" Hera asked patiently, making sure to pronounce her words slowly, while Ambrosia furrowed her brow in concentration, then brightened up and nodded, before quipping a cheerful "Yes, Hera!" and ran across the bridge in the pitter patter of little feet to hopefully find the goddess of nursery.

Hera stood from her crouch looking on to where Ambrosia had disappeared with a hint of a smile on her full red lips, before she steeled her posture and turned around firmly and walked towards the ruckus in her main hall.

She faced the ornate doors to her hall, hearing the clanging and banging of things being pushed off its place and the opening of doors. Hera took a breath, her lips then had just only been earnestly smiling at an innocent child was now turned into a malicious grin to face the complicity of the world and its ancient society.