Chapter 5

Day: July 23rd

Location: The 'Old' Olympia Castle

Point of View:Percy Olympia-Jackson

It was about six and a half; almost seven hours before we finally reached the Old Olympia Castle.

We could feel it when we were going up the mountain. All the twists and turns and some uphills were pretty steep and the furniture we were in moved a bit. We did stop for a few moments, hearing a gate open, before we went on.

'Woah', I thought. I felt as we went through the magical barrier that Aunt Hestia told us about. It felt like a tingly sensation running through me, but gave me the feeling of home and family that I never felt in any of our other homes we lived in.

On the other side of the magical barrier; the road changed to dirt as we continued on upward. The road changed again, but to stone most likely. I felt a bit of a curve and going a bit then turned so it felt like we were doing a big backwards 'C'. Then we stopped and the trunk and the trailers' air-conditioning turned off. We all got out of the furniture as soon as we heard the trailer door open and heard what could only be Argus knocking in morse code.

We all stretched a bit before getting out of the trailer. I then heard a few gasps. Staring at my siblings and cousins and seeing most of them looking in the same direction. I turn to find what caused them to gasp and stare with awe. I took in a sharp inhale as I saw a gargantuan castle in front of me. It owns the mountain.

The castle itself is a huge stone castle that you'll more likely see in England or Ireland and it's kind of an off white color. Not like a very light gray, but not white, white. It has a huge stone staircase right in the middle that leads up to the second floor. There are four bowed out towers in front. There is one on each side of the staircase. That had to be 20' to 25' feet in width. And one tower at each end acting like corners. At least that's what I can tell, because those are at the end; got to be several hundred yards away. There is also a river that runs right in front of the castle and under the stone steps. Acting like a moat, but it didn't touch the castle walls. It was actually about five feet from the wall and the river itself was about ten feet wide. So you can't jump across, of course, unless you're ten feet tall. I was soon bought out of my thoughts.

"It's huge," Katie said in awe.

" HUGE!" Thalia said in disbelief. "It's massive!"

"And towering," Johnny also replied; while looking up.

"Enormous."

"Vast."

"Colossal."

"Monstrous."

"Gigantic."

"Humongous."

"Elephantine."

"Mountainous."

"Cos,..."

With a ferocious glare, "Alright! That's enough with all the synonyms," Aimee practically growled as she cut off the twins' double talk.

The Stoll twins looked very scared. Then they turned to Johnny and I and said, "You've got…"

"a very…"

"scaring…"

" SISTER! "

Before Johnny or I could say anything; Thalia piped up.

"You guys are lucky that Aimee spoke up. I was about to punch both of you."

Not wanting Thalia's angry glare turning onto me. I quickly held in a chuckle as the twins looked even more scared.

"But seriously you guys. We knew before moving here that this was a castle and castle are big. But I didn't think it was going to be this big," Lou said, still in awe.

"I know. I mean look side to side at those huge bowed out towers at either end of the castle. They got to be about three football fields from us," Aimee said.

Before could continue; Hephaestus' arrival put a stop to our little love fest.

In his gruff voice, "Before you kids go to pick a bedroom and explore. You first need to help unload this trailer and put all the items in the ballroom. Which is the first door on the left. And put them in a neat pile."

With a tired and disappointed groan, we went back to the trailer.

"We should grab our backpacks first and put them on; then grab something. So when we get inside; we put down whatever furniture we're carrying and then on the way out we put our backpacks behind the ballroom doors so they're out of the way."

"That's a great idea, Aimee. Plus, it'll save us an extra trip going up and down those stairs," Katie said as she nodded in agreement.

We all agreed to that plan. But it still took us nearly three hours to unload all that oversized and very heavy furniture and then lug it up the stairs without dragging it. Then put it in the far back corner of a very huge ballroom without getting too distracted by the grand foyer. Even from a guy's point of view; it is gorgeous.

The grand staircase goes about three-quarters the way up before it goes three ways. One straight ahead and the other two go opposite ways upwards; like the across part of a 't' and goes up to the third floor. On each side of the main grand stairs there are stairs going down to the first/ground floor and on the opposite of them is a hallway. The whole grand foyer is mostly marble and wood with a lot of candelabrum holding statues.

Going into the ballroom and looking around. I can't believe the size of this room. The ballroom is way bigger than my, now, old home in Southampton and this ballroom has a huge balcony on the opposite of the windows. The ballroom has got to be around five hundred feet long. The white/gray marble floors continue in here and where you can see the walls. They are a light gold color and where the walls are covered; they are covered by framed mirrors and huge chandeliers hanging from the third floor above.

When we were finally done lugging all of uncle Z's oversize and over priced white and golden furniture. We all grabbed our backpacks, pillows or in Aimee's case; her stuffed pillow size teddy bear Fuzzy. And we were discussing our methods to find a bedroom and all our priorities and not so top priorities, but wish to have.

We all agreed for a nice and hopefully on the big size bedroom. So we can not only fix all our stuff, but room for a computer desk, tv unit and shelves or room for shelves to fix all of our DVDs, video games, CDs and in some of our cases; shelves for books. And we all definitely want our own bathrooms'. The girls are hoping for a separate shower and bath and of course a big walk-in closet. The girls just kept listing a long list of things they kind of hoped to have and things they hoped to not have. Some of them were pretty good and some were…well. If we had our own penthouse or built our own place it could be possible.

Us guys just followed them quietly and rolled our eyes a few times at the stuff they listed. Especially, having the hallway door lead into a living room with maybe a fireplace and doors leading to other parts. Like one to a library/studying-office kind of room and another to a huge bedroom with maybe also a fireplace, a private balcony, a dumbwaiter, a walk-in closet and a huge bathroom. With a multi jet shower and a Jacuzzi tub.

Finally they stopped when Katie asked all of us how we are going to mark our choices.

Aimee said she was going to mark the ones she liked with colored sticker dots. The kind you in the office aisle.

I said that Aimee made Johnny and I use colored stickers, too, but we each had a different color.

Katie said she also was using stickers, but smiling faces on them.

Lou said she was going to use magic to mark the ones she liked.

Thalia said she didn't have a plan and was just going to look, but changed her mind when Aimee, Katie and Lou said she might forget where a room she might like was located. Because of how big this castle was.

Our cousin or first cousin once removed in Lou's case and in Thalia's case her half brother Hephaestus; once again showed up.

In his gruff voice, "I've an easier way for everyone to find a bedroom. My automatons are the maids and butlers of this castle. They all have their own names; which you all need to learn. They all have a screen built in their chest and cameras and scanner for eyes. So they can scan you; so tell them your name so they can tell you all apart. After that, you tell them your priorities and they get you a list of options. You can look through them and find out what the other features are and they can tell you where they are located or show you."

"So cool. It's like Zillow, but, except for looking for a house; we're looking for a bedroom," my sister said smiling. He gave a small smile back.

"Also note that this is the old family castle. So the stories of a labyrinth are true. Most of the basement is the original part; that moves randomly and constantly. So it's easy to get lost. But up here in the main part of the castle. While the labyrinth does continue it's really nothing more than secret hallways and rooms. It also doesn't really move; just some of the walls open and stairs come down from the ceiling or go down to the floor below. Also almost every room in the castle has a secret way in and out. Including bedrooms; so keep that in mind when choosing one. And when you're done; come back down here to the cloakroom and pick a spot for your coat, shoes, umbrella, and other stuff." Hephaestus said as he pointed to the cloakroom that was the first door on the right when entering the front door.

We all nodded to him. After that Hephaestus pushed a few buttons and soon four men and four women automatons came to us. They looked somewhat human. They had clothes on and they wore what you would expect to see a maid or butler to wear. The butlers are taller than the maids; at about 5'9 and the maids are about 5'6. They had human-like skin, but they walked a bit more stiffed and of course they did have a screen right there in their chest.

The girls went to the maids and guys to the butlers. All these automatons had typical maid and butler names like Fräulein Maria; from The Sound of Music, Eunice, Hadassah, Helga, Alfred, Edward, Hugo and Sojo.

I wasn't particular about who I got. I noticed my sister choosed Fräulein Maria. I wasn't surprised she pick the one from one of her favorite movies. I didn't pay attention to which ones the other girls picked. But my brother wanted Alfred and the Stoll twins wanted Hugo and Sojo, because they thought it was so cool to have Asian name butlers. So I ended up with Edward.

After telling the automaton Edward my name and… him/it; whatever… scanned me. I met up with my siblings and formed a group to find bedrooms that fit all our priorities and then some. I saw the Stoll twins were doing the same, but the others did not.

It surprisingly didn't take too long to find three bedrooms that we loved and were near each other. But what was surprising was that we found out that our perfect bedrooms were right next to each other. Because over the last month we were trying to come to terms with the thought that the bedrooms we liked were mostly not be near each other.

Soon us triplets set off with Aimee's chosen automaton, Fräulein Maria. We took the right hallway and then the first right turn. Right there on the left side, there are three elevators. We all got in with Thalia and her automaton following; who we eventually found out is named Hadassah.

We are all going to the seventh floor. Which is the lowest floor for the kids' bedrooms. Up here, the castle looks a bit like Hogwarts, but not gloomy because the stone walls are white with crystal chandeliers along the ceiling, gold wall sconces and the floors are a goldish bronze colored tile. So it's actually warm and welcoming, but definitely on the fancy side.

We started moving to about the middle of the castle and right there in the middle is a huge open area with two sets of stairs leading up to the eighth floor.

Aimee spoke up, "I guess us kids can use this as a living room or a movie room or a game or reading area."

"THIS IS A LIVING ROOM," Hadassah said, we all nodded.

Thalia continued on with automaton Hadassah and turned down the main hallway. That goes from one side of the castle to the other. Which is definitely about six football fields in total length. We all exchanging see you laters; us triplets went a little bit more further to the back. We know the bedrooms we like don't have windows; so it's not alway to the back.

Finally getting to the correct hallway and taking a right. Going down the hall we passed another living room, but it was smaller than the one we just passed in the middle of the castle and main hallway. It connected this hallway with the main hall. Continuing on; we went almost all the way to the end of the hall. Which is a bit of a walk; about the lengths of three football fields. The rooms are on the left side with the one my brother likes first, then the one liked and then my sisters'.

"Thank you, Fräulein Maria. We can take it from here," we all said together.

"YOU ARE WEL-COME. I WILL WAIT RIGHT HERE. IF YOU LIKE THE ROOMS; I WILL TAKE THEM OFF THE AVAILABLE LIST," she replied back in a human, but still robotic voice.

She gave us a small bow.

"Well, let's go and explore these rooms," Aimee said excitedly.

Johnny and I nodded in agreement, but maybe not as excited as our sister.

"Okay. I'll see you in a few to see the rooms you guys like."

Aimee pretty much ran down to her room. Johnny and I looked at each other while shaking our heads. I'm pretty sure we are both thinking; 'sisters' .

"See ya soon bro."

"Okay, Perce," Johnny replied back as he opened his door.

I went down to mine. After opening the door; I had to feel for a light switch. A few seconds before finally finding it. Stepping more inside my first thought was; 'It's much more bigger than I thought it would be. It's huge.'

This bedroom got to be four or five times bigger and it's taller than my old one in Southampton. The ceiling height has got to be about twelve feet with an iron chandelier. The whole back wall is a very old world map. The left wall is a whole wall; floor to ceiling chocolate color wood bookshelves with simple designs around the edges. I'm not really a reader and I've got more movies than books. So I can use it for both. I then looked to the right side of the room to see a slightly darker sky blue color wall with one double door that's in the middle with the same chocolate color design frame as the bookshelves and the hallway door. That must be the bathroom. The fourth wall with the hallway door is also the same slightly darker sky blue color. The floor is a beach sand color fluffy carpet with slightly darker designs that look like waves.

After looking at the main bedroom I went over to open the double door and turned on the light and saw that it wasn't a bathroom, but a very big walk-in closet. It's bigger than my parents' closet back in Southampton. There's another double door straight ahead that must lead to the bathroom. Looking around the closet there is a big space in the middle where I could put my own dressers. There are a lot of drawers, cubbies of all sizes, hooks for coats or whatever. On the back wall are big deep adjustable shelves for boxes, toys, bins, baskets or storage. Shelves for shoes that I can tell can be leveled out flat. Dark wood floors, light blue walls and a full length mirror on the wall to the right of the door.

After looking around the closet I continue on going through the other double door and turning on the light to see that it is not too girly. It's a bit more manly, somewhat, but it's still spa-like. The walls are a very light blue and the floors are white marble with light to dark shades of blue veins running through it and so was the counter top. The cabinets are the same dark wood as the bedroom and closet. The counter; which is on the right wall; has one sink in the middle and a huge mirror. There are tall floor to ceiling cabinets on each side of the counter. Across the way on the wall left of the sink was a huge tall picture that went floor to ceiling of a beach at sunset with waves crashing against a rocky cliff and lighthouse on top. Across from that picture on the same wall as the door to the closet. Was another picture that also goes floor to ceiling. The top half of the picture has dolphins jumping out of the water. Birds flying above and a tropical island in the distance with a few soft white clouds. The bottom half has dolphins playing. A sunken ship surrounded by colorful coral, sea plants, a few starfish, green sea turtles and many different schools of fish. This picture looks a lot like the puzzles my sister Aimee does.

I looked around the rest of the bathroom. There's a bench across the way with hooks and a shelf above it. Continuing on, then my eyes widen like saucers. Across the way in the opposite corner I see my dream. Because that is the hugestbathtub I have ever seen. I quickly went to it. It's three steps up and bigger than the biggest hot tub you can find. It has controls for jets, different color lights, audio system, waterfall and it is more than big enough for five people to sleep on the bottom.

After that I looked around at the rest. The toilet is tucked in the opposite corner from the bathtub. You can't even see it from the door because there is a huge walk-in shower.

Overall I absolutely love this master bedroom.

"Awesome bath, bro."

"AHHH!" came a slight girly scream which I will forever deny.

Turning to Aimee's voice. I stared in shock. My eyes going up and down. My mouth hung open. The picture with the lighthouse is really a door. I then remember Hephaestus saying even bedrooms have 'secret ways in and out.'

"Great impression of a fish, Perce."

I mentally shook my head and then glared at her. She just smiled back.

"Well. Come on, show me around this master suite."

I smiled, "Okay." I looked behind her at the way she came in.

"It's just a little room. Long, but little."

I went to look at it myself. She calls this little. It was the length of this bathroom, but the width is narrow. Only about eight, nine feet. So I told her.

"Percy, we need to start changing our mind set. Yes. Come pair to our old home in Southampton. This room is huge and would be like a long dining room. But come pair to the room we've seen so far in this castle. It is small."

"Okay, you have a point."

I quickly showed her around the room.

"So, do you like this room?"

"I love it, sis."

"I love the one next door. Sooo. Are you going to claim this room?"

"I do love it. But I also want all three of us to be close together."

"So do I."

"So I guess we have to see if Johnny likes or not the room next door."

Aimee nodded in agreement.

"I love it!"

Aimee and I both jumped. We turned to glare at Johnny.

"What. I thought you two heard me."

"So you like the room next door, John?"

"Ya, sis. I do."

"Ok then. Let's go tell Fräulein Maria."

After telling Fräulein Maria and her taking the three rooms off the available list. We decided to explore each other's rooms later. So we can hurry and pick a spot in the cloakroom and then we can explore the castle.

Nice comments are always welcome. Have a great day!