Thank you everyone for all of the follows, favorites, and reviews.
This is the final chapter.
Reyna leaned back in the rocking chair for a moment. After that, she looked at the notebook resting on the table in front of her. Her eyes moved to glance around the camp. Everyone was running around as they participated in camp activities.
The night before was a giant blur. All she remembered was Will taking her to infirmary. Reyna was eighty percent sure that she had collapsed after stepping foot into the room.
When Reyna woke up, she had been called to the Big House. Chiron promised he would be there after he was done with some meeting. A plate of food rested on the table in front of Reyna, but she didn't reach for it.
Her gaze turned back to her notebook. So far, she had drawn the hill and cabins. Each cabin was labeled by the Roman name of each god. Reyna moved her pencil back to the hill. She placed a one by it.
Even though Reyna had been sent there to make peace between Camp Half-Blood and her home, she was extremely worried it would come to war. Reyna already knew she couldn't betray her home.
Reyna's memory was almost completely back. The only thing that was missing was the location of her home. If she went to California, she knew that she could find it, but that wasn't her duty. Peace had to be made.
It was no surprise that her memories had come back so quickly. Most of the things she had done in the past four years were connected to her mother. The pieces just fell into place.
"Si vis pacem, para bellum," Chiron said. Reyna looked up in shock and surprise. The centaur had made no noise as he approached.
"If you want peace, prepare for war," Reyna translated. She watched Chiron wishing that she had a weapon. He studied her.
"Who is your mother?" Chiron questioned. He sat a mug of hot chocolate on the table like it was a sort of peace offering.
"You don't know?" Reyna asked genuinely surprised.
"I do not know much about your camp, and Lupa does not know much about mine," Chiron explained. "I do know that you are a praetor, and that makes you a leader. You would also make a valuable hostage."
Reyna stared into Chiron's eyes. He was testing her to see how she would react. Reyna spoke, "That implies that you could actually capture me and keep me imprisoned. Don't flatter yourself."
"I don't want to fight," Reyna continued, "If it comes down to it, I will not turn my back on my home. I think you can respect that."
"Shall we work together towards peace then?" Chiron questioned. Reyna looked down at her notebook. She closed it and passed it to him. Then, Reyna leaned back in her seat.
"How are you feeling?" Chiron asked. Reyna considered her response. She finally decided to trust the centaur, but she wouldn't give away too much information about her camp.
"My body hurts," Reyna admitted. "It's worse in my chest and stomach. I think that's where the lightning hit."
Reyna looked down at the bandage on her arm, and she played with it. Reyna spoke, "It just occurred to me that I never answered your prior question. My mother is the Roman goddess of war: Bellona."
Chiron nodded and seemed lost in thought. They both sat there in silence. It was nice and peaceful outside, but Reyna's thoughts were raging about the implications of what had happened.
"How strong is she?" Reyna wondered. "If Lupa doesn't kill her on the spot, the Romans might."
"Annabeth is strong," Chiron promised. "In fact, her resolve reminds me of you. Is there anything we can do to help her?"
"No," Reyna replied. She closed her eyes. "Lupa will train her well. It will be up to Annabeth to thrive. There is a chance her parentage won't be revealed, and that could work greatly in her favor. The other praetor is kind, and he will probably help her."
Reyna thought about Jason Grace. He was a son of Jupiter and her fellow praetor. They had worked together on a few missions. Reyna thought about others at Camp Jupiter, and it sent longing through her heart.
"May I ask what the meeting was?" Reyna questioned forcing her eyes open. She was still exhausted. Chiron smiled warmly at her.
"Your friend Leo was showing us Bunker Nine. It was a base of operations during the American Civil War," Chiron explained. "During that war, Romans and Greeks fought against each other."
"Any civil war or revolution is usually the two sides fighting," Chiron continued. "The Civil War was the worst, and the gods decided that it couldn't happen anymore. They separated the two camps, erased any memory of the battle, and made sure the two groups never met on another quest."
"It was hard to avoid war, but we managed. The bunker had not been really used since the Civil War. Too many bad memories," Chiron finished.
"So, why did Leo show you the bunker?" Reyna questioned. She was wondering how long she had been asleep.
"We are going to build the Argo II," Chiron answered. "The dragon, Festus, is going to be the masthead. It will take about six months, but that ship will take you and the other six to Greece, so you can fulfill the Great Prophecy."
Reyna nodded and stared ahead. Her mind was racing. She spoke, "Alright, what can I do to help?"
"Other than building the ship, you must act as an ambassador. We will have a meeting soon about your camp, but people may see you as an enemy. You must be prepared," Chiron answered.
"Done," Reyna said. She sat forward and winced in pain. Footsteps caught her attention. Piper stepped onto the porch.
"I'll leave you two alone," Chiron said. He nodded to her and trotted away. Reyna looked at Piper who sat by her.
"How are you feeling?" Piper asked in concern. She grabbed Reyna's hand.
"Better," Reyna replied. She studied Piper. There was a chance she was putting Piper in danger by dating her.
If things got out of hand, Piper could be used against Reyna. That left Reyna with a hard decision. Piper seemed to notice her struggle.
"What's wrong?" Piper wondered. Reyna slowly looked at her and tried to think of what to say.
"I really like you," Reyna began. As she opened her mouth, Piper met her eyes. The words died in Reyna's throat.
"If you think you are putting me in harm's way, that doesn't bother me," Piper whispered. "I'm a demigod. I will be in trouble either way."
"Piper. I don't want to have to chose between you and my home," Reyna whispered as she looked at Piper.
"You would make the right choice," Piper whispered. Reyna looked down. Her right choice and Piper's right choice were two very different things. Reyna forced herself to nod. "Is it too late to officially ask you out?"
Reyna didn't respond. She would have six months to work out her problems. Now, she was going to relax as much as she could. Reyna spoke, "It's not, but I don't know any places to take you if we went on a date."
"Being with you is more than enough," Piper responded. Reyna found herself genuinely smiling. "Now, I have the coolest girlfriend in camp."
"I know," Reyna joked. She slowly put an arm around Piper's shoulder. "I have the coolest and prettiest girlfriend in camp."
Piper smiled. They sat together in comfortable silence for a few minutes. Reyna finally glanced at Piper and spoke, "How is your father?"
"I talked to him while you were sleeping," Piper responded. "He's perfectly fine and thinks I'm attending a new school. Mellie was hired as his new assistant, and he thinks Hedge is his life coach. The media bought up the amnesia story."
"That's good," Reyna commented as she looked at Piper. For a moment, she was lost in Piper's eyes.
"I challenged Drew for her counselor position. She backed down. Leo became counselor of his cabin as well," Piper continued. Reyna smiled again. It was good that Piper dealt with Drew. "I'm going to go find Leo for the meeting."
"When is the meeting?" Reyna questioned.
"Ten minutes," Piper answered. Reyna nodded. She had something to do before that. The daughter of Bellona slowly stood. After grabbing the plate of food, she walked towards Juno's cabin.
Along the way, she stopped at the dining pavilion and dropped half of the food into the fire for her mother. She sent up a thanks before continuing to the cabin. Reyna stepped inside and took a pained breath.
Reyna was still exhausted from the events of the quest and from getting shot by lightning. That did not make for a fun day. Her eyes looked around the cabin, and she slowly sat the plate of food down in front of the statue of Juno.
As Reyna turned around, she saw a figure in a black hooded robe with a goatskin cloak over their shoulders. Reyna spoke, "Lady Juno."
"Daughter of Bellona," Juno said. She toyed with a sheathed Roman sword in her hands. Reyna instantly recognized the gladius. "You have done well, but you must remember to listen to your friends."
"Why take my memory?" Reyna questioned. "I would have done this without a problem."
"You would not be as close to these people if I had not taken your memory," Juno replied. "And, you are not the best of actresses. They may have found you out. It was necessary to take your memory. It also helped you develop a relationship that will focus you."
"I would chose Rome above all others," Reyna stated. Juno smiled like she knew something that Reyna didn't. The daughter of Bellona looked away.
"You will need to earn the trust of the people here," Juno said. "You will become a leader at this camp just like you were one at your home. Then, you will make peace between the two."
"If it just takes a god and demigod to kill a giant, why do we have to work together?" Reyna questioned. "Why couldn't the Olympians just take one camp and get the job done?"
"Immortals are fickle creatures. When we see the camps united, we will know it is time to help," Juno responded. "We need you heroes."
"Why me?" Reyna asked. "Why not Jason Grace? Or, why not one of the centurions? Retired legionnaires?"
"Jason Grace is my champion, but I had a long and hard decision to make. You were my first decision because of your past. You understand pain and heartache more than anyone," Juno answered.
"There is also my fail safe," Juno continued. "You are a pure blooded Roman because your mother has no Greek equivalent. This camp cannot sway you. If this all goes wrong, I know you will use your knowledge to wipe this camp out. Then, the Romans can focus on the giants."
"You didn't want a peacemaker," Reyna muttered. "You wanted a destroyer."
"If I wanted a peacemaker, I would have chosen Jason Grace. If I wanted a destroyer, I would have chosen that boy Octavian," Juno explained. "I wanted a general. We need someone who knows how to make war, but they also know when it is time to make peace."
"So, I will destroy this camp or save it?" Reyna questioned. She looked towards the closed door and imagined the camp. It was almost too easy to imagine the camp in flames.
"A general needs a weapon," Juno commented as she handed the gladius to Reyna. "We will speak again. Good luck, praetor."
Reyna heard the door open, and Juno disappeared. The daughter of Bellona turned around. Piper smiled upon seeing her.
"It's time," Piper said. Reyna nodded and gripped the gladius. She followed Piper towards the Big House. The talk with Juno had left Reyna feeling stronger and more confident.
By the time they stepped into the Big House, everyone was already there. Everyone sat around a ping pong table, and they were all being served by a satyr. Seymour, the leopard head, was watching everyone with hungry eyes.
Reyna examined the room. She saw the leader of the Ares cabin. Her name was Clarisse, and she was a very large threat. Her boots were resting on the table as she played with a knife.
Clovis, who was not a threat, slept in a corner. Butch from the Iris cabin, Travis from the Hermes cabin, and Will from the Apollo cabin were all sitting around bored. They were all threats.
One girl held the nose of another girl in her hand. Reyna saw Rachel Dare next to Chiron. Percy stood over them wearing armor over his camp clothes. He also met Reyna's eyes.
Reyna glanced away and tried to stop seeing everyone as enemies. She tried to see them as friends which was a little harder than she expected. Reyna forced herself to focus.
"Everyone come to order," Chiron said. He started issuing out orders to various campers in an attempt to get them to settle down. Reyna stood there before taking a seat, and everyone turned their attention to her. After Chiron calmed everyone, he looked at Reyna. "Please share your story."
Reyna told her story with no emotion. She left out details like her committing patricide and the conversation with Juno. There was some things she forgot which Piper and Leo added in.
When she finished, Clarisse snorted. The daughter of Ares spoke, "Are we suppose to believe that there is a camp for Roman demigods, and they follow the Roman gods. How come we haven't heard of them?"
"If the two groups saw each other, they would try to kill each other. The gods needed to keep them separate," Piper explained.
"When have we run across each other then?" Clarisse questioned.
"That is how Rome got its start," Chiron answered. "The Greeks invaded and burned down Troy during the Trojan war. Aeneas, the Trojan hero, escaped and made his way to Italy. He founded the race that would make Rome."
"Romans grew extremely powerful," Reyna added. "Romans would worship the same gods, but they changed the names to give them a clean slate. The gods also had more warlike personalities. They were more united and focused on expansion, conquest, and discipline."
"So, the two sides hated each other," Percy assumed. "Then, Rome conquered the Geek isles."
"Yes and no," Reyna responded. "The two have a mutual respect for each other. Romans respected the culture of the Greeks, and Greeks respected the military power of the empire that they considered barbarians. The two started to divide."
"Where was Roman help during the Titan war?" Clarisse demanded. "We defended Olympus, and that caused Mount Othrys to crumble."
"No," Reyna said. "The Romans stormed Mount Othrys. I personally led the army and fought the Titan Koios. My fellow praetor was killed and replaced by the demigod that defeated Krios and toppled the black throne."
"The Bay Area is suppose to be this really bad place for demigods, but it's just a dangerous place for Greek demigods," Percy realized. "The Roman camp is somewhere near San Francisco. Where is it though?"
"My counterpart Lupa would never share that with me, and Reyna does not remember," Chiron explained. Percy must have noticed how Reyna's eyes flickered away.
"You do remember," Percy stated. Reyna finally met his eyes.
"I could walk out there and find it," Reyna said. "But, it's not time yet. I won't tell anyone until it is time, and you will never find the camp by yourself because of the heavy magic surrounding it."
"That's why we're making the Argo II," Leo added. "The Romans might not like a warship appearing, but it's our best bet."
"We still have the prophecy. Including the last line," Rachel said. "And foes bear arms to the doors of death."
"Gaea opened the Doors of Death and unleashed all of those people you guys went against," Percy said. "So, Greeks and Romans will probably unite and go to the Doors of Death."
"If the Roman knows where her camp is, we should go," Clarisse interrupted. "It doesn't make sense to just sit around."
"I've done my job," Reyna said. "She hasn't."
"She?" Clarisse questioned. Everyone else seemed just as confused. Percy was the only one who seemed to realize the truth.
"When the Argos II is done, I'm coming," Percy said.
"If you keep your temper," Reyna countered. Percy stood and gripped his pen. Reyna didn't move. "If they kill her because she was weak, you will ruin everything by attacking."
"What are we talking about?" Leo questioned.
"I am part of an exchange," Reyna explained. "An exchange works both ways. I came here with no memory, and you guys took me in. My Roman friends are not so kind."
"If she doesn't prove her worth, they may kill her. If they learn she is a Greek, she's dead," Reyna said bluntly. The words seemed to agitate Percy even more.
"Who is she?" Leo asked.
"My girlfriend. Annabeth Chase," Percy answered. "She disappeared when Reyna appeared at the Wilderness School."
"Annabeth Chase is at the Roman camp, and she doesn't remember who she is," Reyna said. She saw the shock on all of their faces, but that wasn't the worst part. "Romans hate Minerva."
"To them, Minerva is a coward. They think of her how the Greeks think of Ares. Minerva is also a virgin goddess, and her having a child is impossible," Reyna explained. "If the Romans learn who Annabeth's mom is, they will kill her."
I would like to give a big thank you to everyone who has read this story. I hope you enjoyed it, and I hope to see you for the sequel.