Chapter 20.
Once they arrived in the park, Diana summoned a bunch of blankets for the girls to lounge on. After everyone had settled, Reyna sat down on a plush purple blanket in front of Diana, while Percy ambled over and plopped down next to her, resting his head on her lap.
Reyna gazed down at Percy with adoration, grateful for their visit. She wasn't entirely sure why Diana had brought them here, but she figured that Diana would explain while they were together.
"So, Reyna, what's the story with you and Percy?" Zoe inquired, breaking the silence. Reyna glanced up from Percy, meeting Zoe's gaze before she began to recount their relationship.
"Percy brought me to camp when I was twelve. I didn't see him again until I was fourteen, and over the course of the next year, I developed feelings for him," she explained, her voice tinged with nostalgia.
"During a mission with Jason when I was fifteen, Venus visited me and told me that I would never get the chance to be loved, that no demigod would heal my heart," she continued, a hint of bitterness seeping into her tone. Diana's expression darkened with anger at Venus's cruel words, unable to fathom why she would say such things to Reyna.
"A while after that, Percy came to visit me again. I tried pushing him away, and told him to leave. But he refused, and after I finally confided in him about what had happened, he reminded me that her words didn't matter. He wasn't a demigod; he was a primordial," Reyna recounted, a soft smile gracing her lips as she recalled the memory.
"At that moment, I made the first move on him, and we've been together ever since," she concluded, her gaze returning to Percy, who looked up at her with affection shining in his eyes.
Diana smiled warmly as she listened to Reyna's account. "How did you guys handle being together with how busy Percy is?" she inquired, her curiosity piqued.
Reyna's expression faltered slightly as she thought back on their journey together. "We almost didn't," she admitted, her voice tinged with a hint of regret. "I would only get to see him once or twice a year, and I had to explain to him that even though he was really busy, I needed his attention too."
Her grimace softened as she continued, "After almost breaking up with him, he realized that his time in the void was affecting his sense of passing time. After that, he made way more effort to see me, which I've been very grateful for," she concluded, her gaze softening as she looked at Percy, who leaned into her touch with affection.
Diana smiled warmly, genuinely pleased to see Percy making more effort to support Reyna's needs. "Have you thought about what you're going to do after the war?" she inquired gently, her tone carrying a hint of concern.
Reyna looked at her in confusion, her brow furrowing slightly. "What do you mean, Lady Diana?" she asked, puzzled by the question.
Diana paused, considering her words carefully before responding, "Well, I mean, what are you gonna do about Percy? He's fully immortal, and you're not. Have you guys talked about how you're gonna handle that?" Her expression turned thoughtful, a touch of concern flickering in her eyes.
Reyna's eyes widened with realization, a sad look crossing her features as the weight of Diana's question settled in. "No, we haven't," she admitted softly. "I just assumed I would spend as much time with him as possible, and that's that. It's not like I can give myself full immortality like him," she concluded, her voice tinged with resignation.
Percy whined softly in response to the somber conversation, prompting Reyna to soothe him with gentle strokes on his head. Diana's expression mirrored Percy's sadness as she considered the potential pain of losing Reyna for him.
"Why don't you join the hunters? That would enable you to have partial immortality until you guys figure out a more permanent solution," Diana suggested warmly, her gaze filled with empathy.
Reyna looked surprised by the offer, her eyes widening in disbelief. "You would allow that?" she asked, clearly taken aback by Diana's generosity.
Diana smiled softly as she responded, "Normally, no. But Percy has been a huge help to us over the last year, and if I can help him in return, then I will." Her words were laced with sincerity and gratitude for Percy's contributions.
Reyna's smile widened as she nodded gratefully. "Thank you, my lady. I would love to take you up on that after the war," she replied, her voice filled with appreciation.
Diana nodded warmly as the other girls cheered in support. Percy, caught up in the joyous atmosphere, dropped his stick and barked happily before trotting over to Diana, gently nuzzling her as if to express his gratitude.
"You're welcome, Percy," Diana said warmly, her affection for the loyal companion evident in her voice. Percy wagged his tail in response before returning to Reyna's side, picking up his stick with renewed happiness.
Reyna's eyes twinkled with amusement as she observed Percy's playful antics with the stick. "Why do you have a stick, Percy?" she asked, her tone laced with amusement.
Percy dropped the stick momentarily before barking and picking it up again, his tail wagging eagerly. Zoe chuckled, while Reyna turned her attention to her friends, awaiting an explanation.
"Sol, basically, we were leaving on a mission this morning, when Percy sensed Jason in the woods. He didn't realize it was Jason at the time, so he tackled him before pinning him to the ground on his stomach," Zoe began, recounting the earlier events with a grin.
Reyna's eyes widened in shock as Zoe continued, "After he realized who it was, he got off him and let him stand up as we arrived. Once Jason explained to us who he was and why he was in the woods, he told Percy that he should stop by soon to visit you."
Reyna's expression softened at the revelation, her heart warmed by the thought of Percy going out of his way to visit her. "When Lady Diana asked him why Percy should visit Rome, Jason revealed your relationship with Percy," Zoe explained further. "Lady Diana teased Percy that we should visit Rome to meet you."
Reyna went wide-eyed with surprise, her mind reeling with questions. "Not to offend anyone, but Lady Diana, why would you care about Percy's relationship with me?" she asked, genuinely curious.
Diana's smile widened as she replied, her gaze warm and understanding. "Because Percy has been with us for the last year, and had never told us about you. I assume it's because he wanted to keep his private life, well, private. So when we found out about you, I was curious as to who you were and why you would have caught Percy's attention," Diana explained.
Reyna looked genuinely surprised by Diana's candid admission. She had also kept their relationship under wraps, save for Jason, but she hadn't realized Percy had done the same. "Well, I hope I'm not a disappointment," Reyna said, a soft smile playing on her lips.
The other girls laughed lightly at Reyna's remark, while Diana shook her head. "No, you're not. I can understand how you caught his attention. A leader of Rome as a young woman is nothing to pass over," she responded warmly, her words sincere.
Reyna looked touched by Diana's compliment, her surprise evident in her expression. "Thank you, but that doesn't explain the stick," she said, amusement twinkling in her eyes as she glanced at Percy, who was still happily chewing on the stick.
Zoe's laughter filled the air as she continued the story. "When we arrived, Lady Diana had asked him if he had told Jason to warn you of our visit. After he shook his head, he went after the stick. Lady Diana teased him about being older than her and still being distracted by a stick, to which he just wagged his tail," she recounted, her voice laced with amusement.
Reyna chuckled at the image of Percy's playful antics, her affection for him evident in her gaze as she watched him still playing with the stick. "When we reached the city line, Terminus appeared and told Percy to leave the stick as he could use it as a weapon. Instead, Percy hid behind Lady Diana's legs until she told Terminus off so he could keep the stick. And as you can see, he still has it," Zoe concluded with a grin.
The group erupted into laughter as Zoe finished the story, with Reyna shaking her head in amusement and mild exasperation as she looked at Percy. "That's your boy, Reyna. I'm just saying, you chose that," Zoe teased, her laughter contagious.
Reyna rolled her eyes playfully at Zoe's remark, but a fond smile tugged at her lips as she reached out to take the stick from Percy. Surprisingly, he relinquished it without protest, but his expression quickly shifted to one of betrayal as Reyna threw it away.
"Oh, don't look at me like that, babe," Reyna teased affectionately, addressing Percy. "Go get the stick." Percy barked before darting off to chase after the stick, his playful antics causing the group to erupt into laughter once again.
"Maybe when he's in animal form, he does in fact embody their traits," Zoe speculated, her tone contemplative. "He's not normally this playful when he's human. And when he's in bird form, he tends to be more watchful than his wolf form, and when he's a stag, he's very relaxed and mellow."
The girls nodded thoughtfully, realizing the truth in Zoe's observation. Reyna shrugged nonchalantly before breaking into a smile as Percy returned with the stick, only to eagerly chase after it again as Reyna tossed it once more.
"Maybe you're right, Zoe," Diana commented, her gaze following Percy as he bounded down the hill after the stick. "He seems to be able to understand and communicate emotion, if the way he looks at Reyna is any indication. But he does seem more animalistic when he's in wolf form than in human form."
Reyna blushed at Diana's observation about Percy's affectionate gaze, but her smile widened as Percy bounded back with the stick once again, his playful energy coming off him in waves.
"How long has he been in wolf form, Lady Diana?" Reyna inquired, her curiosity evident in her tone. Diana paused, considering her response before answering, "For about 98% of the last year. When he wasn't at a meeting on Olympus with me or visiting you, he was in his wolf form."
Reyna nodded in understanding before she turned to look at Percy, who was sitting next to her with the stick in his mouth, his tail wagging happily.
"Percy, change back to human form. I can't be affectionate with you as a wolf," Reyna said teasingly, a playful glint in her eyes. Percy barked in acknowledgment before dropping the stick and enveloping himself in shadow. Moments later, the shadows dissipated, revealing Percy sitting on his butt in his 17-year-old human form.
Reyna smiled warmly at Percy's transformation before she picked up the stick and threw it over his head. Percy turned to watch the stick fly before turning back to Reyna with a puzzled expression. "What was that about?" he asked, his confusion evident.
The girls exchanged surprised glances, with Diana nodding in agreement with Zoe's observation. "Zoe, I think you might be right," she acknowledged, her gaze shifting to Percy, who looked at her in confusion. "Right about what?" he inquired, his curiosity piqued.
Zoe chuckled before responding, "Percy, you were chasing after that stick as a wolf like it was your last meal. We're starting to think that when you're in animal form, you embody animalistic traits that align with that type of animal."
Percy furrowed his brow in thought, considering Zoe's theory. "I suppose that's possible," he conceded with a shrug, his expression thoughtful. Then, his gaze softened as he locked eyes with Reyna, a look of love adorning both their faces.
Without hesitation, Percy leaned forward and wrapped his arms around Reyna, pulling her close so he could snuggle against her as they talked. Reyna's delight was evident as she leaned into his embrace, cherishing his comfort she hadn't had in a while.