"you could be the king, but watch the queen conquer"
-
Rosalyn Carter is the daughter of Aphrodite and the last thing Percy expected to find at Camp Half-Blood.
But he wouldn't want to fight deadly battles with anyone else.
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The entry hall had a polished bronze floor, and there was no ceiling. Every side doorway was guarded by a skeleton in military gear, all from different areas and regions.
They stopped in from on two U.S. Marine skeletons guarding the large doors at the end of the hall. Grover shivered underneath the honey grins they wore.
"Well, I guess we should knock?" Percy asked hesitantly.
A warm breeze responded, blowing the doors opens. The guards stepped aside, and Percy and Rosalyn could see Hades sat upon his throne.
The throne was made up of human bones. Hades wore black silk robes and a braided gold crown. Rosalyn felt the charming charisma of evil wafting off of him. The allure of darkness was as old as time, and it was present in many great love stories.
"You are brave to come here, Son of Poseidon. After what you've done, very brave indeed. Or perhaps you are simply very foolish," Hades drawled in a deep voice. Ice crept into their veins at the sound of it.
"Lord and Uncle, I come with two requests," Percy spoke, proud that his voice didn't wobble.
Hades rose an eyebrow and leaned forward on his throne. "Only two requests? Arrogant child. As if you have not already taken enough. Speak, then. It amuses me not to strike you dead yet."
Rosalyn noticed the far away look in Percy's eyes and poked him discreetly in the side. It was important for him to appear strong in front of Hades.
"Lord Hades," he began. "Look, sir, there can't a war between the gods. It would be... bad."
"Really bad," Grover added.
"Return Zeus's master bolt to me. Please, sir. Let me carry it to Olympus," Percy pleaded.
Rosie went rigid beside him. He glanced over at her quickly, seeing that she was wearing an angry expression on her features. Hades was wearing the same expression, though his eyes were flashing with danger.
"You dare keep up this pretense, after what you've done?" Hades thundered, his words echoing around the cavern.
"Um, Uncle, you keep saying 'after what you've done.' What exactly have I done?"
The room shook with a violent tremor. Debris fell from the ceiling, and doors burst open all along the sides of the room. Skeleton guards lined the room in an instant, making Rosalyn take a step closer to Percy.
Hades bellowed, "Do you think I want a war, godling?"
Rosalyn's mind wandered as she connected the final pieces of the puzzle. She didn't hear what Percy and Hades were saying to each other, because her thoughts were much too loud.
Bile rose in her throat when she understood the trouble they were truly in.
Percy grabbing Rosalyn's hand brought her back to the reality.
