Golden Girl

~25~

Percy, who was positioned between Kinzie and Aurelia, looked at the daughter of Pavor. "She is lying right?" he asked in a lowered voice.

All he got was a hum of amusement as Aurelia looked back at her laughing cousins. Percy's cheeks were red as politely thanked Kinzie and changed seats.

"Don't worry," Reyna told the discouraged girl. "He rejected me too."

"Well, that makes me feel worse," Kinzie pouted.

Aurelia raised her glass and tapped it with her fork, calling for the attention of everyone. Everyone had finished eating and the plates had stopped flying around. Reyna made a short speech. She formally welcomed the Amazons, thanking them for their help. Then she hugged Hylla and everybody applauded, nobody louder than Aurelia.

Reyna raised her hands for quiet. "My sister and I haven't always seen eye to eye—"

Hylla laughed. "That's an understatement."

"She joined the Amazons," Reyna continued. "I came to Camp Jupiter." She paused, looking at Aurelia and the few people who knew, understood what the small silence added: with my cousin. "But looking around this room, I think we both made good choices. Strangely, our destinies were made possible by the hero you all just raised to praetor on the battlefield—Percy Jackson."

More cheering. The sisters raised their glass to Percy and beckoned him forward.

Everybody asked for a speech, but Percy kept refusing. He protested that he really wasn't the best person for praetor, but the campers drowned him out with applause. Reyna took away his probatio neck plate. Octavian shot him a dirty look, then turned to the crowd and smiled like this was all his idea—which made Aurelia roll her eyes. Octavian ripped open a new teddy bear and pronounced good omens for the coming year—Fortuna would bless them! He passed his hand over Percy's arm and shouted: "Percy Jackson, son of Neptune, first year of service!"

The Romans symbols were burned into Percy's arm: a trident, SPQR, and a single stripe. Afterwards Octavian embraced him, just as the augur is supposed to do. Aurelia's grip on her glass tightened as she felt Octavian emotional disdain.

Then Reyna gave him an eagle medal and purple cloak, symbols of praetors. "You earned these, Percy."

Queen Hylla pounded him on the back. "And I've decided not to kill you."

Both Reyna and Aurelia held back laughs.

"Um, thanks," Percy managed.

Aurelia made her way outside the mess hall. Reyna and Hylla had gone with her, and for the time since any of them could remember, they were alone.

"I still can't believe you guys actually did it," Reyna said softly. Her praetor's cape billowed behind her as they walked. "And thank you for giving Percy the standard. It was ... a good push."

"It made Octavian very mad," Aurelia commented. "He called me a bitch."

"Should I kill him?" Hylla asked, her tone serious.

"Oh, I wish you could," Reyna huffed. "I wish I could sometimes."

"We all do," Aurelia murmured. "Sadly, more pressing things to think about."

"No," Reyna said. "The Prophecy of Eight, the giants, Gaea, everything else that may happen ... we can worry about it tomorrow." Reyna's eyes were glassy as she looked at Hylla and Aurelia. "I thought you were both dead."

"Please," Hylla scoffed. "Have a little more faith in us. Us Ramirez's can't be killed that easily."

"Said Hylla Twice-Kill," Aurelia smirked. "I did almost die. Several times."