Indigo Eyes

Chapter 131

Grover collapsed on the spot.

"Oh, wonderful," Dionysus sighed, as several naiads came forward to help Grover. "Well, when he wakes up, someone tell him that he will no longer be an outcast, and that all satyrs, naiads and other spirits of nature will henceforth treat him as a Lord of the Wild, with all rights, privileges, and honours, blah, blah, blah. Now, please, drag him off before he wakes up and starts grovelling."

"FOOOOOD," Grover moaned, as the nature spirits carried him away.

Athena called, "Annabeth Chase, my own daughter."

Annabeth squeezed Cressida's hand before walking forward and kneeling at her mother's feet.

Athena smiled. "You, my daughter, have exceeded all expectations. You have used your wits, your strength and your courage to defend this city, and our seat of power. It has come to our attention that Olympus is ... well, trashed. The Titan lord did much damage that will have to be repaired. We could rebuild it by magic, of course, and make it just as it was. But the gods feel that the city could be improved. We will take this as an opportunity. And you, my daughter, will design these improvements."

Annabeth looked up, stunned. "My – my lady?"

Athena smiled wryly. "You are an architect, are you not? You have studied the techniques of Daedalus himself. Who better to redesign Olympus, and make it a monument that will last for another aeon?"

"You mean ... I can design whatever I want?"

"As your heart desires," the goddess said. "Make us a city for the ages."

"As long as you have plenty of statues of me," Apollo added.

"And me," Aphrodite agreed.

"Hey, and me!" Ares said. "Big statues with huge wicked swords and –"

"All right!" Athena interrupted. "She gets the point. Rise, my daughter – official architect of Olympus." 

Annabeth rose in a trance and walked back towards them.

"Way to go," Percy told her, grinning, Cressida on the verge of jumping up and down with how happy she was for her best friend.

For once, Annabeth was at a loss for words. "I'll – I'll have to start planning ... Drafting paper, and, um, pencils –"

"Cressida Lynn, my shining Jewel," Dionysus called proudly and Pollux had an equally proud smile on his face as his sister walked forward after Percy gave her an encouraging nod. As a force of habit, she bowed first to Zeus before she knelt at her father's feet, and he was instantly waving a hand as if it was absurd she'd bow before him. "Rise, my daughter."

She stood as she looked up at her father.

"You have come further than I could ever have hoped for. You have brought pride and honour to both my name and yours with your accomplished feats. This council has seen the victory your powers have granted you, but they've also seen the grief. So, if you'd like, I can take away the powers you possess. No more nightmares, no more magic, no more madness."

Four years ago, she'd have jumped at the chance but now, now she was a completely different person. Now she was stronger, she believed in herself and in her powers and abilities, no matter what anyone else said or thought. She was Cressida and she wouldn't be Cressida without her powers, no matter what hardships or nightmares they brought her. Not to mention, she had a pretty good group of people to help her get through anything that was thrown at her.

"I'm grateful for your offer, Papa, but my powers make me who I am. And strife or not, I want to keep them."

Percy had never seen Dionysus smile so brightly as he beheld his daughter.