Anthízo, Percy Jackson

X. is it really heartbreak? or just dissapointment?

NEEDLESS TO SAY KARINA WAS DEFINITELY SCARED by the time reyna stormed into the principa.

percy and her had taken a seat on the two praetor chairs, knowing it probably wasn't the best idea for percy to sit in them, but before karina could push him off it, reyna was already storming in, her purple cloak billowing, and her greyhounds at her feet.

percy immediately started to get up, but karina grabbed his hand and yanked him down, looking at him with warning in her eyes. "it's better to not move when reyna's this angry. sharp objects go flying sometimes." she whispered, looking into his eyes.

"stay seated," reyna growled, adding onto her statement. "you leave after lunch. we have a lot to discuss."

karina just stared at reyna with wide eyes, hands gripping the sides of the wooden throne-like chair, not moving.

reyna looked to her quickly, her eyes flitting from percy's to karina's in less than a second. "karina." she spoke hardly.

"yes ma'am?" karina squeaked out.

"up here. with me." she motioned to the spot beside her, and karina quickly scrambled up next to her side, looking to percy with a desperate look that said help me.

percy looked to karina with the same scared eyes as reyna plunked her dagger down so hard the jelly-bean bowl rattled and karina jumped a few steps back, her heart skipping at least three beats. aurum and argentum took their posts on her left and right and fixed their ruby eyes on percy.

"what'd i do wrong?" percy asked. "if it's about the chair-"

"it's not you." reyna scowled. "i hate senate meetings. when octavian gets talking. . ."

"it's like a monkey who drank too much coffee." karina said in agreement.

percy nodded, giving karina a quick smirk. "you're a warrior. octavian is a talker. put him in front of the senate, and suddenly he becomes the powerful one."

reyna narrowed her eyes. "you're smarter than you look."

"gee, thanks. i hear octavian might be elected as permanent praetor, assuming the camp survives that long,"

karina's jaw tightened at the mention of octavian becoming the new praetor. she had always worked so hard to get up to this position of power, the highest ranking in all of new rome. she trained for hours on end, practicing her earth manipulation, throwing knives at targets until her fingers bled. all that for nothing. it was always useless. she would never be at the top-or, at least stay at the top. the only reason she's praetor is because they needed a quick replacement after jason's disappearance. it wasn't because everyone thought she would be a good praetor, or that they thought she deserved it. no, they only saw her as a replacement until someone better came in and took the job.

she always knew that she would never be able to gain enough respect from the people of rome to elect her as praetor, because, they simply didn't think she was good enough. and there's nothing she can do about it.

karina was snapped out of her self-wallowing as reyna spoke up.

"which brings us to the subject of doomsday," reyna said, "and how you might prevent it. but before i place the fate of camp jupiter in your hands, we need to get a few things straight."

she sat down and put a ring on the table-a band of silver etched with a sword-and torch design, like reyna's tattoo. karina walked over to percy's chair and sat on the arm of it, tired of standing. percy quickly acknowledged her by looking up and flashing her a grin and patting her knee, making her blush at the sudden contact.