Luke's point of view
As the day went on I continued with my regular camp activities. At one point during a break between activities I overheard some campers discussing the annual Fourth of July fireworks display. It had been delayed because on the fourth of July the war was still going on. The Hephaestus cabin who puts on the display had protested, but they eventually agreed that it was best not to let our guard down for the event. I heard that even though the display is the same every year it is quite impressive.
My next activity was sword class with the Hermes cabin. I think everyone at camp knows that because of my dad being the god of swordsmanship the sword is my best weapon. Half the time new sword techniques come to me without anyone having to teach me them. That doesn't mean that I don't have to take the classes though since I can still practice, and learn new techniques that I don't already know there. Sometimes the classes cover things that I already know, but they are still helpful, and allow me to practice.
After the sword class ended I saw one of the Hermes girls walking toward me. As she got closer I realized that she was the same girl that I sometimes noticed staring at me, I realized that she was also the same girl that I had saved during the battle. As she approached me she appeared to be nervous. When she reached me I wasn't sure what to say so I just said, "Hi."
She replied, "Hi, I wanted to thank you for saving me during the battle, I probably wouldn't be here right now without you."
I replied, "Really it was nothing, I would never let someone die if I can help it."
"What's your name?" I asked her.
We never spoke before the war really got started, and we hadn't spoken since it ended either, so I hadn't learned her name yet. Blushing slightly she replied, "Oh I'm Taylor."
I started to say, "I'm Luke." but I quickly realized that she probably already knew that since I think the whole camp knew who I was. As I remembered that I gradually went silent, and I blushed slightly embarrassed.
Not making fun of me or anything she just said, "I know, the whole camp does. You're Luke Smith, the only son of Perseus, blessed by Poseidon and Hermes, defeater of the Minotaur, the chimera, the Neman lion, the gorgons, Krios, Perses, Polybotes, Ephialtes...
That was when I interrupted her, I said, "Really I didn't do all that, I had help for most of that."
She replied, "You are too modest, you should take the credit."
I quit arguing, but I wasn't eager to take the credit when I had help for most of those things.
After that we started talking about unimportant things. Even though when the conversation started she had seemed nervous, and I had been unsure what to say we both became more comfortable with talking to each other, and when the conversation ended I wondered if I had made a new friend. But there was something different about her, sometimes as I spoke I would notice her blushing even though she would try to hide it.
At dinner that night Chiron announced that the fourth of July fireworks would be held the next night since they had been delayed and no one wanted them to be canceled. Even though they would be late. He also announced that since the Hunters, and romans would be leaving soon there would be a capture the flag game against the two groups the next Friday.
I had heard about how capture the flag was played at camp. Many of the campers said that it was their favourite camp activity. Once I heard that the hunters had gone undefeated for so long I couldn't help but wonder how high our chances really were. Considering how long the hunters' winning streak was it made it feel like we didn't have a chance.
Even though most of the danger was over since we had defeated Tartarus and his armies, there was still one problem left over from the war that hadn't yet been solved. As far as I knew no one, not even the gods had come up with a solution for it.
The problem was the camp's barriers were still down. Nobody had found a way to restore them to what they had been before, as far as I knew no one had any good ideas. The Athena and Hephaestus cabins tried to come up with a solution, so had the gods, but so far they had gotten nowhere. The gods had even interrogated Khione in hopes that she would provide a solution. I had heard a rumor that they had even tried contacting Boreas, but nothing worked. This meant that there was still a constant guard on the hill since even though the war was over monsters still roam the mortal world, and any that came near camp would probably attempt to attack it, and could cause serious damage unless they were killed quickly.
Percy's point of view
After my dad left I continued to think about what he had told me, and what had happened in the underworld. In a way the ancient law made sense, because when the king of the gods marries, that automatically makes their wife queen of the gods. And they wouldn't exactly be able to properly fulfill that role unless they were a goddess. I couldn't help but wonder if the others agreed to make Amber a goddess what she would be made goddess of.
I didn't do much else that day, since the war had ended we weren't as busy, but we still hadn't figured out how to fix Thalia's tree, even Athena hadn't come up with any good ideas. I knew that both Amber and Luke deserved to know about the change in plans, although I wasn't sure how they'd take the news. Back when I was first made a god I was told that if I wished to do so, I could have another palace built anywhere I wanted. My dad had tried to convince me to have a palace built under the sea since I have sea related domains, but I hadn't bothered. I was content with just my palace on Olympus, but now I was starting to rethink that idea.
The Next day I went to see Amber again in order to tell her about the ancient law that meant she would have to become a goddess.
When I got there I said, "There's been a slight change of plans."
"What?" she asked.
I replied, "My father recently informed me of an ancient law that began applying to me once I became king of the gods. The law affects who I can marry."
Obvious worry showed on her face at those words, but I continued on.
I said, "It requires that I marry a goddess, but it doesn't specify that the woman I marry has to be born a goddess."
Being the smart woman that she is, I think she realized what I meant after I said that.
She said, "You're saying that I will have to be made a goddess, not just immortal?"
I nodded and said, "Only if you want to. I won't force you into anything you don't want."
I said that even though I knew how much it would hurt me if she decided to back out now.
She was silent for a minute before finally saying, "I'll do it, I don't think I could live without you again. I think if I had to, it would break me. I think it was only because of Luke that I managed as long as I did."
My emotions were mixed after that statement, while I was pleased that she hadn't changed her mind, her other statements weren't exactly pleasing.
Sighing I said, "You managed because you had to. You wanted to keep Luke safe, and to give him a decent childhood. At least until he found out about me. You did what you did for him. Not only that, but even though you may not realize it, you are strong. Even through all the hard times you faced through the years, you've raised our son well. Even though it hurt me to leave, and I knew that it would hurt you when I did it, I also knew you well enough to know that you could make it without me."
After I finished speaking we sat in silence for a while. She finally asked, "How's Luke doing?"
I replied, "I talked to him, while it won't be easy for him to deal with what happened I think he will get through it."
She nodded, she knew just as well as I did, that grief isn't easy to deal with, and it would take time for Luke to deal with what happened, but Like Chiron I had started to believe that Luke would get through it.
Sighing I said, "I missed so much of his childhood, I wanted to be there for you, be the father that Luke deserved, but I knew I couldn't."
She replied, "It's not entirely your fault, while you still technically had a choice to leave or stay, you knew that if you stayed things might have turned out much worse than if you didn't. Besides I think you are making up for it now. Even though you weren't there for the earliest years of his life it is obvious that Luke no longer blames you, and has accepted you as his father."
I replied, "I know, I was honestly surprised by how quickly he forgave me."
She replied, "Well I find that it's hard to stay mad at you."
I was smiling at her slightly amused when I said, "I have an Idea."