The Forgotten Olympian |BOOK 1| PJO X HP | Alexandra Marine

Chapter 40 - Alex - Back to Court

"Didn't know you liked attending senate meetings so much, Marine," Dakota said as we got ready for the next day. Bobby was still snoring loudly. 

Dakota was struggling with the toga and I, feeling nervous about the trial, had managed to put on my socks on my hands and wore my shoes on my feet without socks on first.

"It's not just you who has to wake up now, it's all of us centurions and all," he complained angrily.

"Sorry," I muttered, a blade carefully placed in between my teeth as I pulled the socks out of my palm and used the hand to tuck in the blade into drawers. No offense, but I was not trusting my blades to Terminus and his kid.

I couldn't even touch my breakfast. I had too many things running on my mind. I didn't know what Percy was doing. I was supposed to be a goddess? I was probably going to be expelled from Camp Jupiter. I'd have to live as an exile. I'd have to meet the gorgons again- and the world will be destroyed in four days. Part of mind just wanted to explode.

My brain screamed, but no one could hear it. I felt as though waves were cracking and falling loudly on me, but there was no water. There was no wave either. Just using a metaphor.

Reyna announced that the senate would now convene in the city, and all the folks in togas got up to leave.

"Here we go." I muttered, getting up. Vitellus greeted Bon fortuna once more, tried to overshare, and failed incredibly.

Reyna and Octavian led the procession of senators out of camp, with Reyna's metal greyhounds dashing back and forth along the road. Dakota stumbled along in his red-speckled robe.

I did not notice the beauty of the city as we entered; it's beauty was no longer charming. It bored me. I felt completely dissatisfied by seeing other things looking so beautiful, so happy, when I was depressed and distraught. It angered me. I wanted to tear apart the whole place. But then, I owed each of the Romans one. They helped me from the gorgons.

I grit my teeth as Terminus barked angrily at me. "Either no jackets, or only white!" he roared.

"That's racist, that is," I muttered and threw the jacket onto Julia's tray. The kid grinned wide and felt like rolling my eyes. Terminus barked at me again for calling him racist, but I ignored him completely.

The upper rows were filled with several dozen hosts and a few older veterans from the city, all in formal togas. Octavian stood in front with a knife and a Beanie Babylion, just in case anyone needed to consult the god of cutesy collectibles. Reyna walked to the podium and raised her hand for attention.

"Right, this is an emergency meeting, again," she said. "We won't stand on formalities. I have other duties to attend to."

"I love formalities!" a ghost complained.

Reyna shot him a cross look.

"First of all," she said, "we have to deal with Alexandra Marine, from the Fifth Cohort. And then we have other important details to talk about." She stressed on the word important, as though it was, well, important.

"What happened?" asked Hank from the Third. 

Reyna said the story, all facts and all, but she left out what exactly Octavian and she had been discussing. Octavian seemed to want to add more, because the sound of him trying to interrupt the praetor echoed through the senate house every five minutes. Reyna ignored him.

"A disgrace," said a ghost. "Never imagined- a leggionaire with the guts to go the praetor's tent!"

"And not smart," said the boy next to him. "Not really a surprise, all Fifths are kinda-" he blew a raspberry and did a thumbs down.

Dakota got up so fast, he spilled Kool-Aid from his flask. "Let me hear you say that next week after we whoop your butt!"

"Dakota," Reyna said threateningly, and the centurion sat down, his face more red than his Kool Aid. Reyna turned back to the senate. "The question now, is whether Alexandra Marine is indeed guilty of being a traitor to Camp Jupiter or not."

"Of course she is!" one boy shouted.

"You'd score a bonus point on any recommendation letter from me if you kill her," bellowed a ghost.

Octavian was nodding all along. Reyna almost seemed disappointed. Why?

She turned to me. "Do you have anything to say in your defense, Marine?"

I stood up a moment later, only then realizing she was talking to me. "Uhh.." I started. Not a great start. "Look, all I want to say is, I am not a spy. If I'd been a spy, I could have brought down this whole place by now. The only reason I haven't is because- A. I am not a spy, B.  because I love this place and I want to keep it safe. Hence, I do not see why I cannot roam the grounds when I get a nightmare about my brother dying or this camp burning down to ashes. You cannot forget that I have emotions and I have the right to release them into the air and calm myself down."

A moment passed.

"All those in favour of clearing the accused of all charges?" Reyna asked, breaking the silence. Few hands went up. Dakota was sitting at the edge of his seat nervously and shaking his hand.

"All those in favour of conviction?" 

Everyone who had not raised their hands before had their hand up now. Anger bubbled inside me. Stupid people and their zero regard for feelings. My cheeks went hot and I could feel my stomach burning and my brain squealing, seeking permission to at least do a little damage before being killed by a bunch of Romans.

Just as I had done with those cow creatures. 

I remembered. Memories rushed inside my head.

"Daughter of Poseidon, rise," Zeus had said. "I will accept you as my daughter in law."

"Peace? Don't be ridiculous. War is more fun," Ares said.

"One of these days we should write a book about water puns. It will be a best sheller," Poseidon, my father had told me.

"You know, just because you are the goddess of time doesn't mean you get to watch my battle strategies from the future and then fight with me," Athena had complained.

I remembered it all. I was Alexandra.

Reyna clapped her hands. "Alexandra Marine, you are hereby convicted on all charges presented at the senate house today. You are being sentenced to death for the disgraceful act of betraying Camp Jupiter. Do not protest and you shall die a quick and honourable death."

Octavian raised his small knife, and aimed at me. "You'll make a good prophecy, don't worry," he said.

And then he threw it. His aiming was perfect. But too bad for him, Alexandra Marine was no longer just a whiny teen. She was a whiny, brave, teen turned goddess. 

The blade came closer by the second. It was about to hit me. I closed my eyes, in full concentration.

The blade was a garland of flowers on my neck. The roses gave a sweet smell. I smiled.  When I opened my eyes, the whole senate house was staring in shock at me.

The smell of roses hit my nose like a wave of sea water. I looked down to see the garland around my neck, intact, as I had imagined it.

Tattoos glowed golden and red, symbols of Greek and Latin glimmered on my shoulders, and all my blades and necklace floated at lighting speed into the house. They positioned themselves against my neck and belt, my clothes turned into shiny armor.

Terminus' roars could be heard outside, "No weapons in the city! No weapons!"

The trident grew in full size. Not to brag, but it was the coolest thing ever.

---------------------------------------