invisible string | f. zhang

xv. the whole truth

fifteen. the whole truth

THE FEAST OF FORTUNA. Not to be thought of as a "feast for tuna" which Percy had questioned and only made Maribelle giggle uncontrollably.

The campers, Amazons and Lares had crowded the mess hall for a lavish dinner. Even the fauns were invited, since they'd helped out by bandaging the wounded after the battle. Wind nymphs zip around the room, delivering orders of pizza, burgers, steaks, salads, Chinese food, and burritos, all flying at terminal velocity.

Despite the exhausting battle, everyone was in good spirits. Casualties had been light, and the few campers who'd previously died and come back to life, like Gwen, hadn't been taken to the Underworld.

The golden eagle now stood proudly behind the praetor's table, and the walls were decorated with cornucopias — magical horns of plenty that spilled out recycling waterfalls of fruit, chocolate, and fresh-baked cookies.

Everyone was constantly moving, switching from couch to couch, flirting and talking with everyone. Maribelle stayed at Hazel's side, the two girls weren't feeling very social. Frank glances at her a few times, but with his success, lots of people wanted to chat with him. She could barely eat the salad she had wished for.

"You should really eat up," Hazel tells her, "We did a lot today."

"Not hungry," Maribelle grumbles and picks out a crouton, studying it before putting it into her mouth.

She stares at where Hazel was eating an assortment of fruit and a giant steak on her plate. She observes the rest of Hazel, petite. She shakes the thoughts from her head quickly.

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

Hylla laughs, "That's an understatement."

"She joined the Amazons," Reyna continues, "I joined Camp Jupiter. 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 raise their glasses to Percy and beckoned him forward.

They began chanting speech, but the boy protests that he really wasn't the best person for praetor, but the campers drown him out with applause. Reyna takes away his probatio neck plate. Octavian rips open a teddy bear and pronounces good omens for the coming year. He raises his hand over Percy's arm and shouts: "Percy Jackson, son of Neptune, first year of service!"

Reyna gives him an eagle medal and purple cloak, symbols of the praetor, "You earned these, Percy."

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

"Urn, thanks," Percy replies.

After dinner, the entire legion got the night off. Maribelle and her friends drift down to the city, which wasn't quite recovered from the battle, but the fires were out, most of the debris had been swept up, and the citizens were determined to celebrate.

At the Pomerian Line, the statue of Terminus wore a paper party hat.

"Welcome, praetor!" He greets, "You need any giants' faces smashed while you're in town, just let me know."

"Thanks, Terminus," Percy says, "I'll keep that in mind."

"Yes, good. Your praetor's cape is an inch too low on the left. There — that's better. Where is my assistant? Julia!"

The little girl runs out from behind the pedestal. She was wearing a green dress tonight, and her hair was still in pigtails. Maribelle nodded to herself at the choices. She held up a box full of party hats.