The S.S. Olympus -under refurbishment

Chapter XXXIV: Crossing the Rubicon

"Allea Iacta Est- The Die is Cast"

**'Start a War— allergy & Valerie, thank you for the music suggestions!

Sun whispered its way into Cornelia's consciousness as songbirds greeted the day. A mane of brown and gold-tinted had clung to Cornelia's head, in a twisted form that resembled a nest of snakes, as she moved to a sitting position. She didn't remember getting into a bed, changing, or even falling asleep.

One foot after another touched the floor, and she shuffled toward the entrance of the next room. "Hello?" She called out into the din and blinked her eyes still in a continued attempt to adjust to her surroundings.

"Well, good day to you, springtime princess," Apollo eyed her over the brim of a steaming mug of tea.

"How long was I asleep?" Cornelia reached for the steaming pot holding the hot steeping liquid that would awaken her senses, "springtime princess?"

"Give or take a day," he mentioned with a casual smile, "I was testing out a new name for you. It sounded better in my head." 

"A whole day?" Cornelia sputtered in disbelief. Her eyes darted around the room, and her hands moved about as if she was blind in a pre-state of panic.

"It's a day," He watched her with smiled amusement as he continued her bumbling, "not one hundred years," Apollo stated with a roll of his eyes. "Your body needed rest, and now you probably need more food."

Cornelia's stomach responded for her, "fair enough." She moved to the table and grabbed a sweet roll that smelled of cinnamon and pleasant memories. The warm and soft texture of the roll had her mouth-watering before

"We have to do something about your hair," Apollo let his casual words rest in the early morning air.

"My hair?" Cornelia asked through a mouth full of flavor and sweet textures, "what is wrong with it?" A hidden smile belied the statement. She knew she was a mess; it was fun to make him squirm.

Apollo snaked an eye on her direction, "nothing per se."

Cornelia took a long moment to swallow her, mouthful, "What do you mean per se?"

Minerva shot Cornelia a comradely smile, "yes, Apollo, what is wrong with Cornelia's hair?"

He shifted uncomfortably and rubbed his left arm with his right hand, "nothing."

"No, come now, tell me," Cornelia smirked as she grabbed a chunk of the mess and twisted it around her finger.

"Absolutely nothing, you are lovely and perfect, and-- so is your hair."

Minerva then turned to Cornelia and said, "you should really comb it."

Cornelia smiled and then ran a finger through her hair, "yes, Minerva, I guess I should." Jer obtuse statement came with a mischievous smile in Apollo's direction, and then she added with more normalcy. "I will be right back."

Apollo's jaw dropped as he stared back and forth between the two of them, disbelief. "You are both Harpies." He sighed, "I do need you to change your hair, though, in more of a permanent sense."

"Why?" Cornelia asked, genuinely confused.

Minerva shrugged, "because you are technically on the run from both your marriage and from what Apollo has described as a man most people see as godlike because of his wealth, connections, and strength."

Apollo's hands flipped up with shrugged shoulders, "so yeah, that about sums it up."

"Oh," Cornelia pulled a lock of brown hair into view. "It's a prevalent color." She tried to add helpfully. A part of her was quite excited though, she hated her humdrum brown hair, but that same thought gave her a wave of caution, "won't having an uninteresting hair color be safer?"