Desert Winds (a Percy Jackson AU)

Grace the House

    Piper inhaled the scent of roasted lamb. Jason had promoted Hera and her recently to kitchen servants. The promotion meant more duties and more coins in their pockets. It also led to better treatment from the other servants. Michael has always been polite to them, but the others were less snippy, though some of them still made lewd remarks.

     "I still cannot believe that's he's going to marry that D-list woman," Hera said as she strode into the kitchens.

    Piper shrugged. "Khione is rich and beautiful."

    Hera snorted. "Wealth and looks aren't what makes a marriage happy. I learned that two days into my marriage."

     She sighed. Hera's marriage had been racked with problems. Her husband was always having affairs and she was constantly trying to expose him. Zeus was an expert at cheating, though, and got away with only light punishments.

      "Perhaps, Jason will see it, then," Piper said.

       Hera shook her head. "He won't see the truth unless he has an attractive alternative. You for instance."

    Piper set down the knife she had been using to chop up leeks. "Can you please stop trying to set us up? It's not going to happen. Women will fight wars before I marry Jason."

    "We'll see about that," Hera said.

***

Thalia was the first to arrive. Piper was struck by her electric blue eyes. They were the same as Jason's. Otherwise, she looked nothing alike with her sharper features, dark hair, and pale skin dotted with freckles. There was a kindness in her eyes and quality in her voice that Khione lacked. When the latter arrived alongside her two brothers, Piper realized that quality was grace.

     Khione was charming and beautiful, but in a cold, calculating way. Thalia was more liberal with her speech and though that sometimes spilled over into bluntness, at least she was genuine.

    "I hear you want to marry my brother," Thalia said as they sat down at the table.

       "I hear he wants to marry me," Khione replied coyly.

    They spoke back in forth with brief interludes on the parts of Jason, Zethes, and Calais. Zethes kept making eye contact with Piper, while Calais made remarks about some game he had dreamed of.

     At one point, Piper was sent to bring out more beer. As she returned from the kitchen, she heard voices. She pressed her ear against a wooden door. It was Zethes and Khione. They had both excused themselves.

     "Your plan is working masterfully," Zethes said.

     "Too bad I was jilted by the king," Khione said with a sniff. "Jason's cute, but he's only some farmer with a bit of wealth. Not much of a catch at all."
  
     "Then why entertain him?" Zethes asked. "You could easily marry wealthier. I, for instance, wish to romance that pretty serving girl, but I would never marry a commoner."

     "Because most rich men are old snobs that I want nothing to do with," Khione said. "Imagine this. I could manipulate Jason's fortunes in such a way that he becomes my slave. Then, he could grace my halls forever."