Daughter of Wine

Annabeth

I want to hate New Rome, but as an aspiring architect, I can't help admiring the terraced gardens, the fountains, the temples, the winding cobblestone streets and gleaming white villas. After the Titan War last summer, I'd gotten my dream job of redesigning Mount Olympus. Now, walking through the miniature city, I keep thinking about how I should have made a dome like the one I'm looking at, or how I love the way the columns lead into the courtyard. 

"We have the best architects and builders in the world." Reyna says, as if reading my thoughts. "Rome always did, in the ancient times. Many demigods stay on to live here after their time in the legion. They go to our university. They settle down to raise families. Percy seemed interested in this fact." 

Calli, who had been watching the people who are going about, living their lives, scowls. She seems to be thinking the same thing as me. Why would Percy want to stay here? Camp Half-Blood is his home. 

"You two are warriors alright." Reyna says. "You've got fire in your eyes." 

"Sorry," I try to tone down my glare, but Calli makes no effort. 

"Don't be. I'm the daughter of Bellona." 

"Roman goddess of war?" I ask.

Reyna nods. She turns and whistles like she's hailing a cab. A moment later, two metal dogs race towards us. Automaton greyhounds, one silver, and one gold. They brush against Reyna's legs and regard Calli and I with glistening eyes. 

"My pets." Reyna explains. "Aurum and Argentum. You don't mind if they walk with us?"

Again, I get the feeling that this isn't a request. 

Calli's eyes light up as she examines the robotic dogs. She's been spending so much time with Leo, that she could pass for a Hephaestus kid if need be. She pets the dogs fearlessly, as if they couldn't rip her to shreds with their arrowhead teeth. 

Reyna smiles at her softly. "You're quite fearless for a daughter of Dionysus." 

Calli shrugs. "Nothing wrong with being a little crazy." 

Reyna leads us to an outdoor cafe, where the waiter clearly knows her. He smiles and hands her a to-go cup, then offers one to Calli and I. 

"Would you like some?" Reyna asks us. "They make wonderful hot chocolate. Not really a Roman drink-"

"But chocolate is universal." I finish. 

"Exactly." 

It's a warm June afternoon, but Calli and I accept the cups with thanks. We walk on, Reyna's gold and silver dogs roaming nearby. 

"In our camp, Athena is Minerva. Are you familiar with how her Roman form is different?" 

I hadn't considered it too much before, but with the way Annabeth and I have been treated here, there must be something going on. 

"I take it Minerva isn't super popular here?" Calli asks. 

Reyna blows steam from her cup. "We respect Minerva. She's the goddess of crafts and wisdom... but she isn't really a goddess of war. Not for Romans. She's also a maiden goddess, like Diana, the one you call Artemis. You won't find any children of Minerva here. The idea that Minerva would have children, frankly, it's a little shocking to us." 

"Oh." I feel my face flush, but Calli chuckles to herself. I don't want to get into the details of how Athena's children are born. They're born straight from the mind of the goddess, just like Athena had sprung from the mind of Zeus. Talking about it always makes me self-conscious. 

"I understand that you Greeks don't see things the same way." Reyna continues. "But Romans take vows of maidenhood very seriously. The Vestal Virgins, for instance... if they broke their vows and fell in love with anyone, they would be buried alive. So the idea that a maiden goddess would have children-" 

Calli pales. "They're not... they're not thinking of burying us alive, are they? Because I'm not really down with that. Like I get it, we're not supposed to exist and all, and even if your camp did have children of Minerva-"

"They wouldn't be like you two." Reyna nods. "They might be craftsmen, artists, maybe advisers, but not warriors." 

Calli nods, rocking back and forth on her heels. 

"They wouldn't be leaders of dangerous quests." Reyna examines me again, thoughtfully. 

I start to object that I'm not the leader of the quest. Not officially. But I wonder if my friends on the Argo II would agree. Calli doesn't argue with it. And gods know she's not the leader. Not that she couldn't do it, but I know she'd absolutely refuse. Calli wouldn't want that much responsibility on her. Frankly, I'd never say it to her face, but if she cut back on the sarcastic comments, she'd probably be a great leader. People love her. She's the kind of person who could start a cult with no problem. 

"There's more." Reyna snaps her fingers, and her golden dog, Aurum, trots over. The praetor strokes his ears. "The harpy Ella... it was a prophecy she spoke. We all know that, don't we?"

I swallow, but if Calli is worried, she doesn't show it. Of course she isn't the  one carrying the Mark of Athena, but still. 

"It sounded like a prophecy." Calli tells her. 

"But we've never met Ella before today." I add. "And I've never heard those lines exactly."

"I have." Reyna mutters. "At least, some of them." 

A few yards away, the silver dog barks. A group of children spill out of a nearby alleyway and gather around Argentum, petting the dog and laughing, unfazed by it's razor-sharp teeth. 

"We should move on." Reyna says. 

We wind our way up a hill. The greyhounds follow, leaving the children behind. I keep glancing at Reyna's face. A vague memory starts tugging at me. Calli is in another world. She's completely distracted by the people, the plants, the sunshine. While I look at the manmade, she looks at the natural. 

"We've met before." I venture to Reyna. "You were younger, I think." 

Reyna gives me a dry smile. "Very good. Percy didn't remember me. Of course, you spoke mostly with my older sister, Hylla, who is now queen of the Amazons. She left just this morning, before you arrived. At any rate, when we last met, I was a mere handmaiden in the house of Circe." 

"Circe..." i remember the trip to the island of the sorceress. 

"That was when you went to the sea of monsters, yeah?" Calli asks. I hadn't realized she was even listening. She's still not looking at us. Instead, she's reaching over the rails on the walkway to touch the plants. They all seem to lean in to her fingers, as if craving her touch. 

I remember clearly now. Hylla had welcomed us onto the island, and Reyna had been one of the servants that had combed my hair. 

"You..." I say in amazement. "And Hylla is queen of the Amazons? How did you two-"

"Long story." Reyna says. "But I remember you well. You were brave. I'd never seen anyone refuse Circe's hospitality, much less outwit her. It's no wonder Percy cares for you." 

Her voice sounds wistful, so I decide not to respond. 

We reach the top of the hill, where a terrace overlooks the entire valley. 

"This is my favorite spot." Reyna says, turning to Calli. "The Garden of Bacchus."