━━ chapter thirty-three
aphrodite's (wait, venus?) wisdom

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    ━━Buford the Table was apparently the answer to all of their problems. Spinning off like a table on helicopter steroids, it disappeared off with Frank's dirty laundry to lead the eagles off their scent while they took the long way to Charleston Harbor. The night was stressful and lonely, for Percy passed out early, Annabeth was brooding to herself in her room, Piper was spending time with Jason, Frank was sleeping, Hazel was sleeping, and Leo was manning the navigation. Fiona was alone in the mess hall, glowering at the Camp Half-Blood live visuals. 

    It made her miss home, and it wasn't even her home she was seeing. 

    (This had to work, otherwise, Fiona will lose everything. Her brother, her home, her family...)

    The only other member on this ship that she hadn't mentioned, Sam Flora, stepped into the mess hall. As soon as he saw Fiona, he gave her an awkward smile and rushed towards the magic plates for a late-night snack. 

     Fiona arched a brow at him, watching his scurry past her. "I'm not going to bite."

    Sam jumped in hearing her speak. He glanced at her, picking up a magic bowl that immediately filled up with Fruit Loops cereal. "You sure?"

     The daughter of Pluto frowned. "I'm not going to bite," she told him again.

     He turned around to her, grabbing a spoon and scooping up a mouthful of cereal into his mouth. Not even fully swallowing it, Sam said, "Probably not, but━like━you're scary. That whole seance thing you did? Scary."

     Fiona wasn't amused (she wasn't in the mood to be). "Why are you eating cereal at this time? And Fruit Loops? You know that's just sugar."

    Sam looked at her as though she had committed blasphemy. "Excuse you, Fruit Loops is gold tier cereal. It's the best thing ever created," he scooped another mouthful. "You're missing out," he then added with a full mouth.

    Fiona scoffed and stood up. "I never said I didn't like it," she smirked at him lightly and grabbed herself her own bowl. It filled up with the sugary goodness. "It's a treat back home. I only have it on special holidays."

     The son of Athena pursed his lips, surprised by her. Then, he rubbed his nose and sat down at the table. Fiona decided to join him. "I like having them when I gotta think."

    All of the sudden, Sam looked upset, and Fiona immediately thought, uhhhh... what do I do? "Um ... what are you thinking about?" she asked him.

     Sam met her gaze, as if wondering whether to tell her not, before letting out a dramatic sigh and leaning back in his chair. "Annabeth doesn't think I can do anything! She was younger than me when she went on her first quest. And I'm more capable than people think I am. Just because I like flower crowns and romance novels and don't like fighting in the sun doesn't mean I don't know how to defend myself!" he sighed again, and glumy set his spoon in his bowl. The milk plopped! "I had a dream, and I knew I was supposed to help save your brother. Why else would the gods show me that? But maybe they're wrong, you know? Maybe Annabeth is right. Maybe I should have stayed back at Camp..." he glanced at the visuals as they settled on a campfire with multiple kids singing around it. Fiona felt her own spark of pain in her heart, missing Camp Jupiter. 

    She kissed her teeth, and set aside her cereal, too. "The gods do stuff for reasons," she told Sam. "Half of the time, we have absolutely no idea why they do, or what those reasons are, but they're important. You were meant to see my brother, and I have every faith that you will help us rescue him. And I don't put my faith in many people."

    His eyes welled up in tears, and Fiona thought she had said something wrong before Sam quickly sniffed and wiped them away. "Thank you," he mumbed, then hugged Fiona. 

     She froze up. Uh ... small child is hugging ... in the end, she awkwardly patted him on the back as if to say, Uh ... good boy? (She doesn't know how to deal with small kids! She's a daughter of Pluto, for gods sake!).

     Sam pulled away, and slumped his shoulders. "Still doesn't the change the fact that no matter what I say, I can't fight with a sword. Percy tries to teach me, but I just━I can't swing it like he can."

    "Well, that comes with practice," Fiona said. 

    "Yeah, but kids of Athena are meant to be naturally good, at like━everything," Sam said. 

     Fiona crossed her arms, thinking about it. "Well ... maybe you're just using the wrong weapon? Maybe a sword isn't for you?" surprising even herself, Fiona reached into her sheath and pulled out her pugio. She handed it to Sam. He took it, eyes wide. "Come on, test it out on me, see how you go."

    She stood up and stepped back, putting space between them and gesturing her fingers for him to have a go. Sam stood up as well, unsure. "Uh ..." he held the knife awkwardly. "But what if I hurt you?"

    Fiona scoffed, "I can take a hit, come on━you know you want to," she grinned at him, and held up her fists. "Hold it properly━you can do this. Or are you just here for nothing?" When he still didn't move, she propped a hand on her hip. "Well, that's disappointing, I thought children of Athena were meant to be good at━like━" she mimicked his voice, "━everything━?"

    She grinned when he threw the knife in his annoyance, and she caught it in between her hands without a scratch. Sam stared at her, mouth-agape, "How did you━?"

    "That was good!" Fiona cut him off, spinning the knife and catching it by the tip. She held it back to him, handle-first. "You have nice aim, Sam. Come on, try some combat."

     Sam was still stunned, "But you're unharmed?"

    "No, I'm not," Fiona gestured to her arms. "A Roman uses everything they have. Now, come on, have a go. I promise you, you're not going to hurt me bad."

    He seemed unsure, but decided to have a go. He swung the knife at her with a very Greek style, and Fiona ducked. Manouvering around each swing, she managed to find a opening and sent her fist to a specific point to his chest. Not hard, but enough to make him cough in his suprise, and she jabbed his elbow up, making him drop the dagger and she took it, spinning it in her fingers before pointing it at his abdomen. 

     Fiona sent the kid a wink as he stepped back, confused. "That's not a move!"

     "Yes it is," she said. 

     Sam crossed his arms and jutted his hip out. "Okay, I may not fight well, but I know battle strategy, and that is not a move in the books."

     "It's not a move in the Greek books," Fiona handed back the pugio again, and he took it with narrowed eyes. "It's Roman. We like to take analyse, know our opponent before attacking straight and forwards to their weak spots━you Greeks just go for it."

     "We have strategy," Sam sounded offended. "Just different strategy! And it's worked."

    "Yeah, it has," Fiona admitted. "But imagine what you could do with Greek and Roman strategy," she wagged her finger at him with a mischevious smirk. "Learn to use them both."

     Sam thought about this, and he soon gasped. Shuffling towards her eagerly, he bounced on his toes. "Can you teach me? Can you teach me? Please━please?!"

     Fiona Midgrass would admit, it was very unlike her to offer to teach someone her knowledge. Usually she would never allow someone to be like her, be as good as her━or even worse, better. But Sam was giving her these puppy-dog eyes, and he's brown hair was tousled around his face, and he was small and could throw with good aim without realising and━

    She's not completely stone-hearted, okay?!

    "Sure," she smiled, and ruffled his hair. "But first, let's eat this cereal before it goes all soggy━and you need to find a dagger. Because that's mine."    

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    ━━Leo docked the ship at the Charleston Harbour pier, right next to the seawall, and they set out on their separate missions. The boys: Leo, Jason and Frank, headed for the museum, while the girls took to the prettier side of Charleston in search for this ghost. Percy decided to jump into the harbour to find a way to free those captives in Atlanta, and Fiona had squeezed his hand, saying goodbye with a quick kiss. She had a feeling he needed to feel the sea after what he went through (even though he didn't seem like he wanted to talk to her about it, which she also understood). 

    Fiona, Annabeth, Hazel and Piper walked along the Battery; a walk along the shore dotted with magnificent, white mansions, palm trees and wrought-iron fences. According to the signs, the seaside park was called White Point Gardens, and lining the road were old Civil War cannons and bronze statues of historical figures ... like William Gilmore Simms (or something or rather). It was a hot summer afternoon, but the breeze of the ocean seemed to chill it away ever-so-slightly to a comfortable climate for day out. If they were just going for a walk, Fiona may have enjoyed this━seeing Roman culture in the architecture was quite pleasing, until she remembered history, and winced, knowing why Hazel eyed the buildings warily. 

    It was a sharp reminder to Fiona that Roman culture was surrounded with slavery that was hidden from the beautiful monuments, honour and codes of chivalry. The American South had been similar; hauntingly similar. Tales of evil hidden and wrapped up in beautiful Southern Belle dresses, romantic tales, amazing manors and architecture━that was until one dug through, and could admit the horrors against human rights. Something common Fiona has found all through-out history; stemming from colonisation, and England ... but they had been influenced by Rome, too. Even in the Second World War. Mussolini had wanted to make Italy the empire it used to be, marching Rome with promises of mighty power for all hidden behind Fascism and dictatorship. It all led back to Rome, Rome, and Rome. And some people wondered, and why shouldn't it? Rome was mighty. But Fiona knew that Rome was also bloodthirsty and full of horror, used towards the advantage of politicians (it had been one of the reasons why they had gladiator fights, after all, to gain popularity in the public towards their senate). 

    The others didn't speak much. Annabeth looked like she was trying hard not to be sick in glancing at some of the statues━remembering something that none of the rest of them understood. Piper kept glancing around like she expected an ambush. She had said she'd seen this park in the blade of her knife, but she wouldn't elaborate; maybe she was afraid to. Hazel also seemed preoccupied━maybe taking in their surroundings, or maybe worrying about Nico. Fiona was worrying, too. They had less than four days before he would die if they didn't find a way to free him. 

    Suddenly, Piper grabbed her arm. Fiona was jolted from her thoughts. "There," she pointed across the harbour. A hundred yards out━at the very least━floated a shimmering white figure in the water, and it was moving more smoothly than a boat straight for them. As it got closer, Fiona could tell it was the figure of a woman.

    "The ghost," muttered Annabeth.

    "That's not a ghost," said Hazel, and Fiona agreed. "No kind of spirit glows that brightly."

    Transfixed, Piper walked across the street towards the seawall, narrowly avoiding a horse-drawn carriage. 

    "Piper!" Annabeth called, but she ignored her.

    "Um, I think we should follow her," said Fiona.

    By the time they got to her, the ghostly apparation was only a few yards away. Piper glowered at it as if just the sight of it made every blood in her body boil. "It is her," she grumbled.

    Fiona arched a brow at the apparation, but it blazed too brightly to make out the details. But then it floated up the seawall and stopped in front of them. The glow faded.

    Her eyes widened, and her mouth fell agape. She was beautiful. And no, not just 'beautiful' like a compliment you pass around, she was ... she was more than beautiful, more than stunning, more than gorgeous. She was all of that put together in a single being. Fiona couldn't even make her out properly because her figure kept shifting. She looked familiar, in ways she couldn't describe; in her eyes. They sparked mischeviously in a sea-green, and her hair changed from black sideswept hair, to blonde curls, to straight dark and glamorous hair. Fiona gritted her teeth. This woman seemed to show her everything she wished she could be, but wasn't━it made Fiona jealous and annoyed; this woman won in every competition Fiona couldn't: the blonde hair, the beautiful skin, the effortless smile ...

    The woman was dressed like a Southern belle━exactly how Jason said she woul dbe. Her gown had a low-cut bodice of pink silk and a three-tiered hoop skirt with white scalloped lace. Adoring her arms were beautiful white silk gloves, holding a feathered pink-and-white fan to her chest. 

    Fiona suddenly realised who this was, and why she felt so jealous she could rip off her head any second━

    "Aphrodite," greeted Annabeth.

    "Venus," breathed Hazel in amazement.

    "Great," muttered Fiona sarcastically.

    "Mom," Piper said with no enthusiasm. 

   "Girls!" the goddess spread her arms like she wanted a hug. None of them obliged. Hazel backed into a palmetto tree. "I'm so glad you're here!" Venus (or Aphrodite?) smiled. "War is coming. Bloodshed is inevitable. So, there's really only one thing to do."

    "Uh ..." Annabeth arched a brow, "and that is?"

    "Why, have a tea and chat, obviously! Come with me!"

    (Fiona didn't want to have tea, but she had to admit, Aphrodite knew how to make tea). 

     She hosted their tea in the central pavilion in the gardens where a table waited for them amongst a white-pillared gazebo, already filed to the brim with china cups steaming with boiling tea, silverware and plates of scones, cookies, muffins, fresh butter and jam ... 

    Aphrodite held court in a prtty wicker peacock chair, serving cakes without getting a speck on her clothes. Her posture was something Mary Poppins could only dream of with a smile that dazzled the ages (Fiona hated her more and more, and she hated it more because it was all irrational). 

    "Oh, my sweet girls!" her voice was soft and sweet like honey. "I do love Charleston! The weddings I've attended in this gazebo━they bring tears to my eyes. And the elegant balls in the days of the Old South. Ah, they were lovely. Many of these mansions have statues of me in their gardens, though they called me Venus."

    "And which are you?" Fiona asked. "Venus or Aphrodite?"

    The goddess sipped her tea, her pinky finger outstretched with perfect mannner. Her eyes sparkled mischeiviously, "Why, Fiona Midgrass, you are a gorgeous lady, but I would really do something with your hair. Oh, my dear Annabeth Chase, you have grown into quite a beautiful young lady, as well! But I would focus on those spots on your chin. And Hazel Levesque, you're clothes━"

    "My clothes?" Hazel looked down at her rumpled denim, while Annabeth frowned at touched the very little spots that were on her chin. 

    "Mother!" Piper said. "You're embarassing me."

    "Well, I don't see why," said the goddess. "Just because you don't appreciate my fashion tips, Piper, doesn't mean the others won't. I could do a quick makeover for Fiona, Annabeth and Hazel, perhaps silk ball gowns like mine━"

    "Mother!"

    "Fine," Aphrodite (or was it Venus? Fiona still wasn't sure). "To answer your question, Fiona, I am both Aphrodite and Venus. Unlike many of my fellow Olympians, I changed hardly at all from one age to the other. In fact, I like to think I haven't aged a bit!" her fingers fluttered around her face appreciatively. "Love is love, after all, whether you're Greek or Roman. This civil war won't affect me much as it will the others."

    Hazel nibbled at a sugar cookie. "We're not in a war yet, my lady."

    "Oh, dear Hazel," Aphrodite folded her fan. "Such optimism, yet you have heartrending days ahead of you. Of course war is coming. Love and war always go together. They are the peaks of human emotion! Evil and good, beauty and ugliness," she smiled at Fiona, as if she knew what she had been thinking earlier about the Old South. 

    "What do you mean," Hazel frowned, "heartrending days?"

    The goddess laughed as if Hazel was but a cute puppy, clapping her hands together like she had done a wonderful trick. "Well, Fiona could give you some idea. She asked for me to interviene with her love life, make it interesting I'm sure. And didn't I?"

    Fiona looked up from her tea, her glare hardening. Venus (or Aphrodite━oh, she doesn't care!) didn't care, just smiling at her. "Don't you remember?" she said. "Back on that rooftop? You asked me for a little help in regards to Percy, and of course, I jumped in! I live for a good love story━all of the twist and turns. You have such a journey ahead of you, my dear."

    "I ..." Fiona was startled. "I was being sarcastic ... I didn't actually ... wait━" her heart jolted with fear, "━what is going to happen?"

    "Wouldn't you love to know?" the goddess of love spun her tea chup with a gentle grip, "But there is know fun in romance that way."

    "Mother," Piper gritted her teeth, shooting Fiona a look that said, I'm so sorry, "is there any reason you're here?"

    "Hmmm? Oh, you mean besides the tea? I often come here. I love the view, the food, the atmosphere━you can just smell the romance and heartbreak in the air, can't you? Centuries of it."

     She pointed to a nearby mansion. "Do you see that rooftop balcony? We had a party there the night the American Civil War began. The shelling of Fort Summer."

    "That's it," Annabeth said. "The island in the harbour. That's where the first fighting of the Civil War happened. The Confederates shelled the Union troops and took the fort."

    "Oh, such a party! A string quarter, and all the men in their elegant new officers' uniforms. The women's dresses━you should've seen them! I danced with Ares━or was he Mars? I'm afraid I was a little giddyy. And the beautiful bursts of light across the harbour, the roar of the cannons giving the men an excuse to put their arms around their frightened sweethearts!"

     Fiona felt sick. She pushed her tea away from her as Annabeth frowned, "You're talking about the beginning of the bloodiest war in U.S. history. Over six hundred thousand people died━more Americans than in World War One and World War Two combined."

    "And the refreshments!" Venus went on. "Ah, they were divine. General Beauregard himself made an appearance. He was such a scoundrel. He was on his second wife then, but you should have seen the way he looked at Lisbeth Cooper━"

    "Mother!" Piper tossed her scone to the pigeons with a glare on her face. 

    "Yes, sorry," the goddess sighed. "To make the story short, I'm here to help you, girls. I doubt you'll be seeing Hera much. Your little quest has hardly made her welcome in the throne room. And the other gods are rather indisposed, as you know, torn between their Roman and Greek sides. Some more than others." She fixed her ever-shifting gaze on Annabeth. "I suppose you've told your friends about your falling-out with your mother?"

    Fiona arched a brow, turning to Annabeth who went red in embarassment. She refused to meet their gaze, holding her tea cup so tight Fiona was afraid it would snap in half. "Falling-out?" she asked her.

    "An argument," said Annabeth. "It's nothing."

    "Nothing!" Venus scoffed, shaking her head. "Well, I don't know about that. Athena was the most Greek of all goddesses. The patron of Athens, after all. When the Romans took over ... oh, they adopted Athena after a fashion. She became Minerva, the goddess of crafts and cleverness. But the Romans had other war gods who ere more their taste, more reliably Roman━like Bellona━"

     "Reyna's mom," Piper muttered.

    "Yes, indeed," Piper's mother agreed. "I had a lovely talk with Reyna a while back, right here in the park. And the Romans had Mars, of course. And later, there was Mithras━not even properly Greek or Roman, but the legionnaires were crazy about his cult. I always found him crass and terribly nouveau dieu, personally. At any rate, the Romans quite sidelined poor Athena. They took away most of her military importance. The Greeks never forgave the Romans for that insult. Neither did Athena."

    Fiona met Annabeth's gaze, and her stomach clenched as she realised. It was a story passed around Praetors, but amongst the Fifth Cohort, they spoke about it under the dim light of their bunks. Fiona thought it was just that, a story━a way to try and reason with the terrible relationship between the Romans and Greeks in history, one that Romans didn't want to admit to (especially when none of them truly knew where it was). Annabeth gave her a subtle nod to tell her that she was right. 

    "Shit," she breathed. 

    "The Mark of Athena," Annabeth said, turning back to the goddess. "It leads to a statue, doesn't it? It leads to ... to the statue."

    Venus smiled. "You are clever, like your mother. Understand, though, your siblings, the children of Athena, have been searching for centuries. None has succeeded in recovering the statue. In the meantime, they've been keeping alive the Greek fued with the Romans. Ever civil war ... so much bloodshood and heartbreak ... has been orchestrated largely by Athena's children."

    "That's ..." Annabeth looked sickly pale.

    "Romantic? Yes, I supposed it is."

    "But ... The Mark of Athena, how does it work? Is it a series of clues, or a trail set by Athena━"

    "Hmm..." Venus sipped at her tea, looking very bored by this conversation. "I couldn't say. I don't believe Athena created the Mark consciously. If she knew where herstatue was, she'd simply tell you were to find it. No ... I'd guess the Mark is more like a spiritual trail of bread crumbs. It's a connection between the statue and the children of the goddess. The statue wants to be found, you see, but it can nly be freed by the most worthy."

    "And for thousands of years," Annabeth murmured, "no one has managed."

    "Hold on," Piper held up a hand for a time-out. "What statue are we talking about?"

    The goddess laughed. "Oh, I'm sure Annabeth can fill you in. At any rate, the clue you need is close by: a map of sorts, left by the children of Athena in 1861━a remembrance that will start your path, once you reach Rome. But as you said, Annabeth Chase, no one has ever succeeded in following the Mark of Athena to its end. There you will face your worst fear━the fear of every child of Athena. And even if you survive, how will you use your reward? For war or for peace?"

    Annabeth took a deep, shuddering breath to keep the brave look upon her face. "This map," she said, "where is it?"

    "Guys!" Hazel pointed to the sky. 

    Circling above the palmetto trees were two large eagles and higher up, descending rapidly, was a flying chariot pulled by pegasi. Fiona clenched her jaw. "Great," she muttered. "Just wonderful."

    Venus spread her butter on a muffin as if she had all the time in the world. "Oh, the map is at Fort Summer, of course," she pointed the butter knife towards the island across the harbour. "It looks like the Romans have arrived to cut you off. I'd get back to your ship in a hurry if I were you. Would you care for some tea cakes to go?"

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    a/n: sam and fiona are cute. she's practically adopted him at this point.