𝐓𝐇𝐄 𝐀𝐖𝐀𝐊𝐄𝐍𝐈𝐍𝐆 •| ⊱ Jason Grace¹

•| ⊱ NINETEEN

[ chapter nineteen: hermia ]

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"Your Highness," Piper said, "Why don't you tell the boys how you betrayed your family? I'm sure they'd like to hear that story."

Mia looked over at the girl in confusion. Hermia had no idea what Piper was talking about. She knew Piper's words didn't have any effect on the princess, but the boys turned, suddenly interested.

"More story?" Leo asked.

"I like more story!" Jason agreed. Hermia couldn't help, but roll her eyes at the boys.

The princess flashed Piper an irritated look before looking at Mia. "Oh, one will do strange things for love. Hermia, you should know that. I fell for that young hero, in fact, because Piper's mother Aphrodite had me under a spell. If it wasn't for her-but I can't hold a grudge against a goddess, can I?"

Mia had a sick feeling the princess wanted to take it out on Piper.

"But that hero took you with him when he fled Colchis," Piper said. "Didn't he, Your Highness? He married you just as he promised."

Hermia could tell the princess wasn't so happy about Piper's comment. With one look Mia new Piper wanted to apologize, but she didn't.

"At first," Her Highness admitted, "it seemed he would keep his word. But even after I helped him steal my father's treasure, he still needed my help. As we fled, my brother's fleet came after us. His warships overtook us. He would have destroyed us, but I convinced my brother to come aboard our ship first and talk under a flag of truce. He trusted me."

"And you killed your own brother," Piper said. Mia didn't know how Piper could remember that horrible detail of the story. But she didn't want to find out.

"What?" Jason stirred. Mia watched him and for a moment he looked almost like himself. "Killed your own-"

"No," the princess snapped. "Those stories are lies. It was my new husband and his men who killed my brother, though they couldn't have done it without my deception. They threw his body into the sea, and the pursuing fleet had to stop and search for it so they could give my brother a proper burial. This gave us time to get away. All this, I did for my husband. And he forgot our bargain. He betrayed me in the end."

Jason still looked uncomfortable. "What did he do?"

The princess held the sliced-up toga against Jason's chest, as if measuring him for an assassination. "Don't you know the story, my boy? You of all people should. You were named for him."

Hermia watched in confusion as Piper said, "Jason. The original Jason. But then you're -you should be dead!"

Dread filled Hermia's whole body. She didn't know what was going on, but that comment alone made her think that something was very wrong with this Princess.