Trees

Someone knocked on my door.

"Who is it?" I asked, sitting up.

"It is me," Zoë said. "I wished to check on thee after thy argument with thy partner."

I opened the door. "Zoë, I don't want to argue about what I should do, or anything."

Zoë nodded her head. "I agree with thee, and I believe thou art aware sitting in thy room shan't benefit thy mind. Come with me, let us find an answer to a question of mine."

"What's the question?" I asked, closing the door behind me.

"What do the apples in the Garden do?" Zoë asked. "In the world, should thou eat an apple, thou wouldst receive immortality. Is such the case on this Island?"

"I was wondering that too," I admitted. "Mom and I found something called Cleopatra's Needle as well today, we're not sure what it does."

"Is it the version from London or New York?" Zoë asked. "I have visited both."

"I don't know," I said. "I didn't even know what it was, Mom recognized it."

"I see," Zoë said as we entered the Garden.

I looked up at the tree. "The one we were at together was larger than this."

"Indeed," Zoë said. "It had bore thousands more apples as well."

Zoë reached up to grab an apple, holding the apple in her palm. She was about to pull the apple, but I saw her hesitating, then she let go of the apple.

Zoë turned to me. "The Fates or the tree itself impressed upon me that the Apple is only for my consumption should I have more than 10 Charis. Shall thee attempt?"

"... What have I got to lose?" I said to myself, grabbing an apple.

The Master may not pluck an Apple until a Contestant has at least 50 Charis.

I let go of the apple. "Someone needs to have 50 Charis before I can grab one."

"Then that shall be our goals," Zoë said. "Let's head to the dining hall, thou hast not eaten thy lunch."

"It's almost time for dinner, let's just wait here," I suggested.

"If that is thy wish," Zoë said, sitting against the trunk of the tree.

I sat next to her, sighing.

"Zoë, do you think I'm doing the right thing?" I asked.

"I thought thou wished to speak of other matters?" Zoë asked.

"That's all that's on my mind," I said.

"I see," Zoë said. "I believe thou art under the impression thou art doing the right thing for the current moment, but thou dost not believe thou art doing the right thing in the long run. Dost thou wisheth to hear my predictions on where this path of thine shall end?"

"Sure," I said. "Might as well."

"I believe it shall end in one of two ways, should thou choose not to act," Zoë said. "Either Annabeth shall lose, and that seems increasingly possible. She will forever be angered that she is not thy queen, and shall be vengeful for eternity. Should she win, she will be as vengeful as Hera, or Juno, treating your other queens with impunity, even as thou honor her by keeping thy bed empty of partners other than her."

I nodded sadly. "So, how do you think I should fix this?"

"Thou art her King," Zoë said. "Show her that. Inform her that thou will be taking a partner, then help her accept it. Thy responsibility is not to the singular person, that is what Amphitrite was speaking of."

"I don't want to do something like that," I said.

The bell for dinner rang, and we both stood up.

"Thou shall find it necessary by the end of this Season," Zoë said, and the truth of her statement sat in my chest.

Zoë and I entered the dining hall, and I found myself attacked by a mixture of emotions.

As I avoided Annabeth's and Clarisse's scathing and angry looks, Mom gave me a tight hug.

"Talk to me before you disappear again, ok?" Mom asked.

Before I could even say anything, Mom let go of me and hugged Zoë. "Thank you so much for getting him out of his head."

"It was not an issue," Zoë said. "He is my king, after all."

I sat down, clearing my throat tentatively. "Uh, Clarisse, I'm not sure if anyone told you the prophecy for tomorrow?"

"No," Clarisse said roughly.

"And you won't get it," Rachel said. "Percy, don't tell her. Clarisse, you're mad at the wrong person, don't take it out on Percy."

Clarisse glared at Rachel. "I just lost 5 Charis, and you want me to just let it go!"

"Well, you wouldn't have lost it if you didn't trap Annabeth in your plot," Rachel said. "So the only person to blame here is you and Annie, don't be a bitch to the rest of us."

"I'm to blame for her trying to fuck my boyfriend?" Annabeth asked with a chuckle. "Woof, you're so wrong it's barely even funny."

"Yes," Zoë said. "She is thy friend, and we are all to be thy sister-wives. Had you not been rebellious, life would be simpler."

"You can't ask me to share Percy with all of you," Annabeth said.

"The pride of Athena always outweighs her logic," Amphitrite said. "There's a reason my old family had a grudge against your mother and her children, after all. I wonder why Poseidon let you touch the seas."

"I asked him to," I said. "Why are you bringing up our parents' feud?"

"Is Annabeth's attitude not reminiscent of her mother?" Amphitrite asked me. "Prideful, bratty, needing everything to go her way. She is nearly as unbearable as Juno."

"I'm not unbearable!" Juno and Annabeth screamed at the same time, then they glared at each other.

There was a couple of quiet chuckles. Much to my regret, I was one of them.

Annabeth glared at me, having heard me laugh, then she chose to eat her food instead of arguing.

Choosing to let the conversation end on a slightly less sour note, I chose to do the same.

Once dinner was done, I was headed to my house, when Amphitrite stopped me.

"Perseus, about your mother," Amphitrite said, and I turned to face her.

"Is everything ok?" I asked.

"Yes," Amphitrite nodded. "Annabeth came into the kitchen, but as soon as she made eye contact with me, she realized you told me to watch out for her, so she just left. I just wanted to tell you that you need to watch out for your mother, or she'll get Demoted this Season. Both of us know how that will effect her."

I nodded seriously. "I know what you're saying, and I agree."

"Then that's all I can say, my king," Amphitrite curtsied, then she walked away.