No Date for a Traitor

I sat down for lunch, hopeful for it to go by without event.

Unfortunately, my hopes would only go jinxed once again.

"Percy, can we please just do the date?" Lucia begged. "I don't want to go through a Punishment Transformation!"

"No," I said. "I'm sorry, Lucia, but not really. I don't want you to be an Olympian, so I'll leave it at that."

"So you'll do the same things as our parents!" Lucia said. "Throwing out people, punishing them?"

"You know that you deserve it!" I shot back.

"Listen," Lucia begged. "Just tell me what I can do to change your mind?"

I looked at her sadly. "Nothing, Lucia. I do think you deserved a happy ending, that's why I asked for you to go to Elysium. But, if your story is to continue, the less power entrusted to you, the better."

Lucia stood up angrily and left the hall.

"So, that's the power the Fates have given you over us," Amphitrite observed. "At your say, any attempts from us at avoiding Punishment Transformations are undone."

I looked away, not wanting to think about it.

"I think it's necessary," Rachel said. "Otherwise, things might've gotten out of hand."

"I think this whole island is bullshit," Clarisse said.

Most of us made sounds of agreement.

Once I finished lunch, Clarisse came up to me.

"I'm lucky that you're free for once," Clarisse said. "Let's talk now, instead of waiting for our date night."

"Alright," I said. "Where do you want to go?"

"There's a sparring circle," Clarisse said, leading me. "We can spar and talk."

"It's been too long since I've sparred," I said thoughtfully.

Once we got to the circle, Clarisse threw me a xiphos, and we started warming up.

"So, what'd you want to talk about?" I asked as we started circling each other.

"About what the fuck you think you're doing," Clarisse said, charging at me. "Not about Luke, or Lucia, or whatever the fuck, but in the long run."

"What do you mean?" I asked.

"You're our King," Clarisse said as I blocked her attack. "Act like it."

I blocked her attacks seamlessly. "First of all, I'm not. Second of all, what do you want me to do?"

"You see how you're only blocking my attacks?" Clarisse said. "That's you right now. Too scared to take any attacks, even if the openings are clear. Whether we're romantically interested or not, we need your approval and help, as you so tactfully showed us with Lucia. I know that there's some way for you to help some of us out."

A message rang in both of our minds.

3 Charis Earnt by Clarisse LaRue: Help Perseus discover a hidden aspect of the show!

Then, a message rang in my mind.

Hidden Aspect Found: The King's Tasks

The King's Tasks are 3 Hidden Quests you can assign to three separate Contestants of your choice Per Season. Should they fulfill the mission, they'll receive Drachma, and 1 Charis. Should they fail, they will lose 2 Charis. (Notice: Task must be approved by The Fates.)

"How did you know that existed?" I asked.

"I'm the daughter of the goddess of war," Clarisse said. "Sure, I'm mostly the brutal side, but I appreciate finesse to some extent. It seemed obvious, I'm not sure how Annabeth didn't notice it yet."

"I don't know, I'll have to ask her," I said.

"Before that, how does the system work?" Clarisse asked.

"I'm not sure," I said. "All I know is that I have to assign a Task, and then the Fates will approve of the mission, and the Contestant I've chosen will receive it."

"How many Tasks can you assign?" Clarisse asked.

"3, and I can't give more than one to one person," I said.

"Hmm, it seems like it can't be small, otherwise approval wouldn't be necessary," Clarisse said thoughtfully. "How about you give me a Task you need done?"

I thought for a moment. "I have a Task I could assign, but I'd rather wait for it to be necessary. Trust me, I'll send it to you if I need it done."

"See, that's better," Clarisse said. "Not great, but passable. Take initiative, plan, or otherwise Bellona or gods forbid, a female version of my dad will come and forcefully get a place in the new Council. Not saying to play the game all the way, just know how it's played, ok?"

"Thanks, Clarisse," I said honestly.

"No problem," Clarisse said. "Now, let's spar till dinner."

At dinner, Lucia once again begged to me.

"Percy, please," she said. "Why are you so insistent!?"

"WHY!?" I roared, finally fed up. "Ask Silena. Ask Chris. Ask Charlie. Ask Annabeth. Ask Bianca. Ask Zoë. Ask Nico. Ask Michael. Ask Castor. Ask Lee."

"You think I don't regret it all?" Lucia said. "I want to help you make sure that it doesn't happen again!"

"You were part of the problem!" I shot back. "So absorbed in all the bullshit, you forgot what you were fighting for!"

"You're just ignoring how they made us!" Lucia said, pointing at Amphitrite and Juno. "We were doomed, and you want to get mad at me!"

"When you choose a Titan, yes!" I said. "Especially when you choose the biggest one!"

"Fine," Lucia said. "I won't push back. I'll just back off and let myself lose the game."

"Took you long enough," Rachel said. "I just wish I had a hairbrush to throw at you, again."

"That was Kronos, not me," Lucia said.

"Same difference," Rachel said.

After dinner, Sadie came up to me. "Daddy, can Mommy and you join Grandma and I at our House? You're not planning on doing Lucia any favors anyways."

I thought about it for a second. "Sure."

If only I knew how... irritating the consequences of my actions would be.