ROYAL CRIES
━━ epilogue

━━ THE SUMMER SESSION for Camp Half-Blood went late that year. It lasted two more weeks, right up to the start of a new school year, and Elisa had to admit, those weeks were the best two weeks of her life.

               Grover had taken over the satyr seekers and was sending them out across the world to find unclaimed half-bloods. So far, the gods had kept their promise. New demigods were popping up all over the place—not just in America, but in a lot of other countries as well.

               Elisa struggled to believe the camp she was in now was the one she had arrived at a year and a half ago. There had only been twelve cabins then, but now so many were being built that the U-shape would soon be a complete rectangle. It was going so well that Annabeth and Chiron were talking about adding an entirely new wing of cabins just so they could have enough room.

               Nico had some undead builders working on the Hades Cabin. Even though he was still the only kid in it, it was going to look pretty cool—solid obsidian walls with a skull over the door and torches that burned with green fire twenty-four hours a day. Elisa told him to make it less depressing but the son of Hades insisted as that was 'the aesthetic of Hades, Lord of the Dead.' Next to that were the cabins of Iris, Nemesis, Hecate, and several others Elisa didn't recognize.

               The Hermes Cabin was a lot less crowded now, because most of the unclaimed kids had received signs from their godly parents. It happened almost every night, and every night more demigods straggled over the property line with the satyr guides, usually with some nasty monsters pursuing them, but almost all of them made it through.

               Nico nudged Elisa, pointing back to the list in his hands. He was talking to her about last-minute things for Cabin Thirteen, the cabin for his father.

               Elisa rolled her eyes. "I hate the fact you're painting the cabin black."

               "The cabins are supposed to be representative of our parents, Elisa!" said Nico. "Black is the color of death."

               "And being surrounded by so many dark colors will make your depression worse," added Elisa. "You don't need anything to make you more depressed."

               Nico flushed. "I'm not depressed."

               The daughter of Dionysus gave him a look. "If you're not depressed," she said, "I'm not into girls."

               Nico scowled and marked out something on the list. "The cabins' already half-painted, I'm not making them repaint it."

               "I can't wait until you're out of your emo phase," Elisa admitted with a shake of her head.

               Nico gave her a blank look. "What's emo?"

               She patted him on the shoulder sympathetically. "I still have a lot to teach you. Hey—tonight, Cabin Twelve, and I'll play some of my Paramore and My Chemical Romance CDs for you."

               "What's Paramore?" he asked innocently. "My Chemical Romance?"

               Elisa groaned loudly. She forgot Nico wasn't from her time and had spent seventy years trapped in Lotus Hotel and Casino.

               Nico stopped asking questions after that, busying himself with writing more things on the paper he would give Annabeth. Elisa watched him, wondering what else he was behind on. He was born in the 1940s, in Italy, and raised Catholic. Surely, he had been pretty sheltered, Elisa had met plenty of Catholics to know that.

               She remembered, back at Westover Hall, Nico asking about how she knew she liked girls. Back then, before she knew about Lotus Hotel and Casino, she nearly chalked it up to Nico simply being curious, but something made her think otherwise. Nico had too many questions—even for himself ( and that was saying something ).

               Nico had always been curious, but this was different. He seemed too nervous to discuss the topic, like he was afraid of Elisa judging him. She never acted on the topic but had her thoughts about why he would seem nervous. She never asked, figuring the boy was raised in a strict household that wouldn't allow anything that wasn't heterosexual.

               "Hey," Nico spoke up, looking at her, "why are looking at me like that?"

               Elisa looked away and picked up a pebble nearby to examine it. "You remember me telling you about how I like girls?"

               The son of Hades pouted slightly; he often did that when thinking about something. "Yeah, why?"

               "I was just thinking ..." She trailed off, wondering the best way to approach it or if she should just drop the topic altogether. Maybe Nico wasn't comfortable talking about sexuality yet. "Nevermind."

               "What?" asked Nico, shifting around so he faced her. "What were you thinking about?"

               Elisa shrugged. "Back at Westover, you asked how I knew that I liked girls and stuff. I was thinking about whether or not I explained it well."

               His brows furrowed. "I think you did," he admitted. He glanced at her sporadically. "You talked about labels; how you felt you didn't really fit one. You explained to me different kinds of labels."

               "I remember you asked how I knew and I didn't have a good answer for you," recalled Elisa. "'Cause I didn't know, really."

               "Why bring it up, anyway?" asked Nico.

               "I don't know," she admitted. "I guess when I started to like Percy it made me think about everything, and back then I talked to Silena, and she tried her best to walk me through sexualities and stuff. And now that I've started dating Percy, it's made me think about it all again. I guess I want to pass on my knowledge."

               Nico started doodling on the edge of his paper. "What changed, then?"

               "I learned about pansexuality," said Elisa. "I feel like it explains what I feel pretty well."

               "What is pansexuality?"

               "It basically means I like someone and that their gender doesn't matter," said Elisa. "I never thought about whether a person was a guy, girl, or non-binary. It was always about them as a person."

               "You told me it wasn't wrong back then," said Nico. "For boys to like other boys, but I ..."

               "You struggled to realize that?" asked Elisa.

               The son of Hades nodded.

               "S'okay. I was the same way as a kid. None of my teachers liked the fact I had a 'girlfriend' back in Kindergarten, so then I learned to hide that fact. But I figured, stubborn me, that if it was 'wrong' I wouldn't feel that way."

               Nico stared at her after that. "I like boys," he admitted quietly.

               "Okay," said Elisa. "You like anyone?"

               "No—well, maybe," Nico said quickly. "I don't know if he likes boys."

               "Can I know who?"

               He shook his head firmly. "Definitely not."

               Elisa shrugged, like she expected this answer. "I'm glad you trust me enough to tell me."

               Nico gave her a wry smile. "You're my sister, Elisa. Of course I trust you."

               She smiled back, ready to leave the conversation there, but Nico asked something: "How'd you know?"

               She looked at him. "What?"

               "You didn't seem shocked," he said.

               "Was I supposed to gasp or something?" she countered.

               "Well—no," said Nico. "But you seem like you already knew."

               "I didn't," she promised. "I mean, I thought you might be confused or something after you asked all those questions back at Westover, but I figured I shouldn't push you. Just because I was comfortable about liking the same gender at ten, doesn't mean you were."

               Nico blinked quickly. He nodded, more to himself. "Thanks, then."

               Elisa smiled and squeezed his shoulder. "Don't thank me for that."

               She wasn't sure how much longer Nico was going to stick around, but she was happy to know when and if he came by, he would have a home with her, even if they stayed in different cabins.

ˋˏ [ 👑 ] ˎˊ

A week after the shroud burning, Elisa grew worried. She had passed by Cabin Ten every day, and had seen every inhabitant of the cabin except for Drew Tanaka. What Aphrodite had asked of her after the council on Olympus rang in her ears. She had promised the goddess to check on her kids and she had bailed on it.

               Elisa was sure Drew needed her space after all that had happened. And she tried to give the daughter of Aphrodite her space, but ...

               Elisa had to make sure Drew was okay—as okay as she could be, that is.

               She knocked on the pink, wooden door. She didn't wait for a response before swinging it open. The cabin was empty, eerily silent, and clean—except for one bed. The one Silena had slept in. It was made as that had been Silena's rules; every morning, they had to make their beds.

               Her stuff was still on the bed, unmoved and untouched. There was an open, half-eaten box of chocolates. The last box her father had sent. There were many pictures hung up behind the bed; a lot of Silena and Beckendorf, Silena with her siblings, her and Elisa. But one specific polaroid caught Elisa's attention.

               This polaroid was dated November 11th, 2008; Drew's birthday. Drew had convinced her father to let her leave Brooklyn Academy for the Gifted that day to spend it at camp. Silena, Drew, and Elisa were huddled together, grinning ear to ear.

               She remembered the moment vividly. Silena was adamant about taking a photo so they would never forget. Elisa's heart ached and she moved past quickly.

               The door to the bathroom had light leaking underneath it. She heard rustling and her heart jumped into her throat. Elisa hurried over to the door and swung it open.

               As sad as the scene in front of her was, Elisa couldn't help but be relieved. She had thought of the worst, and for once, the worst wasn't happening.

               Drew stood in the bathroom, in front of the sink and mirror. She held onto a pair of scissors, and there were chunks of jet-black hair in the marble sink. Lying on her forehead were freshly, messily cut bangs. She stared at herself, but Elisa wasn't sure how much she could see considering the tears blinding her vision.

               "Drew," said Elisa, taking a step closer.

               The daughter of Aphrodite looked over. Elisa had never seen eyes that looked so hollow and diminished before. She reached out for the scissors slowly and Drew gave them over easily.

               "They told me bangs would suit me," Drew admitted. "Callum and Silena."

               "They're right," agreed Elisa quickly. She tucked the scissors into the back pockets of her shorts, far away from Drew's shaky hands.

               Drew looked back at the mirror. Her Adam's apple bobbed as she choked back a sob. "Don't lie. They look horrible."

               "You just need to shape them up," Elisa said gently. "I'll help you. You have scissors to cut hair in here, don't you? How long do you want the bangs?"

               Drew watched the daughter of Dionysus bustle around the pink bathroom. She let out a heavy sigh, leaning against the counter. She brushed down the bangs as best she could as Elisa walked back over, haircutting scissors in hand.

               As Elisa shaped them up, Drew said, "You looked so . . . scared when you opened the bathroom door. Did you think I was trying to ...?" She couldn't finish her question but both knew what she was asking.

               Elisa faltered. "It— ... I knew you would take their deaths hard, and for some people, the only way to escape is to ... you know."

               A sob tumbled out of Drew's lips. "I thought about it," she admitted miserably. She put her hand to her mouth as tears welded up. She looked like she couldn't believe she had said it aloud.

               Elisa stopped shaping up the bangs, setting the black scissors on the counter, deliberately away from the daughter of Aphrodite. Before Drew could collapse, Elisa led her head so Drew could cry on her shoulder. A loud, hollow sob left Drew as she clung to the girl in front of her. Her grief, anger, and confusion were so strong they almost brought Elisa down with her.

               "I struggled with suicidal thoughts, too," admitted Elisa after Drew's sobs minimized to sniffles. "While I was on the run, I hated myself and what had happened. I blamed myself for it all. I thought it would be easier to die by my own hands than a monster's."

               "It's not that," said the daughter of Aphrodite. "I—I hate her, Elisa. And I hate myself for it."

               Elisa was at a loss for words. She wasn't sure if she hated Silena, but she hadn't forgiven her, either. She wasn't sure what she felt. Part of it was hate, like what Drew was feeling, but another part of her felt sympathy for Silena. She had been lied to and manipulated to do the Titans' bidding.

               "There's nothing wrong with that," she said. "Grief doesn't make sense—"

               "Silena betrayed us!" Drew wailed. "She lied, to all of us. And then she left! She did something stupid and got herself killed. She left us, Elisa. She left me!"

               Elisa's hands trembled as she ran them over Drew's hair. "I know. I know."

               "As much as I hate her, I miss her," said Drew. "But I don't want to miss her. I just want to forget."

               Elisa knew it was better to let them sit in silence. There wasn't more she could say, and the best she could do was be there for her friend.

               As much as Silena was like a sister to Elisa, she had been Drew's actual sister. They had spent years together in Cabin Ten; they had spent years laughing together, sharing makeup tips, hair care routines, and gossiping about who liked who. Silena was more than just Drew's older sister, she had been Drew's role model. Even if Drew never said it aloud, she was much too proud for that, she looked to Silena for guidance.

               Elisa had been the one to tell Drew about Silena and the silver charm that showed her alliance with Kronos, voluntarily or not. She had to watch as Drew realize her big sister, her role model had turned into a traitor and then to one of the dead in a matter of seconds.

               Drew had never gotten to say goodbye, either. Not like Elisa, or Percy, or Clarisse.

               Silena tried to right her wrongs to the best of her abilities. She led Cabin Five bravely against the drakon. She had gotten Clarisse to help. All the good she tried to do before her untimely death only did so much to counteract the things she had done for the Titans.

               The only thing Elisa could do now was be there for her friend as struggled through her grief and confusion.

ˋˏ [ 👑 ] ˎˊ

The bracelet Dionysus had given his daughter was still a mystery to her. And Elisa was far too freaked out by the bracelet's manic laugh to wear it. The two theatrical masks also gave her a creepy feeling, like they were watching her. She knew she sounded a little crazy, but she couldn't help it.

               She also avoided her father, which she could help, but the guilt of doing so didn't stop her. Sue her, okay?

               But she could only avoid her father for so long.

               Elisa was walking past the Big House as the sun set one day, a basket of fresh strawberries in her arms. Chiron and her father sat on the front porch, playing a game of pinochle. With the way the god cursed, she assumed Dionysus was being a sore loser.

               Elisa was doing some of her daily chores, and it was Cabin Twelve's turn to pick strawberries. They were meant to do the chores in the morning but she had lost track of time sparring and then helping Annabeth with blueprints for new cabins. Then, Elisa decided she needed to take a shower before she picked strawberries, which was why she was alone as she carried a basket by the Big House.

               "You're not wearing the bracelet," Dionysus called out to her.

               Elisa spotted in her tracks, blinking up at the god and Chiron. "What?"

               "The bracelet I gave you," said the God of Madness impatiently. "You're not wearing it."

               "Oh—" Elisa glanced down at her bare left wrist. "Yeah, I took it off to shower. I just forgot to put it back on."

               Dionysus gave her a look over his set of cards. "Don't lie, Elisa," he chided. "You haven't worn it at all."

               She stayed silent at that, unable to find any sort of response. Chiron raised his eyebrows, setting his cards on the table. "I believe I win," he changed the topic.

               Dionysus looked at his cards and cursed again. "Damn it." He slapped his cards on the table. "I had a Royal Flush!"

               Chiron smiled, rolling away from the table. He was in his wheelchair, to make sure he was fully healed before he started trotting around again. He looked at Elisa, nodding at her to come closer. "I also believe you two need to talk. As father and daughter. Don't you agree, Mr. D?"

               "Yes, I do," said the god, shuffling their cards together.

               Chiron disappeared inside the sky-blue house, not giving enough time for Elisa to find a way to escape. The daughter of Dionysus cursed under her breath, stomping up the stairs to the front porch. She dropped the basket of strawberries on the pinochle table, setting in one of the open seats.

               "What?" she started abruptly.

               "Why aren't you wearing the bracelet I gave you?" asked Dionysus. "I didn't give it to you so it could collect dust in a drawer."

               Elisa shifted in her seat, looking away. She wasn't sure how honest she wanted to be. Maybe she was imagining the bracelet doing all those odd things.

               "The bracelet is nothing to be scared of," said the god. "You feel the beating, don't you? That's a good thing. It means the powers are still within."

               "Powers?"

               "I told you it would be with you when you feel everything is lost, didn't I?" said Dionysus. "I didn't lie about that."

               "You're a terrible conversationalist," Elisa said, sounding annoyed. "What powers?"

               "The bracelet will be there when I am unable to be," said Dionysus.

               Elisa's eye twitched with annoyance. "Can you not just answer my question?"

               Dionysus looked her in the eye. "No. That would ruin the surprise." He picked up the deck of cards, tapping them on the table. "But I want you to wear that bracelet from now on."

               She narrowed her eyes at her father. She huffed and leaned back in her seat, seemingly giving up on getting any answers about the bracelet and powers. Elisa watched as Dionysus picked a strawberry from the stack and ate it.

               "How are you coping after the battle?" he asked suddenly.

               "Fine, I guess," she admitted quietly. Her brows furrowed. "When you were a demigod, did you, like, sometimes think you were back in the battle even after it was over."

               Dionysus didn't hesitate to nod. "I flinched at every loud noise, every scrap of swords or spears. You're experiencing PTSD, Elisa. That's what they call it these days, right? You survived a war but that doesn't mean you didn't come out with scars."

               The god was right—training earlier was hard as the sound of Celestial bronze scraping together made her adrenaline pump, thinking she was about to fight for her life. She also saw flashes of the battle when she closed her eyes. She saw the bloodiness even when she wasn't closing her eyes.

               Elisa licked her lips. "Did it get better?"

               "In time," Dionysus said softly. He split the deck of cards in two, running his thumbs over the tops to mix them together. "But if it doesn't—or it gets worse—you need to tell someone."

               She nodded. "I will."

               Dionysus put the deck in one hand and leaned over to pat her on the knee with his free hand. "It does get better," he promised.

               "I hope you're right."

               "Oh!" Dionysus leaned away and pulled a card out of the pocket on his dress shirt. "I need to give this to you."

               The card was the size of any business card but there wasn't a business name on there—it was a girl's name.

               "Amarone Greene?" Elisa asked, taking the card from him. She read the name over again, reading the line below it. "Is this her address? Who is this?"

               "She's one of my children," explained Dionysus, ignoring the wide-eyed look Elisa gave him. "She's about to turn thirteen later this year. October, if I remember correctly."

               Elisa blinked at her father. "You want me to go get her or something?"

               "We already have plenty of satyrs in Miami, and they tell me she is doing fine, but I want you to bring her here personally."

               "Why?"

               "I believe she will be more comfortable if someone like her—another half-blood—brings her to camp," said Dionysus. "Satyrs are weird, you know. And they don't smell great—"

               "But I don't even have my license," she protested.

               "Don't you get it in October?" Dionysus countered.

               "But there are—"

               "I'm a god, Elisa, don't worry about the rules."

               She regarded her father weirdly before tucking the white card into the pocket of her shorts. "Okay ... When should I go?"

               "As soon as you can," said Dionysus. "The weekend after you get your license."

               "But, Dionysus," she started, "I have to have someone over twenty-one with me to make these kinds of appointments. When I was getting my permit, Callum went with me, but ..."

               The god sighed. He looked thoughtful ( for once ). "I've spoken with Chiron. He's agreed with me that you can't just disappear from the mortal world completely. We decided to toy with the Mist so mortals believe he is an uncle that took you in after your parents' deaths. They died tragically you know—car crash. That's always what happens in the movies."

               Elisa tried to smile. "So instead of a cousin, I live with an uncle?"

               "Yes, growing strawberries." Nodded Dionysus. "It's an honest living."

               She smiled genuinely. "Why?"

               "So you could go and live in the mortal world—if you want, of course," said Dionysus. "When you need to make those kinds of appointments for the license or whatever, Chiron will be your 'uncle,' your legal guardian, and can do those kinds of things. He even found some schools in New York if you wish to go."

               Elisa curled her nose at that. "Do I have to go?"

               "Chiron talked as if you didn't have a choice in the matter," said Dionysus. "He may take pity on you and let you choose with school, however."

               "Oh." She rolled her eyes. "How kind of him."

               It felt wrong to replace Callum so easily, but she told herself she wasn't replacing him. That's not what this was. She was moving forward. She wasn't letting Callum's death stop her in her tracks, which is what he would want. He would want her to live, to love the time she had with him, not let her grief stop her from anything.

ˋˏ [ 👑 ] ˎˊ

Before she knew it, the last night of camp arrived. And so did the bead ceremony.

               The Hephaestus Cabin had designed the bead this year. It showed the Empire State Building, and etched in tiny Greek letters, spiraling around the image, were the names of all the heroes who had died defending Olympus. There were too many names for her to read them all, but Elisa was proud to wear the bead.

               She put it on her camp necklace—only her second bead. But compared to all the newcomers over the past few weeks, she almost felt like a veteran.

               "Never forget this summer!" Chiron told them all. He had healed remarkably well, but he still trotted in front of the fire with a slight limp. "We have discovered bravery and friendship and courage this summer. We have upheld the honor of the camp."

               He smiled at Percy, and everybody cheered.

               "And now," Chiron said, "early to bed! Remember you must vacate your cabins by noon tomorrow unless you've made arrangements to stay the year with us. The cleaning harpies will eat any stragglers, and I'd hate to end the summer on a sour note!"

ˋˏ [ 👑 ] ˎˊ

The next morning, Elisa, Percy, and Annabeth stood at the top of Half-Blood Hill. They watched the buses and vans pull away, taking most of the campers back to the real world. A few old-timers would be staying behind, and a few of the newcomers, but Elisa wasn't staying behind.

               "Goodbye," Rachel said to them as she shouldered her bag. She looked pretty nervous, but she was keeping a promise to her father and attending Clarion Academy in New Hampshire. It would be next summer before they got their Oracle back.

               "You'll do great." Annabeth hugged her. It was an odd switch but after the two talked, and Annabeth apologized for what happened, they got along great.

               Rachel bit her lip. "I hope you're right. I'm a little worried. What if somebody asks what's on the next maths test and I start spouting a prophecy in the middle of geometry class? The Pythagorean theorem shall be problem two ... Gods, that would be embarrassing."

               Elisa grinned. "I don't know. Those prophecies may help with the homework."

               "That'd be something. Well," the redhead looked at pointedly Percy and Elisa, "you two be good to each other."

               She looked at Percy like he was some kind of troublemaker. Before he could protest, Rachel wished them all well and ran down the hill to catch her ride to New York City.

               Annabeth would be staying in New York. She'd got permission from her parents to attend a boarding school in the city so she could be close to Olympus and oversee the rebuilding efforts. Percy was heading back to Goode High School for his sophomore year—the first time in his life he'd ever done two years at the same school. Elisa was going to start the school year at a high school in New York, too. She wasn't as nervous to start school since she had started going to school over in New Mexico halfway through the school year ( which wasn't a total bust as she had managed to make it through the rest of the school year up until May with nothing horrible happening ).

               The guard dragon Peleus curled contentedly around the pine tree underneath the Golden Fleece and began to snore, blowing steam with every breath. Elisa watched him contently, leaning against one of the trees nearby.

               "You've been thinking about Rachel's prophecy?" Percy asked suddenly, looking at Annabeth.

               The daughter of Athena frowned. "How did you know?"

               Elisa looked over, and despite the topic, she grinned slightly. "Your face says a lot."

               Annabeth bumped Elisa with her shoulder. "Okay, so I have. 'Nine half-bloods shall answer the call.' I wonder who they'll be. We're going to have so many new faces next summer."

               "Yep," Percy agreed. "And all that stuff about the world falling in storm or fire."

               "And that stuff about Doors of Death," added Elisa. "It's all very happy."

               Annabeth pursed her lips. "I don't know, guys, but I don't like it. I thought ... Well, maybe we'd get some peace for a change."

               "Wouldn't be Camp Half-Blood if it was peaceful," said Percy. "I guess you're right ... Or maybe the prophecy won't happen for years."

               "I sure fucking hope so," said Elisa. "I'm tired of this shit."

               Annabeth nodded, though she still seemed uneasy. Elisa didn't blame her, but she hoped the Fates would at least take a little pity on them. After all, they had just saved the world.

               "Hey, Elisa," Percy spoke up, breaking the tension, "ten bucks I beat you to the van."

               "I'm going to smoke your ass, Chico Pez!" the daughter of Dionysus disagreed. "Twenty bucks I win!"

               "But I don't have twenty!" he protested as Elisa tore her way down the hill. "Hey—that's cheating!"

               "All I'm hearing is a sore loser!" Elisa played dumb, already halfway down the hill.

               Annabeth's laughter rang clearly as Percy chased after his girlfriend, who was swinging open the van door and holding out her hand for the twenty dollars she was "owed". The son of Poseidon denied it adamantly, saying that cheaters didn't get prizes. Elisa rolled her eyes and tried to close the door in his face, but Percy blocked and shoved his way inside.

               All the way back to New York, the two bickered, but the bickering wasn't in malice or anger, but out of love. If it wasn't so sweet to watch, Annabeth might've gotten annoyed by it.

               Despite her worries for the future, everything felt perfect for Elisa. Which was all she could hope for.

👑  APR. 11TH, 2023  /  no one talk to me right now

I CANT BELIEVE ITS OVER

well,, it's kind of over,, there are gonna be two bonus chapters, a sorta last thoughts/author notes thing, and then we're done

also,, reminder; nico doesn't like percy in this. i just don't want to write it that way tbh.

i have so many thoughts (like about the scene with drew- which i'm sorry?? it was super depressing) but i'm going to save them for the author's note

anyways,, thoughts?? opinions??