"There you are."
Hazel looked up to see Lady Piper standing over her. She carried a different basket than the one she'd left with, filled with seashells instead of seaweed.
"Thank you, " Hazel replied when Lady Piper extended a hand to help her up.
"You'll never guess what I saw on my way back here."
"What?"
"Red lilies growing along the path leading into the hills. They weren't there earlier today when we walked down to the beach, I swear on the heads of both my parents."
"Show me."

Hazel followed Lady Piper up the path into hills. Red lilies glistened like jewels on either side of her.

She gasped with pleasure when she beheld them.
"I thought we could make these into garlands", Lady Piper said.  "And sacrifice them to the Queen of Goddesses. We've sacrificed to the Goddess of Love and Queen and the Maiden Goddess of the Hunt and the Moon and the Queen of Goddesses is the only one left whose blessing Percy and Annabeth still need."
The Queen of Goddesses, The Goddess of Love and Beauty, and the Maiden Goddess of the Hunt and the Moon were the goddesses who received sacrifices during wedding ceremonies. Lady Piper had come up with the idea of seeking their help in breaking the curse on Princess Annabeth.
"As beautiful as these are", " Hazel replied.  "Maybe the Queen of Goddesses sent them as a gift. She'd see it as an insult if we didn't sacrifice them back to her."
While they picked the flowers and twisted them into garlands, Hazel and Lady Piper passed the time by deciding which of them and their female friends had the best hair (Lady Piper), the best nose (Hazel), the best eyes (Lady Piper again), the best legs (Princess Reyna), the best skin (Princess Thalia), the best voice (Athenaíí), and the best cheekbones (Aphrodisia).
"Annabeth had, has, the best overall figure, " Lady Piper said. "Tall, slim, and graceful."
"She also had, has, beautiful lips," Hazel replied. "Though, if I say so myself, my ears are prettier than hers."
Hazel pulled at her earlobes, making Lady Piper laugh.
"Next you'll be saying you have the best tits," Hazel dodged and fled from her playful pinches. "And the best bum."
"Stop."
Lady Piper chased her down a path leading to the bathing pool until something caught her eye. A white butterfly with spotted wings fluttered out of a wild olive bush and towards the branch of pine tree which hung near her head.

"Hello, beautiful," she said, extending a finger for butterfly to land on.
Several more butterflies flew out of the olive bush and swirled around Piper and Hazel, who clapped their hands with delight.
"Piper, Hazel," a voice called to them.
The butterflies flew over to a figure who approached them from the direction of the bathing pool. This figure was slightly obscured by the light of the setting sun but became more distinct as it got closer.
She wore a short skirt of nearly sheer linen, belted under her bust, with slits down the side; the type worn by Spartan women.

Her long, blond hair covered her bare shoulders and chest.
Lady Piper ran over and hugged her.
"Annabeth," she said. "We were so worried about you."
"Circe caught me and kept me in a cage," Princess Annabeth said. "But Calypso took pity on me and set me free."
"Prince Percy'll be relieved that you're alright," Hazel added.
"Where is he?"
"He should be back at the camp."
"Then the last person there is a gorgon."
She started running down the path leading down to the caves and gestured for Piper and Hazel to follow her.

A/N Happy New Year dear readers. Here's to the roaring twenties.