"Iapetus?" I stared up at my uncle in shock. "What in -- "

"Hush, child." Grasping my hand, he hurried through the crowd till we reached the corner of the huge room. Then he turned to me and leaned on close. "Listen. I know what my brethren are planning, and I'm on your side. I've been with them, trying to pick up important information. I'm the only one of them not convicted previously, thus the only one who can walk free, and that makes me a great asset to them."

"Where have you been? Why are you here now?" My head spun.

Iapetus winced. "I was not charged as guilty in the first war, but they took something instead of my freedom -- my memory. I only regained it all a few months ago. Please don't fight me, child. I came here to find you. I had to warn you not to trust them."

"Thanks. Never could have figured that out."

"Be serious, niece! I'm here to help you. You must not give in to them. I and my....allies are trying to find a safe place for you to go. When the time is right and we can get you out safely, you must beg the prince to eliminate you." Iapetus' eyes were deadly serious.

Eliminated. I felt like I'd been punched in the gut, strangely. I'd hoped for a few more weeks with Leo, maybe just to get to know him as a better friend. "Are you sure I wouldn't be more helpful here, in a position of power?"

Iapetus stepped back. "Heavens, child, tell me you weren't foolish enough to fall in love with him!"

"No! Of course not. I just, it's, they wanted me to try to win the prince's heart and spy for them. I wondered if I could, you know, do that for you?"

Iapetus considered. "I don't know if--"

"Introducing the Royal Family, his Majesty King Hephaestus, her Majesty Queen Esperanza, and his Highness Prince Leo!" An announcer boomed.

I looked up at my uncle as the doors on the other side of the ballroom opened and the royal family entered. "I'll let you know," he whispered, and then he melted into the crowd, disappearing from view.

"No, wait, I -- " I was cut off by an old woman jostling me out of her way. Growling in frustration, I stood on my toes, trying to see that gray head again, but Iapetus had vanished. "Thanks a lot," I muttered.

I wove my way through the throngs as King Hephaestus began a speech praising his wife and her years on earth. Spotting Piper, I made my way to her side and curled my fingers through hers as we listened together. At last, King Hephaestus bellowed, "Now, let the dancing commence!"

Immediately the chords of the first dance, "Dragonfly Waltz", echoed through the hall, and guests began partnering. Someone touched my shoulder, and I turned to see a short Indonesian boy who I vaguely recalled dancing with at our lessons. He pointed at the couples gathering for the first dance of the night. I smiled politely and allowed myself to be led onto the dancing floor.

Unfortunately, this particular dance was slow and simple, leaving plenty of time to converse. "Uh, salamat sore. Nama saya Calypso, namamu siapa?"

"Nama saya Aman," the boy replied in a surprisingly deep voice. "And also, I speak English."

"Oh, good. I didn't take much time to learn Indonesian."

Aman laughed, spinning me in time to the song. "It is a fine language, but not one widely known."

"Truly. I've never met someone who spoke Indonesian in Illéa, actually, come to think of it." I ducked under his arm and came up facing him, pressing my hands flat against his. "Not that I've met many people at all."

"That is right, you are not royal-born. You might have fooled me." Aman swung me around and passed me off to another partner, as required by the dance, and I stumbled as I caught his arm. We stepped together twice, and then swung back to our original partners.

"You think I could pass for one of them?" I laughed once I was back with Aman.

"Of course. You are graceful and composed enough that no one would know the difference."

I didn't quite know how to respond, so I switched to small talk. "Are you enjoying your stay in Olympus Illéa?"

"Very much so, yes. The food here is excellent."

"It is, isn't it? The chefs here are the best in the land."

"They make beautiful pastries, indeed," Aman said slyly, "but not as beautiful as the fine ladies of the Selection."

I wasn't quite sure what to say; was he flirting with me? Surely he knew the rules of the Selection. I smiled nervously and looked away, praying for the dance to end. Aman stepped on my foot, and my head jerked up, nearly hitting him in the nose.

"My apologies! I am so sorry. I am not very skilled at these dances," Aman said frantically. "Are you alright?"

"Yes, I'm fine. Didn't we teach you a whole class so this very thing wouldn't happen?" I teased.

Aman relaxed. "Unfortunately, being a stubborn and clumsy man, one class was not enough to change my ways."

We laughed together just as the dance ended. I curtsied and he bowed, and then I hurried away from the dance floor as the next dance began. Spotting a table full of different drinks, I hurried towards it. As I reached for a glass of water, a swirl of red and black on the dance floor caught my eye.

Khione looked stunning in a black dress with a red faded skirt. The bodice was a wide ribbon of cloth wrapped around her torso with a gap across her stomach, and large flowers were sewed around the waist and neckline. Her hair had been tied up so intricately it looked like it had been woven with a loom, and fancy red and silver chains adorned her arms and throat. And she was dancing with Leo.

I swallowed and let my arm drop, no longer thirsty. This is how the Selection works, I reminded myself. I'm not even competing, so what's the issue? There shouldn't be one.

I slipped away to a corner. As I stood there, lost and unsure, I noticed Annabeth standing with Percy by the king and queen. She caught my eye, smiled, and beckoned me over.

I slowly approached them, and Annabeth surprised me by briefly throwing an arm over my shoulder. "Hey, Calypso! How're you doing?"

"Uh, fine," I answered automatically. Does anyone ever answer that question honestly? "This is....definitely a huge birthday party."

Percy laughed. "That's for sure. You should have seen Lady Hera's a few years back. She pretended Lord Zeus planned it, but it was actually mostly her and Aphrodite."

I smiled, glancing away. Don't look at Percy. Do not look at Percy.

"So what part of this were you responsible for?" Annabeth gestured at our extravagant surroundings.

"I planned the music. Along with others. Reyna, Hazel, Khione, and Echo all helped." I noticed Piper creeping up behind Percy and suppressed a smile. She jumped on his back and yelled "Booyah!" in his ear. Percy almost fell over trying to get away, and Annabeth bent over laughing.

"Why didn't you warn me, Wise Girl?" Percy said sullenly as Piper hugged him from behind.

"I knew it'd be entertaining." Annabeth flicked his nose.

Just then, someone crashed into me from behind and I stumbled forward, nearly colliding with Annabeth. "Sorry, Sunshine," Leo yelped, righting himself. "I was just -- sorry."

"Brilliant, Leo." Jason punched Percy's shoulder casually and stepped a little closer to Piper than necessary as he joined us. "Falling into your possible bride."

Leo turned as scarlet as a flame while Percy laughed. I felt my face get hot, just a little, and for just a moment, I envisioned a wedding with me as the bride and Leo standing at the end of the isle. Then the thought was gone.

"Uh, actually, I came to ask if you might want to dance, Cal," Leo ventured, shifting his weight from foot to foot.

Now my cheeks were definitely warm. "Sure. Yes."

Percy whistled playfully, and Jason clapped Leo on the back. "Smooth. Now go dance with her!"

"Awww. Leo, you kinda did something romantic. I'm so proud." Piper blew a kiss.

Annabeth shook her head. "Good luck with him, Calypso. Heaven knows you'll need it."

I laughed as Leo led me away, and I realized for the first time how included and valued they made me feel. I felt almost like I was part of their group. That feeling was so new I couldn't help but smile like an idiot as Leo and I found out places for the next dance.

The music changed, and Leo grasped my hand and put his other hand on my back. His fingers were warm, and I felt as though his handprint was being burned into me, for some reason. He looked somewhere over my head and I stared at my feet as we went through the steps of the dance.

"Are you enjoying the party?" Leo said finally.

"It's very nice. A little overwhelming, since I'm so unused to this many people, but it's a cool opportunity to be here." I fell silent, a little embarrassed that my answer had been so complicated. "Are you?"

"I guess. I like it better when we just celebrate quietly." Leo glanced around the room. "This is...extra."

"Your family does have a reputation for going all out."

"They sure do." Leo wiggled his eyebrows. "I intend to carry on that tradition for my future bride. Girls love that stuff, right?"

I cursed him inwardly. "I wouldn't know."

"Piper says to find one who does, because she'll embrace life as queen. Annabeth says to find one who doesn't, because her mind will be focused on her work." Leo gave me a half-spin. "At this point, I'm not really sure what to do."

"Your friends are very kind to include me," I answered, trying to divert the topic.

"Oh, they're not just being nice, they really do like you. Piper and Annabeth have been encouraging me to invite you to hang out with us more often."

"They have?" My voice was barely a whisper.

"Sure. Annabeth and Katie think you'd make a great queen. Can't say I disagree."

I was reeling a bit. "I, wow, okay. I had no idea."

"Of course. Everybody likes you," Leo said softly, his eyes meeting mine. "I do too, Calypso."

"You do?" In the back of my mind, it occurred to me that I should probably say something else, but suddenly I was more aware than ever of Leo holding my hand and I couldn't quite think straight.

"Yes." Leo spun me once, his eyes only leaving mine for a second. "I like you a lot."

In that moment, all the past years and memories of a broken heart and tears and sorrow passed through my mind, and yet they couldn't have been more irrelevant. With his gaze on my face and his arms holding me close, I didn't feel lonely, or plain, or worthless like I had for so long. I felt like I could be loved.

"I....I think I like you, too," I heard myself say.

Then the lights went out, and a huge crash echoed through the ballroom. Someone screamed, and the man in front of me stepped backwards, forcing Leo away from me. Panic began to rise, and voices babbled around me, making me want to cover my ears. I could no longer see Leo in the darkness. "Leo?" I called, then louder, "Leo!"

"Calypso!" Leo's voice sounded frantic, and I pressed toward it. I opened my mouth to call for him again.

Then the shooting began, and I shut my mouth.

~
~~~
~

A/N:
Ba-dum-tssss.

By the way, has anyone realized someone made up dinosaur noises without ever hearing them?