What a pair these two are! The Graces have delighted and devastated us in equal measure, so we approach the task of highlighting their journeys through Uncle Rick’s books with some trepidation. But let’s channel these demigods’ bravery and get into it, shall we?
Zeus and Jupiter
Well, first one, then the other. Thalia, the firstborn of the Grace children, was born after Zeus’s fling with actress Beryl Grace. It wasn’t until seven years later that the godliest of all gods returned in Roman form as Jupiter to sire Jason, appointing goddess-wife Juno—Hera in Roman form—as his guardian to keep her from being too miffed. It all kinda goes downhill from there, doesn’t it?
Drama Queen Beryl
Just think about what two affairs and two children with Zeus/Jupiter might do to a person’s ego. And Beryl isn’t just any person; she’s an actress. Based on her history, we wouldn’t call her the type to leave the drama on the stage either. Jason was only two when Beryl’s instability and demands for eternal beauty got to be too much for Zeus/Jupiter and Thalia. But it wasn’t only parental histrionics that estranged mother and daughter.
Jason and the She-Wolf
The fateful family vacation that splintered the Grace family for good was Beryl’s road trip to Wolf House. At Jupiter and Juno’s insistence, Beryl surrendered tender toddler Jason to she-wolf Lupa for pre-Camp Jupiter training. The heartbroken Thalia searched for her brother, refusing to accept his disappearance. Furious with her mother, she took off for good.
Their Reunion
While Jason was off training at Wolf House, Thalia got turned into a pine tree, but that’s a story for another day. Skipping ahead to her role as head Hunter of Artemis, Thalia’s reunion with Jason was momentous—life-saving, even, considering she saved her brother from Lycaon and his wolves. Thalia feared she’d lose Jason again when he saw Hera’s true form and almost died. Talk about drama: Hera/Juno really put these two through their paces, doesn’t she? Thankfully Jason was revived and Thalia could return to leading the Hunters, knowing that her brother was alive and well.
We could continue the rundown, but why don’t we end this sibling story on a happy note? It is the holiday season, after all.