"Sea and land may lie between us, but my heart is always there with you"
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Perseus Jackson was a Merman, wanting nothing more than to explore the surface.
Annabeth Chase wants to be i...
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Annabeth loved going into town. Everything was so vibrant, and bustling with activity.
And what made everything brighter for her today, she noted with no small hint of joy, was the look of wonder on the boy's face as he took everything in.
And so that's how the princess of Athens was now a tour guide, taking the boy anywhere he desired and telling him stories.
"It's my kingdom's specialty, it's called Ambrosia. Try it," she said, offering one of the delicacies to the boy. She thanked the store owner, a guy named Michael Yew, whom she had a friendly relationship with.
No one in town knew who she truly was.
Which worked greatly in her favour as she could blend into the crowds seamlessly, and immerse herself in conversations in which the kingdom's politics were concerned. It helped get a better understanding of her people, and what they required from their queen. Something her aunt clearly had forgotten.
The boy seemed to enjoy the treat, and so she bought him two more.
"Come on, I'll show you my favourite place here," she said, taking him along to her favourite tavern.
The Half-Blood tavern was quite popular, always filled with people who were looking for a good time.
You could stay the night, a day or even an hour or a year. Nobody would mind as long as you paid your bills and weren't rude.
"I come here all the time. Especially since my aunt doesn't let me leave the kingdom," she explained to the boy, who seemed just as excited about this environment as she did, "Sailors often stay here, and so I come listen to them tell tales from distant lands."
She opened the door to the tavern, the pungent smell of ale, food and possibly vomit hit her. There was merriment everywhere, with people already dancing at their tables. The boy moved closer to her.
The boxing room connected to the main room however, was the main source of noise. With betting and cheers and screams all resonating from within it.
"Come with me," she told the boy, making sure he was still with her and not lost. The tavern was a very crowded place and quite easy to get lost in.
The boy held her hand, squeezing it as he nodded.The princess smiled at his enthusiasm as she got a very peculiar sensation where his fingers intertwined with hers.
"I'd like to go next," she announced to the game conductor.The man, who appeared to be in his mid-forties scanned her up and down. He then nodded, extending his arm as she offered him a gold coin.
"Would you mind? I've been aching for some action," she asked the boy who still held her hands.
He shook his head sideways. No, he wouldn't mind. And then brought this fists together, to tell her to destroy the opponent.
Annabeth found herself laughing.
Soon, it was Annabeth's turn and she got into the ring with the winner of the previous match, Sherman Yang.
Sherman Yang, Annabeth soon realised as the match progressed, was all brawn no brain. So it was quite easy for her to deter him with a few simple moves.
The match ended with him on the floor, in her chokehold as the crowd exploded into applause.
She noticed that the boy's claps were the loudest.
When she got out of the rink, she asked him he wanted a go. And he said yes. So she paid for his chance and he got into the rink with Sherman Yang, again.
She assumed he would know how to fight, given his obvious good physical form. She noticed many girls in the tavern noticing it aswell as she pulled him away.
"You can do it!!!" Annabeth screamed from the audience, the crowd surging forward and carrying her along with closer to the rink.
She couldn't see the boy. Couldn't see anything as the masses in front of he got thicker. She didn't even realise that the match had begun until she heard a loud THWACK and the crowd screaming in protest.
Annabeth pushed everyone aside, moving to the front to see that the boy was on the floor, clutching himself in pain.
"Everyone stop!" she screamed, running towards him. She pushed past the game conductor, practically shoving him aside as she reached for the boy.
"Are you okay?" she asked him, kneeling next to him. She checked him for injuries, and was somewhat relieved that he wasn't bleeding.
She helped the boy up, right after punching Sherman Yang in the face and sending him flying.
"Let's get you home. I'm so so sorry," she told him, her arm steadying him as he got up.
That was a terrible idea, asking him if he wanted to fight. She didn't know his background.
He could be a poor farmer who didn't know any better!
So much for her assumption.
The pair eventually managed to leave the tavern. And Annabeth got a carriage for them, loading the boy in.
When they returned to the palace, Annabeth took care of the formalities and arranged for the boy to spend the night in her chambers.
She felt horrible. Utterly horrible.
Her chambers were a massive, with three additional rooms for her guests, a room for entertaining, a library, a private bath, a weapons room and bedroom. And couple other amenities as well. He should be quite comfortable.
"I'm so sorry," she told the boy, who lay on her bed.
The doctor stood at a respectable distance from them, saying that he would be alright and gave him some herbs to heal with the pain.
"Here, the doctor said these would help with the pain," she said, giving him a spoonful of the painkiller, "I would get you the Neptune's weed if I could to express how sorry I am, but my aunt says that Poseidon doesn't let them grow anymore."
The boy cocked an eyebrow, an amused smile playing on his lips as he swallowed his herbs. He motioned for the princess to continue.
"The Neptune's weed? It's a magical plant which grows underwater, which is supposed to make all your pain go away and repair your wounds immediately. The merpeople are keeping it from us, according to my aunt," she explained to the boy.
The boy shook his head. No, that's ridiculous.
"What do you mean, no?" she asked him.
The boy's eyes flitted over to the doctor, and Annabeth dismissed him, telling him to stay on the night rounds just in case the boy needed help with anything.
The boy shook his head again, pointing at her, and making an ex with his hands.
"How do you know I'm wrong?" she asked him, lowering her voice, "Do you know?"
The boy nodded, acting out how he once visited the sea.
Annabeth gasped, "you know a merman?"
The boy nodded, a cocky expression on his face.
"So....the Neptune's weed....is a myth?" she asked again, carefully. She shouldn't believe him, but found herself doing it.
The boy seemed to know what he was talking about. He nodded.
"We'll talk about this in the morning, get some sleep," she told him, getting up from his bedside and dusting herself off, "I have many questions to ask."
And with that, the princess of Athens found herself closer to the boy that night, metaphorically as well.
