𝕨𝕚𝕤𝕖 𝕘𝕚𝕣𝕝 & 𝕒𝕟𝕕 𝕤𝕖𝕒𝕨𝕖𝕖𝕕 𝕓𝕣𝕒𝕚𝕟

21. Percy

I blocked out all of the whispers and tried to pull Annabeth along without smiling. Keeping a straight face was a staple in your royal teachings as a child but now I was struggling.

It was easy to be happy when one of the girls you were supposed to fall in love with before your eighteenth birthday had just admitted that she had played close enough attention to you that she could recall them easily.

But then I noticed each head poking through the window of the door and my heart sank.

I forgot for a moment that I was a prince. I forgot for a moment that I was the future king. I forgot for a moment I wasn't just Percy with Annabeth. No, I'm Prince Perseus of Perímpeth who has his birthday ball in a a week.

"Jeez, Annabeth, didn't realise I would have to treat you 3 times already in the selection." The blond doctor smiled from the line of staff.

"Better yet, 3 times in less than a month." She laughed at the guy, smiling wildly.

"Month? You've been away for 8 weeks," his easy expression sobered immediately, his eyes once blazing, now faded.

"What?" Both of us stoped in our tracks, pausing as we shook the hands of the others.

"You've been gone nearly 2 months."

"What day is it?" Annabeth asked hastily, dropping my hand in favour of crossing her arms over her chest in a hostile defence.

"September 12th." Will's expression was ashen,  he had uncrossed his arms and was fidgeting them in his pockets.

And right then and there, Annabeth collapsed on the floor again.

(A/N Christ, Annabeth, you may as well have an iron deficiency)

"Oh no."  I breathed, reaching out a hand to tug her already waking figure to a horizontal position before she could but her head.

"2 months." She looked like she was about to fall over again but I just pulled her flush towards my body.

"Wait...... so I'm an eighteen year old. Already." I was in utter disbelief, my birthday had come and gone and I hadn't given it a second glance.

"Yes. We were hoping you would be back by then. But you weren't, it was 5 weeks ago." Annabeth turned around in my grasp and threw her arms around my neck.

"Happy birthday." Her hand rapped out a familiar rhythm on my back.

She taps her finger three times, pause, once, pause, once again and the drags her finger along the top of his next.

She continues a similar pattern for about two minutes, leaving me grasping to a scrap off a memory to respond.

Tap, drag, drag. Pause. Tap, tap, pause. Tap, tap, tap, pause, tap. And a few more taps, drags and pauses.

I vaguely felt her smile into the depths of my shoulder, my own mouth curving until I looks up at the rest of them who had stopped dead silent.

"Come now, you too. We're going to hook you up to some machines and then there is going to be a meeting discussing when we will reschedule your birthday ball." My father said, nodding to the others in the room and directing us towards the door behind everyone.

After we got through the door, the crowd of young women were now almost yelling. They hadn't a sense for open doors.

"What was that?"

"That hug didn't look just friendly...."

"I still can't believe she got kidnapped! I mean look at her, she could take a troll!"

"I know I'm meant to be competing with her but honestly, I ship Perseus and Annabeth together hard."

And then the door slammed shut and I had the pleasure of blocking out the strained voices of the girls.

"So, how about 2 weeks to recover and then we can arrange a carriage for Chiron." Ah, my father, straight to the point.

"Um. Yes, that would be fine." I let out in a whisper bad will all but pushed me onto the bed opposite Annabeth's.

"Great. Get well soon, son. And you, Annabelle." Before I could correct him, he was out of the door and ascending the stairs.

"Wow, your father. The poster-child for fatherly love." Annabeth laughed, her voice filling up the empty hospital room.

"You know, I think we should just move all of your things down here. I mean, it's not like you spend much time in their anyway." I shot back and instantly regretted it when her face darkened.

"What's wrong?"

"Riley and Stacey. Oh, god. They must have found them." She tucked her face into the palm of her hand.

"Who's Riley and Stacey? What do you mean 'found them'?" I questioned, suppressing a smile at the gesture she was making as I gathered this what not a time for jokes.

"My maids, they were killed. The rebels killedt them. They were in my room, their blood everywhere. It was horrific. They just have found their bodies." Her shoulders shook with sadness and I tried to relive the wiring from my body to offer a hug but Will chose that moment to walk in.

"Looking good, you pesky kids." Will is two years older and never fails to bring it up whenever he can. "So, when's Chiron bringing his kids for your hall."

"You mean 'When's Nico coming over so I can perform some cheesy 80's dance in front of the castle windows to declare my love?" My innocence was false, but his glower wasn't.

"Right, sorry. Crush - touchy subject. Two weeks, I'll send a letter telling him to come seen you when he arrives."

"Yes! Thank you, Percy!" He screamed, louder than was really needed. "Now, sleep. Both of you." His gaze was stern and it made both of us get under the covers of the beds.

"I'll see you both tomorrow where we'll run tests and I better not find you both kissing or something when I get down here tomorrow." He ambled put and shut the light on his passing, the room was dimmed but nowhere near dark.

There was at least 10 minutes of silence before "Percy? You awake?"

"Yeah, how you doing?" My voice was groggy from the silence but my tone was light.

"Good. What it mean when you say to a guy that you remember being best friends with them from ages 12-14 and they respond with 'ok'?" She boldly asked, sitting herself up in the small bed.

"I- I don't know. I've never come across that situation before and- wait. Is that what you-? Oh. My. Gods. Annabeth Chase. Cabin 6 counsellor. WISE GIRL!"

Word count: 1202
Hello wonderful human beings, guess who's back? It's I, the humble wattpad author who is SCREAMING OH MY GODS 2K READS????!!!!!!!!!!!!!

WHAT DID I DO TO DESERVE THIS! IM SO HAPPY! I WAS SO BORED I. WUARI TINE AND NOW I HAVE 2K VIEWS!

(Also, still need help in making a character...... check back to chapter '1??????????'  For details and comment section where you can make up your characters)

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Hope you enjoyed the chapter.

Lots of love,
Nyla :))

18/11/20