Annabeth's POV

"Will Miss Chase please enter my office."

As I walked through my bosses door into his office I could tell that it wasn't good news. If the look on his face wasn't enough a long line of crying employees had been streaming from his office all morning.

"Take a seat Miss Chase. Unfortunately due to budget cuts we have had to lay off fifty employees and you are one of them."

Ten minutes later I was standing outside the building I had for the last year come to call my home. I hailed a cab which took at least ten minutes and gave the driver my address. In about 15 minutes I was almost pushed out by the cabbie in his attempt to get away as fast as possible.

I walked up the marble steps into my apartment building ran to the closing doors of the lift but I just missed it and so started climbing the stairs to my floor. On reaching the door I searched through my handbag trying to find my keys. I pushed open the door with my foot and walked inside.

My apartment was stylish and chic but seeing as my job had been in architecture that was no surprise to anyone. The living room was large and open palm leading to a kitchen that was slate grey and very modern. Leaving my heels at the door I slid along the wood floor in my tights to the fridge to find the ice cream.

On my salary I could never afford this apartment but this building belongs to the company and I share it with 2 other employees. Both of whom had probably lost their jobs. I found the ice cream and grabbed a spoon closing the drawer with my hip. I padded out to my favourite spot by the window to watch the Atlantian traffic.

Half a tub later I heard the lock turn.

"Hey Annabeth you home."

"Yeah I'm by the window."

One of my roommates Juniper walked around the corner. Her mascara streaked down her face an obvious sign that she had also been fired.

"Come here."

I held my arms out to offer her a hug. She rushed into my arms and proceeded to cry all over the shoulder of my suit jacket. When she noticed this she tried to apologise.

"It's fine I'm not going to need it again when I get my job at the burger van."

"As if you're very talented they were stupid for firing you."

"And you. What do you plan on doing?"

"I'll probably work in the family firm or go back to college. What about you?"

"I don't know. First I need to find a new apartment seeing as we only have a week left here. Then I will find a job I don't care what I just need the money."

Juniper was lucky her family came from money and she only needs to phone home and she will be sent money from one of her fathers bank accounts. Surprisingly she isn't spoilt at all and in fact is more down to earth than most people from less wealthy families.

Money has always been a problem for me. I saved all the money from my paper rounds since I was 12 to move to the city when I turned 16. My parents probably don't even own a phone and they certainly can't afford to visit. They live in one of Atlantis' poorest suburbs.

"Hey let's turn on the tv and see what that idiot that we call a prince has been up to."

I smiled and walked with her to the large grey sofa in the middle of the room. I flicked the tv on to Secret the channel that deals with celebrities and their crap. Their favourite topic was the royal family. Mostly because there was always a scandal going and everyone knows them.

Sure enough a large picture of a brown haired boy appeared on the screen. The voice of Aphrodite the royal gossip correspondent gushed about the latest problems in the royal family.

"Prince Perseus was spotted leaving a strip club last night being carried by his bodyguards."

Sure enough there was a photo of the prince dressed in shirt and slacks being carried by 2 burly men while trying not to throw up. This was nothing new and for Aphrodite this was a slow news day. The prince was 20 only a year older than me but he had been arrested multiple times on a variety of charges from drug dealing to DUI. Women my age were meant to, no expected to be in love with him and he definitely knew that.

"The king and queen are said by inside sources to be very worried about the behaviour of their son and are said to be looking for a suitable wife for the playboy prince."

"A wife you have to be kidding who would have him."

Juniper's face contorted with laughter. I chuckled along but also felt bad for the king and queen. Looking at the photo of them now on the tv I could see the desperation in their eyes.

"I don't get why everyone finds the prince so attractive I mean he seems like a dick head but his friend with the curly hair he is cute."

Using my best Aphrodite voice I replied.

"But darling he had such a tough childhood. Only one pony and so much work, standing and waving all day everyday, living in a palace isn't easy you know."

All the ice cream had made Juniper very hyper and we continued to mock our favourite host until our other roommate walked into the room.

"Not this crap again."

"I'm sorry but this is very informative and mentally stimulating."

"Whatever Annabeth. Wait did you eat all the ice cream?"

Connor looked at me with pleading eyes. I handed him the empty pot. In one swift motion he threw it into the bin. Looking up at the screen which was now showing a photo of the prince in a three piece suit with a girl, I recognised from some commercials, on his arm.

"Did you know my brother works at the palace?"

"Is that your twin?"

"Yeah Travis is a butler and apparently the prince is worse in real life than he is on screen."

"Okay how is that possible."

"I don't know but half the stuff he does never leaves the palace."

Many rumours and tubs of ice cream later I climbed between the sheets of my bed for a sleepless night of nightmares about princes in burger vans.

Hi Im sorry about this but the first chapters are never the best and this is just the setting for the story.

I wrote this on a plane to Japan on my phone so it isn't my finest but I hope you like where the story is heading.

Ally

Xxx