Chapter 1

Percy

I didn't want to fall in love with a princess. I honestly didn't. Now, some of you must be thinking that I'm a weird person, for not wanting to fall for a princess. I mean, a princess has it all right? The beauty, the grace, the brains, everything. But no. The princess I fell for had them all, but everything's different.

Everybody wants a good love story. Like a fairytale-like love story. Where the guy's the prince and the girl's the princess. But it isn't the same thing for my princess and me. I was a commoner, and she was a, well, a princess. I'm not exactly a lowly commoner because I had at least money, but it's the same story. She was like heaven and I was like earth. We're so close, but so far. She's just totally out of my league.

I'll introduce myself first. My name's Percy Jackson, and I just turned seventeen last week. I live in a nice apartment in New York with my Mom and stepdad. My real dad died when I was just a baby, so I didn't get to see him. But whenever I see the pictures of him and Mom, I knew they must really have loved each other. I don't know. I never met him.

Anyways, I'm a senior in Goode High. Until now, I still can't actually believe that I got to study in Goode. I mean, it's a really rich and prestigious school. It's really big, and there's a baseball, football, and soccer field. There's even a race track, and there are two huge swimming pools. The buildings are like mansions, and almost every student there is, well, rich. Emphasis on almost. Not everyone, like me. The rich kids are those of big families. They're heirs, major shareholders, or just plain rich. I'm not an heir, a shareholder, or rich, but my stepdad (he's cool, by the way) works there as an English teacher, so I got to study there as well. Honestly, I think my life's pretty cool. We're not exactly rich, but at least I've never missed a meal and I have everything I needed, and some of the things I wanted. I'm contented with that.

So how did a princess come into the story, you ask? Well, because Goode's a school for rich kids, there's a chance royalties might attend. I had a few friends who are royalty (though they kept in secret), but we never thought we'd have another addition. And it so happened that I'm the first to know that she's a princess. And suddenly I started falling for her.

Things come when you least expect them to. And a certain gray-eyed royalty stole my heart when I least expected her to do so, too.

~oOo~

Annabeth

I walked through the great halls furiously, my cheeks pink and my fists clenched. Honestly! What did my mother want now? It was already evening, and I was supposed to be spending the time alone in my room while I go to the Internet. And to think, she even made me wear a freaking dress! I mean the skirts-that-reach-the-ankle-and-keeps-tugging-at-your-shoes type of dress. And it snagged on the heels that she also had me wear. Aarrgghh!

"Damn!" I cursed out loud, not caring if anybody heard. Huh. I removed the shoes from my feet and chucked them as far as they would go. They landed near the big pendulum clock that was on the center of the big living room.

With the feet devils away from my sore feet, I lifted my skirts and rushed to the throne room. I opened the two big doors, and then I ran to where my mother was, my feet padding on the soft carpet. My mother, Queen Athena, stood up when she saw me. She was wearing a long gray dress, and she wasn't wearing her crown. She still looked regal, though. She always does.

I curtsied in front of her, and I smirked when she frowned when she saw that I was barefoot. I straightened up and brushed a stray blonde curl away from my eyes.

"Mother," I said. Athena nodded and clasped her hands together. "What do you want?"

"I want to talk to you, Annabeth," she said. "About your responsibilities as the princess of Olympia." I resisted the urge to roll my eyes at her.

"What about them?" I tried to keep the impatience in my voice unnoticeable.

"It seems to me that you are not doing your duties," my mother said, her brows furrowing and disapproval in her gray eyes.

"What do you mean?" I said.

"What did you do to the last prince who came to visit?" she inquired. "Prince Jonathan, wasn't it?"

"I did what I had to do with him," I said dryly. "Obviously I sent him away."

"You can't keep shunning your suitors, Annabeth!" Mom's eyes flashed with anger. "He was the twenty-seventh prince in eight months that you have sent away. You're already seventeen, and we still haven't found you a suitable husband."

"For god's sake, Mom!" I almost shouted. "Why do you keep finding me a guy? Can't I just live my life normally and find my own boyfriend when the time comes?"

"You cannot live normally!" Mom said. "You are a princess. You cannot marry anyone who isn't royalty. By the time you turn eighteen you should be married!"

"Prince William married Kate Middleton and she wasn't royalty," I retorted. "Why can't I do the same?"

"Because it's different," Athena said. "Completely different from your case."

"Well what about you and Dad?" I snapped. "He wasn't royalty. And I'm a princess." My mother was silent for a while, and I could see sadness in her eyes.

"It was a mistake, what we did," she said quietly.

"So I'm a mistake?" I said harshly. "Well, tell you what; I'd rather be a commoner than be a princess."

"It doesn't matter!" Athena snapped. "My family is of pure blood –therefore, there is more royal blood to you than a commoner's. You are a princess and always will be. Therefore you should fulfill your responsibilities!"

"I don't give a damn about my responsibilities!" I said. "I don't care about them. I'm not gonna get married next year. Now if you'll please excuse me, I need to go to my room." With that, I turned around and stormed out of the throne room.

I officially hate my life. Why does it have to be like this? I guess I should probably introduce myself first. My name is Annabeth Chase, and I'm a princess. Not just any kind of princess. I happened to be the princess of one of the richest places in the world, the Kingdom of Olympia.

Now don't get deceived when I say I'm a princess. I don't live in castles with moats and knights and carriages, if that's what you think. No, I'm a modern-day princess. Uh, duh? This is the 21st century! And Olympia isn't a medieval city too. It's just like New York or Vegas.

When I said I didn't live in a castle… well, I'm sorry about that. Of course I live in a castle! What princess doesn't? But my castle didn't look like the ones you see in movies or the others from other kingdoms. It's big, yes, but it looked more like a mansion, only thrice the size of a normal one. I can prove that I'm a modern-day princess –I have gadgets, I use cars instead of carriages, and the palace was air conditioned. Umm… is that enough?

And, I don't wear ball gowns like old-time princesses do. I only wear casual dresses, but I prefer t-shirts with jeans and sneakers. I wear gowns on special occasions, but not those exaggerated ones. Just simple yet elegant. I mean, who wears puffed out sleeves with ruffles and tights with wigs these days?

Anyways, I headed to my room and opened the door. Then I locked it behind me. I discarded the frilly dress that my mother had me wear, and exchanged it for comfortable pajamas. Then I turned the air condition on, and then I plopped into my bed.

I really loved my room. The whole palace, actually. But mostly my room. It looks like a normal teenager's room, only grander and bigger, I guess. It's big, and two of the walls were painted mint-green while the rest are painted baby pink. My bed was in the center, and the comforters were owl-printed and I had many pillows. I had large windows, and I had these pretty white curtains. The floor was wood, but most of it is covered with my soft carpet.

I had a mini-living room there, complete with couches and a coffee table. A flat screen was suspended on the wall, and below that was the console where I put my DVD's.

Then on another part of the wall was my beloved bookshelf. Did I mention that I really loved reading? The shelves were filled from top to bottom with all my favorite books. For example, The Hunger Games, The Mortal Instruments, The Chronicles of Narnia, and all those kind of good books.

I grabbed my gray iPhone from the bedside table and flicked it open. There were two missed calls from my best friend, Thalia Grace. I put my phone away and turned the TV on.

I was scrolling through Netflix when I heard a knock on the door.

"Come in," I called, putting the remote down. The door opened and one of the servants, her name was Josephine, entered. She bowed slightly.

"Good evening, Your Highness," she said. "Your mother sent me to inform you that Prince Luke Castellan of Sobryta will be arriving tomorrow with his father, King Hermes. Queen Athena says that you are to get up early and get ready to meet them."

"Thanks, Josephine," I said. "You can go now." Josephine smiled and bowed again, and then she exited the room, closing the door gently behind her.

I let out a groan and let the remote fall to the ground with a thud. Not again. Another suitor? But I just sent the latest away, like, last week! What the heck is wrong with my mother? I really hate being a princess. If only I was just a normal teenager, happy and free. Without knowing it, I fell asleep, still miserable and desperate.

~oOo~

"Turn around, Your Highness," My stylist, Carinthia, said. I slowly did so I was facing the mirror. And damn, she was right of what she said a minute ago. Not to brag or anything, but I looked breathtaking.

I was wearing this pretty white dress that somehow looked like a wedding dress, except it had tinges of blue in it. The bodice was tight and was decorated with crystals and blue gems, and the skirt was ruffled. My hair was done in what they called "chignon." Honestly, it was just a complicated term of bun or French pleat, but all in all it looked good on me. As requested by me, I didn't have a lot of make-up on. But Carinthia did a good job in making me look pretty. Oh well. She said I was pretty normally, anyway.

Today's the day. Prince Luke Castellan and his father, the king of Sobryta, King Hermes, will arrive today. And like the usual, I would have to talk to him, and then Mom will engage us and blah, blah, blah. Huh. Good luck with that, though. Because I'm not marrying anyone.

After Carinthia fit on the stupid 6-inch heels that I would have to wear on my feet for me, I thanked her and strode out of the dressing room and made my way to the dining room. While I was walking, horrible thoughts came into my mind. What if Luke didn't look good? What if he was way older than me? What if he had broken, yellow, or crooked teeth? What if he had foul breath? Worst of all, what if he was a pervert?

All these questions were answered, though, when I entered the dining hall. Three people were seated in the table –my mom, King Hermes, and, well, Luke. I still couldn't see him because his back was facing me, but they all stood and turned to me when they heard me enter. And oh boy, all my suspicions about him were wrong. He looked really good.

Luke was tall, taller than me, I could tell, even with me wearing these damn heels. He had sand-colored hair and blue eyes. He looked great, but the scar that extended from under his right eye to his jaw kind of set his looks off. Well, just kind of. He was, well, I guess I should say this, hot.

I mentally shook my head. Looks could be deceiving. He may be handsome, yes, but what about his attitude? I guess I'm gonna know in a minute.

I walked toward the table and curtsied to Mom and King Hermes. Mom smiled and kissed me on my cheeks, and then Hermes smiled warmly and hugged me, and then Luke took my hand and kissed it. Shit. He was charming. But still not my type, though.

"Ah, so this young lady is your daughter, am I right?" Hermes asked my mother, who smiled and nodded. "She makes a fine girl. And you will look good with my son here, Luke. I expect you to bear good grandchildren." And he laughed heartily along with Mom. What the hell? Luke and I haven't even talked yet and he's talking about children? Damn him.

We all sat down and had dinner. I made sure I minded my manners, and I went well. Mom and Hermes talked, and after dessert, I excused myself so I could go away. Luke excused himself too, though, so we ended up going to the garden. Oh, joy. We would have to talk.

"So," Luke began, clearing his throat. "Hi. My name's Luke."

"So I've heard," I replied. "I'm Annabeth." We were silent for a while and I just pretended to admire the roses that I saw.

"I'm sorry you had to marry me," Luke said after a minute. "Believe me; I don't want to marry you, too. I mean, no offense, you're a wonderful girl, but-"

"Yeah, yeah, I get it," I said, finally turning to look him in the eyes. "I mean, I feel the same. And we're still young."

"Sometimes I wonder what my life would be if I was just a commoner, you know," he said quietly. "It would have been so much fun. I would prefer to be a normal person than a royalty." Finally, someone who feels the same as me. I decided that Luke was a nice person, after all. He's good-looking, he's not a pervert, and he didn't want to marry me too. I learned about him when we talked in the garden.

We both got inside afterwards, and we saw Mom and Hermes laughing together. When they saw us, their smiles widened even more.

"Annabeth, Luke," Mom said, beckoning us to them. "Come. I have great news." We did as told, and Mom continued talking. "So… King Hermes and I have had things settled. You two will be married at your eighteenth birthday, next July."

"What?" I exclaimed incredulously. "Are you serious?"

"Yeah," Luke stepped in. "Dad, you must be joking."

"No, we are not," Hermes said. "It's settled. You are now engaged."

"But Mom," I sputtered out, "this is wrong. I can't marry Luke. There must be some mistake."

"No, it is official, my dear," Mom said. "You are to be married when you turn eighteen."

"But," I start, but she didn't let me finish. Hermes and Luke said their good-byes, and they both exited the room. When they were gone, I faced my mother.

"You're kidding me," I said. "Mom, you can't do this."

"Annabeth, you have to do this," she said, her gray eyes stern but somehow pleading. "You are a princess. You need to fulfill your responsibilities."

"Mom, all I've ever done in my life is doing my responsibilities!" I almost shout. "I've never lived a normal life. Ever. Not even for just a year."

"Annabeth, you must understand that you will never be normal. You are a princess! You're royalty! You are-"

"I'm human, Mom!" I protested. "I need to be normal. I want to be." My mother sighed.

"Then what is your definition of normal?" she asked. I looked down. The truth is, I don't know. I don't have a lot of friends, because I'm not allowed to go out the grounds. I do have my awesome best friend, Thalia Grace. Her father was a king, but she refused to be a princess. She went here to our kingdom and we became friends. She got a special position in the guards. She also had a brother, who's studying high school in New York. I mean, can you believe that? Two royalties living a not-so-classy life? I wish I was like them.

"I don't really know," I admitted. "I mean, I never tried being normal. But maybe, like, be a normal teenager: have friends, have sleepover parties, go shopping, go to school… Oh. Wait." A thought hit me. A crazy, impossible thought, but still a good idea. I looked at my mother straight in the eyes.

"Mother," I said slowly, "I'm really getting married, aren't I?" She nodded.

"I'm sorry, but yes," she said.

"And I can do nothing about it, right?"

"Yes."

"So…" I trailed off. "Because I know I'm not on the winning side of this, can you do me a favor?" Athena frowned, her head tilting to the side.

"What do you mean?" she asked. I took a deep breath. Here goes nothing.

"I wanna live a normal life," I blurt out. "Well, not really. Just for a year. You know; I'm already seventeen, and… I guess I want to live my last year normally, before I get… married."

"And what do you intend to do?" My mother asked.

"Send me to the city," I said. "I wanna live there for a while. I wanna attend a normal high school. No bodyguards, stylists, servants, and butlers with me. Just me and Thalia. Please."

"Annabeth, I cannot let you do that," My mother said. "It's very dangerous. You are a princess, and-"

"I won't let anybody know," I promised. "And Mom, I'm already seventeen. I can take care of myself."

"I still cannot let you go," Mom shook her head. "I'm sorry, Annabeth, but no."

"But, Mom!" I said, exasperated. "All I'm asking is just one year. I'm going to spend the rest of my life here in Olympia or Sobryta, anyway, married and doing my responsibilities." My mother considered this for a few moments. Meanwhile I kept my fingers crossed behind my back. Please, I thought. Give me a shot. Just this once. Please.

"Alright," Mom finally said. "I will let you go to New York with Thalia." Oh. My. Gods. Did she just say that?

"Really?" I squealed, jumping up and down. I went and hugged her real tight. "Thank you, thank you, thank you, Mom!"

"Annabeth." my mother frowned, although there was amusement in her voice. "Please stop doing that. It's very unladylike."

"Oh, sorry." I untangled myself from her. "Thanks, Mom." She nodded and smiled.

"But," she said, "one condition. You shouldn't go anywhere without Thalia. Make friends if you must, but never reveal to them your identity. They might be children of robbers." I couldn't believe my mother could think so lowly of people. But I held back a biting comment. I was too happy to contradict her.

"And," she continued, "I shall be the one to choose which school you attend. I will do some researches for good schools in New York. I will tell you tomorrow morning. And I will also send someone to tell Thalia, so you two could start packing. You are dismissed." I knew I was supposed to go out now, but I couldn't help it. I hugged my mother again, and I swear I saw her smile.

"Thanks, Mom," I whispered. Then I went out of the room, my heart pounding and myself sure that this is definitely the best day –or, well, evening –of my life.

~oOo~

I woke up with someone continuously shaking my shoulder.

"Annie, wake up!" My eyes flew open when I heard that godsdamned nickname, and was met with a pair of electric blue eyes.

"Thalia!" I screamed. "What the hell are you doing here?" It was early in the morning, and we were both in our pajamas in my bedroom. Thalia was wearing her usual bed outfit –black long-sleeved shirt with black pajama pants. Miss Ray of Sunshine, Thalia is.

"So is it true?" she asked, ignoring the fact that I just screamed a while ago. "We're going to New York?"

"Yes," I said, sitting up. "Have you started packing?"

"I will later. What are we gonna do there?" she asked excitedly. I shrugged.

"We're going to school," I said, and Thalia groaned and let herself fall face-first on my bed. "Come on, Thals, it can't be that bad! I mean, I've never attended a real high school. It must be real fun."

"Whatever. Anyway, I came to tell you something."

"And that is?"

"Your mother wants to meet us in the dining hall right now." And that's when everything broke loose. I literally jumped off bed, hastily combing my hair along the way. Still on socks with slippers, Thalia and I rushed to the dining hall, where my mother sat, eating breakfast. When she saw us, she smiled and motioned for us to sit down. After greeting her, she cleared her throat at us.

"So," she said, "I looked for a good school for you. And I found one." Thalia and I both leaned forward, eager to know where we will both be attending for the whole year.

"What school?" I asked.

"It's a wonderful school," my mother said, not answering my question. "It's big and safe. And you don't have to worry about making friends who might be children of robbers."

"Mom, just tell me," I muttered. Mom smiled in response.

"Annabeth," she said, smiling, "you're going to Good High."