Prologue
Her whole life, Annabeth had observed change. She had watched as villages were pillaged, scrutinized as armies tore each other apart, stood as men fell to the ground around her, stepping away as to not dirty her shoes. She had beheld as political tides shifted and surveyed as nobles fell in and out of favor, their heads occasionally falling into baskets.
Despite it all, however, Annabeth's family remained a constant. Her father strong. Her mother intelligent. Her sister kind. And she forever observant. She likened them to the eye a hurricane—a massive storm surrounding them at all times, yet an eerie, peaceful calm enveloping them, following them at every turn. So Annabeth, from her tall tower, seemingly above it all, had examined the lands, her eyes tracing lazy lines, following the predetermined sequences of the common man.
Though change surrounded her, Annabeth found herself stagnant—not that she desired it any other way. She simply wondered, sometimes, what it would feel like to experience change first hand.
Perhaps it was this treacherous thought that prompted her to consider Percy Jackson's arrival a blessing rather than a curse, an opportunity to discover, to experience. If only she'd known the chaos that would accompany the young Duke's arrival, she might have reacted with more hesitance at the news of April 14th and regarded the resultant decision with suspicion rather than hope.
...
"Would you care to take a turn around grounds?" Annabeth asked her sister that fateful morning, the morning everything changed. It was half past noon, and the sun was towering over the castle.
Rachel set down her pencil and glanced up from her drawing, noting that her sister had shut the book she had previously been in such rapture with. "I suppose—"
The princess found her assertion suddenly interrupted by the sound of her sitting room's doors swinging open. The clatter of mahogany started both the girls, directing their gazes towards the intruder: their most trusted guard.
"Your Highnesses," he greeted amongst pants. They both rose, examining his dark and troubled demeanor with wide eyes. "There has been an assassination—"
Annabeth felt her body cease even its most minuscule movements, felt her blood run still in her veins and her heart halt its rhythm.
"William—" the guard revealed through strangled breaths, "Dohlov was poisoned only a few hours ago. Your Royal Majesties require both your presences at once."
Annabeth felt a warm relief seep into her skin, allowing her to breath—though it was still shallow, nonetheless. She watched the guard's concerned gaze linger on her sister and felt a secondary blow at the realization that Rachel would be devasted by the news.
"Take us to them," Annabeth demanded, feeling her body lurch into action at her own words. She glanced at her sister, taking her by the hand and observing the lost look in her eyes and the slow, cold murmur of her lips. "At once!" Annabeth commanded at the guard's seeming hesitance.
He did not waste a second longer, spinning on his heel and leading them out the doors, wordlessly summoning an armed escort.
"Rachel," Annabeth whispered as she practically dragged her sister behind her. "Rachel!"
"William—" the girl muttered hopelessly. "How—"
"I know," Annabeth swallowed thickly, then—"I know"—softer this time.
"He was—" Rachel continued, her feet nearly tripping over one another. "I—"
She seemed unable to finish a thought, and Annabeth found herself in a similar—though slightly more functional—position.
"He was almost family—" Annabeth spoke, perhaps more for her own benefit than her sister's. "Almost, though—not family—not yet—you're—you—I need you. We need to go—We need to—to get to safety. We have to protect—family."
Family.
It had always seemed the most powerful force in Annabeth's mind. Though friends and lovers would betray you, family would not. Family may quarrel, may disagree, but when it is all stripped and bare, only blood will remain.
Trust only each other, their mother had once uttered to the girls as they watched the stars, her voice low and solemn. All others will deceive and betray you—but blood will forever remain true.
Annabeth had heard of a son murdering his own brother before massacring his father only a few kingdoms away. She could not believe it—or perhaps she chose not to. For, to Annabeth, nothing—not fame, nor fortune, nor felicity—would rival family in her eyes.
Your job, their mother had articulated to Rachel that same night, will be to rule.
Her sister was scarcely eight years old when the responsibilities began to weigh on her, when the soft whispers of her mother became too much.
Yours, their mother had turned to address Annabeth, her eyes glossy, will be to protect—protect your family at all costs.
Annabeth was a month from seven, but the words deep sunk into her, the principle intertwining itself in her DNA until the two were indistinguishable.
It was the reason that, at just 17 years of age—after dragging her old sister through the castle's twisting hallways behind her—the slamming of the doors of her father's study, the dismissive gaze of her mother, the quiet thanks of Rachel as they pulled her through the crack in the door, left her hoping for change.
As she paced rapidly outside the room of Congress, where ideas and strategies she was not privy to were being explored, she wondered if the death of her sister's betrothed could not carry a silver lining—if it might bring her the change she had long been craving.
a/n: okay, so I know this is short, and I know I said I wouldn't post until I was done w my extreme writing project, but I'm like 20% done and feeling good. Also, I wanted to give y'all a little teaser of what was the come bc I'm really excited about this story. And also, this isn't even a real chapter. It's a prologue.
So, onto the nitty-gritty details. The story has changed a bit from what was described on the poll, but other than that it's the same. It's a royalty AU set in like the 1600's-ish, but expect a plethora of historical inaccuracies. Also, don't expect the characters to speak with 16-century language bc that's definitely not happening. The story will be pretty slow burny bc that kind of comes with the time period. Also, the characters are definitely slightly OOC, but what can I do.
The story will be told in 3rd person limited, from Annabeth's pov. But you know me, I fuck up and use other people's perspectives sometimes. Anyway, there will be diary entries at the beginning of some chapters (not if the chapters are a continuation of the same day as the prior) that will be in Percy's pov. Also, if anyone knows Percy's middle name. That would be very much appreciated information.
Okay, so story stuff now. You should be able to figure out most of the background throughout the story, and some things are left purposefully vague bc, well, suspense. But here are the basics: Rachel and Annabeth are sisters (Annabeth is younger) and princesses of a Kingdom w no male heirs, so Rachel is in line for the throne. As was the norm at the time, they were both betrothed as children. I think that's all so if y'all get confused by something, lmk and I'll explain it better.
Ciao until my extreme writing mission is really over.
p.s. Like my other stories, I'm trying to average chapters around 3000 words, but we all know I'm unreliable as fuq.
p.p.s. Very much appreciated all the reviews on my last chapter of FB :))) Thank you all for forgiving my long absence and being so kind and supportive.
p.p.p.s. The prologue is dedicated to Fangirl Shrieks bc that review was soo nice gurl, sending many gracias ur way
