Chapter 1:
"You can't just give her up like this, Athena." Frederick Chase said looking at the small bundle in his arms wrapped up in a silver blanket. The couple was currently in their mansion in the outskirts of the city.
"But I can't risk your and Malcolm's life. The more the distance between us, the safer it would be for her as well as you." The lady said with a pained expression. After all, giving up your five days old child and sentencing her to a life of abject poverty wasn't something a mother could easily do.
"Can't we keep her for some more time? Just one more week." Frederick asked just to have his wife shake her head in response.
"And risk people knowing of her birth?" She asked. The family had bought a mansion outside the city just to conceal their daughter's existence much to their three year old son, Malcolm's dismay.
"Did you speak to Chiron?" He asked Athena.
"Can you do it?" She asked. At this moment, Frederick realised how much it pained his wife to give up their newborn daughter. The little girl, whom they had named Annabeth which meant favour or grace, was certainly a pretty little thing with the tufts of curly blonde hair the shade of honey and big stormy grey eyes much like her mother.
"I'll call him," He told her handing his daughter over to his wife and letting her savour the last few moments she had with her daughter. He then left the room to call over Chiron, the noble family's long time advisor to tell him the dreaded decision.
He returned to the room to find Annabeth awake in Athena's arm who was bouncing her up and down, constantly being encouraged by Annabeth's babyish babble and laughter. The child's eyes sparkled with mirth. Frederick sighed. He couldn't believe he had to give up his daughter just in five days. He could almost imagine the fates laughing at him and his ruined luck.
All too fast, Chiron arrived and looked at the child who was wide awake in Athena's arms. He took her up in his arms and was mildly surprised when the child instead of crying just looked at him calmly and then started tinkering with his badge. The adults talked about the girl's future for nearly half an hour when they were interrupted by Malcolm. The young guy was already attached to his baby sister and had vowed to keep her safe the day she was born, making the task of handing Annabeth over much harder for her parents.
"Mommy, can Annabeth come with me. I have a gift for her." He said as he approached his mother with a lisp he had yet to lose.
"No sweetie, bring it here." Athena said leading to the boy running to her room and returning with a small pendant with an owl with two sapphires for eyes.
"Here Beth, this is for you." He told her sister as he helped his mother put it around the girl's neck.
"Go inside Malcolm, It's time for you to sleep now." Frederick said.
"Then when will I play with Beth?" The child asked. Though completely unknowing, this question asked by the child triggered something inside his mother. Something so strong, it made Athena's eyes watery. "Not now, Malcolm" She managed to say before shooing the child off to his room for the night. This was one of the reasons why she had wanted to leave her son behind.
There's was an unequal society. The people were divided as superus and inferus. The superus' were the normal people ranging from nobles to civilians while the inferus' were the slaves and servants. It was a law that inferus' women could only serve as slaves/servants to the superus who chose them. They were not allowed to take any other occupation unless they were not chosen until the age of twenty two. If this happened they were termed as city's servants. They could take up jobs such as garbage cleaners, helpers or librarians. As for the superus they were allowed to do anything they pleased.
"Don't worry. I'll do my best to keep an eye on her." Chiron assured the couple who had silent tears running down their cheeks.
"How can I not worry Chiron? She's my daughter for Heaven's sake and I'm subjecting her to the life of an inferus. She could be mistreated, abused or made a slave for all I know. I'm the one doing that to Annabeth." Athena said her voice cracking at her daughter's name.
"You know that there's no other option." Chiron said.
"There is." The woman said dejectedly.
"So why aren't you using it child? You aren't using it because you know it's pointless to keep your daughter and live in constant fear that she and Malcolm could be killed any moment."Chiron said. Seeing that his little rant didn't exactly make the couple feel better he took the child in his arms and said "I'll take care of her."
"I know you would." Athena said and then looked at her daughter and told her "Annabeth, I assure you that you'll get your rightful place. We'll meet again, baby girl." She then placed a chaste kiss on the child's forehead letting Chiron take Annabeth, her daughter Annabeth.
Later in the night, her sister, Artemis had arrived to console her.
"How many knew about Annabeth?" She asked her sister once she had managed to calm her down from the hysteric state she was in.
"Besides us, only Zeus, Poseidon, Hades, Apollo, Hestia and Demeter know about Annie."Athena told her. Even the mention of her daughter's name was enough to make Athena rant about how horrible a mother she was.
Meanwhile on the other hand, Chiron had reached the Orphanage for Inferus and had handed over the baby to the owner a lady in her mid thirties who wasn't quite pleased with the appearance of another child telling her Annabeth was an inferus child whose parents had died. With that, he left. This would keep the girl well concealed and most probably, safe.
xx-xx
Umh. Hi?
I have been horrible and have not continued it fast enough. But when you go on holiday without a laptop, it's hard. I tried to do it on the IPad but no luck. Sorry. It will probably happen more so I will try to make longer chapters when that DOES happen.
I have ADOPTED this story from Pride and Prudence. I really liked it and she was about to delete and BAM! Stuff happens. I really hope you will like the way it will go as a have a little plan for Annabeth.
First twelve chapters are her, rest will be mine *really nervous chuckle*
For my update schedule I will probably update every two week, roundabout 5,000 words or more.
That's about it. Yeah. *Shaky smile*
RM