The Coronation – A Princelet #2

Part One

Five days after the war

I smiled and laughed as Nico and Will teased each other. Nico had been told about Eros' interference. Only the knowledge that Chiron beat Eros up stopped Nico from hunting the god down himself.

Leo was laughing from my account of Kronos and the Pink Pig. Annabeth leaned against me.

"Percy, everything's so wonderful, but I'm afraid I'll have to be the wet blanket."

I frowned and looked down at her. "What's up?"

She sighed. "The engagement party, and your coronation."

I tilted my head back and groaned. "Noooo…."

Annabeth sighed. "We really need to talk about the land/sea thing, Perce. Poseidon hinted that our first kid will be from our mer forms."

I sighed. "I'll talk to him. You can have a water birth or something. That'll be a good compromise."

Annabeth thought about it. "Okay. That should satisfy your father. Now all we have to worry about is the kid's name."

I glared at her. "One world war at a time, Annabeth." She snickered. Annabeth nestled further into my side. I smiled and grabbed the marshmallow stick.

Piper cried out. "Wait, it's hot!"

I had grabbed it by the time she spoke out. I could feel the pain, but it was distant, dull. I sighed. "Nico, can you travel me to Camp Jupiter? I need to take a bath."

Annabeth stuck her tongue out slightly. "Percy, wouldn't it be better if you had protection? It's just like armor."

I sighed. "Yeah, but you can take armor off and on, honey."

She nodded reluctantly. "But it would be easier for you in the future if you kept the Curse of Achilles."

I looked into the fire. The red tongues danced towards the night sky only to vanish and disappear from sight. They could never end their futile mission to reach the stars… The fire stretched and flicked its tongues but in the end, the sky was unreachable.

I sighed. "We'll talk about it later."

She nodded quietly and obeyed me. I looked up to see Malcolm blinking owlishly (lol!). "Yes, Mal?"

He looked at Annabeth and then back at me. "She listened to you! She obeyed!" The campers around us started chuckling.

Annabeth glared at him. "Shut up!"

I snickered. She shoved me slightly. I kissed her chastely. The other teenagers around us stiffened. Some even bowed. I blinked and turned around to see Triton walking up to the fire. His crown and armbands glinted and his Royal Mark (the royal jewels) flashed in the firelight.

He smirked at me. "Percy, the coronation and engagement party are going to be in five days time. Mother and Father want you to return to the Palace for more court training, and you need to go through the rehearsals. Also, Father is planning on improving your crown. You will need new spells cast on it for your coming duties. You also need another crown made for Court. Royalty have multiple crowns for multiple events." He spoke the last part, anticipating my questions.

I slumped against Annabeth. "Now?"

Triton nodded. His eyes held warning. I groaned. "What's the use of being Royalty if I can't do what I want?!"

Triton smirked. "Hades, Percy, I've been asking that same question for centuries!"

I snickered and then I smiled. "Ever tasted a marshmallow?"

He frowned and shook his head. The campers flipped out.

"WHAT?!"

"You haven't lived!"

"What's the use of being immortal, if you don't try everything life has to offer?!"

I laughed. "It's decided. Stay and join us!"

Triton sat down on my other side, causing Nico and Will to shift over. I showed my brother how to roast it. He caught on quickly.

We started chatting. "How's everything under da sea?"

"Going very well. Father is eager for you to take up your crown and duties. The ones a mortal can do and later on the other ones you will do as an immortal." Triton bit into his gram cracker and marshmallow sandwich.

I snorted. "He just wants to laze around and brag about his three high ranking sons." Triton snickered.

Nico turned from Will and spoke up. His voice was harsh and sneering. "So, when will Percy become fully indoctrinated into the Mer culture?"

Triton stiffened and looked at him. "What makes you say that?"

Nico scoffed. "Oh, come on! We're not stupid. He lives through Tartarus. Your father almost loses him. Poseidon's gonna do anything in his power to keep Percy at his side from now on. You've become loyal to Percy; you've started viewing him as a full-blooded brother! You'll do everything in you power to keep him under the surface too! Amphitrite too, probably! You're not fooling anyone. I give it a month before Percy starts forgetting what hot dogs taste like! A year before he starts forgetting what his friends look like!" Nico snorted.

Everyone was silent. They looked anywhere but at me, Annabeth, Nico, or Triton.

I saw a muscle bunch in Triton's jaw and suddenly envisioned Nico as a lobster. I spoke before my brother could. "Nico spoke out of turn, Tri. Forgive him, please."

Triton stared at me in silent fury. "You are taking his side?!"

I sighed. "I am taking no one's side, Tri." I took a breath. "Nico, apologize to my brother. You shouldn't have brought up your opinions in such a manner."

Nico glowered. He brushed Will's placating hand off his shoulder and stood up. "You're even beginning to talk like him! The old Percy-"

I stood, my green eyes flashing. My voice came out low and intense. "The old Percy burned away in hell, Nico. This is who I am now. Accept me with a crown, or don't accept me at all. I am what I am, Nico." I leaned forward. Speaking low, so only he could hear, "Surely, you can understand that…of all people?"

He stiffened, and looked up into my eyes, searching. After a moment, he nodded abruptly and left. Will sent me an apologetic look and followed after the son of Hades.

"I accept you, Percy." Annabeth whispered. I smiled at her and kissed her firmly on the mouth.

Everyone awkwardly excused themselves. No one felt much like laughing after Nico's outburst. I could tell that many were starting to believe that the Sea would snatch me away from them. I frowned. It wouldn't… I was as much part of the land as I was of the Sea. I could balance my two halves…right?

I looked at Annabeth. "The rehearsals for the engagement are tomorrow morning. I'll be at the shore at seven to pick you up." She nodded and kissed me again and left with Malcolm.

I left with Triton, but he stopped walking when we got to the beach.

"The son of Hades lies, Percy. He makes it sound as if wanting you near us is wrong, wicked even!"

I sighed and looked at the moon's reflection on the water. "Triton, Nico is an interesting puzzle. He's even more confusing than a woman and that's saying something. I honestly don't know why he's so concerned for me. He doesn't love me or anything. Not anymore at least." I frowned at the glowing water. Life was so fucking confusing sometimes.

Triton shook his head. "He doesn't love you, but he cares for you. Deeply. He is loyal to you. There is a difference. You were his idol, his hero, his first real crush. You will always have a certain, secret place in his heart. He will be protective of you. He does not want to lose you."

Triton rolled his eyes and muttered, "And he thinks, just because your Sea family wants to spend time with you, we are the enemy! He would not have acted like that if Sally Jackson wanted to take you away for a vacation!"

I frowned. "You guys aren't trying to brainwash me, or anything, right?"

He stared at me in silence. With a sigh, he shook his head and turned away from me. "Dickhead."

I choked on my own saliva. "Tri? Tri! I'm sorry!" I crashed into the water after him. I shifted and immediately caught up with him. "Dude! I'm sorry, okay! Come on, man! I forgave you for being an asshat to me!"

Triton started laughing. "It worked! I can't believe it."

I blinked. "What worked?"

"Your speech. I used crass language, and you changed your vocabulary dramatically. You still remember how to talk like a commoner. Do not worry, usi-dedo-na, you still remember your mortal half."

I blinked. "Wow…"

He shook his head in consternation. "You're such an idiot sometimes."

I shrugged. "It's difficult to utilize two different kinds of speech."

Triton nodded. We arrived at the palace sooner than anticipated. I was swept away immediately by my Father and the Temple Priest.

Poseidon was the only one allowed to remove my crown. He took it quickly. I removed my armbands myself.

Suddenly, all the energy in my body vanished. I sagged against Amphitrite. I felt empty, depleted. I no long had the connection to the Sea as strongly as I had before.

Amphitrite held me close to her. "Hush, my son, you will endure."

Poseidon gave me a replacement crown so everyone would know that I was the Prince. It felt cold and detached.

"In five days, you will have your crown and bands again. However, the magic interwoven into your crown will need to be altered in preparation for you coming duties." His explanation was vague, but I was in too much mental agony to fully listen to him.

"When…when will this feeling end?" I gasped.

Poseidon looked stricken. "It is affecting you more than it did Triton. I am unsure."

I groaned and clutched my waist. It was deep. I felt a drowning sense of loss. Amphitrite caressed my forehead, soothingly threading her fingers through my hair, pushing it behind my ears.

I rolled my head onto her shoulder. The only thing I could think of being worse was being separated from Annabeth forever. That was the only thing worse than this.

I growled and shoved my feelings roughly down into a corner of my mind. Straightening, I looked at my father. "Distract me."

We started the rehearsals. I saw Triton talking to Poseidon. My dad's hand tightened on his Trident. I swallowed and focused on the Priest.

"You shall kneel here, my lord, and when your take oath, make sure your voice echoes throughout the halls, so the Mers can hear you."

I nodded. The Priest floated in the water where Poseidon would. "King Poseidon will name your titles, new duties, and state the immortal contract that you have with him. After that, he will ask you of your loyalty to your people, to your king, and to your family. He will continue to ask you questions which you will answer firmly and loudly. The people must not be led to think that you are hesitant, or ashamed, of your status."

I nodded again and then looked at Dad. "What immortal contract?"

He swam over. "The agreement that I made with you about making you immortal at the moment you are near death."

I nodded. "Okay."

We went through the rehearsals five times. It was well into the early morning by the time everyone decided to quit for the moment and move on to the engagements, or, almost move on...

"Project Perseus! You must learn to project! You mumble so!"

I growled. "I so swear to be loyal to my father, Poseidon King and lord of the Seas!"

Amphitrite sighed explosively. "That's it! I'm adding speech lessons to your list of studies."

I moaned and flopped onto the floor. Triton rolled his eyes and leaned against his Trident, yawning. "You mom spoiled you."

I looked up at him and rolled my eyes. "Amphitrite doesn't spoil me. I wish she did though." I grumbled the last part.

"A prince doesn't grumble!" She shouted and then turned back to Poseidon.

I shook my head. "A Queen also doesn't shout."

Triton snickered. "It is true that Mother doesn't spoil us, but she is extremely lenient with you!"

I smirked. "Are you wanting to have a competition with me dedo-na? To see who is the more persecuted?" I raised an eyebrow.

He chuckled. "Nay, I would lose." He pulled me up and ruffled my hair. He smiled at me and then swam away after his mother to ask her about his place in the coronation.

My smile faded. He hadn't corrected me about him originally meaning Sally. Why didn't he? I turned and saw Poseidon swimming away with my bands and crown. I frowned even more. My family was definitely up to something with that crown.

I moved to follow him, but Amphitrite waylaid me.

"Perseus! The tailor is here for your robes. Then you must leave with Triton to go to Camp Half Blood and pick up Annabeth Chase." She pulled me away from the hall. I looked back and saw Poseidon swim in the wrong direction from the forges.

What was he going to do with my crown?

What was my father up to?

Whew…okay…I had originally meant for this whole thing to be a one-shot! However, my stupid Prince Universe has a mind of it's own! This story will have three parts, maybe four.

Thanks for the reviews!

Ink…