This one's a bit shorter, but let me just say, SIX FOLLOWS AND TWO FAVORITES? For the first chapter? That's an all-time best for me! *throws party*

Meanwhile, in the Western kingdom, Prince Perseus (known as Percy) prepared for jousting with his friend, Grover.

"Oh, heck no! I'm not riding Buttercup!" Grover complained.

Buttercup was the newest horse. She had recently been broken but had a habit of running away and was frisky.

"All the other horses are off for the war! I need training before my eighteenth birthday when I'm allowed to leave as well!" Percy explained from up on his steed, Blackjack.

"I've got an idea! You ride Buttercup and I'll ride Blackjack!" Grover suggested.

"If you insist," Percy said unhappily, switching places with Grover.

They set up to joust, but Buttercup had other ideas. "Ack!" Percy said, pulling on the reins of the horse. She kept on going, toward the eastern kingdom. Percy hopped off the horse and started chasing it down. Sadly, it went near the back castle of the second kingdom. Percy chased after Buttercup on Blackjack trying to rope her, but he ended up roping the wrong "her."

"Oh, I'm terribly sorry, Miss," Percy said.

The girl laughed her head off. She had curly blonde hair and was wearing an extravagant dress. "It's alright, as long as it was an accident. It was, right?" Percy nodded. "There you go. Nice aim, by the way."

Percy took his helmet off and untied the girl. "What are you doing out here, anyway?"

"Yes, what are you doing out here? If your mother finds out, she'll explode! Especially if she finds out that some barbarian lassoed you," another female with caramel hair that looked like it was cut with safety scissors. Her clothes gave the impression that she was a servant. Maybe a noble's daughter and her lady-in-waiting?

"Relax, Piper, it was just an accident," the first girl said.

"Barbarian? I'm no barbarian!" Percy said. Piper looked him up and down and crossed her arms.

"You're a knight from the other army. You could kidnap Annabeth. Where's the rest of the army, huh? Lurking around?" Piper said.

"That's a good point. What's your name, soldier? What squadron are you from?" Annabeth asked, pulling a knife from her stocking.

"I'm not from the army. I was trying to retrieve my steed," Percy said.

Annabeth copied Piper in crossing her arms.

"Do you not believe me?" Percy asked.

"How can I believe a untrustworthy-looking man whose name I don't even know?" Annabeth asked.

Percy bowed. "I am Percy. I'm guessing your name is Annabeth?"

Annabeth curtsied. "Yes. You know of me, I gather?"

"Uh, no. The only people of this kingdom I know of are the Queen and King," Percy said in a distasteful tone.

"You do not approve of them?" Annabeth asked with an angry look on her face.

"Well, it's just if your queen wasn't so stubborn and grouchy we would not be in this war and our kingdoms would be prospering," Percy said. He was surprised to see that Annabeth was smirking while he was insulting her royalty instead of, who knows, punching the crap out of him?

"You're correct, you know," she said. "She is awful."

"Annabeth, bite your tongue!" Piper chastised.

"I am sorry, I should not have said that," Annabeth looked down. She looked up at Percy and winked. Who was this girl to talk out about her royalty this way? She was intriguing.

Percy was about to ask how she had the courage when suddenly he heard "WHO-WHOO" come out of the castle. "Was that an owl?" Percy asked.

"Uh-oh! Gotta go!" Annabeth said. "It was nice meeting you."

Percy caught her arm and kissed her hand before letting her go run off. "Until next time," he called. Annabeth blushed as she looked back, being dragged away by Piper.

"Oh, you have so much explaining to do," Piper warned. "Hurry up! Your mother will find out!"

Percy waited until they had left his sight before he put his helmet back on and climbed up on Blackjack to track down the runaway mare. He caught her trying to steal some apples from a farmer.

Percy apologized for what almost happened and dragged Buttercup home.

"You were over there for quite some time," Grover said.

"It took a while to track down Buttercup," Percy said, which was true.

"Did you meet any locals?" Grover asked.

"Just an interesting girl who I accidentally lassoed and an apple farmer whose apples Buttercup was trying to eat. Naughty, naughty," Percy cooed at Buttercup at her stall.

"So, about this girl," Grover said. "What made her interesting?"

"She looked like a princess but didn't act like one," Percy said.

"She was cute?" Grover interrogated.

"Gorgeous," Percy gasped. "Why do you care? Aren't you dating Juniper?"

"Well, yeah, but I think you may have just found a girlfriend," Grover sang.

"We only talked," Percy said.

"Uh-huh. I saw you kissing her hand," Grover teased.

"I was being gentlemanly!" Percy shot back.

"You're never gentlemanly to Rachel!" Grover said.

"Yeah, but that's because unless I find someone I actually like, I'm gonna end up married to her anyway," Percy said.

"So you like the girl you met?" Grover asked.

"No!"

"Then why were you being gentlemanly?" Grover teased.

"I'm done talking to you," Percy said, going away.

R&R, please!