Hello everyone and welcome back! As promised here is the next update, I will do my best to stick to the once a week updating scheduling. Odds are I will post on the weekends after writing during the week.
Anyway, back to the story I really hope you enjoy!
Disclaimer: I do not own PJO or any of its characters.
Percy POV
The morning sun began to poke through the wooden panels of the run-down barn, officially waking me up from one of my better nights of sleep in a long time. While normally the day brought with it so many uncertainties and the potential for hell, today was different. Today was the day I was going to begin my first day as a guard at the Royal Castle.
I sat up in my little patch of hay and looked over to my right to see the light of my life still sleeping. My little sister, Thalia, was curled up under a torn wool blanket that I know from experience didn't provide that much warmth to the chilly night air. Her dark black air was a complete mess, covered with pieces of hay and who knows what else. Her eyes were closed gently as she slept, snoring slightly. I always enjoyed seeing her so calm and peaceful, which doesn't happen nearly as often as it should.
My entire life revolved around doing everything I absolutely can to raise her the way I know Mom would have. I turn my head away from Thalia and peer into the barn below, as swallowing becomes difficult as the memory of my mother resurfaces. I can still see her brown hair and her blue eyes that change whenever the light hits them just right. She was the greatest role model any children can hope to have. She taught us how to treat all people with respect - regardless of wealth or status – and how to carry ourselves with dignity, shaping us into people who exude kindness and dignity. Just the thought of her makes the corners of my mouth tug upwards into an ever-rare smile.
Ever since that awful day when she passed, I told myself I was going to have to replace her for Thalia's sake. Only being 5 years apart, Thalia was just 7 when our mother passed. Old enough to remember all the happy memories of them together, but also old enough to remember the tragedy that struck and recognize the clear whole in her heart.
Our mother being taken from us too soon was difficult on Thalia, forcing me to bury all those emotions to becomes the strong parental figure she needed. In the blink of in a eye, I stopped wrestling with Thalia in the dirt and playing with her all around town to suddenly worrying about where our next meal was going to come from. Safe to say it was not an easy adjustment for me, but I knew it was harder for Thalia to have her big brother suddenly try and become what her mother was.
I shook my head and snapped out of my deep morning thoughts, turning towards Thalia.
Reaching my hand onto her shoulder, I shook her gently and said, "Thalia, come on it's time to get up".
She moaned a little bit under her breath but turned over to face me and opened those electric blue eyes of hers.
"Ugh Percy, it's too early let me go back to sleep", she responded back.
"Good try Pinecone Face but no way am I letting you get out of Hestia's today", I shot back.
Hestia is a wonderful woman who lives in town, a very close friend of our Mothers. When higher middle class families have daughters who become of age, they are sent off to Hestia's to grammar school to learn manners, household skills, and more. Normally only families of great status and wealth sent their daughters to Hestia due to the heavy expenses, but that blessed woman offered to take Thalia in for free after our mother's passing.
"Pleaseeeeee Percy, the girls there can be so mean", Thalia answered. She shot me a look with those puppy dog eyes, trying to hit my soft side.
"Sorry Thals, but we've talked about this before. Getting a good education is really rare for people like us and it's something we absolutely need to take advantage of. Plus, I know those girls are just mean because they are scared of you. You could beat those prissies up with one arm tied around your back" I joked.
Thalia immediately perked up and began laughing, "Obviously! They're so worried about getting their dresses dirty." We shared a nice laugh and I picked her up in my arms, giving her a big hug.
"Alright, you know the drill. I'll sneak into the cottage and get us some breakfast, you start getting ready for Hestia's," I told her.
She nodded and we both made our way down the ladder from the upper loft of the barn, on to the ground floor.
A while ago, we dragged most of our belongings from the main house into the barn to be able to avoid him as much as possible. Thalia began combing through some of her clothes, most of which were too small on her or littered with holes, but unfortunately it was all we had right now. She settled on a light blue hemp overdress with a white blouse underneath.
I quickly threw on a park of dark, wool trousers and a white linen tunic.
Sliding open the barn door, I walked through the empty garden and across a short field to reach the cottage. The cottage itself was quite nice, with a timber frame and cobblestone walls stretching around the entire first floor. The second floor of the house was structured primarily from hay and thatching, which worked well with the cobblestone finishes.
I approached the thick, wooden door and gently pushed it open to the reveal a large open space that doubled as the kitchen and a living space. The fireplace to my left was still smoking from being recently used the night before, and the tablecloth on the wooden table was covered with a mess of random hunks of food as well as empty mugs.
I spotted my target, the large wooden pantry located in the back corner of the kitchen. Knowing that the floorboards would creak, I made my footsteps as slow and light as possible. I reached the pantry and swung open the door, revealing the meager display of options for breakfast. A few small rolls of bread, a bit of fruit, eggs, and a few hunks of not so fresh cheese. Knowing I didn't have time to make a proper meal, I settled for grabbing some bread and fruit for Thalia and me.
Just as I was closing the pantry door, I heard a floorboard groan from the weight of whoever was standing upon it. My head snapped to my left to peer down the hallway, where the bedrooms and stairs were located.
The silence was quickly disrupted by the turning of one of the door handles, the door that led to his room. Knowing that stealth was now useless, I turned and sprinted towards the door, slamming it open with my body and making a run for the barn with my hands full. I didn't dare look behind me to see if he was watching.
As I returned to the barn, Thalia was waiting patiently for me on a small stool. I split the bread and fruit evenly and we enjoyed a simple meal together before it was time to head out for the day.
Hand in hand, Thalia and I took the worn down, dirt path that led towards the center of town and eventually towards the Castle.
Gosh, I can't believe I am headed to the Castle today. I would be lying to myself if I didn't admit my excitement was mixed with a fair amount of nerves. I had never held a sword before, much less used it to fight and protect a family of complete strangers. But every time those nerves bubbled to the surface, I would shove them right back down to the depths of my conscious when I thought about the endless opportunities that could be waiting for me at the castle.
The chance that one day, I could work hard enough to move Thalia and I out of that wretched barn and gives us some semblance of a normal life. To be able to wake up every morning and walk the castle as if I was meant to be there, my imagination would run wild.
As children we all were told stories of servants at every corner, princes, princesses, fire breathing dragons, evil witches, poisoned apples (okay maybe too far?), and who knows what else. Just allowing my mind to consider the possibilities was a method for forgetting the realities of the shitty life I lived back home. To spend my days within the Royal Castle will allow me to forget my times within the not so royal shithole with him.
As Thalia and I continued to walk along the dirt path, it began to fill with lots of people making their way into town today. Local farms with wheelbarrows full of vegetables and grains to sell at the market, artisans such as seamstresses and shoemakers with their nimble fingers, and kids off to complete their daily chores.
We finally reached Hestia's grammar school within the village. I fell down to my knees and gave Thalia a massive hug, kissing the top of her forehead.
"Have a great day kiddo, I'll met you back at the barn for supper," I whispered in her ear.
She responded with a quick nod before turning away from me and towards the entrance to the building.
I stood up to walk away when I heard, "Hey Percy," and my heard turned around to see Thalia standing in the door.
"Try not to look like an idiot when you meet anyone royal okay?" Thalia shouted to me.
A smile took form on my face before responding with, "I'll do my best Thals."
I walked towards the center of town, enjoying the noise of the daily hustle and bustle. I had never been to the Royal Castle before, but its looming presence on the hill above the village made directions quite easy.
After finally reaching the top of the hill, I took a moment to absorb the sight lying in front of me. The path leading to the front gate was filled with merchants, farmers, traders, passersby's, servants, guards and more. The front gate was made of two massive wooden doors, which were currently open to allow entrance into the main courtyard. The entire building was made of massive stone bricks, with fortified circular, gatehouses for protection. The structure was by far bigger than anything I had ever seen, at least 20 times the height of a man.
King Frederick and Queen Athena were known for being generous rulers, allowing the citizens of Olympus to walk through the gates and enter the courtyard to participate in trade and daily activities. Of course, unlimited access to the Castle was only for that of the royal family and those who worked there.
Seeing a few guards strolling through the courtyard, I went up to them and asked, "Excuse me fellas. I'm here to start training to become a castle guard, would you mind helping a guy out and pointing him in the right direction?"
The guards give each other a look and what must be the leader steps forward.
He gives me a big up down, scanning me from head to toe before answering, "Through that door leads to the pit, where all the guards get trained. Good luck little boy, you're gonna need it."
The guards give a little mocking scoff at the leader's remark, but it doesn't phase me. I know I'm not physically the biggest or the strongest, but what I lack there I make up for with determination and perseverance. Hopefully, that will be enough.
As I enter the pit, literally a small dirt courtyard, I see what appears to be all the other guys here for training as well. Off to the side, stands a group of true castle guards. The leaders are adorned in metal armor with elegant carvings while the rest of the guards are dressed in tunics and robes, all carrying spears and shields that are engraved with the symbol of the royal family: an owl.
One of the armored guards steps forward and yells, "Men, front and center!"
All of us scurry forward and step in line as quickly as I can.
The guard who spoke before lifts his helmet off his head to reveal a young-looking man with close, cropped blonde hair.
"Welcome to the Royal Castle. My name is Jason Grace and I am the head guard here at the castle, tasked with the training of you newbies. I appreciate you all showing up today, I am pleased to see that this many of you are willing to devote your lives to protecting the royal family," Jason speaks with authority. It's clear he is a natural leader, displaying a blend of emotion and stoicism that every soldier requires.
"Now that you are here, I will warn you all. If you came here because you wanted to sightsee and maybe catch a glimpse of the Princess, now is the time for you to leave. If you came here because you thought it would be an easy job to stand on the castle wall all day, now is the time for you to leave. This job is anything but easy, it requires your complete and utter attention and devotion. We will give you the physical tools to be able to fight, but I cannot teach you how to give your hearts and bodies to someone you may never meet. If you are not prepared to potentially put your life on the life for the royal family, now is the time for you to leave," he finished. I could tell that some of the men standing around me were beginning to question their presence there and perhaps I was too, but there was no way I was turning back now.
Jason paused for a few moments, giving anyone the opportunity to walk right back out the door they came through, but no one did.
Jason smirked, "Good, were off to a great start. Gentlemen, here's how this will work. Over the next few weeks you will be put through a series of physical, as well as mental, labors and tests. We will train you in the basics of combat as well as tests your mental ability to handle scenarios of extreme pressure and intensity. At the end of the training session in a few weeks, myself and my fellow guards will place each of you into a role based upon your performance. The strongest and best men will have the opportunity to join myself on the front lines, responsible for the greatest duties that we are tasked with. The weaker men will be either asked to leave the castle immediately, or be tasked with duties of lesser importance, understand?"
"YES, SIR," echoed through the courtyard as we all responded. I could tell this Jason guy meant business, but it's clear he was doing all this with the best intentions.
"Good, you are dismissed to meet your fellow soldiers. I would advise you to get to know them well, you will be spending a lot of time together. After that, you are free to go as we will start training tomorrow morning at dawn," Jason stated.
As some of the guys around me started talking and milling around, I found myself staring at some of the carvings and symbols etched into the walls of the courtyard.
I felt a presence walk up and stand next to me before I heard a voice say, "Taking in the sight eh?"
I turned to find myself standing next to a massive, ripped dude at least 4 inches taller than me. However, his large muscles were immediately offset by his pudgy, baby face.
"Frank Zhang, nice to meet you," he said, sticking his hand out.
"Percy Jackson, nice to meet you as well. What brings you to guard training," I ask.
"My Dad was a bigtime war general back in the day, so I wanted to follow in his footsteps, but my mother begged me not to be sent off across the world. I figured place guard was a good happy, medium between the two. What about you?", he asked back.
Not really wanting to share the truth, I replied with, "Yeah same here."
Frank chuckled before saying, "Here, I want to introduce you to some of my mates. We all met at the pub one night and have been pals since."
"Nico, Leo, Beckendorf, Stolls, get over here!" he yelled out.
Five guys all came walking over and wow could they be any more different looking.
One was a small, scrawny Latino looking boy with curly brown hair and a wicked smile while the next one was an extremely pale looking, younger guy wearing all black clothing. Standing to his right was a guy built very similarly to Frank, a large African American kid with huge muscles and hands twice the size of mine. Lastly were two identical looking guys, who had to be twins. Their sandy brown hair and mischievous smiles had trouble written all over it.
"Guys this is Percy, he seems cool so be nice to him," Frank said.
"The little scrawny kid is Leo, the pale creepy kid is Nico, the big guy is Beckendorf and the two look a likes are-"
"Travis and Connor Stoll pleased-"
"To meet you," they both interjected, finishing each other sentences. I was right before; these goofballs are little troublemakers for sure.
I shook all their hands before asking, "So, what did you guys think of Jason's speech? Pretty intense right?"
They all looked at each other before bursting out laughing, yikes was I missing something?
"You mean that show put on by Mr. Macho Man Jase? He's actually one of our oldest friends, we can barely keep it together when he tries to go all tough guys on us. His dad is pretty high up in the Olympian Army so he's been a soldier for a while now, but trust me when I say, the guy's a complete softie on the inside," replied one of the Stolls.
"Oh I see, I had no idea you guys didn't know him," I said.
Leo stepped forward and said, "No worries man, but you've got some catching up to do if you're gonna be a member of the gang. I vote drinks at the pub to get new guy acquainted, who agrees?"
Everyone raises their hands and starts laughing as they start to drag me out of the castle and towards the marketplace. Leo starts cracking some story about his crazy abeula and the Stolls are chasing little boys around the streets while the rest of us are dying laughing.
We finally get to the pub and by then I've literally been crying from laughing so hard. I knew that this entire experience was going to change me for the better, but I can't say I saw this coming.
As I walked into the pub alongside those five guys, I knew something special had just begun and man, I couldn't wait to see where it went.
A/N: Whoa hey guys! A weekly update as promised. I wanted to first address a few questions you might have. The time of this fanfic is set in the late medieval ages, somewhere in the 15th century. Now, I am going to try and be as historically accurate as possible but at the same time, this is a POJ fanfic and not a history novel, so I apologize if things aren't 100% accurate. I have done a lot of research on medieval housing, clothing, culture, and more but I am sorry if it isn't perfect.
I also decided I am not going to use any formal, old English because ew who wants to read or write that?
I know that using Thalia as Percy's little sister might throw some people off, but I really liked the older brother dynamic from Percy, and I wanted to use a character we all know and love rather than making one up.
Last thing. Over the past week I sketched out the entire plot for this story and wow I couldn't be more excited! I like to think I've got some really fun and entertaining stuff ahead for you guys.
Next chapter is all from Annabeth's POV so please come back next week! Thanks again for reading.