Chapter 13

Percy woke up quietly at the exact time the sun was about to rise. It was the first time he actually got a good night's rest. He looked down to the girl that made that possible.

Her soft blonde hair tickled his skin and her face felt warm resting on his chest. His fingers went to her hair and played with her honey golden curls. His arm went around her bare, slim waist and held her body closer to his. He loved this girl. He loved her with all his heart and he wasn't ashamed of admitting it anymore.

He smiled like never before—like he had his most valuable treasure in his arms. She snored slightly and he chuckled lightly.

Her eyes flitted open and her hands went up to rub at her eyes, as she yawned. She realized she was laying on someone and looked up to see a smiling Percy. She smiled back lazily and laid her head back on his chest.

Percy kissed the top of her head, "You know, I know you're the royal princess of this nation, but I still don't know your name." He said quietly.

She laughed softly. Percy loved the sound of it.

She sat up next to him with the bed covers around her and held out her hand to him, "Annabeth. Annabeth Chase. Nice to meet you."

Loving her name, he laughed at her formalities and played along by shaking her outstretched hand.

"Percy Jackson. It was nice making love with you."

Annabeth smirked and punched him lightly on the shoulder.

She then fell down beside him, lying down on the bed again.

Percy loved watching her chest rise and fall as her breaths came in and out of her body. His arm wrapped around her waist bringing her body closer to his.

"So how old are you exactly?" Percy asked.

"Eighteen, going to be nineteen in a month. And you?" She said.

"A year older." He said smiling and taking in her beautiful scent.

"Have any friends?"

"I do. There's Nico and I just reunited with an old friend a few days ago. She worked in the palace. Her name's Thalia."

Annabeth sat up, "Oh my God, you know Thalia?"

"Yeah, I do. You know her too?"

"She was my best friend—technically my maid—but she never treated me like a princess, which I liked about her."

Percy laughed, "Sounds like Thalia."

The name Nico sounded familiar to Annabeth too, but she pushed it away.

"I used to have a lot more friends." Percy said with a distant tone.

Annabeth looked up at him with her grey mesmerizing eyes. Her eyes told him, she already knew why he was using past tense.

Her hand went to his stomach, comforting him with her warm touch.

He looked down at her with a sad smile.

"It's fine. It was a long time ago anyways."

"You still want to talk about it?"

"You want to hear about them? My friends."

Somehow Percy wanted to tell Annabeth everything—all his pains and sufferings.

Percy's fingers pushed back a strand of hair away from Annabeth's face.

"If you don't mind telling me." She smiled sweetly at him.

Percy smiled back then let out a sigh before starting.

"Most of my friends were publicly executed in the middle of the city square. Charles Beckendorf was one of them. He was more of those quiet people, but when his beautiful girlfriend Silena was getting raped by some officer, Charles beat the officer up terribly and that caused him his life." Percy said with difficulty.

Annabeth's eyes widened in shock, but she kept her calm.

"Silena, she died running to hug a dead, whipped senseless Charles at the death post as the officer shot the gun at her for 'disturbing the peace' during a death post sentence."

Percy looked tired from reminiscing about his many losses.

"Jason Grace and Piper Mclean had a similar fate.

Jason was a born leader like me. He was a rebellious one, always trying to go against the orders of the officers.

That got him a front row seat in watching Piper, the love of his life, get tortured by a fear poison that's injected into your neck and brings to life the worst fears of your life— it's the worst torture imaginable and Jason had to watch helplessly at her be tortured before she was shot in the head. His death followed soon after. He was Thalia's brother. His death was one of the many reasons why she went into the palace to get revenge on the king."

Annabeth eyes were stone cold and were burning with incredulity.

Percy's hand went up to her face, cradling her cheek before continuing.

"Leo Valdez was close to Piper and Jason. He worked in the machinery of the factories. When he made the factories blow up on purpose. His hands were crushed with a stone and then he was shot twice in the chest.

I always figured he had a crush on Piper. IT's just one sad story the three of them..

Travis Stoll and Connor Stoll, twins, always loved to play pranks on people. Well when Travis was sentenced to death for talking back to an officer and rebelling against the system and stealing an officer's clothing, Connor took his place without Travis being able to stop him and was shot to death instead.

Connor died for Travis because Travis had a girlfriend, Katie, who they both loved. Connor didn't want to see Katie heartbroken, seeing Travis killed, so he sacrificed himself.

Travis and Katie were, of course, heartbroken. Travis went into depression and accidentally killed an officer while drunk. That got him days of brutal torture until he died from the hell he was getting.

As for Katie- Well, she coped with her sorrow by gardening and starting up her florist shop. She didn't want to put the two brother's deaths to vain. And yet one day she was stupid enough to walk at night to go put flowers on Travis and Connor's graves and that's when she was stopped by a drunken officer, raped, then beaten to death.

Nico's sister, Bianca di Angelo, actually fell in love with a young handsome officer. Nico kept telling her that it would get her killed, but she couldn't help it. This officer was different, she would say. Bianca was actually holding labor activist groups behind the backs of the authorities. Her lover found out and he chose to do his job and save his own life of having any connections with a commoner.

So Bianca was betrayed and was shot for leading activist parties.

Clarisse la rue was a tough girl but had a big heart. She saw a young girl be whipped to death and punched the living shit out of the officer that was whipping the girl. That got her sold to a high standing official as a sex slave. Her pride and honor was so damaged that she committed suicide.

Grover Underwood was one of my best friends. He was a kindhearted fellow, but he absolutely couldn't tolerate the deaths of hungry starving people. He sold illegal goods to the people.

An officer found out and took him to the torturing chamber. His legs were mutilated and he was brainwashed to kill on command.

They ordered him to shoot Juniper, his greatest love. And I saw him hesitate and fight against the command so hard before he shot Juniper in the head. He was so overwhelmed by the act he did, he went crazy and shot himself, before he killed anyone else."

Percy paused for a moment and looked to Annabeth whose eyes were filled with horror and the most genuine sadness.

Percy wrapped his arm around her and said, "It was only me, Nico, and Thalia left of us until she left and it was just me and Nico."

Annabeth leaned up closer to his face and kissed his lips, reminding him again of the bliss from last night—it comforted him greatly.

"You're friends.. They sound like they were really great people. I wish I could have met them." She said.

"You would have loved them."

"I'm glad you're still alive though."

He smiled, "I'm glad I'm alive too."

She cradled his face in her hands, "And you better stay that way."

Percy grinned brightly as his lips met hers again.

She pulled away first and placed her hands on his chest, "I hate to say this, but you have to change and so do I."

He chuckled as he and Annabeth got off the bed and started to change. Annabeth slipped on one of Percy's navy blue sweaters and wore her jeans from yesterday.

Percy wore some dark jeans and a white v-neck.

A knock was heard at the door of the house below. Steps were then heard and soon both of them saw Thalia walk in.

Her electric blue eyes widened seeing Annabeth there.

"Thalia!"

"Oh My God! Annabeth! "

Annabeth stood as Thalia ran and jumped her with a hug.

Thalia pulled away and placed her hands on Annabeth's shoulders.

She looked at Annabeth then at Percy then at her again.

"Wait, Annabeth's the girl you were crushing about, Percy?"

Percy blushed beet red and Annabeth stifled a laugh.

"Wow, and here I was wondering who he was getting his pants all ridden up for and it was you all along. I mean, makes sense. Annabeth's the princess."

"THalia, what are you doing here anyways." Percy asked incredulously.

"More importantly, why is Annabeth together with you this early in the morning and wearing your sweater? Oh my god. Did you guys-?"

Thalia asked with her jaw dropped.

Annabeth avoided her eyes, looking somewhere on the floor, trying to hide her amused expression, while Percy simply smiled like an idiot.

"Holy shit, you two."