Chapter 29

The light of the candle flickered across the papers Sally was carefully coping. She had to admit, as much as she hadn't been sure about Percy becoming a prince, it was nice to have some extra money to buy extra candles and things, it made getting work done a lot easier.

A knock on the door surprised her, and she looked up in confusion. It was odd for anyone other than Percy to be knocking this late at night, but Percy had just come a couple days before. He wouldn't come back again this soon unless something was wrong.

Setting down the quill, Sally pushed herself up and quickly walked to the door to pull it open. Percy wasn't standing on the other side. Annabeth was. Sally blinked a bit with surprise, before stepping aside to let her in.

Before Sally could speak, Annabeth started to ramble "I'm sorry, I know it's late. I just- Andrea was going crazy and I needed air and then I was just here and I really didn't want to go home yet..."

"It's alright," Sally assured gently, smiling as she looked over at her for a moment, before taking her hand to lead her over to the table "You're welcome here whenever you want. There's no need to apologize. Sit down, I'll heat up some water to make tea, and I still have some cookies that Percy brought last time he visited."

"Thank you," Annabeth gave her a small smile as she moved to sit down at the table where Sally had indicated.

Sally carefully collected the papers she'd been working on and set them to the side. Then she started to heat up the water, before getting the plate with a few cookies on it and going to sit in the seat across from Annabeth "Do you want to talk about it?"

"Not a lot to talk about, just Andrea being more annoying than normal," Annabeth replied softly, though she wasn't really looking at Sally as she spoke "It just got to me more tonight then normal."

For a moment Sally just looked over at her, before speaking again "It's been a long time since you've come here because of her. Even before Percy left. She must have really gotten to you today."

Sally didn't know much about the situation honestly, never pushing Annabeth to talk when she didn't want to. It was clear that things were tense with her and her parents though, and she was fairly sure what Annabeth needed was someone to be there for her. The least Sally could do was be that person, in whatever capacity Annabeth wanted her to be. Even if that meant just sitting and listening and making tea.

Annabeth just shrugged at the comment "She was just in a mood- I'm not sure why. Then I overheard her talking with my dad and I just- I needed to get out for awhile."

"That's understandable," Sally assured, giving her a comforting smile "You're allowed to need a break from time to time. And even if you think it's nothing, I don't mind listening if you want to talk."

"It's just a lot of the same crap as always," Annabeth replied, but after a moment gave in, shrugging a bit as she did so "I'm a brat who doesn't appreciate what she does for me and is always making a big deal out of things in order to get attention. Nothing new."

"You know that's not true, don't you sweetheart?" Sally asked softly, the anger she had already felt building inside her getting worse when she just saw Annabeth sort of shrug and half heartedly nod in return. She pushed it down though, that's not what was needed right now.

After a moment Sally sighed, and softly added "What did your father say?"

"He didn't hear, or if he did he ignored it," Annabeth shrugged a bit again. Sally had to admit she was doing a good job of acting like it was no big deal, and most people probably would have bought it, "It's fine. Nothing I haven't heard before. I'm alright- I just- the fight paired with the conversation she had with my dad- I needed to get out of there for awhile."

Sally nodded, just looking over at Annabeth for a moment. Despite what the the girl claimed she wasn't fine. Sighing again, Sally pushed herself up and went over to get cups and pour out the water. A minute later she was handing Annabeth a cup of tea, but instead of sitting in the seat she had been, Sally took the seat next to her instead. She let the silene hold for a moment longer before softly asking "What was she talking with your father about?"

It wasn't asked to pry, and if Annabeth didn't want to answer Sally wouldn't push it, but sometimes Annabeth needed a push to get her to actually talk about things. To assure her it was alright to talk if she wanted to. After a moment it appeared she did, as Annabeth nodded and started again, voice still softer than normal as she did so.

"Andrea has been taking me to meet potential suitors for awhile now without my dad knowing," Annabeth admitted, "He finally found out. He was more upset that she had been keeping it from him then he was that she was doing it. And when he heard who I had been meeting with for the last few months- he actually sounded excited."

"And you expected him to be upset or angry, if not because of what she was doing then at least because she didn't tell him about it?"

The revelation that Andrea had been actively trying to find someone to marry Annabeth off to did little to calm the growing anger and distaste Sally had towards the woman. God, if they ever actually met Sally would probably end up rattling off an entire speech at her. But that wasn't what Annabeth needed right now, she needed someone to listen to and comfort her rather than a rant. She needed a mom, and that was something Sally could do.

"I just- didn't expect him to be okay with it," Annabeth replied, sighing and looking down at her tea "They've been fighting about it for years and he's always been so against it. I knew eventually he would give in, I just thought it would be a little bit longer before he did. As soon as he heard Luke's name though- that changed things."

"Luke Castellan?" Sally asked with surprise, assuming that had to be the Luke in question. It was the only Luke she knew, and Annabeth nodded a second later, confirming she was right.

Sally didn't know much about Luke Castellan, and what she did know was the things that everyone knew. He was a young man who had started with nothing, living in the streets like so many others. For unknown reasons one of the richest men in town had taken an interest in him, taking him under his wing to teach him how to manage his fortune and make it grow. A fortune that had been, and continued to be, made in secret and likely immoral ways. At least, those were the rumors.

She also knew that Annabeth and Luke had a history together, though not what the full extent of it was, just that they had been close when they were was before Percy and her had become friends though, something had happened before that point that drew her and Luke apart. At first she had mentioned him once or twice, but pretty soon after meeting Percy she had stopped talking to him all together. Right around the same time he was taken in by the man in town and the rumors had started.

Whatever had happened though, it hadn't been good. That much had been clear even with her limited knowledge of it.

"Does your father know what happened between the two of you?" Sally asked gently, purposefully phrasing it in a way so Annabeth didn't have to tell her what it was that had happened. It didn't matter.

"No. He knows we were friends, but not anything more then that," Annabeth shrugged a bit, still looking down at her tea rather then at Sally. "He never really paid attention to who my friends were."

"I'm sorry sweetheart," Sally sighed, placing her hand on Annabeth's arm gently "But I think you should talk to him. It might not work, but it's worth at least trying."

Slowly Annabeth nodded a bit, thought she still didn't seem completely sure about the decision. There seemed to be something else on her mind, but Annabeth didn't bring it up and Sally didn't press. Instead Annabeth just looked over and gave her a small smile "Thank you. Seriously. I know it's late, and you were probably getting ready to sleep. I'm sorry for bothering you I just really didn't want to go home and wasn't sure where else to go."

"There's no need to thank me, or apologize. You are welcome here whenever you want and for as long as you wish to stay," Sally assured, smiling at her and squeezing her arm again "I have a whole extra room now, and it's yours whenever you want it."

"I'll keep that in mind," Annabeth assured, giving her a small smile for a moment as well, before turning back to her tea.

Sally smiled at her as well, looking at her for a moment after Annabeth turned away before finally turning to her tea as well.