RIDICULOUS RENDEZVOUS

Dumbass. How could she be so stupid?

Annabeth stared at the glowing bronze sword on the large table in front of her. Many of the Queens gasped, while the Kings glared at the weapon. The heirs, much like Annabeth, shifted awkwardly in their seats around the large table.

Annabeth's family was at the head as the event took place in Athens. The rest of the Kingdoms were in alphabetical order from then on. Annabeth glanced up at her dad, who was talking about how this weapon got left on the crime scene. Annabeth wanted to roll her eyes. More like an invasion. The only thing that got hurt was her parent's bank account.

"Annabeth dear, would you like to explain what happened?" Her father asked, sitting down as Annabeth stood up. It wasn't a question as much as it was a demand.

The princess glanced around the room, seeing the curious faces of the leaders. When she came to the family of Meteora, she immediately looked away. She still couldn't accept the fact that Jason was working against the royals; his own family. She contemplated keeping the full truth a secret. Besides, the only guards that knew about Jason's reappearance were dead. And it wasn't like the peasants were going to be leaving the kingdom any time soon to share the news.

Annabeth vaguely recalled the story she exclaimed to her parents when they questioned her about leaving the palace. She started with the lie that she saw the commotion in the heart of town, and she had to know what was going on. "What if they were in danger? I couldn't just let them all die." She had said, attempting to capture how she felt the need to protect the peasants.

She continued to explain, describing the features of Jason and his blonde friend. She told the royals how they killed a group of guards, to which she had no idea how they got guards, before saying how they treated her poorly. She told them about the money they stole, and how their goal was to replace the royals with "better" leaders. Annabeth did the best to bash the assassins as if to drive her parents away from the thought that was still a firecracker.

"They escaped with some money from our bank, but I scared them out of there. Hence, the dropped weapons." Annabeth motioned to the table in front of her, the large sword gleaming in the light.

Many of the royals nodded their heads, their eyes gleaming with the newfound knowledge. Annabeth may have had to sneak in a few lies, but it was nothing she couldn't get away with. If her parents got word from the townspeople that Jason was in a group of assassins, she could easily explain that it was a mistake. Annabeth would've recognized Jason. She had seen his paintings all over his family's palace. Hopefully, her parents would accept that as a good enough answer if they asked.

"Did you fight?" Mars of Olympia asked, his fist pounding on the large table. His son jumped, looking warily at his father beside him.

Annabeth smiled cooly. She placed her palms on the wooden table, leaning forward. She stared right into the King of Olympia's eyes as she stated, "I got a few good punches on their leader,"

The princess could feel her parents glaring into her back. Most of the heirs were supposed to get looked at as proper. They didn't fight, nor did they participate in much. They were there for looks and law. That was another stereotype Annabeth hated about the kingdoms. They got repulsed when someone acted differently. The princess wanted to change that. The princess and princes should be able to defend themselves without getting a crazy look from people. They should be able to be trained like the guards.

Venus from the kingdom of Pylos gasped. Her long fingernails were painted a light blue as they covered her mouth. Her eyes were wide with shock. "Are your nails okay, dear?"

This got many muffled groans and eye rolls from the rulers of other kingdoms. All the while, Venus rolled her eyes back and announced how important manicured nails were. This caused many of the other rulers to call her out. For once, all the kingdoms were on one side. All other than Venus.

The Kings and Queens grew up with each other. They were once in the same position Annabeth was when they were younger. They'd attend meetings, greeting and playing with each other when they were toddlers. Once they got old enough, they were allowed to sit in the room during the discussion. Their opinions were still valid. But the heirs didn't get much say anymore.

Anyway, this meant that the rulers were like one big family. They got used to each other and became friends. It would take a lot to go to war with each other but it wasn't unheard of. Ever since they were teens, Neptune and Athena had been on rocky roads. Luckily, as mature adults, they tolerated the other to a certain level.

"That's enough!" Zeus called, putting his hands up in the air. The rest of the royals shut their mouths, leaning back in their chairs. They occasionally muttered things or glared at each other, but they'd get over it. If it wasn't Annabeth's mother, Zeus was the one to control the group.

"Thank you, Zeus," Frederick was behind Annabeth now, nodding to the royal. "And thank you, Annabeth. You may be seated."

Annabeth stepped back into her seat, making sure to keep her back straight and head up. Despite how much the proper posture made her neck and back ache, her mother would give her a reason to be upset if she didn't sit correctly.

"Now have any of your kingdoms experienced trouble with these hooded assassins?" The King of Athens questioned, his voice booming.

The room was silent for a minute or two before Mars spoke up once more. This time it wasn't to ask about war, but the answer to the question. His eyes burned with a certain hatred for the rebels, and many of the royals squirmed seeing the gaze. Annabeth only met it.

"A few weeks back a group of seven assassins invaded my Kingdom." Clenching his fists Mars proceeded. "They stole our gold and some city goods. And our guards let the bastards get away with it!"

His fists slammed on the table once more. His chest was heaving up and down. He was smearing at the table, shooting daggers into it. It was as if the table were the assassins and Mars was the killer. He was going to be ruthless the next time he witnessed them. Annabeth could tell that much from his emotions alone.

"A smaller group ransacked the town," Zeus began, "But they weren't able to get much further. The guards drove them out of the Kingdom."

Staring a Zeus curiously, Annabeth got lost in her thoughts. The group with Jason a few nights ago had seven people. If a few of them stuck out on the mission in Meteora, why did they all come to Athens? Maybe there was another group? The latter was the only one that made logical sense even though she would've preferred the first.

Why would there only be a ban of seven rebels? That wouldn't be enough to cause a full rebellion against the royals unless they recruited. Recruited a lot of people. Maybe that's why they asked Annabeth to join them? The assassin group needed far more people to fight the royals. And wouldn't be helpful to have a royal on their side?

Annabeth didn't know anything for sure. Maybe it was just the seven Annabeth saw the other night. They may not have even planned to rebel. The group could just be causing havoc and mischief. It could be nothing more and nothing less. Annabeth also speculated that if it were just the seven of them, whoever they were, they'd have a lot of money. If they've ransacked other kingdoms, and they had that much money coming out of Athens…

Despite agreeing with them on their backstory, she didn't consort with the fallout.

"It was reported that a band of our guards got slaughtered by two of the assassins," Annabeth's father said, turning around to face his daughter.

Nodding up at her father she spoke loud and clear. She spoke with the needed authority. "I was busy with the other five at the time. From what I did see, they were far more experienced than our guards,"

Annabeth wasn't lying, but she wasn't being truthful either. She had more or less let the guards die. A voice in the back of her head told her that it wasn't her fault and that they should have gotten trained enough to win, but Annabeth didn't care. They were still citizens of Athens that Annabeth promised to protect one way or another, and she failed.

The princess gripped the armrest of her chair far harder than anticipated. Her knuckles were fading into a dangerous white from the pressure on them. She couldn't help but blame herself. She could have done something to help, but no. She stood back and watched them get defeated. All the while, she pondered on how to defeat the assassins in front of her.

She felt as useless as the guards in Athens were. Not to toot her own horn, but Annabeth could easily hold an enjoyable sparring match with the guards. She could have helped, or even saved a few of them. Even though the skill in Jason and the boy had been nearly impeccable, Annabeth could've tried. More guards had been on their way anyway.

But no. She was about as useless as a sixth finger. What was the point of her in that fight? She was just there and the bug in a plate of food. She wasn't needed or wanted. She had been utterly useless when she could have been an aid to the guards. Annabeth thought that was the worst feeling.

"We capture them," Mars stood up and pointed his finger around the table. Annabeth pretended to know what was going on. "If they can't wreak havoc, no one's in harm's way."

Chatters flew among the royals, all spitting out their ideas. Some mentioned that wouldn't work if there was more than one group of assassins. Others argued it'd be tough to capture them if a fraction of our guards could get defeated by them. Some sat quietly as they watched the arguing. More than enough of the royals were out of their seats and calling out their opinions. Annabeth wanted to laugh when she saw how uncomfortable the other heirs were.

"If we lock them up," Mars began slowly, "We can make them give us information."

"That's the smartest thing I've heard come out of your mouth."

Mars growled to the royal who spoke the insulting but true words. "Got anything else to say?"

"Yes, a lot actually."

Cracking his knuckles, Mars was more than ready to sucker-punch the king who spoke. If anything, Annabeth could already guess who it was.

Dionysus of Rhodes was more than a joy to have around. Even though he was the heir to the throne, Annabeth had no idea how he got deemed good enough. He was an alcoholic, always looking drunk. His hair was greasy and messy. His clothes were always wrinkled, and his breath reeked of wine. Honestly, Annabeth was glad this king lived on the islands below. Annabeth wouldn't be able to bear with him if he lived inland.

He spoke his mind, but it antagonized. It was not needed during a royal meeting. And if he provoked anyone, why make it Mars. He had the worst temper other than Zeus in the room. Most of the time, Zeus knew how to keep it under control as well. Mars didn't exactly understand how to keep his cool.

"You think you're so smart-" Mars was yanked down by his son, followed by his wife. Mars may have been strong, but his wife was also strong. Not to mention the Prince of Olympia wasn't too far off from following in his father's footsteps. Huffing, Mars reluctantly slumped into his seat, although his wife and son still held onto him.

Though the battle between Mars and Dionysus was over, the rest was not. The bickering continued throughout the room. Dionysus continued to pop out crude comments at times, and Venus insulted the royal's looks. Zeus sat by his daughter and wife, his fingers rubbing his temples. Apollo would spit out cocky comments about his amazingly good looks after insults from Venus, which followed by groans from the rest.

Thankfully many of the Kings and Queens looked about as frustrated as Zeus.

Annabeth glanced beside her at her mother. Her silver eyes were darting around the room, a frown on her face. She could tell the Queen was getting rather annoyed but wasn't going to say much. The look in her eyes matched Annabeth's whenever she was coming up with a plan. That's exactly what Athena was doing now. Annabeth saw that look many times in her orbs.

All the noise in the room gave Annabeth a headache, but it didn't stop her from thinking right alongside her mother. Mars' idea wasn't all that bad. Capturing the assassins was smart. If there were more guards, the seven assassins could easily be defeated. And Zeus said he only saw five. Fingers crossed that there wasn't another gang. If so, there may be a smaller group of rebels to catch. There were both pros and cons to that.

If one of the kingdoms managed to confiscate the assassins, then they could get information from them. Then again, if there were more rebels, there could be an ambush on the kingdom. Using threats would be a useful way to get information. Although, from the people Annabeth saw, they didn't seem like cowards. They seemed like anything but.

The leader bluntly asked Annabeth if she wanted to join them. They set up an entire plan, just to get money from her Kingdom! They fought the guards without hesitation, and they approached her without hesitation. She was in line for the throne! Did they not think of how dangerous that could be? They were either brave or cocky.

If the gang weren't cowards, they'd probably take torture over sharing information. They acted like those kinds of people. It wasn't like she had a problem with that, but it could run into a problem. Annabeth didn't want to cause fear throughout the public, but she wasn't sure if capturing them was going to work. It was the most logical reason, but Annabeth didn't think it'd work.

Although, that may have been the only way the royals would go. She might have to go that way, whether or not Annabeth thought it would succeed.

"Enough! All of you!" Athena now stood up, her dress flowing out around her. Thank God someone was finally going to say something.

She strode up to the table beside her husband, taking his hand in hers. Her grey dress was tighter to her torso than most of her other ones were, but it still made her look beautiful nonetheless. The dress hugged her torso tightly, then ruffled out near her waist. It wasn't poofy or large like most of her outfits was, but it was smaller. It just barely pooled out a foot from her feet.

"I have a compromise," She stated, looking around the table.

Venus sat back down with a not-so-subtle glare at Apollo. Multiple other royals did the same brushing the invisible dirt and wrinkles out of their clothes. Another portion of the table looked relieved, much like Zeus.

Athena spoke of all the information Annabeth thought. She reminded the royals about the fact that they didn't know if there were any other rebels. She also stated that they might give in to the torture rather than share any news.

"Although, there is another option."

Many murmurs rose, but with the raise of Athena's hand, she silenced them. She glanced at her husband before nodding in unison with him. They must have agreed to something. Two minds think alike.

Annabeth's eyebrows raised. She was too busy contemplating the pros and cons of capturing the assassins. She didn't even try to think up a new idea. When her mom took a large inhale of breath, Annabeth held hers. She was scared of what her mom was going to say. What other option could there be? Let the rebels run wild?

"We spy on the assassins," Athena stated, explaining her proposal. "This way, we can figure out if there is more than just the fellow seven that attacked Athens a few nights back. We can discover if they want peace or if they want to rebel. We can learn much more about the assassins and their ways of attack if we spy."

Annabeth contemplated this while the other royals nodded their heads and spoke their opinion. It wasn't a bad idea. In all reality, Athena was highly intelligent. The only thing she seemed oblivious to was the terrible condition of the kingdom. Anyway, Annabeth knew her mom was right. This way, if we were to get a few guards to spy on the rebels, we could then capture them. We would have almost all the information we needed on them to outsmart them.

"And why do you think this is better than capturing them, Athena?" It was Dionysus who questioned, and Annabeth was shocked. Why was he challenging her mom? He was no better off than the rest of the opposing her. Why did he think she stood a chance? Annabeth knew he didn't.

Athena raised her dark eyebrow but gave more exclamation. "We would capture them after we spied on them. This way, we have all the information we needed about them to pursue in our actions."

"Sill appears useless to me," He muttered.

Annabeth stood up beside her mother, pointing a finger at the King of Rhodes. She glared at him, even though he was busy fixing the buttons of his shirt. "Look, would you rather be safe than sorry? What would happen if there were more assassins out there, planning our destruction? We'd need to know. Otherwise, kidnapping a small group of them could be the match that sets off a revolution."

The royal was now stunned into silence and Annabeth felt an air of satisfaction creep into her veins. Serves him right. The plan was a wonderful idea, something that Annabeth would've never thought of herself. It was that something so obvious to think of, that you completely surpass it. If they could find the perfect guards to do the duty, we could have the assassins in cages in no time. They won't hurt anyone innocent anymore.

"Who's willing to spare a few guards for the job?" Athena questioned, her eyes scanning the table for anyone who answered.

No one had any guards that could spy on the rebels. Everyone was silent again, not one royal answering Athena's question.

"Can no one lend a few guards? It's not going to hurt." Annabeth said, earning a glare from her parents. They didn't want her to speak up unless it was in their favor. They had told her this before the meeting. What do they want her to do? Was asking for a few guards in a demanding way not helping?

The silence was stretching far too long. Honestly, Annabeth didn't know how hard it could be to lend a few guards. It wasn't going to cause the end of the world. Besides, the kingdoms already were packed with protectors. How could there not be enough? Was there something she didn't know about going on behind the scenes?

"What if we were to go to war?" Apollo asked, his bright blue eyes finding her's.

Looking into his eyes made Annabeth feel slightly guilty. William had inherited his father's eyes. The blue color was so vibrant it was as if Annabeth was looking into the sky. Not only did Annabeth know where his son was, but he was taking care of a deemed criminal. He was only in a kingdom one away from his.

It would be so easy for Annabeth to give in and tell Apollo that she knew where Will was. But she wouldn't do that for Will or Luke. It could get both of them in trouble. Even if Will didn't tell anyone that Annabeth got involved, she would step in herself. It would be a scandal, and she wouldn't want Will to go through that alone.

So maybe she wanted to tell Apollo his son was just fine, but it would mean sacrificing so much more. Besides, as Apollo said, he didn't look that old. With the looks he had, he would be able to stay king for longer. After that though, the process would be long and hard, but they could manage to find a new King and Queen of Delphi. Then Will could continue his dream to be a doctor.

Everything would turn out just fine in the end. No scandals, no disappointments, no lost dreams. Only a lost son. Wow. Now that Annabeth thought about it that way, a flood of sympathy flew through her. Although, Annabeth quickly shoved the feeling into the bottom of her heart. Will would be happier in the long run.

"Losing a few soldiers isn't much," Venus protested for Annabeth, as Annabeth fought down the lump in her throat.

Scoffing Mars rolled his eyes. "Please, Your Highness," He mocked, "A gang of warriors could be the path to victory or loss. And I don't lose,"

With that, all the royals faced Annabeth, the one who originally brought up the idea that a few guards couldn't lose a war. Breathing deeply, Annabeth closed her eyes for a moment. In a certain sense, they weren't wrong. But the chances of going to war when the assassins are the biggest threat were very small. The kingdoms surrounding Greece mostly stayed out of their business, not bothering them.

Something could happen though. But the last time Greece went to war it was with Italy. And that was a simple misunderstanding standing about religious beliefs and it was all sorted out. We made a peace treaty, and all was said and done. It was a war that lasted maybe a year or so, but when the royals found out what the fuss was all about, they immediately set out to fix it.

None of the other bordering countries had any conflict with Greece. But, knowing how the other royals were, she couldn't say that. Telling Mars it's better to be safe than sorry previously, was going to bite her in the ass just now.

Opening her eyes, Annabeth sighed and chose her words carefully. "As I said before, it's better to be safe than sorry. Despite Greece being at peace with the bordering countries, we went to war with Italy a while back. We can't take any chances."

This got grunts of approval from around the table, but Annabeth noticed nothing from her parents. She stole a sideways glance at them and saw their wandering eyes. Annabeth understood. Now, the option of sending guards had been vetoed, due to the fear of getting called a hypocrite. It was a mystery to who was going to spy on the rebels.

"Mars." Annabeth faced him. "You have a kingdom full of warriors. Do you think you could gather volunteers?"

"Miss Chase, the only fighters in Olympia are me, my boy, and my wife. And none of us are going."

Annabeth held back an eye-roll by staring blankly at him. The princess didn't understand how in the world the other royals stood him. Let alone his wife, son, and when the royals were in their youth.

A new voice spoke. "How about you, Annabeth?"

Flipping her head to Venus' side of the table, Annabeth found Silena's bright orbs. Silena had her hands on the table, spinning her wedding band. The daughter of Venus' nervous eyes trailed across each of the royals. They were all agape.

"I know, I know," Silena began, "It sounds crazy to send the only heir for Athens, but Annabeth would be perfect. I've known her for a while. She's clever, brave, and resourceful."

The heir of Athens blushed at this, her cheeks reddening. But Silena only continued, wanting to keep the attention of the royals. Annabeth did think her idea sounded insane, but Annabeth also took a hint of self-love hearing the compliments.

"Annabeth managed to trick the rebels into telling her what they were planning. Did you not?"

"Well, I started a conversation with them. I wasn't sure I could fight seven very skilled assassins, so I figured to attempt a different approach. I could rat them out." Annabeth honestly answered, itching the back of her neck with the newfound praise and attention.

Pushing herself out of the chair, Silena began to pace back and forth, still fiddling with her wedding ring. "She also got a few good hits on their leader. Their leader. She got us information no other heir would've gotten because they would have fought instead of talked."

Murmurs arose from the perimeter of the table. "She's observant, fearless, and strong. If anything, Annabeth is the best option if we can't send guards. She has the brain, the determination, and the ability."

Annabeth grinned at Silena. Despite not seeing her close friend in a while since she was married because of coronation preparation, she was still backing Annabeth up. Now, that's when Annabeth knew she could trust the person. If she couldn't trust Silena, she didn't know who she could.

That's until Athena's motherly instincts kicked in. Or at least, that's what Annabeth wanted to think they were.

"You think I'm going to let my daughter risk her life?" Annabeth felt her heart race at the thought of her mother loves her. She was standing up for Annabeth because she loved her and not because of her duties. "Not only does she have to work on finding suitors, but she's the only heir to Athens." Nevermind. Annabeth's heart snapped back into two.

"No disrespect intended, Queen Athena, but I do believe Annabeth can handle herself and get out alive and unharmed. If anything, the suitors will only be more anxious to winning her over after she shows out strong and resilient she is."

After a disbelieving look from the queen, Silena continues. "It will only aid Annabeth in finding a husband sooner. I appreciated the concern for your daughter, but if I were her mother, I'd like to believe my daughter could take one such a challenge."

Silena pulled the words out of Annabeth's mouth. She winked at Annabeth, earning another quick smile from the princess.

When Athena said nothing, and neither did Frederick. "Are you willing to take on the mission, Princess Annabeth Chase?" After the nod from Annabeth, Silena looked around the table, pacing ceased. "All in favor of sending Princess Annabeth Chase off to spy on the assassins?"

With the majority of raised hands, Annabeth grinned.

Silena turned to Annabeth. "The council has decided. The mission is yours."

Silena's persuasion skills had earned raised hands from Athena and Frederick. Even though Annabeth's parents hesitated they still knew that Silena was right. Annabeth could only think of how perfect of a queen Silena would soon be.

Words: 4,600

I can't believe I wrote an entire chapter over spring break! I normally cannot write anything when I have other distractions around me! This year over my three week winter break, I wrote two or three sentences at most! I'm so happy I wrote over break this time!

I hope you enjoyed! The story is really starting to take shape!

[ANY RECOGNIZABLE CHARACTERS GO TO RICK RIORDAN]

-Bookworm-2026