A/N: I own nothing but plot! Enjoy! Or not. I don't tell you what to do.
Percy's heart stilled. But while the body was familiar, the body was not Annabeth. It was King Phorcys, his expression still in disbelief even in death as though his death had been a surprise.
Percy studied the dagger in the king's neck. There seemed to have been a struggle right before the throne. But there was no other sign of Annabeth in the throne room.
"Annabeth!" He cried out. "Search every nook and cranny of the castle!"
"Yes, Your Grace!" The knights answered.
For so long, Percy had warned Annabeth to be careful about speaking around others in case it harmed her. Now, he just wished that Annabeth could speak for once.
He had hurt her, Percy was sure of it. If only he had been more capable and found out sooner that his enemies had possibly figured out what Annabeth was.
In frustration, Percy slashed through a nearby table with his sword, wishing that it was Ceto's neck.
"Duke Jackson!" The soon-to-be king, Triton, called out. "Get a hold of yourself!"
A hold of himself? Percy was nearly beside himself in fury.
"Ceto is gone." Triton informed him.
"I don't care about where that brat went!"
Triton shook Percy's shoulders. "I'm saying that Ceto had more brains than the dim-witted Phorcys. She's always thirsting for power. It's possible that Ceto has Annabeth. I recognize that dagger. It's Ceto's favorite hunting knife."
Percy narrowed his eyes. Once he found the princess, he was going to throw her off the nearest cliff with an anchor tied to her feet.
Triton thought for a moment. "All the normal entrances of the palace are sealed. The princess can't escape that way. But there are a few secret passageways. It's how I used to escape assassination attempts."
Percy considered Triton's words. Then he spotted some bright scarlet spots on the floor of the throne room that were beginning to dry rusty red.
"You lot follow me." Percy barked at his knights.
Knights dragged Annabeth down some sort of passageway. Annabeth's mouth was stuffed with a handkerchief so she couldn't call out for help. She wasn't going to make it easy for the knights, though.
Annabeth deliberately closed her eyes and let her body go limp after first struggling against the two-legs, pretending to be unconscious and forcing the knights to have to carry her instead of making her walk. She felt with the rest of her body that there were about four knights holding her body. From the voice muttering ahead of her, Annabeth could tell that Princess Ceto was leading the way.
Annabeth had to bide her time wisely. She had managed to wiggle enough that the ropes tying her hands and ankles were slightly loosened. Even with her bindings, Annabeth had tried to lunge for the knife when Ceto had attacked her brother. Unfortunately, that plan had failed while the king ended up dead.
At most, Annabeth wanted to aim her attack so that Ceto's knife could cut through her ropes. Instead, the knife had only managed to nick the rope and pierce through her skin at the wrist.
Annabeth had bit her lip in order to prevent herself from crying out. The knife had been sharp and easily cut through her skin. No wonder the two-legged king had died so easily. Now Annabeth had the disadvantage of her bleeding wrist with no way to staunch the wound.
The wound was throbbing more painfully now. Her hands were bound at the front of her body, but it wasn't so easy to hide that she was unconscious and peek at her hands at the same time.
Poison? Had the knife been covered with poison?
Annabeth drew a deep breath as silently as she could, trying to stem the smarting pain from registering in her mind. Most two-leg poisons didn't seem to take much effect on her, since the duke informed her that she had eaten a few foods that had been poisoned before. This poison unfortunately did work on her.
But the injury could be used to her advantage. Before the castle could be invaded by the duke and allies, Ceto had commanded some royal knights to escape. Even though Annabeth was gagged and blindfolded, she deliberately leaned her body so her bound hands were angled towards the ground. Blood dripped from her wrist, hopefully creating a trail that the duke or someone could follow.
The wound was deep enough that the blood dripped at a consistent rate, though Annabeth simultaneously worried that she might bleed out too much.
Not only did she have to worry about the wound, Annabeth's stomach had not been feeling well. She was nauseous ever since the carriage ride kidnapped her to this castle.
Could it be? Mating season for the mermaids was about to end by this time. And the poison from the dagger could damage…
No, she couldn't think like that. Annabeth had to get through this.
After being dragged for what seemed like forever, Annabeth finally felt a cool and salty breeze wash over the uncovered parts of her face. She opened one eye just a sliver. They were outside. The sea must be nearby. If she could escape to the sea...
"If only that bastard duke came back just a few hours later," muttered the two-legged princess. "Then I would have been able to harness her voice and have him under my command."
Annabeth could hear some sounds of struggling and fighting, but the sounds were all dull and some distance away. There wasn't anyone else around when she secretly peeked her eyes open. The two-leg princess must have known her way around some unfrequented hallways or hidden passageways.
Even if she could get the handkerchief off her mouth and yell for help, Annabeth wasn't sure if there were any safe two-legs who could help. After all, didn't the duke's knights and the maid betray her? The only safe two-legs she could trust now was Percy.
"Voice…" The princess continued to mutter to herself as Annabeth was dragged. "Must control her voice…"
Annabeth's mind went whirling. This princess weirdo was adamant that Annabeth seemed to have some power in her voice. The mermaid elders had never explicitly confirmed what their voices can do, just that the two-legs found them very attractive.
For now, her captors still believed that she was unconscious. She peeked her eyes open just slightly. She was being carried like an animal between the two two-legs, her legs held under the arm by the two-legs in front while the two-legs behind had slung her torso over his shoulders.
With the help of the knife previously cutting through some strands of rope, Annabeth figured that she could break her wrists free if she snapped her wrists apart fast. These two-legs didn't know the extent of a mermaid's strength, and Annabeth had never displayed her true strength.
It was now or never before they took her too far.
Bam! Fighting through the pain, Annabeth snapped the ropes tying her wrists and punched the knight with a surprise attack. As the two-leg dropped her in surprise, Annabeth's torso swung down as the knight in front was still holding her legs like the pendulum of a clock. She managed to grab the knife sheathed in the belt of the two-legs she had punched.
In one fluid motion, Annabeth stabbed the two-legs carrying her legs in the neck.
"Ahhh!" The first two-legs screamed, clutching his neck and dropping Annabeth.
Annabeth scrambled to cut the ropes binding her ankles. Finally freed, Annabeth stood up and spat out the handkerchief, slashing her knife in a wide arc to prevent the last knight and Ceto from coming towards her.
But the poison was more potent and Annabeth had lost a lot of blood. Her injured wrist stung as the knight swung his sword at her. She managed to parry away the sword with her knife but the impact of steel on steel jarred her body with pain once more.
"Enough!"
Percy and his knights had arrived in time. Annabeth nearly sobbed out loud in relief. He had managed to find her blood trail. She didn't think she could withstand any further sword blows.
Ceto's knight foolishly stepped forward and tried to defend Ceto. He was quickly overtaken by a few thrusts of Percy's sword. The enemy two-leg groaned as Percy stabbed him in the gut and kicked him aside.
Now the only obstacle between Percy and Annabeth was Ceto.
Slowed down by the poison and her wound, Annabeth couldn't get out of the way as Ceto lunged for Annabeth with Ceto's dagger. The knifepoint dug underneath her chin, slicing a thin scarlet horizontal line.
"Come any closer, and she'll die!" Ceto shrieked as Percy stepped forward.
Percy narrowed his eyes but slowed down, cautious as the knife dug deeper. Annabeth tried not to let the pain show through her expression.
"Drop the knife, Princess, or I guarantee your death will be painful." Percy pointed his sword at Ceto. The other knights fanned out on the sides in a semicircle, but careful not to approach too closely in fear that Ceto would kill her hostage.
"Ha! Before I die, I'll drag her to the depths of hell with me. I know what she is!"
Ceto dragged Annabeth backwards. Annabeth gritted her teeth with no choice but to back up as well, wary of the knife pressing more. The burning pain was spreading from her neck down and up. Ceto's knife was indeed covered in poison that was
Ceto's eyes were wild. She must have known that either way she would die. But she wanted the duke's eyes in despair as the mermaid died in front of him.
"The knife is poisoned," Ceto crowed.
"It doesn't matter. Annabeth is immune to poisons."
"Hehe," Ceto giggled as she continued to drag Annabeth backwards. "I've done my research. Human poison, perhaps. But not poisons from the sea. The royals have passed down years of research and observations about mermaids, including which poisons able to torture mermaids. I've smeared my knife with tetrodotoxin. Quite effective against mermaids, no?"
The knife dug deeper. Annabeth growled in her throat at the searing pain. This two-legs and her family must be responsible for the torture of her brethren! The two-leg princess must be punished!
"You're crazy." Percy spat back. "Mermaids don't exist. You only kidnapped Annabeth because you were jealous!"
In his green eyes were a message to Annabeth. Don't speak.
For if she did, Annabeth would not only confirm Ceto's words of mermaids, but also expose the mermaids living in the ocean. Who was not to say that the other knights in Percy's commands could have nefarious thoughts and be tempted as well? Mermaids would be endangered. Percy's words were to mislead the witnesses around to think in a different direction. It was no secret that Ceto had wanted the duke to be her husband, so the reason of jealousy was not unbelievable, more so than mermaids that is.
The scent of salty air was getting stronger as Ceto pulled Annabeth further and further. Percy and the knights followed, looking for any opportunity to attack. The royal castle had been built at the top of a cliff with the ocean at its back for defense. Ceto and Annabeth were just a few feet away from the edge of the cliff.
Annabeth could hear ocean waves crashing against the rocks some distance down below. The sea must be far away. Ceto's knife was still pressed against her throat.
Annabeth could feel the poison slowly crawl up her veins and towards her heart. If it made its way to her stomach…
"If you go any further, you will not survive." Percy growled.
Ceto just cackled maniacally. "It doesn't matter. Listen, everyone! You have to believe what I say."
Annabeth stared at Percy, catching his eye.I love you, Annabeth mouthed. And I'm sorry. Please wait for me.
Annabeth gritted her teeth and threw herself backwards with all her might. Percy screamed as both Annabeth and Ceto plummeted over the cliff's edge and down towards the rocky shores below.
A/N: Oh look. Another cliffhanger. Or cliff jumper, that is. Those of you who bet it was Princess Ceto's body in the last chapter, you owe a recipe for your favorite baked good or a vote on this chapter or something. It was a good bet regardless.
Last chapter of this fairy tale coming up! Start thinking of the next fairy tale and place your bets carefully, hehehehe.