BETHANNY'S BETRAYAL
Annabeth crouched in the safety of the bushes in Meteora, a sense of deja vu creeping down her spine.
Her heart thumped in her chest, and her eyes darted around the town. She didn't see any sign of her parents' arrival or preparation. She knew that she stated she wanted this to be like a surprise attack, but there weren't even a few more knights than normal. The typical number of guards held their positions with their swords at their hips.
"Why is the city so quiet?" Hazel questioned, her fingers gripping her sword tighter.
Annabeth shrugged. "Maybe they're scared?"
"I agree. Why wouldn't they be after all? None of them know when their kingdom could be next." Percy responded, his eyes still scanning the city.
She took a deep breath, awaiting Percy's commands. Her fingers shook around her bow, the quiver on her back weighing her down. Now that her plan stood right in her face, she wasn't so sure she could succeed. Percy and Jason had immaculate swordsmanship. Hazel and Reyna were right on their level. Dakota, Gwen, and Malcolm were very strong in their ways as well, being fast, agile, and witty.
Annabeth started to sweat, her underarms and neck heating up. She hoped the rest of the group didn't notice how nervous she was. Despite telling herself almost the entirety of her mission that she was doing the right thing, she wasn't so sure now. What if she was making the wrong decision?
"We must stay together. Jason, last time we came in we nearly didn't make out alive. I don't want that to happen again." Percy started, turning around to face us. "With as big of a city as Meteora is, we have to stick together."
She wanted to mention how they should probably divide and conquer, but wouldn't that make the final step of the plan harder? With all of them in one place, it would be easier for them to be found and overwhelmed. Why was she starting to second-guess herself now? It wasn't the time for her to regret her decision.
Percy bent down on one knee so he was level with the rest of them. He brushed away some leaves with his hand, revealing a patch of dirt underneath. He took his sword and drew a box, marking an x where the castle was and a circle where they were.
"The buildings are very close out here, so it's easier to use them as cover. First, I'm going to need us to be separated so we can attack the guards from different angles. Jason and Reyna, Hazel and Malcolm, Dakota and Gwen, and Bethanny and me."
Annabeth and Percy lifted their heads at the same time, their eyes meeting. They both nodded, Annabeth's being less firm than his. She wasn't sure of what was wrong and what was right anymore. All she knew was there was no backing down now. She wasn't a coward, and she wasn't going to hide from what she did.
"Jason, Reyna, you're the distraction. Alert the guards that you saw us just outside of the city. Point some of them in the wrong direction." Jason and Reyna took off their cloaks. Both had a hidden dagger under their clothes.
"Hazel and Malcolm," Percy began to draw lines in the dirt. "You need to make a ruckus by trying to sneak in a main window or door. When the guards' attention heads to them, you all need to fight. Whatever happens, everyone joins."
Hazel and Malcolm nodded with Reyna and Jason following.
"Dakota and Gwen are going to keep the guards that rush out here occupied. Be ready. There may be a lot of them."
Dakota wrapped an arm around Gwen and squeezed her shoulder. He nodded with more confidence than she did.
Percy cleared his throat. He drew a line opposite from Hazel and Malcolm's. "Bethanny and I will take the left side of the city. After Hazel and Malcolm start a fight, we will wait to join as another surprise factor."
She and Percy. All alone. The last time they were alone, he tried to kiss her. Ever since then, they hadn't been the same. Sure, their relationship always consisted of awkward side glances, but now it was ten times more awkward than before.
Annabeth snapped out of her daydreaming and nodded to Percy's plan. With all of them in one area, it would be easy to get them captured. Maybe, that way, the guilt wouldn't last as long.
Percy pushed himself up from the ground. "Last time, the royal guards nearly defeated us. We will not let it happen again! Let's make our boss proud!"
The group jumped off the ground and cheered, before heading off to the city. Percy and Annabeth stuck to the back of the group. Annabeth's fingers shook around her bow and her legs trembled with each step she took.
There's no going back now. This was it.
Taking a deep breath she pictured Hazel's sweet smile back at the stream. She imagined Malcolm and Percy a couple of nights ago, and the way they all laughed without a care in the world. How they shoved, pushed, cheered, and cared for one another like a family with love.
Above all, she imagined Percy. His smile, his laugh. She pictured him when they were at the stream together. Laughing and talking to each other like they knew each other for years. She saw the sparkle in his ocean eyes, and his black locks falling onto his forehead. She pictured him blushing, and him fighting. How he fought with grace and elegance that no villain or rebel should be able to conjure from within themselves.
He was perfect in nearly every way. Loyal, kind, caring, compassionate. He was perfect. There was no one like him. They just met and he had utmost loyalty to her. And, she was about to break whatever bond she had with him and the rest of the group.
The group separated and the large abundance of homes, merchant shops, workplaces, schools, and the largest castle she had ever seen appeared. She had never seen such architecture before. The style was different from Athens. The buildings were high, almost as high as the castle. The shops and merchant stores were stopped on the streets but were decorated with care.
Unfortunately, they continued to the left side of the city. For a while, it was silent until Annabeth felt a firm grip on her shoulder.
"Are you okay?"
Annabeth smiled, looking at Percy's softened face. "I'm great." I'm about to backstab all of you.
"You don't look so good."
She raised her eyebrows.
"I mean, not that you look bad all the time or anything, just you…" He stopped when he heard her chuckle.
"It's nothing. I have just a little headache, that's all."
He stopped her by grabbing both of her shoulders. He looked straight into her eyes. "Are you sure?"
"Yes." No. "I'm just not feeling my best."
That wasn't quite a lie.
"Are you sure you're up to this? Meteora has one of the strongest armies in all of Greece. I can't have my newest warrior getting hurt." He grinned, but his eyes weren't shining.
"I've been through worse. I do appreciate your concern though." Annabeth took a forceful step away from him.
His arms fell to his side, and he looked down as if just realizing that he was holding onto her. He coughed as a slight blush rose to his face. "I'm sorry." So am I.
Voices from the town bustle carried into the backroads, boots echoing in the dark corners of the town. Women screamed, children cried, and chaos erupted as a large group of knights tumbled down the city. Doors slammed shut as they went by, and despite the cries and shouts of fear, the city got eerily quiet quickly.
"We gotta get moving."
Percy began to sprint ahead, the palace still a distance ahead. Annabeth followed shortly behind, feeling as if her legs were going to fall off. She was reminded of the time when she first found the assassins, but this time they were not sore from walking, they were trembling with fear and anxiety.
If she failed, everything would fall. If she failed, nothing would be the same. She was about to win or lose everything. She wasn't sure what she wanted to win or lose quite yet. Her emotions were getting the best of her, despite what she wanted. She knew what had to be done, but could her heart make it happen?
When she and Percy reached the palace, they leaned over and took heavy breaths. From there, Annabeth went to the corner of a building and peeked out from behind it. Shortly after, she felt Percy's presence behind her, his fingers hovering around her waist. That didn't help her steady her breathing much.
From the palace entrance, she saw Reyna and Jason, cowering in fear. Suddenly, Reyna screamed and pointed to a point Annabeth couldn't see. The guards turned, and holy the number of guards. It had not looked like that many from outside the city limits. Where had they all come from? Never before had she seen that many guards, not even when court meetings were held.
The fight began. The sound of swords clashing was the loudest in Annabeth's ears. It had begun. There was no turning back. Her plan was in action.
She felt Percy's fingers grip her side. She could feel the shaky exhale he took to calm himself. "That's way more guards than we originally estimated. You sure you're good to fight?"
Annabeth nodded.
Her fingers gripped the side of the building and her bow so hard her knuckles turned sheet white. Without a warning, she turned around, putting her hand on Percy's neck, and pulled him into a hug. She then whispered, "Be careful." into his ear. She couldn't tell whether it was a warning or not.
"Right back at you, sweetheart." She gasped quietly, before closing her eyes.
Annabeth backed away and knocked an arrow, getting the perfect angle to attack at. She shot the arrow and it landed in the chink of one of the guard's armor.
"Go!" She yelled at Percy, who drew his sword and charged into battle from the other end of the building.
From behind the building, she saw most of the battle, whenever one guard went down, two or three took their place. It seemed as if this battle would never end. Even with Percy and Jason in the battle, it wasn't looking too good. Hazel, as small and quick as she was, was getting overwhelmed by the sheer size and number of guards. Malcolm wasn't doing much better with his dagger. Reyna was holding up well, but she too was already growing tired.
What was happening was going according to her plan. She didn't like the way her stomach twisted from it, thinking how in moments her newfound friends would despise her.
She shot many arrows, but Annabeth was not nearly as skilled with a bow as she was with a dagger. Most of the arrows bounced off the knights' armor, but a few lucky shots made it into a chink of armor. When Annabeth reached back to grab another arrow out of her quiver, she received nothing but air.
She was out. Annabeth ripped off her quiver, dropped her bow, and grabbed the dagger out from under her cloak. She emerged from her corner and joined the fight. The guards seemed to be taking it easy on her, but she was not doing the same for them.
Even as she began to take down guards, the endless supply of them continued. Soon, sweat was drenching her face. Somehow, through the jabbing, slashing, clashing, and side steps, she found herself back to back with Percy.
Annabeth heard his labored breath synced with hers. He grunted as he forced back another guard and slashed through a hole in his armor.
"Are… you… okay?" He asked between breaths, jabbing at another guard.
Annabeth swung her sword at the nearby guard. "Okay. You?"
"Okay."
She didn't believe him. Soon enough, a large stampede of stomping boots caught their attention. Every guard, every assassin stopped fighting. There were so many. A whole new force was coming for them. Annabeth was so exhausted, she couldn't imagine how the others felt. They hadn't even made it inside and this was what was happening to them.
In front of the guards, she saw Dakota and Gwen tied up. They wiggled their arms but hung their heads. They were gagged and their weapons were all missing. Their cloaks were ripped and they had cuts and scrapes around their bodies but they appeared fine otherwise.
And it was all her fault.
As the new group of guards approached, Percy stiffened his grip on his sword. He turned around to face her. He opened his mouth to speak, but he didn't have time. The fight began again right away. This time, there was no hope that they stood a chance. They were fighting an impossible battle. They weren't going to win.
But Percy, oh Percy, he held onto hope.
"We can't get nothing out of this." He panted and swung his sword at an approaching guard. "I'm distracting them. Get inside and get something, anything."
Before she could answer, he ran off toward the army approaching Dakota and Gwen. Annabeth took a quick step forward before sticking her feet to the ground. She couldn't follow him. Whatever she did, these guards were informed of her plan. They knew. There were only seven people in the dark.
With two of those seven down, this made the guards' job even easier. This was it. She couldn't run now. Soon, they would all know. They would look at her in a new light. They wouldn't understand, just like how she still doesn't understand everything about them. Annabeth was a royal, and the seven of them were assassins. They were bound to be on other sides of the war.
This wasn't supposed to happen. Just like in the fairytales, heroes and villains were opposites. Both sides had to make sacrifices. This was hers. She went into this job with a mission to destroy the assassins. To find who they worked for, rat them out, and capture them. End the spark of rebellion they began.
Though she was succeeding so far, she felt like she was failing. Her emotions were failing the mission. Her feelings weren't supposed to get in the way, yet they did. Now, that's what happened in fairytales.
As a battle cry rang through the air, Annabeth looked up to see Percy charging toward the oncoming guards that took down Dakota and Gwen. With the momentary distraction, Annabeth turned and darted towards the gates.
Unfortunately, guards immediately swarmed around her. She knew it was going to happen, but Annabeth's shoulders dropped. She couldn't even fulfill Percy's last request to her. Now, she felt like a whole other pile of trash.
Was she sure that the group wouldn't understand why she was betraying them? Or did Annabeth still not understand what their purpose was? The money went back to the peasants, but she didn't see the peasants getting help in Athens. They had to be lying.
Annabeth winced as the battle continued to rage around her. One of the guards in front of her stepped forward and bowed mockingly. "Glad to see you here, Princess."
Before he could stand up all the way, she kicked him in the gut and swung at the men to her right with her knife. This time, after seeing her reaction, they got right up near her and swung their swords at her. Some were murmuring and gaping in disbelief.
For what, she didn't know. She needed to get inside or pretend to get inside at least. And these guards were the only things standing in her way.
"I'm not so sure I feel the same." She responded to the same guard in front of her.
The others stepped back as she swiped her dagger at his neck. He stepped back, and she stepped forward. He sliced at her hip, but she pivoted and attacked his unguarded sword arm. He was too quick for Annabeth and quickly tripped her off her feet when she stabbed at his leg.
She fell, and just as he was about to bring his sword down on her, she stabbed a chink in his armor and rolled out of the way. He cried out in pain as he stumbled, grasping onto the joint in his leg and dropping his sword. As she did this, the rest of the army didn't wait for her to rise.
"That's no princess! Get her!" The guard she attacked yelled, pointing to her.
"Oh, gods."
Annabeth pushed herself off the ground, stumbling. She snatched the guard's sword, her knife still lodged in the guard's leg. In a way, she was saving him before herself. Then again, wasn't she here for the people?
She ran towards the gates. Behind her, she heard Reyna call out for Jason. She didn't have it in her to look behind her as she left. Maybe by listening to Percy she was being a coward. She was running from what she started. Annabeth was running from her problems without even noticing.
Guards yelled and shouted, some behind her crying out in victory. She heard the cries of her fellow assassins as each fell to the hands of the neverending guards. Annabeth wasn't as talented with a sword, the long and heavier metal making her arm hang.
Her arm and her legs and her brain worked slower with a sword. Many of the knight's hits slowed her down, pushing her farther and farther away from the open gates to the palace. As one final blow sent the sword flying from her hands, she clenched her fists ready to fight.
Annabeth bounced on her heels, awaiting an aggressive attack from the armed guards first. Instead, they all stood as still and straight as statues. Their swords hung to their sides, their gazes locked into something behind her. As the gravel behind her creaked, she realized someone was behind her.
Before she had the chance to turn around, thick muscular arms trapped her in a headlock. She grabbed at his forearms with her hands, batting at them as she struggled to get air through her windpipe. She felt the warm presence of the man.
As he began to speak, his thick facial hair moved her hood by the side of her neck. "Welcome back, Miss Chase. Although, I'm sadly afraid this isn't the end."
One of the guards came up to her with a bowed head and captured her struggling arms. He wrapped the rope around her arms but kept them in front of her.
She recognized the voice as King Zeus'. It only made sense. What guard would have as much facial hair as Zeus? As the King slowly unwrapped his arms from around her neck, she could already feel a sharp sting. Oh, she was going to have a bruise.
As he turned her around without so much as a second glance, Annabeth saw her fellow assassins tied. Jason was knocked out, being dragged away by a few guards. Reyna had a gag in her mouth, but Hazel and Malcolm had their hands and legs tied. Many guards had their swords pressed to their necks, provoking them from moving.
Zeus guided Annabeth to the rest of the assassins. Her gaze moved across each of them. They all had their hoods down, and Zeus quickly removed hers. The guard that tied her up followed and put his sword at her neck. Hazel had tried tears down her cheeks. Gwen was squished shoulder to shoulder with Dakota. Reyna's head was down, but she could see her biting the gag in anger. Lastly, Malcolm's eyes trailed the battle scene.
Annabeth did the same and noticed Meteora citizens emerging from their homes. The remaining guards kept them back, being sure to emphasize that they were a strong force to be reckoned with. She also happened to notice that Percy was not amongst the crowd. She didn't notice any guards missing, but many just a few were out after him. Wherever he was, she closed her eyes and prayed to the gods that he would remain safe.
She knew that until he was found, they would search the city, every kingdom maybe. Annabeth just crossed her fingers and hoped that it would take days, maybe weeks to find him. It would even be a blessing if they never found him. He would never find out about her betrayal. But she would never see him again.
"I do believe we have a few open cells just for you." Zeus lightly shoved Annabeth off so she was in line with the rest of the assassins.
One of the guards bowed to Zeus and led them to a building in the middle of a city. As they walked there, the citizens stared at them, whispering, sobbing, and cowering in fear. What they didn't seem to know was that one of them was still out there. Percy was still out there, fighting with his entire being to stay alive. Knowing him, he might be surrounding the place or calling in backup to help get his group out of trouble.
Annabeth knew firsthand what it was like to be treasured by Percy. He would without a doubt come back for them. The last time she was in a situation like this, he came back for her without a second thought. He would surely do it again. For his entire team. For everyone he loves and treasures.
The building in the city was disguised as mere weaponry. It was quite ironic, but Annabeth didn't comment. It's better that she kept quiet anyway. Soon, these six people she got to know as friends would hate her. Despise her even. This was her fault.
As a person in a dark clock let the guard through a backdoor, they followed. A dark staircase descended downwards. As they went down the staircase, a smell of sewage filled her lungs. Luckily, she wasn't breathing extra hard or anything due to her bruises from Zeus. Still, the smell was one of the worst scents that have ever filled her nose.
When the small, cramped staircase ascended into a larger room with cells, Annabeth's heart rate sped up. As they approached two open cells, the lead guard unclipped keys from the chain around his belt. Dakota, Gwen, Malcolm, and Reyna were shoved into the first cell, while the rest of them were swatted into a second.
The doors squeaked shut, and the boots of the guards soon descended into the distance. What unsettled Annabeth was that they seemed bothered that Percy was missing. They didn't move with stiffness or a nervous pace. They were comfortable. Did they think he was incapable? Annabeth didn't think so.
Even though she didn't want to, she sat on the hay-ridden floor. The cement under the hay was not anywhere near comfortable, but she didn't care. She shouldn't be there for long.
Three days. Annabeth was in the cell for three days. By the time the first day was over, Jason had woken up. He glared at her the entire time after finding that Reyna wasn't in the same cell as they were, but she didn't say anything so Annabeth ignored him.
Hazel and Annabeth made a little bit of small talk, but there wasn't much to talk about. They failed a mission and were locked up. Well, that's what Hazel and Jason thought, but Annabeth knew she succeeded in her mission.
If Annabeth judged the guards' schedule her guess on the days was correct. They were only given two meals the entire time, which consisted of bread and water. It wasn't much, and not nearly filling for the three of them, but Annabeth didn't mind.
In those days, they managed to get the ropes off from around their arms, and Hazel and Jason their gags off. They used their ripped cloaks as blankets and sheets and it wasn't much but it was something.
At the end of the third day, Annabeth was leaning her head against the wall when she heard yelling. Her eyes snapped open and found Hazel's. The young girl was wide-eyed.
"Percy?" Annabeth questioned, and Hazel hurriedly nodded.
Annabeth pushed herself off the ground, while Hazel jumped off the ground and shook a sleeping Jason. She stood on her tiptoes and looked out of the small barred window. The wooden door hid the rest of her surroundings, but with the faint torchlight of the dungeons, she could see the other four fighting to peek out of the window across from her cell.
Down the long hall came the crunch of heavy boots, and the grunts and struggles of Percy. Behind the guards was Princess Thalia, who Annabeth hadn't seen in a long time. The girl had yet to be married off or ascend to the throne, and since Zeus and Hera were ashamed, kept her locked up. That, and because of Jason Grace. The prince who went missing, and Annabeth had a sneaking suspicion was back.
"Get your hands off of me! Let go!" Percy yelled, and she heard a guard grunt as Percy kicked him.
She nearly gasped when she saw him right in front of her cell. His struggle stopped when he saw her through the door. Jason and Hazel came up behind her, and Percy caught his breath. Thalia stepped forward, obscuring her view of him. The keys in her hand jingled, and she pushed hard so the door swung open.
The three of them stumbled back just as Percy was thrown into the cell. Through the firelight, she was bleeding cuts running all along his cheeks and forehead. She rushed to him, but not before the guards secured her arms. Percy's eyebrows furrowed and Jason sneered at her. Hazel (who was using her sleeve to dry the cuts) looked at her in shock.
Pulling her back, she stared at Percy until Thalia slammed the door shut. Immediately Percy ran up to it and began pounding on it. Luckily, Thalia had already locked the door and handed the keys back to the guards. Percy stared at her through the barred window.
No no no no no no no. This couldn't be happening. She wasn't ready. She wasn't ready to have Percy find out. She didn't have time to prepare herself. And, the last thing he knew, she was on their side.
She didn't say anything to warn Hazel or Jason, or just to simply say her goodbyes. They gathered behind Percy, both with a hand on his shoulder. They stared at her with pity in their eyes. Jason squeezed his friend's shoulder.
"Bethanny, what–"
"Perseus Jackson has been apprehended. Every assassin in the twelfth legion has been captured. It's time for Princess Annabeth Chase of Athens Greece to return to her duty." The guard holding her right arm spoke.
"Congratulations on completing your mission, Princess." The guard on her left said.
The silence was loud. Louder than Percy's screaming. A pin could drop and it would sound like a bomb going off. She could feel the stares of the other assassins in the cell behind her.
They dropped her arms, but Annabeth couldn't move, she couldn't speak. Not until she swallowed roughly and tilted her head up. She quickly popped the brown contacts out of her eyes and stopped on them.
She walked to (now) Percy's cell and grabbed the bars. She was face to face with a man that once tried to kiss her. With a boy that she laughed with, that risked his life for her, that gave her a stirring in her stomach. His eyes were dark. This time, the horrifying hurricane was directed at her.
"I'm no longer Bethanny. I never was Bethanny. I am and forever was and will be Princess Annabeth Chase of Athens Greece." She narrowed her eyes at him. "And I refuse to acknowledge people like you anymore."
She turned her back to him and saw the other four peeking through the window. Reyna glared at her, while Dakota and Gwen chuckled and laughed bitterly. Malcolm only stared at her with a glint in his eyes, but she couldn't tell what it was.
Percy's voice brought tears to her eyes. "You tricked me. You tricked us. I guess I never knew you, Sweetheart."
Annabeth turned away from all of them and faced Thalia. She ignored Percy, and by the way, Thalia raised an eyebrow at her, the other princess could tell she was at her breaking point.
"Thank you, for setting me free."
But in reality, she only locked Annabeth alone in a cold, dark prison she may never return from. And it may just make her the villain in the fairytale if she wasn't one already.
Words: 4,853
Wow. It's been a while. But this was also a heck of a chapter. It was long, it was intense, and EVERYTHING. These were the feels. I'm almost done with this first draft of the story, but I am still so happy with how this chapter turned out. I hope you guys are too!
Thank you so much for sticking with me throughout this journey! I really love you all, your reads, your comments, and your votes more than you guys know! Thank you!
[ANY RECOGNIZABLE CHARACTERS GO TO RICK RIORDAN]
-Bookworm-2026
