Chapter 2

Greetings readers! I'm sorry for the awkward moment where the story went through two titles, but I wanted to make sure this wasn't treated like a rip off.

Also a shout-out to Perseus04 for his support by being the first person to review this story.

All credit for the characters goes exclusively to Rick Riordan.

Deep under the sea lay the majestic city of Atlantis. It was a vibrant and colourful city, spanning a very large area of the sea floor and always buzzing with activity. But it was in the middle of the city that the pearl of Atlantis, the grand palace of the Atlantean royal family, lay. The palace was truly a sight for sore eyes, with ornate pillars adorning the outdoor gardens and sprawling statues and temples dedicated to the King of The Sea.

The throne room though was where the beauty really came to life. Constructed in such a way that it was always bathed in an ethereal glow, the walls and ceilings were adorned with murals depicting glorious events, such as the fall of the Titans, the grand wedding of Poseidon and Amphitrite and the birth of the Crown Prince, Prince Triton.

Anyone would agree though that the true jewel of the throne room was the elegantly beautiful raven haired woman with regal and exquisitely refined features currently occupying the second throne with all the effortless grace of a woman born to be queen, and the Queen of the Seas at that.

Amphitrite seemed to be deep in thought concerning the recent actions of her husband, as he had abruptly disappeared from a council meeting with his generals in a panicked frenzy. Almost immediately, she had sensed a great storm forming, a tell-tale sign that something had deeply upset Poseidon, since the powerful god seldom felt grief to such extent that it radiated over the entirety of his domain. She could also sense a tentative and new connection forming between the sea and one of its descendants. A bubbling feel of dread and betrayal started to grip at her heart and she could only hope that her assumptions were false. But her fears were confirmed when her senses, finely attuned to the water around her, were assaulted with the raw power of the sea emanating from someone she hoped did not exist.

As Poseidon materialized in front of his palace with his son, he felt like the weight of the sky had been placed on his shoulders. Every time he closed his eyes, the picture of Sally's limp body flashed behind his eyelids and a tremor of guilt and grief shook him to the core. He was positively furious with himself for taking so long to respond to her prayer, to do his duty and protect them. But that grief and anger were quickly morphing into a hardened determination to protect his son.

He had not seen Percy since he had been born two years ago in the fear that his presence would cause trouble to his infant son, but gazing at his tear streaked cheeks, he felt like he had let him down. He did not know what came over him when he brought Percy with him back here to Atlantis, but after witnessing the death of his former lover, his fatal flaw would not allow him to desert his son in the harsh wilds, alone to fend for himself against monsters mythical and human alike. In that moment he made a choice, he would not let the blasted Ancient Laws come in the way of protecting his son. He would raise Percy in Atlantis under his supervision and love and whoever had a problem with that or tried to harm his son would be facing the business end of his trident.

Triton was in the middle of his monthly routine checks of the Atlantean royal army when he felt the disturbance in the sea, his father's absolute devastation. Immediately Triton knew why, his father had always protected his mortal lovers and children to the largest extent possible, he often exploited every loophole in the Ancient Laws to make sure his demigod children stayed safe. Triton loathed that about his father, he had wished so many times he could be more like Ares or Zeus and just let his demigod spawn do whatever they wanted, had cursed his father's loyalty and tendency to protect those mortals to the best of his ability.

The young prince could never actually hold any long-term grudges against his father though because deep down he understood him, because even though his father strayed from his mother, it was a very rare occurrence and he always returned to her. His father had very few demigod children – he hadn't even sired any for a few centuries - as he never viewed his mortal lovers as just expendable toys like the other gods usually did, so when he fell in love with a mortal, he did so with the entirety of his heart. But Triton knew that loyalty to his mother wasn't the only reason his father rarely sired any demigod children; every time a mortal child of his father died, it caused him a very great amount of pain, oftentimes staying morose for a few years before coming to grips with reality.

Every alarm present in Triton's body went off like a siren when he felt the burst of power from his father's demigod son. His father had always loved the mortals with whom he sired children with, a great deal, thus his demigod children were always a league apart from other demigods. Only the children of Hades and very rarely, a child of Zeus could be equated to the power that his father's demigod children possessed. But the power emanating from this child was unprecedented, it was almost akin to the power his siblings released when they were born and this both worried and piqued Triton's interest in the child.

Triton could not fathom why his father had brought the child with him to Atlantis. The only possible reason was unfathomable, not even his father had the audacity to do what Triton thought he was going to do. With a burst, Triton shot off towards the throne room in a geyser of water, leaving the commanding officer and the other mermen soldiers startled.

As Poseidon entered the royal courtyard, he found Delphin waiting for him and looking at the child in his arms in the hope that his master would provide him with some explanation. He didn't dare ask though; Delphin could sense the child's impressive power linking it to the god before him as well as the bond already forming between the two, the latter only ensuring that any sudden moves would prompt Poseidon to reflexively impale Delphin with his trident, something the merman hoped to avoid.

"The child is my son and he just lost his mother to a hellhound attack, his mother prayed to me before her last breath to protect him and that is precisely what I am doing" Poseidon firmly stated in a tone that left no room for any arguments, his voice wavering slightly at the mention of his lover. It was gone as quick as it came though, the steely glint of determination returning to his eyes as he looked Delphin up and down, instinctively trying to figure out if he posed a threat to his son.

"Very well, my lord, he is your son and hence a Prince of The Sea, whatever you deem shall be my command". Delphin said as he bowed deeply, the sign of respect and submission appeasing Poseidon's more animalistic nature. The king just nodded at him and continued towards the throne room before Delphin stopped him again with a warning. "The Queen is aware of his presence, my lord, and she is furious at the boy." Poseidon gave him a grateful look before walking inside the throne room, his arms tightening around his son defensively.

His wife was sitting on her throne, the picture of poise and dignity, but her eyes betrayed her silent rage at the sight of the boy in his arms. The sea god rolled his shoulders back and stood tall, ready for the conversation and inevitable argument that was about to take place.

"What is that in your arms?" she spat at him, her normally sweet voice tinged with venom.

"His name is Perseus and he's my son. I have brought him here to Atlantis to raise him" Poseidon calmly responded, but his eyes gave away his true emotions.

"Absolutely not, I am not going to let that bastard of yours, the living proof of your infidelity, stay in this house! I have always tolerated your affairs because they were only a few and you always regretted it and came back to me, but this? This is too much, I forbid it! Why don't you let him grow up with that wretched mother of his!?" Amphitrite shouted, her eyes brimming with righteous tears but her voice unwavering as she confronted her husband.

"Because she died to protect him. Because I couldn't ensure her safety." Poseidon shot back with so much rage and power that the throne room and the entire palace shook, Amphitrite involuntarily taking a step back at his outburst.

"Please Amphitrite, he's only two years old," his voice mellowed out again and his eyes softened, suddenly weary and tired, the day catching up to him. "Just look at him, he's so innocent and yet the fates have been so cruel to him. I understand your anger but he did not have a choice in his birth, it was me who erred and if you want to hate and blame someone, blame me. I know you wouldn't hurt a child, especially one who's already gone through so much for someone so young. I beg you to understand, I cannot let him go back into the harshness of the mortal world, his life will perennially be in danger. I'm not asking you to accept him right now, just don't turn him away." Poseidon brokenly whispered, the will to fight leaving him.

Amphitrite paused, taking in how truly distressed and devastated Poseidon was. Her eyes then flickered to the toddler in his arms who had woken up due to the noise and was now curiously and innocently staring back at her, oblivious to her unjustifiable hate against him. He had the exact shade of hair and the same eyes as that of Poseidon and Triton and suddenly she envisioned what it would have been like if it had been she who had been killed and Triton left alone to fend off the monsters of the world. Her heart clenched at that, her maternal instincts calling out to the poor boy, and she tentatively held out her hands in order to hold him.

Poseidon, rightfully so, was very distrustful and was about to decline before he saw the still guarded earnest empathy in her eyes for his son. With a nod of acceptance, he handed Percy to her, still hovering close by in case he had misread the situation and she unleashed her fury on the baby.

Percy, for his part, eagerly went towards her waiting arms and immediately fisted a few strands of her hair. "It's so soft" he sniffled, tugging slightly, as his red-rimmed eyes locked with hers. The last bit of Amphitrite's resolve crumbled at that innocent statement and a small smile graced her lips.

Poseidon just stood there, silently observing what was going on with a small smile. He always knew that Amphitrite had never really hated his demigod children, she was just uncomfortable of how they reminded her of his infidelity, which he could completely understand and justify. Unlike Hera though, she had never sought them out with a malicious intention, she was much kinder and nicer than his sister-in-law. But he was still surprised at how quickly Percy had cracked her hard exterior, though the child was quite irresistible. Looking at her interactions with the boy, Poseidon didn't doubt that eventually she would come to love the boy as much as he did.

A loud thud in the courtyard brought him out of his musing. Triton stepped into the throne room, looking like fury incarnate, as he drew his trident back in an offensive stance.

"What is he doing here?" he bellowed as Poseidon instinctively put himself in front his wife and Percy, to shield the mortal boy should things with Triton get out of hand.

"His name is Percy, Triton, and I have brought him here to Atlantis to raise him because his mother gave her life protecting him." Poseidon slowly and firmly stated, hopefully for the last time that day.

"What of the Ancient Laws father? There will be serious repercussions if Lord Zeus finds out." Triton countered, hand lowering and voice faltering at his father's evident resolve.

"Zeus can shove his laws and his lightning bolt up his arse for all I care. Percy is my son and anyone who wants to get to him will have to go through me first." Poseidon declared. "You included."

Before Triton could respond, Poseidon pinned him with a fierce glare and harshly told him " Listen to me Triton, hard as it may be to accept. Percy is only a toddler, it would be a horrendous act to abandon him in his time of need when we, his family, are still present and perfectly capable of protecting him. Try to put yourself in his place, my boy, what if it was your mother who was killed and you were the orphan, forced to face reality alone, with no help, everyday waking up not knowing whether you would live to see the next one or not. The House Of Poseidon, known for its loyalty, cannot commit such an act against one of our own."

"Why are you silent mother? Why are even holding him mother? He's the personification of father's infidelity and a dagger to your trust. Why even tolerate him? Hera would have killed him at first sight had he been a son of Zeus." Triton stated, meeting his mother's eyes.

"No matter how he came to be, a child does not deserve the fate you want to condemn him to. I am not Hera and I never wish to be - while I've been displeased with your father's demigod children, I have never blamed them for being born because they had no part in it. If you want or need to blame someone and vent your anger, do it at your father, he is the one who made the mistake, not Percy." Amphitrite said staunchly, the air of finality in her voice leaving no room for argument. Triton growled and stormed out to the royal courtyard, understanding this battle was lost but not willing to give up the war yet.

All this time, Poseidon observed his family in a stupor, numbly processing the fact that the same Amphitrite who, just a few moments ago vehemently opposed Percy's presence in Atlantis, was now defending him. He was brought back to reality as his son called out to him, eyes so alike his own blinking up at him.

"I'm hungry" Percy timidly said, still reserved after his mother's brutal slaughter and visibly upset from all the fighting that he understood he had somehow caused.

"Come on then, little one, let us see what the Royal Cooks have in store for you." Amphitrite spoke first with a sigh, adjusting the boy in her grip as he burrowed further in her warm embrace.

"Don't think I have forgiven you Poseidon, that will not be as easy. I know Percy has had no part in this but you're still the guilty party and I cannot excuse what you've done to me, not this time." Amphitrite declared before moving towards the kitchen with an excited Percy in her arms.

The ruler of the sea just shook his head; no matter what she said, things with Amphitrite had gone better than he could ever hope for and he knew she would forgive him eventually. The crashing sounds from outside told him that he still had another angry family member to reason with, one that he should face before he decimated the entire palace, and he set off to speak with his elder son.

Triton was in the middle of breaking the biggest statue of Poseidon in the royal courtyard into tiny little pebbles of marble with a large jet of pressurized water when he heard a voice from behind him.

"You know that statue took three decades to be completed." Poseidon told him, amusement clear in his voice at his son's antics.

"Why are you here father?" Triton growled back, not yet ready to listen to anything his father had to say.

"I understand you are upset but your anger towards Percy is not justifiable Triton. Try to see things from the right perspective, he is just a baby, still requiring support and protection. Be mad at me all you want, just promise me you won't let it consume you, son. That is a dark path you do not want to take." Poseidon advised before leaving Triton be. If his son was anything like him, he knew it would take a while for him to come around.

Triton heard without speaking, his parents' words resonating in his head. He wasn't ready to go back and apologise yet, but he had to admit to himself the boy was not at fault here. He took off to take a stroll through Atlantis, needing to clear his thoughts before he gave the brat a chance to prove himself.

Hey guys, I wanted to use this chapter as character development. Also this story is going to be filled with very carefully depicted violence, other than that, there will be no sexually illicit scenes or sexual descriptions of any characters, I will also try to keep verbal profanities to a minimum. Also I want to give Percy character development before deciding on a pairing, but you're welcome to share your thoughts with me. Read and review, if you want to criticize, please do, I'm a new writer and have a lot of learn, but please do it in a civil manner, without any name calling or degradation. Have a great day!