Chapter One

The Olympians Suck! And Other Things You Should Know Before You Take A Trip To Athens

10 Years Later

The streets were busy with people in a rush, whispering in hushed tones. 'A new country', the leaders had said, flying new flags and glistening over the new laws and punishments. To even speak of the old royals - the Chase's - was blasphemous and could earn you a life behind bars.

Of course, that didn't stop the rumours.

The stories told that The Olympians and their armies had stormed the palace on the night of Prince Luke and Princess Miranda's wedding. Barely anyone had made it out alive. The newly-weds had left the ball early to celebrate amongst themselves and had fled the country to Paris as soon as they'd caught word of the attack. The bodies of the King and Queen, along with the other three princes and a princess were found around the great hall. But no one had heard from the youngest princess. Her body had not been found anywhere in the palace, though none of the staff recall seeing her make an exit. She'd not appeared anywhere in the country - she was certainly smart enough to lay low under the new leadership even at such a young age. As far as the people were aware, their princess was still out there. Prince Luke, safe in Paris, was offering a large sum of money as a reward for her safe return to him. He wanted his family together in Paris and the hope that Annabeth could still be out there was all he had left.

Percy made his way through the bustling streets, finding his way back to his roommate. Athens was seeping with beggars and conmen nowadays so it was a difficult task to weave amongst them as they bartered for the bread and beans they needed for their families to survive. He felt guilty keeping his eyes down as he passed a woman and her infant son, the child sobbing in her arms. Percy had nothing to offer them after all. A familiar young man nodded from the where he sat on the cobbled street of his apartment building, but Percy didn't stay to chat. Instead, he jogged up the stairs, thoughts circling his head.

His roommate, Grover Underwood was... unique to say the least. Over the past few years, they had grown to be quite the duo. Percy's own mother had practically adopted the other boy and brought him into their home with the offer of warm broth for dinner that night and a mattress to sleep on. After all, Grover was kind of doing them a favor by keeping Percy in line where Sally couldn't. Despite their closeness in age (though not even Grover knew exactly how old he was), he acted as an older brother to Percy and somewhat of a moral compass that prevented Percy from downright thieving to provide Sally with all the ingredients she needed to help run the soup kitchen. Grover was nervous and energetic, some would he was awkward and clumsy but Percy admired his ability to keep a mood light and on numerous occasions he had relied on his friend to help him out of one of his more pessimistic moods. The pair were notorious for sleuthing through the streets and trading their odd knickknacks for food and gifts for the kids they found around the city.

"It didn't used to be like this," Grover would mutter as he helped a young girl clean up her scraped knees. "Not while the Chase's were on the throne." His words would be quiet, for only Percy to hear. Not only was it blasphemous to mention the old royals, but it was also rare of Grover to talk about his days before. Before Sally found him routing through the bins at the back of the kitchens. He had been part of an activist group when The Olympians had attacked Athens, destroying their dear country and murdering the royal family all in one night. The group had supposedly travelled with the surviving Prince Luke and his wife Miranda to Paris but that had been the last Grover had heard of his old friends.

That wasn't worth dwelling over now though. The past needed to stay in the past.

"Grover?" He called, entering their small apartment. It wasn't much, Percy had had more room in his mom's flat above the soup kitchen which he'd shared with her and Grover up until last year. She had a new family now, though Percy knew she meant never to replace him. She had found a new husband and a daughter that she loved and he couldn't be happier for her. Percy needed to give them space and help to provide for his sister. He would make do with what he could for himself. And if all he had was a small shoebox apartment to share with his friend, some crumbs and a handful of loose change then he would make the most of it.

"Perce!" Was the enthusiastic reply.

"I have a plan."

If it was possible for someone to look sceptical without adjusting their features in the slightest, Grover had managed to do just that. "Another one? Percy, I thought we were over this. You're last plan resulted in you almost breaking your leg and that poor goat was damn near scared to death. Get a job. Please."

Ignoring his pleading, Percy grinned. "We're going..." He slapped his thighs in a drum roll. "...to Paris!"

"Paris..." Grover mused. "I like Paris, keep talking."

Percy pulled over the stool from besides the counter and perched on it in silence for effect. He took a deep breath before he began. "The Princess Annabeth could still be out there. And I'm thinking that we could find her and take her to his royal highness, Prince Luke in Paris. The reward for her return would be plenty enough to cover any expenses we put into this and to make it all worthwhile when it's over."

He had told no one of what he knew. Where everyone was questioning if she made it out of the palace alive, Percy knew. Percy had helped her escape after all. But he had told no one. Partly because he was worried he would ruin her hiding place if she had managed to find a safe haven, but mostly because it was all he had of her for himself. Perhaps he was being selfish by keeping the news of her safe escape from the palace a secret for ten years. Regardless, he had no intention to start telling people that now.

His friend froze for a second. "And what makes you think we could find the princess? It's been ten years since her family's demise, she's probably long gone herself - if she even made it out."

Percy felt his heart drop to his stomach on behalf of his younger self that would watch the princess around the palace with green, doe eyes and a dopey smile, but managed to remain impartial. "That's the thing, G-Man, who says it has to be her? Just someone who can fake it long enough to get us the reward money and time to get out of there."

Nodding in thought, Grover mulled it over. "You could be on to something there, Perce."

~~~

"I am Princess Annabeth Chase of Athens." The girl said, bowing her head in the direction of the desk Grover set up as an audition panel. She had dirty blonde hair, much to Percy's distaste. And her eyes were blue, not even close to the lost princesses.

Percy shook his head. "Her accent was surely more relaxed than that. Hers is too strong. Too proper." He muttered to Grover under his breath.

Clearly trying to conceal his frustration, Grover paused from chewing the end of his pencil. "This was your plan, Percy, if you're going to be so critical then maybe you should pose as the princess." Absently, he waved a hand at the girls to dismiss them. "Thank you, ladies, we'll be in touch."

In a flurry, the girls huffed and gathered their belongings from the corner of the room.

"Come along, Martha, that means no." One of them muttered, shoving another out of the door.

Once he had locked the door after them, Grover sighed and let himself sag against the wooden panels. "We could never have kept this up, Percy, perhaps it's for the best." He uttered. "A friend and I tried to pass as a Count and Countess once, hardest thing I've ever done. We were spotted almost immediately."

At Percy's sour expression, Grover softened. "Let's not get ahead of ourselves, buddy, the only people that might believe we had found the lost princess is you and I. And maybe even old Edna at the market if the girl was a good enough actress. It could never have worked."

The pair of them freeze when they hear a tedious rap on the door. Grover shoves some exposed jewellery he'd picked off of the display of the abandoned palace into his pockets before he could get caught and Percy hurries to cover any incriminating paperwork they had left out.

"Those girls ratted us out already!" Percy hissed, throwing on his cloak and moving from sight as the door opened.

From where he hides amidst the furniture, Percy listens carefully to the sound of delicate footsteps. Grover clears his throat and asks the intruder if he can help them.

"I'm looking for a Percy Jackson?" A girl's voice. It was deeper, nearly monotonous and not quite as soft as the girls that had auditioned a few minutes ago.

"So are the police." Grover hiccups. "He's around here."

Grover and the girl take a few steps into the room to where they are met with Percy crouched under a table, hands clinging to the chair legs as though he would blend in with the rich, mahogany of the furniture in the abandoned ballroom. Under the girls hard gaze, Percy's throat tightened. Her grey eyes surveyed his wooden disguise with distaste, flecks of silver catching the light and he climbed out of his hiding place gracelessly, knocking a chair over in the process.

"You can't be too careful." He offered as an explanation, making his way over to her. "What do you want? An audition?"

For someone who had such a stony glare and strong features, the girl almost looks scared. Fear doesn't look good on her, Percy notes, watching as her lip tucks between her teeth and her eyes float around the room as if wary of an intruder. He recognised her actions from all of his years at the soup kitchen and helping the children on the streets. She had seen what people do to lost kids like her that roamed the streets alone and desperate. She didn't want to get caught. Her face scowled, worry etched in the creases between her brows.

"Audition? I'm looking for exit papers. I was told you could get a hold of them for me."

She wasn't wrong, Percy was able to get a hold of exit papers. Several times, he had grappled with the border security and convinced them to smuggle a couple kids out of Greece and back to their families. Still, he let out a bitter chuckle. "Exit papers are expensive."

Her jaw set and she blinked back at him blankly as if he had called her stupid. "I have a job. I'm a street sweep. I save everything I can..." Grover shifted and she hurried as to not sell herself short. "I can cook, clean and I picked up some skills working at the hospital up until last winter."

Percy meets Grover's eyes and it seems they have the same thought process. Perhaps she could be of their use and then they could all get what they wanted out of this. He surveys her appearance for any similarities to what they estimated the Princess Annabeth would look like after so many years and he watches her face morph to a look of wonder.

"I've been here before..." The girl whispers, inspecting the building.

Ignoring her musings, Grover frowns. "What's your name?"

All the awe falls out of her face and she scowls again. "I- I don't know. They gave me a name at the hospital when they found me. Anna. I was outside in the snow just wandering around. I didn't remember anything."

He doesn't know whether or not he should believe her tragic backstory, but her supposed lack of memories could work in their favour. If he and Grover could convince her that she was the lost princess, she wouldn't even have to act. His Royal Highness, Prince Luke would see a girl that looked like his younger sister and the whole country would be convinced. They may need to wash the caked mud from her hair and hope that Percy's guess of her being a natural blonde is correct, but it could be believable.

"I've been here before..."

Grover frowns. "This building was once the second ballroom of Athena Chase's palace. Her name is engraved on the door."

The girl - Anna - pays no mind to Grover's explanations and takes a few steps towards a pillar, allowing her fingers to trace the cold marble as though she was in a trance. "They were so polite, there was music and..." Anna whispered.

"There is some resemblance..." Percy interrupts, approaching Anna. "Athena's coloring, Frederick's nose. Once rinsed, the hair could be their signature blonde too."

"We can work with this..." Grover sent a small smile in Percy's direction.

The two of them watched as Anna seemed to float around the room with careful footsteps, her grey eyes inspecting everything from the floor tiles to the tall ceiling. They could teach her to play the part of a princess, in fact, Percy thought she might already be halfway there.