A/N: I think I'm going to try and make the chapter names sorta strange. It'll just be such a hit. Somebody could be bleeding to death and the chapter title would be something like Percy Rolls His Eyes So Hard That He's Afraid They'll Fall Out.

God, my sense of humor is so twisted lol.

Also, I wanted to let you guys know that I'm changing it from Amphitrite to Medusa. I REPEAT: Poseidon is married to Medusa, NOT Amphitrite. Also, she's just the normal, pretty girl she was before Athena turned her into a snake-haired lady in the myths. After responding to a reviewer last chapter, I decided that I really wanted Sally involved somehow, and this is how I figured it out. I went back into the older chapters and changed the name, but I just wanted you all to know, so you're not confused when her name gets brought up eventually.

Disclaimer: All rights remain.

Piper

Part of Piper wanted to be horrified. Obviously, Aphrodite had kept this big plan under wraps, hiding the details even from her. Absentmindedly, she wondered what Silena would make of this. Were these kingdoms so desperate to make Drew the Queen of Thasite? Was the war hanging over their heads like a sword really that much of a threat?

Piper had never really gotten involved in politics. It wasn't her place, nor her passion, because what was deemed to be 'her place' had never really stopped her before. She hid her frown in her glass, her kaleidoscope eyes nervously flitting around the ballroom. The other part of her was purely relieved, for selfish reasons. She didn't want to be Queen of… anywhere. Everyone else had so much to say, but she'd always felt like she didn't fit in, that she was nobody. Choosing to embrace these harsh feelings from an early age, Piper had discovered that there were definite advantages to being the youngest sibling in a royal family. She had more freedom in her day to day activities and her parents didn't constantly hover over her, watching her every move. She would not be married off so hastily and unlike Silena, and even Drew, she would have the most choice when her time came. Perhaps she could choose nobody, shock the entire kingdom, send her father, King Tristan, into a coronary. She concealed her smile, amused by the thought.

Out of the corner of her eye, she spotted a young man, quiet with strong blue eyes, tanned skin, and a chiseled jawline. His good looks were not a surprise to her. Though the most attractive royals were House Raya, her house, and the most fashionable citizens resided in her country, Sumisu, royals tended to be on the more attractive side in general. Glancing quickly at him to get a look without him noticing, she peered back into her glass hastily. What surprised her, actually, was his silence. Royals never seemed to get enough, blabbing on relentlessly about their accomplishments, flashing their money, and subtly-not-so-subtly engaging in a million pissing contests with the other royals. Like everything, it was just one big powerful competition. After all, to look powerful was to be powerful.

His silence was admirable and drawn to his quiet, calm soul, she decided to approach him. All would be revealed in a matter of a few seconds, she knew. If he got that stupid cocky grin that every other man she approached did, she would drop him real quick because apparently slapping people was frowned upon. If he boasted, she would be out of there before he could complete his sentence. Piper had no patience for bullshit. Give her something real, something raw, something to believe in, and she would show just what it meant to be alive, to feel alive.

"Quite the party," Piper mentioned casually, sashaying easily to his side. She watched his eyes carefully. They lingered too long on something, or rather someone, in the crowd before meeting hers. Briefly, she glanced out to what he was looking at.

A sting of sympathy pained her heart. His gaze had been on none other than Princess Annabeth Chase. She was beautiful, Piper acknowledged, and he had good taste, but she had just recently and publically been proposed to by Luke Castellan, another pawn of this grand scheme, and had accepted. Her golden curls cascaded down her back gracefully and she was tall, taller than Piper, absolutely stunning. Bless his poor heart. She looked up at the young man in front of her before he noticed she'd caught his gaze. Strangely, the expression on his face wasn't wistful, like she'd expected. It was… surprised.

"Piper McLean of House Raya, Princess of Sumisu," he choked out, his voice strangely strained, and he dipped his head, bowing low in front of her. This time, she could not mask her own shock. Only then she realized his clothes. They were silver with amber, so there was no way he was in love with Princess Annabeth, and furthermore, his lapels were highly decorated with military badges. One golden one in particular stood out- the symbol of Epresh's royal guard. Her mouth went dry. How could she have mistaken him for a royal? What a fatal mistake. Fuck. She wasn't supposed to talk to him, nor he to her. Well, this was uncomfortable.

"My apologies, sir, I was under the impression you were a royal," she quickly added, her face feeling hot. She had never studied very hard, thinking that there were too many countries, too many kingdoms, with too many children. What nonsense. But… now it was not nonsense, just something that could have been her saving grace.

"No need to apologize, my Lady. It is I who must apologize for gaining your attention. The guard should not be noticed," his cheeks were dusted pink as well. Piper sighed softly, tired of this little dance. Tired of him apologizing for something that was not his fault, but because he had to, because she was some stupid royal. Resisting the urge to tell him to stop apologizing, that her title meant nothing, to please don't treat her like she was on some pedestal, she just nodded, irrationally disappointed.

"That explains your careful watch on the Princess, then," she didn't know what possessed her to say it. She should've just walked away. Piper didn't want to get him in trouble, and now that she understood he was probably Princess Annabeth's personal guard, she was most definitely not supposed to engage in a conversation with him.

"Yes, my Lady," said the guard, nervously and embarrassed. Maybe he was embarrassed of her. The thought was strangely depressing.

"You can call me Piper, you know," she rolled her eyes, without thinking much of it. When his entire face turned beet red, she realized her mistake. Shit, shit, shit. Piper admonished herself. WAY OUT OF LINE, MCLEAN! He could not call her Piper! Was she out of her fucking mind?!

"Yes… Piper," he amended, albeit awkwardly. He seemed unsettled. Piper wished she could curl up in a ditch and die. They awkwardly stared at each other in silence.

"You don't say much do you, sir?" she asked, hoping to break the quiet.

"No… Piper." He shifted his weight onto his left foot, his hand resting on the hilt of his sword. He didn't meet her gaze.

"Would you rather call me by my title?" she cringed. She was surely making him uncomfortable.

"Yes, my Lady," he sounded relieved. He glanced back up at the scene of in front of them, people dancing, chatting, servers weaving between clusters of people, all dressed ridiculously and pompously. She wrinkled her nose at their extravagant, floppy hats, and painted faces, their arms adorned with heavy, chunky bracelets, their skin hardly peeking through the gaudy jewelry. Another way to flash their money, she supposed. Piper saw the guard's eyes focus on the blonde once more, his face serious and composed once more. Maybe that was his way of telling her to fuck off. Strange. She'd never really been dismissed by anyone than perhaps her mother and occasionally, her father.

"I'll leave you to it, then," she acquiesced, nodding at him and ignoring the few glances she got from nearby royals who had noticed that she was speaking with a guard. "Please accept my sincerest apologies, once again…" she trailed off, fishing for his name. Piper wasn't quite sure what it was, but something about him intrigued her and she wanted to know more. She wasn't sure where this silly fascination would lead her or when it would end, but she could at least know his name. Surely that wasn't too much to ask.

"Jason Grace, your Highness," he didn't look at her, still focused on the Princess of Epresh.

"...Jason," she finished, finding that she quite liked the way his name tasted in her mouth. He dipped his head in acknowledgement, ever the gentleman, and she drifted away, roaming aimlessly through the crowd of people. Some perfumes and colognes were too strong, overwhelming her senses, but people made room for her, acknowledging that she was in one of the most important, wealthy Houses there were. But even as she talked to other young men and women, recognizing some that would pass her mother's requirements for a suitor, she realized that her opinion on marriage had not changed, not for any of these presumptuous, haughty boys. She was good on her own.

Except perhaps… perhaps there was something underneath Jason Grace's tough exterior. Perhaps he, like her, would like to run away from this hell, from parties and royals, would like to live among the humbler of the citizens, would like to explore the fields with her, would like to battle the pirates of her imagination with her. She had never before considered that someone else could run with her, could escape with her. In her mind, her dream had always been her, and her alone, but perhaps a friend like Jason Grace was what she needed. Someone to ground her and keep her from getting in too much trouble, but someone to indulge in her crazy, delusional dreams with her, to help her leave this life she had not asked for. Whoever said that dreams were a one-woman job? A faithful partner in crime. Yes, Piper could live with that.

She pursed her lips, zoning out of whatever the boy in front of her was boasting about, trying much too hard to impress her. She nodded as if she was listening, but in reality, she was somewhere else entirely, as she always was.

Together, they could turn her can'ts into cans and her dreams into plans.

Annabeth

Annabeth wished she could preface her actions, tell everyone that she was well aware that this was perfectly ludicrous and certifiably insane. But after a long ball and the shocking engagement to a Calbourne Prince of course, she wanted to do what she always did. She'd retired to her bedroom, allowed her handmaidens to undress her and put her in silk nightwear, only to change into something that a burglar would wear, trade a quick word with her worried royal guard, and slip out into the night.

Summoning her courage, she used two hands to tug the heavy switch back. The warm wind blew around her, the dark hood of her cape falling back and revealing her golden curls, stark bright in the dark of the night and colorful in the gloomy slums of Epresh.

Annabeth had been doing this since she was eight, without her parents' knowledge of course. And Malcolm's. She swallowed her guilt at climbing out the window once more, Jason standing outside her sleeping chambers, probably a nervous wreck. He had found out once when she was ten, that she snuck out to the villages and broken-down towns of Epresh in the night, a couple times a week. He was burdened the same as her, never to tell anyone. Or be killed for it.

Sue her for her curiosity. Annabeth knew, no matter how many books she read, nothing could substitute for real-life experience. She wanted to see the poorer areas for herself, see the impoverished, the hungry, the bitter, and the pained. The ones royals turned a cheek to, the ones they blindly turned away from. They were too busy sitting on their thrones to realize that people were fucking suffering, suffering. And the greatest sufferers, the women, ruled by the men of the country, ruled like a Queen was a rank below the King. A bitter taste ran through Annabeth's mouth, making her face crumple with memories. When she was nine, she had handed a young girl a loaf of bread, one she'd gratefully devoured, not knowing she had been in the presence of the Princess. Annabeth concealed herself well each night, hidden by a dark black cape with a hood to cover her face, and the plainest, dark grey surcoat she owned. Of course her curiosity had ruined her. By the time she was twelve, she'd seen more death than Princes across the countries, training to be military generals. She'd watched, unable to speak up and blow her cover, as guards oppressed the townspeople, as women were hit, small children starved. Quiet.

Annabeth was done being quiet. Her snooping and trading of many gold coins had finally earned her adequate information. And all of it pointed to one thing:

The Amazons.

What King Frederick referred to as terrorists. They were scattered across multiple countries, including Epresh, an undercover operation that had bombed many royal monuments, statues of former Kings, an organization of badass women warriors, who could fight and well. Who were starting a revolution for females, who were avenging their sisters, who accepted few men, only those worthy, truly worthy, and possessed both bark and bite. Though King Frederick often brushed off their presence, Annabeth was the queen of lies and she could spot one a mile away. The Amazons worried him and the other royal houses as well. They were a frequent topic of conversation and when the royal council met, it was not uncommon for someone to scream death to the Amazons in the middle of the briefing. It scared them beyond anything else. They feared that their power as a monarchy would be overruled, overrun by the Amazons, that men would fall to the wrath of women, that everything they knew would shatter to a million pieces.

Dressed head to toe in gold, the very same gold told to be the color the ancient Gods bled, they scared the living shit out of the royals, sparking fear for men and hope for women as they left nothing but destruction of the patriarch in their wake. A new time was coming and Annabeth was ready to fight on the winning side in the end. The time for silence was over. Now they had to ascend, for gold and glory.

As the blonde finally unstuck the lever, the dark tunnel below lit up, the torches on the side casting a warm glow on the stone corridor. There was no turning back now. All she could do was pray they wouldn't kill her, pray for someone to have mercy on her soul.

Percy

Percy walked side by side with the daughter of Queen Aphrodite and King Tristan, the exhaustion of the evening finally catching up with him. He couldn't wait to get out of his military General uniform. He was sure it wasn't nearly as uncomfortable as Drew's shoes- he suspiciously eyed them as she elegantly lifted the hem of her dress as they ascended the staircase- but he had never been a fan of dressing up. Perhaps that's why he adored training so much.

As casually as he could, he sized up the petite woman. He mildly wondered if her ego made up for her small frame. She was pretty, no doubt about it. He wasn't exactly surprised, in all honesty. Not only was she an elite, royal lady, but she was of House Raya- the prettiest of them all. Her dark, glossy hair framed her face perfectly, and her cheeks had a natural blush to it. Her chocolate eyes were dark, but he wasn't fooled, not daring trust her, not this easily. So far, he'd concluded that she truly had no discernable personality and so he feared when it finally shone through, it would blind him. There had to be something off. Still, Percy kept his mouth shut. She could not know that he suspected something was wrong, she could not know that he wished he wasn't getting married, she could not know that he, too, was only marrying to make Medusa happy. Her wish was his demand, that's just how it worked.

"My Lady," he gestured to her door, feeling extremely uncomfortable. King Frederick had sent a servant to show the royal children their sleeping chambers ahead of time and for once, Percy was extremely grateful. Imagine how embarrassing it would have been to lead a Princess to her room, only to find that he didn't know what the hell was going on.

"Perhaps someone else should guide Lady Tanaka to her room. We wouldn't want to tempt the newly engaged couple."

Percy shuddered at Aphrodite's words, Medusa's amused, knowing expression haunting him. Tempt? With her? Please. If he knew what was good for him and could summon enough courage, Percy probably would have ran for the hills by now. Only, that was the move of a cowardice and though Percy was many things, he was not a coward.

"Let it go, darling. Let the boy live a little," Poseidon had said.

If they really wanted to let him leave, he wouldn't be there, engaged to the she-devil herself, unsettled and uncomfortable.

"Thank you for escorting me, Prince," Drew was all smiles for him, her teeth sheathed, and her lips pressed together like a proper, poised Princess. He shifted his weight on his other foot.

"It was my pleasure, Lady Tanaka," he lied through his teeth, feigning happiness. But he had never been good at concealing his emotions. She outstretched her hand and Percy's face felt warm, too warm. Leaning down, he brushed his lips against her fair skin, not quite meeting her eyes. She seemed pleased enough, much to his relief.

"I must bid you goodnight now, sir," she didn't bow, she wasn't supposed to, but she offered a polite nod. He took a step back from her door, letting her slip past him without having to deal with physical contact. Kissing her hand was more than enough for one day. Or week. Or Year. Or even lifetime. As soon as her door shut behind her, saving him from her simpering expression and batting of dark eyelashes.

Percy let out a breath he hadn't realized he was holding in. Good riddance.

Spinning on his heels, he stalked back to his own bedroom, eager to be left alone with his own thoughts. Alone and content.

Annabeth

Annabeth finally reached another trap door. It felt like she had been wandering through the cold hallway for ages. Tentatively, she reached up and drew her hood over her hair again. Then, holding her breath, she opened the trap door and slipped in.

Once inside, Annabeth barely had a moment to take in her surroundings before…

A dagger, clean and silver, was pressed to her throat and for a moment, Annabeth feared this was the end. That she had come this far only to be killed upon arrival. It seemed like a cruel trick of the fates, played only upon her.

"A woman," the girl said, her bright blue eyes sparkling. For some reason, she seemed familiar to her. She looked serious, her dark, spiky hair falling a bit into her eyes. Annabeth had no doubt she could flick her wrist and end her life in an instant. "State your reason for being here." So she spoke.

"I wish to speak with your leader."

"Leader? Don't be foolish. The Amazons are not stupid enough to keep our leader here." Her mouth twisted down and Annabeth couldn't help but think it didn't suit her. She was quite pretty, actually, Annabeth acknowledged.

"Then whoever is in charge," Annabeth acquiesced, daring not move.

"Why should I bother the General with you?" she inquired, and Annabeth thought she would melt from her glare.

Annabeth pushed her hood back now and the girl's eyes widened fractionally in surprise. "A royal," she hissed, angrily, practically spitting out Annabeth's rank.

"I am Princess Annabeth, and I wish to speak with the General." She didn't flinch, hoping her boldness would guarantee her a show with the General.

"Very well," she took her dagger back, slowly. It would not be wise to outright harm the Princess. In some ways, Annabeth's title, when wielded correctly, was sharper than the wickedness of noble swords. "Come," the girl demanded, leading her away from the trap door and leaving some other girl in charge of guarding. She seemed to have some authority of her own, for the other girl simply nodded and did as she was told. Taking long strides despite the fact that she was shorter than Annabeth, she started down the well-lit shop, goods being manufactured and the torches shedding light on them both. Annabeth idly wondered if they were running some sort of business before she scurried to keep up. At her confused expression, the girl spoke up. "We run Amazon," she explained. Annabeth was bewildered. The big business that sold pretty much everything was run by Amazons? The girl looked smug, as if she knew that Annabeth wouldn't know this. Annabeth suspected only big black market dealers and the Amazons themselves knew this.

"Can I buy a new dagger?" Annabeth asked. She was hoping that after speaking to the General, the sword would be gold… gold like the Amazons.

The girl frowned as if she had not considered that before. Perhaps enemies didn't invest in their business often. "I suppose. Rapid delivery? It's extra."

Annabeth was surprised by her response. In all honesty, she'd just been expecting a harsh glare and maybe another dagger to the throat. "Yes." Fishing a decent amount of coins out of her cape's concealed pockets, she placed in the girl's palm.

"You can pick a dagger model to be made and sent to you on your way out," she decided, her cold demeanor fading slowly. Maybe Annabeth should've just said she wanted to buy something before demanding to see the Amazon leader. Annabeth just nodded, following closely as the girl led her past many other gold warriors, all engaging in various tasks, all intimidating and powerful. Annabeth glanced wistfully at their armor- a sharp contrast to her dumb grey surcoat. What she wouldn't do to be share their power.

"Keep up," the girl snapped, pulling Annabeth out of her wandering mind. Hurriedly, Annabeth pattered behind her, her footsteps light like the girl's, but whereas Annabeth's was that of a lady, the girl's were nimble like a hunter. Annabeth envied her grace- a different kind of grace, like the grace of the lion, not a lamb- and this time focused on keeping up. She didn't want to piss her off more than she already had.

Once in the grand room the girl had led her to, Annabeth quickly surveyed her surroundings. The ceiling was tall, taller than Annabeth would have thought possible for an underground lair. Her eyes fell on the girl in front of her and she could only assume that this was the General. She had dark hair, braided back neatly, and she, like the girl who had brought Annabeth in, was dressed in the daunting gold, complete with gold weapons, breastplates, and shields. She was intimidating, to say the least.

Just by looking at her, Annabeth could see how she ruled this branch of the Amazons. Her jaw was set, her dark eyes devoid of emotion, and her face was regal. If this had been a different circumstance, Annabeth might have mistaken her for a royal.

"General Reyna," she introduced herself and didn't nod, only staring at Annabeth. She didn't sit on a throne- Amazons only had one Queen and the girl who had brought her in had said their leader was not here- but yet she still towered over the blonde, both in physical height and radiance of power and courage. "And this is my right hand woman, Lieutenant Thalia." She barely gestured to the blue-eyed girl, who allowed a small smile at her commander. Reyna's eyes softened at her Lieutenant and she dipped her head in greeting at her fellow Amazon warrior.

"You are a royal," Reyna stated the obvious to begin with. "Let's not waste time in some foolish dance. Why are you here?" she demanded. Her eyes were cold and calculating, much like the blonde's.

"I see you. You are a bigger threat to the royals than they let show," she cautiously admitted. Annabeth knew she must be careful with what information she disclosed, at least, until she was where she wanted to be with the Amazons.

"I know," said Reyna, coolly. Annabeth pressed her lips tight together. The darker-skinned girl studied Annabeth carefully, making her feel more vulnerable than if she was naked. "What do you have to give? You have everything. You are bathed in more gold than I am dressed in," her eyes sparkled in something like dark amusement. "You do not need us." Her challenge was plain as day: prove yourself. Why should they trust her? Annabeth had to sell herself first.

"I am knowledgeable. It would be in your best interest to use me to further your cause. The royals, though we do not suffer in the same way the people in the poorer areas of these countries do, the royal women are still at a disadvantage. I want more," Annabeth revealed.

"You want more?" Her dark eyes glittered dangerously and Annabeth's scalp prickled with fear- had she said something wrong? "You want to rule?"

"No," Annabeth said immediately. "I just don't want to be someone's pawn." She met Reyna's gaze with a fierce expression of her own, the underlying message clear. She would not be Reyna's pawn either. Reyna had to sell herself just as much as Annabeth had to. They were both valuable assets to each other.

"You got engaged today," Reyna pointed out. Word sure traveled fast- Annabeth had only gotten engaged that very evening. "Why shouldn't we believe this is just you not wanting to get married to another privileged asshole? The Amazons don't operate to serve you nor your King."

"You think I want to be married to be someone else's Princess?" Annabeth shook her head. "I want the revolution. I'm not a fan of the blood that will be spilled, but sacrifice is necessary for every great movement. Their reign is over. We have a right to our own minds and our own lives."

Reyna paused and for a moment, Annabeth thought she was going to kick her out, or worse- kill her- but Reyna changed the topic entirely instead, surprising the blonde.

"Do you know of Juniper?"

Annabeth's blood ran cold. Everyone knew that name. "Yes, of course."

"Who was she?" Reyna prodded.

"A young, poor woman. Made it to barely twenty," Annabeth repeated, her throat tight. She had never known Juniper, of course, she was just a common townswoman, but her heart went out for her.

"And do you know what happened to her, Princess?" Reyna's tone was condescending, but calm and steady, despite her use of Annabeth's title. Annabeth didn't give a damn about her title.

"She tried to protest the monarchy. She tried to make a new life for herself, have her own business, be free of her parents' wishes."

"And?" Reyna pressed her further. Thalia quietly stood, stonily next to her General- and close friend- Annabeth assumed. The Lieutenant's eyes fell to the ground, quietly respecting Juniper, another one of their fallen sisters, though Juniper had never been an Amazon. They respected her, as all women did.

"They killed her for it. They killed her, and I have to act like it doesn't bother me." Her face darkened and she swallowed hard.

"You're dead if you don't," Reyna affirmed.

"I know that. But—" Her voice caught a little, on the edge of this new path. "I'm in the palace, the center of their world, of the royals and of politics. Of the divide between rank, gender, and wealth. I'm quick, I'm quiet, and I can help the cause."

Thalia sucked in a ragged breath, pulling back to her full height. Despite her anger earlier, the one regarding Annabeth's rank, there was now something like pride shining in her eyes. "You want to join up." It wasn't a question, but a statement.

"I do."

Reyna clenched her jaw, his stare piercing through Annabeth. "I hope you know what you're committing to. This isn't just my war or Thalia's or the Amazons' or our leader's—it's yours. Until the very end. And not to avenge one person- not Juniper or anyone else- or to earn you your silly position on the royal council, but to avenge us all. To fight for the ones before, and to save the ones yet to come. To earn our place, we must fight the monarchy as well." Somehow, Reyna knew of Annabeth's plans to fight for the royal council. Never had Annabeth imagined that they knew this much about her. Though Annabeth dared not make the mistake of underestimating them, she had still not yet realized the power and dangerousness of the Amazons. This organization, she realized, had started out as a refuge for angry housewives and had transformed into a rebellion- a rebellion that would bring the monarchy down alongside the patriarchy. Annabeth, too, would be killed for royalty if she wasn't their ally. Thalia's scarred hand reached for Annabeth and for the first time, she noticed a tattoo around her wrist: a golden band. Like the ones most Amazons wore. Except now she was wearing hers forever. It was part of her, like the blood in her veins.

"Are you with us, Annabeth Chase?" she asked, her hand closing over the blonde's. More war, more death, King Frederick had said. But there was a chance he was wrong. There was a chance they, together, could change it.

Annabeth's fingers tightened, holding on to the smaller, stronger woman. She could feel the weight of her action, the importance behind it.

"I'm with you."

Thalia handed her a golden band of her own, but paused when Reyna's eyes darted up to Annabeth's hair- golden like the Amazons. She could be their mascot, their symbol of hope, and she alone would be the face of the future.

"Gold," Reyna pointed out, her chin jutting towards Annabeth's locks of hair. "Perhaps you'll fit alright after all." She shared a look with Thalia, though Annabeth couldn't quite detect the expression on her face. Thalia's face was grim, her mouth set in a straight, determined line. She finally handed Annabeth the rough, cotton golden band, a symbol of her alliance with the Amazons. She would never be able to wear it- that was too obvious- but perhaps Annabeth could invest in a golden pin, a small pin that only Amazons and supporters considering the rebellion would notice when she was broadcasted all over the country- the country's beloved Princess. A small symbol that would tell the people what she was fighting for, but would not alert the royals of her newfound loyalty and end in her execution.

"We will ascend," the blue-eyed girl breathed, in unison with the General. Annabeth then remembered the words and spoke with them.

"For gold and glory."

In the flickering candlelight, their shadows looked like monsters on the walls.

Nico

The bed was cold and unfamiliar. Lonely.

It was a feeling Nico was well acquainted with. This life, it was always lonely, and he knew, deep down, that it always would be. His father was proof enough. But Hades had Persephone and try as he might, Nico could not imagine himself like that.

Not curled up next to a lover when it was dark out. Not tenderly brushing back their hair out of their face. Not waking up next to them, their face the first thing they saw each morning and the last thing he laid eyes upon before he drifted off into his unsettling sleeping. Not tangled up with someone to love between the ivory sheets. Not sitting on a throne next to someone who shared his thoughts without ever having to voice them. Not alone.

Heavy was the head that wore the crown. And sharp were the arrows of a broken heart.

The bed was too big for him and not for the first time, Nico felt small. He felt old, aged beyond his years. The Crown Prince, Perseus, he was eighteen. And Crown Prince Malcolm, he was nineteen. And one of the newer Kings, Malcolm, he was twenty. Nico was sixteen. He wasn't ready to take over a country, a kingdom, but Hades was only too eager to give it up, to hold Nico to the same standards as the older boys.

His face was pale, the moonlight streaming through the window only adding to the effect. Nico missed his home, but at this point, he wasn't quite sure where home was anymore. It wasn't Jirot, not with House Pevanshire- Persephone and Hades, maybe Bianca. It certainly wasn't here in House Ashington's cold castle. He supposed his own stone structure actually had a lower temperature, but after the ball, this place had just felt cold and nothing more. But in all honesty, Nico had felt this eternal winter ever since he was a young boy. It was an iciness that no fire could thaw, an intense, frigid feeling that lived inside him, one that he could not escape. It breathed with him, grew with him, freezing over all it touched. It was alive, not like Nico.

Staring at the silver ceiling, the corner of his mouth twitched in dry amusement. Funny that it was called a King-sized bed and yet, Nico didn't feel like he fit. Eternity seemed to pass and only then, Nico's eyes fluttered shut, his long, dark eyelashes casting ghostly shadows across his cheekbones. Even in his sleep, his forehead wrinkled in worry. An eternal concern for an eternal night, for an eternally young King-to-be. His dreams clouded quickly, haunted by nightmares like always.

"Nico?" her voice was familiar, comforting, and… painfully distanced.

He blindly reached out. He knew this dream, he'd had it a million times, and yet, the pain didn't ever seem to fade. As always, she was just out of reach, mere centimeters away from his fingertips. He wanted so badly to scream, but his voice failed him when he needed it most.

"Nico? Why did you abandon me?" her voice was laced with pain.

"I didn't! I didn't, I swear it!" his voice was hoarse, but she couldn't hear him, couldn't see him. And when he saw her, he saw too much. He saw her sunken-in cheeks, her pale face, delicate and watery, with tears streaming down. He saw her skinny body, pointy elbows, and brittle hair. Like the walking dead. Swallowing down bile, he resisted against the invisible forcefield. She didn't like herself, but she was her, without a doubt. And he would not let her go so easily.

But this nightmare, framed like a dream, ended the same way every time.

"Bianca!" he fell to his knees, helpless, his eyes blown wide like doors- watching in horror as she stepped further and further away from him. "No- don't. No! Bianca, watch your-"

And then she was gone, fading before his very eyes, gone without a trace, without so much as a goodbye.

Startled, Nico shot up in his bed, waking up in a cold sweat. Every time he had to watch the blood stain her dress a dirty crimson. Every time he suffered, watching her vanish before him, unable to stop her from her demise. Unable to save her from whatever was after her. He was like a broken record on repeat, the same dream over and over again every night, only varying in the ways she left, but the end was the same every time: she was there, dying, and he could only watch, tortured.

Though it wasn't his darkest secret nor fear, he was paralyzed each time. Would he freeze if it happened in real life? Especially with this new plan and Persephone's participation, offering her children for this scheme, every moment he was alive was a gamble. And his sister's life, it was not something he was ready to risk. He could not shake the irrational fear that one day he would wake up and she would be gone, the same as in his nightmares, only then, it would be some twisted version of reality. So he pushed her away more, each and every day. Perhaps he could save her by keeping her from him, perhaps if she didn't love him anymore, maybe her life would be spared from Nico and his demons. If he couldn't be free, perhaps he could cut her chains and let her go. But what if, in cutting her loose, he cut her strings instead, and accidentally let her fall? What if it was already too late?

Nico glanced at his hands, leaning against the headboard and breathing harshly. His palms were pale, clean. But in his nightmares, they were always coated with blood- her blood. There was no doubt about it. When the time came, her blood would be on his hands, it would be all his fault, however indirectly it might have been. Nico scowled out the window, attempting to steady his rapidly palpitating heart. Bianca was all he had left and he'd be damned to let her leave so easily. He would not lose her too.

Not like he'd lost himself.

Annabeth

As stealthy as possible, she slipped through her bedroom window once more, having sneaked through the cellar. She dared not scale the side of a huge-ass castle. But this time, with this new pressure weighing on her, she needed desperately to tell someone, to share her burden.

Cautiously, she cracked open her bedroom door from the inside. Sure enough, Jason was standing out there, nervous as hell (probably anxiously awaiting her return). He relaxed, only for a moment, when he saw her, but his eyes widened in shock at the golden band in her hand. His mouth fell open in a perfect o, his expression frightened.

"You didn't," he refused to believe it.

"I did," Annabeth confirmed.

He blanched, opening and closing his mouth like a fish. "Princess," he hissed, alarmed. "What were you thinking?" he berated. Had it been anyone but her best friend, Annabeth would have immediately admonished them for speaking to her with such disrespect. Royal or not, she didn't take anyone's shit. Not now, not ever. But this was Jason and he was only looking out for her.

"I… don't know," she admitted. Now that the adrenaline wasn't pulsing through her, she was beginning to wonder if she'd made the right decision. "I'm just tired of this, sir. I want change." But the fire was gone from her eyes.

"And the monarchy? My Lady, alongside the patriarchy, the Amazons plan to destroy all of royalty, turn into a democracy like our upstairs neighbors," said Jason, ever the voice of reason. Annabeth pursed her lips. But Canada's democracy had not failed them, not yet, and she seriously doubted it ever would. A country run by the people… it was an interesting approach, for sure, and it appealed to her.

"It'll fall," she whispered, her voice low and hushed like his. If anyone else caught wind of her alliance with the Amazons, it was off with her head.

"But this plan, my Lady…"

Annabeth's face darkened. "What about it?"

"Princess, Queen Athena plans to end the wars, including Amazonian destruction," he slowly revealed. His tone was measured but something dark crawled inside of Annabeth nonetheless. How could Jason know more about this grand scheme than her? Sure, he was a big part of Epresh's security and military ranks, but she was the fucking Princess. Swallowing the betrayal of her mother, Annabeth temporarily ignored it. She would figure that out later, but now, she had bigger issues to deal with.

Slowly, she connected the dots. "They want to use me to stop a rebellion. Somehow."

"Yes, King Frederick and his Queen believe you can do so, if used appropriately." Bitterness drips from his every word.

"It's a stupid idea and impossible. I won't be able to do anything, and then . . ." Her voice trailed away. Then they'd kill her. The only question was would it be the honor of the royals or the Amazons.

Jason followed her train of thought. "You're wrong, my Lady. You don't understand the power you have now, how much you could control." He clasped his hands behind his back, oddly tight. "The Amazons are too drastic for most, too much too fast. But you are the controlled change, the kind people can trust. You are the slow burn that will quench a revolution with a few speeches and smiles. You can speak to the women, tell them how noble, how benevolent, how right the King and his men are. You can talk your people back into their chains. Even the men who question the King, the ones who have doubts, can be convinced by you. And the world will stay the same."

To her surprise, Jason seemed disheartened by this. Without the attention of the entire world on her, she forget herself and her face curled into an uncharacteristic sneer. "And you don't want that? You're a man of the royal court, you should hate the Amazons—and now me. They certainly hate you for serving the monarchy." It felt wrong to accuse. Jason was her best friend in many ways, but at the end of the day, their gender divided them just as well as their choices and their ranks.

"Thinking all men are evil is just as wrong as thinking all women are inferior," he said, his voice grave. "And thinking all royals are evil is just as wrong as thinking all commonfolk are inferior. What my people are doing to you and yours is wrong to the deepest levels of humanity. What our people- the monarchy- does to the poor, that too, is wrong. Oppressing them, trapping them in an endless cycle of poverty and death, just because we think they are different from us? That is not right. And as any student of history can tell you, it will end poorly."

Annabeth frowned. "You could join too, you know. They make exceptions for certain men. They will accept you, surely." Her voice wavered, unsure even to her own standards. This cruelty was not their choice, it was the choice of the current Kings and Queens, the older generations. They could make change.

Jason shook his head, no. "It is not my place, my Lady."

"So you'll spill my secrets, then?" Disappointment flared deep in her gut. They would kill him for being part of the royal court and based off the look on his face, he knew it. He had accepted it and was a dead man walking. Annabeth felt sick to her stomach, the understanding of her promise finally reaching its peak of weight.

"Never, Annabeth. Friends before all else," he promised, his voice steady. Her shoulders relaxed. "I will root for you success, quietly and behind the scenes perhaps, but I will help you however I can. It is my duty, after all." The corner of his mouth twitched in a sad smile. Annabeth's heart felt heavy too. It felt good to hear her real name in his mouth. It had been so long, not since she was a young girl and Jason was just beginning training, a small boy, around her age, training alongside the big guards to be her personal protector when she was grown. They had come a long way.

"I'll protect you," she choked, her facade momentarily crumbling before both their eyes. The irony was not lost on her.

"No," his eyes were gentle, yet pained, pained to see her pained. "You must first protect yourself and always ever yourself. You are the the swallow in this revolution. Without you, there is no revolution." Jason was so sure, so calm, that it made her want to sob. She stood tall and straight, nodding minutely. He remembered, he knew her too well. The swallow had been a symbol of hope, in Aesop's fables and numerous other historical literature. It symbolized hope, in part because it was among the first birds to appear at the end of winter and the start of spring. Of course he remembered her love of reading, that only she would understand his reference.

"Now I must bid you goodnight, my Lady," Jason concluded, and they were once more formal, distanced, as they pretended to be all the time. He was nothing more than a highly decorated servant, a warrior, and her, a feisty Princess with too much on her mind. Though she knew she must end this conversation before someone saw them speaking for a suspiciously long time, Annabeth was reluctant to shut the door. It felt like, in some ways, by shutting the door to her bedroom, she was cementing the wall between them, this great divide that she feared she would never overcome.

"Goodnight, sir," she swallowed down her tears, refusing to let them fall, trying to be brave for him, for herself. And when she was sure nobody was looking, she reached out, enveloping him in a warm, fierce hug. He was taller than her now (she still remembered when they were younger and she'd teased him for being the bigger one), but he still smelled of the wind, rain, and sky, he was still solid and familiar, reassuring. His eyes widened in surprise but after a beat, he relented, wrapping his arms around her tightly because he could never hold her like this again, not truly. She was under the watchful eye of the kingdom, the royals, and now the Amazons, too. He breathed in the scent of her hair, the sweet, citrusy lemon of her shampoo, and finally let her go, even when she wanted nothing more than to hold on. Jason had always been able to exercise more control than her. He was a soldier, born and bred. Then she stepped back and shut the door- the hardest thing she'd had to do in a long time- and slumped against the door. It felt so final, the click of the wooden door behind her.

She would rise too, rise alongside her newfound sisters, but still, in some ways, she would revolt and rebel alone. And deep down inside her, she knew without a doubt that she always would.

Her steel eyes hardened in determination. With all she knew at stake, this could not fail, she would not fail.

Ascend, for gold and glory.

A/N: Sooo who remembers when I confirmed that Percabeth would indeed be endgame? I don't think anything's certain anymore, including that. I won't put Percy or Annabeth with anyone else, but I haven't decided everyone whose blood shall be spilled. I was screwing around with my plot and I'm feeling very evil.

Maybe there will be nothing left for endgame once all destruction is done. It's hard to rebuild something if nothing's left… We'll see. I have a few different intriguing options and I'm not sure what I'll be picking yet. *sheaths devil horns*

Anyways, I think the closer look at Annabeth and Luke's relationship will have to wait until next chapter. I wanted this to happen with Beth first. :P Lemme know what you thought- I love your reviews so much. Until next time~

Fangirl xx

Mitsuha Miyamizi: Hi! :D It's nice to see you again, ever the faithful reviewer haha. Oh, thank god! Yes, this is definitely WAY out of my comfort zone. XD Thank you for noticing lol. Oh, good! I was hoping to catch people by surprise, but I wasn't sure it was working out for me. Ahh! The Victorian era is one of my favorites too! Women fighting the patriarchy and everything like that, it's great. My favorite book series at the moment is The Infernal Devices by Cassandra Clare, and it's set in the Victorian era, partially inspiring this fanfic actually. If you haven't read it or any of Cassie's work, I highly recommend. I did address your question in my crash course, but it wasn't meant to be read like a chapter, more just a side reference in case, so I have no issues answering your inquiry. :) No, it is not historically accurate. America didn't have the monarchy, they broke away from it, but I couldn't bear to put Percy- a proud New Yorker- in England, so I've put them in an Englified-version of America. The AU's events will take place of actual history. Like for example, in this version, technology is much more advanced by the 1800s. Like broadcasting and TVs already exist though in reality, that didn't happen until the early 1920s. I'm glad you decided to check out my new story, and also thank you for vocab inspiration. I think I will use "fuckton" from now on- I like it lmao.

Jack Son: The newly engaged couples are probably my favorite part. We all know Annabeth can be a bit of a… handful lol. Not to mention, a bit rash sometimes, as demonstrated with this chapter. To answer your question, yes, absolutely. Though I think you know that now, seeing as Piper met Jason in this chapter. It probably will be secret tbh, though I've not yet decided how I will approach their entire dynamic. :P I think, regarding what happened in The Burning Maze (if you know about that spoiler, of course), it'll only make me want to force even more attention on their relationship. Thank you for the kind words; they mean more than you know. :)