A/N: Hi, yes hello, I'm still alive (unfortunately) lmao.

There's a Will POV for the first time ever in this chapter, so I'm hoping you guys will like it. I originally was going to write it in Nico's POV, but I thought it would be kinda cool to see how our favorite medic views him idk.

Disclaimer: All rights remain.

Drew

The first thing Drew saw was Silena chatting brightly with Aphrodite, and the first thing she felt was jealousy, a dull ache that she had grown only all too accustomed with.

"Little sister!" Silena smiled wide, spreading her arms wide for a hug. Drew dismissed her with one cold look and decisively crossing her arms over her chest. Silena didn't seem to take the hint, wrapping her arms tightly around stoic Drew. She released her and beamed down at her blood. Drew scowled; she liked Piper better. Don't get her wrong, Piper was stupid and an embarrassment to this entire fucking family, but at least with her choppy hair and fatal attempt to even try to look good, Drew always looked like the better half. With Silena, there was no way to win. Aphrodite doted on the eldest, Tristan went along with whatever his wife liked, and that left Drew rotting in a ditch. Wonderful.

Drew scrutinized her older sister. "Isn't that gown from last year's collection?" She tilted her head to one side.

Silena glanced down at her clothes as if she hadn't noticed what she was wearing. In all honesty, she probably hadn't. She was this type of natural beautiful that didn't need any help. She was the type of young woman to look drop-dead gorgeous wearing a trash bag, for God's sake, and Drew hated her for it. Where Drew spent her mornings fluffing her hair for hours and having her handmaidens change her look every day, Silena slipped on whatever looked decent, combed through her naturally silky hair, and looked like a motherfucking Goddess. Of course, Drew would never admit this out loud. That would be blasphemy.

"Maybe?" Silena shrugged. "Why, does it look bad?" She offered a half-smile. Drew resisted the urge to say yes even though it didn't, and instead opted for a stony silence.

"Well, now that everyone's here…" Aphrodite trailed off, looking towards Tristan. Silena's face fell. Drew could only assume she'd heard the news of their traitorous younger sister. That's what she got for being out of town all the time, for being selfish like that and leaving Drew to fend for herself. She didn't even get to see Piper before she'd fled. Good on that. Drew cracked a smug smile.

"We want to discuss our… situation," their father began and Drew's ears perked up. "Drew, as you know, Crown Prince Perseus, your former betrothed, is on the run, most likely to join the Amazons, therefore leaving you without a crown."

Drew's lips parted in surprise. "Technically, I do have a crown. I'm a Princess," she expressed, offended. Her father waved away her comment.

"It doesn't matter. Silena rules our land of Sumisu."

Drew's blood was practically boiling. Would he just get to the point already?

"Our middle daughter will not not be a Queen," Tristan stated, and his eyes gleamed in a way that reminded her all too much of her mother.

Drew felt stiff, standing there with a blatant gap between her and the rest of her so-called family. "So what do you suggest?" she acquiesced.

"House Langen of Kreoca," Aphrodite interrupted. Drew blinked. Then—

"Are you insane?!" she sputtered.

Aphrodite sharply glared at her, and Drew straightened her back, shutting her mouth and cutting her outburst short. She did not wish to evoke the wrath of her mother. "House Langen is very powerful, dear. They are the main providers of weapons, and have the strongest of forgers in all the countries. Their impressive arsenal, combined with their sneaky potions— love and war always go hand in hand— we're terrifying adversaries when put together. They will make a wonderful alliance."

Drew stared at her. "Yes, but they're also insane, Mother." She was acutely aware of King Tristan dismissing Silena from the room. No doubt her parents were up to no good and they didn't want their favorite child to acknowledge their strong cunning trait. Her scowl only darkened.

Aphrodite continued as if she had not heard her. "We don't like the Calbournes either, nor the Pevanshires or Ashingtons, but you will stand and deal as you did before." Drew's mouth fell agape in a horrified expression. "They have a son the same age as you and Perseus. He's not a Prince, but he'll do. Octavian Geve of House Langen, Duke of Kreoca." Drew could barely wrap her head around this, and she was beginning to feel sick. She wanted power, but… she shut her mouth and let her mother explain.

Queen Aphrodite was cunning and everyone under the tables knew it. She was smart, and because of that, she was smart enough to play dumb when needed. "The Langens are planning to wage war against the Calbournes."

"Why?"

"Why?" Aphrodited crowed. "Don't be ridiculous. Luke cannot be King. Have you gone mad? Nobody trusts his story that Perseus killed his own father. I hate the Calbournes with a deep passion, but Perseus was never like that. He was to become King soon, anyways! The only issue is that Luke has so much power, and there is so much about him to fear. Nobody will go against him. At least, not unless it's behind his back. And, after we unite together and take down Luke and the Calbournes, we'll take down the Ashingtons and Pevanshires."

"Mother!" Drew blanched. She hated the Pevanshires and Ashingtons more than the Calbournes, but for fuck's sake, this was ridiculous. They would be castrated!

"Do not raise your voice," her mother instructed sternly. "Together with the Langens, we can take over all the countries, Drew, don't you see? Us Rayas, we used to be the most powerful. And then our ancestors began to let up and give wiggle room to other countries, we lost our place as the highest in the ranking. And then together, we'll end the Canadians and the Amazons, taking it all."

Drew felt dizzy. "That'll be two wars, Mother. The Canadians have already began attacking all of us and so we had united in the first place, initiated by Athena and her plan. And the Amazons allied themselves with the Canadians, making them an even stronger force to be reckoned with. And then with Octavian and the Langens, it'll be us and the Langens against the Calbournes, and most likely the Ashingtons and Pevanshires who will take his side. We can't possibly win!" Her mind was whirring a million times faster than before.

"Three, actually," Aphrodite told her, far too cheerfully for a woman practically signing her own death warrant, or so Drew thought.

"Excuse me?"

"You cannot attend the royal council meetings, but your father does." She glanced at Tristan for a second, before turning her attention back to her middle daughter. "And besides, this meeting— it was an underground meeting anyways, if you catch my drift. Luke is conspiring against the Pevanshires and Ashingtons. He's an angry King who has enough power to do as he pleases. And like us, like anyone in these castles, he wants more. In the end, this all ensures your crown, and it ensures our family's status."

Drew rubbed her temples in exasperation. But Aphrodite was a snake, and she had trained Drew well. "Please break this down for me." Drew felt something in her chest harden. Piper was stupid, but Drew would do what was best for this family and for their Raya name. This was her destiny.

"Ignore the Canadians and the Amazons temporarily," Aphrodite told her, sliding to the edge of her seat as she warmed to the core of this mastermind plan where they ended up on top. "Together, they are fighting all of us, the Rayas, the Langens, the Calbournes, the Ashingtons, and the Pevanshires. We will all battle them separately, using purely our own forces. Luke will advance on the Pevanshires and the Ashingtons. We have told him that we're allied to him forever. We will do our best to convince him that we are on his side—"

"Mother, with all due respect, if he's anything like Medusa— and he is— he's smarter than all of us combined," Drew interrupted.

"Patience, child. At the end of the day, even if he doesn't buy our act, it won't matter." Drew bit her lip, not reassured in the slightest, but allowed Aphrodite to continue with her explanation. "With the Calbournes and us at war with the Pevanshires and Ashingtons, who have always been good friends and will surely form their own alliance, all four of us will waste military valuables and men. However, we will secretly be in alliance with the Langens. We will withdraw ourselves from the Calbourne/Raya versus Pevanshire/Ashington battle, and allow the Pevanshires/Ashingtons to bury the Calbournes into the ground. Then, when the Ashingtons and Pevanshires are weak from defeating Luke, we will sweep in alongside the Langens and defeat both forces. We will come out on top, and using the materials we took over from three kingdoms, we will defeat the Canadian/Amazon alliance and come out on top."

When Aphrodite was finally finished, Drew let out a deep breath. This was risky, and she wasn't too sure she could bear Octavian and his no-good grin, but she would have her crown, and she would be as powerful as Silena. She would rule the land and as much as Drew wanted to turn away from such a bold plan, the thought was appealing, enticing, irresistible. She would make her parents so proud. Perhaps she would finally claim the title of the favorite daughter. Aphrodite raised her eyebrow in a silent question, her expression impassive towards the Princess. Drew understood what she had to do and she had realized that there was no other choice but to do as her mother instructed. She would have the entire world and more importantly, her parents' adoration.

Tristan, breaking the silence, cleared his throat. "Then it's settled?" he inquired.

Aphrodite peered at Drew, a challenge in her eyes: is it? Drew schooled her expression.

"Yes, Mother."

Nico

Nico didn't feel a thing when they put her in the ground. They had returned here, to home in the country of Jirot for her funeral, but they would return to Epresh soon enough. Everyone had flocked here to bury her amongst the passed Pevanshires of time before.

Drew, as promised, put her dumb carnations on top of the casket. He didn't say anything. Malcolm said a few words and managed not to cry. Good for him. Nico didn't do much crying either, not at all, actually. He figured he had run out of tears to cry. King Hades said a few things also. Nico didn't really care what his father said; he had stopped listening a long time back anyways. He wasn't sure, but he thought Queen Persephone said a few things as well. Some bullshit about uniting with these deaths, using them to bond together, and go against the Amazons stronger than ever.

It hardly mattered. You can't bring back the dead, he knew that much. King Frederick said some shit about coming together as well and growing from these experiences. It felt less personal than King Poseidon's funeral, in some ways, in Nico's opinion. Maybe because Nico didn't really care for the old King.

He remembered the moment when he'd found out Bianca had died of course; how could he not? But it felt detached from this world. He remembered his agony, the long nights alone, reaching for her doorknob down the hall every morning when he woke up, expecting to find her there, and only slowly growing accustomed to the fact that that room would always be empty. The moments when he had found something amusing and turned to share the joke with her, only to be shocked anew that she was not there. The worst moments, when, sitting alone at breakfast, he had realized that he had forgotten the precise brown of her eyes or the tone of her laugh; that, like the sound of music, of happiness, of love, they had faded into the distance where memories were forever silent.

Some people were still talking, others weeping in a manner that made Nico's blood boil— he was sure it was all just an act, fake like them— and a few had left the funeral, climbing into their fancy carriages in their plain black clothes and leaving for Epresh, or for home. For a moment, Nico envied them. They still had a home. But he'd never been the self-pity type, so he turned his back to them and their deepest condolences and their pity, and he walked out of the graveyard and away from her platinum and black marble headstone to the stone slabs layered to form a small staircase in the quaint garden. Bianca had always liked the garden. He passed through the garden— he would not kill the flowers she had enjoyed watering despite their mother's protests that Bianca, the gardeners will take care of it— and instead made his way just outside the garden gates.

He sat on the top step and fished a small black box out of his military coat, adorned with dumb badges. Bianca's death had put quite a bit in perspective for him. People spent their whole lives worrying about what was in their wallets and the medals around their necks. For what? That money wouldn't show up in their coffins.

Nico peered at the dark box in his hand. It had gold trim around the edges and on the front it read Sobranie Black Russian. He had swiped the box off King Frederick's desk back in Epresh. He hadn't known that Malcolm and Annabeth's father smoked, but he guessed he simply didn't indulge the habit frequently. Most Kings smoked anyways. He had even seen Hades with a bottle of whisky once; it had been nearly empty. It wasn't rare in these big castles to indulge a habit alone when the night got to you.

He fiddled with the metal lighter for a bit before he finally got the knack of it, and bringing it up to his cigar, he let it burn, watching with mild fascination. He twirled it between his long fingers for a moment before touching it to his lips. It took him a couple tries before he got into the groove, and without coughing it all up in under thirty seconds like an asthmatic dragon. He took a long drag of it like he'd seen men do before. Short hits would just get him hyper. That's partially why nicotine was so addicting, he knew. It could do both, a double-edged sword, calm you and give you a small high. Nico willingly put the killer in his mouth, letting it do its job. If all went went, in a few years, he would be one with the smoke.

Piper

"I don't understand." Piper frowned. She scoured their surroundings, perplexed. "They're supposed to be around here somewhere. I did my research. And well, or so I thought." Her eyebrows knit together.

Jason peered up at the tall trees around them. "Perhaps we should've sent a telegram ahead of time."

Piper blinked. Sometimes Jason was too polite for his own good, she thought. "They're Amazons," she pointed out.

"So?" Jason failed to see the problem with that. She cracked a smile. And then she saw it, the arrow soaring through the air like a delivery of bad news. She distantly heard Jason calling out for her to duck— he must've noticed it before she did to react so quickly— but she didn't feel like she was in her own body. It felt like she was standing somewhere else, watching her death fly towards her face at an alarming rate.

The arrow sunk into her shoulder, but she couldn't feel the pain, probably from all the shock spiking through her. The stallion under her thrashed wildly and Piper could only assume this enemy, whoever it was, had shot her horse too. She felt arms reaching out for her, a strong grip lifting her up, fingers wrapped around her forearms. She blinked blankly at the arrow in her shoulder. She knew she shouldn't pull it out, but it was so tempting. The arms around her went slack and she could only assume that Jason was out like a light, having been shot as well. Quietly, she admired the golden feathers on the arrow before promptly passing out.

…

When she came to, there were blue eyes over hers. Relieved, she went to sit up. Surprisingly she didn't wince at all; her shoulder had seemingly miraculously healed. She blinked at the girl in front of her. That certainly wasn't Jason. But those blue eyes couldn't lie and… she recalled the moment that those Amazons had been captured in the cells with the royals torturing. Percy had pointed out something, someone was…

"You're Jason's sister," Piper realized.

Thalia rolled her eyes. "We've got a real genius here." She was lazily sprawled out on a couch in battle armor, and obnoxiously chewing noisily.

"Shut up, Thalia." Piper's head snapped to the left where another girl sat, perched precariously on the window ledge. Sun streamed through the glass, reflecting off her gold armor, making her appear like an angel, a daydream. Piper, however, had a feeling that she was probably much more of a killer than she looked like. She had reddish-brown hair and a light dusting of freckles across the bridge of her nose. "I'm Gwen" she introduced herself. "And now that you're awake, I'll get the General." She left, leaving her alone with Thalia.

"Um…" Piper trailed off, squirming a little. Thalia was unsettling to say the least. And then it hit her. "Where's Jason?" She felt panic building inside her.

Thalia grinned a little. "He's fine." She waved her hand dismissively.

Piper squinted at her. "That's not very reassuring, you know."

Thalia just shrugged. "The only reason you're alive, despite being a royal, is because Annabeth had vouched for you. Before, ya know, she went missing."

Now Piper was on alert. "She went missing? Where's Percy?"

Thalia wrinkled her nose. "Her little boy toy? Who cares?" She snorted.

Piper bit her bottom lip. "And Annabeth?" Wherever the blonde was, Percy was sure to be by her side. Unless they were dead. She squeezed her eyes shut tight. She would rather not think about that.

Thalia shrugged again. "We don't really know. After she outed herself as an Amazon and fled with his Majesty—" Thalia smirked, mocking Percy, "—we thought she'd come straight here, dragging along that stupid boy as well. But she never showed up. We can only assume she's on the run, taking some sort of detour." The Amazon's eyes darkened, swirling dangerously, and Piper felt a shiver run down her spine. Electricity tingled in the air. "Or she's dead."

The door opened at that moment, crashing the somber ambiance.

"Sleeping Beauty's awake," Thalia crowed, grinning up at the General. Reyna rolled her eyes and didn't even bother to reprimand her lieutenant. Piper suspected Reyna secretly didn't mind it so much, given away by the tiny smile at the corner of her mouth. "I still can't believe you kept me here to babysit some girl."

"You brought it upon yourself." Reyna half-shrugged. "You wouldn't stop arguing with the Canadian men."

"But they're stupid!" Thalia retaliated.

Reyna rolled her eyes again, sighing softly. Piper imagined she must've done that a lot, hanging near Thalia all the time. "It doesn't matter. They're allies, and our Lady clearly instructed us to play nice." Thalia glared at her.

"Your Lady?" Piper breathed. "The Amazon Queen?"

Reyna tilted her head at the brunette, her expression unreadable. "Yes. This is one of our main bases." She spread her arm around the room. The General scrutinized her carefully. "And don't worry, you'll meet her." Thalia snorted again on the other side of the room.

Piper felt her heart palpitating wildly in her chest. "Really?" Her kaleidoscope eyes had gone wide. "Of course." Reyna's face was stoic. "In fact, she specifically asked to see you."

Will

Will wasn't sure how he knew, call it intuition, but when the first whiff of smoke hit his nose, he knew somehow exactly who it was behind that cigar.

"Smoking kills." He sat down next to him on the ground.

Nico didn't respond, exhaling slowly. The smoke curled around his lips and then he finally looked over at the healer. The small boy smiled placidly, but it was like he already fading away, flickering in the light. He was a dead boy walking. A ghost, transparent and a goner. It made Will feel real funny inside.

"You inhale like you're trying to forget something," Will murmured, turning his face away from the cigar. The smell had always bothered him, resurfacing bad memories from a childhood he didn't miss.

"You don't have to sit here, you know," he finally said, and Will thought his voice sounded a little too small. He couldn't help but wonder how long it would be before the Prince's voice shifted to the raspy sickness of a smoker. It wasn't something he wanted to think too much about.

"Where else would I be? I go where I see a deterioration of health."

"I can see it on your face that you don't like the smell. You can go," Nico mumbled, the cigar against his lips.

"Did you know that for every cigarette you smoke, you lose 13.8 minutes of your life?" Will articulated. He wasn't here to reprimand the younger boy, but he couldn't help but share the ache that the Prince felt. Nico was quiet for a moment.

"Who wants to live forever, anyways?" he croaked, finally.

"People look up to you," Will pointed out.

"Good. I can be used as a bad example," Nico agreed.

"Sir." Will was exasperated.

"Don't fucking call me that."

The medic froze, surprised. He hesitated. "Then what should I call you?"

He shrugged, as if he hadn't planned this far ahead. Will supposed he hadn't. "I'm Nico. Just Nico."

"Okay," he conceded. "I'm Will." He cringed immediately. Nico was the fucking Prince, he probably already knew. And surely enough…

"I know."

"Okay," said Will again. Nico was very quiet, he'd noticed. He didn't say much, but when he did, Will found himself hanging onto his every word. And he wished he would talk more because when Nico was talking, he wasn't smoking, and that loosened the iron knot in Will's stomach. And he wished he would talk more because he was something special, and it killed Will inside, killed him like the smoke killed Nico. And sitting here under clouds of nicotine, it felt surreal.

"I never understood this obsession." Nico broke the silence, and Will was content to sit silently and listen. "It's just a classy way to kill yourself." He tapped the cigar and ash fell to the ground. He swiftly ignored it. "But as you get older, you really start to understand more and more why people drink their days and nights away, smoke their lungs black, or throw themselves off buildings."

Will didn't even have it in him to be horrified. "I suppose. I think some people smoke just to enjoy it though," he mentioned.

"Well, you see, that's the difference then."

And it all made sense. "They smoke because they like it; you smoke to die." Will really wanted to smack him. "That's—" he trailed off, at a loss for words.

"Don't look at me like that."

Will hadn't even realized he had been staring. His stomach was churning. Quickly, he looked away. "Like what?"

"Like I'm already dead."

Will made a low noise of protest. "I'm not—"

"Like you can fix me. I don't need fixing." Nico glared at him and Will found himself shrinking under his cold gaze. "That's the only reason you hang around me anyways. You have this irrational need to fix things and people and I'm not it. I don't fucking need this." He stood up, putting out the cigar under his foot. He looked a lot like his father when he got angry, Will had noticed. And he really didn't want Nico to grow up to become his parents. That was an empty lifestyle he imagined he'd never understand as a castle healer.

"But—" Will could feel him slipping away, right out his fingertips. He hastily rose to his feet, but Nico just held up his hand impatiently.

"Just promise me one thing?" Nico requested. Will raised an eyebrow in question, silently urging him to continue. "When I die, bury me far away from this place."

Will's heart constricted. He said 'when' not 'if,' but 'when'. "You don't want to be buried next to your sister?"

Nico scoffed. "In a graveyard of pretentious royals? No thanks. I spend too much of the time I'm alive with them anyway. Who in their right mind wants that once they're gone?"

Will felt like throwing up. He couldn't believe they were discussing a 16-year-old's death. He, himself, was 16, and he couldn't imagine sharing the same headspace as Nico. His eyebrows involuntarily knit together in concern.

"And Will?"

"Nico?" His name sounded strange in his mouth, but Will found he sort of liked it.

"Don't try to fix me. I mean it." Nico's eyes darkened, and taking the bitter scent of smoke with him, he walked away.

Piper

Piper wasn't really sure what to expect, but she had to admit, the young woman on the throne matched the image of a fierce Queen. She had mid-length dark hair, black as the night sky, and under the right light, Piper felt as though she could see the constellations in her hair, silvery strands of the clear skies at nighttime. Her eyes reminded her a lot of Princess Annabeth's, a silvery version of the blonde's. It was cool, and steadily pinned Piper to her spot. She appeared relatively young, perhaps only a few years older than Reyna or Thalia, but Piper suspected she was much older than she seemed. She just had that air of elegance, that aura of time. The throne was tall and simple, gold with the crescent of the moon carved into the headpiece. The Queen wore nothing that particularly stood out, except… Piper's gaze fell to the Queen's waist.

She'd never been particularly good at studies, usually drifting off in her lessons, but she'd paid attention when learning about the Amazons. They'd always intrigued her, even if she was supposed to hate them. Sure enough around the young woman's waist was the belt of Hippolyta. It was said the former Queen, Hippolyta, had received the gift from her father, the Greek god Ares, and it greatly increased physical strength and prowess of the wearer in battle. It served to symbolize her authority as Queen. Piper sucked in a sharp breath.

"I am Artemis." On her head was a silver crescent on the front of a thin, wiry band. Piper felt as though she should bow, but neither Reyna nor Thalia had moved an inch, so she didn't move either.

"It's an honor," she managed to say elegantly, at least.

"Is it?" Artemis tilted her head, peering at Piper quietly. Her voice was silky and smooth like moonlight.

"You wanted to see me?" Piper spoke up, hoping to capture her attention with her easy tone.

"Yes."

"You didn't want to kill me?" the brunette queried.

"At first, yes. But then, no. One of my Generals, Reyna, tells me that the blonde girl has vouched for you. And she's proven to be very useful. I trust her word." Artemis narrowed her eyes at her, and Piper felt her heart speeding up.

"The Princess vouched for me?" She couldn't fathom this. Annabeth had hardly known her. Perhaps… perhaps she'd always known the length to which Piper's interest in the female warriors went. She had always been two steps ahead of everyone else.

"Here, she's not a Princess," Artemis stated coolly. "And neither are you." Piper felt a prickle of fear.

She summoned her courage. "But I'm valuable."

"Don't be deluded," Thalia grinned darkly and Piper kept her mouth shut.

"What makes you think that?" Artemis inquired. She seemed genuinely curious.

"If I wasn't, you would've killed me." It was simple."

"But Annabeth vouched for you," Artemis pointed out, her eyes gleaming dangerously. She leaned forward as if stalking her prey. Piper had a feeling this was some sort of test to gauge her intelligence and quick-wit. Fine. She'd play along.

Piper shook her head, no. "It doesn't matter what Annabeth said. You're the Queen. If you wanted me dead, I'd be dead."

Artemis sat back in her throne at that, seemingly pleased. "Fair enough. Do you know why I've called you here?" Piper had the good sense to keep quiet. "You were a Princess, you were in a good place. Your house, Raya, would have kept you in a line of royalty. Even with this new Boy King on the throne for Calbourne, your parents would have established your role. Your sister, Drew, she will marry to be a Queen. To whom yet is uncertain, but mark my words, that is their desired outcome. Whether it will be true or not, well, that's still up in the air." The Queen paused, inspecting the brunette once more. "And, most importantly, House Raya follows that Boy King around like they're hungry for his throne. So my question, I suppose, is why would you throw away your entire life for this place?"

Piper's throat felt dry. Artemis, she'd figured out, was a woman of few words, and for her to lay all her cards out flat like this, it was terrifying. "Couldn't you ask the same of Annabeth?" She attempted to deflect first.

Artemis's expression didn't shift, not even miniscule movement. "I know all about Annabeth, I assure you. Her reason for joining was genuine." The implied question hung in the air like a sword dangling over Piper's head. Is yours? She swallowed. She would be talking to keep her life, she knew deep down.

"The royals are just going to fight among themselves for arbitrary lines, land that doesn't belong to them," Piper met Artemis's gaze with a fierce look of her own. She'd always been a good speaker. In fact, it was one of her best qualities. Persuasive, cool, collected, she had it all. She looked from Thalia to Reyna to the Queen. "The land belongs to the people. It always has. And the Amazons plan to return it to the rightful owners, which I can definitely support. While the royals tear each other apart, the Amazons can prove democracy to be the sole ruler," the Princess explained.

"So this isn't because you want more for women?" Artemis arched a dark eyebrow.

"Is that the reason Annabeth gave you? She's always wanted that." Piper nodded; it simply made sense. "No, that's not my sole purpose. It's just another benefit. I don't want to be married off anymore than Annabeth did, trust me. I've always wanted to start my own business, rise to the top, have aspirations of my outside of pleasing a Duke or Prince."

Thalia smirked at her. "So you're not interested in Jason, then?" Reyna groaned next to her. Artemis didn't seem nearly as amused.

Piper straightened her back. She could handle this. "It doesn't hardly matter, the way I see it, if I'm involved with him or not. The point is, it's all my choice." The corner of her mouth curved up, sickeningly sweet. "My choice whether or not to entertain him or to fly solo. My choice because the Amazons will make it that way." She looked up at Artemis. "Will they not?"

"We will," Artemis granted, nodding slowly. "Very well."

Piper's heart leaped in her chest. "I'm accepted?"

Artemis offered the tiniest of smiles. "Not yet. You'll have to prove yourself first. After the Boy King betrayed us, we're not particularly eager to accept royals."

Oh. Piper deflated in disappointment.

"But," Artemis continued, "all is not lost yet. Prove yourself, prove your alliance, and," she hesitated, "and I will personally award you a golden bandana." Piper's mouth fell open in surprise, as did Thalia's. Reyna's eyes widened with shock. Artemis was much too busy to bother herself with doing her Generals' jobs of recruiting and inducting members. Reyna had accepted Annabeth, a General. To have it given to her by the Queen? Piper bit her lip to keep herself from breaking out in a cheek-splitting grin. She wanted it so bad.

"I won't let you down," she promised.

Artemis offered no response and so Reyna and Thalia took her out of the throne room. "Has anyone been presented a place in the Amazons from the Queen herself?" she asked out loud to no one in particular.

"Not as far as I know," Reyna confirmed and this time Piper couldn't stop the smile on her face. "Now hurry up," she urged, walking with purpose across the greenery. They passed many young women, some chatting, others sharpening their weapons, some carrying jugs of water. Some men were sprinkled in too, and other women who weren't wearing gold bandanas around their wrists and necks and foreheads. Piper could only assume they were the Canadians.

"Where are we going?" she questioned.

"To see my brother, of course." Thalia grinned mischievously. "Hopefully the dork is done napping now. And if not…" She looked at the stream of water some girls were gathered around pointedly. Reyna cracked a smile at her lieutenant's hint.

Piper laughed at that. It would be pretty funny to see reserved Jason soaked in freezing water. Thalia might've been a little rough around the edges, but she was fun, and the brunette suspected she had more heart than she let on.

Drew

Drew's mood soured at the image of a happy Silena and Charles. It just wasn't… fair. Silena was a thief. She stole the hearts of the people of Sumisu, she robbed the hearts of their parents, she was most definitely Piper's preferred sibling as well, and she got the happily ever after. She was nice and innocent when Aphrodite dropped her mind upon Drew, robbing Drew of any chance to live a blissfully ignorant life. Was it too much for them to be proud of her? Apparently, yes it was.

"It's been a while, little sister," Silena cooed.

Drew despised being called 'little sister.' She was hardly little, a bit taller than Silena actually.

Silena picked up one of her blush gowns, neatly hanging it in the grand walk-in closet. Both Charles and her were supposed to leave that task to the servants, but they didn't seem to mind too much, almost more at-ease by helping the staff. King Charles scrunched his eyebrows together at the folded bed sheets in his arms. The both of them were sharing a guest room for a couple days as the funeral processions finished. Then, they would return to their kingdom, blissfully extracted from all the drama. Well, except for the fact that King Charles was occupies countering the Amazonian/Canadian advances.

"A little help?" His voice was muffled under all the sheets and Silena laughed, a bell-like sound, making her way over to assist her husband.

Drew sat on the loveseat across the bed, scowling at her cup of rose tea.

Silena stretched across the bed, grinning as the bedsheet resisted their efforts, attempting to snap back into a tight ball. They worked efficiently and silently, a natural team. Drew sunk lower in her chair. When it was clear that Drew wasn't going to start a conversation any time soon, Silena spoke up instead.

"So how has Epresh been treating you?" the Queen kindly inquired.

Drew rolled her eyes. "We're in Jirot, Silena."

Silena shot her a wry smile; she'd always been particularly invincible to Drew's snippy tone and less-than-pleasant attitude. "I know." Her blue eyes sparkled. Drew had always been jealous of them. Whereas hers were a plain brown, her older sister's resembled an ocean. "But you'll go back to Epresh soon," she assured her sister. "Besides, you've spent most of your time in Epresh in the Ashington castle, only going back to Thasite to visit Perseus Jackson Calbourne's family," she reasoned.

"The Ashingtons are just as unpleasant as ever," Drew remarked, smirking.

"Really?" Charles piped up. "I've heard they're quite nice, actually. Smart, too."

"Well…" Drew reconsidered her words. "I suppose their son, Crown Prince Malcolm, he's not so bad. But his sister is one piece of work for sure."

"Oh, I've heard of her." Silena frowned a little. "Annabeth, right?"

"I don't know." Drew shrugged, though she did indeed know that was her name.

"Oh, she's a feisty one. Or so I've been told." The blue-eyed girl smiled to herself. "She can't have been terrible though. What's she done to you?"

"Nothing to me in particular," Drew amended. "But she's very opinionated. And quite rude, might I add. She doesn't know when to keep her mouth shut and she's very immature, getting angry quickly."

Silena shot her a look and Charles pretended not to notice all the tea being spilled. "You forget yourself in your frustration, little sister."

Drew frowned.

"You mustn't forget that you are one year senior to her," Silena reminded.

"I highly doubt I was nearly that childish at her age," Lady Tanaka protested.

Silena hid a smile. "Of course."

Drew stood, rolling her eyes, and dusted off her gown even though she very well knew there was nothing on it. "I'll be on my way, then. This was fun." No it wasn't. Queen Silena served only one purpose to her, and that was to remind her of everything she could not be.

"Yes. I'll talk to you later?" Silena's tone lifted at the very end, as if she was maybe hopeful.

Drew pasted a smile on her face. "Yes."

…

"Have we met?"

Drew turned to see a young woman, maybe a year or two younger than her. Or perhaps it was just the fact that she was an inch or two shorter than herself that made her seem younger. She had ginger, short hair neatly coiffured to reveal a skinny, charming face, and— like two diamonds— she had clear hazel eyes, crystal-like and smooth. They were almost like a mirror, but Drew imagined a mirror to be much colder inside than the petite young woman's eyes were. The woman was adorned in a long red gown, cascading down her back and flat figure, complimenting her pale skin nicely. It was a shade offset from the ginger hair and it fit nicely. The hem was made up of sharp cuts, clean like a dagger, or fire, or a war. Hanging from her ears were two long golden droplets, contrasting to her hair nicely. They resembled ichor, the blood of the Gods. Around her wrist was a delicate golden leaf bracelet.

"I don't believe so," said Drew with caution. She tilted her head to one side. The Princess couldn't help but wonder if that was her natural hair color; it was simply gorgeous.

The young lady furrowed her chestnut eyebrows in confusion, but then her expression relaxed, and her face radiated warmth as she broke out in a soft smile. "Cecily Koehn of House Langen, Duchess of Kreoca."

Drew let out a breath she hadn't known she'd been holding in. A fellow royal, thank God. And then she realized:

"Langen?" she asked, breathless. All of a sudden, Drew felt real uncomfortable.

"I'm Octavian's cousin," she gently replied.

Drew blinked. She had never really met the Langens, but the land of Kreoca certainly had the most nutjobs and their family wasn't exactly known for being peaceful creatures. House Langen possessed lots of weaponry. They were known for having the largest collection of arsenal, complete with the oldest of swords, katanas, knives, bows, and arrows. The were bloodthirsty and to hear this girl, Cecily, speak so softly and have large, kind eyes, it was such a hit.

Lady Tanaka grimaced. Octavian was not a reminder she wanted now. "Of course. You must be here to meet my parents."

Cecily offered a half-smile. "Yes. Octavian's mother sent me as a representative."

Drew felt hopeful, but she couldn't quite place her finger on it. "Will you be sticking around for some time?"

"Perhaps." Cecily frowned as if she hadn't thought that far ahead. "Octavian will definitely come later; he's simply caught up in being his father's right hand man right now."

"Of course." Drew's mood soured at the thought of the fair-haired boy. "Let me show you to my parents," she relented.

Annabeth

"You've been awfully quiet," Percy said out of the blue, startling her. She lowered her dagger when realization struck. "And a bit jumpy, too," he muttered under his breath.

Annabeth shrugged. "What do you want me to say? We're either… crazy, or…"

Percy shook his head. "I don't think we're crazy. Well… maybe you're a bit loopy, but I'm perfectly sound, I assure you."

Annabeth rolled her eyes. "I'm serious, Percy. It's not normal to see things that aren't there. And that guy, Grover, he couldn't even give us a proper explanation. Maybe he's off his rocker too." She bit her lip nervously. "I mean— Percy you just killed your father not even a week ago."

Percy's expression darkened at the unwanted reminder.

"And I've thrown away everything I've ever known. We could both have lost our minds and not even know it. And Grover lives in the middle of the fucking woods, alone, after his girlfriend died!" Annabeth was ninety-nine percent sure she was becoming hysterical, throwing out accusations and not even being able to feel horrified by the insensitivity in which she'd mentioned the former King Poseidon. "He probably talks to leaves." Her hands were trembling. She raked her right hand through her messy curls, only causing them to stick up more. "And rocks, and frogs," she panicked. Percy's face was fading into her surroundings.

"That's ridiculous. Annabeth, you've got to stay with me." She was dimly aware of his warm hands on her shoulders, shaking her a little. "You're just a little shaken, you'll be okay," he promised.

Her shoulders slumped under his grip. "What other logical explanation could there be for this? Divine intervention is bullshit. We're all alone and we're going to die, and it's going to be all my fault, and even if there were Gods or guardian angels, or fucking bat-winged old ladies called the Fates, they don't give a fuck about us because otherwise we wouldn't be out here, in the middle of the godforsaken woods, far from home, far from Malcolm and your psychopathic brother, and this is the end, I swear, my new brother is going to have to be a slimy snail off the forest floor." She was vaguely aware of the stray tears on her eyelashes.

"A snail? Annabeth, deep breaths, c'mon," he gently persuaded. She found that she'd always really liked his voice, you know, when there wasn't a bunch of stupid shit coming out of it. "Would it help if I offered my thoughts on the whole… White Hospital scare?"

She nodded in a daze, gripping onto his arms as if he were her lifetime. Perhaps he was, perhaps she would black out right here and now if he wasn't with her. "Nothing makes sense anymore," she whispered very quietly.

Percy licked his lips, concentrating on a bird in a nearby tree instead of looking at her. She was grateful; his sea green eyes were much too intense for right now. "I think," he hesitated, "I think somebody's afraid."

"Is it me?" Annabeth joked, weakly.

Now he looked at her, and she immediately regretted speaking up. "No," he assured her. She felt small under his gaze. "I don't think you're the type to be fear much." She was strangely honored by his praise.

"I think somebody's done something wrong, messed with something they shouldn't have, and now they're trying to cover up their tracks. Or perhaps it's an old mistake that still affects people to this day, so the White Hospital was their way of trying to hide their sins."

Annabeth looked away, but she could still feel his burning eyes on her. "You're suggesting someone created these monsters?" She had not considered that before, but she could be persuaded to believe that. It would make a lot more sense than her loss of her own sanity.

"Yes. Perhaps someone created the monsters or created something else that changed into monsters, or maybe poisoned people somehow to see these things, a calculated move to get rid of people." His eyes darkened.

"Weed people out?" Her breath hitched, her eyes wide.

"Weed out the truth-tellers." Percy nodded, his mouth in a grim line. "Weed out the royals they didn't like, weed out the common folk who dared go against the current and think outside the box, kill those who didn't agree to their sole domination."

"Like a dictator?" she inquired, the gears in her brain firing rapidly.

"Sure," he agreed. "Because stupid shit always come down to the same things: power and money. And history…"

"...always repeats itself," she finished for him. Annabeth frowned. "So who could've done this stuff? And who, besides Grover, Juniper's friend Delphi, and us, have seen these beasts?"

Percy shrugged, casually. "I'm not sure. Any guesses?"

"It's a White Hospital. White is a Calbourne color so I'd be easily convinced it was some ancestor of yours, but you've seen the monsters too, so there's no way your own family would commit treachery against you." Percy stared at her, and she immediately understood what he was thinking. "Medusa married in after. Your family has always been fairly clean before that. Her son and her, they couldn't have done this."

Percy slid his tongue over the flat of his teeth. "So who else?"

"The Rayas have always been rather shady," Annabeth pointed out. "Aphrodite is a she-devil, and her middle daughter's not much different. Who's to say that they're family hasn't been up to no good for the past few centuries? Not to mention, they have the most promising medicine and drugs in the world, considering their link with plants. They could mass-drug people," she theorized.

"You're only entertaining the thought that it's a royal, though," Percy mentioned.

"It has to be," she countered. "You have to have power and money to do destruction like this."

Percy tilted his head at her. "You really hate the monarchy, don't you?"

"Anyone who's not blind should," she firmly stated.

He was silent. "So Malcolm's blind, then?" Percy queried, his gaze hardening at her general statement.

"Fair enough," she conceded. "But I'm just saying, there's no way some smalltown person has started this shitshow."

"Maybe," he decided. "But I think you should keep your eyes peeled, and trust no one either way. We don't really know much. This is just my theory, don't forget. And, by your own words, I'm stupid." He offered a dark smile, one that sent shivers down Annabeth's spine. Remorse bubbled inside of her.

"You're not stupid," she whispered.

"No," he assured her. "I'm okay with being passed off as stupid. It only surprises them all the more when I win." He grinned, but it didn't feel like him.

"I'm—" Her chest felt really tight; she didn't like doing this. "I'm sorry," she breathed. It felt like the weight of the world had been lifted off her shoulders, like the elephant had shifted off her chest, and she could exhale again.

Percy's face didn't change.

"I'm sorry," said Annabeth again, and this time it felt easier to get out. "I never should have underestimated you, or called you an idiot. You're actually very smart." It felt like she was shredding her pride to bits, but she knew this had to be done. "It's a quiet kind of intelligent, I think. You don't feel the need to advertise it like my family, or… or me," she breathed out. Her throat constricted tightly. She had never been good at apologies. "And it's scary because I think that maybe in some ways, you might be smarter than me. You keep your head screwed on the right way, you're calm under pressure, you have a witty sense of humor, and you're really strong. Mentally, I mean. Everyone's been through a lot in light of this revolution, and you might've taken the most of it, I think."

He scrutinized her for a moment and Annabeth shifted her weight to her right leg. "You're not as bad as they said you were," he amended.

"They?"

He ignored her. "They said you were stuck up and childish and full of yourself."

She felt like she was holding her breath. "And now?"

"You're not so bad. You're nice like this, you know."

"Really?" she teased, feeling a bit better now. You're nice like this.

He smirked, and this time it felt like him and everything she liked about him. "Really," he confirmed. He was close to her, close enough that if she leaned in, she could probably kiss him. She still remembered what he tasted like from that one day in the abandoned room in her old castle. Like the salty sea, like the scent of the beach, like something exotic and sinful and vulnerable. A heat rose in her cheeks and she prayed he couldn't see it and infer where her stupid teenage mind was going. Percy's long fingers curled around her chin and he drew her face close to his. Annabeth's breathing shallowed.

"You're nice too," she whispered, attempting to stem the inevitable. This was hardly appropriate then, when she had been linked to the now Boy King, and it was hardly appropriate now, on the brink of revolution, with mass murder occurring in these wars, with the Amazons probably waiting on her to return to them with the Prince by her side.

"Just nice?" There was a dangerous lilt in his voice, and for some reason, she found herself really wanting to test the limits.

"Yes," she murmured. "Just nice."

His nose was touching hers and his intoxicating scent was getting unbearable. He leaned in and her heart fluttered wildly. "Let's steal a horse," he suggested.

Annabeth blinked. That was not what she'd been expecting. "What?" She squinted at him.

Percy smothered down a smile. "A horse. The Amazons are too far to get to by foot. Besides, I've got to send a letter to my mother. Perhaps we can disguise ourselves and send the mail, then steal a horse, or maybe a damn carriage, I don't know, then make a break for it."

Annabeth stared at him for a moment. "Sounds like a solid plan." She cleared her throat, stepping away from him and straightening her back. Deep down, she felt vaguely disappointed.

Percy didn't look away from her, and she really wished he would if he wasn't going to kiss her. That was just teasing. He smirked.

"You look so let down." He laughed, and her face felt hot all over again.

"Why would I be let down?" she sniffed, indignant.

His eyes sparkled mischievously. "No reason."

"It's not nice to tease, you know," Annabeth said, feeling brave. Her cheeks were dusted pink.

"I never said I was nice," he pointed out. "You did."

She rolled her eyes. "And I take it back, now."

This time he laughed for real and cupped her face, bringing her close to him once again. "I'm not nice," he vowed, shrugging lightly. His voice was thick like syrup and effortlessly flirty. Annabeth's power of speech remained elusive when in this close of proximity to him. Finally, she found her voice.

"I think you are," she mumbled. "You just don't like to show it."

"Really? I've been told my actions have always outweighed my words." He was playing with her and it was exciting. He was exciting by nature.

"Prove it." She offered a sly smile. There was a fire in her veins and nothing could diminish it now.

Percy leaned over and kissed her. It was everything she imagined a second kiss would be. It was heated and incredibly selfish, so they both fought for dominance just as they'd done in that ballroom so long ago. Their bodies pressed together and it was ridiculously scandalous, but everything Annabeth had been taught before flew out of her head in a matter of minutes with his slim fingers tracing the curve of her jaw. She placed her hand on his shoulder and dragged him impossibly closer with her other arm. When he finally pulled away, she was breathless, and his eyes were closed, dazed.

"How nice was that?" he queried in a patronizing tone. "I don't think you'll complain."

"Just nice," she replied with a sarcastic lilt. She tried and unsuccessfully tried to hide her smile.

He smothered one of his own, drawing her in again for another mild-melting kiss. "And how nice is this?" He peppered kisses down her neck and collarbone, leaving her winded. "And this?" he whispered, wrapping his arm around the curve of her waist.

"Lord give me patience or an untraceable handgun," she teased, and he shook his head at her.

"You're laughing at me," he complained, grinning a little. "You're always laughing at me."

"I prefer to say that I'm laughing with you," she corrected, sheepishly.

"You are so not making this easy."

Then she laughed for real, and she put her hands around his neck. "I am never ever going to make things easy for you, Percy. Get used to it." Then she kissed him again simply because she could.

A/N: I already know y'all gonna be mad about Nico lmao. In all fairness, if everyone comes out of this story relatively unscathed and in a proper head space, I'll be v disappointed in myself. XP Lemme know if you liked Will's POV. I can't wait to fully expose his smol, bubbly, national treasure personality.

Also, I'm always v apprehensive to add OCs. Any thoughts of Cecily? Ease this anxiety, maybe? Until next time~

Fangirl xx

Chocolate: There's definitely technology. Like I mentioned earlier, this is sort of a dystopian version of the 1800s. The culture is still the same, but there's a monarchy in America, not just Britain, and Canada's the free one, plus all the technology surpasses the technology we have today. Yeah, I can't really say, but as of now, I don't have any plans to have demigods. Rachel will definitely be a part of this story later on, but I'm not sure she'll be there like you imagine for her to be.

For the whole Percabeth relationship thing… I think it's a bit deeper than that. It's not so simple that Annabeth just needs to "realize her feelings," I'm pretty sure both her and Percy know, they just don't feel like it's right considering all that's happened. After all, Annabeth loved Luke, she thought he was going to change the world, and he backstabbed her. Percy's killed his own father and watched the brother he grew up with turn into this villain he never wanted. I think they both know they're both rebounding on each other, and it makes it much more complicated than what appears on the surface.

Regarding Frank and Hazel, they're still not going to have a lot of screen time in this FF. I've been considering adding them in, but I'm not sure if I actually will, and I know that if I do, they're not going to be essential to the plot.

Reader: You have no idea how tempted I've been to make Will Solace puns XD Malcolm and Bianca would've been the cinnamon roll couple, it would've been amazing. However, I'm a big fan of killing of characters lol. Annabeth definitely needed a wake-up call, I agree. Percy was kinda cold, but in all fairness, she'd been insulting him left and right all the time and I think he finally just snapped. Luke's gonna make one hell of a King. You'll indeed find out. The monster stuff is a pretty big subplot of this story, and I hope to do it justice. :) And thank you for the luck; I'll surely need it!

Crazypetlovergur: Grover is forgotten in a lot of fanfics, so it was really important to me to drop a couple appearances with him, if possible. Glad you liked it!