A/N: Idk if I can updated every week anymore, y'all. It's stressing me out :P We'll see how it goes; I'm trying.

Also, Happy Birthday to our very own Percy Jackson. He's grown a lot since we first met him as a disheveled little twelve-year-old. In honor of his bday, I decided to start with a chapter in his POV.

Disclaimer: All rights remain.

Percy

"So here's what I'm thinking," Annabeth began, her face shielded by her cape's hood. "First, we talk to that guy over there. I don't recognize him and he doesn't look like one of Malcolm's friends, so this should be relatively guilt-free…"

In all honesty, Percy had zoned out about halfway through her game plan, mostly because if a plan was made, something always went wrong and they had to improvise anyways, so why not just wing it to begin with? Besides, a guard was approaching them from the left, his head down as he listened to his earpiece. It was the perfect moment to strike.

"Then we make a run for it," Annabeth concluded. "Got it?"

Percy's hand flew to his sword; he had to act now or the moment would pass.

"Percy?"

He shot forward smacking the guard in the forehead with the hilt of his sword. The young man crumpled to the ground, his eyes rolling back into his head.

"Percy!"

He was dimly aware of Annabeth hovering over him and the fallen guard. Grunting with the weight of the other man, Percy dragged him across the cement behind the trees.

"We need one more," he commented, scouring their surroundings.

Annabeth chewed her bottom lip before him. She was glancing uneasily at the guard in a way that made Percy suspect she thought he might wake up. "This wasn't part of the plan."

"Screw the plan," Percy muttered under his breath.

"I like plans."

He blinked. "Of course you do." He nodded very subtly to a guard on the left. "Him."

"This is crazy," Annabeth murmured.

"Thanks," he retorted, kicking the fallen guard's arm further behind the bushes.

"How do we get him?"

"We?" Percy snorted. "More like me. You stand here and stay hidden. Don't let the guard be discovered."

Annabeth frowned. "I can knock him out too, you know."

"Yes, but I can do it faster."

"Who says?" Annabeth argued, childishly. Percy rolled his eyes.

"I say. You overthink things; I've got this." He snuck out of the bushes once more, drawing his sword long before him. The guard in front of him turned around, his expression shocked, but before he could scream out and alert more authorities, the Calbourne Prince punched him in the jaw, sure to leave behind spectacular purple bruises running along the side of his face the next morning. He dragged him back behind the trees where Annabeth was suspiciously eyeing the first victim.

"Now what?" she inquired, pursing her lips up at him. Percy looked away; he couldn't really bear to look at those lips and not want to kiss her. Stupid pretty Princess, filling his mind with disarming thoughts.

Percy shrugged. "Now we take the horses."

"That easy?"

"That easy," he promised her, slipping his sheath off from around his waist. It fell to the ground with a dull clink. Next came off his military jacket.

"What are you doing?" Annabeth squeaked. Percy saw that her cheeks were dusted pink, and he felt his own face get hot at the realization that this must look really weird without context.

"We're wearing their uniforms. I thought that much was obvious," he explained briefly, pausing momentarily with undressing.

"I am not putting on some bulky uniform," Annabeth hissed, fiercely crossing her arms over her chest.

He just rolled his eyes. "Annabeth, you're being unreasonable. Their clothes have much more padding and armor if we run into any more monsters or enemies. Plus we can blend in more easily in town, God forbid we have to go in town, with their uniforms. And, once we reach the Amazon base, we can give them the uniforms to use in future plans, simultaneously proving our alliance. It's perfect."

"But—" Annabeth wrinkled her nose; she was a sucker for his flawless logic "—ugh. They're probably sweaty and gross."

"Don't be such a wuss." He rolled his eyes again; with her, he seemed to find himself doing that a lot.

"I'm not!" she denied.

"Then put it on," Percy challenged in turn, matching her burning gaze.

She huffed, glaring adorably at him. Well, he thought it was adorable. However, he imagined most people's blood would freeze under her death stare. She muttered unkind commentary under her breath, undressing the guards with blatant distaste.

Percy slipped off his white gold belt next and then awkwardly looked up at the Princess. His fingers awkwardly fiddled with the buttons of his shirt. "Oh, and um…" The tips of his ears went red, his cheeks warm. "You might want to turn the other way." He flushed darkly, clearing his throat uncomfortably.

Annabeth didn't look much better. "Of course." She dutifully obliged, and then Percy quickly changed into Epresh's army uniform, his heart thumping wildly in his chest.

"Your colors look dumb," he commented cheekily, turning to address Annabeth, only to have a small shoe chucked at his face. "What the hell!"

"Don't you dare turn around!" she exclaimed, her voice one octave higher than usual.

"Oh my god, I didn't know you weren't done yet. You didn't have to throw a shoe at me, Chase!" Percy cradled his face with his hands, facing the tree once more. If he had previously thought he couldn't get any more embarrassed, this was seriously defying all expectations. "How long does it take you to change into some goddamned clothes anyways?" he complained, pinching his nose in exasperation.

"Women have a lot more stuff to deal with, you jerk," Annabeth replied snippily. "Like corsets, dumbass. I'd like to see how long you take to swap outfits."

Percy was glad she couldn't see his face. "Whatever," he mumbled. He waited a few moments before she announced that she was decent. He turned and faced the blonde, and then he paused. Percy tried not to laugh, really, but as tall as Annabeth was, the guards were obviously taller. She was practically drowning in the military clothes, and with the little frown on her face, and a little anxious v between her eyebrows, it was comedic gold. He unsuccessfully smothered a grin, before letting loose laughter, almost like water spilling out of a dam.

"That's amazing," he observed, grinning from ear to ear.

"Stop laughing at me," Annabeth complained in turn, only making him beam wider.

"I'm sorry, it's just—" he spread his hands in a wild gesture, before doubling over in laughter again.

"You're an asshole, you know that?"

"Oh, I know, trust me," Percy assured her, trying to contain himself. "We should get going." He chuckled once more, inducing a dark glare from the peeved blonde. He mounted one of the two horses, only to be interrupted by Annabeth's untimely surprise.

"Oh my god, don't just leave them like that!" Annabeth's hands flew up to cover her eyes, scandalized.

"What?" He whipped his head to look at what she'd turned hastily away from. On the ground, near the trees, were the two guards, dressed only in their underwear. A nasty blue welt was forming on the forehead of the first one.

"What's the big deal?" He glanced at the guards once more. "It's not like they have anything in particular to show off." He shrugged, smirking.

"Perseus, I swear!"

He snorted and held up his hands in surrender, even if she couldn't see, seeing as she'd dramatically turned away from the scene. "Okay, okay fine." He swept up the long orange cloth draped over one of the horses, and neatly covered them up to their necks. "Better?"

"Much," Annabeth agreed, mounting her own horse.

"Who knew you were so easily flustered?" Percy teased, watching with thinly veiled amusement as the Princess struggled to move the helmet back so she could actually see.

"Oh, please," she added snarkily. "Don't think I didn't see your blush earlier, Mr. Jackson."

His ears went pink once more. "Touché."

Drew

When Drew returned to Sumisu, home finally, she had not expected to be attacked by her betrothed on her homecoming. She would have to return to Epresh soon, these wars getting out of control, and they had more war to wage, but they had returned home for some privacy with House Langen before going back to the other Houses. But Drew, perhaps naively, had believed she'd have some time to herself before having to interact with other disgusting human beings. Unfortunately, things never went like how she planned and wanted.

"Octavian Geve Langen, Duke of Kreoca." He dipped low, pressing a kiss to Drew's hand. She concealed her disgust well, offering nothing more than a placid smile. "It's a pleasure to make your acquaintance, Lady Tanaka."

He was tall, much taller than herself and he had translucent blue-white eyes, just a slight bit bluer than his stark white, slightly ashy skin. His hair seemed to be a shade of white as well, though if Drew squinted carefully, she could see that was instead an extremely fair blond. He was skinny with bony fingers in a way that Drew suspected was unhealthy more than anything else. His skinniness only made him seem taller in a lanky sort of way.

Cecily, who had brought Octavian to her, slipped quietly out of the room, not even giving Drew one last look before leaving. Drew wished she'd stay so she wouldn't have to deal with her ridiculous cousin alone.

Her soon-to-be husband. The thought sent shivers down her spine.

"Would you like me to show you the castle?" she politely proposed.

"Queen Aphrodite already said you would," he dismissed. "But yes, of course."

Drew resisted a scowl. He was like that, of course he was. Unfortunately for him, Drew had never been the pushover type.

"No need to be an asshole, though for you I'm sure that's hard," she sassed.

Octavian looked scandalized. And offended. Deeply offended. Good. "Watch your mouth!" he reprimanded.

"Look, let's get one thing straight, sir. I'm a higher rank than you. We both know this marriage is purely political for both you and me. We don't have to like each other, I just need you to not get in my way, okay?" Drew's smile was sickenly sweet. "You don't contradict me, you don't speak for me, and you most certainly don't tell me what to do. Got it?"

Octavian's eyes narrowed at her, but she could totally take him, she knew. She was a master manipulator and if he dared do anything she didn't like, she'd scream bloody murder and play the victim, an oscar-worthy performance. "Very well, Miss," he mumbled.

Drew had a feeling he wasn't used to being spoken to like she'd done, but she felt a sense of pride deep down. "And this is the infamous botanical garden…" she continued, gesturing to rows and rows of various species as far as the eye could see. Holding up her head a little higher, Drew led the way and this time, he didn't protest. She was a Princess of Sumisu, for god's sake, a jewel of House Raya. As far as she was concerned, Duke Geve could shove his opinion up from whence it came.

Nico

"Are you stalking me?" It tasted bitter in his mouth as he glared at the blond boy next to him.

Will paused. "No."

"You hesitated."

"No, I didn't!"

"Then why are you here?" Nico waved his arms around the courtyard outside the Pevanshire's enormous castle.

The healer flinched and Nico felt a stab of guilt. Perhaps he should have sugarcoated, but then he remembered no, because he is none of Will's business, none of his concern, and he asked him to stay away, and he directly disobeyed the orders of a future King. Nico was startled by the sudden thought. He'd never particularly saw himself as a future King, even though it was nothing short of the truth.

"I'm…" Will trailed off, licking his lips nervously, his clouded blue eyes scanning their surroundings for help. Nico thought of his eyes as the sky, clouding when he was nervous or terrified, but typically clear as bright, sunny day. The small, Italian boy crossed his arms over his chest, scowling darkly up at the medic.

"Well?" he asked, expectantly. There had to be some sort of explanation for this. Don't try and fix me, he'd specifically instructed. And yet here was wonderboy once again, looking for a cause.

"I'm out in search of some herbs," Will finally decided, looking off into the distance. Nico narrowed his chocolate brown orbs at him, slowly following his line of sight to the generous garden across from the courtyard.

"Wrong garden," he drawled sarcastically, squinting up at the sunny young man.

"Really?" Will feigned surprise. He looked around in an exaggerated motion, his eyebrows raised high. He was a poor actor, terrible, in fact. Against his will, the corner of Nico's mouth turned up in amusement. "I could've sworn…"

Nico shook his head at him, smothering his smirk, considering it a weakness to show Will the state he put him in. "You're looking for the greenhouse. It has all the medicinal plants and herbs you seek."

"Oh," Will faked. "My mistake. As you know, I'm not accustomed to the Pevanshire castle, seeing as I usually serve the Ashingtons," he apologized profusely, but he could not diminish the sparkle in his eyes.

"Of course," Nico agreed, leaning forward and resting his elbows on the smooth, dark table.

"Soooooo…" Will trailed off, wringing his hands adorably.

"You're a rotten actor," said Nico bluntly.

Will blinked. "Acting?" His tan cheeks colored a subtle pink. He sighed to himself, cringing cutely. "Was it really that bad?"

"Really," Nico confirmed, looking at him sideways. "Should I summon a servant to take you to the greenhouse?"

"No," Will added hastily. "I wouldn't want to bother them."

"But you'd like to bother me," Nico pointed out.

He offered a small smile. "I wasn't aware I was bothering you, Sir."

"Nico," he corrected.

"Nico," Will amended. Nico found he quite liked the way his own name sounded in his mouth.

"You're not," said Nico, but only after a beat had passed.

"Excuse me?" Will's forehead wrinkled in confusion.

"You're not bothering me," the Prince clarified.

"Oh." Will's grin widened, making something in Nico's chest go wild. It was followed, of course, by a sinking feeling, a knowing that he was in way deeper than he'd ever expected. Nico swallowed thickly. "May I?" he gestured to the seat across from the royal.

Nico shrugged, silently permitting him to do as he wished. Will sat down. "Didn't you have a garden to scour through?"

"I was making that up, too," Will revealed with pride.

The dark-haired boy rolled his eyes. "My bad; I should've known. So, tell me. If I asked, who were you gathering herbs for?"

"Well…" Will faltered. "I was going to wing it, but I was thinking something along the lines of your great-grandmother was coughing a great deal, and it was quite concerning."

"I don't have a great-grandmother," Nico deadpanned.

"Oh. I think I said that wrong." Will frowned, thinking for a moment. "Oh, yeah! It was my great-grandmother."

Nico snorted into his coffee cup. "Do you even have a great-grandmother?"

"Nope." He popped the 'p.' "But my grandmother, just the regular, average, non-great kind, she lives in northern Epresh," Will told him. Nico had noticed that he tended to mindlessly babble when he was on edge, a mood Nico often saw him in when he was in his own presence.

"The non-great kind?" He found himself smirking once more, despite himself. "Wow. That's harsh."

Will waved away his concerns. "She'd find it funny," he assured him.

"You're very talkative," Nico noted, staring mindlessly at the bottom of his empty cup.

"And you're not," he replied easily. "Should I refill that for you?"

Nico peered into the cup for a moment longer. "No. I'm perfectly capable of refilling a damn coffee mug myself. And besides, that was my second cup."

"Taking care of yourself, I see." Will visibly brightened.

"Don't get used to it," he retorted. It dwindled to an awkward silence. Nico quietly tapped the rim of his glass with his pointer finger.

Will stood up, the chair screeching loudly against the stone. Nico looked up at him in surprise. "You're leaving?" It escaped his mouth before he could stop himself. The younger boy internally cringed; it sounded so desperate. He didn't need Will, he didn't need a dead sister, he didn't a Queen for himself, he didn't need anybody. He didn't even need the goddamned heart beating in his chest, keeping him unnecessarily alive.

"I'm just going to the greenhouse."

"I thought you said you were lying earlier?" Nico's eyebrows furrowed together.

Will shrugged. "Partially. I was lying that I didn't know where it was. I'm a medic. I've already made herbal tea for King Frederick who's throat was a bit sore earlier yesterday. But I wasn't lying about going there. I could restock on a couple things while I have time."

"Oh."

Will pursed his lips at him and for some odd reason, Nico felt like he could see through his very soul. He squirmed, uncomfortable under Will's warm gaze.

"Join me?" Will offered, a tad breathless, almost as if he knew it was weird to ask a royal to join him, to hang out casually with him. It was all types of inappropriate, but Nico had never been more tempted.

Nico hesitated. "Okay," he breathed, rising to his feet. He swiftly scooped up his cup, leading the way through the black glass doors into the back of the grand kitchen. Staff were scurrying around everywhere, a pleasant aroma floating through the air— they were surely preparing for dinner already— and they paid him no attention. Nico didn't seem to mind, weaving through the bustle as if he'd done this a million times before. Because he had.

Then he noticed Will was looking at him strangely. Nico found himself wanting to explain. "I know we have staff to take care of my cups and everything," he voiced. "But it's just so much harder to clean the dishes when it's not soaked in water," he concluded, shrugging his small frame half-heartedly. He filled his mug with water, ducking smoothly under chefs carrying large trays and staff pushing hefty carts. Noticing Will's struggle to string through as effortlessly as he could, he inhaled sharply, gently taking Will's hand in his own and guiding him after him.

The blond's palm had a dull, pleasant heat, much to Nico's surprise. He relished it, despite himself. Something in Will's expression softened and feeling his face warm up, Nico looked away.

…

"I forgot how nice it is up here," Nico whispered, stuffing his hands deep in his pockets as he quietly admired the greenery around them. The sunset was streaming through the tinted glass, casting hues of orange, yellow, red, and pink across the vast greenhouse.

"It's awfully pretty," Will softly agreed. "I've heard the one in Sumisu is absolutely spectacular, considering they specialize in plants. They have the rarest of specimens."

"I don't doubt it," Nico wandered the aisles of plants, bumping awkwardly into stray leaves the size of dinner plates. Here, he didn't feel as much at home, it felt foreign. The last time he'd come up here was weeks ago, what felt like months ago, with his sister. It was a bittersweet reunion, but somehow Will made it bearable.

Will seemed to know exactly what he was looking for, comfortable in a place filled with life, like him. Nico liked to think of him like a sponge, soaking in all of life's goodness and everything that made it worth living, and just wearing it on his sleeve like a star, making him the embodiment of life's goodness.

The taller boy paused before a medium-sized plant under a hot lamp. It had thick, emerald-colored, heart-shaped leaves. There were tiny flowers sprouting in corners of the plant, some bronze, some light pink, some grey, and some purple. They seemed to grow alone, a decent distance between it and its brother a couple feet down.

Will's hand hovered over Nico's shoulder for a moment before awkwardly dropping to his side. "This is a Colocasia Carolinensis. It blooms once a year, for only one week." A stray grey petal of a flower blew onto the ground. "Looks like the week is finishing up," Will murmured mournfully. "Shame. It's a beautiful plant. And useful, too," he told Nico.

The Prince reached out, his pale hand nearly translucent. It was a stark white against the vivid greens. "I've never seen grey flowers," he spoke softly.

"Wait, Nico—"

Nico drew his hand back in surprise. His ring finger was pricked, like he was Sleeping Beauty or something. A droplet of blood pooled on the pad of his finger. He blinked, glancing back at the Colocasia Carolinensis.

Will's eyebrows furrowed together in concern. "As a defense mechanism, it grows thick thorns." Sure enough, ashy thorns had curled around the plant's flowers, spiky and sharp like darts.

"That's— that's incredible." Nico looked up at Will. "I don't think I've ever seen these before."

"Like I said, they bloom so rarely," Will whispered. Nico followed his gaze to his own blood-stained hand. Will was a bit preoccupied by his injury, it seemed.

"Oh, don't worry about that," Nico murmured. "It didn't even hurt."

"I should've warned you about the thorns sooner," said Will, guilt-ridden.

"It's not that big of a deal," the Prince assured him.

"It is to me," he promised, earnestly. "Luckily, however, like I said earlier, it's a useful plant. Hold on." Nico watched, mesmerized, as Will plucked a leaf off the plant, brushing it against the thorns. The thorns obediently drew back, sheathing itself. Then he swiftly broke off a couple petals of the dainty flowers.

"How did you do that?"

Will took Nico's hand in his own, and the Prince inhaled sharply at the unexpected contact. He watched in mild fascination as the healer easily wrapped the petals of the flower around his finger, like he'd done it a million times before.

"The plant only builds up thorns when it feels something other than its own breed of plants. It only shield its flowers, since the leaves have no real value. If you brush its own leaf against itself, you can trick the Colocasia Carolinensis to believe it's only brushing up against a plant of its own kind, and then you take the petals of the flower." Will examined his finger quietly, adding pressure to the cut. "And—" He unwrapped the petals after a moment, revealing a perfectly healed finger. There was no trace left behind, not the smallest mark that even indicated Nico had ever gotten pricked at all. "The best part is its healing properties. It can heal any cut, no matter how big or small in a matter of minutes."

Nico held up his own hand, inspecting his finger in a quiet awe. "That's crazy," he muttered to himself.

"That's why it's so valuable," Will agreed. "And because it grows so rarely, it's ridiculously expensive. It can heal those on the brink of death from blood loss, it can cure the most hopeless of men."

"So for an army, it's a major advantage," Nico reasoned.

"Precisely."

"Thank you, um, for…" Nico awkwardly held up his hand.

Will chuckled lightly. "It's no problem. You best remember that plant," he advised. "I've heard you have a tendency to get some killer injuries."

Nico shrugged, embarrassed.

"Now help me carry this stuff to the infirmary."

It was strange to be ordered around by someone that wasn't his mother, but something about this was very different in the best way possible. Nico did as he was told.

Piper

"Little brother!" Thalia exclaimed like a little kid. She smirked deviously.

"Thalia," Jason breathed. He gripped onto the bars in front of him. For some reason, they'd put him in a cell. It was a weirdly nice cage. The room had soft carpet floors and clean white sheets on a fluffy, average-sized bed. It even had a pale blue comforter. On the side was a dark nightstand with a golden lamp, and on the left was a tall bookshelf full of dusty covers Piper didn't recognize. The entire setup was surrounded by iron rods standing tall, and a top, caging him into the comfortable hell. Right outside the bars was a medium-sized window; the sun streamed into his cell.

"Jason," Thalia mocked.

"They put him in a cage?" Piper asked, surprised, approaching him cautiously as if the bars would zap her or something. She timidly reached for the rods and relaxed only when nothing exploded.

"They?" Thalia snorted. "I put him in."

"What?" Jason's head snapped up. "Why?"

Behind them, Reyna rolled her eyes and left the room. Piper glanced at Thalia.

"It was funny." She grinned at him and Jason's mouth fell open.

"I thought they were going to kill me!" he stressed.

Thalia waved away his worries. "Oh, please. You really think I'd let them do that to you?"

"You did put him in a cage," Piper muttered under her breath. Jason shot her a grateful look.

"Who's side are you on, pan flute?" Thalia retorted, pursing her lips at Piper.

"Pan flute?" Piper made a noise of protest in the back of her throat.

Thalia laughed. "It's a comfortable cage, anyways. At least I didn't throw you into a cold cell. Quit being such a baby." Her eyes sparkled and fishing keys out of a pocket Piper had not noticed earlier, she freed her brother from his entrapment, explaining the whole while. "Besides, the Queen wanted to interrogate you first and maybe actually throw you into a cold cell. You're lucky I vouched for you and that we're related."

"Not everyone related are similar," Piper meekly mentioned.

Thalia snorted. "Only if you're one of those mad royals, like you."

Piper didn't even have it in her to be offended. The Amazon girl didn't seem to mean much harm, she simply didn't bother to filter herself.

"Like the Calbournes!" She shook her head. "Those guys are crazy. And King Lukey with that betrayal, that's some excellent content."

Jason rolled his eyes and Piper, who had previously found it strange that were siblings (with the exception of their eyes, they hardly looked related), could finally see the connection between them in their chemistry.

"They're not a teen drama, Thalia, that you watch for enjoyment," he reprimanded, but there was a subtle curve to his mouth that couldn't be mistaken.

"Then they should quit putting on such a show."

"All royals put on a show," Piper pointed out. "Believe me, I know."

Thalia stuck a skinny white finger out towards her. "You're from the Rayas, are you not?"

"I am," Piper permitted, not really sure where this was going. She bit the inside of cheek as an act of nervosity.

"The fashion freaks," the Amazonian teased. "I bet you guys are super deadly. Satin, not pure silk! Oh, the horror!" she joked. She tilted her head to better scrutinize the brunette. Piper cracked a smile. She wasn't wrong; Aphrodite had had her fair share of breakdowns over horrendous fashion choices. They had a reputation to uphold, after all, as the leaders in the industry of cosmetics, beauty, and fashion.

"Let her be, Thalia," Jason sympathized. He sighed.

"No, it's okay," Piper promised, tilting her chin up. Drew had always been much worse. And their mother, God forbid. She could handle herself just fine; she had jade in her veins. "Actually, Thalia, I'll have you know our knowledge of herbs is poisonous, no pun intended." She held up her hands in surrender and the dark-haired girl clicked her tongue in distaste at the pun in poor taste.

"So what are you going to do? Wave basil in my face until I pass out?" Thalia's eyes took on a dangerous gleam. She was testing her, everyone was testing her and all the time. But Piper would be awarded a rank by the Queen herself if she proved herself, if she was worthy enough, and the brunette had never been more up to the challenge.

"When we passed the stream to come here to Jason's… er… cell, I saw a bit of Aquatic Thimbleweed poking out of the water surface," she began. Out of the corner of her eye, Jason looked uncomfortable as if he was witnessing a bloody showdown between two vicious women. He wasn't too far from the truth. Thalia didn't mean to goad her on, but it came off that way, Piper knew.

"That plant is virtually useless," Thalia scoffed, eager for Piper's reaction.

"Ah, but you see, that's where you're mistaken," Piper corrected. "There's a liquid, a mint-colored fluid in the root ends of Aquatic Thimble that, when boiled with basil funny enough, can kill a grown man in thirty seconds flat. You knew that too, didn't you?"

Thalia pressed her lips together, but if Piper wasn't mistaken, she seemed proud. It was a relief, more than anything else. Jason seemed horrified.

"And Piranha Cane is more useful than simply serving as a natural sweetener for pastries. You can chew the leaves raw to kick a nicotine addiction. And Eofrite, commonly grown for their pretty flowers, can be encouraged to release a thick syrup if fed properly, which can then be released as vapor into the air to serve as a mass-hallucigen for large crowds. You can take out people in the radius of a couple miles because the smallest whiff can drive a person wild. Too much of the air can make them foam at the mouth until their inevitable death." Piper paused to find Jason's wide eyes carefully trained on her, and Thalia, unsuccessfully disguising the fact that she was impressed, regarding her with a fraction of a smile.

"Plants, I think you'll find, can kill just as well as they heal, and you'd be a fool to forget it, or to mock a botanical specialist. House Raya can kill, and kill well, but most importantly, we can make it look like an accident," Piper cautioned. "That is why we are, and forever will be, one of the most dangerous Houses, despite all the royals that look down upon us."

"Hey, woodwind?" Thalia inquired, squinting at her.

Piper could feel her heart pounding heavily in her chest. "Yes?"

"I think you'll fit in here just fine." A muscle in her cheek twitched and Thalia looked at her as if she knew something Piper didn't.

Relief washed over the brunette. Reyna had been rather impassive to her, most of the Amazons had shot her strange looks seeing as if she hadn't been given a bandana yet, Artemis was so clearly doubting her ability to follow through, but here was Thalia, finally giving her the acceptance she seeked.

"Thank you," she whispered. Piper felt strangely honored. Thalia was a tough cookie to crack and her validation meant the world to her.

"And oh, if Jase here ever gets too annoying, you have my full blessing to poison him." Thalia grinned, slipping out of the room.

Jason stared after her, dumbfounded. "She is nothing like what I thought she'd be."

Piper laughed, the pressure on her chest easing. "Really? I think her personality quite suits her."

"Maybe," he shrugged. He stretched tall, rolling his shoulders forward. Piper imagined it must've been nice to be out of the cage, no matter how comfortable it appeared. A cage was a cage, end of story. "Also, please don't poison me. I take my criticism verbally, thank you very much," he added, sheepishly.

Piper grinned. "We'll see. Now come on." She reached for the door handle, swinging it wide open.

"Where are we going?" He combed through his hair with his fingers hastily.

"First, to get you in a shower." Piper wrinkled her nose and he laughed, his cheeks tinting an adorable pink. "And then second to the campfire. Apparently they hold a bonfire one night each week to go over strategies, bond with the Canadians some more, trade information, make large announcements that weren't emergency-esque enough to interrupt daily activities with. It's a lot of fun and very informative, I've heard. Plus they choose people for missions, and I want to get picked," she explained as she lead him outside and to the housing. Perhaps they could find him a dorm to stay in with fellow Canadian men rather than staying in Thalia's idea of a joke.

"You want to get picked?" Jason couldn't hide his surprise. "We just got here and those are dangerous."

Piper shrugged, though she couldn't fight the butterflies going wild in the pit of her stomach. She could die. Then again with all these wars, anyone could die anytime. No one was safe, not even for a moment, and she wasn't deluded enough to ignore that.

"I have to prove my value."

"Your value? Thalia likes you, Piper. You heard her yourself, she said you'll be good here."

"I know," Piper assured him. "But I have a Queen to entertain."

"The Queen?"

"I'm on deathrow," Piper explained. "Prove myself and I'll be promoted as one of the Queen's chosen. Screw up and I'm done for. There's no use crying about it. I can only do my best now, and only ever that." She swallowed thickly.

Jason paled. "I'm going to need more of an explanation than that. We've been here barely a day and you're already on the road to your end? Piper?" His adam's apple bobbed in his throat.

As they strolled through the green grass and weaved through crowds of people, all looking at Piper like she was an alien, she began to explain the events he'd missed while locked up. Jason seemed afraid for her, a quiet kind of fear for her that Piper couldn't understand. She could do this, she had no other choice. And if this was her end, that was simply her destiny, her fate, nothing more, nothing less.

Piper narrowed her eyes in front of her, promptly ignoring the stray stares and hissed whispers. If they forgot themselves, she would remind them from where she hailed. They had goaded the wrong Princess; let them believe she was worth nothing, let them believe she was nothing more than a dirty piece of coal. She herself knew that she had jade in her veins and purple diamonds in her heart, and to her, that was all that mattered.

Annabeth

"Annabeth?" The blonde spun hastily to see a dark-haired beauty adorned in gold with her mouth agape. The General.

"Reyna!" she exclaimed, her relief obvious. The General glared at someone beside her and then Annabeth swallowed stiffly, the memories flooding back to her. This wasn't going to be as easy as she'd thought; Percy had tortured them, had tortured Reyna, Hylla, and Thalia— Reyna taking the brunt of it— and he'd indirectly killed Zoe, another Amazonian.

"You brought him here?"

"Um…"

"I knew I liked you." Reyna beamed, triumphant.

What? Annabeth's eyebrows pinched together. "What are you—"

And then she shot him.

…

"We're going to win; Luke will be demolished, Annabeth," Thalia promised earnestly. That was bullshit and she knew it. There was no way on Earth Luke would go down so quickly. Her and Percy, they knew Luke more than anybody else in the world, and she knew that he would have agreed in a split second. Someone had given these people false hope, false expectations and it wasn't going to end well.

"I don't know, Thalia. I don't trust it. He's too smart for a simple takeover to send him under."

Reyna curled the edges of the map in front of them. "Perhaps we should ask the other Princess as well."

Immediately Annabeth was on alert. "Other Princess? Piper?" She held her breath.

"That's the one," Thalia agreed. "Her and her Prince Charming." She smirked.

"Jason?" Annabeth's heart beat wildly.

"My little brother," Thalia confirmed. "You know each other, right?"

That was the understatement of the year. At the end of the day, no matter what happened, Jason was her best friend in the entire world. She would have to pay him a visit later, but right now, it would be so unprofessional to run out in political, strategic conversation, especially when she had thrown away her entire life to be here right now, at the top of the strategists.

They sat in a stony silence, interrupted by a half groan. Annabeth's head snapped over to her left where Percy was passed out on a couch. They had shot him with a goddamn dart to make him fall asleep. After hotly debating with the Amazons, Annabeth had just managed to not allow them to lock him up in a cold cell and put him in a more comfortable cell like the one they'd used for Jason. But they had locked him nonetheless and Annabeth seriously doubted he was going to get out easily anytime soon. They had guards positioned by his cell 24/7 like a true captor.

Annabeth felt a stab of guilt. She had convinced him to come with her, and sure, she'd kept him from dying at the hands of his own brother, but she had practically taken him out of one cage only to put him in another, and this time it was one of her own. She did, however, take solace in the fact that however much the cage kept him trapped in, it kept bloodthirsty, vengeful Amazons from hurting him.

The blonde rose to her feet at his stirring. She tried not to show any semblance of caring, carefully guarding her expression to remain impassive. She was dimly aware of Reyna on her right and Thalia on her left, the three of them peering into the cage at the Amazonian prisoner.

"What's to happen to him?" Annabeth schooled her tone.

"We're not sure yet," Thalia murmured.

"That'll be up to the Queen," Reyna concurred.

Annabeth felt like something was stuck in her throat and she couldn't quite swallow it. There was a very good chance he would be sent to be publicly executed, most likely so that Luke would hear about it, all to send the message that the Amazons were stronger than him, to intimidate the soldiers in Luke's army, to prove they can take down an enemy of Luke's faster than the King himself can. At least, that's what Annabeth would have done if it was her own prisoner.

But as much as Annabeth told herself Percy was her capture just as much as any other Amazonian, she couldn't bring herself to feel that way. Percy and her… they had this unspoken mutual agreement, and she knew with everything in her, that, if given the chance, she would break him free in a moment's notice and she prayed he lived long enough to guarantee his release, his freedom.

Percy groaned, sitting up slowly in the bed and dazedly blinking away the confusion in front of him. She watched as realization dawned upon him and he crawled out of the bed to touch the bars almost as if he believed they weren't real. He didn't look at her and it made this deep crawling sensation of regret haunt Annabeth.

Thalia sneered at the Prince. Annabeth could understand her anger; Percy had tortured her General, Reyna like nothing mattered. And it didn't. At the time. As time had passed, Annabeth had learned to trust his instincts and had seen his softer side on numerous occasions he comforted her spiraling thoughts. She, too, had seen his playful side, the one that teased her relentlessly, the one who called her reckless and then kissed her anyways because he could. The one who made terrible puns, really, really bad, and then laughed at them all by himself. The one who still cracked jokes even after suffering the most out of anyone Annabeth had ever met.

"How the tables have turned," Thalia jeered. Annabeth flinched. It reminded her all too well of the moment in the ballroom that Percy had realized she was a closeted Amazon warrior, when he had understood her alliance and the look on his face… it had never left her, even now.

Reyna held up a hand to her lieutenant and Thalia obediently shut her mouth. Reyna, Annabeth had decided, was the only person who could truly control the free-spirited girl, besides perhaps the Queen herself.

"We checked you for injuries earlier, Perseus. Besides the bandage on your bicep, placed to heal the cut from the dart we shot at you, are there any new injuries we are unaware of?" Reyna inquired eloquently.

"No." Percy's voice was gruff, and then he finally looked over at her. For some reason, he didn't seem angry, as if he understood that his situation was better than it could have been, and only because of the blonde. Perhaps he wasn't angry and Annabeth was reading the situation wrong. But then why was the pit in her stomach churning?

"Very well," Reyna permitted. "You will be brought before the Queen tomorrow morning—"

"—which is still so much more than you deserve. If we'd done this my way, you'd be dead already, little Prince," Thalia growled, cutting in. She bared her teeth like a lioness.

Percy didn't raise to her bait.

"Enough, Lieutenant," Reyna ordered and Thalia backed down again. "You will be interrogated and put on trial for your crimes. Your sentence will go as she says, nothing more, nothing less. The Queen's word is God, and you pray that she'll have mercy." Reyna's jaw was set and though she did not engage in untimely outbursts, Annabeth could see that she wore her anger on her sleeve just like Thalia. This was not a good sign. Annabeth could feel a growing headache building inside of her.

Percy didn't respond again.

"You will be surrounded by guards 24/7, so do not even bother to try anything. They will not hesitate to beat you until you learn, if that serves as an incentive, to keep you alive just to suffer. They will also deliver your meal in a few hours for dinner. If you are in need of water, ask them. You will never leave this cell except to use the restroom, in which case, they will accompany you. This is not up for debate. That is all, Perseus."

Annabeth practically felt his wince at the use of his given, Christian name. She knew him so well; she knew he hated it. Reyna had said meal, as in one. As if he wouldn't live long enough to have breakfast the next day, and then lunch. She wanted to throw up.

"Come, Annabeth, the bonfire will be beginning soon. We have much to present to the Canadian council and your thoughts on the recent strategies have been enlightening. I'm sure the Queen will be intrigued and we mustn't keep her waiting."

Thalia shot Percy another ice-cold glare, one that could freeze blood, before slipping out of the doorway.

"One moment," called after the General. Reyna followed in suit, but not without giving Annabeth a look of knowing. "I'll be right there," she said, though she was only talking to herself. Annabeth was acutely aware of the guards staring at the door stoically as she approached the prisoner.

"Percy," she murmured, almost subconsciously, as she reached through the bars for him. He didn't reach for her, but allowed her to take his warm hand in his nonetheless.

"You should go. They're waiting on you," he reasoned, his voice hoarse. It felt like a stab to the heart, both his tone, and his words.

"Percy," she pleaded. "I fought to get you this far. I'm trying. I won't let them kill you, I promise."

"Don't make promises you can't keep," said Percy, but it felt half-hearted, as if he'd just said it a million times instead. Somehow, that felt worse.

"Percy, I—"

"Annabeth, I'm not angry." He just looked exhausted.

She bit her bottom lip. "I would be."

"Well, that's the difference between us, then," he whispered.

Annabeth squeezed his hand tightly, offering a morbid smile. "One of the many," she agreed.

He smiled half-heartedly back. "I was always going to die, whether at the hand of my own brother, my step-mother who practically controls him, the Amazons, or the Canadians. Now all that's up in the air is who will have the honor." He grinned, but it was crooked and empty.

"No, Percy—"

"Annabeth, I swear. I'll make the guards throw you out if you don't go. Don't incense them further. I'll be okay, and if I'm not, then that's all the more fun, isn't it?" His hand went slack around the bar.

"You're too valuable," Annabeth refused, she couldn't accept this, not for anything in the world. He would not die. Over her own goddamn dead body. "You know him better than even me." She could not bear to say Luke's name. "You are, in so many ways, our main strategist, having sat through each and every royal council meeting of House Calbourne, many of House Ashington's, and even a few of Raya's. You will survive, I'll make them understand the information they're throwing away."

"Annabeth," he protested. "It's a lost cause."

Then she glared at him, maybe even angrier than Thalia because he took a step back. "You listen to me, Perseus Jackson Calbourne," she spat. "I decide what's a lost cause and what's not. I decide when I give up on things, on people. You'll make it out of here. You helped me out of his cage, and I'll help you out of this one. Do you understand?"

His shoulders slumped forward and that was perhaps the first time Annabeth truly understood just how tired he was. His exhaustion ran bone-deep. His fatigue ran mentally deep. A prickle of sympathy pierced her.

"I'll see you tomorrow," she vowed. "And the day after that, and after that, and even after that."

"Giving me three days?" he joked, but it was weak. She could see through him like glass. He was forcing confidence and she could detect it better than anyone else; she herself was the queen of forced confidence. She let his emotional walls stay up and feigned obliviousness to his moods, his quirks, his habits, him, wholly him.

"And so many more," Annabeth professed.

His arms dropped to his sides, no longer allowing her to pull him close. Glancing back at him one last time, Annabeth ran to catch up after her fellow Amazon warriors.

"Just in time. I was about to send Gwen to fetch you," Thalia took a seat next to the blonde. Reyna quietly slipped next to Annabeth's other side. Thalia turned to talk to someone on her right as the fire burned brightly in the middle. People chatted mindlessly while waiting, anticipating the Queen's presence. And then, only when no one else could hear, did Reyna speak, surprising the blonde. She was a young woman of few words, but powerful.

"You really don't do subtle, do you?" Reyna continued to stare straight ahead.

Annabeth played with the hem of her clean t-shirt nervously. "Excuse me?"

"I know you have both been through a lot," Reyna admitted. "I know you have a bond, albeit strange, but nonetheless there."

Annabeth opened and closed her mouth, deciding not to interrupt. Reyna was not the type of girl to stop when she was serious.

"I understand, I do, really. But at the end of the day, you mustn't forget yourself, the oath for which you have sworn your life to. We will ascend, for gold and glory," the dark-haired girl recited coolly.

"He's valuable," Annabeth weakly argued. "They're making a mistake."

"The Queen doesn't often make mistakes," Reyna corrected her. Annabeth sighed; it was true, of course it was.

"I know but—"

"But I think you're mistaken," Reyna continued. "You act as if the Queen has already ordered his end, whereas she hasn't even evaluated him yet. She is wise beyond her years, wiser than any of us, no matter the pride some of us carry. She would not be Queen if she wasn't. I would advise to keep your faith close and remember who you have bet on. Give her a chance."

Annabeth hesitated. "What if she says he must die?" She picked at her nails in frustration.

"Then he dies." Reyna's gaze darkened. "And that's that."

"I can't let that happen, Reyna," Annabeth whispered, looking at her, a v creasing between her eyebrows. "I just can't. He's done too much for me. I owe it to him." She willed the General to give her the time of day. She didn't disappoint.

Reyna met her eyes. "I know, Annabeth. Believe me, I know it's difficult. But you owe it to the sisterhood before you owe it to him. Do not be so foolish that you forget your place. And besides, at his core, he's a machine, nothing more, nothing less."

"But you don't know him like I do," the blonde persisted. "He's more than a machine. He has deductive reasoning and a kind heart, and he's intelligent, resourceful, an advantage on our side."

"You can make the case to the Queen before she evaluates him," Reyna conceded, shrugging slightly. "But your affection blinds you, Annabeth."

Annabeth's lips parted in surprise. "I'm not affectionate."

"—but you are biased," Reyna pointed out. Annabeth didn't deny the truth Reyna spoke. "And Annabeth, bias is never good in war. Trust me."

Annabeth bit the inside of her cheek.

The Princess remembered back to his viciousness, his ruthless streak in the arena, his slaying of the monster in the woods, and most horrifying, his display of pent up anger and his callous side when he tortured the Amazons, specifically Reyna, in that cold cell. It was a terrifying image she tried not to think of often, but Reyna was right, as always. She could not be so blind to overlook his mistakes.

For every act of kindness, he was merciless with others. He picked who he loved, protected them with his life, and turned into a monster to those who dared threaten those he'd sworn his loyalty to. In some ways, the trait was admirable, his fatal flaw of loyalty, but in others, it was this large, alarming, unpredictable force not to be reckoned with.

"Reyna?" Annabeth's voice felt small when she spoke, like a child. It was one thing to be unsure of where one stood on the spectrum, but to question every choice one had ever made, to question one's loyalty, to question one's existence? It was too much to take in from one setting.

Reyna looked back to the fire and the absentminded chatter dulled to a silence, one that Annabeth could only assume meant the Queen had arrived. Reyna stood up and Annabeth followed in suit. Annabeth had to break down a strategy first on the agenda. As they made their way to the front, Reyna finally replied to Annabeth's prior request for reassurance. She whispered quietly, so softly that Annabeth barely heard it, and when she did, she felt more conflicted than ever before:

"He is a weapon, a killer. Do not forget it. You can use a spear as a walking stick, but that will not change its nature."

A/N: Solangelo interactions might be my absolute favorite thing right now lol.

Kind of a late update, ik, but I've been v busy and I still have to respond to PMs and stuff, ik guys, I'm sorry. I'll get to it as soon as I can, I swear. Until next time~

Fangirl xx

Stars to Ami: Oof, I do tend to overwrite a lot XD Hmm, I suppose I could see why you'd become uninterested in it. It's going to be a tough habit to break, but I suppose I could try? XD Don't expect any major changes; it's a force of habit to overwrite, and since I don't edit, it's kinda a given, but I'll take note of your constructive criticism. Feel free to let me know if it's improved at all through any of the chapters. :)

Chocolate: Drew will have a lot more to her than what she shows on the surface. I think that Cecily will really demonstrate to you guys. Oh, no, I had said that you guys might be mad by the pain I was inflicting upon Nico. I'm actually very happy you guys sympathize with him because that means I'm writing his subplot successfully. Silena and Charles are definitely too naive, which really won't help their survival rate, but I suppose you'll just have to wait and see how it goes, haha. Thanks! When I remembered the belt, I couldn't quite remember what article of clothing it was that Hylla wore in the books, so my friend actually Googled it and figured it out for me. He's a real MVP lol. Yes! I've always thought Jason and Annabeth have more in common than people give them credit for. For Grover, I'm not planning for them to see him again as of now, but that might change; none of my plotlines are ever carved in stone until I publish it. The White Hospital detail will definitely play a larger role in future chapters. I'm not sure if Piper will run into Silena, just because they're in such different places, both physically and mentally, so I'm not really sure how that would work, but it's certainly an interesting concept. No, I do not plan for any ToA characters to show up. I'm not even going to be able to fit all the HoO characters in this story, so ToA characters are very low priority. :)