Annabeth's p.o.v.
I flinched under Prince Arthur's touch. I had let only a few people get close to me in such a way, two being Chiron and Percy.
Oh, Percy. I had to stop my eyes from watering as frenetic energy coursed through my veins. Would I ever get back to my time? Would I be stuck here forever without any way home? My thoughts consumed me so much that I didn't hear Arthur beginning to talk.
"Do monsters really seek you out?" Arthur asked.
"Yes. It's sort of a personal hazard, I guess." I told him. "Because of my…lineage… I attract certain monsters to me. They can be killed, but only by certain weapons. What you saw me kill today is called a Hellhound."
"Do you practice magic?" Merlin butted in. Of course, he was curious. Very few people know of his abilities during this time, I reminded myself. He would be a good ally if I ever needed assistance in getting back to the 21st century, so I let him down easy.
"Not in the sense that you recognize. But I am friends with those who can do what you speak of." With a wary glance towards Arthur, I continued. "Despite the majority opinion in Camelot, not all magic is bad. In fact, the majority is good."
Arthur frowned, making a similar face to his father's. "You speak treason."
To my own surprise, I let out a laugh. "Treason is disloyalty to one's sovereign or allegiance. You and Camelot are neither."
"Where is your allegiance, then?" Arthur inquired.
"My family." I replied vaguely. "Don't act so surprised, Highness. I'm not so much a patriot as your citizens are."
Arthur paused, evaluating my words. "Patriot? I'm not familiar with that word."
I schooled my features into a blank stare. I had just introduced a word that came about during the 16th century to people from the 5th century. Who knew how much damage I was going to cause to history during my time here? I needed to get back fast. I finally answered, "It mean someone who is loyal to their country."
"So what country are you a patriot to?" He countered.
"Currently none." I said. My country didn't even exist yet.
We arrived at a door. This must be where we parted ways. Before the perhaps two most important people in Arthurian history departed, Arthur ordered, "Well, you're in Camelot now. Your loyalty is now with us, whether you like it or not."
"I had a feeling you would say something like that." I replied, giving him a slight bow of my head before entering my new room and closing the door rather rudely in his face. I waited a moment before sighing heavily. So much had happened in the last few hours. I tried to distract myself by looking about the room. True to its name, the "Blue Room" had dark blue accents everywhere. I knew I was being treated with high respect by the quality of the furniture. I went to one of the three windows in the room and pushed the glass panes out so I could get some fresh air.
Less than a second after looking out told me the real reason I had gotten this room. The view from the window gave me a perfect sight of the execution platform in the middle of the entry courtyard. King Uther was warning me of what could happen. I certainly couldn't fight everyone.
I closed the window and put it out of my mind. I needed to get to a library. Maybe then I could figure out how to move forward. A knock at the door jarred me from my reverie. I quickly stuffed my Yankees hat under the mattress before calling for them to come in. A few women entered holding various objects—towels, soaps, a dress, shoes. Then came people with buckets of water.
I stood rigidly near the wall as they went about their business, evidently preparing to give me a bath. As soon as the small tub was filled, everyone left, leaving only two women with me. If there was one thing I did not want to do, it was having someone bathe me. I nearly shuddered before remembering where I was. This was probably an honor in this society.
Besides, I was pretty dirty. I hadn't had a proper washing for days. With a sigh I started to pull off my jacket.
"What are your names?" I asked.
"I am Helen and this is Lorraine." Helen replied simply. I got into the tub as fast as I could, my face getting a little red, despite the cold water. I saw Helen reach for my pile of dirty clothes. This was probably the last time I would see them. I sighed and closed my eyes. If I wanted to survive in this time period, I needed to do my best to fit in, not stand out.
I jumped when Lorraine began to wash my hair. It felt creepy and wrong, but I let it happen. I just had to adjust. The bath was longer than I wanted and I emerged with pruned fingers and toes.
When Helen and Lorraine worked together to dress me, I was suddenly relieved that it wasn't the 16th century. Thank the gods I didn't have to endure corsets. Helen brushed my hair as Lorraine laced up my new shoes. I felt strangely pampered. It was an uncomfortable feeling, really.
I thanked the two women when they were done with their tasks. I could tell they were nervous around me. They were probably glad I didn't put up a fight. Oh, how I wanted to though.
The sun was setting and I watched it from my window. It was orange and pink, hardly a cloud in the sky. A strong bout of homesickness made its way into my chest and I suddenly wanted to cry. I stopped myself from letting that happen, however. I couldn't show weakness around here. It was just too risky.
When a guard summoned me to dinner, I straightened my dark blue dress and followed without a word.