Chapter 3

ANNABETH

Annabeth quickly realized her strategy of selling stolen goods wasn't going to work much longer. People were dumb, just not that dumb. She had decided to take drachma at night from some of the more popular stands, but never more than fifty.

~0~

She went on like this for the next few months, going around and robbing the rich stands of their unneeded profit and delivering to other poorer villages. She was well known throughout the kingdom as 'The Violet Thief'. The daily newsletter would always have reports of stolen items or money from the stands. Her village knew the Violet Thief wasn't stealing just to steal, but still things didn't go well for Annabeth.

The Violet Thief is now the number one most wanted criminal in the kingdom, if anyone should see her lurking, just know that there shall be a reward for her capture.

That was the last sentence in the newsletter today. Annabeth knew she wouldn't be safe for long. The guards from the palace went around from village to village, searching for clues to who the thief might be. All Annabeth knew they had come up with was blond hair and blue eyes. Lucky for her, most girls in the kingdom had blond hair and blue eyes.

She hadn't seen Prince Percy since her first trip of selling the fabric. Part of her was extremely glad she didn't have to see the jerk, but the greater part longed for him to just show up and rid the villages of their poverty.

Annabeth was running out of ideas for money. Her wonderful tactic of stealing would only last so long before everyone had already locked their goods in a safe. She ran to her hideout in a fit of anger.

"What am I going to do?!" She yelled to her owl. "Everyone knows about The Violet Thief! They know to lock up everything! The only thing that could be even possible to get at this point would be some of the kings own money!" Realization dawned on her face as she said the sentence. "I have to steal from the king." Annabeth sunk to the floor and sobbed, the reality of the situation hitting her like a ton of bricks.

~0~

Annabeth had been sitting in the cave for over two hours just staring at the walls and the rocks that made them. Particularly one small section that looked a little different than the others. This section had rocks in an archway formation with lighter rocks filling in underneath the arch. Annabeth walked over and pressed her hands firmly on one of the rocks. To her amazement, it shifted just the slightest bit inwards. She then grabbed at the smaller rocks and threw them aside as if digging a tunnel.

After going through about three layers of rock she pulled a large round stone from the middle and tore it away. In its place was a hole leading into a large room that looked untouched for many years. She quickly beat through the remaining rock and light streamed in to the forgotten room. Annabeth looked around her in awe.

She ran over to one side where an old wooden desk was there with a burnt candle. There was a single letter on the desk. Annabeth told herself not to look, that this was all just a dream, but she looked. The letter read:

To anyone who may find my old hideout: I have many secrets here, you just have to look around you. My plans were foiled by the stupid prince. He knew me and sold me out when I was trying to help.

Never mind that, my situation right now is grave. Their coming for me, I don't have much time anymore.

Ten minutes maybe.

I'm writing this as a plea to anyone who may find it, if this kingdom still exists. You are being tricked by those you call friends in this small village. They will ruin this profitable town.

Five minutes.

I hear the cries of angry mobs. I leave this cave to my daughter, if she ever finds it, I hope she will find it useful.

My plan is to fill in the tunnel to this room and leave this note on the desk.

I have run out of time.

Farewell, A. 1703

The note Annabeth held in her hands was from ten years ago. She was three. The only person she remembers being taken ten years ago… was her own mother. Annabeth shoved the letter back on the desk. She was not going to cry. Instead she looked around the room at the walls. There were papers pinned up on thin strings against the walls and across the ceiling. From what she could see it was a bunch of blueprints. All the ones she could see had a tiny A on the bottom corner, the mark her mother used to put on everything.

Annabeth was having a hard time processing everything. Her mother, who had planned to rob the castle, made a fort out of a cave and left it for her. Annabeth walked over to one blueprint that stood out from the rest. It had a mansion drawn on it, and from what she could tell, the mansion looked to be the castle standing a mere hour's walk away. When she examined other blueprints she realized that every drawing was a part of the castle, she just had to look at them in a certain way.

Her mother let in royalty. That was a mistake Annabeth was not going to make. First, she had to fix up the dreary room. She started by grabbing some of her candles from the other part of the cave and lighting them so she could see the majority of the room. It looked to be very tall and not very wide. Annabeth started thinking of all the drawings she could go through and wasn't even paying attention to any other noises.

"So uh, what's this?" the simple question wasn't answered as Annabeth shrieked and fell from examining some of the higher pictures. The asker saw her fall and ran to catch her. As she looked into his eyes, she realized just who he was.

"YOU!" she slapped him and ran over to the corner. His intimidating green eyes shone bright amidst the dark room.

"Me, what about me?" the prince asked. "I also never got an answer, what is this place?" Annabeth was furious and confused and afraid. She wondered if this is how her mother got in trouble, a meddlesome prince.

"I…You…How did you find me?" she stammered. She had been sure to cover her steps. How had he found her?

"I actually followed you all those days ago. I saw this cave, but didn't have the guts to go talk to you. Now, I realize just what you were doing that day. You are The Violet Thief." His words crushed her. Her very existence seemed to fade. She didn't know what to say. He had just ruined everything she had planned.

"So I guess now you take me away." She choked out. Annabeth had only just found this amazing remnant of her mother, and it was going to be taken from her.

"No." Annabeth saw him watching her every move and started to sob.

"What are you going to do then?" She was getting angry. Angry at him for not taking her away. Angry because she just got in the worst situation possible. And angry at herself, for letting her emotions get the best of her.

"I'm going to help you." His words rang through the cavern room and Annabeth thought she was dreaming.

"But I'm a bad person." She said, confused. "If you get caught helping me, you'll be executed for treason, just like…." She couldn't finish her sentence. Just like her own mother.

Percy sighed and opened his arms. Without thinking, Annabeth flew straight into them. She didn't know why he had this effect on her even after just meeting him twice, but she never wanted to let go. She felt truly loved here. Whereas at her house, she wouldn't even be noticed by Hellen.

"Why do you do this? Why do you steal?" His question made Annabeth cry harder, but she answered.

"Because I don't want anyone else to go through what I went through. Growing up in complete poverty, having their parents hate them, living without a mother…."

Percy hugged her tighter and whispered in her ear "I'll help you if you help me."

Annabeth looked at him "why do you need help?"

"Because I'm engaged to someone I don't want to marry. I need you to help me break the engagement."

"That's your problem? Wow, who knew you have to marry someone, who has enough money might I say, and will be with you forever?" She tore from his arms, suddenly disgusted with him.

"It's not like that. She's a brat with too much money and I want someone who has no money that I can help. Even if the rules say no mixing commoners and royals."

"So you want to pity your wife. You are such a gentleman." The annoyance in her voice was clear.

"Annabeth, can you just listen please?" He wasn't getting angry at all, he was quite patient. However Annabeth was flying off the handle.

"No! You want personal gain! I want to help people!"

"I want to marry you."

"You are a sick, sick person Percy." Annabeth couldn't believe him. Marry her? How? She's a commoner. He's a royal. That doesn't work. As soon as she thought that she realized what she didn't think of first, that she doesn't know him or like him.

"Look, it will be a fake marriage. I'll introduce you as princess of Athens, since their royal family disappeared twelve years ago, then help you get the money you think will get your people out of poverty." Annabeth thought over his idea. It wasn't that bad actually. It just had one flaw.

"If I go with you how am I supposed to keep up the violet thief act? I still have to steal or people will realize its me."

"I'll help you out on the days you normally did steal, but you have to be extra careful."

"If we do this, you swear to me right now you will tell no one the identity of The Violet Thief."

"I swear on my life I will not." She was nervous about how this would end, but she was willing to take the risk to save other people.

"When do you say you should introduce me?" Annabeth asked.

"There's a ball tomorrow night. Go."

"I have nothing to wear…" She realized.

Percy leaned in close and whispered in her ear, "Make a violet dress. For me."

"Okay" she stammered out. And with that, the prince walked out of the cave.

I'm so sorry for the delay, I actually lost my computer back in august but I FOUND IT. Well, obviously I found it…

Review if you found the Wicked reference!

Or review anyways…..

Thanks for reading,

Your author,

Swimmerstar415