Hey guyz! sorry that i took so long to update! I was just kind lazy... hehe... anyway, Im here now! let's continue this...

Disclaimer:Rick Riordan owns all but the plot and some MINOR OCs.

Chapter 4

"Well, I suppose your first jobs would be to clean up the courtyard." Said the head maid of the kingdom not glancing up from whatever she was writing on her desk. " It's awefully messy- uneven hedges, fallen leaves and especially that nasty pond. Hasn't been cleaned in eons.."
Poseidon nodded as he received his first job. Percy stood next to him, quite excited, a determined grin on his face. "So that is your first assignment," The head maid said as she finally looked up from whatever she was writing, pushing her spectacles up the bridge of her nose. Percy had to admit she was quite snobbish. She was way too uptight on her job and was a bit too proud about it.

"Um," Percy raised his hand timidly. " Why hasn't the pond been cleaned in eons?"

The lady looked at him skeptically for a moment. "Should I be heard telling you this I would probably be punished." She sighed. "But... that was where the queen and her daughter used to spend the afternoon. It brought bittersweet memories to the king and the princess so... they never came near it, and the servants never cleaned it. Those lazybones thought it was quite useless to clean a place that would never be used. The king didn't complain."

" Then why should we clean it?" Percy asked.

"Because," the lady said impatiently as she stood up from her desk. " The king ordered everything to be tidy when his cousin, the duke, visits in two days! Weren't you listening, boy?"

Percy grinned sheepishly. "Yeah um, sorry." He gave a small, nervous laugh as he hid behind his father.

"Good." She put a hand to her forehead dramatically as she slid back into her seat." Get to work then!"

.

"Hey dad?" Percy tugged on the hem of his father's shirt. "Can I help too?" "Hmm..'' Poseidon put his hand up to his chin, a small smile on his face. "Sure." He finally answered as Percy cheered. He then tossed his son a rake and a bucket. "Go clean the pond." he ordered. The smile on Percy's face disappeared as he glanced over to the dirty pond. "Seriously?" he whined. "But it looks like it's made of molted poo and moss! It's gross!" Poseidon laughed. "I thought you wanted to help? Well here's your chance."

Percy fummed. "Fine." He said picking up the fallen rake. "You always give me the worst part of the job, anyway.'' Poseidon laughed again. "Don't worry, son. I'll help.'' They both made they're way to the messy pond, rakes and buckets in hand.

Annabeth browsed through a shelf of books in the castle library. She sighed seeing as she was familiar with all the books. She needed something new to read. She's read all these books at least twice. "Well have you found anything you haven't read yet, Annabeth?" Pheobe the librarian asked as she walked up to the princess. Annabeth shook her head as she turned to face her. " No." She muttered. "Do you have anything new?"

"Well,'' Pheobe said, an eager smile upon her features. "We will be having a new shipment of books from the greatest authors of England. But that won't be until two months later. I'm sorry, dear.'' Annabeth sighed. "I suppose I could re-read this one again." she said as she pulled a leather-bound book from it's place on the shelf.

Pheobe gently took the book from the young princess's hands and placed it back on the shelf. "Annabeth, why don't you try to go outside. Walk around the gardens and play around the courtyard. You've barely been out of the castle." She gave a little chuckle as she said. "You've barely even been around the castle! The only places you ever go to is here, the throne room and your own room! Deary me, you need to get at least a bit of sunlight on your skin, you're as pale as a ghost."

Annabeth nodded after Pheobe stopped scolding her. She almost winced because it quite reminded her of how her mother would scold her when she still read books inside even after a rainy day... Annabeth shook her head as she pulled herself out of her thoughts. Okay. Outside it is then...

She gave a thanks to Pheobe, deciding to go outside. She might as well get some fresh air. Why not? Because you'll probably start seeing pained memories of your mom again, muttered a voice in her simply dismissed it and headed to the kitchen to grab something to eat.

As she pushed through the kitchen doors, some of the kitchen staff gasped and turned away. Probably thinking Annabeth would lash out and scold everybody like the little brat everyone thought she was. So what if she didn't like to smile? That doesn't make her a snobbish brat. They don't have any right to interfere.

Annabeth simply grabbed a few cookies from a batch on one of the wooden counters. "Thank you." She told a seemingly frightened young female servant who was standing next to the counter. Annabeth left, her blank expression uwavering.

Annabeth chewed on one of the chocolate cookies as she headed out of the throne room, wich the doors were the main entrance/ exit. She skidded along the marble floor, she took a bite from her second wich she held in her right hand while she held her third cookie in her right. As she approached the giant oak doors of the throne room, the guard who stood by the door took notice of her and started to look nervous. When she came closer, he opened the door up for her, he bowed and hid his face as she passed by.

Did people really think of Annabeth as a spoiled brat with a bad attitude? As a misbehaved princess who could make them all jobless just because meaningless temper? Annabeth already knew early on everyone thought of her as a brat just because she didn't smile and they all tried to avoid her, but it kind of bothered her. Yet she dismissed it and never payed any attention. Out of all the castle staff, only Pheobe and Thalia understood her and was nice to her. But even they couldn't give her the courage and joy to ever smile.

Annabeth walked out to the courtyard taking another bite of her cookie. She gazed over the courtyard and at the sun that was close to setting. Then she spotted the pond. The old pond where she and her mother used to sit by during some late afternoons, like this one. She saw two familiar people raking out the moss from the pond. She came closer and saw that it was the new servant and his quite annoying son. The father said something to he younger boy as he nodded in reply. Then he left, leaving the boy to clean out the pond by himself.

Annabeth walked closer to the boy who was buisy raking out the dirt in the water to notice her. She came closer until she was right behind him. She watched him as he worked so hardly and earnestly. She wondered how a boy his age could take all this work. He seemed just about her age, eight years old.

Annabeth was about to tap his shoulder to alert him of her presence when he suddenly turned around. He gave a little startled scream as he stumbled backwards and fell into the pond. Annabeth shielded herself from the splash of the disgusting water. When it was over, she peered over to Percy. He rose from the water, a patch of seaweed on his head. Wait, what? Seaweed? How did that get into the pond?

"Um.. Sorry?" Annabeth tried to apologize. The boy glared at her. "Seriously? Why would you sneek up on me like that?" He complained, climbing out of the water.

Annabeth huffed. "I said I was sorry."

"Oh, right." He muttered, tossing the patch of seaweed that was once on his head into a nearby bucket. "I suppose i should accept your apology, your highness?"

Annabeth frowned. Great. The only person who had actually made her smile once now thinks of her as a rich brat. Just great.

He bent down to clean up a spilt bucket, leaving Annabeth to stand there awkwardly. After a couple of seconds, Annabeth decided to say something. "Look, I'm really sorry, okay? Sorry if you think I'm a bratty princess." She muttered looking down. The boy looked up at her. "Why would I think you're a bratty princess? Sure you're kinda scary, but definetly not a bratty." he paused to pick up his fallen rake. "Sorry for being a jerk, Princess." Annabeth could tell his apology was sincere and kind.

"Scary?" She questioned.

"Yeah." He confirmed. "Your glare, that is."

"Well you're kind of annoying."

The boy raised an eyebrow at her. "Annoying? Look, Princess, I may be clumsy on rare occasions but I am not annoying!" He declared.

Annabeth snorted. "Rare occasions? Says the boy who slipped in the pond."

"You scared me!" He defended.

"Scaredy cat."

"Am not!" The boy yelled as he scooped up a patch of seaweed. Annabeth's eyes widened. "You would not!"

He smirked and threw the patch of seaweed at her, wich landed right on her face. He burst out laughing and Annabeth seethed. She took an entire bucket of seaweed and moss and threw the contents at him. He was covered in moss and dirt, Annabeth couldn't help smirk at him. Instead of getting mad, the boy smiled and took another bucket. Oh, it is so on!"

Within seconds mossy water and mud were flying all around the pond as the two children fought playfully. Both of them were drowsed in the murky water of the pond from pushing each other into the water and throwing mud at each other. A smile was plastered on Annabeth's face. Maybe not as wide as the boy's smile, but it was still a heavenly sight to see. A girl her age finally having fun and smiling widely as she should.

They continued to laugh and throw mud until a voice from behind them interrupted. "Percy!" Poseidon yelled, immediately causing the mini-war between the two children cease. "I leave for fifteen minutes to throw out some buckets and you mess the place up even more?"

Percy laughed nervously. "Sorry, dad. But she started it!" He pointed at the other girl. "Did not!" She retorted.

Poseidon recognised the girl as the princess. he immediately bowed and said. "your highness, I am very sorry for what my son has caused."

Annabeth shook her head. "No need to apologize. It was kind of fun." She replied with a small smile.

He sighed. "Thank you princess. But we better clean you up or the king will have our heads." He gazed at the setting sun and looked pointedly at Percy. "You are going to clean all this up tomorrow, first thing in the morning. I swear it's messier than before."

"Hey Percy?" Annabeth said as soon as she got cleaned up and was headed for her room. " See you tomorrow, okay?"

"Sure, Princess." He replied.

"You don't need to call me that. Just call me by my name: Annabeth."

"Are you sure?"

Annabeth rolled her eyes. " Yes, Seaweed brain." Percy raised an eyebrow. "Seaweed Brain? Where did you get that idea?" Annabeth pointed on the patch of seaweed on his head and smirked. "Yeah whatever, um... Princess."

"Really?" Annabeth smirked. "That's the best you can do?''

Percy had started to walk away and he pointed at her. "Revenge will come!" He declared. "Yeah right." Annabeth muttered as she headed back to her room. A soft smile crossing her features as she walked right past her father and his wide open mouth.

Okay so that concludes this 2000 word chapter. Please leave a review of what you think of the story! the more reviews the longer the chapters and the faster! Hope you like it guys! :)