Chapter 23

"Percy!" And urgent voice awoke him, followed by a loud bang of the door.

He shifted in his comfortable sheets, sitting up. He rubbed the sleep out of his eyes, squinting at the intruder.

Jason's hair was very messy, his armour was basically hanging off his body and he forgot to wear his trousers. Again.

"Jase, why aren't you wearing any pants?" Percy questioned groggily.

"No time!" Jason said. His expression conveyed urgency, eyes wide and eyebrows ruffled in worry. "Reyna! Emergency training session for the entire day! We might be coming up againts war in the next months..."

Percy's eyes widened in alarm. When Reyna says emergency, it means immediately jumped out of bed and looked for his armour, grabbing Riptide in the process. "Jason," Percy said firmly while he grabbed his chestplate.

"Yeah?"

Percy looked at him pointedly. "Put some pants on."

Jason blushed, frowning and slammed the door closed. Percy laughed at his cousin. At last, he didn't forget his clothes this time. At last, it was Jason's turn to be embarrased.

Percy grabbed his helmet and bolted for the front door where Jason was waiting, pants now intact. But just as he grabbed the handle, he immediately stopped dead in his tracks.

He forgot. He wouldn't be able to meet Annabeth today. Percy crused but opened the door anyway. He saw the hooded face of none other than Rachel, the oracle, frowning at him.

"Oh, good. Rach," Percy sighed with relief. "Will you please tell Annabeth I won't be able to make it today? Thanks."

Rachel simply frowned at him and nodded. "Percy," she warned before he left. "This afternoon..." she paused. "You won't like what you see. I'm sorry."

Percy stared at her quizically as Jason did the same. "What?" He asked. Rachel shook her head. "Go along." She urged. "Reyna's really mad." That switched his focus back to the task at hand. They both ran for the arena. Oh, gods. Reyna will KILL them.

...

Annabeth waited at the base of the tree. She sighed. He was late, as usual. But he wasn't supposed to be an hour late. Something must've come up.

She sighed and stood up. She gazed up at the tree one last time before descending down the makeshift staircase that lay infront of her. She expertly maneuvered out of the hedges and found herself in the middle of the grassy courtyard.

The sky was partially cloudy, so she didn't have any problems with taking a stroll at high noon. She just hoped it wouldn't rain.

Annabeth shoved her hands inside the pockets of her trousers. As she walked by she heard a few footsteps on the grass followed by a familiar voice calling her name. "Annabeth, wait!"

Annabeth whirled around just in time to see Prince Luke Castellan walking towards her. She paused allowing him to reach her after a few seconds. He bowed as he came to halt infront of her.

"My apologies, Princess." He gave her that charming smile of his. Blue eyes sparkling.

Annabeth blushed. She only stood there, forcing a smile onto her face. Maybe she could have a wonderful day-out after all...

...

"In a few months time, we might be facing war." Reyna, the cheif of the soldiers spoke infront of the assembly of soldiers. Her sword glinted at her side, and her two hounds paced right behing her. "That is why we will be training EVERY DAY."

Percy gulped at those two words. "Every day?" He asked as if it was an outrageous thing. And for him, it was.

Reyna fixed her coal-black eyes on him. "Yes." She said firmly. "Do you have a problem with that, Mister Jackson?"

Percy kept his mouth shut, but inside he was screaming about how ubsurd and unfair this all was. How could he meet Annabeth everyday then?!

"And," Reyna continued with her speech. "Soldiers need as much rest as they need training. That is how my saying goes." Reyna waved her hand dissmissibly. "Yet, do not expect to be sleeping in at any given day. You will be awoken at the very crack of dawn, rest for a quarter of an hour at noon, then the same time for the afternoon, and dissmissed after dusk. " She stopped pacing and turned to the assembly of soldiers. "Do you unserstand?"

The soldiers nodded, pounding their blades on the ground.

Reyna nodded back. "Twenty minutes and you will be back here." She gave Percy a knowing glance. "Understand? Dissmissed!"

At the word, Percy immediately rushed out of the arena, not bothering to take of his armour. The clouds were dark and heavy, it seemed the rain would be pouring soon. Freckles of lightning appeared in the distance, but it hadn't rained yet.

Percy nodded at the guards at the gate of the kingdom as he passed by, and they nodded back at him opening the gates.

"Off to see the princess, lad?" The taller one, These, or as his nickname goes- Minotaur, (he killed fifty men with only a log once) asked. His tone was heavy and had the accent of a viking.

"Yeah." Percy nodded,holding his helmet under his arm, anxious to get inside. Minotaur let out a hearty laugh and opened his side of the metal gate. "I reckon you be courting her, eh? I say you have a mighty fine chance, boy!"

Percy felt his cheeks ignite at that comment. He was about to stutter in denial but Minotaur cutt him off. "You better hurry lad. I heard a few princes be courting her as well. Including that womanizer, Luke." He grumbled. "Let it be. I'd place a hundred shillings for you two!"

His companion, Argus, who was thinner and quieter snorted. "You would bet that much?" He pounded his spear againts the ground. "Unbelievable! I wouldn't waste that amount of money for two lovers!"

"Wait a second-" Percy tried to interrupt.

"Well I'd be surprised if the lad don't win her heart in a few weeks!" Minotaur growled back.

"What do you-" Percy was again silenced.

"You want to bet, you old coot? I say the heart's already won!" Argus challenged.

"I don't have time for this..." Percy muttered under his breath and ducked under the argument, leaving the two placing bets angrily behind him.

As he ran across the grassy courtyard he spotted two familiar figures.

Annabeth was holding Luke's hand as they walked across the courtyard. She seemed anxious, shy, respectful and a little bit too cheery at the prince's prensence. Percy's blood boiled but he remained calm.

"-show you something!" Annabeth was saying as she dragged the older boy to a certain path in between the hedges marked by a blue stone.

Percy's eyes widened as he silently followed the two. "No, it can't be..." Percy muttered under his breath. "She wouldn't..." His doubts were confimed.

He hid in the bushes, watching as Annabeth led a confused Luke to the bottom of the makeshift staircase.

"A wall of ruble?" Luke questioned.

"Well, you see..." Annabeth started, but then, she saw him. Craning her neck to the left in embarassment led her to finding none other than the angry, sea-green eys of Percy Jackson.

He stood just by the side of the nearest hedge. His eyes turned dark and stormy in that way that scared Annabeth. Tears threatened to fall as the rained did.

She snapped out if it. What was she DOING?! She was about to tell Luke of the tree? How could she? She mentally slapped herself, seeing as Luke was distracted by... daffodils. Huh.

Percy shook his head and left.

"Um, Luke. " Annabeth's lip quivered. "I gotta go."

Sorry I had to leave it at that folks. Update will be in a week I suppose! Bye!

I just dont have much time with school schsit...UGHHHHHHHH.

Also: CLASS SUSPENSIOOOOONS! (the rain is a miracle at these times...)

~Apollo'sAwesomePirateDaughterXD