Konichiwa, fans. Sorry about the long wait. I've been sooo loaded down with assignments, and I don't own this laptop, and… yeah, you don't want to hear my long list of reasons why I couldn't upload sooner… Don't worry, holidays coming up in nine school days.

Yay. So excited. Year 9 next year. Oh, joy…

Thanks to everyone who reviewed the last chapter (though not as many as I'd hoped…)

Please enjoy this chapter!

Chapter 7:

Defensiveness

Annabeth cautiously placed her bare foot on the ground. The grass, on top of which rested a layer of fine ash, was so soft. Annabeth felt very faint. It had been so long since she had been at ground level, her ears had gotten used to the pressure of being higher up in the atmosphere. She had already felt sick by the time she was halfway down the rope during her descent. Down here, it was unbearable.

The group of men crowded against Annabeth's miniscule body. She curled in on herself, her head tucked into her chest, and swayed slightly.

Left, right. Left, right.

Everything was silent.

Thalia almost expected crickets to start chirping, it was so quiet.

"Miss?" A man with an insanely deep voice and a strange accent that hurt Annabeth's tender ears bent down and lightly tapped her on the shoulder. Annabeth flinched violently, scrambling to get away from this man. All of them. The whole filthy lot of them.

A murmuring broke through the group.

"Are you in need of aid?" the man continued, despite Annabeth's impoliteness.

The girl who was so pale she resembled a ghost glanced up, but the sun's rays that cut through the thick veil of smoke blinded her. She cast her eyes down again, clutching her temples.

Percy stared down at the skeletal girl on the ground. His mind couldn't comprehend what the facts said. She was The Forgotten One. The girl the Old Legend was based on. The main character in all those ghost stories told around camp fires deep in the woods. Except The Grey- Eyed One in those stories was an old hag who escaped the tower using rats' tails tied together to create a long rope. The hag was then so mad she took revenge on a nearby town, wreaking havoc on the innocent civilians.

Mothers said to naughty children: "If you misbehave, the Hag will come and gobble you up and take your remains back to her tower to forever dwell in her stench."

Of course Percy didn't believe in that version anymore. Still, he had always wondered if those stories had even an ounce of truth in them.

He hadn't been expecting a beautiful girl to be the Hag. And, yes, he admitted it. She was beautiful. In fact, as he stared at her, Percy was sure her features were rearranging themselves so that the girl became even more gorgeous.

The boy shook his head, blinked, and looked away. Rachel's prettier, he thought.

"What is your name?" Beckendorf asked Annabeth. Annabeth didn't answer. Just cringed and continued to sway.

Left, right. Left, right.

Thalia bent down and whispered something in Annabeth's ear that Percy couldn't hear. Thalia stood up, her fists clenched. "Please forgive my friend, good people. She seems to be suffering from shock and fright. Her name is Annabeth_"

An outbreak of muttering tore through the silence. A man coughed. Thalia glared at the ground, arms crossed, tapping her foot. She cleared her throat. The quiet ensued. "Thank you. Her name is Annabeth." Muttering again. Thalia continued, annoyance lacing her voice. "On behalf of both of us, we'd like to be escorted back to- to, um_"

"Μαρμάρινου Αγάλματος της γης?" Percy offered.

Thalia nodded. "Yeah, what he said. So, would you comply?"

Beckendorf didn't reply. He scrutinised Annabeth, his forehead creased. His thin mouth was set in a determined way. Sweat beaded his temples.

As he looked upon the blond, then back to the brunette, something I his eyes flashed, become clearer, less muddled.

"I know your game, Miss. I know who you really are." Beckendorf said, turning. His brown eyes glared into Thalia's electric blue ones. "You shouldn't have lied to me."

"What, Beck? What's the bitch lie about?" Killian slurred. Thalia wondered vaguely if he'd snuck some cheap ale down his slimy throat before departing with the group.

"That." Beckendorf spit the word that, contempt and disgust obvious in his voice. He pointed to Annabeth on the ground.

"She's not a 'that'!" Thalia defended, frowning.

Beckendorf ignored Thalia. "That repulsive thing on the ground is the cause of the war! The war which wreaked havoc in our otherwise peaceful lands, destroyed what serenity that Olympus possessed." He was now getting heated up. "That thing, that pitiful thing on the ground, because of it's own selfishness, some of us lost our homes, our loved ones and family! It let our favourite slime ball Kronos enter our sacred sites and decimate them to a pile of rubble! Our cultures and religion are now forgotten, and some are murdered for simply speaking our own native language! Do you see, boys, how she has messed with our lives?" Beckendorf spat on Annabeth. Thalia bent down and wiped the saliva off of Annabeth's hair with her shirt sleeve.

"Now, that was uncalled for!" Thalia said furiously.

Annabeth kept her eyes closed tightly, not letting anyone see the tears she was holding back. The guilt and misery. The man was right. It was her fault, wasn't it?

"Spoiled little rat!" Beckendorf roared, still ignoring Thalia. "How'd it feel to be disowned by your pretty boy noble daddy? Hurts, huh? Welcome to our world, bitch!"

Percy gently put his hand on Beckendorf's shoulder, holding him back from slapping Annabeth, or even doing worse.

Annabeth's shoulders shook from the strain of locking her tears inside her eye lids. She would not be pitied. Scorned, yes, but not pitied. Never.

"Beck," Percy said quietly. As much as Annabeth's irrational choice had ruined the lives of many, she had only been twelve. Percy wasn't sure that anybody would have said yes to a complete stranger's marriage proposal at twelve years of age, no matter what the repercussions or consequences. "I know you lost_"

"Don't say her name in the presence of_" Beckendorf stopped and glared with disgust at Annabeth. Everyone, even drunk Killian, got the picture.

"Yes, but you can't blame Annabeth for- well, the death of that person. Would you have said yes to marry a complete stranger at twelve years old?"

"To save my lands, yes. Isn't it the responsibility of the nobles to be, well, noble?" Plain fury was etched across the distraught man's face.

Thalia stepped forward. "Now, hold on a minute, man." Every head turned her way. "Are you going to help us or not?"

Beckendorf threw his head back and roared with laughter. "Are you kidding me? Help that? Where was she all those years that our people were dying of starvation, cold, hunger, disease because she let the enemy step into our territory unchallenged?"

"She was sitting in a tower, helpless, defeated, guilty. Yes, she had the fancy dresses, and food delivered every week, and she slept in a proper bed and had a warm fire place to sit at during the window, but do you really think that she was up here partying for six years while her people were suffering? She was just as_"

"Why don't you let her defend herself, Thalia," the man who Thalia thought was named Rodrick said in a somewhat gentler tone.

"Shut up! All of you! Just, please!" Annabeth was standing now. Everyone, even Thalia, stared at her in amazement. How had she stood without drawing the attention of the group? Tears were streaming down her face. "Don't you think that if I could, I would go back to that moment six years ago, and say yes to Luke Castellan's marriage proposal?"

The men's stunned faces stared at Annabeth. "What?" she demanded.

"L-Luke Castellan, did you say?" Percy whispered. He glanced at Beckendorf and covered his mouth. Beck's face was redder than a cherry. Annabeth cringed. Had she said the wrong thing?

"Luke Castellan proposed to you." Beckendorf breathed. "Six years ago. You."

"That's right," Annabeth took a step back,. Her knees were weak with this irrational fear... She had no wish to be slapped. She'd had enough of that in her life…

"The nerve of him…"

"What the Hades are you going on about?" Annabeth yelled. "Just spit it out, okay?"

"Geez, Annie," Killian chuckled, undressing her with his eyes. Annabeth stepped back from him.

"Don't call me Annie, you sleaze," Annabeth seethed, her fists clenching.

Beckendorf still seemed dazed.

"Who is this Castellan guy, anyway?" Annabeth demanded of the men.

There was silence. Then Beckendorf said, "Last year, Luke Castellan was killed in a one on one fight to the death with_" Just then the tower started groaning.

Debris rained down.

"Run!" Thalia screamed. "The tower's coming down!"

The group mounted their horses, Thalia and Annabeth being thrown on Percy's and Beckendorf's horses, and the tower crumbled to a pile of rubble in the dust cloud the horses left.

I'm pretty sure you hate me now. Love you too, wonderful fans.

So, who did Annabeth's choice supposedly kill? And who killed Luke Castellan in a duel to the death?

So, 29 reviews. I was hoping for at least 50 by now. Any chance we can get it up to 35 by the time I've uploaded chapter 8?

Please?

I'd really appreciate it…

Thanks for your continued support.

Out :P