Annabeth led Percy through the palace to her quarters, filled with child-friendly things.
As soon as they reached the door, Annabeth turned to her new friend. "Please, Prince Percy, as soon as we enter, I am simply Annabeth. I am no longer a princess once I pass these doors. Please accept that."
"Of course. That would mean that I am simply Percy." The young boy then muttered, "That's all I've wanted to be." Without saying anything else, he pushed the doors.
Sitting in the middle of the large room that then veered off into separate rooms, on the middle of the cushion throne, was Thalia. Annabeth stood alone in the middle of the doorway, Percy having hidden behind the wall at the first sight of her choppy black hair. "Hey!" Annabeth greeted her friend, nervously. She wasn't sure how Thalia would take Percy.
"Hey, Annabeth! So? How's this guest family?" Thalia asked. Annabeth heard Percy gasp outside, but it was incredibly soft. She met Thalia's intense stare, until someone interrupted them.
Percy had cleared his throat to gain their attention. Annabeth watched as Thalia's jaw dropped. "We're good, thanks for asking, Thals."
"Percy, is that you?" Thalia asked, her voice coloured with incredulity.
"Wait," Annabeth said, confused, "you two… know each other?"
"Yes, we do." Percy said. "Annabeth? Meet my cousin, Princess Thalia Grace of Olympia."
"Wait, what?" Annabeth almost screeched.
"My brother, Jason, and I are Prince and Princess of Olympia." Thalia looked down. "My father is King Zeus Grace, and my mother is Queen Hera."
Thalia turned to Percy. "How are Nico and Bianca?"
"Our Histrian family are well, I presume. At least, Nico was when I saw him." Percy replied, his face turned away from his cousin. "You have heard the news, I assume?"
Thalia looked intrigued. "No, what happened?"
Percy looked at her. "Bianca was killed." Thalia gasped. "An archer was found guilty. Admitted to it. Said that he disliked the inequality in the kingdom." He started muttering. "He wasn't even a citizen of Histria."
"Wait, Thalia? Why are you pretending to be my maidservant, then?" Annabeth asked. As soon as she had finished, Percy snorted and Thalia flushed.
"A punishment from my father, I am afraid. Jason and I were rather… inappropriately behaved in front of important guests, so my father sent us both to work as serving children in other cities. Jason was sent to Corinth and I was sent here." Her face and voice started to seem longing. "I haven't seen Jason in ages."
"Luckily for you, Thals," Percy grinned, "we were just in Corinth."
Thalia's face lit in hope and happiness. "Really? Did you see Jason?"
Percy's face fell. "Unfortunately. The Corinthians aren't treating him well, I fear. Jason looked too mature for his own good. He acts like an adult when he is but six years old." He started to explain when Thalia's face betrayed her confusion. "He carries around a sword and a sheath. A shield is always strapped to his back. He barely remembers Olympia or his family."
"He is but six years of age?" Annabeth gasped, deeply upset to hear of this mistreatment.
"Yes." Thalia's voice said, softly and sadly. She had missed her brother and almost thought that this punishment wasn't teaching him a lesson, but giving him a new life - a life where his Olympian family didn't exist.
Percy sniffed, causing both girls to look at him. "When we saw him, it was me who went up to him. Father had told me that Jason may not wish to speak to me…"
Thalia interrupted Percy. "That's nonsense. Jason loves you! Whenever you visited Olympia, Jason would be glued to your side."
"Loved." Percy corrected. "When he saw me, he first asked my name. He has forgotten me." Percy suddenly looked as young as his age. "Jase forgot me. He didn't remember… I wanted him to remember…"
Thalia was in shock. Knowing that the two cousins needed time and space to sort this out, Annabeth creeped backwards, leaving the room and slowly closed the door behind her.