Prince Perseus saddled up his handsome black stallion, waiting patiently for his companions to do the same before they depart for their long, tedious journey towards Olympus.
His father was looking at him from the gates, unable to do anything more than just wish him the best of luck. After that incident with Tyson, they had not been talking as comfortably as they did before. Princess Annabeth was worried about that at first until she quickly realized how it was only healthy for a family to have disputes to test the strength of their bond. Maybe it was only right for the heir to leave his kingdom for a day.
The only sounds that could be heard for the following hours would be the sound of galloping horses and the eventual chirping of birds. They maneuvered quickly through the thick forest dividing Olympus and Atlantis, ignoring the indignant cries of many earthen beasts dwelling in the caves or under rocks. They could not afford to lose time. If they stall even once, they will end up travelling in the dark, something that can only be properly done if one is alone.
No one resided on the fact that there were only four of them remaining now. When Nico could not extend his stay much longer, he made sure to make his farewells as brief as possible in order to prevent any tears from being shed. Thalia had stayed a good distance away, refusing to meet his gaze as he took his position on his steed's back. It was a surprise to all of them when they saw Nico stop midway and return to the Lost Princess just to kiss her properly. "Write to me every day if you must." He ordered before he left for good.
Jason and Thalia dreaded returning to their home but they could not refuse a direct order from the King to accompany his son and future daughter-in-law in this quest to retrieve Lady Isabella, who prefers to be called Sally, from her place of torment. It was about time that Perseus' mother would receive the proper treatment she deserves.
The grand walls and golden gates of the Kingdom did very little to hide its true image- corruption, injustice, poverty. He was a victim to all those societal issues therefore he knew what his people needed even before they could ask for it. Maybe his experience as a peasant did well to improve his future rule.
It was easy to have the guards allow them in. Even if Perseus has no power here, it was written in every Book of Law to allow any member of the Royal family to enter allied kingdoms. Despite the rivalry between Olympus and Atlantis, it was impossible to ignore the signed contract stating the allegiance of the kings. This war only started when King Zeus abused his power and Poseidon's advisers had strictly gone against making an enemy out of the Olympians.
"Come," the Crowned Prince stated calmly as he passed through the familiar marketplace and ignored the gawking faces of the people who used to take advantage of him. "My mother's house is down by the river."
Annabeth faintly noticed how tense the Grace-siblings were as they examined their surroundings. The intimidating palace resting on the peak of the mountain provided less comfort than the Princess wanted to admit. She did not enjoy being in a place she was not familiar with. Normally, she would send messengers to scout the area before she would step foot on its grounds.
Their odyssey ended by the riverbank, where a small hut was built by the bed of stones. A woman with beautiful blue eyes and a kind maternal smile was waiting for them at the door. Relief washed over her features as she stepped closer towards the group, extending a hand to her son for a moment.
Perseus dismounted his stallion and ran to his mother, bringing her frail, emaciated form closer to his much healthier one. Her ocean-like eyes were brimming with tears as she returned her child's embrace, hoping that he would take away the emptiness she felt ever since she escaped to Olympus. "Percy…" Lady Isabella whispered with an insurmountable amount of happiness.
"Hello, mother." He replied, "Come, meet my friends."
The pseudo-servants bowed respectfully towards the future Queen of Atlantis, only to be brought back up by a pair of gentle hands. "These are the siblings I had been telling you about, the rightful heirs to the throne of Olympus- Jason and Thalia Grace."
"Hmm, yes." Her voice was smooth, almost hypnotizing. "I'm glad that this kingdom will have decent rulers some day. I hope to see the improvements you will make for this rising nation."
Jason opened his mouth to reply only to have the words stolen from his mouth by his sister. "Milady, it would be an honor for us to hear how life had been for you here in my father's kingdom. Once we've come into power, we will consult with you on the necessary changes we need to make." Sally nodded once and moved her gaze towards the beautiful blonde standing shyly beside her gray-coated mare.
Perseus led his mother towards his betrothed, hoping that their relationship will blossom once they spoke in person. It was quite an inconvenience to only converse with a person you barely know through letters.
"Mother, this is Princess Annabeth of Athens. She is to be my wife soon and I wish that you will be better acquainted." He took one step back to allow the women a proper conversation.
His gaze unwillingly moved towards his old home, examining the damp wooden foundation and rotten walls. He wondered briefly how much of his mother's experiences had been kept from him. He had only been away from her for almost three moons now and he felt that there may be a secret that was being kept from him. Despite that suspicion, he decided against confronting Lady Isabella about it in the fear of creating a rift between them. Perseus loved his mother and he only wanted the best for her.
He turned his head to the direction of the two most important women in his life. Annabeth had a smile on her face, her eyes filled with mirth and contented amusement. Sally had a bad habit of recalling plenty of embarrassing tales from Perseus' past and yet he didn't have the strength to disrupt her animated story-telling. It was a rare occurrence to see the two people he loved the most interacting as if they've known each other for as long as forever.
Unfortunately, the Prince also had a slight fear of his mother scaring his betrothed away with all of those humiliating anecdotes revolving around him and his childhood foolishness. He wouldn't know what he would do if Annabeth suddenly decided to cancel their wedding just because of his unfortunate habits. He, therefore, took several steps closer, just until he was within hearing range.
"Perseus had always been very kind to me." Annabeth said with a slight blush. "He is unlike any other man I encountered."
"Yes, I have to admit that I am partly guilty of that." His mother replied, placing a careful hand on her future daughter-in-law's shoulder. "He saw how many ruthless men treated me in the past. I have plenty of scars to prove that I had been beaten to unconsciousness once. He… promised me that he will never treat a woman that way. He's a good boy, Annabeth. I'm happy that he found you."
Lady Isabella's 'career' was not a forbidden topic in their household. Percy knew of what his mother does in order to feed him a proper meal, even if it was only twice a day. He remembered how many tears he shed and how much maternal blood was spilled at the hands of her clients. He loved his mother dearly and swore to her that he will take her away from this hellhole, to return her to Atlantis where she will be considered as royalty.
The sound of approaching horses took the attention of the small family. Perseus instinctively stepped in front of his mother and betrothed whilst Thalia and Jason strode towards their prince with their weapons drawn. If this were an Olympian knight sent specially by the king to order for their arrest, they were more than ready to defend themselves.
Fortunately, it was a sight they were familiar with.
Lord Leo and Lady Piper looked triumphant as they descended from their stallions and greeted their friends with warm embraces. Thalia even managed a small smile when she saw her brother planting a firm kiss on the noblewoman's lips. "How did you know that we were here?" Jason asked incredulously as he wrapped a protective arm around her beloved.
"News travels very quickly around here, my friend." Leo answered with a mischievous smile. "Believe me, it was not easy to escape our father's home when the king issued an unreasonable curfew on the entire kingdom."
The newly arrived royalties quickly noticed the presence of a much older female. "Oh, Percy, is this your mother?" Piper gasped as she caught sight of the frail looking body that holds the soul of a strong, independent woman. She admired Lady Isabella greatly for the things she has done for the sake of her son. With careful steps, the daughter of Duchess Aphrodite approached the beautiful blue-eyed lady and took both of her hands in her own. "Milady, my name is Piper and the man beside Jason is my brother, Leo. We came from the house of Duke Hephaestus and intend to return you to Atlantis."
The mother smiled kindly and warmth enveloped the aristocrats. This was the love that Prince Perseus grew up with, the love that he is currently sharing to everyone around him.
"Mother, it's time to go. If we do not leave soon, the sun will set before we reach our destination and it is not ideal to travel the forest at night in groups." Sally nodded and took Annabeth's mare, seeing that the Princess chose to ride with her fiancé instead of going on her own.
The indignant cries of the castle guards made the group's escape more complicated than it should be. Why was King Zeus against their departure? Was it possible that he had created a law against rescue missions such as these?
After ordering his friends to go ahead, Percy and Annabeth stalled behind to create a diversion. He will not let the same people take his mother away from him again. "Be wise about this, my love." The princess whispered to his ear as she clutched his waist tighter. "If you destroy even the smallest part of this kingdom, Atlantis may be forced to a war against Olympus."
"I know." He hissed between his teeth as he grabbed his horse's reins so tightly that his knuckles turned white. "I'm not causing any damages. We just have to keep their attention to us. Jason will lead my mother through the forest and, for as long as the guards are chasing us, we will head the longer way."
Annabeth nodded once and buried her face on his back as they burst through the gates with love and determination fueling their escape.
Blackjack could not travel another mile so the couple was forced to set-up camp in a cave at the edge of the thick forest. Night has fallen already and they were lucky that the guards gave up on their futile hunt. It was impossible to say what will happen once they've returned to Atlantis. Perseus wondered if there would be yet another celebration to announce the return of their future queen or a dreadful atmosphere screaming the non-arrival of the rescue party. He prayed to the gods existing that the latter will stay in his imagination.
The biting cold of the mid-winter chill had Annabeth shivering close to their small fire. The moist stone walls allowed the eventual drop of water to their already freezing forms. "You should have stayed with the others." Percy said for the tenth time in the span of thirty minutes as he brushed the frost from his hair and clothes.
"I'm f-fine, Pe-Percy." Her teeth were chattering as she wrapped her arms closer to herself. "I ch-chose t-to be w-with you, always." He sighed and sat beside her, tugging off his scarf and encircling it around her neck. He also pulled her into a warm embrace, the kind that an entire day in front of the fire will not give. She snuggled against him contentedly, her shivering reduced to non-existent.
"Thank you." She mumbled as she absentmindedly stroked the skin of his face. Her thumb traced the slight stubble present on his jaw line before brushing away a strand of jet black hair covering his magnificent sea-green eyes. "Do you think they arrived in Atlantis safely?"
Percy held her tighter before lying down, with her still in his arms. He was glad that his knapsack was comfortable enough to be used as a makeshift pillow. She laid her head on his chest, a yawn escaping her pouted lips. "I'm sure their fine, Annabeth. With Jason and Thalia with them, no monster would even think of attacking."
She laughed once but her eyes were dropping more often than not. He kissed her softly and more warmth flooded pooled on her stomach until it enveloped her entire body. "Sleep, my princess," He cooed softly, fingers twirling her golden blonde hair, "for we leave the moment the sun rises."