Annabeth

Annabeth felt like she was already dead. Her feet hurt and her tear ducts were working over time. It seemed like all those tears that she had suppressed and put away to make herself look fearless were coming out all at once. Somewhere in all that commotion she had lost her hairband and now was forced to knot it up. The sun was coming out from her left so she decided to walk towards it. She wasn't known to have a bad sense of direction. She was counting on that.

She didn't know where she was going tough. She just wanted to find some civilization. She could pass up for a noble with amnesia. She could get married to one of those old loons and have a safe life in this Kyte that was not hers.

A humor less laugh erupted from her lips at that thought. No matter how much of a good plan it was... she wouldn't be able to marry anyone any time soon after being called a harlot. The irony of it! She was still a virgin.

She remembered the last time she had been insulted like this. That would be never. She had always carried herself with confidence and intelligence, leaving no gaps for insults. Not that she hadn't been called a bitch before but never a slut. And he called her a slut. After he had almost shot her on sight, after he had saved her from those eccentric nobles, after he had voted in her favor to stop that ridiculous witch burning after he had...

The list seemed endless and just thinking about it made her head pound with frustration. She would never ever see him again. So she didn't have to worry about all the times she wouldn't have survived without him. Their paths would never cross again.

Fresh hot tears rained down her already wet cheeks making her lips quiver.

But she wanted them to cross. Oh she wanted to see him again so badly. She wanted him to apologize and kiss her again and then she would apologize too before kissing him back.

That was so unhealthy. It was nothing compared to being apart from Luke. Maybe that was because she had fallen back in time and her brain had had a major freak attack? Maybe something like that needed to happen again. Maybe now was the time to get abducted by the aliens to forget all about Perseus freaking Jackson.

But she knew even on an operation table of a UFO she would be hoping for him to come and rescue her. She would think hard enough to distract them for a while in wait for him. She could wait for him forever.

She stamped her foot in frustration. Why couldn't she stop thinking about him? She would be fooling herself for the second time in her life if she let herself believe that she had fallen in love with him. She hadn't and she would never.

As the first ray of the sun touched her skin a sad realization settled. He had constantly touched her whenever he had been around and he hadn't been away for much. Always his arm would have been warped around her waist or on her shoulder or holding her wrist or...

She couldn't remember a moment where he had kept a distance from her. It had felt so good and natural that now being without his hands around her was an agony.

She clutched her head and shook it frantically,

"Stop messing with me!"

She shouldn't have screamed. As soon as those words were out of her mouth loud galloping sounds echoed her way. Annabeth turned the other way and started running, knowing that it was useless. But she wouldn't give in without a good chase... or a short one.

The beats of the hooves grew louder. There were more than one horse... two, three? Annabeth regretted shouting out those words and swore that next time she saw Percy she would slap the daylight out of him. That was if she lived past her captors.

She ran blindly. All she could manage was moving in the opposite direction from the horses. But that wasn't working. They were catching up really fast.

She stopped and looked around frantically. What would Percy have done? He would have taken his gun out and shot them to death. But she didn't have one!

A small hunched over maple tree caught her attention. Without thinking twice she ran towards it and grabbed the lowest branch for hoisting herself up.

After a few seconds about four horses passed below her. The one in the middle was a beautiful white stallion and it carried a breathtakingly handsome noble. He was the perfect image of noble Annabeth reckoned. He had bright sky blue eyes and golden hair which were just an inch below his ears. His skin was tanned and the royal blue suit that perfectly hugged his slim but toned figure with colorful flags and golden chains made it clear that he was a duke and not some wannabe lord.

The other three men wore the blue and green military uniforms with huge helmets covering up half their faces.

"Are you sure you heard someone my lord?"

One of the men in uniform asked.

"I am positive."

The nobleman's voice was sweet and mellow and Annabeth could see that the noble soldiers loved it when he talked.

"Let us split up and cover more ground." The noble said.

"But Duke Jasper we can't leave you-"

"Are you contesting my ability to fight and preserve myself Harper?"

The noble man or Jasper asked with an amused smile. The soldier in question, Harper, fidgeted for a moment and then raised his voice to give orders to the other two. The three of them pulled their reigns and rode off to different directions. But the Duke remained.

Annabeth watched as he stared down at his gloved hands and stood his ground. Wasn't he going to look around for her?

A slow smile found it's way to his lips as he craned his neck from sided to side before looking up. When their eyes met Annabeth grabbed the branch she was sitting on more tightly. How did he know?

He slowly strode over to her tree and said in a soft and soothing voice, "Come down miss. It is going to be really cold tonight."

Annabeth rolled her eyes before she could stop herself. Did he think she was stupid?

"Hmm... grey eyes and wavy blonde hair... you are Annabeth are you not?"

Annabeth almost fell off the tree at that. What was with this man? How did he know her. He couldn't have possibly seen her before given the fact that she hadn't existed in there before.

He gave out a low chuckle and Annabeth realized that her mouth was wide open. She quickly shut it but didn't dare move. She was sure he was armed. His body guards wouldn't have left otherwise.

"I will not hurt you Annabeth. Percy would kill me if I did."

For the second time, Annabeth felt like falling off the tree again. He knew Percy? Percy hated- loathed all nobles. For all she was worth he could be bluffing.

"You know Percy?"

Annabeth's whisper was so soft that she considered repeating herself in case he hadn't heard her. As she opened her mouth to speak, Jasper replied in a soft but smooth voice,

"Yes I do."

"How can I trust you?"

Jasper smiled his -you-are-amusing- smile and slipped off his horse and landed on his feat without making a single sound. Annabeth stared at him curiously, waiting for him to do something... anything.

"I would tell you something personal about him but I bet you do not know him much."

Annabeth glared at him. It was true she knew next to nothing about Percy but she knew somethings. She would have to work with those.

"What was his teacher's name when he was little?"

Jasper's eyes widened for a moment. His smile left his face and after a heartbeat he looked at Annabeth with new found curiosity which made her cringe. He was making her feel like a test subject. Which she could be, considering she had come from future.

"Paul."

It was barely a whisper but Annabeth caught it and now it was her turn to stare at him. The subject of Percy's past wasn't famous Annabeth figured and surely he wouldn't go around telling everyone who his tutor was when he was a baby. So either Jasper knew Percy or he was unfairly good at wild guessing. Annabeth decided that the first option was more likely.

"But you are a noble."

Annabeth whispered. She didn't add that Percy hated nobles. If Jasper knew Percy at all he should have guessed that by now.

"You could pass for one too you know. Does not mean he hates you tough."

Jasper's smile was worth a million dollars and a magazine cover and it made Annabeth think about Vera more than anything else. Her baby sister was crazy about perfect boys like Jasper.

Annabeth pulled at her hair and looked down at the leaf covered ground below her.

"He hates me alright." She mumbled

Jasper gave her a quizzical look and she quickly added, "It has nothing to do with me being noble because I'm not."

"Then come down! Whatever it is that you are fighting upon I am sure will go away before you know it."

Annabeth doubted that but she decided she trusted Jasper. His blue eyes were too earnest and even tough he appeared spotless without a single scar, she could guess that he was strong. So he could have tackled her out of the tree by now if he had wanted to but he was asking her to come down. It was worth a chance. Annabeth was bone tired and a bath and a bed sounded like the best things life had to offer... tough she wondered if they were really being offered.

She slowly came down from the tree and hit the ground hard on her feet. She stumbled a little but Jasper caught her elbow and steadied her.

She mumbled a thanks and wrapped her hands around herself.

Jasper let out a sweet soft laugh. Annabeth couldn't help but turn and look at him. Up close she realized he wasn't so spotless after all. He had a scar on his lower lip, kind of a split lip, which made him look stronger than a ramp ready model. She quietly distanced herself from him. She felt this strange tug in her gut which screamed that she should know him.

But she didn't. She hadn't read about any Duke named Jasper or even if she had she must have forgotten it after being zapped hundred years back in time.

"Who are you exactly?"

Jasper smiled at her before saying, "You can call me Jasper but My Lord in front of the Duchess of Freezing."

Freezing was the northern most mountainous region of Kyte. It was close to the arctic circle and before the rebellion and invention of room heaters that place used to get so cold that the richer inhabitants used to migrate down south during winter. Including the noble house obviously.

But the way he talked about the duchess made Annabeth frown.

"If you're the Duke as those guards earlier called you shouldn't you be duchess's consort? Why didn't you just call her your wife?"

Jasper absentmindedly stroked his horse before asking, "Why do you think that I am her consort and not the other way around."

That was easy. She had read in her history books that the royal house of Freezing never produced a male heir due to some genetic complications. But she couldn't very well tell him that.

"You had only three guards."

She replied boldly. Praying her fluke would work.

Jasper nodded once and gestured towards his horse.

"Come on I will help you up."

Annabeth snorted.

"And why do you think I would? I don't even know you."

Jasper looked amused and the clouds that had gathered in his eyes when he had talked about his duchess had parted.

"You could wait for some other noble to catch you. It is close to hunting season anyway."

The way he said hunting made Annabeth's insides wobble. Sure she didn't know him but there was a very good chance Percy knew him and not as an enemy she believed. Even tough it didn't certify him as safe and secure she had to take up her chances. She didn't want the other nobles to hunt her.

She nodded and stood silently and watched him mount his horse gracefully. Then he offered her a perfectly gloved hand which she took before asking,

"By any chance you could... you know... tell me where he is?"

For a very cruel moment Jasper feigned innocence as he asked, "Who?"

Annabeth kicked his leg where it dangled near hers before settling down on the saddle and smirked when he winced.

"I will try."

Then he gave out an ear splitting whistle and strode off to no where in particular. Soon the other three guards joined him.

Annabeth had showered and had dressed up in a long yellow silk gown with bell sleeves and topazes for buttons. Jasper had explained that it was the least expensive dress he had to offer with no fancy waist line separation but the topaz buttons dug into her skin and made it hard for her to breath.

He had introduced her to a maid, Rachel, who had pleated her hair and had led her to an over impressive guest room with a large king sized bed surrounded by teak furniture and a plush golden sofa set. It led to three other rooms, one of which was a huge bathroom with a three feet deep bath tub and another was a powder room. There was another room facing the exquisite rose garden through a glass wall for a window. It had a book shelf and a fire place and flower pots. There was a slim coffee table at the center with plush golden sofas around it.

The closet was another room in it self. It was mostly empty except for a few expensive gowns and suits for guests in need.

The whole summer palace was huge and though no one offered Annabeth a tour her journey to the dining hall gave her some idea. She wasn't surprised to see the large dark teak doors with golden carvings and handles which opened to reveal a huge teak table with cushioned chairs and two thrones at either ends. At the larger throne sat a women in a huge icy blue gown covering up her slender form. Her skin was chalk white and her icy blue eyes looked like crackles of electricity peering out through freshly fallen snow. Her hair was the lightest shade of blonde, almost white in comparison to Jason's golden blonde. Her tiara was adorned with sapphires and diamonds which looked as cold as her thin lipped smile. Other than that she wore a heavy necklace made of white shiny pearls and diamonds and one of her wrists was sporting a thin platinum bracelet. Her wedding ring was the most unimpressive thing on her body. A simple golden band with nothing on it. It must have hurt her to wear something that didn't cost a million.

Annabeth took a seat to the immediate left of Jasper who was sipping red whine from a fancy silver goblet in his smaller throne.

Jasper glared at her for a moment and all she could do was frown at him. What was up with him?

Then the butlers came to serve dishes on the exquisite white plates in front of them. They all bowed in front of the duchess. oh.

With a haste Annabeth scrambled to her feet and dipped into what she hoped was a courtesy before rising again.

"Apologies my Lady. I'm still a bit dazed."

Annabeth managed before settling down in her seat.

The duchess raised both her eyebrows and forced a smile before saying, "Why dear? An amnesia sounds so awful! You have every right to feel dazed."

Yeah. She was an amnesic noble princess who Jasper had found in the forest. Annabeth fought the urge to roll her eyes.

The duchess was called Khione, Rachel had told her. Even tough she looked nice and sweet she was an incarnation of evil. Rachel had also told her to be ware of Khione. She was crazy. She had sterilized all the maids in the palace so that Jasper couldn't have a child with anyone but her. Annabeth had been confused at how she had managed to sterilize them so far back in time but Rachel had said that it had been awful and Annabeth had decided to stop talking.

Annabeth pushed a spoonful of salad around her plate as Rachel's words surfaced back to her. For the first time since being ripped apart from her life she was glad to have her blonde curls and her almost blue but grey eyes.

Khione wouldn't hurt a fellow noble. That could compromise her position.

"So honey tell me, do you remember anything? Anything at all? You must remember you name at least?" Khione asked with another fake smile.

Annabeth shook her head and then answered politely, "Anabel... maybe. I'm not sure."

"Why the way you speak is most endearing! I do not think I have heard any noble speak like that." Even tough Khione was speaking to her, she was looking at Jasper. But her question still remained.

Annabeth tensed and glanced at Jasper who was looking back at Khione with barely contained anger.

She wondered if there was any love between them. There had to be if they were married right? But then Khione wouldn't have been so insecure to sterilize all the maids. What a huge psycho!

"I- I'm- I am-"

"Are you alright Anabel?" Jasper asked while pinning Annabeth with a sharp look. She caught the message and shook her head in denial.

"My head hurts."

"That is too sad. I will have Rachel escort you to the guest chambers. You can have your dinner there."

Jasper didn't sound so sad but it was a way for her to escape Khione's clutches. And she wasn't complaining.

"But dear she-"

"Do you not want to enjoy our dinner? Just the two of us?"

Khione's smile changed and Annabeth almost wished for her fake one to return. This smile of hers was cruel and was dripping with murderous hunger. Yeah. She looked like a lunatic serial killer itching towards her prey which apparently was Jasper.

Annabeth looked at him. He was looking straight at his goblet and trying his level best to look nonchalant. Malcolm had done the same thing when he had fallen off his bike and broken his arm. The thought of her little brother in Jasper's position made her blood curdle. She wondered why he had married Khione at all if they weren't even in an understanding.

"Fair enough. The maid outside the door will guide you to your quarter. Good night Madame Anabel."

Annabeth forced a smile,

"Good night Lady Khione... Lord Jasper."

With that Annabeth made her way to the huge ornate doors. She hadn't failed to notice the way Khione had decided that she wasn't any duchess or countess material.

When Annabeth passed by her, she gripped her elbow with her talon like fingers and pulled her down towards her. Khione's breath was frosty on her skin as she whispered,

"Know your place young noblesse. Dare to be with my Lord and you will not know what hit you."

Her voice was so sickly sweet that Annabeth felt nauseated. She nodded feebly and yanked herself away from the duchess. She performed a sloppy bow and sprinted to the door.

"Sweet promises the night brings."

That's all Annabeth heard before the doors closed behind her.

So that's the new chapter. Please tell me what you guys think about this!