Leo

Calypso was clutching Leo's shoulder and hopping on one foot. Leo was beyond happy with his present situation. He couldn't have even wished for a pretty girl to clutch onto him in his time.

They were passing through a small village. The ground was wet and lush with greenery. It must have rained there.

Leo glanced down at Calypso. She was struggling against humidity, sweat was raining down her face and trickling down her long graceful neck.

Leo looked away. He couldn't let his thoughts stray in that direction.

"There!"

He looked to where Calypso had pointed.

Leo had expected to see another one of those barely standing huts which had dotted the village along their way. What stood in front of him was a massive compound with wooden barricades and a burly guard standing on watch.

Leo had insisted on going to his school since that had been the rebel's strong hold from his history books but Calypso had been convinced that they had moved from there.

To be honest she had been ready to scream and run when he had dropped the location of his school out of nowhere (thanks to battery operated maps!).

But as soon as they had neared that area Calypso had stopped walking.

"It's too quiet." She'd whispered under her breath.

"Isn't it supposed to be? For secrecy?"

She had given him an annoyed look and turned on her heel.

She claimed that a rebel lived in the village at the foot of the imperial town, keeping a close eye on the emperor's activities.

The guard shuffled over to Calypso and peered at her.

"Argus!"

She literally pushed Leo back and jumped at the burly middle aged guard.

Argus wrapped his hands around her in a bear hug, lifting her off the ground.

Leo bristled behind them, shifting his weight from one foot to another.

"Dear girl! It's been so long."

His voice was as gruff as his huge muscles. He eyed Leo wryly and put Calypso down.

"Haven't seen around before bub. A new recruit Cally?"

Leo looked at the huge giant of about seven feet and gulped. This guy looked ready to pulverise anyone who messed with his dear girl.

"He... he helped me."

And then tears brimmed around her eye. She launched into a brief recounting of the events that had led her and Leo to that place.

"So he's looking for his friend."

After Calypso finished Argus eyed Leo again. He took a step towards the skinny boy who fought the urge to step back.

He gruffly patted Leo's back,

"A brave one eh? Thanks for saving our little girl."

"No problem sir."

Leo pulled out the Glaring Annabeth school yearbook picture and showed it to the guard.

"This is my friend. Calypso said you might know how I could... find her?"

The guards looked at the picture and drew his eyebrows together. Calypso acted weird. She locked her shoulders stiffly and looked away.

Strange... maybe she blamed Annabeth for bringing her along to that party although, in Annabeth's defence, Calypso seemed to be perfectly able to take her own decisions.

Calypso turned towards Leo and glared at him,

Can she hear thoughts or something?

"Well sonny. I think I've heard about your friend. A rebel girl who looks like a noble."

Leo wanted to gawk at Argus.

Annabeth a rebel?

Has she gone crazy? Has she forgotten the number of rebels that had died on the Faithful Day?

But at least she might be here... and luckily alive.

Or it's just some other blondie.

Leo decided to see through it. If anything, a noble girl joining the rebels would have become history just like the part about that noble guy. So this one could be someone who didn't quite belong in Kyte of 1910s.

"Where is she? Please tell me! This is very important!"

Leo could have crawled on his hands and legs and begged for information.

It was his fault that Annabeth had landed in such hostile times, He couldn't let her die.

Argus glanced at Calypso who was making it a point to stare up at the clear cloudy sky above.

"Well... Tyson is waiting."

With a loud clang Argus opened the door.

Leo had expected to see modest living conditions, maybe a brick hut or two. But what stood in front of him... took his breath away.

Annabeth

Annabeth felt like she was seven again. She remembered her Father taking her to the park. He had asked her to sit on a bench and wait while he got her an ice cream.

Annabeth had waited and waited for hours.

At closing time she had walked up to the gate with trembling chin and shaking shoulders, believing for sure that her daddy had left her.

The people around her had been whispering,

Poor child...

Irresponsible parents...

Maybe she ran away from home...

Yeah, look at her, she's not even crying, must be a run away

Annabeth had felt like running away a couple of times after the heated showdowns between her dad and step mother whenever dad thought she wasn't listening.

At that moment, before a nice policeman had escorted her home and given a stern warning to her father, she had felt hollow, as if all the light and good had been sucked away from her body, leaving behind tears which she was struggling to hold inside herself.

That's exactly how she felt while bumping against merrily drunk people in the wine district. The tents were filled with every colour possible. Bright yellow and red roofs, pale golden or purple or burgundy wine, women of all stature of the finest royal blue silk to the roughest white cottons of the poor peasants.

Kate followed close behind Annabeth, hiding her face behind her cloak.

Annabeth was seething with hatred for the other girl and Martha, who had justified Kate's actions,

"We had always thought that this life of ours was sufficient for us but little Kate is young... she should have a chance at life again."

Annabeth looked around at the crowded fare and held onto the shawl she had borrowed from Anastasia.

"Folks ain ta fon 'f blonies theye."

I could easily lose her. The rebels would be looking for a blonde haired girl married to anyway. There is no need for me to tolerate her any further.

Annabeth quickly thought of a plan.

She spotted a large group of women laughing and walking towards her while holding on to each other.

She quickly glanced behind her to see that Kate was still following close behind her.

A small boy came and pulled her long brown skirt.

"Would you care for a flower miss?"

Annabeth looked at the small kid with muddy cheeks and big brown eyes. He held onto a couple of wilted lilies and looked up at Annabeth with hope dripping from his eyes.

A smile curved over her lips.

She bent down and hurriedly whispered to the kid,

"See that cloaked woman behind me? The one with pretty red hair, long hair?"

The kid nodded eagerly,

"Well she's to become a bride soon and would love a bouquet like yours for her wedding."

The kid frowned and looked down at his lilies.

"Are you sure miss?"

Annabeth smiled more for good measure and patted the kid's head.

"Positive!"

The boy brightened at the prospect of selling all his flowers and bounced off.

Annabeth stood still for a moment.

"Miss I heard about your nuptials! Would you-"

Annabeth quickly went ahead and grabbed the arm of one of the ladies in the group she had spotted earlier and laughed along with them.

She crossed a very surprised Kate who had just come to know about her impending wedding. Annabeth felt guilty about the kid but she'd already managed to give Kate the slip.

After that Annabeth roamed the streets, breathing in the sweet scent of wine on every person and everything. With each passing second her frustration mounted. Where were the rebels?

While keeping a look out for Kate Annabeth stumbled upon a wooden set of stacked wine drums. The empty drums fell with a crash on the floor.

"Who's there?"

Annabeth looked at the small yellow shack she had just demolished partly and winced.

"I'm sorry! I wasn't... being careful."

An old bent lady with a shaking cane staggered out of the shop and peered up at Annabeth.

The lady's blue eyes widened,

Annabeth realized too late that the shawl had dropped from her head.

"A No-nobmph"

Annabeth quickly dragged the lady inside her tent-shop and dropped the cover. She stayed absolutely still for a second, making sure that nobody had heard the old woman utter that word.

A sharp stinging pain brought her attention back to the old woman.

She had bit Annabeth's hand, the one which was most probably choking the poor woman to death.

She quickly let go and stepped back.

The woman heaved and stumbled.

Annabeth noticed that the tent was almost empty save for a bed roll.

So she hadn't come upon a shop after all.

"What in the name of the devil-"

Annabeth held up both her hands.

"Not one of the devils. I'm not what you think I am."

The woman's lips curled back in a sneer. A few silver locks mixed with brown fell from the tight bun atop her head. Annabeth looked at the lady again. She hadn't gotten a good look at the woman before but now through the dim light inside the tent she could see more of her face.

A few wrinkles scattered around her eyes but that was it. The rest of her face was a bit spotty but smooth and... white like that statue of Queen...

"Ampitrite?"

The fallen Queen's eyes narrowed. She patted down her dusty brown smock and drew out a shiny object and pointed it at Annabeth.

"Filthy mud haired noble!"

Annabeth's mind raced.

She was all alone in a god forsaken tent with a mad fallen Queen who was out for the blood of anyone with blonde hairy strands. With a sickening feeling Annabeth wished that she hadn't ditched Kate.

No.

That was the best thing she'd done all her life. She would have ended up murdering that little wrench.

"Look. I am not a noble. My eyes are grey."

That had seemed enough to convince Thalia but...

"Looks blue enough to me."

Amphitrite's voice was clipped and sharp and cut through Annabeth's ear just as smoothly as her golden dagger would through Annabeth's chest.

She tried again, circling the tent tentatively with her hands raised in surrender,

"I'm with the rebels."

"And the king is too kind." She sneered and lunged at Annabeth.

Annabeth tried to step back but was too slow. The knife sliced through her arm. She yelped. Red rivulets dripped down her arm. Tears stung Annabeth's eyes.

A shrill bout of laughter and then the Queen lunged at her again. This time aiming for the throat.

Annabeth raised her hands to block the blow. She knew all her efforts would be useless. She was standing on the closed side of the tent. The Queen was too fast for a hunch back.

Annabeth waited for the next cut... but it never came.

Instead the queen grabbed her injured hand.

Pain shot through her entire being at the rough contact. She tried to snatch her hand away but the other woman's grip was firm and very painful.

Annabeth let out a muffled cry.

"What is this debauchery? Where did you get this ring from?"

Annabeth looked down at her white fingers snaked around her bloody skin and frowned. The glint of her wedding ring caught her eyes. Suddenly what the fallen Queen was saying dawned on her.

"You are Percy's stepmother!"

Annabeth couldn't believe she hadn't made that connection the moment she had recognised the fallen queen. After all she had come to know about Percy's origin when she'd married him even if his name and status had not made her history books.

The moment Percy's name slipped past Annabeth's lips the queen's burning gaze turned icy.

"That bastard child!"

She gave Annabeth a rough push which made her fall on the ground.

Annabeth winced.

"That traitor! To have married an enem-"

Annabeth quickly stood up and glared at the woman,

"He's not a traitor. And you are one to say!"

The women went ahead and snatched Annabeth's hand again. This time she was ready. She lurched her hand back and made a dash towards the entry flap.

The knife flew past her and nicked her ear. With a thump in embedded in the flap, attaching it to the tent.

"I've more knives."

Annabeth swallowed and turned around.

"There is no point in killing me."

Amphitrite arched a rather perfect eyebrow, "Really? I beg to differ."

Annabeth stood there and sized up the women. She wasn't really a hunch back... there was no hump on her to be honest she was every bit slim and elegant as Annabeth's own mother.

Percy was her stepson, his father's mistress's son, probably the love she had for her stepson wouldn't be enough to get her out that tent alive.

Still she had to try.

"You should be proud of him."

Amphitrite made a face of disgust and opened her mouth to tell Annabeth off, probably about how proud she was about her husband's illegitimate child, but Annabeth hurried on.

"I didn't always have blonde hair. It's only for now... for some purpose."

Annabeth was sure that hair colour had been discovered till 1914 if not used abundantly or to be honest at all in Kyte.

The woman frowned and looked at Annabeth carefully,

"It looks real to me."

Annabeth forced a grin,

"You see! No one will be able to guess any different!"

Amphitrite looked at her for another minute and then sighed. Her shoulders drooped and she settled down on the cot.

Her gaze wandered to Annabeth's ring and a sad smile crossed her face.

"The son of a whore."

Annabeth winced but kept her mouth shut. She was almost glad that Percy wasn't in that tent with her. He might have choked that woman to death... stepmother or not.

Her eyes rode up and locked with Annabeth's.

"But the only surviving heir to my late husband's family."

Annabeth's chest tightened,

"His father... he is no more?"

Amphitirte looked away.

But Annabeth still caught the tears, rolling down her white skin like tiny transparent pearls.

"I always hated Sally."

Her voice was so grim that Annabeth took a step towards her to comfort her but stopped herself. Somehow it didn't feel quite right.

"After my son Triton died... he, Poseidon, one day came back with this new hoe. All the others were forgotten after that... including me"

Her lips trembled.

Annabeth took the opportunity to edge towards the flap. Amphitirte's eyes snapped towards her. She froze.

But after a moment she continued as if Annabeth's hadn't moved at all,

"They had a son and then all his time was given to that whore."

She lifted her hand up for Annabeth to see.

The burnish, dark scars ran the entire length of her ring finger. Annabeth's own ring seemed to tighten around her finger at the woman's ploy.

She swallowed and nodded towards the outstretched hand,

"He- you got divorced?"

Amphitrite's jaw clenched. She sent a hateful look towards Annabeth.

"Bring that dagger girl."

Annabeth turned and looked at the golden dagger. A few minutes ago it was pointed at her heart.

She gingerly walked towards the entrance and plucked the dagger out.

"It's pure gold."

Annabeth's thoughts of a quick escape were interrupted by that. She couldn't help herself.

She looked down and admired the golden beauty in her hand. It was simply gold without a single speck of any stone.

Different sea shells of different sizes were carved on the handle. Just looking at it made Annabeth feel cool and a bit... strong. The dagger was light and sharp. It was her weapon of choice, she realized, one that she could use.

"I went there that day to return the dagger."

Annabeth looked back up at the women and went over to give her the dagger.

Amphitrite shook her head.

"It's supposed to remain with the lady of the house. I thought I would one day... I would be giving it my son's... Triton's bride but..."

Annabeth hadn't spoken up in a while and she decided to remain quiet. She liked where this was going.

"Anyway, that day Poseidon saved me."

Annaebth nodded. She could see that Amphitrite had loved Poseidon.

But she was a bit glad to know that he had loved Percy's mother.

"He was going to marry Sally- Percy's mother"

Annabeth nodded again.

"So I thought I should- even though I didn't want to- she didn't deserve-"

Amphitrite took a deep shaky breath and thrust the knife towards Annabeth.

Her blue eyes shone with anger and determination. Age had seemed to have no effect on her spirit.

"You are going to the palace?"

Annabeth knew she was. That's were Percy was after all.

"Yes Ma'am."

Amphitrite smiled as Annabeth took the knife from her.

"Good. Make sure this knife goes home to my father in-law's heart."

Luke

Luke looked on as the guards spread a dirty white sheet over dead body. The man's hand was limp and hanging from the stretcher on which he lay. The golden band shone with a brilliantly even in the dim fire light. It was almost defiant.

Luke contemplated chopping the dead boy's finger off.

He had decided to call the dead man a boy. He had been only nineteen or twenty. Or so the doctor who had pronounced him dead had proclaimed. Even so he was certainly less than his twenty-five and more than Annabeth's... eighteen?

She always did like them older.

Silena's irritating voice scathed his mind. He didn't really know why only her voice remained. He had murdered plenty others. She wasn't even the most recent one.

The last one had been Vera Chase.

She had slept with him easily. A few nice words and that's all it had took. The best part about being with her was her likeliness to her sister... it was almost like being with Annabeth herself... almost but not quite.

He looked back at the corpse and took his sword out.

"I suggest you to not mutilate the body."

Luke looked at the oddly short and badly dressed doctor. Even from a mile away you could probably smell sour wine on his breath.

"Why not?"

Dionysus shrugged.

"I would want all his body parts intact if we even want a slight chance to identify the rebel."

Luke raised an eyebrow.

"Why work so hard after the identity of an insignificant rebel?"

Dr. D shrugged again.

"He might not be insignificant."

Luke sighed and sheathed his sword.

"Fine. As you wish. I've more important things to do."

He had. The time of the rebellion was drawing nearer. Soon his plans would come to play. All the blood that he had shed would finanly have some meaning.

And he had killed Annabeth's husband.

Nothing stood between them now.

Hey guys! Sorry for making you wait foreeeeeever! But I was really busy with life! Everything seems good for now though xD! Okay so about this one! I was just reading through it and felt it wasn't written so well :( But I can't actually feel my own story the way I feel the other novels and fanfics... yet. So I wanna know if it is badly written with lack of imagination then I would work on the chapters before this one to make it better. If it's cool then I'll go ahead as planned! That is a new chapter once every ten days! Please do tell!