AN: Wow! Three chapters in one day! look at that! Well, I've had a lot of time on my hands. Here comes the next chapter!
Annabeth sat sullenly on her bed as her mother took the final remnants of her time with Percy out of her hair. The flowers from her braid were placed in a basket at Hera's feet, and Annabeth's hair was let to fall in front of her face.
"There, it never happened." Hera said, then went about as if nothing had happened. "Now, wash up for dinner. I'm making hazelnut soup." Annabeth remained where she was, hands clasped together in her lap. Hera sighed, "I really did try, Annabeth. I tried to warn you what was out there. The world is dark, and selfish, and cruel. If it finds the slightest ray of sunshine, it destroys it."
Hera closed the curtains to Annabeth's alcove. Annabeth opened her hands and let the small kingdom flag unfurl in her lap. She thought about what Percy would be doing now. Probably living off of the money he got for the crown. She thought.
In fact, Percy was somewhere else entirely. He was being led to his execution. A million thoughts were going through his head; Annabeth's going to think I abandoned her. She'll go back to her mother, brokenhearted. My family will never know what happened to me.
The guards were leading him through the corridors of the prison, when Percy glanced over and saw the Stoll brothers sitting idly in a cell. a rage coursed through him as he realized If they're here, where's Annabeth? He shook free of the guards, knocked them out, swung his hands in under and in front of himself, and grabbed the lapels of Travis Stoll.
"How did you know about her!? Tell me, now!" He demanded, pulling Travis against the bars.
"It wasn't us. It was the old lady!" The thief said.
"Old lady?" Percy said to himself, then realized Annabeth's mother. She's in trouble. Butbefore he could get away to find her, the guards accosted him once again. "No, wait, you don't understand, she's in trouble! Wait! I am Prince Perseus of Atlantis! Let me go!" Percy fought back, but could not break free, and the guards didn't believe him.
_
Annabeth , the flag clutched to her chest, lay back on her bed, staring at the ceiling. She focused on one of her paintings: a dancing girl in a pink dress. Then something occurred to her. The outline of the painting was the same shape as the sun on the flag. She checked, and double checked, but it was the same. She got off her bed to look for more. She found one in her paintings of a tree, a cat, etc. The suns were everywhere. Then it all came back to her in a wave of infancy memories. She saw her mobile above her crib in the palace, she saw her parents, the king and queen, she saw it all. Annabeth was so overwhelmed that she stumbled backwards, knocking over her armoire and mirror.
"Annabeth? Annabeth, what's going on up there?" Hera called up to her from the kitchen. Annabeth stumbled out of her room, coming to the realization,
"I'm the lost princess." She mumbled to herself.
"Please speak up Annabeth, you know how I hate the mumbling." Hera said annoyed.
"I am the lost princess. Aren't I?" Annabeth said loudly. Hera paused and the truth was written all over her face. "Did I mumble mother? Or should I even call you that?" She said, very angry. Hera regained her composure,
"Annabeth, do you even hear yourself? Why would you ask such a ridiculous question?" Hera said and tried to hug Annabeth.
Annabeth just pushed her away and went down the stairs, her hair trailing behind her, "It was you! It was all you."
"Everything I did was to protect you." Hera said, still trying to justify her imprisoning Annabeth.
"I spent my entire life hiding from people who would use me for my power, when all this time, I should have been hiding from you." Annabeth turned to Hera with a glare that would make any soldier quiver in his boots.
"Where will you go?" Hera said, trying to hold onto Annabeth by any means. "He won't be there for you."
"What did you do to him?" Annabeth asked, now remembering Percy, and knew that he couldn't have left of his own volition.
"That criminal is to be hanged for his crimes. Kidnapping, thievery, using an assumed name? They won't care whether he's a prince or not. And once Atlantis finds out that Corona killed their crowned Prince, they'll go to war. But we'll be safe and sound."
"No.." Annabeth whispered.
"Now, now, it's alright. Listen to me. All of this is as it should be." Hera went to pat Annabeth's head, but the girl grasped Hera's wrist in an iron grasp.
"NO! You were wrong about the world, and you were wrong about me. And I will never let you use my hair again!" Hera shook free and stumbled back, knocking over a mirror. Annabeth moved to the window to get out. Hera got an evil look on her face and stalked towards Annabeth. She grabbed the girls arms before she could escape.
"You want me to be the bad guy? Fine, now I'm the bad guy."
AN: There you have it. I might put another up tomorrow, but not 100% sure. Also, I'm probably going to do a PJO/Little Mermaid one just like this. Basically the story, but Percy is the merman, and Annabeth is the land princess. everything else is pretty much the same. thoughts? Ideas? I also need a title for it. 'the Little Merman' is overused.