The council room took Percy's breath away.

His dolphin escorts stayed back at the entrance, huge double doors carved from coral. The room was shaped like a dome, and every surface–the floor, the walls that curved into the ceiling–was covered in colorful tile depicting scenes from ancient underwater battles. As Tyson led Percy into the center of the floor, he watched in wonder as the tiles moved, playing out history for him to behold.

They stopped in the dead center of the chamber. Above his head, a pearl chandelier cast a soft glow. Ahead of him, his father sat on that same pearl throne dressed in long blue robes, and to his left, a beautiful woman with flowing black hair and mocha-colored eyes sat on an identical throne. She wore a silvery iridescent gown studded with pearls. He noticed she had tiny little horns coming out of her head, like crab claws. She glared at Percy.

To Poseidon's right sat a boy who looked to be about twenty, also glaring at him. He was a merman, but he had two fish tails instead of one, and his skin was sea green. Percy found the intensity of his gaze overwhelming, so he turned to look around. On the left side of the room sat five men in much more humble thrones of their own, made of coral. They seemed to be in order of age; the one closest to the strange merman seemed to be the oldest, maybe around his early to mid-thirties, and the one furthest seemed to be about fifteen or sixteen. They all had black hair and green eyes, like Percy, and they all had a thin layer of air between them and the water, like Percy. He accidentally locked eyes with the youngest one, and to Percy's surprise, the boy grinned, causing Percy to start–the kid looked eerily like Percy when he smiled.

Percy turned to look to his right and did a double-take. He could barely believe what he was seeing; the exact same five people were sitting on identical thrones on the other side, as if mirrored. He turned his head back and forth, struggling to understand. The youngest boy to his right snickered, and a few others pressed their lips together to hide smiles.

Poseidon, who had been whispering something to the woman beside him, finally looked at Percy and Tyson and raised an eyebrow. His stony expression chilled Percy to his core. Tyson knelt, and Percy followed suit.

"The Atlantic High Council," Tyson whispered, and Percy winced at how loud his voice still managed to be. "Those are the governors of Atlantis."

"Rise," Poseidon said, and the two boys got up to their feet. "Thank you, Tyson. You may leave us."

Percy felt his heart drop. He had been hoping Tyson could stick around for moral support. The Cyclops shot Percy a forlorn glance, then begrudgingly nodded at Poseidon.

"Good luck, Percy," he stage-whispered again, then left. Percy heard the coral doors creak shut behind him and swallowed his nerves.

"So convenes the High Council for the case of Perseus Jackson," Poseidon declared. "We must determine the extent of the threat to this kingdom and what this boy's role in it has been."

Percy blinked, ashamed at how much it stung to hear his father refer to him asthis boy.

The woman to the king's left crossed her legs. "Ketos testified that the Great River has copulated with a Siren to bring about some child. If that is true, that means he has left the poles to take on a physical form again without our knowledge."

"But that doesn't mean that he has ill intent," said the oldest man against the left side of the dome. "Remember that the Great River has a gentle history."

"You need not lecture me about history, Atlas," the woman snapped, and the man dipped his head in respect.

"Forgive me, Your Highness," he said. "I was merely speaking for the benefit of the room." As Percy watched this Atlas person, he realized that he was the only one of the ten governors to wear a crown. Not even the man mirroring him on the right wore one, although they both exuded importance.

"Thar be no good intention fer that course of action," said the third man on the right side. He, like his mirrored partner on the left, had a long scraggly beard and was dressed like a pirate, but Percy noticed that this one also had a hook for a right hand, whereas the pirate on the left side did not.

The second man on the left side shifted in his seat, crossing his legs. "Erm, well said, Otto," he mused, taking a sip of a yellow daiquiri through a whimsical curly straw. Percy couldn't read his expression behind his designer sunglasses, but he sounded judgmental. "What good reason could he possibly have for returning? Wasn't the whole point of him becoming one with the ice to avoid butting heads with you, Father?"

Percy's eyes grew wide.Father?Were these people his…

"It troubles me that he did so in secret, as well," the counterpart to Atlas added.

The merman on the throne directly next to Poseidon nodded. "I agree with Fairy and Melo," he said, and Percy found himself dubious that those could be their real names. "If he truly has no ill intentions, then he should not have acted in secret." He turned his gaze to Percy as he spoke, staring straight through him. Percy's throat felt dry.

"I am not concerned so much with that, Triton," Poseidon countered, to the merman's chagrin. "Oceanus is an ancient and autonomous deity, and I treat him as such, meaning I do not feel the need to monitor his every movement, nor must he report his every deed to me." The one called Otto muttered something unintelligible under his breath, but Poseidon continued undeterred. "What does concern me is the existence of this daughter, and what Ketos has told me about the Sirens."

"Them there birdbrains can yap all they want," said the fourth man on the left, who looked to be about eighteen and wore a Salt Life t-shirt and fishing gear. "Tor and I'll catch 'em real quick." His counterpart on the right, also a fisherman, whooped in agreement and spit what looked to be chew into a bottle.

"There's no reason to take any action against the Sirens themselves," Atlas said with a hint of exasperation. "They are chained to their rock; whether they love or hate our father is inconsequential. What matters is this daughter of theirs who can apparently leave their territory."

Percy blinked. There it was again–our father. His head was reeling. No one, not even Poseidon, had addressed him yet. Why was he here if no one was going to let him talk?

"If even this Ketos is to be taken at his word," said the youngest boy on the left–the one who had grinned at Percy. The young demigod sized him up; he and his counterpart looked the most similar to Percy, as if he were looking at a slightly older version of himself times two. The one who spoke was more muscular than Percy, though, and had a tattoo of a surfboard peeking out from under the sleeve of his Tony Hawk t-shirt.

Triton scowled. "Ketos has been nothing but a loyal servant of the king. To suggest that he would even be capable of lying–"

"No, not lying," the boy jumped in. "I'm just saying that he might not have the, uh, capacity to fully understand what he's heard."

"Kook raises a point," the one called Melo said. "It may be wise to take the Ketos's account with a grain of salt before we make any decisions."

The man directly next to him scoffed. Like his counterpart, Fairy, he wore sunglasses and held a daiquiri. He also had a vineyard vines jumper tied around his shoulders. "I never thought I'd see the day that someone in this court uttered the words, 'Kook has a point.'"

"Hey, I'm always making good points," the boy protested good-naturedly, seemingly not so bothered by the disrespect. "Isn't that right, Prep?"

Kook's counterpart on the right looked like a typical skater–the last person in this room Percy would guess to be called "Prep." He gave a sort of half-nod, half-shrug in response. Kook turned back to his other brother and grinned. "See? Take that, Money!"

"Please take this seriously, Azaes," the woman said, rubbing her temples. "Our goal here is to avoid embarrassment for the king."

Poseidon took one of her hands and rubbed it with his thumb. "Thank you, my love, but that is not my principal goal here. I want to know if there is a real threat I must deal with. I am concerned with avoiding conflict."

She stiffened. "Of course, my lord. I meant–a goal here."

Poseidon dropped her hand and turned to face the room. "I agree with Eumelus. We must take the Ketos's account with a grain of salt. That's why Percy is here."

Every head in the room turned to look at Percy. He was suddenly aware of every hair on his body and how they stood at attention. He had never wanted so badly to melt into the floor, but he promised himself he would not go down without a fight.

If Poseidon was aware of Percy's discomfort, he didn't show it. His face was an unreadable wall of stone. "Percy, Ketos prayed to me yesterday and told me he saw you and a girl in the Sea of Monsters. Is that true?"

Percy swallowed, trying to return some moisture to his mouth. "Yes," he croaked hoarsely, then cleared his throat. "Yes, sir."

Poseidon frowned slightly. "This girl, he said she's the daughter of Oceanus and a Siren. Is that true?"

"Yes, sir."

"And Ketos said she impersonated me to trick him using her Siren powers. Is that true?"

Percy grimaced. "Yes, sir," he said glumly.

The Queen gasped, as if Percy had just called her husband a murderer and taken a dump on his floor.

"And you allowed this?"

Percy blinked rapidly. "I…I didn't stop her."

Poseidon took a deep breath, but Percy could tell he was offended. In fact, it seemed like everyone in the room considered that to be a personal affront.

"How do we know this is the real Perseus Jackson?" Melo wondered darkly. "It could be her playing another trick." The rest of the governors murmured suspiciously.

Poseidon sized Percy up. "Very well," he said, "tell me something only Percy Jackson would say."

Percy blinked, opening and closing his mouth wordlessly. "Um, uh," he stammered, "I, uh, see you ditched the Bermuda shorts this time." He winced at how lame he sounded. His father considered his words, then tilted his head.

"That will do," he said flatly. "Back to the matter at hand. You helped this girl escape the Sea of Monsters, did you not?" Poseidon continued.

"Well–not exactly."

"Yes or no, Percy," his father said.

Percy scratched at his arms, feeling suddenly as if every surface of his body was itchy. "Um, not–not really. She had already left the Sea of Monsters before."

The council broke into murmurs. The pirate on the left was the first to speak up.

"Preposterous," he said. "Why in the blazes would she go back? Ye be lying to us."

"No, I'm not, I swear!" Percy said, his voice rising.

"Silence!" the Queen shouted, slamming her open palm onto the armrest of her throne. "How dare you speak out of turn!"

Poseidon gently touched her arm. "Peace, Amphitrite," he said softly, then turned back to Percy. "Where did you meet this girl?"

"Um, New York."

"And you went with her back to the Sea of Monsters?"

"Yes. Sir."

"To speak with the Sirens?"

Percy gulped. "Yes, sir."

With every response, his father's expression darkened. Percy had the feeling he was failing some sort of test. He didn't know what to do, though, other than to be honest.

Poseidon stroked his wiry black beard thoughtfully. "Did you two speak with the Sirens, Percy?"

"Uh, she did," Percy said. "I didn't."

Poseidon nodded, as if this were expected. "And did the Sirens say anything about me?"

Swallowing a lump down his throat, Percy nodded.

"Speak, boy," Amphitrite said.

"Y-yes, sir."

"Did they," Poseidon began, pausing to find the correct words, "call for my downfall?"

Percy's heart dropped. "Yes, sir."

Triton muttered under his breath, and a few of the governors shot furtive glances at each other across the room. Percy wanted desperately to explain, but he didn't want to get in worse trouble for speaking when he wasn't supposed to.

Poseidon's eyes narrowed. "Did this girl call for my downfall as well?"

"No, sir," Percy said, perhaps too quickly. Murmurs swept across the chamber.

Poseidon raised an eyebrow, but he did not speak right away. "Did the Sirens say anything about the Great River?"

"Yes, sir."

"Did they indicate why he left the polar ice caps?"

Percy scratched at his neck. "They're, um, melting, my lord. He thawed out."

Poseidon and Amphitrite shared a glance. Triton was glaring at Percy as if he wanted to swim over and wring his neck.

Crossing his arms, Poseidon continued, "Has he said anything to the Sirens about me?"

Percy could feel his heartbeat in his fingertips. "Yes, sir."

Poseidon leaned forward, and although he didn't look, Percy could have sworn that every other person on the council did too. He scratched furiously at his forearms.

"Listen to me, Percy," Poseidon said earnestly, "this is important. Is he planning to usurp me?"

Percy could now hear his own heartbeat in his ears. He glanced around nervously at all the faces with their eyes trained on him. He felt so ashamed to ask, "Um, what does 'usurp' mean?"

Triton scoffed, and a few of the older governors chuckled derisively. Percy wasn't sure, but he could have sworn that his father's eyes softened to the slightest degree. "It means to take power away from me. Is he planning to attack me?"

Percy took a deep breath and steeled himself. "Yes, sir."

The council erupted into furious conversation. Triton jumped out of his chair, a small blue trident appearing in his hand. "I knew it!" he exclaimed.

Poseidon sat, rigid, staring into the distance for a few moments while his council raged around him. Finally, he held up a hand, and the talking died down. Triton once again took his seat but kept his trident.

"One final question," his father said flatly. "Does his daughter intend to fight by his side?"

"No, sir," Percy said emphatically.

Triton once again leapt to attention. "You liar!" he roared. "We know where she is. The Sirens prayed to her father just as Ketos prayed to ours. Why else would she seek them out? Why is she now in her father's fortress?"

"That's–it's not like that," Percy protested, hoping he wouldn't be cut off this time. "She just wanted answers. Her father wants her to fight, but she would never do that!"

"Perseus!" his father chided sharply, and Percy flinched in spite of himself. "Control your tongue." Poseidon ran a weary hand through his thick, black hair. He spoke again in a more measured tone, "I'm sure you understand how this all appears, Percy. The facts are not in your favor. Consorting with an enemy is considered treachery in my kingdom."

Percy's breath quickened. "I swear to you, father, she is not an enemy. She does not serve her father. She would never do what he wants."

Amphitrite's eyes narrowed. "If what you said is true, the Great River has made himself our enemy. Any of his offspring could be our enemies as well."

"But children don't always serve their parents," Percy argued desperately, trying to ignore the way her eyes flashed murderously. Turning to his father, he said, "You and your father were on opposite sides of the last war between the titans and the gods. And you still are now. And he's your father." He worried that he was rambling, but he could barely think. He hoped he was making sense, but he barely understood anything. He felt like such a child.

"Yes, children don't always serve their parents," Atlas mused, stroking his chin. "That's what we're worried about here, Perseus."

Feeling backed into a corner, Percy tried to read his father's expression. He couldn't decide if the sea god seemed more angry or hurt. "Tell me why, Percy," he said finally. "Why were you fraternizing with this girl?"

"She needed my help," Percy said. "She–"

"Aha!" Triton exclaimed. "The traitor confesses!"

"No!" Percy shouted. "Not like that!"

Everyone was talking again. Percy caught snippets here and there:with what,seduced,what will they think,lost. Amphitrite was slowly shaking her head, as if her exact fears had come true.

Against his better judgment, Percy shouted over the noise, "It's not like that! She's cursed!"

"You lie again!" Triton yelled, jabbing his trident in Percy's direction. "And why would you help her break a curse unless you were allied with her? Why do you need her to be free?"

"And why would she betray her own father?" Atlas added.

Percy's heart sank as he realized that the truth wasn't going to help him here. These people wouldn't understand helping someone for the simple sake of helping; to them, aid was only a means to a self-serving end. Nor would they understand Anastasia's dogged pacifism. And even if he could convince them that he was telling the truth, they were far too concerned with how the whole situation would look to outsiders. Percy knew in his heart he was the black sheep of this family, and now, he was their great shame. He didn't care about telling them the truth anymore. He just had to figure out how to make them believe that he hadn't turned against his father.

"She would never serve her father because she would never betray me," he said slowly. "For the same reason that I promised to help break her curse."

His father once again silenced the room and regarded Percy curiously. Despite being underwater, Percy could tell his palms were sweaty and sticky. He continued nonetheless, the wheels in his head turning.

He had to speak their language, give them an explanation they would understand for why he and Anastasia had been together. He feared he knew what he would have to say.

"Her curse can only be broken by–by true love," he said, "and I–"

The rest of the muttering in the chamber died down. He felt all eyes on him once again. He took a deep breath and stared directly into his father's eyes.

"I am in love with her."