A Crown of Golden Leaves: A Percy Jackson Fanfiction

Capvt XXX: Stronger than Hope

Note: I made a mistake with the chapter. Scroll through to about the midway point, then continue reading (unless you want to reread last week's chapter). 

"Who is stronger than hope? Death." -Ted Hughes

Capvt XXX: Stronger than Hope

ANNABETH improvised to avoid the sword by doing a single-handed cartwheel then she sprung back onto the feet. The sword followed her and she sidestepped it then parried it with her saber. Her heart raced but her head felt clear as she stared at the face of her blank eyed opponent: Dummy CXXVIII.

Dummy CXXVIII's head slowly rolled off its shoulders and fell onto the ground. Annabeth wanted to groan. She didn't mean to decapitate it, she only wanted to stab it in the heart. She must have gotten carried away again.

The sound of flesh slowly smacking against flesh suddenly broke the stillness of the early morning and she whirled on the ball of her foot, bringing her sword back into a defensive position. The mist on the grass was undisturbed and the red and brown leaves that had fallen off some of the trees remained undisturbed.

Huh. She couldn't be going paranoid... but then again, maybe she was just imagining something again. It was better to be safe than sorry though, so she stayed on high alert.

"Heir Apparent Annabeth!" Someone called, and a young boy wheeled into the arena. Annabeth didn't take her eyes off him. How did he know where she was so early in the morning? It wasn't exactly common knowledge that she trained in the predawn hours. "Urgent news from Tarentum has arrived. Octavius Caesar has requested your presence."

She glanced up at the sky. The sun had risen above the tree line, which was odd. By now the imperial guard would have arrived and started their own training.

"I'll be there within a bell ring," she replied, sheathing her sword. There was no way she was going to go to the throne room without changing out of this armor.

"I shall tell him."

She smiled at him, and he smiled back a little hesitantly. "Thank you."

~...~

After she changed and Piper braided her hair, she walked through the corridor toward the throne room. Servants either bowed their heads or curtsied as she passed, and she inclined her head back at them. She always had liked the servants over the ladies of court, simply because they didn't gossip as much and were polite to her. Granted, that was probably more out of fear than anything else; although her best friends were technically considered "beneath" her station.

If only she could figure out how to solve Nico's problem...

She reached the archway that opened into the throne room, and she stepped inside without pausing. This was where she belonged; she was a leader. Inclining her head, she curtsied, hiding the way her heart was racing.

"Caesar."

"Rise."

She lifted her head, quickly surveying the area. Reyna stood on the Caesar's left side, and Luke was by the door. That was odd. Normally it was just Reyna-he rarely called on Luke too, if ever.

"Come out."

The shadows rolled back and Nico stepped out of them, his black eyes meeting hers briefly before flicking back to the Caesar's. She didn't have time to get frustrated over the fact that he was still shunning her before Octavius was speaking again.