Down in Flames - Rewritten Entirely

Chapter 11

To say Percy was shocked would be the understatement of the century. For the past ten years, he'd believed the story that had been fed to him: Queen Athena had destroyed her locket and issued a kill order. The war they were fighting was a testament to this, but suddenly it wasn't true. He was staring at both necklaces side by side, but that wasn't even the most shocking part.

Annabeth was a princess. Annabeth had Queen Athena's necklace. Annabeth was the princess the council had spoken of earlier that morning. She was the one they had been worried about and the one in the rumours. However, she was also the one he couldn't seem to stop staring at despite being the one who had just made his mind spin with a thousand questions.

"Your Highness?" Annabeth asked, looking at him curiously. "I'm not sure you're breathing."

Oh. No, he certainly wasn't. Perhaps that was why his head was spinning.

It was an effort to convince his body to breathe again, but he managed. He coughed and wheezed for a second or two before his lungs reset and his head stopped spinning. When he came to, Annabeth was too standing in front of him, looking both worried and apprehensive.

"At the very least, you should call me Percy now," he muttered, running a hand through his hair. "We're both in line for a crown."

Annabeth grimaced. "Not necessarily."

Percy glanced at her to see her biting her lip. He frowned.

"Maybe you should explain," he suggested, "rather than just giving me more earth-shattering news."

Annabeth nodded and together, they moved back into the sitting room. Percy still had her locket clutched in his hand, but Annabeth didn't ask for it back. Instead, she grabbed his mother's and took it out to the sitting room.

The sofas were dusty, but they were still comfortable. While Percy took a seat in the larger one, Annabeth kept her distance and sat on the small stool adjacent. She waited for him to talk first. After several minutes, he finally did.

"You said you weren't in line for the throne," he said, echoing her earlier statement. Annabeth grimaced. "Why is that?"

"Maybe that shouldn't be the opening question," she said hesitantly. Percy didn't take it back though, so she sighed. "A few years before the war, my mother sent me to live with my father in the port. She said it was for my safety, but I don't think I'd ever made her proud and it was an easy way for her to get rid of me."

"So she started a rumour about your death?"

Annabeth nodded. "If I'm dead, there's no one to search for."

It was a simple explanation for something that had been a year in the making. Aside from Annabeth's father, no one had known the truth and Queen Athena had paid to make sure that was the case. Even now, over ten years later, Annabeth still wasn't sure how she had made it work. Her father had never told her and Annabeth had never asked.

Annabeth half expected Percy to ask how Queen Athena had done it, but he didn't.

"Have we ever met before?"

The question shocked her to the point where she nearly recoiled. She hadn't anticipated him remembering their time together as toddlers and children. He'd never shown any sign of recognition before. Perhaps, she thought, he's just curious.

"A few times," she answered honestly. What harm would it do? Percy already knew who she was. She didn't see any harm in him knowing that they had met before.

"Queen Athena brought you here." It wasn't a question, but Annabeth still nodded. "That's why Chiron recognised you. It's why you're familiar with this room."