Down in Flames - Rewritten Entirely

Chapter 18

Queen Athena's letter arrived before Percy had a chance to speak with Annabeth. It was in the middle of breakfast when the royal messenger burst into the dining hall, hastily taking a letter to Poseidon before slipping Percy one on his way out. Unfortunately for Percy, it didn't matter how sneaky the messenger was because Queen Athena had clearly mentioned his letter in her reply to King Poseidon. Percy had barely opened his letter before his father snapped his name.

"Yes?" Percy replied. He tucked the letter in his tunic and looked up to see a scowl forming on his father's face.

"You wrote to Queen Athena?" Poseidon demanded. To Percy's right, Tyson paused in his eating to look between their father and Percy. "You went behind my back and wrote her your own letter."

Percy hesitated and Tyson quickly looked back down at his plate.

"I thought it was best," Percy began hesitantly, "to speak to her myself. As I will be king in a matter of weeks, I should be the one making an agreement with her in the first place."

"You are not king yet," Poseidon reminded him sharply. Percy bit his tongue and Poseidon's face softened. "This war will destroy you, son," Poseidon said softer. "I wish that you would wait to take the throne until it has passed."

"I should take the throne sooner," Percy argued. His father's face hardened once again and Percy rushed on to say, "Queen Athena is angry with you. She will never let this war die so long as you remain apart of it. With me on the throne, there is a chance for forgiveness. A chance to start over."

Percy held his breath as he waited for his father to react. Beside him, Tyson slowly resumed eating and the clinking sounds of his utensils filled the room. Across the long table, Poseidon stared at Percy until he was worried he'd pass out from holding his breath.

"Queen Athena has agreed to speak with you," his father said. Percy gasped as he finally breathed again and Poseidon raised a brow at him but did not comment. "She believes you will make a fine king and from here on, she wishes to only correspond with you."

"What does that mean?" Percy asked.

"It means," his father said slowly, "that we will be moving your coronation."

* * * * *

Percy had almost been expecting his coronation and subsequent marriage to be moved back because of the war. He had not expected it to be moved forward. If it had happened two weeks earlier, he would have felt unprepared and unsettled by the sudden change in plans. Now, however, the flurry of the council didn't bother him as he stood to the right of his father.

"The Prince has not even found a bride yet!" a councilman protested loudly. He gestured to Percy but addressed Poseidon as he said, "How can we move the dates if he is still unprepared?"

"My son has informed me that he has found a bride," Poseidon replied. Many of the councilmen grew quiet and turned to Percy with curious looks, but Percy remained silent just as his father had advised.

"Well, boy?" someone demanded. "Who is the girl?"

After a slight nod from his father, Percy raised his chin and addressed the council.

"Before I say," Percy said, "I expect this council to agree to certain conditions."

He hadn't had the chance to speak with Annabeth since breakfast, but he had the feeling he knew what she would want him to do. They'd been careful with Queen Athena thus far. If the sudden change to his coronation ruined what they had set up, he would never forgive himself.

"What conditions?"

"We wait two days before announcing any change," Percy said. A few whispers spurred, but he carried on. "Outside of this room, no one will know about the change in plans at least until then."