The Lost Prince

⇀ four

ANNABETH WAS HUNCHED over with a new washcloth in her hands. Well, it wasn't like they would provide her with anything, so she had torn a piece of her dress off. She was used to doing the normal chores, but being ordered to scrub the floor of a pirate ship was a new experience for her.

She probably figured that she was the least princess-like person in the whole of Greece.

She had watched Leo and Percy disappear through the doorway that she figured lead to the lower deck. They had both changed quite a lot, which shocked her.

"Get workin', girlie." a redhead snapped at her, making Annabeth flinch involuntarily. She bowed her head in apology and dunked the white piece of cloth into the foul-smelling bucket that was placed beside another girl. Her brown hair was matted, and her hands were covered in a thin layer of grime and muck. She had elegant features.

"That's Reyna," came a voice from beside her. She instinctively spun and kicked the person hard on the leg. Fortunately, Leo had quick reflexes and leapt back just as Annabeth turned.

"Geez, woman!"

"Sorry! I'm sorry—"

"It's all right," Leo said quickly, kneeling down and pulling a rag from a pocket in his tattered khaki shorts. "Keep your voice down, will you?"

The blonde nodded, quickly getting to work. With the blazing sun and nothing but the sea behind her, she was drenched in salt water and sweat in no time. Her arms were throbbing after what she estimated to be an hour of rubbing the deck.

Leo muttered under his breath occasionally, introducing her to the crew of the ship that she learned was called the Aegis.

"Like the shield with Medusa's face on it that belonged to Athena?"

"Yes, exactly like it."

He pointed out the people who were the most cruel to slaves; a blond named Octavian, the ginger called Rachel, the girl with the whip was Phoebe, and the captain that was known as the Hunter. Everyone else? Well, based on what the Latino had told her, they were probably not much of a threat—except the boy with the scar, Luke, who was a special case. Something had happened in the past between Percy and him, so there was this sort of grudge going on.

"For four years?" Annabeth asked under her breath, obviously incredulous. "Who holds a grudge against someone for four years?"

"Well, if your only family—which, in this case, his mother—was suddenly taken to the palace that belonged to the king and queen of Epirus to be held in the cells until even after her body rots, and refuses to send the corpse back to her only living son, what would you do?"

Annabeth remained silent, shifting uncomfortably as she reluctantly tried to continue doing what she was told.

"It wasn' jus' for four years, ye know."

She almost had a heart attack.

Looming over her was the very person they were speaking of. But instead of the snarky smile he had on earlier, it was now laced with sadness. His jaw was set, and his eyes were hardened with bitterness, but his tone was soft.

"I'm sorry about your loss," the blonde princess whispered, now interested in her job more than ever.

"You have nothin' to apologize for," Luke said, but he got down on one knee in front of her. She had her head down as she scrubbed the floors, and the sandy-haired pirate put a finger under her chin and lifted her face.

For a moment, she thought he was going to add something to his previous statement, but his face hardened.

"Get workin', lass, you missed a spot."