The Betrayed Prince |Percy Jackson Fanfic|

Chapter 19: The Mask

Chapter 19

The Mask

||Percy Jackson||

I held the leash.

I held it as tight as I could even though I knew it's not going to last long. I've held way past my limit during breakfast. I might blow of the entirety of the Arena and the whole camp into smithereens.

Hold the leash and play it cool. Keep on the mask and don't let it fall, wear the mask you've always worn. An unfeeling, cold-hearted bastard. Don't let them see the effects they do to you. Not one crack, not a single weakness.

.....This is turning into Frozen, by the Callithrix.

I took a deep breath and began to start the meeting when she spoke. "Where is Mrs. O'Leary?"

I felt my comrades bristle. It was barely noticeable but it was not something that would escape my eyes. I told them what had happened, few years after we have been working together and we had decided to take a weekend off. It was the night where everything came spilling out, not just me but to everyone else.

To say angry was an understatement of their feelings. Despite me being their commander, they were fiercely protective of me and not just because of what happened in this place but also something that happened to me a century ago.

I don't think I'll ever recover from that....or will ever be.

Not that I expect to be whole again. I'm way past saving, that I know for a fact. There are things that once you have become that, there's no turning back no matter what anyone else says. Because in the end, it's your own voice in your head echoing those words at you repeatedly.

"I sent Mrs. O'Leary to a paradise."

The crowd squirmed and the immortal campers glared at me. "What do you mean?" Jason asked, his voice holding dread while glaring at me.

I rolled my eyes, "I mean, I brought her to our cabin and sent her to my dragon's den for a little play date."

"Why should we believe you? How can we know this dragon of yours is to be tested?" Frank jumped in.

I inwardly groaned at the unnecessary questions, I didn't answer instead I clapped my hands once and Mrs. O'Leary appeared behind me. When her furry face appeared between me and Nico, I patted her head gently. She turned around and licked me as a greeting.

"Satisfied?" I asked them, not really caring for their answers and immediately sent the hellhound back in the company of Nevalth who has been feeling bored today. "I'll bring her back soon enough."

They all nodded, still full of uncertainty. The act this morning must've driven their fear straight into the ground, not that I'm going to take it back. I quite enjoyed the play as tempted as I was to push the dagger straight through.

I could almost feel the transformation as I changed into my diplomatic mode. "As you all know, we are at war with two primordials, Gaea and Erebus. According to my sources, they have begun an army of new monsters."

Whispers of nervous conversation began.

"These monsters are like the 2.0 of what you're used to." I continued, raising my voice above theirs. "More cunning, much stronger and faster. Obviously, you cannot defeat them with the way you are. So, we have decided to train you."

Conversations arose again, groaning at the thought of more training.

I closed my eyes briefly, feeling my control slip when one question was thrown out from the crowd, "Why can't you just kill the monsters for us?"