Not Your Choice

chapter five

"How dare he?" Clarisse screeched. "Talking to a member of the royal class like that." She threw a book across the room. It thankfully didn't cause any major damage.

Selina picked it up. She was used to Clarisse's tantrums. Selina had a somber expression when she walked around. Her boyfriend that she had been with for a year, Beckendorf, had died a forge explosion.

"What was his name?" Clarisse demanded, now calming down. "Cheese?"

"I believe he said Prince Percy mentioned a Chris, your highness," Selina said helpfully.

Clarisse nodded. "Yes. Percy wanted those messengers to say that he was sorry," She scowled.

Truth be told, Chris didn't even do anything disrespectful. He just requested to have the clothes soaked in mud so he could wash them, as his role of the clothes washer.

"What's the deal with that prince, anyway?" Clarisse asked while plopping down on her bed. "He's weird,"

Selina shrugged in response.

There was a knock on the door.

"Come in!" Clarisse said.

The figure opened the door. It was Gwen, Prince Frank's personal slave.

She curtsied. "Your highness, Prince Frank reminds you that the first day of ruling Corinth begins in ten minutes,"

Clarisse nodded. "I'll meet him outside his room when I'm ready. You are dismissed,"

Gwen curtsied again and left to go back to Frank.

"Help me, Selina," Clarisse sighed. "I really don't get the point of this whole thing."

Selina helped Clarisse get ready while the princess rambled about this whole ordeal.

Selina straightened Clarisse's tiara, the very one that almost got destroyed while everyone was out in the rain. 

Clarisse scowled at her reflection. "I hate dresses. They're so pointless,"

"Beauty is power, your highness," Selina said.

Clarisse scowled again. "Do whatever you want while I'm gone. Stay in here, eat, make out with someone, I really don't care."

Despite Clarisse's discomfort, Selina smiled. She would be staying in Clarisse's room, and definitely would not make out with someone with Beckendorf gone.

"Bye, Selina," Clarisse said mournfully. "Thanks." She said as an afterthought. "For everything."

Selina smiled again. "You're welcome. Good luck."

"I'll need it," she mumbled while walking outside to meet Frank.

She opened Frank's door without knocking to see Frank struggling to fix his suit. Frank didn't acknowledge Clarisse. He looked helplessly at Gwen.

Gwen silently went over and fixed it correctly. After she was done, she curtsied in Clarisse's direction and walked of to the corner.

Frank looked over at his sister.

"Hi," he sighed. "I hate suits," he said while fumbling with his crown in his hands.

Clarisse walked over to him and snatched the crown out of his hands. It had glistening red rubies and golden jewels plastered over in a unique and beautiful pattern. Clarisse's tiara was similar to his in color.

"This is all kind of stupid, isn't it?" Clarisse asked. "Falling in love?"

Frank stayed silent.

"I just want to lead the battles. I just want to fight." Clarisse's scowl deepened. "But no. I just have to be a pretty little princess."

"What if everything changes after this?" Frank asked. "Like, badly."

"How?"

Frank looked out the window. "What if this was a bad idea? What if just marrying us off to each other would be better?"

Clarisse narrowed her eyes at her brother.

"I just have a feeling this is all going to do downhill. Father never taught us nothing except that we need to win all of the wars. We can't rule a country!"

"We have everyone else," Clarisse said, although she didn't sound too convinced. "They'll help us. They know how Father is."

She messily place the crown atop her brother's head. It was crooked, and was about to fall off. When he tried to fix it, it didn't look much better.

They both looked at Gwen. She came over and fixed it correctly.

Clarisse scrunched up her nose and thought of Selina. "I really don't see how they can do this."

"Me either," Frank sighed.

•••

"First thing you need to know about Corinth," Percy said. "Is that people really care about us fish."

Odd, Clarisse thought.

"Second, most of them are not specimens of war." Everyone glanced at Clarisse and Frank. Clarisse glared at them, and they looked away.

"How about a tour of the city before we take in the problems?"

Nobody said anything. Percy took that as a yes.

They walked down the corridors of the castle. Clarisse thought the structure was a little too much on the ocean theme.

There was four guards flanking behind them, and Clarisse just now noticed how Percy had a sword on his side. It was labeled 'Riptide' in Greek, and was sharp and stunning.

Clarisse longed to have a weapon of her own. Preferably a spear, but anything would satisfy her. Maybe if she had any free time she would stop by the armory and train.

Clarisse reluctantly admitted Corinth was beautiful. Right when they stepped out the castle, she was greeted with salty air and cheerful laughs.

There were few laughs in Sparta, seeing as they were always training and preparing for war.

It was a clear day, and the shops were buzzing with people. They all talked as if they knew each other, and they all were good friends.

Percy was right, there were many fish markets, and the ones that had fish were the busiest.

She heard a rare laugh she she heard only on rare occasions. And that was usually when Clarisse did something so incredibly stupid that Frank laughed at her.

Clarisse turned her head to see her brother, laughing with the Princess of Thebes, Hazel.

Frank hadn't been so happy in a long time. He didn't know what the churning in his stomach was, but he decided to ignore it.

He hadn't had a real conversation with anyone but his sister in a very long time. He truly liked talking to Hazel. She was sweet, loving, and her golden eyes shown with lovable innocence.

She was the exact opposite kind of girl his father wanted him to fall in love with.

But he didn't care, he wanted to talk and laugh with Hazel.

No matter how high he payed for it.