Percabeth's Selection

36: "Gave Percy a frustrating bone-"

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"All of a sudden, you were gone
and I found myself stuck
in an endless limbo."

- Unknown

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When Annabeth saw Silena from across the gloomy garden, the reality of what was happening hit her. For the first time in a long time, she removed her Camp Half-blood necklace.

It was unfairly colourful and full of memories.

Families and friends of the three deceased soldiers sat together and mourned. They had made sure everyone willing to attend could do so. The other two deceased soldiers' parents were weeping together. Beckendorf, however, didn't have a family. Silena was everything to him. To support her, the Camp Half-blood members were on Beck's side. The Royals sat at the front, or well, in this case, it was just Percy and Tyson.

They couldn't reveal that the men who had died were special forces agents or that they had passed away in any major accidents during a serious operation. It got classified as military deaths - which happened every day anyway. That was why Paul and Sally couldn't stay. (They paid their respects, of course.)

It made Annabeth wonder how many sacrifices a royal had to make.

However, she wasn't so scared anymore. She wanted to be in Sally's place. She wished to make those life-changing decisions.

She wanted to be with Percy.

The only problem was: She wasn't the only person feeling this way. Back when Selection started, Annabeth had branded a few girls as 'after the throne.'

She wasn't so sure anymore.

Drew, the first person she had labelled, looked genuinely disturbed by everything that was going on. Her usual flirtatious girly personality had dissolved. Also, she kept looking in the Prince's direction. Annabeth couldn't say why.

Could she pull off the all-convincing act?

On the other hand, Calypso had (not-so-subtly) revealed that she was indeed after the throne (in the dining table, in front of a few Selected). She was the first person to break down into tears after his outburst - something Annabeth never expected.

Calypso was so strong, forward, beautiful and brave. So far, she had the best improvement records in Willow's class and the tournament. She didn't always win. However, Annabeth could say she was doing her best.

Wasn't she after the throne? Does she have feelings for him now?

It was so confusing.

She didn't know what to feel.

Percy suddenly got up and went forward to face Silena. He told her something to which she only held on to his arms and cried harder, shaking her head. Silena hadn't bothered changing her dress. Out of all the funeral dresses, hers stood out as the only multicoloured one.

How long was she here?

No one had the heart to tell her to change. She was crying non-stop for as long as anyone could tell.

Silena stopped sobbing for a second and glanced at the Selected. She then said something to Percy, to which he shook his head and squeezed her right shoulder.

Percy's hands were trembling.

"Hey, are you alright?" Lady Zoe asked. "Do you know them?"

Annabeth hadn't realized that she had started crying. She wiped the teardrops away. "Yeah." She sucked in a breath. "I was close to one of them. We all were."