Chapter Text
“Annabeth, you need to pay more attention.” Jason chided her.
“You almost dozed off when that anchor was asking you about the Mongolian gift exchange.”
“You know I have no interest in those Jason,” Annabeth replied, sighing.
“If I could just go out there… How can I call myself the princess of this kingdom without even seeing it properly?” She was frustrated.
“And before you advise me on how I should be thankful for the comfortable life I’ve been provided while other people are dying out of hunger and whatnot, I’m not complaining. Just telling that I wish I had more freedom and…to stop my engagement to this marriage” she said sighing.
Jason wrapped an arm around her shoulders.
” We’ll figure something out, just see for yourself”.
“You’ve been saying that for approximately one month” Annabeth said laughing a bitter laugh.
Jason definitely caught the fake laugh but was clever enough to not to comment on it or ask whether she is okay in this particularly angered situation. No one with a sane brain will do that if they value their lives. As much as Annabeth was beautiful, gorgeous even, according to almost every prince across the world, Jason knew she was a very dangerous weapon to handle.
“What is our plan again?” Leo asked his fingers dancing rapidly because of his nervousness.
“Didn’t you hear it the first time?” Piper asked, giving him the evil eye.
“Just lay off him, Piper. Even I can’t remember the half of it” Percy said, putting his sword back in place, after his practicing session ended.
“Seriously Perce?! You were the one who designed it in the first place!” Frank said, feeling exasperated. He himself used to be a soldier and was dutifully responsible. He can’t even begin to comprehend that the boy in front of him had been the heir to the throne in one of the most powerful kingdoms of the world.
“So?” Percy asked, looking at him indecorously.
Frank sighed in disbelief and wrapped an arm around his chuckling girlfriend. Percy winked at the pair and set off to work.
It’s been at least half a decade since they became a crew, since they began to voyage. By now, all the crew members have become one good family. The crew consisted of Leonidas (usually referred to as Leo by close confidants) and Philippa (who might commit homicide in the case of anyone calling her given name commonly referred to as ‘Piper’) who are half-siblings but undoubtedly even closer than actual ones. Nicolas (Nico), Hazelle’s (His girlfriend prefers Hazel a little too much at this point) half-brother and a cousin to Percy, Frank, Grover and Tyson with the Stoll brothers and Katie (Katherine). In this particular period, Grover and Tyson had already carried about the message of ‘Saving environment’ and were away for a while.
Since the death of their greatest King Poseidon, which was suspected to be the first step of Athenian invasion, there were a lot of invaders in their kingdom. Prince Percy was barely 08 years old when his father died. Queen Sally (Sarrah is her actual name but it somehow seemed unfitting for the most optimistic soul on the planet) tried her best to save the country. She even married a nobleman named Gabriel who was abusive and intolerant solely for political purposes. Tyson was his son but the exact opposite personality. He was sweet and childish, nothing like his dad. Tyson’s mom wasn’t Queen Sally either because she refused any contact with Gabriel, but Tyson was just as much a son to her as Percy. However, this marriage didn’t last long. Gabriel himself destroyed half of the kingdom's wealth for his drug addicted purposes. Finally, in 6 years' time, the great and the powerful Kingdom of Atlantis, came to its downfall because of Athenian invaders.
Prince Percy, Prince Tyson and Queen Sally barely survived. But they weren’t the only people who suffered. Frank’s father, General Mars was killed in the war as well. Frank was a lieutenant in the Army even at the tender age of 16 and witnessed his father being murdered which was a scene so brutal he still wakes up screaming. Though General Mars wasn’t very fatherly, he was surprisingly a good teacher and a great companion to Frank, so he missed him a lot.
Also, Nico’s real sister Bianca, too was killed by the invaders who was barely 15. Frank’s girlfriend Hazel was thirteen at the time and Nico was 14. They too had to run away with Percy.
Piper and Leo were two royals in a nearby kingdom which was ruled under the influence of Atlantis, so they were attacked too. Their mom, Aphrodite and father, Hephaestus too were murdered. They too barely survived even though with severe injuries. Actually, those injuries had been the reason behind their meetings.
