R A C H E L

I was shocked. Yet also very interested.

He just defied my father. The king.

And he wasn't scared.

This boy... he was brave and reckless.

"Very well... Octavian, take... Percy Jackson..." my father acknowledged Percy. "to the stocks."

Honestly, that man would kill someone for touching the ground.

When Octavian took Percy away, his cold blue eyes seemed to grin.

Honestly, he was annoying. If Dad ever decides to force us to marry, I will kill someone.

When everyone was gone, I ran up to my room, grabbed my slippers, and went down to the dungeons.

Octavian always sleeps on the job. He snores so loud that I can hear him when I'm going to get food from the kitchen. It's annoying.

I grabbed the key chain and ran out. I don't know why, but I just wanted to save him. It was weird. I couldn't describe it...

I snuck out of the castle. The stocks where the worst way to torture someone- leave them out in the freezing cold all night and then give them a painful death the next day, if they aren't already dead. It's my dad's favorite way to punish someone.

I went up to the wooden stock where the black-haired boy was being held.

"What do you want?" He asked me.

I took a deep breath and pulled the green clock around my cold body. "I want to save you."

I dangled the keys in front of his handsome face. He was so good looking...

He raised and eyebrow. "Really?"

I nodded. Then unlocked the stock and released him from the chains. "You're welcome."

I boy smiled at me. "I'm Percy Jackson. Just some random boy who lives on the streets and is apparently a thief."

I laughed. "I'm Rachel. Rachel Elizabeth Dare. Just some random princess who apparently isn't a 'proper young lady'."

Percy grinned at me. "Ever wanna run away?"

I snorted. "Like, all the time! You?"

"Yeah...I want a better life, not to be stuck in the same old town forever." He told me.

I understood. We may be from completely different statuses, but we couldn't be more similar in personality.

"Wouldn't it be great if we could just run away?" I ask him.

He nodded.

"Hey, Princess?" he asked.

I looked at him. "Yeah, Percy?"

"Thanks for saving my life." he smiled.

I smiled at him. "Anytime."

And that was the moment our friendship began.