* feel free to go back and read from part one!

previously. . .

Annabeth looked up to his find his eyes intently on her. She swallowed, and it felt like poison running down her throat.

"I ran away," she said. Her voice was just barely over a whisper, but he heard it. "I made that choice after I knew about this, Perseus. Do you understand? I can't help you. That's why I'm here."

Percy's brows drew together. "Everyone can make a difference, Annabeth. You--"

"Percy! Percy, there's a fire at a house just above ground! They need assistance!"

He cursed beneath his breath, something about timing. Then he leaned forward and clasped both of her arms. "Think about it, princess. Please."

Annabeth willed the dampness to stay in her eyes as he left her there. Why this? Why now?

What do I do?

__________________♕_________________

"Thalia!"

Annabeth tripped. The floor was hard and cold and her cheek stung. They were going the wrong way. She should be hiding with the rest of her family. They should be.

Thalia doubled back. She was sweating and breathing hard, strands of midnight hair plastered to her face. There was no smile on her lips now, no mischievous smirk they could always count on. She reached down and hauled Annabeth up by her arm. "Come on, I've got you."

She threw her blonde hair from her face. Why had she worn it down today, of all days? Better yet, why had those filthy criminals chosen now to attack her home?

"Listen Annabeth," Thalia said between breaths. "Listen. They're holding hostages. I'm going in, alright? But you can't. You're going to stay here. Understand?"

Annabeth shook her head. "What? No. You can't go in there alone. Do you want to die? We need backup!"

"We need nothing," Thalia said firmly. "You heard me, Annabeth. Those people don't have time to wait for backup."

She turned to leave, and for the first time in a while, Annabeth felt panic rise in her chest. She reached out and grabbed Thalia's wrist.

"It's not time to play hero, anymore, Thalia," she said quietly. "Just this once. Please. Let someone else take the fall. Not. . .not you."

Thalia turned. She drew in a long breath, stealing Annabeth's own as she did. This was it. They both knew what was going to happen.

"It's my job, Annie." Thalia placed an armored hand over Annabeth's heart. "I don't get a choice, okay? Even if I did, my mind is made. I love you. Luke, too. You'll tell him, won't you?"

Annabeth didn't know she was crying. Thalia didn't give her a chance to answer. She brought her hand up and pressed their foreheads together one last time.

"See ya around, Princess Annabeth."

Annabeth vowed never to watch someone's back turn on her again.

__________________♕_________________

The heat was already unbearable when you could see the very beginning of it. Flames consumed the humble wooden home that stood isolated on the end of the street. People were running back and forth in hopes of finding something to help. Someone was yelling incessantly for water. Pitiful cries and terrified yells echoed off of surrounding buildings until they hit Annabeth's ears.

"Where are the castle guards?"

It was the first thing she asked. First, in her mind. Then, her eyes found Percy further ahead and caught up with him to voice it aloud. He was breathing hard from running, but he turned to answer her anyway. He reached up a hand to forcefully turn her head to the right.

"See that man over there? He's from the only patrol round we get over here. Off duty."

Annabeth shook his hand off her. "Why isn't he calling anyone?"

"He doesn't seem to think there's anything to be done," Percy said, almost bitterly.

"That's ridiculous," Annabeth muttered, trying to recognize the man standing as if he were watching a show. "But I'm sure someone will be here soon. You can't ignore a fire in the middle of town."

"Oh, I wouldn't get ahead of ourselves." Percy turned back to the burning building. "Why are they just letting it burn?"

"They're fetching buckets," Annabeth said. "I heard them on my way here."

"They'd better hurry." Percy rolled his shoulders and stepped away from her. He brought up his hands to his mouth, cupping them to amplify his voice.

"Who's home is this?"

Annabeth winced. It was a lot louder than she expected it to be.

"Mine! I live here!"

Annabeth turned. A plump woman broke through the crowd. There was a baby wrapped in her arms. Annabeth felt her heart skip a beat when she saw the tear tracks down the woman's face. She was clearly panicked.

"It's my home, and my daughter! She's still in there!"

Percy's face hardened. Annabeth felt something uneasy stir in her gut.

"Are you sure?"

"I thought she was behind me!" The woman was sobbing as she tried to speak, hefting her baby up on her arm. "She didn't follow me all the way through!"

Annabeth felt a cold hand of dread grip her heart. Her face fell at the poor mother's luck.

Percy, on the other hand, began shrugging off his jacket before the woman had even finished speaking. "Which room was she in last?"

Annabeth glanced between him and the house owner. "What?"

"Her bedroom. It--it was at the back of the house."

"Just my luck." Percy rolled his neck and breathed in deeply. "If someone doesn't get in here in ten seconds, I'm going in."

"What?" Annabeth stepped in front of the crying mother so she had his full attention. "What do you mean? You're going to run into a burning building?"

"I'm running into a burning building for a young girl," Percy said, his watchful eyes scouring the area. "There's a difference."

"There is absolutely no difference!" Annabeth grabbed his arm. "Do you hear yourself? Do you have a death wish?"

"Not particularly." He took her hand off of his arm. "Someone's going to have to go in."

"I order you to let someone else take care of this."

She knew it wouldn't work. Like the world had been so adamant at reminding her, she had no power in situations like these.

"Out here. . .you're not a princess, Annabeth."

"Being away from my home doesn't strip me of my title, Percy," Annabeth tried, her breath coming faster. "I am still the princess and you will still listen to me."

"Oh," Percy whispered. It was the strangest, most heart-stopping thing she'd ever heard--his gentle, hushed voice over the rush of raging fire and crying children. "I am but a lowly peasant, am I not? It would be mere coincidence for someone like me to run into the princess--and even more so, considering she's undercover."

"Don't do it," Annabeth said, begged, perhaps, because she'd seen it happen before. They didn't come back. And she could never go with them. "It's suicide."

Percy reached down to grip her hands, squeezing them--and Annabeth couldn't help but think that if he ran into that building, this may be the last time she felt his hands on hers. "It's a chance I'm willing to take."

And he let go, and left her there. Left her to watch him give up his life for a lost cause.

"Wait!"

It came out far louder and pleading than she'd intended, but she didn't stop to dwell on it. Annabeth reached down and ripped a long strip from the thinnest part of her cloak, only glancing up once to ensure he'd stopped. She swung around, thrust the cloth into a bucket of water that was intended to put the fire out, and held it out for him to take.

"For the smoke," she said, quiet but crystal clear.

Percy smirked--how could he do such a thing at a time like this?--grabbed the damp strip and gave her one last wink before he truly left her there, tying it around the lower half of his face as he went.

"Don't die," Annabeth murmured.

Forty seconds later, he was gone too long. Why had she let him go?

No, her mind interrupted. Why did you try to stop him from going?

A minute.

Maybe it was because the idea of that person, lost in that burning building--their survival wasn't guaranteed. Just as the people Thalia had been protecting had been destined to die. Annabeth wanted to do what she could. She always had. Percy was right there. He would live, if she could've just stopped him.

Two minutes.

She couldn't even do that. Would one more innocent person die because of the kingdom's lack of awareness? Where were the guards? Why weren't they doing what Percy could? Why weren't they sacrificing their lives?

Five minutes was too much. The smoke was growing thicker, even as villagers passed buckets between each other, attempting to douse the fire from the outside.

"Please," Annabeth begged silently. She clasped her hands in front of her chest until she could feel her nails digging into her own skin. "Please. Let him live. Please."

As the villagers began to realize their efforts were futile--the house was still burning relentlessly--a chilling silence fell over the small crowd. It was an anticipatory silence, a waiting, tip-toe hush that grabbed all of them as they stood on shaking, sweaty feet.

And then Percy emerged from the remains of a doorway. His face was streaked with soot the shade of his hair and a young girl was perched on his arm, clinging to the linen of his shirt across his chest.

"Yes," Annabeth whispered. Then, louder, "Yes!"

She rushed forward as he placed the young girl in the arms of her mother, pushing past people and tripping over forgotten buckets. Percy grunted with surprise when she jumped on him with a hug she hadn't intended to give.

Annabeth was the princess. He was a stranger.

A stranger she'd seen real courage in. A man who saw her for more than royalty, a boy who'd risked his life for so many others.

She owed the very foundations of their kingdom to this stranger.

"You came back." Annabeth hadn't meant to say it loud enough for him to hear, but her lips were mere inches from his ear.

"I did." Percy laughed, and, with the last of his rush of adrenaline, spun her around. "I'm dirty and sweaty and quite possibly inhaled too much smoke, but I came back, Annabeth."

She gripped his shirt. He smelled awful, as bad as the charred remains behind him. Annabeth breathed in deeply anyway.

"You did."

__________________♕_________________

She wasn't going to go back.

Annabeth had made the choice when she walked the grounds and memorized guard rounds. She'd made her mind as she packed her bag, disregarded the dress chosen for her that night, and bid Luke farewell. She'd decided that the castle was no longer where she could live.

"Why?"

Annabeth knew the answer to Percy's question before he'd asked it.

"I can't stand living in a position of supposed power when I have none. I have no voice there, Percy. The differences I want to make, the ones I'd planned to make since I could think for myself--they don't matter. They never did to the royal family."

"Then make it matter. Make them listen, Annabeth."

She met his eyes. "I don't have a say, Percy."

He'd gripped her hands.

"Every little thing counts. You don't have to be the princess to make a difference. Just do what has always been right for you, and don't let anyone change that."

She wasn't going to go back.

"You can do it. I know you can."

Not alone, that is.

Annabeth smiled. "I can try."

Percy mirrored her expression. "What are your orders, princess?"

Annabeth felt the fantom roaring of the fire, the remnants of smoke in her nose. She felt Percy's arms around her as they spun, tasted Rachel Elizabeth Dare's famous stew, the sting of her cheek where she'd fallen years ago, and Thalia Grace's forehead against hers.

She was scared. But the fear in her heart would only ever grow if she didn't do something about it. Thalia had always said she'd be the greatest queen Olympus had seen.

"Let's go home."

__________________♕_________________

a/n

and they lived happily ever after.

i mean, maybe.

feedback is greatly appreciated! this was fun to write every now and then. i love to hear what you guys think!

now that this is done, this book might be forgotten for a little while lol. i may or may not be posting the products of a project that was never finished, if you're interested in that. we'll see. either way, i really appreciate anyone who sticks around!

yours in demigodishness and all that,

~ grace 💙🍪💙🍪💙