When Percy woke up, he made his way to the bow of the ship and didn't move. Around him, the crew manned the ship and shouted back and forth to each other, but Percy could not be drawn away from where he stood.

The captain had informed him that morning that there was a possibility they could reach the camp by late afternoon. If such was the case, they would have time to at least attack the Princess Andromeda. While a land attack would not be possible, they could search the ship without the threat of darkness. It would put them back on track and they would be able to attack the camp the following morning.

Only once did Jason try to warn Percy against getting his hopes up. Unless they arrived several hours ahead of schedule, they would not be guaranteed enough time to attack. Percy had glared at him so fiercely that Jason had hurried away seconds later.

Percy was anxious all morning. When the late afternoon meal was served, it had to be brought to him at the bow of the ship as he would not leave even to eat. 

It was while he was handing his dish off to Jason that he first spotted something on the horizon.

They had stayed close to shore the whole morning, but the way that the land jutted out and up was unnatural enough to catch Percy's eye. With a sudden intake of breath and his heart pounding in his ears, he scrambled further forward.

"What?" Jason asked, joining him in leaning over the figurehead of the ship.

"It's there," Percy breathed.

Jason frowned. "I don't see anything, Percy. Have you had any water today?"

"It's there," Percy repeated, more insistent. "There's a ship."

Waving his hands in front of him, Percy attempted to map out the blurry outline of what he was seeing up ahead. Although clearly doubtful, Jason didn't try to argue again. Percy had just started trying to convince him again when the captain suddenly shouted behind them.

"Enemy spotted!"

Percy's entire body felt light with glee. Beside him, Jason's eye widened and he turned to look back out across the water. They weren't close enough to be sure of the ship, but the captain was confident enough for the entire ship.

"Prepare for a hit!"

The order was transmitted down below as hundreds of rowers prepared to make contact with the Princess Andromeda.

"She may not be on there, Percy," Jason warned, watching as Percy drew his sword. "They could have taken her ashore."

"Then we'll hit the ship even harder," Percy reasoned. He left Jason's side before the general could say another word.

Waiting for their ship to make contact with the Princess Andromeda was the longest moment of Percy's life. As he stood beside the captain at the stern of the ship, he braced himself in anticipation.

They hit the Princess Andromeda with such force that Percy stumbled forward several paces. Before he had fully regained his balance, they were pulling back and their other two ships came crashing in.

From the furthest point away, Percy watched as hundreds of soldiers poured out from the other two ships and climbed aboard the Princess Andromeda. He buzzed with energy, waiting for them to approach again before realising they would not.

"Why aren't we joining them?" Percy demanded, turning to the captain.

"Not all of our men are needed," he answered, rubbing his arm. "We'll hold out here until the siege is finished."

Percy frowned. "I should be there."

"Annabeth won't be on board," Jason said, appearing at his side. "They've been anchored for days. She'll be on land. It's better for you to find her there than injure yourself searching an empty ship."

"Did you make this decision?" Percy asked.

Jason averted his eyes. 

Before Percy could get too upset, he turned away. It took more effort than he expected, but he put all his energy into returning to the bow of the ship to watch the ongoing attack. If he couldn't be there, he could at least watch as they sent the Princess Andromeda to the bottom of the sea.

* * * * *

Annabeth had expected Nakamura to find her in the morning. She had tossed and turned on her blanket until finally, the sun had risen and she sat up to wait for his arrival.

It wasn't until late afternoon when Annabeth was taken to Kronos's tent again, though. She'd been on edge all morning and when Nakamura finally stepped into her tent, she was too anxious to appreciate the look of surprise on his face when he noticed her wrists were unbound. 

Ever prepared, he had an extra leather strip that he didn't hesitate to tie around her wrists before leading her across the camp to Kronos's tent.

This time, when Nakamura shoved her to the ground, she couldn't hold back a small cry of pain. Her knees had been an angry purple and blue when she looked at them that morning and her ankle had swollen to a similar colour. Even if she had bit her tongue, she doubted she would have been able to keep the pain from showing on her face.

When Annabeth lifted her head, she was surprised to find Luke standing at Kronos's side. His face was blank and he stood rigidly straight.

Looking away from Luke, Annabeth addressed Kronos before he spoke a single word. "No."

"I'll let you reconsider," Kronos sneered. "A friend has put in a good word for you."

Annabeth's eyes flickered back to Luke and for a second, she saw worry. She didn't pause to think on it, though.

"No," Annabeth repeated. "No matter what you offer or which friends speak on my behalf, I will not give you Atlantis and I will not give you Athens."

"Annabeth—"

"She made her choice, Luke," Kronos interrupted, raising a hand to silence him. Luke held his tongue. "She's been given enough time to make the choice on her own. It's time to move on, though. Even young and naive, she's still of some use."

A look was shared between Kronos and Nakamura and a second later, she was pulled to her feet. Her arm ached where Nakamura grabbed her much too tightly, but it was a minor pain compared to putting weight on her swollen ankle or trying to stand upright with her injured ribs.

"I've been gracious, Your Highness," Kronos snarled, stepping forward until his spit hit her cheek as he said, "I've given you a tent and a blanket. I even gave you a safe space away from my soldiers."

A chilling dread settled in Annabeth's bones and she saw the feeling echo in Luke's eyes.

"As you haven't seen fit to thank me for it, though," Kronos hissed, "I'll be taking it away. Nakamura will show you to your new home."

Luke's eyes widened ever so slightly and as Annabeth was pulled out of Kronos's tent, she wondered if Luke had helped her or if he'd accidentally made things worse.