The War Princess and The Messenger Son

I Plunge to My Death

Miley's POV

"Hey, you asleep?" I heard Percy ask as Grover snored. Annabeth answered, "Yes." I kept quiet, hoping they would bond." Percy sighed, "You and Thalia were really close, right? Along with Miley?" Annabeth softly said, "Yeah." Percy replied, "What was she like? And what was Miley like back then?" Annabeth sounded suspicious, "Why?" Percy sighed, "She was the last forbidden kid before me, right? She must have dealt with the same kind of stuff. And Miley doesn't seem like an Ares kid. She's.....kind. Everyone says the Gods like her." 

Annabeth sounded sure, "She was tough. I mean, she knew she was a forbidden kid, she just didn't care. When Luke and Thalia found me, Luke cared for me right away. But Thalia...she made me earn it. It's well known through camp that Miley arrived at only five years old. Her mother was abusing her, blaming her for Ares's disappearance. The Gods adore Miley, but no one knows why. Zeus, Hades, Poseidon, my mother, Aphrodite, Hera. Of all Gods, Hera loves Miley the most." 

Percy softly asked, "Is that why you give me a hard time? I gotta earn it with you too? Why do the Gods adore Miley?" Annabeth sighed, "Yeah. Maybe. No one is sure why the Gods adore Miley. Only Miley knows. And she won't tell anyone why." Percy sighed heavily, "I gotta say, neither of those makes a lot of sense to me." Annabeth sounded exasperated, "What doesn't make sense to you?"

Percy softly responded, "The way you guys all talk. The way the Gods want us to think. Gotta burn an offering to get a parent's attention. Gotta beat up on Clarisse just to get my father to admit he's my father. It isn't supposed to work that way. People who are close to you aren't supposed to treat you that way. The Gods adore Miley so we have to treat her like someone special. Did anyone stop to think that Miley doesn't want to be the favorite? Has anyone asked Miley why? Truly asked without making it a big deal?"

Annabeth took a breath, "You wanna know how I ended up alone on the road in the first place? I started out as a gift to my father. That's how it works with Athena. We're born from a thought in her mind and then given to a partner she feels connected to. And for a while, I was treated like a gift. My father cared for me. He loved me. I knew it. Then he met a woman. They had their own kids. And to her, I- I wasn't a gift. I was a problem. So I left. I was seven. It isn't the Gods who think that way. It's everybody. But at least with the gods you know the rules. Show them respect and they'll be in your corner, no matter what. I think that's why the Gods adore Miley. She earned all of their respect. From every single one of them. I don't know how, but it was great enough to where she could ask a question in her mind and get an answer right away. Miley didn't ask to be adored. If any of us at camp need something from our parents, Miley asks and is given it. No one hates her for it. We all adore her and love her like our own sibling. When Luke and I arrived at camp, Miley ran straight for Thalia to try and help, but was told by Zeus to let him handle it. From that day forward, Luke could be found with Miley. We all knew that those two would be together no matter what. And if either of them decided to do anything drastic, like for example, betray camp for whatever reason, the other would be right beside them, no matter what. No matter what the Gods said."

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The Next Morning

I woke up and stretched, looking around to see that I was the only one in the space where we slept last night and I packed my pack and walked out to the sitting car where the trio was. Annabeth saw me and I nodded, putting on her hat she gave me to use, turning invisible. "Excuse me can I see your tickets please?" A man asked the trio as I was walking up. Annabeth handed them over and the man looked at them, "You're in Cabin 17B?"

The trio followed the officer as I followed behind, but not closely, not liking the aura of the transit officer. "Are we under arrest?" Annabeth said sternly and I facepalmed as they were escorted to another car. I watched as a woman sat with the trio and I raised an eyebrow, not understanding what was going on here. I slowly opened the car door and walked in just as the female transit officer walked away.