"Sea and land may lie between us, but my heart is always there with you"
•••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••
Perseus Jackson was a Merman, wanting nothing more than to explore the surface.
Annabeth Chase wants to be i...
Oops! This image does not follow our content guidelines. To continue publishing, please remove it or upload a different image.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
"I am Prince Perseus, the sea bows to me," Percy's voice boomed, rich and velvety as he raised the trident high above his head, "I ask only one thing of all of you, ceasefire."
The world was quiet, no soldier, man or merman, designed a sound. Everyone watched in awe as the prince of the sea, for a moment, commanded the world.
"Of course, Your Highness," a voice broke through the thick air, strong and proud.
Princess Annabeth stood before the wave, clutching onto her bleeding arm with a smile. Her eyes glimmered as she saw the sea prince atop the ocean, riding his wave as if he were a god himself.
His eyes softened when they set their sights on her.
"This is absurd!" shrieked Queen Minerva , running through the battlefield. Her ornate gown faltered her steps as she ran towards her army, "They are the enemy! Protect yourself! Attack!"
She was clearly watching the scene unfold from a safe distance, as a few more of her faux court poured into the battleground. They seemed overdressed for the occasion. It was clear none of them would fight for their kingdom.
"No. We've agreed to a ceasefire, and Athens does not back out of its word," Annabeth stood tall, catching Percy's eye.
Her message to him, he understood immediately. This was something she had to do on her own. And he respected her wishes.
"Who are you to give orders?" spat Queen Minerva, "you and your mother are the same! You will burn this kingdom if you ally with those monsters!"
"I am Annabeth Chase, the princess and sole heir to Athens, in case you've forgotten your place, aunt," Annabeth squared her shoulders, towering over the old crone. The final semblance of her patience had snapped.
"Bullshit," Queen Minerva cried, "How dare you! You ungrateful girl!! I relieve you of your duty! You are a traitor to the crown!"
"You damaged my kingdom, you hurt my people. You drained our coffers and yet you still believe you have the right to rule?" Annabeth laughed, "You step down. Relinquish your title with an ounce of dignity, if you can manage that."
"Arrest her! Shoot her! Now!" shrieked the old bat, waving her arms at the army, "I'm ordering you to shoot! Her and all those merfolk bastards!"
Annabeth rolled her eyes, " This is getting ridiculous. Guards, arrest these people. I have a treaty to sign," she waved over a few soldiers.
The army sobered up at a command from their future queen, the awe of Prince Perseus washing away into a genuine appreciation for Princess Annabeth. They were a formidable force, individually or together.
A few soldiers grabbed Queen Minerva and her minions, pinning their arms behind their backs.
General Chase appeared next to her daughter, placing an arm on her shoulder as he levelled the queen a stone-cold look, "The army stands with the rightful queen. We will pledge our loyalty to her, and her line for the rest of our lives."
That being said, the general placed a fond kiss on his daughter's forehead, before kneeling on the soft sand before her.
"Father," Annabeth said with a soft gasp, watching the rest of her army fall to their knees before her.
"All hail Annabeth Chase, the Queen of Athens," announced General Chase, his voice carrying across the beach.
"All hail the Queen," echoed the army, a sentiment carried across the kingdom.
Annabeth smiled, a sense of fulfilment spread across her. She felt...whole. After years of struggle, plotting and working in the shadows, she was finally being recognised as the rightful queen. Her moment had truly arrived.
Her eyes wandered over to the sea, the merfolk had clustered at the surface. To her shock, they were bowing as well.
Her eyes found Percy's, their shimmering green cadence made this moment perfect. He smiled, before inclining his head, his eyes fixed on hers.
"No! No!" screamed Queen Minerva, breaking free of the guards who held her. She fumbled with her gown. A gunshot rang through the air before Annabeth, nor anyone had any chance to react.
The bullet headed straight for the Princess of Athens, unbeknownst to her. It paused right in front of her chest, held onto by a tiny bubble of water.
She could see Percy smirking.
"You tried to assassinate the queen," Annabeth laughed, ordering someone to search her aunt and companions, "I was just going to confine you to the castle but...Thank you, my dearest aunt. Thank you for making it so easy for me."
She waved over her father, who was more than happy to carry out her wishes, "Minerva, you and your court are under arrest for attempted assassination and plotting against our Queen," he nodded to their captors, "Take her away," he ordered.
Annabeth's heart pounded against her chest as Queen Minerva and her minions were being dragged away, shrieking and wailing.
She had won. She had truly won her kingdom back. It was a feeling like no other.
She turned to the ocean, watching Percy's tidal wave slowly dissipate, returning into the turbulent sea.
Without thinking she ran towards him. The sand beneath her feet turned cold, as she jumped into the water, into his arms, her lips colliding with his.
She could feel the ocean's embrace, wrapping around herself and the prince, the whispers of magic that it carried. But nothing mattered. None of the heartache or fear mattered anymore. She had won, won back her kingdom and won the heart of the man she loved. What more did she need?
Oops! This image does not follow our content guidelines. To continue publishing, please remove it or upload a different image.
Her fingers slid into his hair, as he pulled her closer. She could hear him gasp, a light sound that set her heart racing.
"My princess," he whispered between their breaths, holding onto her as if she was made of air, "My Queen."
Annabeth smiled as they pulled apart, breathing in his oceany scent, "My love," she admitted against his lips.
It seemed the world was looking at them when she announced, "The Seas and Athens are no longer at war. Let us enter a new era of prosperity and peace, for both our kingdoms!"
Cheers erupted all around them as land and sea celebrated in harmony, and the Queen of Athens and Ocean's heir, in each other's arms. It was a day that history would remember forever more, as a dawn of an age.
