Royally Screwed

Chapter 3

                                                                                              ~Percy~

A food run isn't always accompanied by the guards chasing us. Sometimes we're stealthy enough to get away before anything happens, which is what went on today.

This time we managed to swipe more: four loaves of bread, ten or twelve apricots, and about seven apples. We had already stopped by my house, Connor's and Travis's house, Thalia's house, and Nico's house. Despite Leo not having any family left, we did have two more stops: Leo's girlfriend's house, and Nico's girlfriend's house.

They both knew it was dangerous to be in a committed relationship while in a gang of bandits, but since their girlfriends are both poor, we stop by their houses anyways.

Leo grinned as he walked up to the back porch of his girlfriend's, Briana's, house. After a few seconds, to our surprise, Sarah opened the door.

"Sar!" Nico whisper-yelled, running to the door and wrapping her in a hug. She laughed and hugged him back, then shouted inside, "Bri! Our guys are here!"

Bri appeared in the doorway, an amused expression on her face. "What did you guys steal this time?"

She had her wavy chocolate hair down past her shoulders, while Sarah's strawberry blonde hair was done up in a loose ponytail. Both girls wore dresses with white aprons, the usual attire of teenage girls in this kingdom.

Leo shook his head and wrapped an arm around her waist. "Just making a food run. Speaking of which..." Leo pulled out a small sack with a loaf of bread, an apple and a couple of apricots, and handed it to her.

"Thank you, Leo." She kissed him on the cheek, while he smiled dreamily. I laughed at his expression.

See, Bri and Sarah knew who we are and what we do, yet they chose to love Leo and Nico regardless; I have to admit that I respect them for that.

Travis shouted to them, "C'mon, guys! We have to plan for...um...what we're stealing next!"

I mentally facepalmed. Leave it to Travis to bring that up when we're not alone.

Sarah and Bri both glanced at me questioningly. "What...what are you planning on stealing next?" Bri asked nervously. Sarah crossed her arms and glared at Nico. "Yeah, what are you guys swiping this time?"

Leo and Nico gulped. "Uh, maybe..." Nico started.

"The princess?" Leo said timidly, although he said it as more of a question.

Sarah was the first to respond. "NICO DI ANGELO! When you land yourself in prison, don't expect me to break you out of there!" She huffed angrily and stomped back inside.

Bri glanced after her, then turned back to us. "Sorry about that, she's just worried for you, Nico."

Nico sighed. "I know. I hope she forgives me."

Bri smiled. "I know she will. Just give her some time. Be safe, okay?" She said, giving Nico and I both big hugs. She's like a sister to Nico and I. Then she turned to Leo and kissed him on the cheek. "Come back to me, got it?"

Leo chuckled. "Got it." He kissed her once before she waved and went back inside, probably to calm Sarah down.

Thalia crossed her arms. "Not that I'm not happy for your relationships, guys, but if we're going to kidnap Princess Annabeth, we need some hardcore planning."

We all agreed and made our way through the woods back to our hideout.

•*•*•*•*•*•*•*•*•*•

"So how are we gonna swing this?" Connor asked from his perch on a large rock.

We were all seated inside of a massive cavern, littered with huge rocks and a freshwater stream. We had found this place five years ago, when Connor, Travis and I were thirteen, Nico and Leo were eleven, and Thalia was fifteen. We had been running for our lives after making our first ever food run. The guards had never found this place.

"Yeah, we can't exactly just hop on Blackjack, fly to the princess's window and say, 'Hey, we're here to kidnap you for ransom, want a ride?'" Nico pointed out. I fought back a smile.

"Very funny, Nic." Thalia repositioned herself so that she was lying down on the rock with her knees in the air. "We already know that Percy's the one to kidnap her."

I shot straight up. "What?! Why?"

Thalia rolled her eyes. "Kelp Head. You're our leader, you have the most experience out of all of us, and you're the only one who can control the escape route."

I frowned. Unfortunately, that is all true. Blackjack, my black pegasus, doesn't like to follow rules; yet, I am the only one who can tame him. Pegasi are extremely rare to come by; this one just happened to become attached to me.

"But I can convince Blackjack-"

"How? It's not like that pegasus can understand English."

"Fair point, but-"

"Percy," Thalia exhaled, apparently exasperated. Looks like I'm trying her patience. "Just blindfold her, load her on Blackjack, and get out of there."

I sighed. Looks like I'm going to kidnap a princess.

"Fine, I'll do it."

Thalia grinned in victory while I glared back at her.

Connor and Travis high fived while Nico rolled his eyes, and Leo continued vibrating like someone had injected coffee into his veins. Does that kid ever run out of energy?

"So when is her royal highness going to get kidnapped?" Nico asked nonchalantly as he used a fist-sized rock to sharpen his Stygian iron sword. I didn't blame him for mocking royalty. I got a bitter taste in my mouth every time I so much as thought of the king, queen and their stuck-up daughter.

Thalia answered Nico's question. "It has to be tonight. The sooner the better, right?"

I nodded.

"Then we need to plan now. I know you're going to use Blackjack both as the way of getting up on to the princess's balcony and the escape route, but what if the princess fights back?" Thalia questioned, looking at me expectantly.

"She won't." I said, and Thalia raised her eyebrow. I rolled my eyes. "I'll have Riptide with me. I don't have terrible arm strength either, you know."

Thalia sighed. "I know, Perce. This is just the first time I'm letting my little cousin go out on his own."

Nico smirked. "So Pinecone Face has feelings now? What has the world come to?" He said, then winced as Thalia hit him on the arm.

I rolled my eyes and stepped outside, doing my loudest whistle. After a few seconds, I saw a dark shape descending from the sky.

"Blackjack! Hey there buddy!" I greeted the pegasus. He whinnied in response, nudging his snout under my arm. I laughed a stroked his head, then stuck a hand into my pocket. I pulled out a handful of white cubes. "Sugar cube?"

Blackjack made a neighing sound and ate them out of my hand. I slung a saddle on his back while he was preoccupied with the sugar. "I'm going to need you to take me somewhere tonight, boy."

Just then, Nico stepped out of the cave, and glanced over at Blackjack with dark eyes. Nico had always had this sort of goth look about him. Maybe it had something to do with his shaggy black hair, black sword, and the fact that he only ever wears the color black.

"Want to go steal a snack before you go?" Nico offered. "Just you, Thals and I?"

I grinned. "Just like old times."