Royally Screwed

Chapter 8

~Percy~

My first thought when Nico, Leo, the Stolls and I return to the cave from our latest food run: Since when are Thalia and Annabeth friends?

They were both sitting upside down on boulders, chatting about something or other, lost in conversation. Annabeth almost looked like she—dare I say—belonged here. Well, I suppose she fit in now. After all, it has been three weeks since I initially kidnapped her.

For some reason, guilt flutters in my stomach when I think about how I kidnapped her. I ignored the feeling.

Thalia glanced up as we came in, and nodded to me in acknowledgement. "Hey, 'cuz."

Nico stepped out from behind me. "Hey, how about the other 'cuz?"

Thalia rolled her eyes and began talking to Annabeth, who didn't even acknowledge my presence. Oh well.

I tried not to notice how she looked with her honey-blond curls glinting in the light. Stop it Percy, I told myself.

I passed Thalia and Annabeth an apple each.

Annabeth took it and sighed, like she was eating her parents' money, but took a bite out of it anyway.

Thalia's was gone in less than a minute. I swear that girl eats almost as much as I do!

"Did little miss princess over here get into any trouble while we were gone?" I asked Thalia, who in turn glared at me. She looked like she was about to say something back, but Annabeth interrupted her. "I'm seventeen, not seven, Seaweed Brain." She said my old nickname mockingly.

Once they were finished, she and Annabeth said they were going to train for a bit, and left out of the cave entrance.

I watched Annabeth's golden curls bounce behind her as she walked away.

The guys and I sat down on boulders and went through our rations for the next couple of days. After that, we all took a fruit each.

I bit into my apple and crunched it between my teeth, while Nico, Leo and the Stolls started talking.

"So," Leo said with a mischievous smile. "You and Miss Princess, huh?" He wiggled his eyebrows.

I nearly choked on my apple. "What?!"

They all laughed while I sat there in shock. Me and Annabeth? No way! Well... maybe if she wasn't a princess.. NO! No.

"Come on, Perce. We all saw the way you were looking at her."

"And how you two were arguing?" Travis smirked. "Totally flirting."

"No way, guys!" I exclaimed. "She hates my guts! Not that I blame her, I mean I did kidnap her, and call her a spoiled brat when I was nine, but she still hates me and she IS a princess-"

"Perce, you're rambling." Connor pointed out. Fuck. I always ramble when I'm nervous.

I sighed loudly and dropped my head in my hands. "I don't know, okay?!"

My feelings were all mixed up. I can't be in love with her. She's the princess, she hates my guts, and I freaking kidnapped her. Even if I AM in love with her, she's betrothed to Luke, Lord Hermes's son.

Once her parents pay the ransom, we'll never see her again.

I considered training with Riptide to get my mind off of this, but I remembered that Annabeth and Thalia are out there.

But I'm not in love with her... am I?

~Annabeth~

Thalia and I headed towards the practice clearing. I wondered where they got all those targets and stuff. Stealing, probably.

"So," Thalia said, unsheathing one of her hunting knives and twirling it expertly in her fingers. "You and Percy, huh?"

I swear I almost choked on my own spit. "What?!"

Thalia laughed. "Come on. Even Nico sees the way you two look at each other, and he's definitely not the sharpest tool in the shed."

I would've laughed at her description of Nico, but I was too flustered to do much else but gape at her like a fish. I feel my cheeks heating up, and I'm sure my face looks like a ripe tomato.

"B-but, no! I can't! I mean we can't! I'm betrothed... Ugh, who am I kidding? Luke is a sick bastard." I start muttering to myself. "Stupid feelings... can't... I don't... do I?..."

I can't love Percy. For one, he hates me, and I hate him... right? He left me. He called me a stuck up princess. And oh, I forgot one minor detail: He KIDNAPPED me!

Still, I noticed little changes whenever I so much as thought of Percy. I would get this weird feeling in my stomach, as if a million butterflies were trapped in there.

Thalia slung her arm around my shoulder. "You could always ditch Luke and stay with us."

She left my side when we arrived at the practice 'arena', and started skillfully throwing her hunting knives. I stayed rooted on the spot, my mind elsewhere.

Finally, I unsheathed my dagger and took down a few targets, but my heart wasn't in it.

That evening, when I returned to the cave, I went straight into my little cave without meeting anyone's gazes. I laid out on the stone floor, my eyes trained on the plain gray ceiling above me, and tried not to think about my problems.

All in all, I have two choices:

1) Return to the palace, only to have my parents pay the ransom, and for me to have to marry Luke, or:

2) Leave the palace for good, and stay here, so my parents don't have to pay the ransom, but leave the kingdom without a successor.

What should I do?