Children of Olympus: Selection.

Chapter 43*

Zagan's birthday rolled around, and I had never been more excited for May 15. I had finally worked it out in my mind to tell him I loved him. I didn't care if it blew up in my face. Today was the day.

My maids helped me into a simple white and gold dress, did my hair simple, and very very light makeup before letting me go. Step one of the day was ago, bake treats.

Maybe Zagan didn't love the color blue, but he did enjoy blue cookies. Everyone in the royal family did. It was tradition if there was an Illean female in a castle that they would make cookies. I loved the tradition. It also made me quite close with the kitchen staff.

"Here to bake cookies I assume?" Chef Vesta said the second I arrived.

"Among other things. I can decorate the cake while their cooking," I said, pulling out the ingredients, "Now no learning the recipe now."

"Never dreamed of it. You guys make it too fast for me to follow anyways," She said, a slight twinkle in her eye.

The cookies took a few minutes to prepare before I placed them in the oven and started a timer. I decorated the top of the cake before Chef Vesta shooed me off to the party. Her reasoning was that if I planned it, I should get to enjoy it.

I hummed on my way to the party. Step two was in sight, get through the morning and afternoon activities. I should have known that with everything going so right, something was going to go horribly wrong.

That sense of dread hit way too late. The rebel attack alarms blared, and I tried to reach the main room, but a sharp pain in the back of my head caused me to hit the ground. "Well, well, well," A voice said, "I have caught myself a pretty little princess."

Something was pricked into my arm, and my vision went black.

Zagan's POV

Have you ever walked into a party and just automatically known who planned it? Yeah, well I haven't until this exact freaking moment.

I walked into my own, not so surprise birthday party to be, well, surprised. My mother had always decorated my birthday in reds or greens. Today my favorite color, navy blue, was up on the walls matched with a dark red and gold embroidery that matched my eyes.

Victoria had planned this, that much was obvious. I walked around, trying to see if I could find her to thank her. Of course, not everyone was there yet, and I instead found myself talking to my mom.

"I would have never thought navy blue. Why didn't you ever tell me?" She asked, looking around in almost as much awe as I was.

I shrugged, "It never came up in conversation."

In all actuality, I had never really thought about it. Victoria and I had a conversation at one point about pass times. I mentioned how I liked stargazing. She had told me that staring at that much navy for so long had to get boring. I shrugged. She had teased me into believing that navy was my favorite color. I wouldn't have it any other way though.

My mom told me to go enjoy my party. I once again looked around for Victoria only to find her friend Angel walking over. "It's so obvious that Victoria planned this. The gold is the exact color of your eyes."

I looked her over, confused, "Are you flirting with me or talking bad about the decorating."

She snorted, "Believe what you want, but I doubt either of those things are wholly true."

I shrugged, not really understanding that. I liked Angel. She was nice. I just wasn't really all there today. Being eighteen apparently didn't come with immediate knowledge of the world around you.

Angel was about to walk away from me when the rebel alarms sounded. "Everyone get down!" I commanded, grabbing Angel's hand and preparing myself for a birthday in the safe rooms worried about Victoria when the alarms stopped.

I raised an eyebrow at that but shook it off. Something was off, but I needed to enjoy this party while I could.

I decided to open presents and was halfway to the table when I was interrupted again. I looked over to find one of Victoria's maids, Celeste I think. "Look, Victoria might kill me for giving you this. Don't open it till she's with you. There's a gift up there from her as well. She left that in our room, and I haven't seen her since she left this morning."

I was going to ask where she had been, but Celeste was already gone. I sighed and went to open presents.

It was a long process. I was starting to realize that these girls didn't know me at all. Most of them had gotten me either extremely cheesy gifts or candy.

Only half of the presents had been opened when the cake and cookies came. They were blue which made me smile. A promise fulfilled was always nice.

The whole crowd sang happy birthday, and I blew out my candles. I read the handwriting and sighed, "Wish she was here," I grumbled.

Chef Vesta must have heard it. "What do you mean she's not here? She left the kitchen's hours ago."

My heart stopped as everything clicked. "Guards, one each escort the girls back to their rooms and keep them there. Anyone else you are to go search the castle for her. Leave no room untouched." I found my voice to be surprisingly calm.

"Zagan," My mom said softly behind me, "Make sure you aren't being rash about this."

"What do you mean rash?" I snapped.

"Don't talk to your mother like that," My dad said, looking me dead in the eye.

"You know exactly what we're talking about. She's known for..." my mom tried again.

"No! She wouldn't do it. She wouldn't. She, she promised." The fight in my voice left as I stalked out of the room. Tanner was on my heels.

"Any news? Shouldn't you be out there looking? You know her brain best."

Tanner nodded, "I knew ten year old her very well. Now, well, I don't know so much about that one. I do know she didn't run. It's not in her to do that right now. She likes you a lot and wouldn't do anything to upset you."

I closed my eyes and took a deep breath. I was trying not to think about what that left as an option. "Just go search."

"You're mom assigned me to watch you."

"Of course she did," I grumbled, running a hand through my hair, about to open the door to my office when another guard rushed forwards.

He stoped breathless in front of me. "Your highness, Officer Rodrieguiz, we have news."

"Have you found her?" I asked, praying that's what this was for. I didn't like the idea of anything else.

"Well, not exactly," The guard said, leading us back down the stairs and to in front of the doors to the party room. "We tested the blood, and it's hers. She was forcefully removed from the premises."

I looked down to the floor and felt a sudden wave of nausea. This could not be happening and yet it was. "Tanner," I said as calmly as I could muster, "Do what you must? Find her. Bring her home safe."

Tanner nodded, calling orders to men, one of which was to tell his mother he loved her which I realized we all knew would happen. There was a chance at death with this. I looked down at the blood and paled.

No, I couldn't think that way. Well, I could, but it wasn't a good idea. I needed a clear head on the situation to handle it right. Everything had to go right. Victoria's life depended on it.