Empress (a Percy Jackson AU)

Heir to the Throne

It had been two days since her father's funeral and the exhaustive power of grief still weighed Annabeth down like a suit of armor. She was supposed to be officially crowned empress tomorrow, but she felt as prepared for it as a newly hatched bird is ready to fly.

Annabeth snuggled closer to Luke. She had been trying to sleep for what felt like hours. The creamy white candle on her bedside was now a short stub. The flickering candlelight cast shadows on Luke's face and Annabeth thought again of how lucky she was to have him as her husband.

     When she was seven, Annabeth was sent off to be educated in the countryside. Only her tutor, Chiron, had accompanied her. Everyone else was new back then and the young princess soon grew homesick. Luke, who was nine then, had comforted her with a promise: that he'd be her family. When they married, that promise became legally true. Annabeth's mind finally seemed to settle and she closed her eyes and fell asleep.

***

     It seemed like hardly an hour before Annabeth was woken by a scream and the sound of someone running into her room. She opened her eyes and sat up on the bed. Frederick's nursemaid, a raven-haired woman named Silena, had the baby swaddled in her arms. Her clothes were slashed, her hair was disheveled, and she was bleeding.

"Empress Annabeth," she said. "You must go! They came and attacked him in our chambers."

Annabeth stood up. By now, Luke was waking and rising too. Annabeth made over to where Silena was standing and held out her arms. Silena hesitated and then slowly gave the baby over. Annabeth cradled Frederick in her arms. He wasn't crying, but staring at her with mute terror. Somehow, that was worse.

Annabeth pulled him gently closer to her chest and looked up to face Silena as she stroked her son's hair. "Who attacked?"

Silena's breath was in gasps and her eyes darted around wildly as she spoke. "I'm not sure."

"They're coming!" Piper said as she ran into the room. "I'll alert the palace guards."

She ran off just as quickly. Mere moments later, three figures walked into the room. They wore masks and dressed in white. "The true king shall rise!" one of them said, lifting a bloody dagger into the air.

Annabeth thrust Frederick into Silena's arms. "Hold him, I'll fight."

She pulled out the dagger she kept strapped to her thigh — the one Luke had given her when she was seven. The figures advanced. One of them smiled. "Funny how only the woman has a weapon. Seems like she's unmanned you, Luke."

Luke's blue eyes seemed to turn golden as he grabbed the nearest pillow and threw it at the jeering figure. They stumbled and then laughed. The other two advanced quickly. Annabeth was fighting one while Luke fought another using a candelabra. Luke was a great swordsman, but it was a hopeless cause. His opponent struck him in the thigh and he fell to his knees. Luke swung his candelabra around, trying to trip his opponent, but they easily avoided its limited reach.

Annabeth was aware only of the figure in front of her. She wielded her dagger with deadly accuracy and was able to hold out well on her own. Then, she heard a gasp and looked around to see Luke twitching on the floor. A scream escaped her lips and the wailing of her child pierced the air.

Her attacker managed to stab her arm. Annabeth kicked him in the shins, tripping him, and managed to wrench the dagger out of her arm. Though it was bleeding, it was her heart that was hurting as she looked first to her husband, eagle-spread on the floor, and then to her son.

Silena was trying her best to fend off her attacker, but with a baby to protect, it was a tough job. Annabeth charged towards the attacker with the ferocity of a mother bear, but she didn't make it there.

    A blow sent her sprawling to the ground. She tasted blood and realized she must have bitten her cheek. She tried to push herself back up, but one of the assailants was pinning her down. "It's a pity your life cannot be spared," he said. "You're a pretty thing. I think you'd make a good actress."

     Annabeth writhed in his grasp, but she was tired and he was bigger and stronger. She needed to use her wits, but how? A cry from her newborn brought her back to the present. From the floor, she could see the back of the legs of the attackers bearing down on Silena.

     With her arms wrapped protectively around the swaddled child, Silena looked like Madonna. Another cry escaped Annabeth's lips and she struggled to free herself from her assailants' attack as they cut Silena down from the waist. The young woman fell to the ground

     With a scream of anger and grief, Annabeth managed to roll over and kick her assailant in the stomach. He grunted and Annabeth used that moment of distraction to get to her feet. In that moment, Piper came into the room followed by Jason and Percy, two of the palace guards.

The assailants looked up like wolves who had been caught hunting a shepherd's flock of sheep. Percy ran towards Annabeth and helped her to her feet. Jason and Piper ran towards Silena and the baby.

Percy cut down one of the assailants, Piper sent one fleeing, and Jason disarmed another. "Why did you attack the queen?" he growled.

The man's eyes flickered nervously to the blade against his neck. "It was the dowager empress," he said quickly. "She wanted to secure the throne for her sons."

Annabeth looked away as the man's life ended. When she looked again, it was to search for her baby. Percy let her go and she stumbled forward. Silena lay on the floor with Piper kneeling beside her. Silena's arm was wrapped around Frederick and her tunics was stained red.

"No, no," Annabeth whimpered.

Silena's gaze was glassy. "Forgive me, my empress."

"No!" Piper cried.

Annabeth lunged forward and let out a cry of anguish. Her Frederick, her only child, was dead — murdered on the floor of the palace he would have inherited. She sank down to her knees and let tears fall from her eyelids. She felt everything and nothing at once.

     Percy knelt down beside her. "I know somewhere where you can seek refuge."

      Annabeth gazed back at him, her eyes listless. What was the point of trying anymore? She closed her eyes, but Percy shook her. "Annabeth, you must continue to fight for your kingdom and for yourself."

     If she had been alone, she would have given up, but Annabeth realized something. Her loyal servants would be killed if she stayed here and for their sake, she forced herself to get up, her legs as shaky as a newborn filly's. "I'm ready."

    It was the only lie they'd accept.