Charmolypi

Chapter 97

The cruise ship was now looming in front of them. Their ride toward Florida and the Sea of Monsters. Riding the hippocampus was even easier than riding a pegasus. They zipped along with the wind in our faces, speeding through the waves so smooth and steady Percy hardly needed to hold on at all, but did so for the sake of Thea, who was gripping him so tightly he almost had trouble breathing. He would have told her to loosen up, but he understood that she wasn't in her element and the only comfort she would be getting was from holding onto him.

"That's sweet of him," Lily said, trying to calm James down as he was shooting daggers at the son of Poseidon.

As they got closer to the cruise ship, Percy realized just how huge it was. The white hull was at least ten stories tall, topped with another dozen levels of decks with brightly lit balconies and portholes. The ship's name was painted just above the bow line in black letters, lit with a spotlight. It took him a few seconds to decipher it: PRINCESS ANDROMEDA

Andromeda shrunk in her seat as people started looking at her in a weird way.

"My daughter was named after the constellation that was named after the princess," Cygnus said harshly as people started whispering about Andromeda being a princess in distress that needed someone to save her because she was unable to save herself.

"You disowned you daughter for loving a muggle born!" someone shouted.

"Andromeda chose to leave. We disowned her after she left," Druella defended when she saw the look on her daughter's face.

Throughout their childhood, despite how severe things got, Cygnus and Druella always loved their daughters, despite the negative connotation that their family members used to label them.

Attached to the bow was a huge masthead-a three-story-tall woman wearing a white Greek chiton, sculpted to look as if she were chained to the front of the ship. She was young and beautiful, with flowing black hair, but her expression was one of absolute terror. Why anybody would want a screaming princess on the front of their vacation ship.

"Andromeda," Thea's weak voice sounded in his ear. She had seen him staring. "Her mother, Cassiope had offended the Nereids when she said that her daughter was more beautiful than them. Your father sent Cetus to get revenge and destroy Cepheus' kingdom. Her parents decided it would be best to chain her to a rock and let the monster devour her, but Perseus saved her."

James smiled, happy that his daughter had a vast knowledge about her, and his, history.

"He turned the monster into stone with Medusa's head," Percy continued. Thea looked surprised that he knew the story but nodded. "My mom named after him because he always won. She hoped I would inherit his luck and get a happy ending the same way he did. It seems I didn't get so lucky."

Many looked sadly at the young son of Poseidon that had struggled so much in his life.

"We're still too young. You'll get your happy ending," Thea comforted him. Percy didn't say anything. He wasn't sure of how true Thea's words were. Their lives were unpredictable, and he knew that.

Regulus smiled at the young girl that still managed to have hope despite knowing the fate of the majority of the heros.

James felt a pit settle in his stomach at the thought of his daughter suffering terribly in her life. He had always believed that he would be the protector of his children when he would choose to have kids, but he didn't expect both his children to be at the heart of wars that would decide the fate of humans.

"How do we get aboard?" Annabeth shouted over the noise of the waves, but the hippocampi seemed to know what we needed. They skimmed along the starboard side of the ship, riding easily through its huge wake, and pulled up next to a service ladder riveted to the side of the hull.