Mission Accepted: Percabeth AU (HoO)✔️

The Map

I stand in the grand library, my hands on my hips, staring at the highest shelf. I cannot get the book down for the life of me, and with all the guards around I fear if I use my powers they'll notice. I need this book for my mission though. It has the entire history and family tree of the royal family, also Thalia said it secretly contains a map of the palace, including secret entrances, passageways, and rooms only the royal family knows about. Exhaling, I look around to make sure no one is paying attention. Backing up I lock eyes on the book and in one swift motion, the novel lands in my hand.

The second it's in my grasp, I begin making my way to the exit. As I pass through, my chest feels like a weight was just taken off it. My eyes find the grand clock I realize I have a solid two hours before the ball starts. Piper is coming to my room to put on our dresses and final touches in an hour. Shoot. My feet take off in a fast walk. As I pass palace staff in the wide, gorgeous hallways I can tell the conflict going on inside their heads. The rest of the girls have been locked up in their rooms all day, preparing for the ball. The occasional squeal as they visit others. Whereas I, on the other hand, have been in search of this disturbance, and in the library trying to get some kind of a lead for this impossible mission.

I make my way down the hallway and noises of chatter erupt from each door, girls hurrying to look the finest there. I stop when a girl I recognize as Colette runs into Ashley's room, makeup and jewelry along with some fabric gripped in her arms. I peek into Ashley's room as I go by and see dresses all over the bed, lingerie hung on the bedpost, jewelry and makeup everywhere on the vanity and the two girls talking their mouths off as their maid's swarm around them. They seem to be having a debate about which hairpiece Colette should wear. I walk faster to my room, the overwhelming smell of perfume clouding my thoughts.

Walking in, Andy, Clove, and Katie all jump up in anticipation. Holding up the book with a smile, I say, "Found it."

"Well, hurry up! Get in," Katie says, pulling out bobby pins, and hair products as Clove shut the door behind me.

Andy hurries me to a seat and begins taking off my old, minimal makeup from this morning. "Alright tell us, is it in there?" She asks, allowing me room to open the book.

My fingers thumb through the novel, each page turn growing more frantic. I begin breathing faster as I reach the end of the book where a lock greets me. I open my mouth in question. Looking behind me to Katie, she smirks, holding up a key. "This, my friend, is a key."

Rolling my eyes, I say, "Yeah, no sh – "

"That only the royals have access to," She cuts me off, giving me a look.

I take the key gingerly from her and put it into the lock. The silver reflects the beginning of the evening's sunlight. I turn the key and the lock clicks. Able to take the lock off now, I open the compartment and inhale, expecting to see the folded map.

But am greeted with nothing.

*~*

~*~

I race down Royal's corridors with Katie. We stop in front of the Queen's suite to compose ourselves before knocking. The door opens slowly by, I'm guessing one of her maids, and the Queen seated at the vanity, her hair being dressed coming into view. She freezes, her eyes locking with mine in the mirror. Queen Sally turns around and comes quickly to the door.

"Girls, what a surprising pleasure to have you," She says, gesturing for us to come in.

I waste no time in explaining everything that happened. I tell her about the slight disturbance of seeing someone potentially watching the picnic, then my search for the book stored away in the library to find no map.

The Queen sits in silence for a moment before saying, "I see. The disturbance could have been anything, like a maid cleaning the windows but I would not forget it. The map, on the other hand, is not something we want to happen. Now, we do have another copy that I can have King Poseidon send it to your room. But it is a threat to have that one stolen as the only people who have access to that compartment is the royals."

I piece it together, "Therefore, someone in the palace had to have stolen it. Someone who's been here a little bit, enough to know how to steal both the key and the map."

"And put the key back," Katie says.

"Which means," Queen Sally says.

"There really is a Northern Rebel in the palace," I conclude, a shiver going down my spine. 

Have an amazing night/day wherever you are! - The Fangirl

Disclaimer: I do not PJO or HoO. I do not own these characters. I do not own The Selection Series.