From The Beginning {A Percy Jackson Fanfiction}

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Lord Kronos walked over to his wife and leaned down to kiss her on the cheek. The Queen showed no signs of emotions. "You may go now, my love. I will meet you in our bedroom."

Lady Rhea nodded blankly and walked out of the room, leaving the two alone.

Perseus bowed. "What may I help you with, My King?" He asked curiously.

"I felt a burst of aura from you during this ceremony, Perseus," Lord Kronos said as he circled the younger Titan. "And I saw your little. . .episode earlier. I only hope that you have had another vision and were not repelled by the food." The King chuckled, but there was no humor behind it.

Kronos was smart. That is why he had such a firm grasp on his subjects. He knew all their names, all their strengths, and all their weaknesses. He was observant and could quickly come up with strategies that allowed him to stay in control. "You are correct, My Lord," Perseus answered, hiding his nervousness behind a mask of calm. Lying would get him nowhere but death in this situation. "I have seen another vision, albeit a short one."

"Tell me more."

Perseus hesitated. "I saw a cave. In the mountains, covered in leaves and vines," He told the King, opting to leave out the part about his sister. "And I saw a boy. A young boy in his early stages of immortality. He had white hair and blue eyes."

Kronos waited for him to say more. When he did not, he raised a dark eyebrow. "That is all?"

Perseus stared right into the King's golden eyes when he answered. "Yes. That is all."

The King stared back, not a single emotion behind those cold, golden eyes. "Very well, you are dismissed."

Perseus nodded and his body started fading to mist. Just as he was about to teleport away, Lord Kronos reached a hand out and secured it on his shoulder. It instantly solidified his form as the King's nails dug into his skin. "Oh, and Perseus?" He could not move. His form was frozen. "Do make sure you tell the whole story next time. I would hate to punish Oceanus for raising such a dishonorable son."

Perseus's blood ran cold as he stared into the unforgiving eyes of the King. He forced his walls to hold. He would not give Lord Kronos the satisfaction of seeing the fear in his eyes. The King let go of Perseus's shoulder, and he could suddenly move again. He watched as the Titan Lord stepped back from him, placing his hands behind his back and a smirk playing on his lips.

Before he could come up with a response, Lord Kronos was gone, leaving a stunned and fearful Titan in the silent chambers of the hall.

Perseus quickly left the chamber, flashing to the waterfall where he and Zoë had agreed to meet after the ceremony. He scanned the treeline and inhaled the clean air, glad he was out of that dark palace. He opened his senses. No leaves were rustling more than usual, nor did he see or smell anything out of place.

Had Zoë forgotten to meet him here? No, Zoë would never turn down an opportunity to try and beat him. He cleared his ears, listening to the sway of the grass and the sound of the birds- He snapped to attention. The birds! He didn't hear their usual songs. They were silent, meaning someone was nearby.

As if on cue, a feminine warcry erupted from behind him. Perseus whirled around, his sword already in hand. Metal clashed against metal, the music of the two blades resounding across the forestry. Zoë glared at his smug expression when he blocked the blade from colliding with his back, the faint glow of Anaklusmos made it a touch of terrifying.

Perseus abruptly stepped backward, expecting Zoë to topple forward and land in a heap in front of him. That was not the case. Zoë had fallen forward, but instead of faceplanting, she used her momentum to roll in between his legs. Perseus quickly jumped forward before Zoë could attack him and got into a defensive position.