Chapter 21
__The Memorial of the Fallen__
||Percy Jackson||
My eyes snapped open, breathless as if I'd run a mile. I sat up and moved to the edge of the bed, putting my elbow on my legs and covered my face. I felt my wings that had accidentally come out during my nightmare, ruffle in discomfort.
I looked around my hut covered in the silver-light by the moon streaming from the giant opened windows. The ever-so present breeze cooling down my sweat drenched body. I look outside and saw the tides of the lake rise and the void fire receding slowly. Thankfully, it hasn't done any damage. It was a good thing that my powers only stayed in this room and hasn't done any damage because if it does, trust me, it's not only my room that'll be affected but more than that.
~
I headed downstairs just after showering and getting ready for the day, Nevalth in my shoulders. She wanted to go out and see what this infamous camp is. I sat down on the kitchen, the breakfast for us already waiting even Eva's. I sat down, calling out the holographic screen. I set out the files I needed and had gotten to work while I ate.
I heard quiet footsteps enter the kitchen, hesitant. I looked up, my mug halfway to my lips while forcing away the image of my dream--no, rather, my memory of her, "So much for following my orders, huh, Fi?"
She stopped, hands fidgeting, and stuttered, "I-I'm sorry, Percy. I had no choice, Lord Chaos forced me to come."
I raised an eyebrow, smirking from behind my mug. I took a gulp before saying, "Right," I mused, "whatever you say."
"We're just worried about you."
"I can take care of myself, Fyna." I stated firmly, before sighing. "You guys should know better than to eavesdrop." I said towards the door where I knew some of my comrades are. It took a moment for them to actually come in, casually strolling in, whistling as if they'd never been caught.
"So, Perce, hard night last night?" Ethan said, sitting down on his spot and digging into his food.
"What makes you think that?" I asked, finishing my own.
"The whole camp trembled. Don't worry, it was nothing major. Barely noticeable if you're sleeping." He explained with a shrug but I saw that look he gave me.
I ignored it.
"Percy--" Fyna started, her voice filled with warning and worry.
I ignored that too.
Thankfully, I didn't have to answer Ethan either as Nico, Leo with their significant others, looking sheepish to enter. I didn't even bother to wait for their request and had two extra chairs added temporarily.
"Glad you could join us." I greeted, "I don't even want to think about why you're late. I'm just grateful that the whole cabin is soundproof."
Laughter filled the table except for the newly arrived couples who are blushing like mad. I waited for them to finish as I petted Nevalth who seems to be in a playful mood today. "Do you want me to bring Mrs. O'Leary to you or would you like to go to her?" I asked her through the link we had.
"I'd like a change of scenery and fresh air. I'll come with you for today."
I smirked, "No, you don't. You just wanna assess the camp."
"Well, you haven't exactly been offering me a tour to the infamous camp." I could almost see her rolling her eyes at me to which I scoffed at.
"Fine," I relented, "If that's what you want."
"Why do you think I'm asking?"
This time, I was the one who rolled my eyes and turned to my comrades. The table was all cleaned and they chatted amongst themselves. I cleared my throat and immediately, they sat straight. I summoned the holographic screen and the work I was working on during breakfast about the campers. I made multiple copies and spread them to the table for the Leaders to see.
"Don't you think you're pushing them too much?" Castor asked once he looked through the regimen for the campers.
"What are you talking about? This is hardly an addition!" Sylas chimed in.
"Yes but if you'd recall, they pretty much looked like they're about to collapse in the first day."
Bianca cut in, "It's because they're getting used to it. Also, Percy, are we expecting Artemis' Hunters to come? We would need all the help."
"First off, we have to push them or we'd never get anywhere within the time. Even I, with my sources, can't make the other side to give us time without making them suspicious. Second, that depends on the Goddess herself. I would assume they would come."
"We don't need any help. We've won wars far more worse than this." Ethan said.
"Even if we don't need help," I said, sending the information I got from my sources in the middle of the table to show to everyone, "They would. Look at the monsters they're creating and their army."
Silence fell as we watched the short clip that was sent to me in bird's eye view, expanding almost a whole island as if all the monsters possible are pulled from Tartarus and more that looks unfamiliar.
Finally, Will Solace spoke the words that everyone was thinking. "Well, we're screwed."
~
*A few days later*
"Your Highness!" Fyna called out behind me, I ignored her and began my descent down the stairs as I headed outside. She called my name again, I could hear the anger in her voice but I can't give in. "Perseus Jackson," she yelled, "You can't keep ignoring me like this!"
"Watch me, Fyna Sveira." I replied without turning back. I began my trek outside, about to take a deep breath when I felt those long soft fingers decorated in some ornate design wrap around my wrist.
"Stop....please, Percy." The weakness in her voice had my shoulders slumping down in defeat and yet, I didn't turn around still. "I know you told me to stay back but you can't blame me for following Lord Chaos' orders. I'm worried about you, we all are."
"And what about my orders? Why do you think I wanted you at the palace instead of here, huh, Fyna?"
"Percy--"
I ripped my wrist away from her clutch and turned to face her. "I didn't want you to be in the place that destroyed me. I didn't--I wasn't ready for you to see this. I needed to do this alone. I didn't want you seeing this--me in the place that brings me so much weakness, that everywhere I turn all I see is the memories and all I wanna do is puke my guts out. I understand that you care and all but I'm not something fragile that needs babysitting, stop assuming that I would slip and accidentally burn the world."
"....I'm sorry..."
"I'm letting you off for today, Fyna. Do whatever you want." I stepped away from her, my wings spreading out, the fire in them sparking as I shot off the ground and into the sky, letting it swallow me.
~
||Fyna Sveira||
I dropped my arms to my side exhausted as I watched Percy disappear into the clouds. I stood there for who knows how long when finally someone had come out of the cabin and gently touched my shoulder. I look to my side to see Luke smiling at me sympathetically, "Don't feel bad, Fyna. Percy is trying his best."
"Since when does he not?" I replied. The images of him working in his office and doing everything in his own appeared in my mind. "I'm also trying my best here. I don't understand why he won't let me in." I said, looking at the sky where he disappeared off to trying to blink away the tears.
"Believe it or not. Fyna," Luke said, "he trust you more than anyone. He doesn't need you babysitting him, he's handle himself pretty well all these years. What he needs right now is someone who just need to stand by his side."
Luke's hand left my shoulder as he began walking away for his teaching session for the campers. I stood there for a moment before sighing and walked the same way Luke did.
To Camp Half-Blood.
~
In the years I have spent with Percy, there were many things we shared; countless conversations, banter, fights, down from the tiny little thing that we had seen that day to the countless nights where one was with each other when a nightmare occurs, him more often than me, to nonsense conversations that leads us to laughing over at some nonsensical thing.
I will not deny that we are close, over the millenniums shared a bond between us have been formed. I will never deny the fact that I am in love with this hard-working, strong broken man that I serve.
However, he is still a prince and I'm still a maid and I know my story would never turn into a disney like story that Percy had forced me to watch. I still serve him and he will, at some point in his life, would marry some higher princess and not a maid with a terrible bloodline. He's my best friend and I know he would never fall for me and I can't tell him for the fact that with just one step I might break the precious thing we have.
Still, I might know all the details there is to know about the prince, from outside and inside-- at least as deep inside I can get. We may have talked over everything but there was one thing he stayed away from.
His life in this planet.
He made sure not to bring it up nor open any conversations that could lead to the topic, when it comes to that he would steer them the most subtle way he could. No one ever notices but I do. I let it go every single time because it's none of my business but still, I wanted to know.
I wanted to know who Percy was before it all happened to him. I know nothing except for what had befallen him, what they had done to him. I know I should focus in the present rather than the past but....
I could always ask the other members but it would make no difference; Percy had made them swear to Callithrix to not speak about Earth to me or anyone else. They could talk about themselves as long as there is no mention of Percy or anything remotely close to a glimpse of his life. I get one tiny peak before the door is shut close on me.
Why? I don't understand why he won't let me in. Am I not worthy enough to know more things even after all these years? I just wanna stay by his side and I can't do that when I'm constantly worrying that I'm going to lose him to the past that had such a strong hold on him.
I heaved a heavy sigh and looked around me in confusion. During my walk, I had slipped into my mind and now I have no clue where in the world I am. It's been a few days since I've been here however, I have never gotten the chance to see what this place really is.
I began to turn around until a glint caught my eye.
As if my feet had a life on their own, I began moving towards the glint, further and further until I reached a black ornate fence with a shiny, ever-changing color stones in an arch shape. There was no gate so that prevented me from entering. I took one step closer, peering through the archway and catching a glimpse of a place filled with Earthen flowers, it seems, and something else I can't figure out.
Curiosity got the best of me and so I took a step and I was greeted by such a marvelous sight, it was almost close to Elysium. My feet had landed on a cobblestone pathway stretching up to Chaos knows where, it was framed by a medium length flower bush on both sides.
I turned to my right to see a pond with clear blue water with a gazebo right. The place was also filled with flowers of different kind. I continued on my journey marvelling at the sights and seeing the flowers for the first time in person or the statues that I'm guessing represented the Gods as I passed by. Suddenly, I had come across a set of marbled stairs; I looked up and froze in shock as the path I was following continued, except instead of this having more flowers or something, there were statues. They weren't in stone but gold, they shone so bright under the penetrating gaze of the sun.
This has what caught my attention then.
I continued walking, passing by unknown kids with a plaque next to them with informations about them. They were scattered across different places in the garden with pathways leading up to them.
I got deeper and deeper until I, to my surprise, saw the statue of Michael Yew. Across from him was Castor and pretty much all the army with the exception of Harmony and Silas.
This is a memorial for the fallen ones, I realized.
I continued deeper until I passed by Nico and instead of seeing someone across from him, there was nothing. I figured it might be the end but Nico, as far as I know, didn't die when he was on Earth and that the path I was on was still continued on, curving just slightly.
I followed the path and come to a sudden stop, shivers rose up my spine despite the warm weather. The breath in my lungs seemed to have fled and I could feel my heartbeat beating faster the more I started at what was in front of me.
Percy.
The sun was almost directly above him, casting an angelic light on the golden statue that is my prince. He was much younger, 16 or 17 probably, hair a beautiful mess, ruffled from the wind or by itself, I didn't know. He stood proud and tall, one hand on his hip, the other held a sword I've only seen once or twice by accident and it was slung across his shoulders. One knee bent so his ankles crossed to the other making him look casual and carefree. But that wasn't what caught me out of breath, it was the way his eyes seemed alive, although it was a statue you can tell the life-filled eyes in them. It was no doubt made by someone that truly cared about him. And that smile.... It was so beautiful, the lopsided and the carefreeness of it. It wasn't like I haven't seen him smile, I have countless of times but this, something was different about this. Maybe it's the way it reflected in how bright his sea-green eyes was.
He looked alive.
He stood on the water sculpture that was in mid-splash some even coating his sword and arm. I looked at the side where a stone stood, water from the sculpture wrapped around it too and a black plaque with things written in it.
I felt my eyes brim with tears the more I stared into it. I blinked them away quickly. What is wrong with me? Getting so emotional over a statue, goodness.
I ignored the pathway I've been walking on and stepped into the green grass and went closer to the big plaque and read what was written.
"Perseus 'Percy' Jackson" The first line read, "Born on August 18, 1993 and raised in Manhattan, New York. The son of a single mother, Sally Jackson, and the God of sea, Poseidon. Brother of Evan and Eloise Blofis, half-brother to Tyson, the best blacksmith Cyclops in his generation. He is a Greek demigod, former head of the Poseidon's Cabin and a former praetor of the Twelfth Legion in Camp Jupiter."
"Sally and Poseidon?" I muttered to myself, "Did they get the information wrong somehow? Do they not know he's the son of Chaos?" As I continued reading, all through the things he had done, I could feel my knees weaken. He had done so much, so much it was a miracle he had managed to survive all those.
I quickly wiped away the traitorous tears that fell down on my cheeks and took a shaky breath. To have done so much things and risk so much only to be betrayed by his family....... It was the worse.
I looked at the statue of Percy and smiled sadly.
"He's beautiful, isn't he?" a voice said, I flinched, startled by the voice my hand going to the blade as a reflex only to see a woman approaching me and standing by my side. She was pretty, she looked to be about our age in Earthen terms. The woman had on a simple outfit, her long blond curly hair in a ponytail with a simple dash of makeup on her. She looked up at the statue with a sad, wistful look in her striking gray eyes.
"Yes, yes he is." I answered.
She turned her head to me, assessing me, before she smiled. "Are you one of the people who came with Percy?"
I nodded, "I'm Fyna, pleasure to meet you." I bowed ever so slightly.
"I've never met one of you before, either they're always too busy or we are." the girl said, "I'm Annabeth Chase, by the way."
I frowned, why does that seem familiar?
"So, what are you doing here?" She inquired.
"I was simply admiring the garden, it's very beautiful."
Pink tinted Annabeth's cheeks, "Thank you. I had designed this and with the help of the other campers, we managed to turn it into something like this." She answered me, "Anyway, you work for Percy, right?"
The way she said his name, somehow, for absolute no reason bothered me. Why? Why does she seem so familiar?
"I do, yes."
"How is he like?"
I fumbled a bit, uncomfortable with the situation, "He's very nice, he never overwork us unless needed and even still, he pays us even more so if that happens. He's very kind, anyone would be lucky to work for him." I paused for a moment, "...you seem to know him.....would you care to tell me more about him during his time here?"
The woman beamed, "Of course, come walk with me around the camp. I'll show you around too."
~
||Percy Jackson||
Perhaps I was too harsh on her? I mean, she was only worried about me after all. I sighed, exhaustion coating my entire being. I mean, is it so bad that I don't want her mixed up with my past? Is it so wrong to ask that? Why does she have to be so goddamn stubborn?
But still, I can't get rid that face she had made as I flew away, that worried, hurt face. It pained me. I groaned, suddenly coming to a standstill mid-air. The fierce rush of the wind curving around my wings before I screamed to the endless air, "Curse you, Chaos!"
I turned back around and headed back for camp, "Well that was fun while it lasted, I thought as I landed next to the cabin where Nico already stood waiting for me. "Done screaming at the sky?" The second-in-command asked.
"Unsurprisingly, no" I grumbled underneath my breath, as he fell into a step beside me as we walked around the camp discussing the current progress of the camp. When I stopped dead in my tracks as I see two women going on the opposite direction but facing me. "Well, this day is just getting better." I muttered.
"What in Chaos' name are they doing together?!" Nico exclaimed beside me. And very friendly too, I mentally added.
I saw Fyna's eyes widened in surprise as she met my eyes which I stared at blankly, of all people she could meet, it had to be her. "Your Highness," she called, curtsying, making her companion beside her stop in confusion.
I nodded acknowledgement, "Fyna." I began to continue my journey, trying my hardest not to show the storm that is my emotions swirling through my heart when Nico, himself, stopped me.
"Percy," his voice was stone to others but I heard the slight worry and panic in there. "You're just gonna let this be?"
"I am, got a problem, di Angelo?" I inquired, raising an eyebrow.
"Yes. This whole thing is a problem."
"How is this a problem?" She chimed in. Nico and Fyna turned to the blonde hair while I merely gave her a glance.
"Yeah, Nico. Tell me what the problem because I can't see it." I said, pretending, cocking my head to the side while staring down at my right hand man with a barely noticeable smirk playing in my lips.
His eye twitched in annoyance just an inch with his face still carefully calm, he turned to Fyna. "Shouldn't you be doing your job, Fyna?"
"I should be but Your Highness let me off today, my lord."
"You've got to be--" Nico said but I cut him off with a sharp tone and glance.
"She's not on duty, Nico. Leave her alone, she's allowed to be friends with whoever she wants to and that's that."
"Percy--" He called again.
"There's no one better to give her a tour of the campus than one of the immortal leaders and head counselors since she wanted to know so much about this place."
I looked into the eyes that held the actual color of the sun with a feline look into them, however, that was soon broken away by someone I didn't particularly wanted to talk to. "This was--is your home too and you were a head counselor too, did you forget about that?"
"My home belongs somewhere far away from here. Stop trying to make it like it is, it's never going to be. " I said, staring into the sharp wise gray eyes I used to love, "I wish I could forget but I can't. Not for as long as I live, Chase."
~
||Fyna Sveira||
I looked between the girl I just met and the prince who is currently mad at me as they both stood there quiet, heavy tension in the air. There was something between them, I can sense it, and that something spiked a fear in my heart. Annabeth looked away first and settled her eyes on me, I looked at Percy who turned away without sparing me a glance, and said, "Come on, Nico. We've got more to do."
I opened my mouth wanting to call him but nothing came out, while my mind, heart and soul are screaming his name and wanting me to move to his side just like where I've always been.
I looked at Nico with a hopeless look, he looked at me and pursued his lips and sighed then turned to Annabeth and gave her a warning look then sent me a hopeless look that sent a knife down my heart.
I messed up again.
I turned to look at the girl beside me, biting my lip, questions after questions threatening to spill out my mouth. She met my eyes, a pained defeated smile painted their way on her lips. A churning in my stomach began, making me feel nauseous.
"I can see it in your eyes," she said, as we continued walking, breaking the silence that fell down between us. "There's so many questions swirling."
"I do." I said bluntly.
Annabeth Chase took a shaky breath, as if mentally preparing herself. "Perhaps it's better if he tells you himself the whole story but if there's one thing I can say is that; we were bestfriends. Many years ago."
~
Hey, hey, hey.
I'm alive. Sorry I kept you guys waiting soooo long. Next time I will try and leave a notice if I suddenly drop off the face of wattpad.
School started and I'm drowning in homework. Literally. I hardly have time to read or write (T^T)
So updated might be very very slow. And I've been stuck in a writer's block and a reading slump. Also depression clings to me every moment and it's hard to do crap.
I've also been unhappy with the result of this chapter so I kept deleting and rewriting. I'm semi-okay with this. Not my proudest. It took me months to actually get to 4,000 some words for this chapter and make it look presentable.
I'm so sorry guys.
I've missed so much. I turned 16 in August 21 (still can't drive sadly), Hellhole aka school started. I missed Percy's birthday.
I've become addicted to Haikyuu!! (s3 came out recently, literally pumped for this.)
The Betrayed Prince have been getting so much attention. I'm crying. the reads have reached 22K or so and about 800-some votes. Guys, this is so wonderful. I never thought this story would make it this big. I'm so grateful to you guys, really. *hugs*
I have so much to say but I completely forgot about things now. =_=
I just wanna shout out to those who literally planned had a really interesting and amusing conversation about torturing in one of my chapters. It was fun to read. Reading you guys' comments always makes me smile. Even if you threaten me XD (no hard feelings)
I'm sorry it had taken me this long to update.
Also, the amount of reaction of that I got at the end of Ch. 20 was bloody amazing. I'm going to leave you guys hanging on that topic for a little while, it's not time yet to untwist the twist. I hope you'll be patient.
I know that this chapter isn't much but I wanted to put it out there soon.
Still I really hope you enjoyed this chapter still and that you like it. Thank you guys for supporting this book and hanging on until now, it really means a lot.
I love you guys!
Vote, comment and let me know what you think!
~Leannexo