I had thought I was growing restless here. Leo outdid me by a mile.
By the end of the next day, he'd had me bring him a chair just so he could take it apart and build random things out of it. He scribbled in the notebooks endlessly, designing and drawing who knew what.
Despite his ceaseless energy, I was glad to have him there. Human contact of any kind was a gift, and the fact that it was him made it that much better.
I was sitting with him as usual when he finally broke. "There's got to be a way out. I'm so sick of being here when they need me back at the palace, Cal!"
I sighed. "We've been over this."
"No, you've just decided to give up. That's the real reason you never got off Ogygia," he snapped.
That stung. I could have told him precisely how many escapes I'd attempted and failed (twelve). I could have informed him of the excruciating pain that came from the chip embedded in my arm whenever I swam more than thirty feet away from the island. I could have said any number of things to disprove him. But I chose to stay quiet.
After a minute, he kicked at the ground. "I didn't mean that. I'm sorry."
"You better be."
"I'm just so sick of being stuck here." He glanced over. "I know that's not fair. You've been here longer."
"It doesn't matter." I leaned back against the wall. "You're right, they need you. There's got to be something we can use, some information to barter with..."
Leo bashed his arm against the wall. "I hate this. I hate this so much. And now I'm hurting you because I'm angry and I just really fricking want to get out of here."
I bit my lip, trying not to look at him. I didn't want another breakdown.
"Calypso. Hey. That's not what I...oh, lordy, I'm screwing this up so hard." He clutched my hand. "Please look at me."
I tried to meet his eyes, unwilling to hold them for long.
"This is not your fault, and I didn't mean to imply that it was. I just -- I'm just frustrated. You're more the victim here than I am. None of this is your responsibility."
I sighed. "We both know that's not entirely true."
"Why? Because of a stupid mistake you made when you were young?" Leo challenged. "You were eleven, Cal. You were a child. You shouldn't have been punished for -- "
"I've heard it, okay? It doesn't matter how many times you tell me. If you'd never met me, we wouldn't be here."
"If I'd never met you, I might be miserable!" Leo's voice rose in intensity. "Don't you understand? I just want to love you, free from all this!"
I shut my eyes. Don't cry. Do not cry.
Silence. Then, "Cal?"
"I'm here."
"Cal, I'm sorry. I really need to shut up."
I laughed, though sorrow burned in my chest. "Please don't."
He drew in a long breath. "I need you to be aware that I don't blame any of what's happening on you. None of it. This is not your doing, and the fact that you aren't a 'normal' candidate from the Selected won't stop me from choosing you. I'd do anything for you."
I had to turn away. Why couldn't I be normal? Why couldn't we be back at the palace, saying these things to each other in safety?
"Talk to me?" Leo pleaded.
"Thank you," I said quietly. "Thank you for your words. But they don't change the reality we're in. When all this comes to light, the public won't think one whit of how much we care about each other. They'll see me and think, she's a traitor. There's no way around it."
"We'll fix it," he declared with all the authority befitting his rank. "We'll tell them. I swear we will."
"It won't matter, Leo, they'll -- " My voice caught. "Remember when I said I couldn't be queen? My heart may have changed, but that hasn't."
He stared at the chains binding his hands. "Back when all this was just starting, my mother told me to pick an honest girl, because they make the best queens. They can't be swayed." He glanced up at me. "But you haven't really been given a choice. You hid things to save your life. I think she would have seen the difference."
"She also would have seen that I can't be the pure, spotless ruler the public eye requires," I answered softly.
"You don't have to be innocent to be good." Leo blew out a stream of air, lifting his curls away from his forehead. "They have to see you as I do."
I hugged my arms close. "What if you're wrong?"
Leo's frown deepened. "I'm not."
"Maybe you don't know me as well as you think you do. I did yell at you when we first -- "
"Calypso." He grasped my fingers again. "You cared for me when my mother died. You've befriended so many other girls -- do you know what they told me about you while you were gone? Wonderful things. Hazel appreciates your openness and kindness, Reyna admires your intelligence, Annabeth values your selflessness and how articulate you are, and Piper just loves everything about you."
I squeezed my eyes shut, wanting to pull him close so badly.
"And Percy," he continued wryly, "finally told me all about your compassion in taking care of him, how you saved his life. I have to admit, I was ready to strangle him for not making more of an effort to get you off that island. But you were brave enough to come here and face him, and you treated Annabeth and his other friends with kindness and composure."
"Leo..." I was fairly certain I could not restrain my tears for much longer as I studied his determined face.
"And now here you are, accepting your captivity with a dignity and grace that eludes me. You're more suited to be royal than I am." He smiled a little, his dark eyes crinkling. "So you see, Calypso, I can tell that you're one incredible girl."
I couldn't even speak. How on earth could I put into words what I felt for this annoying, scrawny, perfect boy who'd dropped into my life without warning? How could I thank him for restoring all my hopes?
So I kept it simple. I met his eyes, and in the clearest voice I could manage, I said, "I want to spend the rest of my life with you. I want to be your queen, no one else's."
Leo was watching me with an expression I couldn't read. Then suddenly he launched himself as far forward as his chains allowed, wrapping me in a fierce hug. I rested my head against his shoulder, letting him hold me close.
I was so overwhelmed by his embrace that I almost missed it.
A small clink rang out in the silence, and Leo's chains loosened. Then the door barring his cell slowly slid open, revealing an empty hallway.
I pulled back, gaping at his wrists. "Your chains!"
He stared at his arms, shaking the chains off. "My people must have gotten here. They've freed us!"
He jumped to his feet, pulling me with him. "Let's go, Calypso. They did it! We can escape!"
Leo yanked me towards the door, and a pit of unease began to build on my stomach. "Leo, I'm not sure -- "
A shock of intense pain hit my chest as he tried to pull me past the door, and I cried out, falling to my knees. I was barely aware of his voice shouting my name through the haze of fire wracking my nervous system, and I crawled back towards the cell, my body convulsing.
As soon as I managed to drag my legs past the threshold, the pain vanished, leaving me trembling on the ground. Leo was gripping my arms, begging me to stay with him, and I reached for his hand weakly.
"What happened?" he asked frantically.
I sucked in a breath, trying to relax my shaking limbs. "Chip installed in my arm. Does that when I try to leave."
Leo was already on his feet, yelling at the cameras, telling them to shut off whatever mechanism had control of me. I tried to call out to him, to tell him it was useless, that his people weren't here at all.
But my voice was so small, so tired, it refused to come out.
He was at my side again, brushing my hair out of my face. "I'll go get help. I'll figure out how to shut it off, okay?"
"Once you leave, you won't be returning." I coughed, my lungs trying to rid themselves of the burning sensation.
"No. No, I'll find a way."
"Leo..." I gazed up at him for a few moments. "My uncles are letting you go. They know this is the best way to hurt me."
His hands stilled. "No."
"Yes." I took in his stricken face, his concern for me, and mg rested my head on his leg. "You can't let it affect you. Go. Don't look back."
"I can't do that, Calypso! I won't abandon you!" There were tears in his eyes now, and my heart broke for him.
"You must. Go save your country." I smiled at him, easing myself into a sitting position. "I'll be here, encouraging you in secret."
He looked between me and the door, obviously torn, and I marveled that he would even consider prioritizing me over his country. "Get out of here, Leo. Before they change their minds."
Leo swallowed hard. "I'll come back. I promise, Calypso, I'll -- "
I shut him up by kissing him.
It was short and rushed and imperfect, but when I drew back, I was floating on air.
He was stunned, his eyes wide and his mouth gaping. I laughed, touching his face. "If I'd have known you were going to stop functioning, I wouldn't have done that."
He jerked back, fumbling with his shirt. "No, I'm, uh, fully functional. Definitely. Do that as many times as you want."
I laughed again, tucking away the sadness, memorizing his face one more time. "Go, Leo, my scrawny hero."
"I don't know what you think, Calypso, but I will come back for you." His face was earnest and serious and perfect.
I almost believed him.
"May you save your country and stay safe." I pushed him away gently. "Go."
He rose, backing through the door, his eyes fixed on me. He stayed that way, slowly moving back and watching me. I lifted my hand, smiling.
The door slid shut abruptly.
For a minute I remained there, on the cold cement floor. I hoped he was running now, searching for a way out of this place, back to his friends and family. I shut my eyes, fighting the desire to claw at the walls and beg to be released with him.
Out of sheer desperation, I did something I hadn't done in a long time: I prayed aloud. "Please let him reach safety. Let him find his people, and grant him the strength to rescue this nation. If he's alive, and no one else is hurt because of me and what I have done, then I can live with that."
I let out a long breath. "Even in a prison."
~
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A/N:
I have nothing to say for myself.
Time schedules aside, I just,,, love this story so much. I don't even know why. Calypso and Leo are so lovely. Shoutout to the beautiful BEAUTIFUL fanart featured above that I found yesterday and got me through the rest of this chapter?? Isn't it stunning?