Three days.
Three days until Percy could meet some new people.
Honestly, being in the castle for so long, with only your family and the same few people you could talk to, was pretty hard. Of course, it was fun talking to his mom. He didn't have to be extra polite just for the sake of it, but of course he was nice since he loved her. It was also fun going on walks with Hazel, or fighting with Luke, and spending time with his younger brother, Tyson.
But when the impending doom of getting an arranged marriage to a stranger was bothering you, choking you, and practically strangling you day by day, it was pretty hard being cooped up in the castle.
With the war going on, it was too dangerous for Percy to ride into the city, since there could be spies or bad people everywhere, but his parents took the risk every week. Percy had begged every single year on his birthday, but his parents had always refused. Maybe for his 17th birthday, they would finally let him.
Luke had to stay home because of one of his neighbors going missing, but Percy didn't think much about it. Apparently they had gone missing earlier today, but he was sure they would be found soon.
Percy finished eating his breakfast of blue (it was originally white, but Percy had asked) bread and fresh fruit. They were expected to eat oats, but Percy hated them. Immediately the nearby servant took the plate away, deferentially looking away. It took all of Percy's willpower to not say thank you, even through years of training, but he couldn't help nodding a little. The servant backed away and walked quickly to the kitchen. Percy sighed.
Sometimes it was hard, being the crown prince.
Because Percy was bored, he went to his brother Tyson's room. It was almost as big as Percy's but the walls were a light blue instead of ocean blue. "Hey Tyson, what's up?" Percy said. Tyson was just sitting at his desk, writing on a piece of parchment.
When he saw Percy, he quickly folded it and put his quill away. "Oh, nothing, brother?" Seeing Percy's disbelieving face, he hastily added, "No one you know. Anyway, you want to have a paintball competition?"
Percy laughed. "You're so on."
The brothers quickly went outside. All their guards had been dismissed earlier, but one guard had to be following them at all times, and two when they were outside. Poseidon was big on safety, after all, considering the war.
The guards bowed and opened the door when Percy and Tyson reached an outdoor entrance. "Let's go!" Tyson cheered. They quickly went to the gigantic Weapons shed and each picked up a paintball gun. Percy's was green, and Tyson's was blue.
Laughing, they headed to the paintball field. Sentries stood at every watchtower, checking for their safety. They started at opposite sides, and a guard started counting. "On your mark...get set....START!!!" And they ran.
They played all morning, until a guard called them inside for lunch. Percy let Tyson beat him every time but once, since this was Tyson's favorite game, after all. He was sure Tyson caught on though. He was actually really smart.
When they got to the lunch room, they were surprised to see a familiar face sitting on the Queen's chair. "MOM!!!" Tyson yelled, forgetting about protocol or palace rules. "Hello, boys," Sally said, holding her arms out. Percy grinned, and rushed over with Tyson to hug his mom.
Queen Sally was one of a kind. She was sweet, outgoing, and practically the best mom ever. Even though palace protocols were against affection from the royal family, Sally didn't listen. She was Percy's role model. Not his father, but his mother.
"Did you get out early?!" Percy said. Sally laughed. "Yeah. They said that my leg had finally healed enough that I can come and eat with you guys." Sally had broken her leg when she tripped over a helmet in the hallway. It was still unidentified.
"That's awesome!" Tyson said. They all sat down as the servants began bringing out the lunch. Percy was having a pretty bummed out day before, but now? It wasn't as bad, with his brother and his mom there.