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Percy whimpered quietly as he followed the guard into the Throne Room of the Castle of Atlantica. He was roughly pushed at the small sound and he clamped his hands over his mouth as he was stopped in the center of the room. He was forced into a bow before he was left in the center of the room. The guards having turned and left the room at the silent dismissal of the queen.
“Rise, child, as you are not the one in trouble.” Percy hesitantly pulled himself from the bow, keeping his head bowed as he had been instructed by his mother before they had been separated. He wondered if she was okay now, seeing as the guards had been a little rough with her before they were separated. “Please, raise your head, child.”
He only hesitated for a moment before following her orders and seeing that she was alone in the Throne Room, something that he heard was unheard of. He was immediately captivated by her eyes, a beautiful blue that reminded Percy of the ocean he would play in when his mother wasn’t too busy with work and Gabe was out with his… friends .
He knew his eyes were a pitiful sea green, dulled by all he had already seen of the world at Gabe’s hands. But he also knew how to cover them, like how the sun covered the ocean in bright rays and made it seem less scary than it probably was, like on stormy days. Beautiful, yet terrifying.
“What is your name, child?” She asked, tilting her head to the side. Percy was captivated, just a little bit. It was like looking at the shiny rocks that he would run and show his mother, a beauty that he was told only a few could see. Percy swallowed lightly as he opened his mouth to speak, hesitating.
“Perseus, ma’am.” His voice cracked, his fear slipped too far through and she could hear it. Her expression did not change, but something in her eyes did. Percy wasn’t too sure what it was, but he felt on edge as he shrunk in on himself.
“Perseus, hmm?” She hummed in thought as she seemingly analyzed him. “Do you know who your father is?” She asked, and Percy shook his head. She seemed annoyed as she sighed. “Use your words, Perseus.” Her tone had changed and Percy felt the tears enter his eyes, some that he tried to blink away.
“N-no, ma’am.” Percy uttered, and she seemed almost appeased. She nodded as she rose from her Throne. She tilted her head as she walked towards him, causing Percy to flinch back at first. Her heels clicked loudly and echoed through the empty room.
“Hmm… And your mother, you’re close with her, yes?” She asked.
“Yes!” Percy brightened up before correcting himself, “yes, ma’am.” He stopped moving entirely, tensing as if he expected to be hit. Percy blinked when he didn’t feel a hit or a slap for his excitement, blinking up at the worried look that the queen was giving him.
“What is she like?” She asked, her head going back to her natural position.
“She’s really kind!” Percy nodded, fiddling with his fingers nervously. “She loves baking whenever we have time and she has the resources! An-and she sometimes takes me to the beach and lets me play in the ocean!” Percy nodded as he looked down at the floor. “She loves me, I know she does. But I wish she didn’t stay with her husband… he’s mean. I don’t get to see her often, but that’s okay! She makes up for it when she brings small treats or trinkets home!”
“Perseus, please look at me?” Percy glanced up and found that she had crouched down to his height. “How old are you?” She asked curiously, and Percy shifted from foot to foot. He knew he was small, it was something the kids at school picked on him for.
“I’m six years old, ma’am.” Percy smiled at her as he lowered his hands to his sides.
“Six years old, huh?” She hummed in thought. “How would you like to live in the castle, Perseus?” She asked curiously, and Percy was going to respond when a thought struck him. Gabe. Gabe didn’t know where they were! “Perseus? Are you alright?”
“G-gabe doesn’t know we are here…” The fear was back in his voice, and he flinched back when she raised a hand out to him. He figured out a couple of moments later that he was shaking, harshly. “S-sorry, ma’am.” He looked down. He brought his hands to rest against his stomach, which moments later growled harshly, and he closed his eyes as he realized that he was shaking even harder.
“Perseus?” He flinched back, but didn’t stop her when she pulled him into her arms, picking him up and carrying him off somewhere. He didn’t know where they were going, his eyes were shut tightly and he was curled up into a small ball.
“Mother? Who’s that?” Percy whimpered quietly, curling up even tighter at the sound of the Crowned Prince’s voice.
“This is Perseus, and he will be joining our family.” The queen replied, and Percy tensed. He looked up at her curiously, fear coursing through him for just a moment.
“Wh-what?” He whispered, tensing when her attention turned back towards him.
“Don’t worry about your mother, she will be taken care of, I promise.” Queen Amphitrite tilted her head. “Besides, don’t you want to know who your father is? Get to know him?” Percy tilted his head curiously as she set him down on a chair. He caught a glimpse of the Prince, an older teen with black hair and sea blue eyes bright with curiosity. He had a tan and freckles on his cheeks too from what Percy understood.
“My father?” Percy tilted his head, looking at the Queen in curiosity again.
“Yes,” she nodded as she turned towards someone else in the room. “Make him something to eat please? And something good, he’s starving. I believe Triton and I will be joining him too.” She snapped her fingers lightly, a smile on her face as she turned back towards Percy.
Percy flinched when someone sat down to his right, almost falling off his chair until the person caught him and helped steady him. He glanced over and found that it was Prince Triton, who had a worried look on his face.
“Who’s my father?” He turned his attention back to the Queen who was sitting across from him.
“Your father is the King, Poseidon.” She answered him, and Percy blinked at her in confusion.
“But isn’t he married to you?” He asked, “How could he be my father when he’s married to you?” He asked, tilting his head to the side as he looked over to Triton as if he would have the answer. Triton had looked away and had a sour look on his voice. He worried that Triton disliked him like Gabe disliked him.
“He is married to me, yes.” Amphitrite nodded as she gave Triton a pointed look. “But, given your age, you were conceived when Poseidon and I were having… difficulties in our relationship and marriage.” She explained.
“What? But he can’t be older than maybe four?” Triton asked, “yeah he can speak really well, that’s probably the work of his mother .” Percy felt tears fill his eyes, a small burning sensation as he tried to blink them away.
“He’s six, Triton.” Amphitrite responded, her voice almost clipped and Percy flinched back, this time not at strongly as before. He didn’t think Triton would try to catch him a second time.
“He’s… He’s six?” Triton sounded aghast, and Percy looked down as he gripped his sweatshirt tightly. “He’s tiny!” He added, his voice raising slightly, and Percy flinched again as one of Triton’s hands swung around in the air.
Percy saw Triton stop and stare at Percy in shock, lowering his hands as he looked back to the queen. Percy looked away as the two had a silent conversation.
He lightly kicked his legs as he worried, his mother was somewhere in the castle, wasn’t she? He rubbed at his eyes as his legs came to a stop, and a hand lightly rested on his shoulder. He managed to only tense as he looked up at the person, Triton, nervously. Triton wasn’t really looking at him though, still staring at his mother in a silent conversation.
Percy gasped when a plate was set in front of him, identical plates being placed in front of Prince Triton and Queen Amphitrite.
Percy rubbed his eyes as he woke up, yawning and stretching as he looked around.
For a moment, he was confused. This wasn’t his room? His room was small with a raggy bed, with a dresser and no window and a place where stench of alcohol was a common thing. Here, he was in a big room with a bed that felt like sleeping on a cloud and the scent of the ocean was prominent with maybe an orange under scent.
Someone knocked on the door before pushing it open, and Percy was curious as Triton slipped into the room.
“Oh, good you’re awake.” He almost seemed to relax as he saw that Percy was staring at him. Percy tilted his head as he looked around in confusion.
“Where’s my mom?” Percy asked, rubbing at his eyes as he pushed himself onto his knees as he stared at the Prince– his half brother . Triton faltered before sitting on the edge of the bed, raising his arms out and pulling Percy closer to him.
Percy went willingly, leaning against him as Triton wrapped his arms around him.
“She’s… currently getting used to her new room, it’s nearby if you want to go see her?” He offered, and Percy nodded. “Okay, let’s get you dressed and then I can show you where her room is.” Percy nodded, letting Triton show him around the room and grabbing him something to change into.
Percy was amazed at how soft the clothing was, a smile on his face as he grabbed Triton’s hand, minimal trouble with doing so, and followed him. He hummed a long to a song as he looked around, trying to remember as much as he could but also not remembering anything as they got to a door.
It was only a couple doors down from Percy’s, and across the hall.
Triton knocked, and Percy smiled brightly when Sally hesitantly opened the door.
“Mama!” Percy rushed forward, his arms thrown open.
“Percy!” She dropped down to her knees, her arms open and pulling Percy in close as she hugged him tightly. Percy smiled brightly, closing his eyes tightly as he hugged her tightly.