...About a week later...

"There is no way I'm letting you do this, Annie. Stop being stubborn." Said the blonde guy, trying to change my mind again.

"We both know that's not happening anytime soon." I reply coyly as I sit down with some more books, skimming through the pages. Not even a single paragraph. The first time in my life, I was completely and utterly clueless.

"This book is entirely on plants, even magical ones. But why would one need one that cures diarrhoea when there are physicians out there?" I huff, slamming the book shut and keeping it away as I took out another one.

"Grover probably. He would marry a plant if he could. Well, technically, he's dating one." Thalia commented while she helped me search through the library.

"It's been so long, right? Where is he anyway?" Luke asked while my eyes scan through another plant-based book.

"On the search of Pan, of course. Heard he's coming back for a while, but that's all I've heard from him." She muttered and handed me a different book. I perked, hoping for a clue but she hushed me down and said, "Not a clue. A recipe book solely dedicated on pine trees and pinecones."

Ah, sweet memories of being hunted by monsters, I giggled.

I'm scared... Why does he only have one eye? And why is he holding two children as hostage? I'm so alone. Will he eat me too?

"Help me! Please!" I hear him plead. But it was Grover's voice. Cyclops. That's what he is. They imitate anyone's voice perfectly to lure them into their trap before eating them. His back was turned to me.

Creeping from behind, I whisper to the black haired girl, "Ssh... I can untie you. Hold still." Slowly, I fumble with the ropes, finally untying her hands, then untie the boy beside her.

"We're both injured... I can't get up..." He breathes out when I look up at him expectantly. Where is Grover? Why isn't he here?

The cyclops growls and turns around to spot me. Fear. So much fear. I look around, trying to find a weapon, even if I didn't know how to wield it. A dagger. I took the dagger in my palm and it fit. It fit like made for me.

I close my eyes firmly before throwing the dagger straight to his foot and the cyclops howls in pain. He swings an arm in hopes to grab me, but before he could, there is a loud thud and the monster is gone, disintegrated into golden dust.

"Blah ha ha, that was scary." The satyr bleats from a floor above. He had dropped a huge chunk of wood. Pine wood, I assumed, with leafy branches going out. What the tree was doing there, I couldn't tell. Probably for furniture? Did cyclopes like wood-carving?

The girl, I saw her properly now. Her hair was unruly and short, and she was wearing a black chiton, torn and ragged. But, most of all, her eyes intrigued me. They were the colour of lightening in a stormy night- striking blue. It would've been intimidating if her hair didn't have pine leaves and cones stuck in them.

I laugh, and that's when I realise that I was shaking, with tears were gliding down my cheeks. The blonde-haired boy notices it first and reaches a hand out for me to take. I take an apprehensive step back.

"We're family, we won't hurt you. I promise."

"Did you find something useful?" Luke asked, looking down at me with the most disinterested look he could muster. He loved me a lot, I knew that. (before y'all get ideas, brotherly love)

"Not yet..." I let out a sigh and slumped back in my chair. I knew that this was going to be difficult, and I was ready, but not even being able to take the first step after a week of searching was demotivating. All we needed was a clue, was that too much to ask for?

Pat pat pat "Do you hear that?" I gasped and stood up. Too crisp to be foot steps. Metal, perhaps? Or a walking stick? Or...

I heard an Ow! before I could even react. "Grover!" I yelped before flinging myself onto the satyr massaging his elbow, and tackled him in a bear-hug. Or goat-hug, one might say.

"Now now, a princess shan't hug a wanderer." He supplied in a tone that sounded eerily similar to father's. We chuckled together as he patted me on the back.

"I missed you so much." He beamed at me before looking around. Thalia grinned at him before hugging him too, and Luke just patted him on the shoulder with a soft smile.

"So what were you guys up to?" Grover asked cheerfully, as if expecting an upcoming celebration. His face quickly fell when he saw our reactions, I slumped back into my chair once again. "Is everything okay..?" He questioned, this time, tentative and careful.

"Well, it isn't exactly okay, but it'll be fine. I'm sure we can get to the end of this." Thalia replied to his question and I look up at her. So optimistic, I loved her.

"Okay, what is it?" He asked again, taking the chair beside me. He looked up at us expectantly. Another round of sigh before I start.

(Time skip)

"So, you're telling me that the king is in hospice and I had no idea? How long has it been?!" The satye, now standing, looked around exasperatedly.

"Around a week or so." This time, it was Like, standing a little ways away from us three while he scanned the shelves. His voice was grave, heavy from a sense of responsibility and something else. Almost like fear, or guilt perhaps. He was the Knight, and I knew that he blamed himself, as ridiculous as it sounds. He had this sense of responsibility at all times, and he felt guilty that he couldn't do anything to save the king immediately.

"It will be okay, Luke. We'll find the root as soon as possible and save the king." Thalia walked up to him and put a hand on his shoulder. They smiled at each other for maybe a fraction of a moment before Thalia pulled her hand away, like he burned her. They confused me, always.

"So, when are we leaving?" Grover asked.

"We don't have enough clues." I retorted.

"I can help with that. Nymphs know quite a bit about plants, even foreign." He supplied with a shrug. Ah yes, nymphs. They were, well, vary of us to put it lightly. You rarely ever caught one, and when you did, they ran away. Getting information out of one? Long shot. But satyrs and nymphs got along well, both being the spirits of nature.

"If you could, that would be awesome." He smiled and got up. Cracked his knuckles and stretched a bit, as if ready to throw hands with someone. Before he left, he turned back to us and said, "Whatever happens, we're a team." With that, he left and I smiled to myself. We're a team.

After a few hours, Luke walked out for it was getting late and he couldn't exactly dawdle around and neglect his duties as the knight commander. Same with Thalia. Before leaving, she gently ruffled my hair and whispered, "Don't stay up too late."
____

"Carom seeds help with digestion and if I don't eat the cake, the kingdom will be blue... Wait what?" My eyes snapped open. I had started to dozen off while reading. The clock read half past three. It was really late.

With a wide yawn, I stretched my arms over my head and closed the book. No hint, once again. Not that I expected one from a book solely dedicated on digestion. I got up, pushed away the unruly curls of my hair stuck to the corner of my mouth and walked out of the library.

The halls were deserted and there was barely any noise other than the occasional chirp of a cricket. Sleep, that's what I needed. And yet, as if on their own accord, my feet took me down the stairs, through the winding routes, straight to the palace garden.

I had two options, either I go inside or out the gates. Not that I was restricted from going outside, but I wasn't exactly encouraged either. After a split second of thought, I did what any wise girl would do- I decided to go out the palace gates. What could possibly go wrong?

I kept walking, the palace gates behind me. The town was mostly deserted, apart from a small glowing shop here and there. Before I knew it, I was walking towards the sea. The wind coming from the direction I was walking in was humid and salty and welcome. Maybe some fresh air is what I needed to clear my head.

The ocean was calm, yet filled with waves upon waves crashing down on the shore. I took a deep breath and exhaled. Repeated a few more times, it felt nice. I could feel my skin prickle with the salt in the air, not in an unpleasant way. Shrugging off the piece of thin scarf I had around my neck, I walked to the shore and knelt just where the foam from the sea backed away.

Wet sand under my knees and palms, I sit there for gods know how long. A chiton was a rather flowy garment, so it wasn't uncomfortable at all. The moonlight reflected majestically on the surface of the water, it was a peaceful night. Even if just for a moment, I felt my worries slip away like grains sand. The light hum of the ocean trying to lull me to sleep, it felt like.

A yawn tore through my lips and I leaned my back to the huge rock sitting just where I was. I'll just close my eyes for a few seconds, I thought to myself before sleep snuck me into its warm embrace.

"What are you doing here?" A voice caused me to wake up with a jolt. I couldn't really see clearly, where was I? I looked up at the source of the voice, but I couldn't see his face. Just a tall, broad figure with what looked like a trident in one hand. My eyes travelled lower and I noticed something. He didn't have feet. Instead, his narrow waist melted seamlessly into a... Fish tail. A mermaid? No, a merman. Or something worse.

"Who're you?" I asked with apprehension, trying my hardest to see his face, but it was too dark.

"You don't answer a question with a question, Athena's daughter." He said with that gravelly voice of his. How'd he-? That's when it all clicked and I looked around me. Water. Why was I in the middle of the ocean? And why was he here?

"You're Poseidon." I muttered; it wasn't a question.

"I had heard of your brains, now I've witnessed it too." The god said and, though I could not see his face, I heard his smirk. The god of the seas and oceans and storms and earthquakes. Archenemy of Athena. My mother. And, at the moment, I was in his domain and mercy. To say I was scared was an understatement.

"I won't hurt you, not yet." He chuckled but it did not ease me, I don't think it was meant to. "Beware, daughter of olives, the sea is unpredictable."

I couldn't breathe. Whatever magic was helping me breath was gone. I felt like my ears were gonna pop with pressure. I looked up to Poseidon, only to find him gone. Gasp.

My lungs welcomed the large gulps of breath and I woke up to bright sunlight on my face. I let out a string of words that would've had the maidens at the castle clapping their hands to their ears. Just a nightmare, pull yourself together. It was so vivid, I almost felt my lungs collapsing.

I wiped my forehead of sweat and racked a hand through my already mess of hair.

"There you are!", called a throaty voice and I looked around to see the goat himself running towards me. Grover had a scroll in his hands.

"I have a good and a bad news", he panted the moment he reached me and I stood up. "I found some information about the plant from some nymphs, but..."