Glittering dresses, sparkling gold, bubbling wine. 

The ballroom was a sight to see, the high arching ceilings trimmed in silver and gold and painted a rich, creamy white. Suit jackets flashed with medals, proudly displayed on men's chests. Dresses caught the eyes of those around them, flowing out around the pretty girls dancing. 

Suffocating corsets, frivolous wealth, wasted food. 

The ballroom was a war zone, mirror lined walls reflecting the corrupted people wearing all their wealth around their necks and wrists. The medals that stood out so much weren't earned but bought, the men wearing them not having ever stepped a foot on a battle field. The dresses that spun around were just feathers displayed for mating, the women inside them as viscous as snakes curled up in a den. 

Royals. 

From all over the continent, some from others, gathered under one roof to celebrate the birthday of her big brother. He was turning twenty, the age that he was crowned Prince of Athens. 

His blonde hair and grey eyes were the same as hers, the same as their mother's. 

The Prince was sat on the right side of the King, Fredrick, and to the left of her. Fredrick was their father, blonde with brown eyes and a kind smile. 

Her brother had not gotten her father's smile. 

His was a bit cruel, cunning as a owl and just as dangerous. 

The woman beside the King was his wife, the Queen, Athena. It was her smile that her son bore. Royal by birth, a true Athenian, she had married a courtier and made him her willing puppet on the throne. 

All three were dressed in their best, sporting the Kingdom's colors of Ashstone Grey and Ravenfeather Black. Her mother's golden curls were pinned up into a lavish crown of their own, her real crown resting on top-seemed to float on the golden cloud. 

The crowns her mother and father wore were two halves of the same whole. Dark metal twisted and curled around to resemble bird feathers, two gems of dark grey set on the front of both-to look like the eyes of owls peering out over them all. Flecks of peals made the dark metal catch the lights and look like a night sky at its finest. 

On top of her brother's golden curls was a crown much the same. But without the jewels, as if he had not earned his eyes yet. Barely able to keep hold of his feathers. 

There was no crown on top of her head. Her curls were pulled away from her face and laced together expertly to flow down her back. She had been shoved into a pretty grey dress. The bow on the side too tight, the ruffles under the silk skirt too scratchy. 

Her mother's dress was lovely, but it too was big and looked too tight. The white flecked top cut to dip down just the slightest bit, the waist pinched in before blossoming into the wide black skirts. 

Her father's suit was that of a war leader, medals adorned his chest as well. Much like her brother's, only her brother had fewer badges to grace his chest.  

Even at her young age of eleven, she knew just how mean her mother could be. Knew just how ruthless she could be. For she was already getting lessons on how to be just the same. 

Had been getting lessons since she was born. 

The girl's prized possession was not with her, and she craved the familiar handle's touch against her palm. Though, if her mother knew of the dagger her father had given her, it would be thrown out and her father would be scolded. 

So she hid it, in a cubby she had found while exploring her room one day. No one knew of it. No one. 

Not even her closest friend, a fellow Princess. 

"Brother." The girl whispered, tugging on her older brother's sleeve. "When will this end? I'm very tired." She added a yawn for good measure. The older boy rolled his eyes and sighed. 

"Ask mother if you can leave." He waved her off and got back to talking with a courtier that had come up to the table. 

The young princess hopped up and shuffled up to her mother. "Mother," The older woman turned to her daughter, no smile on her face just contempt in her eyes. "Can I go to bed now?" 

Athena didn't roll her eyes like her son, but the girl could tell she wanted to. "No, go talk to some of the other children before you leave." And she was dismissed. 

The girl stepped down from the dais that the table was sat on. As she weaved around the crowd, eyes turned to her. Some sneered, some just frowned slightly. She wasn't the one they needed to impress. 

She would never take the crown, her brother would. 

She would never have influence over the future King, her mother would. 

She could offer them no foothold in the kingdom, their own daughters could. 

The princess didn't care. She liked not having the spotlight on her, though some smiles every once and awhile would be nice. 

The children of the other Royals turned away from her, their parents holding onto their shoulders. 

She sighed, she couldn't leave without talking to someone. If her mother found out she had disobeyed a direct order . . . She'd regret it. 

Someone tapped her shoulder and she turned, blinking. A boy in a black suit and green tie bowed at his waist. She blinked more, no one ever bowed to her but servants. Unsure what to do, she curtsied back. "Hello." She breathed. 

The boy had to be about her age, the same height and skinny. His black hair was messy, and his green eyes were alight as he smiled at her. "Hello, I'm Percy." He held out a hand to her. 

"Annabeth." She shook his hand and held it to her chest once he dropped it. 

"It's nice to meet you." He smiled and bounced on his heels. "I've tried talking to the other kids, but none of them seem too chatty." He smirked and Annabeth giggled, covering her mouth and biting her lip. "Hey, you laughed-that's already better than the frowns and scowls I've been getting." Annabeth giggled again. 

"I understand." She said. "I've been getting the same thing." 

"Well, I'll be your friend if you'll be mine." His crooked smile was endearing in a way no other smile she'd ever seen was. This was real. This was for her. She nodded and the boy grinned again. "Fantastic! Percy and Annabeth until the end." He put his hands on his hips and lifted his chin up. 

Annabeth giggled again, her grey eyes lit up. "Until the end."