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The princess might be avoiding him, the prince realised a few days later.

Fortunately the elusive princess gave him a moment of respite. It turned out like a blessing in disguise.

Percy found himself remembering the ball every-time he closed his eyes. It graced his dreams, his thoughts and drove him forward

Something happened to Percy, when his lips touched hers. A buzz of power.

A sensation that was burning his veins, ringing in anticipation whenever she was around.

These thoughts plagued Percy as he scrambled around his room for the connection shell, tapping it against the wall until he heard a reply.

"Stop! I'm here! I'm here!" his brother called, from the other side.

As happy as it made Percy to listen to Tyson's voice, it equally annoyed him that he couldn't respond.

He conveyed this by tapping the shell against the wall until Tyson understood what he meant, agreeing to meet him down at the beach at sunset.

So when sunset did arrive, the sky a spectacular orange, Percy found himself dashing down the stairs, trying his best not to draw attention to himself.

The prince of the seven seas tossed his shell into the ocean, praying that it would return to him. Fortunately it did, in his brother's hands

"What has happened, brother? Are you alright? Do you need help?" Tyson asked, the waves cloaked him well.

Percy shook his head, desperate to find words to explain. Even if he couldn't use his words, it would have been nice to have them.

He attempted to act it out, but stopped at the look of disdain on his brother's face.

Instead, inhaling deeply, Percy lifted his hand gently in the air, a string of ocean water rising with him in the distance.

He brought it towards Tyson, circling it around his head before releasing it with a plop.

"Argh," Tyson shook his head, droplets of water flying off of it.

"How did you do that, brother?" he whispered, almost in awe after he finished drying himself,"Have you....have you received your powers yet?"

Percy nodded.

He didn't know why or even how he'd been blessed with his power.

From what he understood, his bloodline was gifted their power after they completed a daring quest, or ascended the throne.

His father, King Poseidon was blessed with his power after he set off on the quest to find the lost trident of the ocean. It was a perilous journey, but when he held the trident for the first time, he acquired the ability to control the waters. And the throne in the process.

Percy nodded, for some miraculous reason beyond his comprehension, he received his powers. And through telepathy, he conveyed the story to his brother.

It was a surreal moment, like something exploded within me, Percy explained.

Tyson, who had been relatively quiet up to this point, finally spoke up.

"Brother....what if you have found your power source?"

My power source? Percy inquired, What do you mean?

"Heirs are not just...blessed with power. They are gifted it, in a particular form. Mother was explaining this to me a while ago"

Tell me more, Percy urged. He had never heard about a power source before.

"Our Gods believed that bestowing us with power would harm our mortal bodies. That we our incapable of keeping it within us. Hence, they manifested it in such a way that when a ruler is near a 'power source' that is when they can feel the full force of their power."

And when they are away from the source,it is just a shadow of their power, Percy finished.

Tyson nodded, "Father's power source, is his trident. Queen Ceto's happened to be a gemstone necklace which she happened upon by chance. It is all quite unpredictable"

What might my source be? Percy asked, hoping that Tyson would contradict the answer in his heat.

I do not know, brother. But I do know that you must channel it elsewhere, lest the land dwellers catch you.

Channel it elsewhere?

Father told me how he joined the royal guard and trained for many moons until he could fully control his power. It gave him an outlet, somewhere to channel his abilities.

So you are suggesting I join the guard?

"I am not suggesting anything. Except that Blackjack and I miss you terribly"

Percy smiled, I miss you both aswell, Tyson. How is my mother?

"She's doing well. She told me to tell you that she loves you a lot and that she has very specific words she must have with you when you return."

I look forward to it

"Just...stay safe, brother. I do not want you to die"

And I have no intention of doing so.

The appearance of a wagon driving through the beach sent the young prince of seas to dissapear beneath the waves, bidding goodbye to his brother.

The only thing left of him was the shell.

Percy found himself walking back to his chambers, his mind alight with new information to process.

He was so preoccupied in fact that If his blood hadn't felt like a moth to a flame, he could have  easily missed the princess.

"Oh..hello...good evening, how has you day been?," Annabeth greeted.

The boy nodded his head, I'm good, he signalled.

Silence enveloped them after that, which it often did since the night of the ball. It seemed the easy chemistry between them was replaced with something, something electric and almost...tantalising.

The way the ocean was, in anticipation of a brewing storm.

"I suppose...I should be the one to apologise. If I made you uncomfortable on the night of the ball, forgive me. You are a dear friend, and I cannot loose you," the princess said, the longest thing she had said to him in a while.

Uncomfortable? The prince couldn't fathom the thought.

On the contrary, he thought to pull her close to him and try it again and again for all of eternity, If that would be enough.

Instead, he found himself nodding, a forced smile on his features.

He extended his hand to her, and with a dazzling smile, she shook it.

He could swear that his hand burned when she touched it. His head ringed.

Since she was here, and they were at an impasse, Percy asked her about training as a guard. Or signed it to the best of his ability.

"I suppose...I could ask my father about joining the guard. Are you certain? Is that something you would really like to do?" she asked, her expression inscrutable.

Percy nodded.

Back under the sea, weapon training and combat were one of the few things he was good at.

"I'll...make some enquires then," Annabeth nodded.

She hesitated for a moment before speaking again,"I am free a while, how about a stroll through the garden?"

Percy agreed to this.

And as the princess tilted her head back laughing in the gardens, her hand gripping his forearm as the fountain water churned uncontrollably unbeknown to her, luckily hard to decipher in the darkness of night.

She is my power source, Percy realised.

He did not know what to do about that.