"Where are we going?" I asked Percy.

"I left my horse next to the creek. We're going to him, and then we're heading over to my village. We'll spend the night there."

I nodded. "And then what?"

"I'll tell you in the morning," he grumbled.

I sighed. If nothing else, at least one good thing came out of this strange kidnapping situation. No longer did I not have to choose a marriage mate that night.

After a short walk, I began to hear the rushing noise of water. I wriggled in Percy's arms, trying to get a good look around.

"Cut it out, Princess," he hissed. "You're going to end up hurting yourself more."

I settled back down, although I wasn't happy about it. Percy walked down a small slope and suddenly I could see the creek he was referring to earlier. Beside it, there was a beautiful black stallion tied to a large oak tree. Percy briskly walked toward the horse and set me down on his back.

"This is Blackjack. He's the fastest horse in Olympus," Percy claimed, untying the rope that connected the horse to the tree.

I frowned. "I highly doubt that. If he was, he'd belong to the Royal Guard."

With a wink, the black-haired man commented, "Maybe he did."

I narrowed my eyes. "Are you trying to tell me you stole this horse?"

Percy shrugged. "Believe whatever you want, Princess."

"Would you stop calling me that?" I whispered harshly.

"Do you prefer darling or love, Princess?" he teased, hopping onto Blackjack behind me.

I shook my head, hoping he couldn't see my blush. "I prefer my birthname, actually."

Percy grabbed the reigns around my body and leaned his head on my shoulder. "Okay, Annabeth it is," he murmured into my ear, before squeezing his legs in and nudging the horse into a trot.

Blackjack started off slowly as Percy guided him through the crowded woods, but once a town was spotted through the trees, the horse sped up quite a bit. I leaned down and held onto his mane, and Percy's arms tightened around me. Not too long after, we erupted out of the woods.

The horse raced down the hilly landscape until we were on the barren cobblestone road when he finally slowed to a normal walking pace. Seeing as it was probably passed nine o'clock, most lights were out and nobody was outside.

Percy pulled the reigns once we were outside a small cottage-like house a little away from the main street. He hopped off Blackjack and pulled the horse over to a small barn. Once the horse was secure, Percy picked me up and walked to the front door with me cradled in his arms.

The house was one story with a loft bedroom. The kitchen was quaint, as was the living room, and there was a dirt-floored bathroom. Percy set me down on the lumpy couch in the living room.

"Do you need anything to eat or drink?" he asked.

I shrugged. "Some water would be nice," I admitted.

He nodded and walked over to the kitchen. "Be right back."

Once he left, I scanned the room. There was a small bookshelf loaded with romance books, most of them by an author I didn't recognize. There was a photograph of a tall, black-haired man with green eyes hugging a short woman with brown hair and blue eyes. She was cradling a small baby with black fuzz sprouting from his head. I guessed that was Percy and his parents and moved on.

The pain in my thigh had subsided, but definitely still hurt. I would need medical attention quickly if I didn't want it to get infected. Luckily, Percy had wrapped it tightly enough that the bleeding had stopped.

"Are there any doctors nearby?" I asked when Percy returned, holding two cups of water and a slice of bread.

"I'll take you to a doctor tomorrow," he told me. "Here, have some water and eat this."

I nodded, taking the items from him. He sat beside me on the couch and watched me intently while I drank from the cup.

"Do you live here alone?" I asked him.

"Yeah," Percy answered. "My mother died five years ago and I don't have any other family to stay with."

I frowned. "No father?"

He bit his lip and I fought to keep eye contact. "Dead. Just under eleven years ago."

I looked down. "My mother died eleven years ago."

Percy cleared his throat. "I know. It was a bad day, huh?"

With a sad smile, I looked into his sea-green eyes. "Tell me about your parents."