This has been edited to the umpth degree. Hopefully this helps the story start off better :) I hope everyone likes this.

Perseus, King of Greece and its Allied City-States, listened solemnly as the herald gave his hurried news in Perseus' open courtyard. The much smaller man was drenched in sweat from his long, hard run, motioning anxiously with his hands as he struggled to break the news to the king. There was no change of expression on Percy's face as the man finished his tale, only a wave of dismissal as he motioned for the man to leave his presence.

There was a moment of stale silence, the angry calm before the storm. A vase holding a small bundle of flowers lay settled on a stand beside him. Percy took it up in one hand, staring at it for a moment, and then threw it across the room, sending it crashing against a pillar on the opposite side of the pavilion. Then he crumpled against the closest pillar to him, hands over his face.

"Percy?" A young woman asked the other side of the courtyard, appearing from the shadowed corner that she had watched the entire spectacle from. She had never seen him like this. Younger than Percy, her dark hair was pulled back with silver and gold pins and she was dressed in a tunic of the same Grecian fashion, verifying her as a member of royal court.

Percy looked up from his crouched position, eyes red. "She's gone, Penny. They took her. They took Annabeth."

Penny rushed over to him, grabbing Percy by the shoulders. She knelt by him and held him in a hug, even though she was dwarfed by the man. "Who took her, Perce?" she asked as he calmed down. Perseus never cried, not even in front of her, but watching him as the broken man in front of her was almost worse. Whenever Percy was happy, the kingdom flourished, and she knew that they could all carry on. But with their king in this state…

"Who took her, Percy?" she asked again.

He breathed out deeply, gaining more control over himself. Their matching eyes, bluer than the sky and greener than the sea, connected as he spoke the dreaded word. "Rome."

Penny struggled to contain her own emotions, making sure that she wouldn't show Percy how terrified she was. "Where did we hear from her last?"

"She was visiting her mother's temple in Athens. There was a raid… that courier was the sole survivor. He was the only one they allowed to survive and tell us. They want me to come after her."

"No!" Penny nearly shouted, standing. "Percy, they won't let you take her back! They'll kill you both and take over Greece before you can say 'Zeus save us'." There was a faint rumble of thunder from the sky above them

Percy followed her and stood, at least a head taller than the girl. "I don't have a choice, Penelope. I can't leave Annabeth."

The two stared down at each other, neither one willing to give way. Penny finally broke eye-contact and looked out the open pillars of the courtyard, the Adriatic Sea separating the Greeks from their greatest enemy. The sea was calm, but it seemed such a farce. "You're right, you can't leave Annabeth. So I'll go."

Percy's features swelled from sadness to outrage. "Don't even think about it! I've already lost one member of my family, how do you think I would let you –"

"Because you don't just have an obligation to Annabeth, King Perseus. And I'm Annabeth's best chance besides you. The Romans are days away by now at sea, and I have the fastest ship in port."

"That's debata-"

"But closer to the truth than you'd like to admit. Let me go, Percy. We don't need a war yet, but if I don't bring back Annabeth in six months… well, prepare your ships, because the world won't ever see a battle more horrifying than what is to come."

Percy was still shaking his head. "I can't let that –"

"You don't have a choice, because my crew is preparing my ship as we speak."

Percy rolled his eyes, but had to smirk at that comment. "And just how have you gotten that message to your sailors?"

"I have my methods. I'm Annabeth's best chance, Percy. Stop wasting time and give me your blessing."

Percy sighed, and instead brought the girl into another hug. "I just can't argue with you, can I?"

Penny grinned back, wrestling away from him. "You've tried; the gods haven't turned the tables in your favor to win yet," she said cheekily, a hand on her hip.

Percy muttered something under breath. "Fine then. Go. But Penny..." He tried to finish, but the girl had sprinted out of the pavilion in a flash. "Come back safe. And may the gods protect you."

The gods did protect her. Unfortunately, when it came to Romans and Greeks, the gods' protection worked both ways.

Athena, protect me, Penny prayed as she was forced to her knees aboard her own ship, an enemy's sword point pressed against her throat. If only she could jump overboard…

In a flash, she elbowed her captor in the gut, causing him to relax his hold for a split second. She wrenched away, smashing her palm into his nose so he fell to the deck. She pulled a dagger from her boot and sent it hurtling away, taking the closest Roman in the throat. With a bounding leap, she forced herself over the starboard side, diving into the sea…

Only to be grabbed by the ankle as she leaped off the side. The sudden force slammed her into the side of the ship, and she saw black dots. Men, the Roman soldiers, laughed as she was lifted up from her escape attempt. The cloth that she wore over her head had come loose, and was ripped away from her head. Wolf-whistles and chuckles permeated the air as the men realized that their runaway was a girl, and Penny finally got a good look at the leader of this awful bunch, who also happened to be her "rescuer". This time, he had his own sword tip pressed against her throat.

He was the only man unsmiling. Tall and broad, he was obviously a Roman, although he seemed a bit young to be leader of this rowdy group. As a matter of fact, he seemed to be about the same age as Percy, who was really only a few years Penny's senior. Young, but not weak. He had an aura of power and leadership that hung over him, and Penny knew that if she were not a Greek, she would willingly follow his instructions. As a Greek however, she would have liked to throttle him with her bare hands.

"A girl, eh?" he finally said, sending another round of whistles amongst his men. "Hmm. I've met another Greek girl like you these past couple of weeks. Feisty." Another round of cackling. "And mischievous. Not many people could have killed Claudius over there," he nodded at the body of the man with Penny's knife in his throat. Penny looked him in the eyes. Sky blue, but hardened. And angry. She wouldn't live to see the end of the day.

"Well," she responded. "I'm not most people, am I?" She spat at his feet.

The Romans started to come after her, swords drawn, but the leader halted them with a hand gesture. "None offense taken, boys. After all, how's a Greek wench going to worry me?" He grinned, but the smile never reached his eyes.

"I'd watch my tongue if I were you, girl," an older Roman, gnarled and battle-worn, said before spitting on the ship. "I would think even a Greek would know how to speak to Rome's emperor."

Realization crept in on Penny. "Jason, isn't it? What a surprise!" she said, all sarcasm heavily implied. "My king sends a message."

Even Jason seemed a bit startled. "How do you know Perseus?"

Penny gestured at him to move closer, so that only they could hear what the other was saying. "He's my half-brother, Your Gloriousness, so I wouldn't go through with killing me just yet. That is, unless you'd like to start the next set of wars to end the world as we know it."

Jason's eyes steeled again, holding out his arms in greeting. "Welcome to the waters of Rome, Your Majesty. I trust you'll enjoy your stay."

Penny smiled, which also never met her eyes. "I expect that I will, Emperor. Now, if you don't mind, I'd like to settle on my conditions."