PeaceMaker

The ride to the palace was quiet, only the bumps on the road to be heard. The eerie silence didn't mean there were no words to be said. The silence alone said a lot in itself, the stoic masks on each person's face held sentences and the subtle stealthy stares that peered at Annabeth that didn't notice they were being watched made an entire conversation. Each word seemed to be on guard for the ticking bombs in each person's mind, their tightly zipped lips could loosen at any second. 

Kalmin and Alice sat with Annabeth, completely aware of the tension lingering in the air. Kalmin looked at Annabeth for a second and flinched when she turned to look at him. Out of the corner of his eye, he saw Justin's eyes dart away when Annabeth turned her head to him. 

Annabeth cocked her head while keeping her eyes squarely placed on Kalmin. She had seen Justin's stare, it had gotten more pathetic than the day before. She smiled at Kalmin and turned to Alice who was drifting back and forth from sleep and tapped her shoulder. 

"Hm…? Yes my lady?" Alice muttered with slurred speech. 

"Go to sleep," Annabeth smiled sympathetically.

"I would never, my lady, I must lead you to your destination today," Alice murmured, her eyes slowly closing and opening as she spoke.

"Look at you," Annabeth chuckled patting Alice's hair, "you can barely speak right now."

Alice bowed her head. 

"Go to sleep," Annabeth chuckled.

"But Ma'am-" Alice protested.

Kalmin tapped his sister's shoulder and touched his, "Sleep."

Alice gave a small pout but the moment she laid her head on his shoulder, she was fast asleep.

Kalmin brushed a piece of his sister's hair behind her ears. Her face was pale and her skin a bit too cold to the touch considering the fact that it was March and most of the chilling cold had already passed. He turned away from her face and looked out the window of the carriage. It wasn't the first time she had felt that way, especially since living with Annabeth's family. It wasn't that he didn't like where he was right now, in fact as much as he hated how they treated him, he was very grateful that they took him in especially when they kept him after finding out why he was homeless. 

He could still remember the day his past was found out, the day he was taken in by them and the day he was kicked out of his home village with his sister. It was just a pathetic reason too, to be chased after your town because your father decided to take a U-turn and chase after one he wasn't supposed to. He was so ashamed that no matter how badly he was treated now, it would never be as painful as the abhorrence filled gazes the people he thought would love him forever gave him.

"We're about 30 minutes away from your destination, your highness," announced the coachman.

Mrs. Crowly gave a brief nod and Annabeth snapped her fan open. Kalmin looked out the window again. He had no idea where they were going and now all the buildings they had galloped past were starting to look the same. He had a vague idea though as he had overheard their conversation earlier where they mentioned something about a palace and even though the atmosphere was completely ruined from the day before, they all put on pretty outfits, dressed up to the T, ordered the fanciest carriage he had ever seen and left the house. 

Wherever they were going was bound to be more expensive than 30 times himself and he was a very expensive slave. 

*

He was right. At least for now. 

The scenery had suddenly changed after a few minutes and soon the houses started to look much more expensive and the streets got busier, filled with people who dressed like Annabeth and others that resembled him. The scent of food of all kinds wafting from the streets seeped into the carriage and ignited a rumble in Kalmin's stomach. Luckily for him, it wasn't that loud. 

"We're here, your highness," the coachman smiled, letting out a sigh of relief.

He pulled back on the reins of the horses and stopped them right in front of a high wall. Kalmin's body tensed up when the carriage came to a stop and he rapped his finger on Alice's lap, signalling her that they had arrived. 

Slowly they were let out of the carriage, Kalmin and Alice lingering behind Annabeth, waiting for their next command to be told. Nothing was muttered to them in the first minute and soon curious eyes from the family turned to Annabeth. They were waiting too.

"Kalmin, help carry that luggage for me will you?" Alice pointed to a small luggage left on the carriage. 

Kalmin's eyes wandered to the large luggage in Mr. Crowly's hand. The question stung the back of his tongue but he held it in, in fear she would give a different answer and he would end up with red stripes on his hand from the weight the luggage seemed to have by it's large appearance. 

"Yes, ma'am," Kalmin nodded and quickly walked to the small luggage before she could change her mind. A tiny smile touched his face when he lifted the light luggage, Annabeth saw it and calm covered her smile with her fan. 

"And Alice," Annabeth called out. 

"Y-yes ma'am!: Alice raised her sleepy head up, a bit shaken by surprise when Annabeth called her. She had been dozing off. 

Annabeth bent down and opened her luggage, pulling out a small box and handed it to Alice, "You will hold it."

Alice looked at Annabeth, then to the box in her hand and back up to Annabeth, "I'm carrying that?"

"Yes," Annabeth nodded.

"But-" Alice began looking down at the bigger luggage in Alice's hand. 

"Hurry, my hand hurts," Annabeth faked a groan.

"Ah! Yes ma'am!" Alice nodded, waddling her way over to Annabeth and taking the box from her.. She expected it to weigh down her hand as per Annabeth's groan but she flinched when she realized how light it was, the realization accompanying the realization that the groan was fake.