brat.

“if the king was ashamed, or rather, if he did not wish for you to be his son, he would have beheaded you.” like he did his mother. Percy wouldn’t deny that the king was embarrassed, but it could be because his son was a wild young thing. “either I come with, or you do not go at all. which would you prefer, Ares?”

      “Like he did my mother?” Ares pushed a book off of the table and rolled his eyes. “What are you? My babysitter? This is getting old and boring.” But, he really did want to go into town. “Fine, you can come with me.” Didn’t mean that Ares was going to stay with him the entire time, however. Ares had many tricks up his sleeve and could easily lose Percy. “So annoying, ugh.”

he sighs. “have you ever considered why, Ares? it’s because, to be blunt, you’re a brat.” Percy had never been one to sugarcoat things for the prince. it wasn’t his job to play nice, after all. his job was to teach him, & there was only one way to do that: with force. “fine. if you wish to go so badly, you’ll have to impress me - & you will only be allowed to go if I accompany you.” 

       “I am not a brat.” There was nothing more than Ares hated than being called a brat. “The king is just ashamed of me if you want to know the truth.” Mumbled the prince as he kicked his feet up and leaned back in his chair. “Impress you? How? You want to see some magic? I’ve got plenty of that.” Ares then shot forward. “What?! No! If you go then I won’t get to have any fun!”

“ah, you could call it a game.” that’s one way to think about it. either way, it wouldn’t be easy on the prince. “who fathered polyphemus? who gave warning about what god’s cattle? who was the princess who caused the trojan war? who was married to her originally? there are how many muses? how to penelope stall her engagement?”

      His brain couldn’t wrap around all the questions that were thrown his way! “That isn’t fair! That is way too many questions at once! You can’t possibly make me answer all of those.” A whine left the prince’s mouth. “I don’t want to study anymore and I don’t want to answer any of those questions. I want to go outside! My brothers get to go outside. The king just doesn’t want anyone seeing me.”

this sort of behavior was common for Ares. the child was always so rebellious, it honestly made Percy’s job that much hard. “i’m afraid I will have to disagree. you haven’t accomplished a single task.” aside from reading the book, that is, & it doesn’t even look like he’s gotten far into his reading material. “if you can answer my questions, perhaps i’ll let you have the afternoon off so you can have your adventure.”

       “-- oo, like a game?” Ares loved games. It was a sure fire way to make him either pay attention or do what he was supposed to do. “Sure, Sure, I can most certainly answer your question!” Percy was just about the only person in the kingdom that Ares got along with. His father and his brothers treated him like he was nothing more than trash. “Hurry, Hurry! There’s a festival today.”