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Chapter Text

I sat, slumped in my chair. My blonde hair fell in curls around my shoulders, and parts of it were pinned up. The heavy silver crown sat on my head, and I wanted so badly to tear it off. The dress fanned out around me, the corset restricting me. The shoes on my feet were too dainty for me, too fragile.  

“Sit up Anna Elizabeth” My mother told me “You are a princess. Not someone from the streets”

 I rolled my eyes, but stood up, smoothed out my dress and plastered a smile on my face. “I’m going to get some punch” I said, gesturing to the bowl on the other side of the room.

For the first time that evening, my mother seemed pleased. “Of course, go ahead. Maybe meet someone?”

I nodded, then moved delicately through the crowd. I grabbed one of the ornate glasses and filled it with the pink colored drink. A taste of it told me it had strawberries in it, and probably some alcohol.

“This is pretty good, but it would be better if it was blue” A voice interrupted my thoughts. I looked at the man in front of me. He had windswept black hair, sea green eyes, and appeared to be concealing a sword of some sort. A smile sat on his face, a real one, not the one I put on every time my mother demanded I do.

“Blue?” I asked.

He nodded “Blue, the best color. Just like your dress”

“I am well aware of what color my garments are” I responded.

“I know you are. If you didn’t, I’d be concerned.” He said.

I took another sip of my punch “Were you planning on introducing yourself or anything, or just be Captain Obvious?”

“How rude of me. I am Prince Perseus. I was going to ask you to dance, if you want.” He said.

I smiled “Ok. Under one condition.”

“Name it” He said daringly.

“Duel me in the gardens afterwards” I stated.

“No problem.” He extended his hand out to me. I took it, and he led me out to the center of the ballroom with the expertise of someone that had done this before, or maybe had a ton of practice. He was a prince. Of Oceanus, I reminded myself. Don’t get smitten. “You never told me your name” he said.

“Annabeth” I said.

He smirked “And what nobility are you? What name are you given that allowed you into Queen Athena’s ball?” He placed a hand on my waist as the song started.

“I’m her daughter. Princess Anna Elizabeth” I said “However, I don’t hold any of the same biases that she does” I quickly added.

He nodded and swept me across the ballroom. We chatted easily. His hand fit perfectly in mine, like my hand was made to hold his. He twirled me as the song came to a close. “I’ll meet you in 10 minutes in the gardens, Annabeth” He whispered in my ear. “And, if you like, call me Percy. I disdain my own birthname as much as you do yours.”

I snuck out of the ballroom and made my way to my room. I pulled the dress off, it’s underlayers, and the restricting corset. I pulled on one of my training corsets, and my training gear: A black shirt and pants. I tugged my boots on and grabbed my daggers, along with a sword. I pulled my hair above my head in a bun, and went to meet Percy.

-

I strolled out into the green, and saw him. He had a bronze sword resting in his hand, with the name on the blade. Anaklusmos. From the language of the original Olympians, back when it was all on kingdom, it means Riptide. Fitting for a Sea Prince.  

“Ready?” I asked him.

He nodded, and readied his sword. I pulled my steel blade out of its sheath, preferring to leave my daggers on my thighs. We parried back and forth, before somehow, he backed me into the castle wall. I smirked, jumped high, and ran up the wall before landing on the other side of him. I sheathed my sword and tapped on his shoulder. He turned around and I flipped him over my shoulder. I pressed one of my daggers to his throat. “How?” He asked.

I let him up. “Training. 3 hours a day, every day, since I was 7” I replied.

“That’s a lot” He noted.

“Yes it is” I replied “Now, as much as I hate to do this, the ball will be wrapping up soon, my mother will come looking for me, and you need to go back to Oceania.”

He had a puzzled look on his face “How did you know-”

“That you were from Oceania? My mother had me memorize the heir to the throne for each of the 13 Olympian Kingdoms.” I said “It sucked, but the information comes in handy.” I smiled, and so did he.

-

It continued like that for months. Percy and I would meet up, chat at the dance, share a dance or two (as friends) and then we’d train together.

Until my birthday ball.

“Just do it” I told Maya, as she pulled my corset tight. She tied the knot in the back and gave me some time to get my breath back.

“You all right miss?” she asked.

I nodded, and she helped me into the chemise, then she pulled me over to do my hair up. She curled it up, then helped me into my ballgown. “Thanks Maya”

“Of course.” She told me, then pulled my hair out of the curls, the waves falling over my back. She grabbed some pins from my vanity and placed them in my hair. She grabbed my crown and put it atop my head. She swiped some lipstick on my lips, and then allowed me to look in the mirror.

I was stunning. Of course, I had known what the dress looked like prior to today, but I had never seen it on my body. The deep blue was flecked with silver, and it looked like a night sky.

I made my way down to the ballroom, where it was clear my mother was actually happy with me (for once).  “Anna, I’d like you to meet Luke Castellan, heir to Mercury.”

“Hello” I said cordially. “Nice to meet you.”

“It is a pleasure to meet you at last” He said. His blond hair hung loose in front of him. A scar tore through his left eye, and he had a smile on his face that seemed nice, but also told me he was trouble. “I have heard much about the beautiful” -he emphasized that word- “Princess Anna Elizabeth Chase of Athens.”

“Why don’t you two dance together?” My mother suggested.

“Sure” I gritted out. I have no interest in doing ANYTHING with Luke Castellan, but I suppose doing this would ‘better the kingdom.’

He took my hand and led me to the center of the dance floor. He wasn’t as gentle as Percy was, instead pressing me up against him. His hand wasn’t loosely resting in mine perfectly, instead he was holding onto it as of it was made of diamonds. I painted a smile on my face, but left as soon as I could do so politely. I searched the castle for Percy.

“Hey Seaweed Brain” I greeted once I found him, near the entrance, hidden from view from everyone else.

He looked up, his eyes sparkling in the moonlight “Who were you dancing with?” He asked.

I sighed “Luke Castellan. From Mercury. He held me much too harshly for my liking.”

“Oh?” Percy asked “How do you like to be held?”

“The way you do” I told him “Gentle. Knowing I am my own person.”

He sat down on the steps, grabbing my arm and pulling me down with him “Happy birthday, Annabeth” He said.

I smiled, and scooted toward him more. I wrapped my arms around his neck, and pulled him close, so our noses were touching. “I really want to kiss you right now” I muttered under my breath.

Percy heard me “Then kiss me” He whispered.

I did. His lips were soft, but not so soft they felt limp. One of his arms grabbed my waist, and the other wound its way into my hair. My fingers inched their way up into the long locks of black hair. Finally, we had to part for air. “I’ve liked you since you boldly asked me to dance” I admitted.

He leaned against me. “I’ve liked you since you taught me that not all princesses are porcelain dolls. I know my fair share of badass women, but none of them are crown princesses.”

“Oh really? You’ll have to introduce me sometime” I said.

“Anna Elizabeth!” I heard my mother calling.

I kissed Percy quickly, then said “I have to go. I’ll send you a letter.”

“As will I” He replied.

I straightened my hair and dress, then found my mom. “You called?” I asked, curtsying.

She nodded “The ball is wrapping up, and Luke said he’d like to dance with you again, but was unable to find you.”

“Actually mother, I’m feeling a bit tired. Could I go up to my room and relax? Maybe work on my studies”

Her face contorted for a moment between shock, envy and anger, before settling on pleasant “Sure. Take care of yourself.”

I walked up the stairs, where I quickly shed my corset and fell asleep.

-

“Miss, a letter for you” Maya said.

I opened the letter.

Dear Princess Anna Elizabeth,

I would like to invite you to meet several nobility and talented workers across the Olympian region. It will be two days from now, in Jupiter. Go to the palace and give this letter to one of the maids. They will take you up to the tearoom where you will meet me and my friends.

Cordially,

Prince Jason of Jupiter

P.S. I’m not a stalker, Percy asked me to send this because of your mom. And the fact that she’d kill him if he sent the letter.

I held the letter close to my chest.

-

“I’m heading to Jupiter Mom!” I said.

She turned and glared at me “Why are you going to Jupiter?”

“I got an invite from Prince Jason” I said “Something about an ambassadorial trip? I’ll be back probably tomorrow morning.”

“Well then. I suppose. Just don’t consort with those from Oceania” She said.

I nodded my head “I know mother” I hopped on my horse and began to ride to Jupiter. A couple hours later, I arrived at the gates. I was let in when the guards saw me. I hopped off my horse and walked the rest of the way to the castle. It was marvelous. I knew it was the largest of the castles, being the original Olympians, but I was not aware of its beauty. Gold, ivory and quartz stood out among everything else around it. Several towers rose high and mighty, and It was hard to see anything but the reflection of everything as the sun bounced against the shimmering materials. I made my way inside, looking for someone I could ask for help. Then, I saw a girl. She had brown hair that fell to her shoulders. A feather was sticking out the end of a braid in her hair. She wore a teal dress and black boots.

“Excuse me miss” I said.

She turned around. “Yes?” she asked. Her eyes looked like kaleidoscopes.

“I have this letter; I was told to give it to someone for the Olympian Ambassadorial meeting. It’s in the tearoom?” I said. She laughed. “What’s so funny?” I asked her.

“Sorry” She said “Just, Jason. He’s hilarious. So formal. Trust me, he’s nothing like that in person. And we aren’t going to a tearoom. Follow me. I’m Piper by the way.”

I followed her upstairs, and to a room that looked wonderful. Bookshelves lined half of a wall, with rocks and gems sitting on them. Along the same wall, sat a workbench. Targets were painted on another wall, and a weapons rack sat along another. There were 10 or so other people in the room, including Percy. He saw me, and his face brightened. He walked over to me. “Annabeth!” He said.

“Hi Seaweed Brain” I said.  

“Seaweed Brain? Where’d you get that?” Piper asked.

“It’s cause I’m from Oceania” Percy said.

I raised an eyebrow.

“And because when she quizzed me for an exam Chiron was going to give me, she got a better score than me even though she had only studied the books in the Athens royal library” He admitted “Let me introduce you to everyone. You’ve already met Piper, I see” He led me to two people who seemed to be debating about something.

“Jason, Thals. I’d like you to meet Annabeth” He said.

They paused their conversation. “Nice to meet you. I’m Jason” the blonde of the two said.

Thals glared “Percy, don’t call me Thals. My name is Thalia” She said “And you. You’re from Athens. How can I trust you?”

“Because I disdain corsets and beat Percy in a duel the first night I met him” I said.

She softened a bit “Ok. Fair points. The real question is, can YOU beat ME?”

“We’ll have to see later” I replied.

“I look forward to it” She said.

Percy led me away to another group of people. One of them was folding some thin metal strips together. “This is Leo, Hazel, Frank and Callie”

“Hi. I’m Leo” said the one who was playing with the metal “And you, are beautiful” He said “But quite not my type.”

A girl with caramel hair laughed “We know who your type is, Leo. Tall, Blonde, and wears glasses. I’m Callie by the way”

“I’m Frank” Said the other guy. He had black hair and had a quiver slung over his back.

The last girl in the group spoke next. She had cinnamon colored hair and golden eyes “I’m Hazel. You’ll get used to the insanity of the group eventually.” She said.  

A guy dropped down from the ceiling. “Nico Di Angelo, from Pluto.” He stated formally, but with the demeanor of someone who has had far too much sadness in his life. “Pleasure to meet you, Anna Elizabeth.”

“Please, call me Annabeth. That goes for you too, Leo.” I said.

Callie chuckled “You’re already catching on.”

“So, what do we do here?” I asked.

Leo shrugged “We hang out, spend time together, joke about what’s happened in the last month.”

“Yo, Athens!” Someone called. It was Thalia “You promised me a fight.”

I twirled on my toes “I’ll duel you when you quit calling me Athens” I shot back at her.

“I’ll stop calling you Athens when you win” She retorted.

“Ok, bet” I said. I pulled my sword out of my sheath on my waist. My daggers remained slid into my boots. Thalia pulled a sword out of a rack and faced me, the sword held as if it were a part of her. Jason had barely said ‘Begin’, when she came at me with all the force of a missile. I parried and blocked, sometimes barely doing so in time. It took all my years of training, every single move I had learned. Eventually, I caught her off balance. She fell, but caught herself and stood up.

“It’ll take more than that, Athens” She said, smirking.

“Okay, Grace” I said. I raised my sword, and dove toward her ankles. She blocked, and pushed my sword away from her. We continued sparring, and then I found myself in the position I was in when I beat Percy that first night. I pulled the same trick, found myself behind Thalia, and flipped her over my shoulder. I pulled a slender dagger from one of my boots and pressed it up against her neck “Upset Grace?”

She smirked “Nope, Annabeth. You put up a good fight. I’m impressed”

“Glad you let that nickname go.” I said.

“Ya know, you are pretty cool” Leo said.

I turned to look up at him “I KNOW that Valdez.”

Everyone laughed. We then launched into a game that I had never played before, but fell in love with instantly: Capture the Flag. We played it out in the courtyard, and for once, I felt completely free of my mother. All too soon, it came time for me to return to Athens. I promised I would come back as soon as I was able.,

Chapter Text

Monthly balls came, and with them, unfortunately, Luke Castellan. But so did Percy. Every dance I did a couple turns with him around the dance floor, where we chatted. Every month I met up at Jupiter with Piper, Percy, Thalia and everyone else. Every month I got closer with my friends. Every month I fell further and further in love with Percy. If only I had known at the start of this ball what would happen. After a polite dance where Luke shared with me some of his hobbies, and I told him some of mine, I left. I found Percy in the gardens this night, his sword at his side, and smiled. I ran up to him, and kissed him, simple, and far too quick for my liking. “Missed me, Wise Girl?” he asked.

“Of course I have” I told him “It’s been a couple of weeks.”

“You wanna spar?” He asked.

“Oh, you’re on” I replied.

My dagger versus his sword, we matched blade for blade, before I eventually found myself in the same position as I did the night we first met. “I’m getting déjà vu” I told him.

“Oh, really?” He asked, smirking. Then, quick as lightning, he pressed his lips to mine, and my déjà vu ended. His hands found their way to my hips, and I tangled mine into his hair. It was impossibly soft for someone who lived by the sea. His lips slipped down my throat, and I suppressed a moan. I traced little symbols on his sleeve with my finger, and he continued kissing down, until he reached my collarbone. Then, his hands took over. He traced his fingers, nimble as they are, from my hips, up my waist, behind my back, and down my throat. I kissed my way up his arm, and to his throat. He was not so successful at concealing his expressions. “Annabeth” He said. The was something so perfect about my name, my chosen name, coming from his lips. He had said my name before, but never anywhere near this context. Everything was perfect.

Until my mother stumbled upon us kissing in the garden.

“ANNA ELIZABETH! What do you think you are doing?” She shouted. “I told you to not consort with those from Oceania, especially not King Poseidon’s brats.” She glared at Percy “And I was searching to find you, to tell you that you are now betrothed to Luke Castellan. Now, what will happen? You’ve gone off and given your heart to someone who will likely marry someone else.”

Her words cut deep. My eyes stung. I couldn’t help it. Tears streamed down my face.

“You have no right to talk to her like that” Percy fired at my mother “She is your daughter, an incredibly talented, beautiful and wonderful woman. One cannot help the measures of the heart, and FOR THE RECORD, my father does not ‘betroth’ me to anyone, because he has an ounce of respect for his children. Something you clearly do not have.”

I stared agape at him, then my mother. She was fuming. “And you have no right to speak to the queen of Athens like that! I should have you executed on the spot! But, as your father would declare war for such an action, despite the fact that I found you defiling my daughter, I will instead banish you from Athens. If you ever step foot in my kingdom again, I WILL personally kill you. And if anyone ever catches the two of you together, make no mistake, Perseus. You will regret it.”

“Mom, NO!” I pleaded. “You don’t understand. He’s charming, funny, and treats me with respect instead of like property. Luke Castellan the ‘Perfect Man’ for me, holds me like one would hold a treasure. And not in a good way.”

“It doesn’t matter” She retorted.

Tears stung my cheeks, falling down my dress “You’ll never get it, will you? I. Love. Him.”

“It. Doesn’t. Matter” She repeated, more forcefully this time.

“At least let me say goodbye” I pleaded.

“Fine” She snapped.

I made my way to Percy “You love me, Wise Girl?” he asked, as if he was thinking he was hallucinating.

“Yes I do. I love you, Percy Jackson. You are my only love.” I said.

“I love you too, Annabeth” He said. He kissed me, a kiss that didn’t quite say goodbye, just that we’ll see each other again…..Someday.

“Don’t let this be goodbye” I whispered.

Tears welled up in his eyes “I won’t. I will never let this be goodbye. Make no mistake, I will see you again.” He said defiantly, but quietly.

-

The next day, I left Athens. I didn’t know where I was running to, but I eventually found myself at the gates of Jupiter. I knocked on the entrance, and to my surprise, Thalia answered. “Annabeth!” she said.

“Hi Thalia” I said, barely holding myself together.

She pulled me inside and drug me upstairs, to her room. “Okay, what are you doing here? You don’t lose composure easily, but right now you’re looking as if you’re going to cry me a Tiber.”

“At-Athena found P-Percy and I out. S-She has de-death thr-threats if he e-ever comes back into At-Athens. If w-we are ever fo-found together, no m-matter wh-where we are, h-he dies.” I stammered.

“What do you mean, found you out? Consorting with those from Oceania? Or….Something else” Thalia asked, tracing symbols on my back.

“I was- we were- We were making out in the garden.” I said, trying to calm myself down.

Thalia held me close. She was tough, but she could be comforting when she needed to be. Like now. “That’s not all, is it? I know you pretty well, and you would find a way around the rules, meet him up somewhere. What else?”

I looked up, stared at her directly in her electric blue eyes. “The only reason she found us is because she was looking for me. To tell me that I am betrothed to Prince Luke Castellan.”

Thalia gritted her teeth. She wasn’t very open about her love life, preferring to stay in the present rather than the past, but I had gathered bits and pieces from what the others had said. As far as I could make out, Thalia and Luke used to be in love, until he left her. Or he tried to kill her after promising he would always be there for her. No matter what, they had a history, and it wasn’t pretty. “Is Athena serious about this wedding?” I nodded “I already don’t like her, but this is making me hate her. He’s what, 7 years older than you?”

“Yeah.” I said. Thalia was older among our group, about 4 years older than me. “I don’t like him, and I said as much to my mom. She didn’t listen.”

“You aren’t going back to Athens. Not as long as your mom lives. You’ll have to return someday to rule, but you are not going to rule beside Luke. Much as I find Percy annoying, he’s good for you, as you are for him.” She told me “I’ll call everyone else. And damn that law, that is not effective in Jupiter by the way, Percy is coming too.”

-

I stood in front of one of the painted circles, throwing daggers into the wood, waiting for everyone else to show up. Thalia stood beside me, shooting arrows, embedding them up to the fletching. It took practicing, but I channeled my anger into the throw of the dagger, and soon enough, they were landing in the circle, hilt-deep each time. “You’re getting good. You should try a smaller circle” Thalia noted.

I moved one circle over, to one about 4 inches smaller, 2 on each side. The first few sets landed outside, but as I concentrated, the daggers eventually landed in the circle each time, hilt deep. I moved to the next smallest, slightly smaller, and concentrated. By the time I got really good at the medium size, Piper had shown up. I turned, and ran to hug her “Pipes!”

“You alright? Your mom is the worst. You look alright. Percy came over last night after the ball and asked what to do and I didn’t know but I didn’t know what to say. Athena really threatened death?”

“Yep. I’m mostly fine. Thalia taught me how to push out my anger. Turns out, I have a gift for throwing daggers.” I said.

Leo perked up from behind Piper “ooh! Lemme see”

I turned, threw the knife at my waist, and watched as it landed in the center of the target.

“How long have you been practicing?” Piper asked

“Just today” I said. I looked outside. “It’s almost dusk. If I don’t get back to Athens soon, my mom might kill Percy.”

Thalia scowled “I thought we agreed that you wouldn’t go back there.”

“Thals, much as I would love to stay here and learn new skills, and see Percy in secret, and well, everything, Athena’s wrath is not something anyone wants to toy with, especially for the second time in 24 hours.” I said.

She rolled her eyes “Fine. But I’m coming over tomorrow.”

-

Maya came up to my room near lunchtime the next day “Miss, there is a girl at the door. Your mother is chewing her out, but she said she is here to see you”

“Thalia!” I realized.

“Miss, my name is Maya” she said.

“No, the girl. Thalia. That’s where I was yesterday, I was hanging with her. She said she was coming to see me. I was so exhausted yesterday; I didn’t tell her that a friend was coming.” I rushed out.

I threw on a dress, not even caring which one it was, running downstairs. “Mother, stop interrogating her. This is Thalia, King Zeus’ daughter. We met at that conference Prince Jason held 6 months ago. Remember?”

My mother glared at me “Ah yes, no doubt that’s when you decided to disobey my direct decree to NOT consort with those from Oceania.”

“I couldn’t help it. The room wasn’t that big, and when we got put on the same team for Capture the Flag, well, we HAD to talk” I sputtered out

Her glare turned into as if she was shooting daggers at me “You were playing children’s games at a diplomatic conference? What else did you lie to me about?”

I lowered my head “Nothing. I’m telling you, the note Prince Jason sent me did not contain anything about playing Capture the Flag. It was great fun though, and to be fair, all of us were heirs or 2^nd-in-lines, or something, and we just wanted some time to relax.”

Now, it seemed as if she was shooting dozens of swords at me with her eyes “You should’ve come home as soon as you realized it wasn’t a true ‘diplomatic conference’. You won’t be attending them anymore, I assure you.” She then addressed Thalia for the first time since I had entered the hall “And you. You can go tell all your schemers that my daughter, my heir, my legacy, will not be attending anymore. Tell them to not come either. Tell them to stay far away from anything Athenian. Especially my daughter. And make sure to beat it into dear Perseus’ head that he should stay FAR AWAY from her. You don’t want me to send my mercenaries after your family, do you? And I don’t mean Zeus and Juno. I mean Jason, and your little hunters. It was such a shame what happened to that daughter of Atlas…What was her name? Zoë? And the other one? Bianca? And trust me, the other faction won’t be safe either. The…Amazons? Not even their queen is safe. Especially not if I send Otrera to her. Tell your girlfriend Reyna that. That her sister, Hylla will feel my wrath if she dares cross me. Ever.” Thalia’s face paled.

“H-How do you know about that?” She stuttered. This was new. Thalia never showed vulnerability.

My mother smirked “Because. I am Queen Athena of Athens. No secrets hide from me.”

Thalia nodded, then turned and left. “I understand. If you would just give this note to her, I would greatly appreciate it.”

My mother nodded curtly. “Never come to Athens again, daughter of Zeus”. She opened the note, scanned it, and handed it to me.

Anna Elizabeth-

I do hope this note finds you well. Percy sends his best regards but understand that you may never see him again. He also wished to say that he hopes whomever your mother betroths you to loves you. Piper hopes you get on well, but doesn’t want to risk your mother’s wrath. If there were not such strict restrictions, she would come and see you. As it is, she would like to exchange letters with you, if your mother allows it. Jason wants to inform you that he sends his best, and that if you ever want, Jupiter can be your home, but do not do it while incurring your mother’s wrath. Leo has a plan to tell Jason he loves him soon, so I will send a letter soon on of updates on his efforts. Hazel says to stay strong, and that love does always win. Frank says he wished to spend more time with you before your mother discovered the secret. Reyna wishes your mother would keel over already, but desires that wherever you stay, you are cherished. Nico is upset that he never got to put you in your place during Capture the Flag, and that you stay smart. I wish for you to be safe, and that I get Updates soon on how you are doing

-Thalia and the Gang

I squinted at the text. This note was far too long and far too depressing for Thalia to have written it. Unless something was hidden in it. I re-read the note, and noticed certain words had a quiver to them that was uncharacteristically nervous. I put them together, and the note actually read something a lot more hopeful, and well, Thalia.

Annabeth-

Percy loves you. He has a plan to win your mother over. Stay put and Stay safe. Updates soon

-Thalia and the Gang

I wondered what the ‘plan’ was, but I quickly composed a letter to Piper, asking for details on the plan, using the same code as Thalia’s letter. I never got to send it though, as my mother destroyed the letter before it began it’s journey. 

Chapter Text

 So the next few weeks went, and well, they sucked. I prepared for my wedding to Luke, and then I moped in my room, and then I secretly trained, and then I tried (and failed) over and over again to send letters to Piper, to Thalia, to Reyna, hell, even to Leo and Nico. My mother always caught me though. Until a dreaded day came: One week prior to my wedding with Luke. I was supposed to ‘Make Peace’ with him for ‘Cheating on Him’ or some schist like that.

I walked into the room, wearing a dress I did not want to wear. Now, just because I was forced into a tiny little dress with no breathing room made of slippery gold satin DOES NOT mean that I went in defenseless. I had a ‘decorative’ sheath on my arm and a sword at my legs and more daggers in my golden boots. I did not trust my ‘future husband’ who was seven years older than me. Especially not with the smirk on his face and the scar over his left eye. I wondered who did that to him and what he did to deserve it.

“Here’s the thing, Anna Elizabeth. I know you’re in love with Prince Perseus of Oceania. I happen to love you, but I also have another love. Princess Thalia. Of Jupiter. I believe you two are acquainted. If you can get me on good terms with her, then I will let you see Perseus despite our marriage. If not, well, I have my own castle and the only set of keys to it” He shrugged “You have until our wedding night to decide. And trust me, if Thalia isn’t mine again by our wedding, you will be mine” He smirked.

I glared “You are sick. Horrid. Thalia hates you, and nothing I ever say or do will ever make her come back to you. And as much as my mother would like to expand Athens, she will protect her heir.”

He shook his head, standing up “Not if it ensures that her dynasty continues.”

I felt myself pale. I realized his plan. He was going to - no. He wouldn’t really – would he? Then again, this was the same human willing to marry someone seven years younger than him because it would benefit Mercury, so I wouldn’t put it past him. I jolted up, pulling one of my daggers out and thrusting it in front of me. He swatted it aside, and raised his hand. His hand struck my arm and I ducked, pulling another slender dagger out. “I have no qualms about giving you another scar. Perhaps it should match your current one?”

He let out a string of curses “You will never scar me!” I stretched out my hand and tore the dagger down his face, through his other eye.

“Really? I think I just did!” I fired at him.

He scowled “What the Hell?” He pulled a knife from his sleeve. “You. Will. Pay. For. Not. Giving. Me. What. I. Want.” He said. He pressed me up against the wall and dragged the knife across my right arm, from my shoulder down to my elbow. Blood spilled like a waterfall out of the wound. He did the same thing on my left arm, then angled his body down. He slashed the knife through the fine material of my dress, then pressed it into my thighs. He made about 2 dozen wounds on each leg, each time the knife went into my skin at least two inches deep. When he stepped away, I crumbled. Half because of the blood loss and the fact that I could not stand up, Half because I couldn’t believe I had let that happen. If my mother had never betrothed me to Luke, this wouldn't have happened. Percy wouldn't have done this to me. Someone knocked on the door, pulling me out of my thoughts.

“Come in” I said weakly. I hoped it was someone who actually cared for me, but if it was Luke, I didn’t care anymore. Someone walked in, and bent down to look at me. Cinnamon hair, gold eyes. “Hazel?”

She nodded. “We need to get you out of here, Annabeth. Come on.”

I shook my head “I can’t stand.”

“Okay. I’ll call Thalia. She’s just outside. Together we should be able to carry you” She said.

“But… The policy” I protested.

“Is gone” Thalia said. She scanned me, taking in it all. The blood soaking my tattered dress, the wounds barely scabbing over, the daggers thrown to either side of the room. “Oh my GODS. Who did this to you? I swear, I will murder them.”

“Luke” I said.

Thalia scowled “He’s fucking dead”

Hazel nodded. “Let’s get her downstairs, have Will fix her up”

I probably should have been worried about, like, the fact that I was bleeding out, but all I asked was “Who is Will?”

“Will is someone Nico met. They are merely friends right now, but I think they might become something closer someday.” Hazel said. “He’s a healer from Delphi.”

I nodded. I recognized the name now. He was third in line to be king, behind his older brothers Lee and Michael.

“Okay, one, two, and three” Thalia said, and she and Hazel lifted me up.

Chapter Text

Hours later, I woke up. I must have passed out at some point when I was being carried down to the healers, because I remembered nothing about being fixed up. Despite the fact I didn’t remember anything,  I seemed to be fine. Will was really good at this healing thing. I sat up, but someone pushed me down. They had blonde hair, and blue eyes. Luke. I snatched the closest thing that could be used as a weapon – in this case, a blunt arrow. “G-Get away. I won’t let you hurt me again!” I said.

He furrowed his brow in confusion “What are you talking about?”

“Don’t tell me you don’t remember. Bad enough you cut me. I will have scars on me forever thanks to you. Now you want to gaslight me? How are you even alive? Thalia promised she would kill you! Where is she?” I said, my voice a mix of terror and anger.

He reached out and put a hand on my shoulder “Annabeth. Look at me. I’m not Luke. Thalia is taking care of him. Right now, actually. I’m Jason.”

My head cleared, and I recognized him. He had no scars on his face. He wore glasses. Of course it was Jason. I set the arrow down “Sorry. I just saw blonde hair and blue eyes and after what happened-”

“Hey, it’s alright. Thalia went through something similar when she broke up with Luke. She nearly killed me” Jason said, interrupting me. “I came here for two reasons. One was to make sure you were alright after Will finished sewing you shut, and the other was to ask if you wanted to try walking? It might help to get back to your normal life…”

I nodded “I’ll try. I’m assuming that you know about everything he did – I mean with the knife.”

Jason nodded. “You’ll probably need some help walking again.”

“Okay” I said. I felt weak. Here I was – Annabeth Chase, princess of Athens, and I was bested by a boy seven years older than me with a simple knife. I swung my legs off the bed and leaned into Jason’s arms. He held me up. I walked forward, and it surprisingly didn’t hurt. We walked over to the wall, and I leaned against it for support.

“There’s someone waiting for you in the meadow. I think you should take a horse. Not that I don’t think you can walk, but because well… It’s a bit of a distance.” Jason said.

“Thanks. And if you see Will, give him my thanks. It’s because of him that I am still alive” I said. I made my way to the stables where I pulled my horse out of her stall. “Hey girl. You wanna go for a short ride?” she whinnied, and I took that as a yes. It was a struggle, and my legs screamed out in pain, but I doubted I could walk the distance on my own. Once I was on her, it was quite easy to ride out to the meadow. I eventually saw who it was that Jason was talking about. I slowed my horse to stop, and ran the last 40 feet to Percy. I fell into his arms when I reached him. “Seaweed Brain!” I said.

“Wise Girl! You’re alright! And walking…how?” He said.

“Miracles. My question is, how are you in Athens without being dead?” I asked.

“I talked to her… And I offered to do a set of tasks….. And I told her that Luke would hurt you….. She eventually said that if I did 12 tasks, she would lift the ban on me and the rest of the group. As for Luke, she said that he was a ‘good person’ who would ‘never dare to hurt Anna Elizabeth’. While Will was sewing you up, Hazel gave her a report of your injuries, and that was enough for your mother to give everyone authorization to hunt him. He’ll be dead soon, if not already” He explained.

“Can I kiss you?” I asked him.

He kissed me. It was unlike any kiss we had ever had before. This one was a kiss of relief, but also making up for our lost time. “You never have to ask, Wise Girl. I have a question for you though.”

“Okay” I said.

He bent down slowly, onto one knee. He withdrew a small teal velvet box from a pocket. “Annabeth Chase. When we met, you wearing this blue dress that had the largest skirt I had ever seen. You challenged me to a duel, and then you won. You have had my heart since that night. I ask you now, as your Seaweed Brain, and you as my Wise Girl, Will you marry me?” He flipped open the cover on the box.

Emotions flooded my body. Shock, love, and surprise. “Yes Percy. Yes Yes Yes.” He stood up, slipped the ring on my finger and kissed me again. “I love you” I told him.

“I love you” He said.

-The End-

JK… Here’s the wedding scene for y’all

I paced back and forth in my room. It had been a month since Luke attacked me, a month since Percy had proposed, but it felt like it had gone by in an instant. Now, Maya was pulling my hair into a ponytail ontop of my head. My new dress was something I had gotten to design myself. I loved it. It had a sweetheart neckline, and faded from stark white to a teal blue. Mesh sleeves were detached from the rest of the dress. I designed this so one of my training corsets would be plenty enough. Maya placed my white veil on my head, and pinned it in place. The front of it fell right at my neckline. Thalia walked in, right as I was slipping my feet into a pair of heels.

“And here I thought you weren’t like the other girls.” She teased.

I rolled my eyes “I don’t like my lungs and stomach being crushed by corsets. I have nothing against dressing up or wearing formal attire. Besides, you can’t talk, Grace.”

She was wearing a grey dress that fell all the way to the floor, black boots, and more silver chains then I could count. “Fair enough”

I pulled my bouquet out of the vase it was in. “I’m ready.” Thalia and I stepped outside into the hall, and greeted Piper, Callie, Reyna, and Hazel. They were my bridesmaids, in addition to Thalia. My mom was there, too, ready to walk me down the aisle.

“Let me make something clear, Anna. I still don’t like King Poseidon. I haven’t forgiven him for what he and Medusa dared do at my party. But,” She conceded, “Percy is good for you. He cares for you, and he didn’t nearly kill you. It was not just of me to try to make you marry Luke. That, I apologize for.”

“Thank you, mother.” I addressed all of them “Are we ready?” Everyone nodded. “Then let’s get me married!”

We all lined up outside the ballroom. Rows of chairs filled the room. Estelle, Percy’s little sister, was the flower girl, and she looked absolutely adorable in her dress. Hazel walked in first, arm in arm with Frank. Then Callie, Leo at her arm. Piper was next, Jason at her arm. Reyna and Nico next, then Thalia and Will. I was next. My mom walked me down the aisle, and handed me off to Percy.

“We are here today to celebrate the union of Prince Perseus Jackson and Princess Anna Elizabeth Chase. They have written their own vows, so at this time I will have Perseus say his.” Our officiant said. He was from Jupiter, as that was tradition.

Percy looked at me, his sea-green eyes full of adoration and wonder. He pulled a piece of paper from his pocket. “Annabeth, It has been roughly two years since I met you. The last two months were the most eventful of those two years, but I wouldn’t trade them for the world, because they landed us here. You are beautiful, scary dangerous, and one of the most resilient people I know. Hell, the day after you nearly died due to excessive blood loss you were up and walking. I don’t know if anyone else here could do that, not even Pine Tree.” Everyone laughed. “I am honored to call you my wife.” He slipped the wedding ring onto my finger: a silver ring with a sea glass owl on it

“Perseus Jackson” I said, with an aire of formality I don’t normally have “I first met you at a ball that I did not want to be at. You, though, made me look forward to those things. You joked, and trained, and understood me in a way that no one had ever done before. I love you, Percy, and I can’t believe this day is here. I never imagined we would get married, but here we are. I love you, and I almost feel as if I am making this up. But here you are, and here I am, saying my vows. Here we are, getting married.” I picked up his rings, pulled his hand to me, and put them on his ring finger.

“Does anyone have any objections? Speak Now or forever hold your peace.” The officiant said. I half-expected Luke to come crashing through the doors, saying that I am to be married to him. He had somehow escaped all of Athens’ forces, and Oceania’s, and well, everyone’s. Every kingdom was looking for him, but he wisely stayed away. No one objected. I let out a sigh of relief “Then you may kiss the bride, and I pronounce you husband and wife.” Percy pulled me in for a kiss. I kissed him back, and it seemed like no time had passed, but we must have been kissing for too long, because Nico said “Okay, okay, OKAY, we get it. You two are hopelessly in love, but there is still a reception to get through. Please save it for tonight! When ya know, you two get to retire to the bedroom, together…..”

Percy pulled away, and so did I “Fine, di Angelo, but when you fall in love eventually, I don’t want any extended kissing. Nothing beyond pecks, at least not in public” he said.

“I can agree to that” Nico said.

“Now move out of the aisle, Wise Girl and I need to run out and set up for the party!” Percy said. He grabbed my hand, and indeed, we ran out and quickly set up in the party room. Well, not actually. He locked the door and proceeded to kiss me until Thalia, Nico and Reyna burst down the door.

“I’m offended Percy” Reyna said “You were hiding your mom’s blue cookies in here for you and Annabeth to enjoy all for yourselves?

“Huh?” I asked.

“His mom made the cookies, at least, all the ones that are dyed blue. I’d give you one, but they are amazing. They could literally heal any injury. Unless you two weren’t in here, eating all the cookies?” Thalia said.

“Pass me one, Thalia” Nico said.

Thalia smiled “Here ya go, Ghost King.”

I furrowed my brow. “What does she mean by Ghost King?” I asked Percy.

“It’s a joke between us three. We were playing a card game loved when he was like, 10, and still does to this day. He had every one of the underworld cards played, and all of them under his control. Thalia called him the Ghost King, and the nickname has kinda stuck.” He said.

I shook my head “Nico is a mystery wrapped in a question mark wrapped in all black wrapped in leather jackets wrapped in long-forgotten anger.”

“That” Percy said “Is probably the most accurate analysis of Nico I have ever heard someone say that was not related to him.”

“Technically, I am now though” I said.

“True….” Percy said. I kissed him, and grabbed a blue cookie.

-The End-