Dear Half-Bloods,

It is our great honor to announce Zeus's new scheme – arranged marriage! An ancient tradition of our Greek culture, an arranged marriage is done for mutual benefit. We do however understand that in today's American cultures marriages are seen in a very different light, so enclosed are the main reasons why this new marriage law will be beneficial for everyone.

Below is a list of your future spouses, which have been picked by the Lady Artemis and the Lady Aphrodite themselves for having the best chance of you conceiving strong and healthy children, and the best chance of you being friendly as well. You are expected to be married within a month. When you are married your bodies will both be altered so any form of contraception will burn you. Consummation is obligatory.

All those not listed below may choose their own spouses, though they have to be demi-gods from another cabin. Each couple of that nature is required to have at least one child. Timing is up to you.

Artemis is no longer accepting half-bloods as hunters.

THE ARRANGED MARRIAGE LIST

Thalia Grace* & Percy Jackson

Annabeth Chase & Luke Castellan*

Nyssa Felons & Nico di Angelo

Piper McLean & Will Solace

Drew Demos & Leo Valdez

Kate Gardiner & Pollux Viedlum

Clarisse la Rue & Chris Rodriguez

For the enclosed reasons and more general information on the marriage law, please feel free to ask Mr Chiron! Till then, enjoy being killed by monsters!

Zeus, Lord of the Skies.

(Annabeth's POV)

I stared at the noticeboard in silence. I was faintly aware that my mouth was hanging open, and that something in camp was burning because I could smell the smoke. But I didn't move – none of us moved. Maybe forty AHAD kids were crowded around this notice, and not one of us moved. No talking or crying or protesting. We just stared.

Slowly, those who weren't having an immediate arranged marriage – the words made my throat catch, even though I was only thinking them – drifted away, and started to talk to friends. I felt a pair of warm, strong arms encircle me and I closed my eyes. Was this the last time I'd be held by Percy? His warm breath tickled my neck and I could feel tremors run through him, making him shudder and shake. We were getting married. Just not to each other.

"Percy, what do we do?" I whispered, horrified.

"Go to Chiron. Thalia is a huntress, and you're engaged to, well . . . ." He couldn't finish that sentence, and I was glad. I hadn't thought, not even once about who my partner was. I hadn't read the words. He wasn't Percy so I wouldn't think of him. In less than a month, I would presumably be trying for a child with him - but for now, my only stand was to not consider him. I didn't know he was and I didn't want to. At least Percy sounded like he had a better plan – maybe he thought we could appeal? I'd noticed a small star by the name I hadn't read.

I nodded in a dumb way and Percy started leading us through the crowds. No-one stopped us, all of them perfectly aware of our little situation. Well, except me . . . . Deciding that it couldn't hurt any worse than it already did, I glanced back to see who I would be marrying. The moment I saw, my bones froze over and my heart stopped pumping. Luke, Luke Castellan. Panic, fear and even a twinge of embarrassment flooded me, making my lungs shudder painfully. How many times had I written Annabeth Castellan in my head? It was impossible to understand – for the first point, Luke had gone for rebirth. I turned my head to face Percy – I needed to know what he thought, and I needed his quick brain (not that I would ever, ever admit that he was a quick thinker). But his eyes were cold and hard as he took in my gaping face. And I understood fully for the first time. I was marrying his – our – enemy. I was marrying Luke. And though Percy 'forgave' Luke . . . . Well, some things just couldn't be forgotten and Luke had hurt me. Percy loved me, Luke had hurt me and now Cronus's toy was marring me.

Eventually, Percy's light tugging on my arm made me move. It was hard to walk, even when we got away from the crowds because somehow, in the space of a minute, I had lost almost all control over my limbs. I was so focused on putting one foot in front of the other that when I looked up and saw the big house steps, I was mildly surprised to be there. Mildly – I was becoming number and number by the second.

Turning me round, Percy took me by the shoulders and looked straight into my eyes. There was a broken expression on his face that I understood. It was agony to look into those sea-green eyes and know he belonged to another.

"Listen to me Wise Girl. Whatever happens, whether we have to get married to others or not, I will always love you. No matter what. But to get through this, I need you to snap out of it and stand tall with me. I need you to do that with me. We have to find a way. There is always a way." He spoke, and I desperately wanted to agree. But my throat wouldn't work, stinging painfully when I tried to move it. Instead, I pulled up my lips and smirked, then danced up the steps in the way I know he liked. I flounced through the door, even though it killed me, because Percy needed me to be strong.

Inside, I saw everyone on the list was there but Thalia and Luke. Even Nico was there, looking pale and staring at his shoes. Chiron sat at the head of the table looking grave, in his wheelchair form. Dionysus wasn't present, which was quite smart of him. I could bet that the Stoll brothers were already planning something big to prove their annoyance, and this time, the entire camp would likely be with them.

Banging his fist on the table, Chiron called for our attention. Pointless as the room was quieter than a funeral parlor. Once all eyes were on him, he began.

"Demi-gods! You are the chosen few who have been matched by the gods to a spouse, in order to aid us all. It is an honor, even if it doesn't seem that way to you now. But please remember that to your mothers and fathers, this is no insult. They are doing what they believe to be best, not intentionally hurting you." Hurting us? They didn't know what agony was.

"As you are well aware, the reasons for this choice have been sent to us, though the gods have chosen to remain anonymous as to how they voted. It was an even and fair vote where the twelve main Olympians devised the new law and then voting on its being passed. Lord Zeus has requested I tell you this, so you understand it was not just his decision." Chiron looked around the room, daring us to go against the words of Zeus, before picking up a piece of paper in front of him.

"This marriage law is needed because Lord Hades recently did a series of tests on Tartarus for Lord Zeus. The results showed that in around twelve years' time, a mass wave of monsters will descend. As far as Lord Hades can estimate, this is because a lot of monsters were raised and killed in the War, and now they are all regenerating at the same time. And before you worry, this cycle will break as the leftover monstrous energy settles – this sudden rise of hundreds of monsters will only happen once. We think. We find it necessary to be as ready as possible and as such, the Gods have seen fit to do as they have done. Each couple is expected to have at least one child. When you have it is your decision, but keep in mind that the longer you wait the younger he or she will be.

They also want to remind you that marriage is a sacred act and not to be violated in any way. You will live as husband and wife and we shall make accommodation for you. Adultery can and will get you smote to ashes. Thank you. I know you'll have much to discuss with each other, so I will take my leave from you. Percy, Annabeth if you will come with me."

Several of the others tried to speak, protesting about what had happened, but Chiron silenced them with a look. I realized that Chiron wasn't being cold towards us because he thought we were being childish, but rather that he hadn't expected this at all.

Something tugged at my gut, but I ignored it. Following slowly after Chiron's wheelchair, I watched as he got onto the porch and transformed back into his centaur form. Percy and I walked next to each other but there was a distance I couldn't ignore. Soon, we would be separated from each other forever and we were mentally and emotionally preparing ourselves by putting a small amount of distance between ourselves. Weren't our natural protection instincts wonderful? Shaking my head, I allowed Chiron to lead us into the woods.

Percy POV:

I'd imagined losing her so many ways to Luke, but never like this. Memories of my old fears came back to mock me as the replayed in my head. Luke kidnapping Annabeth. Annabeth deciding Luke was right about the gods and joining him. Their obvious care they had for each other morphing into love and them disappearing to live in Jamaica. Hey, they were my fears, and it could happen. But this was much more terrifying.

We were following the trail to the Council of Elders clearing, and all around me were memories, like they were imprinted in the rocks. Not just ones of Annabeth and I either – there were ones of me and Thalia too.

Thalia. She was a huntress for pity's sake, and my cousin. She was rather beautiful – but it was a discredit to Annabeth to think that and no matter what, I couldn't lose what I had with Annabeth. It was too special, too wonderful to give up. I knew it would be hard, almost impossible, but I simply couldn't let go. We may be killed for being in love but we would have to do it anyway – we would have to be commit adultery.

Firstly, I had to work out how they were planning to sense when we violated the rules. If we were going to be rigged up to an alert panel there would be little chance, because we would have to break the alert without them realizing it – and as the machine would probably be made by Hephateus and kept on Olympus – can you see the problem?

But if they were relying on our wives and husbands to tell on us, then we'd have a fair shot. We'd had to convince Thalia and Luke to do it but that should be easy enough. Luke owed us and Thalia would hate the idea of matrimony – she would probably think it a good idea to run wild just to annoy the gods. Not that they would know, but still. She would do it.

More confident now, I arrived at my final problem. How was Luke to return from the frickin' dead? And don't tell me, easy they just fetch him from Hades like he's been at his grandma's or something. He's been reborn. As in, he's a baby – and how many babies are there in this world? I was almost able to convince myself it had been a typo.

"Percy and Annabeth. As you will have noticed, your future spouses are somewhat inaccessible." Chiron began, gesturing for us to sit down in the grass, which we did.

"You can say that again" muttered Annabeth next to me, her chin stuck out and her arms crossed grumpily. Of course I love Annabeth very much, and thought she always looked beautiful but she looked so much like a stroppy child that I snorted – earning myself a dark glare from Chiron.

"So I feel I should better explain. Firstly, there is no point in appealing to the gods. When they realized the fate of all four of you, there was uproar – none of the gods, especially not Aphrodite and Zeus wanted to let this happen. But you have to understand that the gods had already sworn on the river Styx to go through with the plan, and the answers were calculated, to use the mortal term, by machine." Damn. There went that route.

"Secondly, I know this is tough for you but I ask that you are as nice as you can to be to Thalia. I know that you're both feeling a whole range of emotions about Thalia but your perspective on the current situation is different, and I want you to remember how shocking this is for her. You are her friends and her family and soon to be Percy's wife. Whether consciously or not, you have already accepted that should one of you two die, you will find another partner and live with them – Thalia never expected she would marry. I ask – no beg you to be patient with her. She has to leave the hunters for this and is becoming mortal again – that's where she is now." Ok, so how guilty did I feel? I hadn't even thought of Thalia's hurt and pain and shock once, I couldn't believe myself. I felt terrible to have forgotten my friend's feelings. What sort of husband was I? Wait, why am I thinking that? We aren't even married for pity's sake!

"And Luke?" Annabeth asked in a small voice, her eyes wide. I wanted to hug her, to hold her to my chest and whisper to her how much I loved and believed in her. Seeing her almost crying but being unable to do anything made me promise that I would one day hold her again. She was my girl, and nothing could ever, ever change that. Except perhaps the almighty ones who would smite me for fun. That's a pretty good reason... More or less.

Annabeth's POV:

It felt strange, asking about Luke. Nico had made it clear it would be unsafe for him to check on Luke's soul so in general life had went on – and as long as we never talked about Luke, acting as though he never existed, we were good. And I liked that. I didn't want to talk about him, I had nothing to say.

"Luke is a special case. I know you were told he was going for rebirth, but the gods had a feeling that he would be needed, so they convinced him to hang around in Hades. Should you decide to take Luke as your husband, Luke will rise exactly how he died – free of Kronos."

"Should I? What, so I have a choice?" Excitement bubbled within me. Why had nobody mentioned this earlier?

"No. Like I told the others, there is no point in running. This is your fate. He should be here soon, as I assume Lord Hades has already resurrected him." The excitement vanished, and dread took its place. Oh gods.. How could they be so cruel? Freaking lunatics! To even think for a second that I could bring myself to love that bastard!

But before I could say anything, I heard a single branch snap and I whirled to face someone. A certain blue eyed girl with a bow on her back and an attitude.

It was time to say hello to my best friend – and my boyfriend's future wife.

Thalia was here. And she did not look happy.