Chapter 1: Out with the Old

Annabeth of House Chase waited in a carriage, dressed in an elegant, yet uncomfortable, gown. Her hands were folded primly on her lap, just as a series of instructors had taught her years before. She looked out the window indifferently, preparing herself for what was to come.

She made no effort to move as her brother Malcolm entered the carriage.

"Well, sister," he said sarcastically. "You look enthralled to be here."

Annabeth rolled her eyes. "Away with the sarcasm, brother. We both know what the night has in store for me."

"Too many hors d'oeuvres and getting sick on dessert?"

She scoffed contemptuously. "Perhaps for you. As my family, however, could you at least pretend to be a bit concerned?"

"I'm sorry." Malcolm at least had the decency to offer a small apologetic smile.

"No, that was out of line," she sighed. "I'm just nervous."

Malcolm laughed. "See, this is just like you. You can devise military strategies without an ounce of concern, yet a simple ball–"

"A simple ball?" she asked incredulously. "With what's at stake?"

Malcolm threw his arm over her shoulders and pulled on one of her perfectly curled ringlets. Annabeth batted his hand away. "Yes. Just treat it like as such, and you won't have as many nerves. Treat it as a battle instead of a relationship." He cringed. "Don't repeat that to anyone. It wouldn't be the greatest advice to anyone but you."

She smiled. "What would I do without you, Mal?" She settled back, resting her head on his upper arm.

"I don't know," he teased. "What would you do?"

She took her head off his arm and shoved him away from her in a playful, sibling manner. He laughed, shoving her back. Annabeth lost herself in the moment, deciding to savor this time with her brother while she still could.

"Still, what if he's horrendous?" she asked, catching her breath. "I couldn't bear the thought of being with someone like that."

"Annabeth, the Match was created for a reason. You will love him– Cupid's judgement is always flawless." He looked her in the eyes with concern. "It'll be fine."

"Even so, there's a first time for everything." She gnawed on her lip, surely ruining her lipstick. "You're lucky you didn't have to get matched."

"Well, I'm not the heir to the house."

The doors to the carriage opened, and Annabeth kissed her brother on the cheek. "Bye, Malcolm. I'll miss you."

"I'll miss you too. Now, quit complaining!" He gave her a light shove on the back, and she bit back a scream as she almost pitched forward. "Oh, and Annabeth?"

She turned her head back to look at him. "Yes?"

He grinned. "Just do as I would."

"Malcolm, I'm supposed to be attractive tonight."

Annabeth's last image of her brother was as he put his hand on his chest in mock offense. She winked and exited the carriage, and in doing so, she left her childhood behind.

"Annabeth!"

Annabeth staggered backwards, barely keeping herself from stumbling in her high heels as a blur of pink fabric and chestnut brown hair rammed into her. After she regained her footing, she wrapped her arms around her best friend. "Hey, Piper."

The tan-skinned beauty took a step back; the excitement in her eyes was evident. "Can you believe that we're here? Just... look at this place! It's amazing! And the food, Annabeth, have you seen the food? There's a chocolate fountain! And the appetizers..."

Annabeth smiled amusedly as Piper continued to rave about the delicacies.

"...and I swear, Annabeth, the lobster bisque..." She groaned. "I'm not going to be able to fit into this dress by the end of this. Anyway. Are you ready for the Match?"

Generally, the Match was not spoken of amongst people. It was a more private matter of society. However, Annabeth and Piper didn't care. They would talk about whatever they liked, and society could go to hell.

"Not really," she said.

"Well, you should be. You've got a lot on the table, and I'm not just talking in terms of property." Piper winked at Annabeth conspiratorially, then reached out pulled the grey fabric of her dress down a good inch.

"Piper!"

"Well, what? You have to show off what you have!"

"Not like this!"

Piper rolled her eyes. "This is the tiniest amount of cleavage possible, Annabeth."

Annabeth pulled her dress back up. "Not everyone can pull it off."

"If I can, you can." Piper gave a quick twirl. "Now put it back to where it was. It looked good, I promise."

"Are you sure?" She hated the feeling of being so... exposed. Piper could stand to be in the spotlight, as her parents had trained her to be there since her birth. She could make decisions without a second thought. Meanwhile, Annabeth spent time behind closed doors, planning. She was never without a plan. It was possible that the balance between her prudence and Piper's spontaneity was one of the reasons for their close friendship.

"Yes." There was a very compelling tone in her voice, which finally persuaded Annabeth to listen. With a scowl, she gingerly moved her dress back down.

"Fine. Now, what about you?"

"What about me?"

"Are you ready for the Match?"

"Oh, definitely," Piper said. "I mean, you know my mother. I've been preparing for this since day one." Her voice took on a higher pitch. "'Make sure to dress well, Piper, because I'm not going to be there to pick your outfits. Remember that a slight, flirty laugh goes a long way. And when he's wrapped around your finger, play hard to get.' Dear lord, you'd expect that I wasn't raised for this very moment."

"Weren't we all?" Annabeth studied her nails, examining a spot where the clear coat had fallen chipped off. "I mean, that is part of being a lady in this society."

Piper gasped loudly. "Oh my–"

"Piper, I know that I don't act like a lady most of the time, but that's hardly a reason to act that surprised–"

"Not that, though it is a rare occurrence. But look, it's him!"

The room grew silent as more and more people began to turn their heads towards the overhang, which was raised over the ballroom. A man in his late twenties or early thirties rested his arms on the rail, looking down at the attendees with a charming smile.

Indeed, Annabeth thought. Her stomach churned. It was him.

Cupid.

A/N: First chapter down! Thanks to everyone who read this. I don't have a set number of chapters or an update schedule, but hopefully as this fic progresses, I'll have a better idea of what I need to happen. Please review to let me know what you think, or if you have any ideas! I'm looking forward to seeing how this turns out. :)