Chapter One-Piper

I KNEW I WAS AS GOOD AS DEAD when my eldest handmaiden Silena appeared at my door. Her beautiful face, creamy and ageless despite the years, was creased with worry as she paced the Persian carpet. Her bright blue eyes were frantically darting from one chandelier to another, never meeting mine. My initial happiness at seeing her faded as I studied her face.

We were always as close as sisters, but as I reached my teens, Silena's familiar face failed to appear, replaced by different handmaidens whose existence was to see to every need I could possibly have. I later heard she became promoted by my mother, Queen Aphrodite, to serve as the head of the attendants' quarters. Now my old friend only visited me personally when something was wrong-VERY wrong.

For days the inhabitants of Queen Aphrodite's palace walked briskly, their faces clouded with worry enough to let me know something was going on. Asking those close to me did little. Lacy and Mitchell-my new attendants and half-siblings-were too flustered for me to coax any information out of them. My mother was away, visiting a faraway kingdom on what she called a "matter of urgent diplomacy to be made". Which kingdom? My mother had kept mum about that, no pun intended. My best friend Annabeth was stricken by flu, unable to write to me. In short, I wasn't in the best mood.

My mother….was she back from her trip?

"Silena," I spoke, "has my mother summoned me? Is she back from visiting that kingdom?"

"It is good to see you, Piper-clever as always," Silena replied. "Yes, she is back, and she has summoned you. There is"-she grimaced-"news for you to hear."

Her tone made it clear that I was not going to be thrilled by the news. Sighing, I took a deep breath in the uneasy silence. A moment passed, and I again looked up at my long-time confidante's face.

"Alright Silena, I'm ready."

If there was bad news, my mother's face didn't show it. She was as beautiful as always, her golden-brown locks tumbling over her shoulders in glossy waves. Her azure eyes gleamed in the sunlight streaming in from the far-east window. She stood and stretched, consciously admiring her statuesque frame. Her smile was dazzling enough to melt an ice statue.

I waited impatiently as Aphrodite cheerfully held an ornate hand mirror, seeming to forget she was the only one in the room. After five minutes of waiting, I couldn't stand it. Ignoring the warning look Silena sent me, I stepped closer to my mother's throne.

"Mother?"

Aphrodite's head popped up from the mirror she was holding, looking startled. She instantly gave us a dazzling smile.

"Piper! I missed you so much, darling. I have some new gowns for you to try out. And you are far too pale, my girl. A facial may be in ord-" she stopped as I glared exasperatedly at her.

"Mother! You have news for me, don't you?" I interrupted exasperatedly. I loved my mother to death but I couldn't stand hearing one more word about fashion or beauty when Silena's uneasy face still shone in my memory. I needed to know what was wrong.

Aphrodite nodded, her cheerful smile fading. "Yes, Piper. The gowns were actually related to that but we do have problems at hand, which the trip has made very clear to me now. Sit down."

"I'm fine standing, really-"

"Sit down." I sat uneasily, very aware of the unusual pain lacing my mother's sweet voice.

"There." Aphrodite's face relaxed, but her eyes shone with the worry I had been seeing all week. "Piper, you know the feud between our kingdom and King Jupiter's."

"Yes," I responded quietly. It was a stupid feud, in my opinion-I mean, really, who refuses to associate with a kingdom just because of a dispute over whether Aphrodite was more beautiful than Jupiter's wife, Juno?-but over the years their relations had become even more bitter as each committed crimes against the other alternately. "Are we at war?"

"Not yet, for new circumstances have risen. Jupiter has abdicated his throne in favor of his son, Jason-a rather cunning lad if I must admit. They share similar mentalities, but many say Jason is not as ruthless as his father." Aphrodite paused for measure, folding her hands across her lap.

"Not as ruthless?"

"My dear, his kingdom has closed all communications with ours and Jason, from what I've heard from my spies, is not very fond of getting close to others. You may find out what he's like from others once you go."

My blood chilled. I stared at my mother, comprehending the deeper meaning of her words.

"You don't mean to say that I'm to visit him? My diplomacy skills are inexistent." I knew perfectly well that she meant just that.

"No, Piper, actually….it's more complicated than that. Jupiter has agreed to hold peace between our kingdoms in exchange for a condition. He is holding a…what would you say, contest…..for the hand of his son Jason in marriage."

Jason. I wracked my mind, trying to remember a conversation I heard with my best friends Annabeth and Leo when we were 15.

Great guy, Beauty Queen! Leo had laughingly told me. We're amazing when it comes to fetching girls.

Annabeth had then glared at him, flashing her stormy gray eyes in a classic death glare (which I later picked up). Shut up Fire Boy, that guy doesn't even say hello when I walk past. And he is so prideful! He's a narcissist and he just…..agh why are we talking about him?

Because Beauty Queen asked! Leo shot back, not flinching from the look she was giving him. And gods, Annabeth, he isn't that bad, just…..kind of… haughty.

You're right, he's not that bad, he's worse! Annabeth huffed. I nearly smiled at the memory, if it wasn't for the current situation. I instead glared at the wall with all my might.

This was just sounding better and better.

"And I'm a contestant." The bitterness in my voice was sharper than I had intended it to be.

"Piper, he is still fully capable of waging war against us. And he will not listen to any other deals. No negotiations besides that. I had even brought Will along to brainstorm negotiations he could agree to but no avail. It is either this or immediate war. And don't forget that the kingdom of the princess who wins his hand will fight alongside theirs. He picked princesses from VERY powerful kingdoms."

My eyes grew wide. "You just mentioned that! How many other princesses?"

"Two others. And both are formidable opponents."

"Any chance you can tell me who they are?"

Aphrodite's eyes sparkled. "Oh, I think you'll figure out their identities soon enough. You are a smart one, Piper. I can't see into the future, but something tells me that this won't be as bad as you think."

What I want is to stay here, I wanted to say. But that would only sound stupid and selfish. I knew that princesses were meant to be married off to other kingdoms in the name of peace. It was rare that one could stay unmarried and rule alone, like I wanted to do. We sat in the silence for a few moments. I felt stupid for expecting something different, for expecting that my mother would actually bail me out of this one.

"Look, Piper," my mother finally spoke, "you have your weapons, and you wield them well. But you shouldn't only be thinking of power. This could be a chance for something more. Something you need more than you think."

Love. Right. Right now, I didn't want to think about it. No way in Hades did I want to think about it. Even though I was the daughter of one of the few queens who married for love and still believed in it despite everything that happened to her, I never even thought of the possibility of falling in love myself. I spent my childhood shooting arrows and learning the policies of the state. Swordplay. Diplomacy. I have never truly been in love.

However, one would be pitifully mistaken to think that I didn't believe in love. My friends pegged me as their matchmaker, counsellor, and "person most likely to be in love but just doesn't admit it". I tried to stop myself from rolling my eyes at the name.

"I don't think that's possible, Mom," I whispered, a tear running down my cheek. "This is business."

My mother sighed, raking her hand through her golden-brown strands. "I suppose you're right. Don't lose hope though, my dear Piper."

I nodded mutely. "How does this competition even work anyway? Do I have to complete a series of extra-tough labors hand-picked for me or something along those lines?"

"Jupiter has instructed me that he, and only he, is to say that. I'm sorry, darling." I huffed.

"Ugh," I muttered. I stared at the marble floor, cursing my luck ten times over. But it never did me any good in the past, and it sure as hell wouldn't do me any good now.

Silena stepped in after a long pause in the conversation, her face swept clean of emotion. "Piper, dear, I believe it is time for you to get dressed. You leave in an hour."

Getting dressed was even harder than the conversation I just had with my mother. I didn't like that Silena-who was the one person who didn't get mad at me when I was underdressed-was in charge of my makeover, and the fact that it was to please some king who I was competing for didn't make me like it any more either.

I stared at the mirror at my mahogany dressing table as Lacy and two different attendants named Emily and Katie stormed my closet in search for something "proper enough" for the Royal Highness of Haughtiness. I sat miserably as Lacy and Katie began to argue about underdresses and collars.

Silena walked in just then, having sorted out an "argument" (translate-brawl) between two couriers outside. She looked as tired as me.

"Hey Sil," I greeted her, using my old nickname for her. "Everything okay?"

Silena managed a weary smile. "For now, Pipes, well besides…this."

"Want to get started on my hair?" I said as charmingly as I could, flashing a warm smile. She momentarily perked up. She had always been beautifying people for fun, no one could pass that as a chore for her.

"Yes! Piper, Frenchie or Fishie?"

"Sorry?"

Silena sighed. "A French braid or a fishtail? Or how about…ooh, I learned a special kind of braided twist while I was at Acidalia, it would look AMAZING on you! We need to impress this Jason, don't we?" Acidalia is the name of the kingdom my Aunt Venus ruled over…huh I hadn't seen them in a while. They were similarly as obsessed with beauty as ours was.

"Don't mention him," I grumbled. "And Sil, calm down!"

Silena's hand flew to her mouth. "Oh of course. But Piper, remember your mother's words. Maybe this won't be so bad! Now, how about that hairstyle?"

I groaned, raking my fingers through my dark chestnut hair, unruly as usual. It had grown out past my shoulders, reaching mid-back. I usually kept it in a simple braid so it wouldn't be a pest when I fought. "Can't we just keep it in a braid, like this?"

Silena looked horrified, waving her hands. "What? Piper, no! That's a horrible idea, dear. I wasn't joking when I said you needed to impress them."

"Fine, then we'll keep it down," I replied. Her tone was odd, as if she had been through the same thing. Had she met Jason?

Her face softened as she pondered. "Hmmm…that doesn't sound so bad. Let's see what I can do." She proceeded to comb the snarls out of my hair, continuing to comb even after all the snarls were out. Her blue eyes were cast on my hair, but I could see the sadness in them in the mirror.

I hadn't realized I'd blanked out until Silena's triumphant sigh jolted me. "Finally! Piper, you're such a beauty."

I stared at my reflection in the mirror. My deep brown hair now cascaded down my back, with strands framing each side of my face delicately. Silena placed a double band of pearls as the finishing touch. It was elegant yet me. Not too over-the-top, not too different. I turned back and grinned goofily at my friend.

"It's perfect. You are a miracle worker, Lena. I never could have done this on my own," I told her sincerely. Silena smiled teasingly.

"Well, you do your thing more than well enough. And after all, what are friends for?" She wrapped me in a warm embrace.

At the back of the room, Lacy cleared her throat. She was beaming, her hazel eyes shining with glee. "Mistress, Princess Pip-"

"Lacy, I told you many times, you can just call me Piper! I don't need the extra flappery." I burst out laughing. Silena giggled warmly along with me as Lacy grinned sheepishly.

"Sure, Piper. Anyway, we found you a dress to start off with." She held a silky bluish-gray gown, embroidered with navy and silver thread. It was long-sleeved. It rippled at the bottom like waves in a lake, swishing gently on the wooden floor of my bedroom. I had to admit, it was beyond beautiful.

"Twenty minutes? You're getting slower, dear Lacy," Silena chastised gently with another of her amazing smiles-warm and kind yet still teasing. "But this dress is beautiful. It will look lovely against your skin tone, Piper," she told me.

I nodded, beaming at Lacy, Silena, and Katie. "Thank you, ladies. I think I'll get dressed now."

I was met with three pairs of wide eyes as Katie's jaw dropped to the floor. "Um, Piper? What about the undergown and the trumpet sleeves? You're not going to just wear that, right?"

I groaned for the umpteenth time this evening, throwing my hands in the air. "The what now?"

Katie smiled sympathetically; going on to say that the trumpet sleeves and their complimentary lining gave the sleeves its extra "oomph", whatever that meant. Apparently the under-gown kept someone from looking too scanty, and was supposed to be thin so the gown wouldn't have too much volume. I took this all in silently, very conscious of the fact all of them were aware why I never learned what these were, things a princess was supposed to know from childhood.

I had left home when I was ten, to learn how to fight and hunt unlike many other princesses who instead were kept at home to be prepped for marriage and other princess duties. It was there where I met my best friends Annabeth, Leo, Thalia, and Percy, and there I stayed for six years, visiting home every summer. Besides fighting, we learned diplomacy, history, politics, and character, all the subjects I would have missed out on if I had stayed at home learning how to be a princess instead. When I came back home last summer, I was immediately made my mother's closest advisor, like my other friends for their respective parents.

I still thanked my mother every night before falling asleep for letting me train, for not listening to her male advisors and keeping me at home.

I came back to the present as Katie still waited for my response. Nodding, I only said, "Pick something simple."

Katie immediately pulled a pale blue linen gown and a set of draped long sleeves which I knew would hide my hands-and my fists. I reluctantly slipped into the items, closing my eyes as the gown tumbled onto me. When I looked back at Katie, she had tears in her eyes.

"Knock him dead, Pipes," she said to me, smiling widely. "And by the way, your bags are ready. They are with Vincent at the door."

"Will do," I replied with a sly, unmerciful smirk. I thought of my two other opponents-uptight, greedy princesses ready to fall over his feet in their determination to win. I, on the other hand, will give him something he has never seen.