A/N: Hey guys! First of all, thanks so much for all the love on my last fic! I completely didn't expect it all. Anyways, this is a percabeth royalty AU, and I may or may not continue it depending on the feedback. Also: PLEASE feel free to leave reviews! It's what helps me continue to write :) Enjoy! 3
Annabeth inhaled deeply. Her first official job, and it was going to be working at the palace. Every girl dreamed of having such an opportunity, but for whatever reason, she didn't feel too excited. More anxious, really. She didn't want to screw things up, especially in front of the Royal family. Not that they would notice her, but even so.
"Madam, please come with me."
She nervously followed the well-dressed man out of the waiting room and into the palace halls.
"Allow me to introduce myself. My name is Barry Maxwell, and I'm here to guide you around the place. Soon enough you will be able to learn and perform your duties expertly as a housekeeper." The bald man spoke with such eloquence, she would have assumed him to be of Royal blood.
"Thank you, sir. I'm Annabeth, by the way."
"Yes, Ms. Chase, I do recognize that." He stiffened, clearly irritated by the fact that she had used her first name to address herself. You're gonna fit right in, Annabeth, she thought.
He led them into a large room, a prominent chandelier dangling from the high ceiling. It looked to be a living room, with elegant chairs and a coffee table.
"This is the drawing room," The man explained, "The royal family will usually stay here after they are finished their dinner. Make sure to keep away during that time, you don't want to be noticed."
Her heart dropped at that last comment, but she understood. A lowly servant like her would never be recognized by such a high-class family. The highest, after all.
They continued their tour around the palace, until he finally stopped in front of white double doors. "Ah," He exhaled, "This is where you will live." He opened the doors, as she peeked her head inside. The room was big, lined with several doors on either side. She assumed those were the bedrooms that the workers slept in. A dining table sat on the left side of the room, with a couch and chairs on the right.
The man finally spoke up. "This is the women's headquarters. Each person has a bedroom, but the living space is shared among all. As you can see, it's a generous amount of space for you. I should hope that you feel gratified by the family's kindness; most kingdoms do not offer this.
She rolled her eyes. It was hard to believe this was generous, considering how poorly the workers were respected.
"Alas, I must go." Mr. Maxwell announced, "If you need any help, the head housemaid will surely aid you." With that, he tranced off.
Annabeth sighed. Tomorrow was going to be an interesting day.
She woke up the next morning in her new bed, looking around the room. The furniture was plain, just enough for her to go off. Coming from a lower class family, she was more than satisfied. Yawning, she hopped of the bed and walked to her wardrobe to pick out her uniform. There it was, hung up all neatly. It was a simple white dress, with a matching bonnet and black slippers. The trims were laced with designs, and a pocket was etched onto the top-left of the dress, showing off the Kingdom's coat of arms.
When she was finally ready, she slipped out.
The head housemaid, Mrs. Kinsley, gave Annabeth her instructions for the day. She was to start off by mopping the library floors, then dusting the shelves, then preparing the dinner table. Gathering her supplies, she scurried off.
As she mopped the library floors, she heard a cough coming from between the shelves. Annabeth was never one to pry, but she was intrigued. She approached the place that the noise had come from, and was shocked to see a boy sleeping there.
The boy instantly awoke. "Oh my god, what-what happened…?"
Unsure of whom he was speaking to, she decided to say the first thing on her mind.
"Uh, you know, you were drooling in your sleep."
He turned to her. "Wh-who are you?"
Great. Annabeth had blurted out the dumbest thing, and now he probably thought she was a moron.
"Um...I'm Annab - I mean Ms. Chase, sir." She didn't know how to address him. She had no idea who he was.
"Annabeth."
"Sorry?"
"That was what you were going to say, right?"
"It-it was, actually." She smiled. It was unusual for someone to recognize her name. Especially from a stranger. Suddenly, Mr. Maxwell's comment appeared in her head: don't be noticed. She quickly turned away.
The boy stood up and ruffled his clothing. "Well, I - I better be going."
"Of course." She stepped out of the way.
"Nice meeting you, Annabeth." He emphasized her name, which made her smile.
"You too, uh...?" She instantly realized she had no idea who he was.
He glanced sideways. "You don't know who I am?"
"Well, I...I actually just got here last night."
"I see. I'm Percy, by the way."
Her eyes jolted. Percy. Prince Percy? What had she been doing? Why was she even speaking to him after what Mr. Maxwell had advised her?
She glided into a deep curtsy. "Your Highness, I - I had no idea. I'm so so sorry. How...how stupid of me." She stammered.
"No need, it's fine. You're new here, anyways."
"Yes, I suppose so, Your Highness." She curtsied again. "I'm terribly sorry again, that still does not excuse what I've done."
"And what have you done? Killed the butler?" He chuckled. "It's fine, honestly. Anyways, I better get going. Hopefully we don't meet each other this way again. You know, with me drooling in my sleep."
"Oh, yes. I apologize for that as well. How rude of me."
He grinned, clearly amused by her clumsiness, then walked off.
Hitting her hand against her forehead, Annabeth sighed. What a disaster. She had never imagined to meet the prince this way, not even in her nightmares.
She continued her work, but couldn't shake the image of him out of her head.
Jet-black hair, stunning green eyes, he was very handsome, indeed.
Worthy of a prince.