Prologue
I need you to listen to me, there isn't much time left
Percy clutched the sheets with white knuckles, the cloth slick with sweat and vomit. Percy felt bile rising at the back of his throat, his pale expression contorting with disgust. What was he doing? What had driven him to this poin-
The sound of a wine bottle shattering as it struck the ground ripped him from his stupor. He sat up, dragging the back of his hand across his sweat-coated forehead, the action causing the two other wine bottles to clink as they bumped into each other within the entangled sheets. Oh god, Percy thought, mortified, as he looked at the mostly empty bottles. He looked around, taking in the dank, messy room.
He clumsily fumbled for the switch of the lamp sitting on his bedside table. The light burned his eyes, and he quickly shielded them. As his eyes adjusted, they returned to the bedside table. He studied the clock face. 2 o' clock, PM. He got to his feet, almost immediately stumbling and doubling over. His throat burned, the putrid-smelling vomit spewing forth. His eyes watered as he clutched his stomach. He hacked and cough, disgusted once more. 2 o' clock. 2 o' clock.
The feast. It was today. He had forgotten the feast.
The hall was crowded, people wandering to and fro amongst tables filled with goblets, plates and all manner of delectable foods. But the most eye-catching feature was the head table. Large, with 8 seats. Seven for The Seven. With the traditional throne for Reyna, the current Praetor. The other Praetor, Frank, needed no extra chair as part of The Seven.
A feast to honor the anniversary of Gaea's defeat. He had missed a feast in honor of himself. Percy struggled to comprehend the fact that it had already been a year as he made his way to the only empty seat at the large table. At first glance, Percy's dignified aura of power would have dissuaded any thoughts of what he had done in the past twenty-four hours. But if one were to look closer, at his uneasy pace or his messily worn toga, well…
Percy sat, positioned between Annabeth and Reyna, and ignored the people giving him pointed looks.
"Percy!" Annabeth said, her hushed voice full of annoyance, "Where have you been?!"
"I- "Percy faltered. Annabeth had continued to look out for him, despite their splitting, but she was still a sore wound. He looked away.
"Percy, don't ignore m- "
"I've been training, Annabeth. Okay?" He retorted.
Annabeth opened her mouth to respond, but paused. She sniffed the air. She looked down and Percy's hands, clammy and sweaty. Then her eyes shifted to his toga, hastily and messily tied. "You've been drinking again." She said, deadly calm.
"No, I haven't."
"Percy, please. I need you to talk to me."
"I haven't been drinking Annabeth!" He replied angrily, his voice rising slightly.
They were cut short by Reyna, who had been listening.
"Perseus, is this true?" She asked, cold.
"N-no." Percy replied, grabbing onto the table so hard his knuckled turned white. "I have not."
"Perseus, this needs to end. Now."
Once more, they were interrupted. Jason, having taken notice of Percy's arrival, stood. He clapped his hands, the sound ringing through the hall like booming thunder.
"May I have your attention please!" He called, a broad smile on his lips. He, like all other members of the seven, had been elected as senator. But no other member of the Seven had managed to match his public charm and charisma.
Percy instinctively reached to grasp the wine glass next to his platter.
"As you all know, this feast is to celebrate what my friends and I accomplished one year ago today. And despite what this may outwardly imply, Gaea's defeat was not our accomplishment alone. It was all of ours. Us Greeks and Romans, fighting together!" He said, reigning in a great cheer from the crowd as he pointedly ignored the sizable amount of warfare that had occurred between the two campuses.
"But as none of us are quite immortal, we'd never have quite enough time to listen to each and every one of your names and merits, let's just stick to us lucky Seven, shall we?" He smiled once more and took a seat. As he did so, Reyna stood.
"Hail Jason Grace, son of Jupiter and former praetor, as well as a formidable warrior!" She shouted. The crowd cheered loudly in return.
"Hail Leo Valdez, son of Hephaestus, the remarkable engineer!" Once more they cheered.
She continued, in no particular order, going through Hazel, Frank, Annabeth, Piper, and then finally Percy.
"Hail Percy Jackson, son of Poseidon, also a formidable fighter!" She roared. The crowd replied in suit, although Percy felt a rather small delay in the cheering. And then he heard it. A simple joke. An insult.
"Not to mention an abhorrent alcoholic, am I right?" He heard, the jape mingling with the cheers of the crowd. Had his reputation fallen that far? The wine glass, tightly grasped in his hand, slammed into the table. It shattered, a spray of glass and dark red liquid going everywhere. He stood, knocking the chair he had sat in back.
Reyna gave him a threatening stare, the message in it clear. Sit back down and laugh it off. Now.
Shame bloomed within Percy as he failed to meet her gaze. Percy turned for the exit, the silence suffocating. The great oak door slammed shut behind him.
Author's Note: Well, this is a rather roughly written beginning, but it will do. I hope you all will stick around!