Chapter 2: Our Big Fat Greek Wedding

Percy's POV

Is it embarrassing to admit that I have no idea how a Greek wedding works? Much less, one that takes place at a summer camp?

OK, the good news is nobody else seems to know the answer to at least that second question, either. If I wasn't such a laid-back guy, I would think it almost a travesty how quickly and haphazardly my marriage to Annabeth is thrown together helper-skelter in a matter of days. I have to laugh, though. Watching my fellow demigods plan randomly like this, even when they have no clue what they are doing, makes me glad to have them as my extended family.

It is not even a week after Annabeth proposed that the whole of camp is gathered in the Amphitheater where we normally hold our tournaments and chariot races. Only now, the center has been adorned with some kind of canopy. The table that Chiron and Mr. D usually eat at in the Big House serves as the altar. Even though I'm descended from Olympian Gods, I have never been a particularly religious person, so if this is a church, deal me in!

"It's supposed to resemble a Greek Orthodox Church," Annabeth explains to me, as if she could read my thoughts.

"Fantastic!" I grin, even though I'm nervous. I know nothing about the Greek Orthodox Church. "Will you walk me through it?"

"Every step of the way,"Annabeth beams, adding to her beauty in the simple white dress she wears. It's not exactly a bridal gown; she and her Athena siblings had to work with what they had, and under duress at that.

And apparently, as the ceremony begins, the first step involves….. a kiddie pool. I stare at it, tuning out Chiron's greetings, the We Gathered spiel, blah, blah, blah.

"Percy!" I snap out of it, raising my head to Chiron. "I need you to strip."

I gape, letting out an awkward laugh. "But I just changed."

"You need to be baptized before you can be married! It's your lucky day to be baptized in the Greek Orthodox Church!" He says this like it's something to be proud of, and I can actually hear fellow campers behind me giggling. I look to Annabeth, and am grateful to note that she looks thoroughly mortified for me. I now shift my gaze to Grover, my Best Man, and he just nods almost frantically.

"Just do it, Perce!"

I sigh, and begin to strip down, ashamed that this is even happening in front of my wife-to-be before tonight, much less in front of the entirety of Camp Half-Blood. Somebody from the Aphrodite Cabin lets out a fangirl screech when I get down to my tighty-whities, and Annabeth sends the offender a look stonier than Medusa's head.

"And….. that's good," Chiron says quickly, before I can take off my underwear. "Step into the pool." I obey. "On your knees!"

I slowly kneel in the water. I feel the need to ask, "Is this a wedding or an arrest?"

"Pipe down!" Chiron barks. "This is serious!" He then pulls out an official-looking scroll and begins to read what sounds like gibberish until I realize it's in Greek. Then, he begins to produce strange, monotone moanings. "Ohhhhhuummmmm… Ohhhhhhuummmmmm…." Suddenly grabbing me by the hair, he proceeds to dunk my head into the kiddie pool. In between dunks, I can just make out the conversation Annabeth and Grover are having:

"Not so bad, huh, Annabeth?"

"Are you kidding? Any minute now, he's gonna look at me and go, 'Yeah, right, you're so not worth this.'"

Grover just looks at her. "Yes, you are," and he means it.

Finally, Chiron finishes and lets me out of the pool. "Back into your clothes," he orders. I leap out and try not to let the feeling of my soaked underwear, or my clothes being hastily put on my wet body, bother me.

The real ceremony now begins. Since I know the service is in Greek, I try using my ADHD to translate it, but I'm having a hard time. At certain points, Annabeth has to prompt me: kneel here, bow your head now, do this.

As Chiron drones on, I whisper to her, "This is really pretty, but what does it mean?"

She smiles, concentrating on what Chiron is saying. "OK. In a few minutes, we take our first steps as husband and wife." She beams and I smile back at her. This is almost over, and soon it will just be the two of us in my cabin.

Chiron finishes and I kiss Annabeth. The entire camp erupts into applause. I am bursting with happiness. I can't believe it. I'm married! Even better, I feel my body is almost dry!

I thought that last part too soon. I should have known the rest of camp would choose this moment to execute the Throw-'Em-in-the-Canoe-Lake tradition.

Still, it is the best underwater kiss of all time.