OH MY LORD. I KNOW THIS IS LATE, BUT DID ANY OF YOU READ THE HOUSE OF HADES YET? IT WAS SO GOOD. :D Though it revealed something rather startling. I sat down doing nothing for the five minutes, trying to comprehend it. I think you guys know what I'm talking about. That was a good move on Riordan's part. (; Nonetheless though, I loved the godamn book. BRAVO MR. RIORDAN. PM me anyone? I want to fangirl. (:
LOL. So The House of Hades came out like three months ago, and I got the book on the same day during my lunch period in Barnes and Nobles. I went to checkout and the cashier guy was like: "Oh boy, it's starting." Yes Mr. Cashier guy. You cannot run away from Riordan fanatics. :D I met up with a girl in my global class and we had a mini-dance party in the back of the room to commemorate the occasion. My teacher thought we were nuts.
Anyways though, there were so many things to talk about! Um, I wouldn't really consider these spoilers because they don't reveal the plot, but those of you who don't know: 1) Annabeth's birthday is on July 12th. 2) It was revealed that Reyna's full name is Reyna Avila Ramírez-Arellano [or how Grover would put it: Ra-Ra.]. 3) The last book is, I'm sure most of you guys know this: The Blood of Olympus. The minor Jasper moments were adorable, and Tartarus sounds so dang creepy. And Leo… oh Leo…
OMG. RICK AND HIS DEDICATION. HE DEDICATED IT TO US READERS. HE IS SO MEAN. HAHA. YOU GOT TO LOVE THAT GUY.
Oh, and Nico needs a hug. You gotta feel sympathy for him. ):
Anyone watched Catching Fire? I LOVE IT OMIGOSH PEETA AND KATNISS ARGGHHH YOU GUYS ARE BRILLIANT. :D
So, with the fangirling out of the way, sorry for not updating! Although this, out of all my stories, is the easiest to write, high school drains so much out of me. The commute is long, we have tests almost every single day of the week, piles and piles of homework… sheesh. I worship Fridays now. Oh, and people don't like this year's freshmen. Already sensitive enough guys… but I suppose it is understandable. I can't stand some of my fellow peers…
The book occupies most of my mind nowadays (with the other minor stuff that most of you probably aren't interested on). I'm so hyperactive now. Riordan has the talent of making me unnaturally emotional.
BUT HUZZAH. NOW ITS TIME TO WAIT ANOTHER YEAR FOR THE LAST BOOK. I'M GOING TO CRY MYSELF TO SLEEP. RIORDAN MAKES ME WANT TO PELT HIM WITH STONES.
Disclaimer: I do not own Percy Jackson and the Olympians or the Heroes of Olympus in any shape or form. Rick Riordan does.
Chapter Two
The Aftermath
Earlier During the Day, Athens
"I don't have a say in this?!"
"This is for your kingdom. We never said that you were going to agree with it."
"Yet you agree with this wholeheartedly, and it's not even about your own future."
"Don't talk to me with that tone of voice young lady. Our decisions are final."
"Right. Got it. I apologize profusely Mother. Umm… sudden plans… can I tag along with Silena to visit Paris? I won't be back until perhaps… a few years?"
"You'll be seeing your fiancé in a few days. Until then, pack your bags, and don't say a word about this outside these castle walls. We're going to Crete."
o()O()o
On the Streets of Athens, Athens
Annabeth Chase didn't know how to react. The only thing on her mind was that she needed someone to talk to. And fast.
Glancing around the street for a familiar face, the blonde subconsciously frowned and tapped her feet impatiently. She normally believed she was patient, but this was a serious matter. Where the hell was he?
Grabbing her phone out of her jean's pocket to call him, a finger tapped against her shoulder. She jolted, ready to judo-flip the random stranger when there was a slight chuckle behind her. Turning around, her heart slowed down and started to once again beat at a constant rate. She attempted to glare at her older friend, though her attempts were futile.
"Don't scare me like that!"
"Aren't you jittery." Luke mused as the two friends sat down on some seats in a café. Annabeth shrugged nonchalantly.
"I suppose. But I do have a perfect explanation."
"I'm all ears." Luke laughed with a soft grin. Annabeth gave him a small smile back, unintentionally wringing her hands together.
"Well, we all know that Mother is a logical, wise person."
"I don't understand where this is going…"
Annabeth let out a deep sigh. A waiter walked up to the pair and gave the two glasses of water. Luke gave a small nod in appreciation as the waiter bowed and walked away. Luke took a small gulp from the water and raised an eyebrow.
"So…?"
Annabeth bit her lip. I'm going to have to say this as if I was ripping out a bloodsucking leech.
"I'm getting married."
Luke squeezed the glass goblet containing the water so hard that the glass shattered. Water droplets sprayed the two as the glass thumped against the table. Flinching momentarily, Annabeth gasped. The same waiter whipped his head towards them, startled.
"What the hell Luke?!"
"That's not the problem Annabeth. This marriage is. You've got to be kidding!"
"You think this is something that I would love to joke about?" Annabeth snapped.
Luke remained silent. He simply started to gather up the shards. Annabeth silently started to assist him, wincing as he dropped the shards against the tablecloth so suddenly.
Annabeth huffed, thinking this was a perfect time to continue. Her eyes softened.
"Mother thought that if I married with another from a royal family, it would be perfect for two kingdoms to be united. And well… she doesn't want me to be a hermit for the rest of my life."
Despite her words, Annabeth blinked and pondered silently. She suddenly had a question to ask her mother.
Luke chuckled. "I completely understand Queen Athena's intentions."
Annabeth kicked him in the shins. Hard.
"Rude." Annabeth huffed.
Luke simply laughed. He gazed at his closest friend.
"So… who's the lucky guy?"
Annabeth shrugged. "Dunno."
Luke's eyes widened.
"What? You don't know?"
"This marriage is simply a way to unite two kingdoms," Annabeth responded, taking a small sip of the cold water from the cup. "This is how things are handled in the royal court."
"And you're not going to do anything about this?" Luke murmured, eyebrows furrowing.
Honestly? Annabeth didn't know how she feels about this. At first, she was furious. Her mother may be the Queen of Athens, but she does not have the right to make plans that involve Annabeth and her future. After groaning and storming into her room, she thought about what she was told. Perhaps it won't be that bad. Annabeth eventually, after a few hours, willingly yet hesitantly agreed. After all, it was for the sake of her future kingdom. But now… her mind was all jumbled up. Now she was mad at Queen Athena again. She knew that the marriage was simply for politics. But will Annabeth keep living her life like this? Will she actually be allowed to make a decision on who she wanted to marry? Perhaps she should run away and live off in the woods, on the outskirts of Sicyon. They had beautiful flowers there.
Immediately destroying those rebellious thoughts, Annabeth frowned.
She would do anything for the sake of her kingdom… right?
As if he read her mind, Luke put his hand on her shoulder.
"It'll be okay, I promise."
For once in her life, Annabeth didn't know what to do.
o()O()o
Somewhere in the Kingdom of Athens, Athens
A woman waited patiently for the secretary to give her a signal, signifying her to come into the office. Despite the fantastic discoveries she found out about the royal court today, she was slightly nervous. She was about to meet a very important figure after all.
The secretary nodded and muttered something that the woman couldn't quite pick up. Glancing at the lady, she nodded.
"The boss has requested to see you now."
Swallowing thickly, the woman gave the secretary a forced yet appreciative smile as she walked past the doors. Sitting on the other side sat a lady who wore a simple yet glamorous black dress. Her hair was tied in a bun with a small pencil in it. She was pretty, though her cold and calculating eyes scared the lady. On her large desk held a plaque that read: MISS B. CRAWFORD.
"So," Ms. Crawford began with a cruel glint in her eyes. "Whatdoyou want? I was having a nice relaxing moment here before the secretary informed me I had a visitor."
The woman by the door clenched her fists against the portfolio that she was holding, sweat beading down her face.
"We- Well Ms. Crawford," she stammered. I bear interesting news."
Ms. Crawford raised her eyebrows.
"Oh? And how intriguing is this?"
"It's related with the royal court and their decisions."
"Really?" Ms. Crawford feigned a yawn. "Sweetheart, I run a tabloid magazine. You know what tabloids are dearie? We care about gossip, not politics."
"But this is different!" The woman was losing confidence but she couldn't help but insist. "It pertains to several of the princesses and princes of the different kingdoms along the Mediterranean!"
Ms. Crawford sighed.
"Enlighten me."
The woman took a step towards Ms. Crawford, but she stopped shortly once seeing Ms. Crawford's hand raised.
"What's your name child?"
"People call me Angela madam."
"Okay Angela. May I see the report?"
Angela simply placed a portfolio down upon the table as Ms. Crawford skimmed through it rather quickly. Angela, who stood in a rigid stature a few paces away, gulped as she curled a strand of hair behind her ear. She didn't have to wait too long for Ms. Crawford's reaction though; a wicked smile was soon etched on the mistress's face.
"Now this is perfect," she considered. "Well done. I guess I'm going to have to call in my best reporter."
o()O()o
Late in the Evening, Over the Kingdom of Athens
Piper strummed a tune on her bass guitar as she contemplated about the current situation at hand. Without needing to glance at her friends next to her, she could feel two pairs of eyes watching her with careful looks.
"You know it's funny that we don't know who we're getting married to?" the brunette mused. Next to her, one of her friends sighed.
"Well obviously. This is all organized by our parents."
"No Katie. I mean like… it's crystal clear that we're going to either marry someone from another royal family or perhaps a friend of theirs. But if that is the case… shouldn't we hear from like the papers or stuff saying that they are engaged?"
"We promised to keep this a secret," Reyna Avila Ramirez-Arellano, a very good friend of Piper, commented thoughtfully. She was seventeen, with dark piercing eyes and long glossy black hair, tied in a beautiful braid. "Perhaps they also agreed to keep it a secret as well."
"Still," Katie whined. "We should have the right to at least know their names."
Piper smiled. "Katie's so eager."
"You brought this topic up!"
"I'm sure this was on your mind though." Piper teased. Katie flushed red. Katie was always a sucker for romance. It was quite amusing really. The action brought forth more teasing.
"No way."
"Sor- Gosh Piper! You're making me blush!"
"You know she didn't even do anything." Reyna smirked.
Katie huffed as she curled a strand of her lush brown hair behind her ear. Katie was a pretty- in an innocent way- and she had emerald orbs along with her chocolate brown hair. She had a pale skin, which made her eyes pop out even more.
Piper simply smiled absentmindedly as she glanced out the window. The jet was slowly making its descent, and she watched quietly in awe as she saw the kingdom of Athens underneath her. Feeling warmth next to her, her eyes flickered to the right as she saw Reyna's head next to hers, almost pressing against the glass.
"It's beautiful isn't it?" her friend mused. It was currently the evening, as the light from the skies continued to fade away. Despite it, the kingdom did not die down. People were still running amuck the streets, as little specks of children ran around an area that Piper assumed was a park. The buildings that were built in ancient times still lie on the streets, reminding Athenians of their ancestors that once lived on the streets. Bright lights lit up almost everything, as if the city was a whole other world itself. Piper glanced at the palace that was further back, and it loomed over its kingdom. She suddenly grinned.
"Athens never fails to leave me speechless." The brunette murmured lowly. Reyna hummed in agreement.
"If you guys are done," Katie laughed, her eyes twinkling. "Put on your seatbelts. There's going to be minor turbulence."
Rolling their eyes, the two teens grumbled but complied to her orders nonetheless. They couldn't wait to see their good friend again.
o()O()o
In Annabeth's Bedroom, Kingdom of Athens
"Is it necessary to wear this dress?" Annabeth grumbled as she glanced down at the clothing. It was a large ball gown that was made from gold fabric, and the sleeves were puffy. There were ornamental designs on the hems, and she was wearing white sandals. She hated it. It was apparently handed down to every royal princess in Athens throughout the years, but despite that, it was heavy and was very difficult to walk around in.
"Yes it is your majesty. Very important guests will arrive here shortly tonight," a maid stammered, meeting Annabeth's gaze momentarily before she blushed and glanced at the ground. Annabeth frowned, and when she turned to the other servants, they all wouldn't meet her eyes.
The princess sighed heavily.
"You're dismissed," she clipped. "Thank you."
Bowing at the princess, the maids shuffled out the door. As soon they were out of range, Annabeth sighed with frustration once more.
"Who's visiting?" the blonde muttered as she placed her fingers upon her temple. She knew that her friends were on their way here, but they came frequently. It wasn't necessary for her to dress up for them…
She remembered pulling her mother aside earlier in the day, suddenly raising a question that popped up into her mind after talking to Luke…
Flashback
Annabeth and Athena walked down the palace halls silently as Annabeth's eyes darted towards her mother before glancing at the ground.
"Mom?"
"Yes child?"
"Why are we marrying to princes? Won't we have more land to control?"
"Isn't that good?"
"Well, the kingdoms aren't beside another. Don't we have to individually rule a kingdom?"
Athena slowed to a stop, meaning that Annabeth had to as well.
"Some of you are arranged to marrying a prince, others arranged to marry someone part of the royal court."
"But still-"
"Almost all of them have siblings. When the marriage is complete, you guys will govern over one kingdom. Their sibling will govern the other."
End Flashback
Annabeth suddenly yelped in surprise as her body came in contact with the ground.
"Hey Annabeth!"
"What's with people trying to scare me today?" Annabeth grumbled. There was slight laughing on top of her until she felt the person released her from their hold.
"It's good to see you too blondie."
Annabeth blinked- her vision was at the moment disoriented. As her vision cleared, she saw Katie grinning down on her.
The corner of Annabeth's lips twitched into a smile, suddenly rivaling the brunette.
"I think you gave me a concussion."
There was an eye-roll. "Please. I'm not Hercules."
"Hang on. Stop right there. Did you just call me thick-skulled?"
"… maybe."
Annabeth laughed. "Help me up."
Katie smiled as she hoisted her friend up to her feet.
"Gods Annabeth… did you grow like three inches within the past month?"
Annabeth laughed. "Thank Luke. He abused me into shape."
Luke was not only a good friend to Annabeth; he was also her mentor when it came towards swordsmanship. Luke was perhaps one of the youngest and best fighters the blonde has ever seen. Though Annabeth had a better life when compared to the other – as her mother put it – "commoners," Annabeth still wanted to learn how to defend herself. Sure, she had people constantly watching her 24/7, but the blonde knew that there was going to eventually be a time when they wouldn't be there when necessary. Besides, Annabeth thought that with them around, the walls around her was closing in and she was suffocating. She normally wasn't really claustrophobic.
Annabeth blinked, suddenly coming into a realization.
"Where the Hades is Piper and Reyna?"
Katie laughed awkwardly.
"I kind of ran ahead as soon as the jet landed…"
Annabeth raised her eyebrows. Right. Katie had a hobby of running. All the girls were athletic in their own way, but Katie dominated the track.
Pursing her lips, Katie glanced at the entrance of the room. "Speaking of which, they should be here now…"
"-ie! Hold up!" A voice complained. There was the sound of footsteps along with the rolling of the luggage. It was distinctively female, and it was blatantly obvious that the speaker was trying to go as fast as she could. Annabeth laughed.
"And introducing Piper."
Piper came running in, looking slightly exhausted as she wheeled in her carry-on suitcase with her. Her brown hair was ruffled up due to the running, and she collapsed to the ground, catching her breath.
Reyna strolled in, looking slightly amused as she glanced at her friend on the ground. She had a bag strapped on her shoulder, and a couple of books were in her arms, all thick and covered with a lot of post-it-notes.
"How are you not tired?" Piper laughed, as she took some large gulps of air before she got up from the ground. Reyna gave her half of a smile.
"I'm not as excited as you are Piper."
Piper huffed as she got up and gave Annabeth a large hug. "It's so good to see you Annabeth!"
Annabeth laughed. "How long has it been? Three months?"
"Four," Piper corrected, before giving her a small grin. "How's Malcolm by the way?"
Annabeth scrunched her eyebrows together. Malcolm? Oh right, Malcolm Chase. Malcolm was two years older than Annabeth, and he was always rather close with her friends. Everyone considered him as an older brother, though Annabeth was the only one related to him by blood.
"He's fine," Annabeth commented, smiling slightly. "He recently went to another country because he's conducting some research on a top-secret-project, but he's doing well."
Piper raised her eyebrows at the mention of "top-secret-project" but said nothing about it.
Annabeth turned to Reyna. Reyna gave her a small smile and a light hug. Though it wasn't much, it made the girl happy nonetheless. Reyna wasn't the one to distribute hugs to everyone, even if that person was her friend.
"And I'm sure you know why we're all here today," Annabeth murmured lowly after their greetings ended. "When are we taking off again?"
Katie furrowed her eyebrows in thought.
"Um... three days?"
"It's actually two," Reyna confirmed with a nod."I checked in with Mother earlier."
There were small groans all around.
"We just landed," Piper whined. "My feet still feels a bit wobbly."
Katie huffed, frustrated, lips jutting out to form a slight pout.
"I don't understand their decision. I'm sure we are very much capable of choosing a suitor."
"But there are many suitors to choose from, my dear child. We're just limiting your options."
The four girls smiles fell off their face when they noticed their mothers standing near the entrance.
"I have so many visitors today," Annabeth joked, though it didn't quite reach her eyes. Aphrodite, the queen of Troy, looked apologetic.
"It's better if you let us handle the work girls."
"You could have told us sooner!" Katie complained. Demeter, the queen of Sicyon, frowned.
"Straighten up. Slumping over is not proper for a princess."
Katie huffed but complied nonetheless.
"It's for the best," Athena notified the others. Annabeth heard her mother repeat that particular statement so much times the past few days that the blonde had a small hunch that Athena was not only reassuring the girls but also herself. "We selected the people on who we believe is the most compatible."
"You mean Mother did." Piper grumbled. Aphrodite let out a small laugh that was almost melodic.
"This is my field of expertise sweetheart. There's no need to worry."
Reyna bit her lip.
"Where's Mother?"
Aphrodite sighed.
"She wasn't able to meet up with us my dear. She said that she'll be there in Crete though."
Reyna slightly nodded.
Athena watched the four curiously without saying a word. She finally spoke up.
"Did you four pack your bags?"
There were small nods and 'yeses' before Athena smiled, satisfied.
"Very well. Come on girls. The pilot is waiting."
Annabeth blinked.
"What?"
"I thought we were going to stay here for a while before we take off." Reyna said.
"We were too engrossed into planning about the entire event in general that actually getting everything prepared for their welcome slipped our minds." Demeter confessed.
Athena turned around, slowly walking out the door. "The jet's taking off in twenty minutes. I expect you all to go and get ready."
Annabeth couldn't help but let out of a groan.
o()O()o
Meanwhile, somewhere in Delphi, Delphi
A rock skimmed a numerous amount of skips before setting into sinking into the lake. A young teen - with long and wavy brown hair and large hazel eyes let out a satisfied laugh as she glanced at the others.
"Twelve skips. How's that?"
Another girl smirked. She had pale skin with glossy black hair and dark blue eyes.
"Barely impressive. The world record's fifty-one."
"You have to throw the flattened rock at a perfect angle so it won't disrupt the surface tension if you want it to go further." Another girl, this time with dark-grey almond-shaped eyes and pitch black hair tied into a ponytail suggested.
The female let out a groan before slumping towards the ground.
"Brianna. It's not as easy as it sounds."
"Just giving you some advice," her friend hummed before getting up from the large boulder she was sitting on.
The girl, who was named Selene, simply sighed as she grabbed her small bag that was next to her friends.
"We should get going. We're going to be taking off to Crete soon. I still need to pack."
The three girls started walking back towards the city when Brianna's cell phone in her jean pockets started to vibrate. Stopping shortly, she gave her friend a quick glance. Selene, oblivious to the situation, continued to trek down the path.
"Britney?"
The blue-eyed girl glanced at her curiously.
"Hm?"
"Uhm. I need to answer a phone-call. I'll catch up with you guys later."
"Kay!" Britney smiled before running towards their other friend. Brianna smiled slightly before taking out her phone. Turning towards the lake, she bit her lip tentatively before picking up her cell.
"Hello?"
"It's been a while hasn't it?" a sinister voice murmured. There was the slight shuffling of the papers in the background as the person on the opposite end started to talk again a couple of seconds later. "Listen, you were telling us that you'll be spending time in Crete?"
"Uh huh." Brianna said absentmindedly in a monotonous tone. She was able to just hear the smile on the other side. Brianna pursed her lips.
"Good. Because I have an assignment perfect just for you."
AHA! Did you expect that? No one really picked up the small hints that were mentioned - with the exception of 'I am Bianca Daughter of Hades,' since she submitted Brianna as a character, so kudos to her! (: I decided to take a more direct approach.
Yes, there are going to be plenty of OCs in the story, but don't worry! The story is still all about the canon couples. The OCs are there to just push and guide them along. (: And there'll be some minor couples as well...
I really tried to make this chapter longer, I really did, but I just didn't really know how to. A long time ago, I was satisfied if each chapter was at least a thousand words, but now that's rather short. I tried to make this chapter five-thousand words like the first chapter, but I just was unable to. Sorry guys.
I apologize profusely for not updating sooner. School drains the heck out of me, and I just started high school. Argh. I suck. Failing subjects and not updating… freaking fantastic Kelly. Freaking fantastic.
So favorite/alert/review? Thanks for all the feedback for the previous chapters guys. It means a lot. :') I've been told that I am rather insecure about stuff, so sorry…
I want to rant about stuff, but I shouldn't waste your time here. (: Thanks guys. If you guys want, you could PM me… I won't bite.
No promises guaranteed of when I am going to update, but I'll try to update soon! And um. I might even be putting this account on hiatus, I don't know.
So until next time… feedback would be appreciated. I wonder if you're still all alive, haha.
[As of December 8, 2013] I tend to constantly replace my chapters with newly edited ones, and so I...
1) Changed Piper from the Princess of Rome to the Princess of Troy
2) Changed Hailey's name to Selene (because Selene means the moon...? haha yeah okay. It's going to be take time for me to get used to this as well.)