Chapter 2: In with the New
Cupid lifted his arms from the rail and took a step back, as if to survey the crowd below him. He held a hand out to the side, and a man handed him a glass of wine. He took a sip, then raised his glass and said in a strong voice, "Ladies and gentlemen, welcome to the Match."
Quiet murmurs washed over the crowd before the cheering began. Through the noise, Piper let out a loud whoop.
Annabeth only continued with her light and formal applause. She kept her head up, refusing to let her nerves get the best of her.
"Tonight," Cupid continued, "We will witness the beginning of miracles. This is the start of a force so magical, it can bring villains to their knees... a force so destructive, it can consume even the hardest of heart with an overwhelming desire." A lazy smirk settled over his features. "I suppose we will see some of both in this next month.
"As I am sure you all know, the Match begins with an... introduction, of sorts. All of the participating lords and ladies will proceed to the room behind the doors to my left. From there, each participant will be given an envelope with the details of their first outing. I have done extensive research on each one of you–" he winked– "and am well aware of your particular interests.
"Please keep in mind that I know all. Not only am I the bringer of this force of love, but I am love personified. I know compatibility. I know who will end in happiness, and who will burn in flames. It is not in your best interests to ignore my words."
The atmosphere of the room became darker, and Cupid's prize-worthy smile seemed to have turned sinister. But, when Annabeth blinked, everything was back to normal. Perhaps she had imagined it.
"Are there any questions before I ask the participants to join me?"
Cupid was met with silence, of course. Everyone knew about the Match. They had grown up preparing for it. Parents and older friends told stories. For house heirs, this was not a special ordeal, but simply a fact of life.
"Excellent," he said. "Please, enjoy the rest of the party. Participants, join me at midnight, or be left from the Match."
After three hours of dancing and socializing, Annabeth found herself sitting on the very left of a plush couch in a lavishly decorated room, facing a hearth. Time had passed quickly; her nerves seemed to have sped up the time she spent at the party. The crackle of the fire was almost comforting, which seemed to soothe her nerves. A girl who couldn't have been more than ten carried a few pieces of firewood in her arms, which she dropped on the floor before carefully placing each one into the flames. After she was done, she stood to the side of the fire. She caught the eyes of one of Annabeth's fellow participants and gave a quick wave and a smile; then she sat with her legs crossed to the side of the hearth.
Piper sat to Annabeth's right, hands shaking, probably more from excitement than nervousness, or maybe a bit of both. Apprehensiveness, Annabeth decided, would be a good word for it.
Cupid entered as the clock struck twelve, shutting the doors behind him. He slid a heavy iron lock into place. Annabeth tried to pretend like her stomach didn't just drop, a heavy feeling of dread settling in.
The host made his way to the front of the room, smiling kindly at the little girl. "Thank you, Hestia." She nodded, and exited.
"Aw," Piper said under her breath. "Isn't she adorable?"
Annabeth nodded distractedly.
Looking out over the participants, Cupid called out, "Please, everyone, make yourselves comfortable. Gentlemen near the back, there are seats next to these two lovely ladies right here–" he gestured to Annabeth and Piper– "and I'm sure they don't bite," he said lightheartedly.
"What if we do?" challenged Piper, raising her eyebrows.
"Well," said a deep voice, "What if I wouldn't mind that?"
Annabeth looked over her right shoulder to the person who sat rather close to Piper: blond hair, tan skin, and startling blue eyes. He raised his own eyebrows to counter Piper's.
Piper leaned imperceptibly closer. "Only one way to find out." She winked, then pulled away.
As Annabeth turned back towards the hearth, she saw Cupid smirking. He caught her eye and mouthed, "I know all, Ms. Chase."
She didn't doubt it.
"Alright, then!" Cupid clapped his hands twice in rapid succession. "Now that we're all here, I'd like to begin the Match." He looked out towards the door. "Ganymede?"
A young man walked in with flutes of champagne. He made his way around the room, giving one to each person. Annabeth muttered a quiet "thank you" while accepting her glass. The server– Ganymede– nodded, though he wouldn't meet her eyes.
"Now, before we indulge," Cupid started, "I would like to explain to you a little about what the Match entails. We start here, yes, but what will you be doing through the duration of this month?
"For the next thirty days, I will be sending you on outings with different people. You will not know who these people are beforehand, but in the subject of love, I do not fail."
Except with Frederick and Athena Chase, Annabeth thought bitterly. The one time Cupid failed, it had to be that which ruined a girl's childhood.
"The outings will be centered around your interests. However, what you make of your time is up to you. I would recommend that you make the most of it, of course, but your hours are yours and yours only." He paused and moistened his lips. "Anything I'm missing?"
"What happens at the end of the Match?" someone asked. Despite learning much about the Match from their childhoods, the final day of the Match was always kept a secret. Annabeth's parents had never even tried to tell her.
"We'll get to that later. No need to rush." Cupid smiled. Then, he lifted his glass. "A toast. To love!"
The participants echoed, Annabeth half-heartedly, and they all took a sip of their champagne. It was good champagne.
Then the world faded to black.
A/N: Another chapter... hope you all enjoyed! Please review to let me know what you think.