Hallo, people, I'm back again for another chapter. I did not successfully change the title of this story, so, whatever. Pretend that it's accurate. Also, is there any tech-savvy person who can teach me how to turn on my PM settings? I switched it off when I first got here but someone wants to talk to me (yeah, surprise, surprise) so I really need to get it to work. Alright, I believe this chapter will be long because I don't really have homework…. I think. Yeah, let's just forget I said anything.
Also, I reread a bit of my last chapter and it was SO bad. I actually edited it a little bit. I must've been extremely tired, so yeah, this one's quality will be much better.
Enjoy!
"Well, the dance is beginning," he whispered to her softly.
Her heart clenched at how intimate he sounded before internally shaking the feeling off. This was Lord Poseidon, her sworn enemy and evil counterpart. He was going to own the Poseidon household and estate once his Father died, just as Annabeth would take over Athena's land. It would be another cycle of bitter feuding to be passed down through the centuries.
"Yes, the last dance," she answered sharply. "Ideally with someone important."
His vibrant eyes glittered in amusement. A strong arm slipped around her narrow waist, pushing a small gasp out of her in surprise. His muscles were firm and steady against the affluent fabrics encasing her lower back. She stilled her expression quickly, as her training over the years taught her.
His hand grasped hers the second later, expertly weaving his long fingers through hers. His hand was warm and surprisingly soft. Annabeth reluctantly placed her own hand on his broad shoulder as part of the correct posture. She felt a slight tremor crept down her back at how muscular it was, just as his arm.
"Your hand is very small and soft," he told her quietly, his green eyes gentle. Annabeth took a second to identify the teasing note in his voice. She refused to answer after that.
And they were dancing the waltz, gliding and spinning across the waxed ballroom floor. His arm secured her waist firmly as they twirled and his light movements were as graceful as a swan's. Annabeth did not expect exquisite dancing skills from such a horrid family. Luckily, she took lessons for every form of ballroom dancing since she was small, so they were fairly matched. Annabeth allowed Lord Poseidon to spin her in his arms, her gown's ruffles and lace flaring, and she dared to pull him about as the rhythm sped up.
They spun around the other curious couples, perfectly aligned to the beat. He never had a misstep, never hesitated. The whole time, Lord Poseidon's beautifully shaded green eyes were pinned onto hers urgently. The flickering candlelight sometimes cast them in mystery, sometimes lit them up like green twin flames. She saw nothing but sharp concentration and respect swirling among the waves in his irises, though other unreadable emotions lurked in the dark edges. An unfathomable curiosity lingered at the outskirts of her mind.
During one hurried section of dancing, a dark, silky lock of hair fell onto his perfectly smooth forehead. Annabeth's fingers twitched, irrationally craving to brush it back into his thick mass of raven hair. He cast a questioning look at her, sensing the tiny movement of her fingers. Surprise blossomed in her mind at how observant he was. Then all thoughts disappeared as he retreated his fingers from hers, leaving her hand feeling strangely empty, and pushed his stray strand of hair backwards. Another awed gasp almost fell away from her lips before she controlled herself with sharp mental rebuking.
At the beginning of the dance, whenever he got to grip her waist tightly during a twirl, his lips spread into a wide smirk. Annoyance would spring into her mind and gaze each time. But deeper into the waltz, his lips were almost permanently pursed in concentration, expect to offer her unabashed grins from time to time. She turned over this quality, being focused on dancing, through her head, and couldn't decide what she thought of it.
It was a thoroughly elegant dance, including the music, their movements, and the way Lord Poseidon carried himself. Annabeth expected him to ruin the whole dance and secretly wished that he was a clumsy oaf which aristocrats laughed at behind their lacy fans.
When the musicians struck the last delicate note, they slowly stepped apart, his fingers tangling with hers for a moment before releasing them. Her cheeks tinged red at the notion that it was on purpose. Lord Poseidon shot her one more frustrating, heartstring-pulling smirk. He bowed lowly, and she hurried to curtsy after him. Her knees barely dipped, however. Annabeth did not consider his ranking high, and of course he was bowing low in a mocking way, which was further proved with his enlarged smirk as straightened.
He caught her arm for a second. His fingers easily wrapped around her thin forearm, even through the embroidered sleeve. "See you soon, Lady Athena," he murmured, gazing at her through his lashes. The soft look squeezed her heart almost painfully. Annabeth felt a note of hesitation inside, wondering what to do. She steeled herself and—
"Miss? Annabeth?" Two concise knocks sounded from the doorway.
Annabeth blearily forced her eyes open. Hazy yellow light from the slowly emerging dawn pushed through her small window and was lighting up her bedroom's floor, leaving some corners still dark.
She lay in bed for a few second, feeling the ache in her feet softly pulse, when her ever-efficient brain reminded her that someone was still waiting outside her door. "Yes?" she called, wincing at how rough and impatient her voice sounded. The musical, birdlike lilt she managed yesterday was completely gone.
"May I come in, Miss? It is Annica."
Ah, the maid. "Yes, of course." Annabeth propped herself up on her bed just as Annica slipped inside, catching her hunched back. Annabeth hurriedly straightened her spine, the familiar posture coming to her easily.
"No need to worry about posture, Miss." Annica smiled, revealing a few missing teeth. Her bright, childlike voice was like a soft duvet in the morning. "I'll never tell."
Annabeth kept her back ruler-straight nonetheless, though she appreciated the sentiment. "Thank you. What do you need?"
Annica's smile faded. "Well, to wake you up, Miss. And your mother wants to see you."
Alarm blared through her mind, and she felt something twisting in her stomach. She swallowed before replying. "I see. How soon?" Her mother would definitely give a specific time, though Annabeth suspected Annica was withholding the information to make her feel better.
The short maid ducked her head. "Twenty minutes, Miss."
Shock ringed through her being. Her eyes went blank for a second before her senses cleared and started calculating. Dressing itself can take twenty minutes, much more if she was trying to impress, which she definitely wanted to when visiting her mother. She gripped her neatly embroidered sheets in her fist in rising panic. "Annica, send for more maids. I'm going to my dressing chamber now." She swept off her bed, trying to look dignified in her sleeping gown and while rushing about. Annica's quick, rhythmic footsteps followed behind her.
She went into her dressing chamber and headed to the giant carved wardrobe, a gift from some other relative she'd never met before. She picked out a stiff, steel-colored gown with endless layers of frilly lace choking up the collar and sleeves, along with an absurdly long train. Her mother would like it.
Neatly dressed maids surrounded her, quickly pulling off her sleeping gown, slipping a clean chemise over her, and then selecting fine silk stockings from a drawer. And then they led her to a thick wooden pole in the center of the room where she automatically sucked in a long breath. A sturdy whalebone corset was fitted around her torso and a maid held up the large needle and thread designed for corsets, flashing her a sympathetic look. She poked the needle into the holes on the back of the corset and yanked the thread tight. All the breath was shoved out of her lungs. She gripped the pole so hard her knuckles turned a shade paler than her already-snowy skin. Her flesh and bones creaked as they ever-so-slowly submitted to the V shape the corset forced them into.
The maids didn't pause or even check on her, which she was grateful for since it saved time, and secured a thick bundle of petticoats with so many layers that they almost piled up to her knee around her. Then they slipped the heavy dark gray gown over it all, carefully pulling out the wrinkles from the skirt. Mary, one of her favorite maids, handed her a new pair of gray gloves with seed pearl lining, and offered an understanding smile. Then the rest of the maids bustled her away to the vanity.
There they raked combs through her tangled-up blond hair, and piled it atop her head. After holding the complicated updo with a million pins, they stuck diamond pieces all over her curls so her head glittered as it caught the sunlight. They grabbed similar pieces from her jewelry box and wound then long and clunky ropes of diamonds around her neck and wrists. For a finishing piece, Annica produced a ring with a huge gray diamond the size of a grape and slipped it onto one of her slender, silk-covered fingers.
There was no time for makeup, so as she strode down the hallways to her mother's sitting room, she pinched her cheeks to make them rosy.
When she reached the intricately carved door of the sitting room, she felt her stomach drop suddenly. She took in as big as a breath as her corset allowed her and fixed the silvery-gray door with a determined look. She slowly raised a fisted hand and realized her arm was trembling uncontrollably. If they shook any harder her diamond bracelets would clack against one another and create a garish symphony. She straightened her figure once again and knocked three times: the most efficient way there was.
Immediately a steely voice answered, "Come in." Annabeth tried to decipher any emotions from her mother's voice but it was as monotone and hard as usual. She squared her shoulders, set her lips in a dignified line, and struggled to "glide" into the room, as she was instructed in her training. She dropped into a curtsy, folded her hands, and finally dared to look up.
Athena was perched on a hardbacked armchair with smooth leather covering and gold lining. Her expression was as frozen and stark as usual, with an ever-present glint of arrogance in her stormy eyes. Annabeth tried to read her current, if even existing, emotions. Her elbows lightly touched her plush armrests, instead of her entire arms, which would display all her jewels and wealth. So, she was not in the mood for business nor intimidation. Then again, her delicate jawline was more rigid than usual, like a sharp-edged piece of eggshell. Her own hands, laden with diamond rings but with a particular empty spot on her left ring finger, were holding a cup of tea and the matching saucer. This proved to be slightly more casual than usual. Annabeth even dared to examine her mother's carved, angular features, as this was a tense morning. An image of bright sea-green eyes over a pair of grinning full lips flickered into her mind from before she shoved it away.
Her mother's eyes were as daunting and emotionless as usual. Her slightly upraised nose hinted at disapproval. She felt something slowly shriveling inside her as she continued to see more signs of anger and contempt.
This searching was put to a stop when Athena cleared her throat, less lightly than normal. "Annabeth."
She bowed her head, awaiting further instructions.
"Take a seat." She sensed her mother's gaze barely brush upon her head before leaving. She found her assigned spot in the room, a small loveseat adjacent to Athena's grand throne, and barely touched the soft cushioning. Her spine was so rigid she feared it would release a crack!
"Annabeth, who was your partner in the last dance?"
Panic seared her throat. The words tumbled through her head. She overanalyzed them as a byproduct of her nervousness. Mother was not being completely direct, or else she would be infuriated by idiocy. This was fairly upfront, however, so they wouldn't be playing a dangerous game of calculation. Her mother was offering a tiny space of wiggle room. Annabeth tried to rank it on a scale from past experiences and came up with a repeating decimal. Her thoughts moved on. This was only one question away from the impending lecture, so there was no possible relenting. More calculations ran their rounds before she came to the conclusion: Mother was completely furious.
She gulped and slowly raised her eyes to her mother's clear gray ones. She took an imperceptible breath before answering, "Lord Jackson, Poseidon."
Athena raised her chin. "And who is he?"
Annabeth tried not to blanch as a flood of new considerations streamed into her mind. Focus on your answer, she told herself. "Son of the Duke Poseidon, the second most powerful member of the Olympus family. He owns the large and wealthy Neptune estate. Lord Poseidon is this-" she paused for some inexplicable reason, "-family's enemy."
Athena's eyes betrayed nothing. "And?" she said, her icy voice almost quiet.
"My rival in matters of family and title." Her own was flat, too.
She lifted her teacup delicately to her lips. "Precisely," she answered after setting it back down on its saucer. "And yet you spent your last dance of the night, a highly important one to mark a valuable suitor, with him. You had an impeccable list of very well-off suitors on your dance card, all good choices for marriage, but you ruined it with a child of Poseidon!" Her voice rose slightly and grew angry. "The last dance is a very special, perhaps the most important. Do you wish to declare Lord Poseidon as a hopeful suitor?"
Annabeth gazed into her lap and shook her head. Every giddy, swooning feeling from last night dissipated and her loathing towards that family returned.
"Yes, but that message was very clearly conveyed last night! Everyone saw you two in the center. What lady would ever dance with her enemy?" The storms in her eyes crackled with lightning and continued to darken.
Annabeth quickly moistened her lips. "He rudely took my dance card and wrote his name on it and then forced me into dancing, Mother. I did not want to take his dance at all."
Athena's eyes narrowed slightly. "No, of course you did not. Yet you failed to refuse or leave him." As if sensing Annabeth's doubts, she continued. "No matter how impressive someone's title and wealth may be, our family's pride will forever be more of value. You name would remain impervious and unstained if you did step away and dance someone else, perhaps, Luke. But, no, you decided to stir up ideas of disobedience and, worse, a lacking upbringing." Her lips tilted in a scowl.
Annabeth refolded her gloved fingers. Arguments raced into her mind, but she didn't dare talk back. Besides, her mother would eternally outsmart her, even if she spent every waking hour studying.
"My name is stained. My oldest and once-successful daughter was willfully and happily fraternizing with the very people who disgraced this household and caused it so much struggle to remain alive. What respect do we have left from London?" Athena turned her face away, and a sinking feeling opened up in the pit of Annabeth's stomach, ready to swallow her whole.
Many moments passed before Athena turned back. "Annabeth, only three things in a lady are important. Her title, her looks, and her reputation. She cannot survive without even one of those. Expensive estates will fall to you, and so will a very large sum. You are my child," she said this without any emotion whatsoever, "so you take after me. And your reputation? You were a well-mannered lady with talent and grace. You have a very powerful suitor who is almost certain to become your husband, yet many more rich lords wanting your hand. You could've raised Athena to the tip of Olympus." She almost whispered the last part, her eyes glowing. "And yet you danced with your archnemesis, proving yourself to be rebellious and socially inadept and irrational."
The hole in her stomach stretched wider and self-disappointment clogged her river of thoughts. She studied her slippers listlessly.
"I find this completely disgraceful and selfish of you. Without reason, either. No such family in London will approve. Annabeth, this is unspeakably horrible." Her voice smoldered and she leaned forward, breaking her perfect posture, in anger.
Of course, Athena immediately regained her composure. She now spoke crisply enough to cut diamond. "Our family's pride is not yet gone. But do not expect to leave this without any consequence. You must remain the perfect lady and stay far away from Lord Poseidon. I will expect nothing short of flawless from you." She raised Annabeth's chin without any gentleness. Their eyes met, and Athena's were smooth and gray and as disclosed as ever. "There is only one season for you, Annabeth."
-line break-
After one of their maids, Mary Jane, helped her into the main Demeter sitting room, Annabeth had to forcibly prevent herself from sinking into the nearest cushioned chair. Her fingers and feet ached from a week of nonstop pianoforte and dancing lessons and so did her heart from the regular disapproving talks her mother shared with her.
She surreptitiously relaxed her spine and tried to massage her temple through her slippery silk gloves. Thankfully, the ride over wasn't long and her friends themselves were hardly the most ladylike around her. Though the Demeter girls were very well-behaved, which was the main reason Mother even allowed this visit.
"Annabeth, hello!" Miranda, one of Demeter's oldest and most accomplished daughters, gathered her in a formal and sweet-smelling hug. She grasped her hands with fingers as small and delicate as a fairy's. "I am so glad to see you today."
She smiled back, wishing her own smile was as warm and mannered as Miranda's. "As am I. This visit has brought me great pleasure."
"It has with me too. I have been long-awaiting this afternoon."
Katie, another one of Demeter's daughter, stepped up too. "Ah, Annabeth! I haven't seen you in a while."
"Yes, this visit is a perfect time to catch up." They slipped into their seats at Miranda's gesture. "So, has anything particularly interesting happened to you two?"
Katie grinned widely. "Oh, well, there was the debutante ball." They all settled in for long, swoony tales of dancing under candlelight. "I-I shared two dances with Travis. Travis Stoll."
Annabeth leaned in, not even trying to hide her eager smile. "Travis? I had no idea. Then again, Piper has always suspected feelings between you two. I see that she was completely on-point, as usual."
"Oh, yes." Miranda joined in. "She clearly likes him, though they tease and poke fun at each other all the time."
"All the time, indeed."
They spent all of tea discussing their gentlemanly suitors and hopeful futures, and no one brought up Lord Poseidon once. Still, he and his sparkling sea-green eyes remained in her mind.
Yay I'm done I have freedom! Aka sleep. Oh wait I need to respond to old reviews. Yeah that doesn't take long. Seriously guys, review I really love them and I post like ten times faster! I don't care if they're like, two words long. So weird, for example. I mean, I won't object.
JC RH: Wow, that sounded really professional. Well, Percy appeared in the earlier chapter, whaddya think? Okay, I know, it wasn't written awfully well but that's DEFINITELY improving like right now. But you know, thanks for complimenting my stuff anyway.
Guest: It wasn't that bad, right…..? But yeah, suspense makes a story interesting. And I don't usually add too much suspense, only kinda satisfying endings, so I hope you'll enjoy that.
Piggyhero: Ah, my old friend! *does this crazy virtual embrace* Hi. I can't believe you finally reviewed yesssss so happy! Still, I jumped out of my skin when I read it. It was pretty creepy. Even though your death threats usually end in a bunch of arguing on the way to buying food (sound familiar?) they can be startling in all caps in a review! Don't you get alerts? Like sheesh are you too used to my texts? I can't wait to see you though.
Well, that's it for now, I hope you liked this long chapter.
Au revoir,
Pride-and-loyalty