Forbidden Romance
Chapter 9
[School has been so stressful these past weeks. I have been struggling with a lot of personal stuff lately, but luckily it's almost holidays again. Also, I just finished watching The Perks of Being a Wallflower do I feel incredibly emotional.]
A.N.: I'm so sorry for the late update! I have been so out of it recently for some reason. Thank you guys for all the reviews I received for the last chapter! Every one of them made me smile (:
The winner of the "game" from the last chapter is…
Ambassador of Hades
AKA
King of Lucidity
The correct answer was the Seychelles! Although he did know that I was there because he saw my Facebook and Twitter updates, so you did sort of cheat! But there were some good guesses! I was surprised that about three people thought that I was in Canada… but I guess it was because I mentioned French. Some of you had very good guesses (Hawaii, New Orleans, Louisiana), so well done for trying!
I am home in South Africa now, where it is less humid and I am happier! This means that weekly updates will return!
I'm adding a warning for some of the content in this chapter near the end. Nothing graphic, but just so you're aware.
Disclaimer: I do not own anything to do with Percy Jackson and the Olympians or Heroes of Olympus. They belong to Rick Trolldan- Sorry! Riordan. Rick Riordan.
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Annabeth met Percy in the garden two nights later as arranged. From then on they sent messengers back and forth with notes written on thick parchment to arrange meeting times. Frederick knew where Annabeth was going when she left dinner before anybody else every few nights. Thalia had her suspicions, but didn't want to constantly be fighting and reprimanding her sister, so she let it go.
Two weeks after Thalia married Luke, the king requested a meeting with Frederick regarding a husband for Annabeth.
"I will give you one month," the king threatened, "to marry her off. It will be difficult considering her temper, fiery personality and… unique features." He paused to think. "Or maybe it won't. I know many men find a woman playing hard to get quite attractive. And even… quite satisfying, sexually speaking."
Frederick felt his heart stop and a chill run down his spine at the king's words. He clenched his teeth and prayed that such a man would not become his daughter's husband. He knew that the king was trying to rattle him; it took all of his self-control not to leap over the table and strangle the man; it angered him to hear this leader speak so disrespectfully about his beloved daughter. He knew that this was a threat; the king warning him to chose soon or else.
His assumption was proved correct when the king grinned an evil smile, his lips curving upwards to show his near-perfect teeth, and said, "I will chose one of said men if you don't make a decision soon."
The king was a good leader, but not necessarily a good man. He did what has right for his people and his kingdom, but he craved power, Frederick realised. The king was addicted to the power of controlling people's lives, which was why he was so determined to find a husband for Annabeth himself.
Every day that Frederick hadn't married Annabeth off, the king searched for another possible husband for the young woman. Frederick knew that his daughter's, and therefore his own, happiness depended on him making his decision soon. If he didn't agree to her marrying Percy, the king would find a wealthy man with looks, manners and brains resembling the Minotaur.
Unfortunately, he didn't make up his mind fast enough.
"I have found the perfect husband for your daughter, Frederick," the king announced at dinner, two weeks later. "He is rich, respected and will be able to support her and their many children." He grinned madly, an evil glint in his eyes.
Annabeth began to choke on the piece of fish she had been attempting to swallow. Frederick, seated next to her, reached over and patted her on the back before turning and facing the king, his angry eyes meeting the kings evilly gleeful ones.
"You promised me more time!" he hissed through gritted teeth. "You promised one month! There are still two weeks!"
"If you had found someone, she would be engaged now," the king said, noticeably pleased with himself.
Frederick didn't reply straight away. The truth was that he had found someone. He knew the man in question would take care of Annabeth and also care about her. That man was Perseus. He hadn't told the king or Annabeth yet, because he was still thinking his idea through, even after almost a month. Frederick wanted to make absolutely sure that he had found the right man to marry his daughter.
He had watched Annabeth and Percy together and he could see the connection between them, as though there was a silver thread connecting the two of them. Frederick knew that his wife and stepdaughter would not be happy with him if he decided on the commander, but he cared more about Annabeth's happiness than how much he would be shouted at.
He made his final decision on the spot.
"I have found someone."
The king raised a sceptical eyebrow. Thalia and Leila glared daggers at Frederick. Luke looked bored. The queen gazed at Annabeth, gauging her reaction, while Annabeth's eyes widened and she almost choked again.
"Who, Father?" she asked, after recovering, her voice trembling very slightly. Frederick could see the anxiety and hope in her eyes.
"I am also curious," added the king.
Frederick took a deep breath; all eyes were on him. "Commander Perseus."
The reactions he received were mixed. Thalia cried out in anger and began to shout while Leila tried to console her, the king narrowed his eyes, the queen nodded solemnly, Luke looked even more uninterested than anyone had thought possible and Annabeth's face lit up in happiness.
"Really?" she asked. "You really chose him?"
Her father nodded yes. "I discussed it with him a few days ago and asked him not to tell you anything until I had made my decision."
Percy had been overjoyed when Frederick had approached him with the request that he consider marrying Annabeth. He had instantly agreed that he would if Frederick decided that he be chosen to. The commander had wanted to tell Annabeth immediately, but refrained from doing so after Frederick pleaded that he shouldn't.
"That's all very good," the king boomed as to regain the attention of everyone present, "but I have already promised her to the man I mentioned before." Once again an evil grin graced his lips, an evil glint in his eyes to match.
"You can't do that! I'm not an inanimate object to be promised to someone!" Annabeth cried. "Please, Your Majesty, I want to marry Percy! Not some stranger!"
"What's done is done," the king said, his tone clearly indicating that there would be no more discussion in the matter.
Annabeth glared at him from across the table before she hastily stood up and ran out of the room. She heard her father addressing the king as she left.
"Please, Your Majesty. I beg you to reconsider," Frederick pleaded. "I have found a suitable man, let her choose him!"
Annabeth missed the king's reply as she was out of earshot by then, but she was almost certain that it was a no.
At first Annabeth walked with no destination in mind, but soon she realised that her feet were leading her down a very familiar route to a very familiar destination. In no time she found herself sitting under the Cyprus tree where she always met Percy. After a few minutes of sitting and fuming, Annabeth heard footsteps and immediately recognised them as Percy's.
Annabeth jumped up and ran to meet him. When she reached him, she threw her arms around his muscled chest and rested her head on his strong shoulder. Perseus wrapped his strong, yet gentle, arms around Annabeth and held her tight and close. Annabeth shook in his arms from anger and suppressed tears.
"What happened?" he asked quietly, his concern clearly apparent.
"The king has found a man to marry me off to. And he refuses to let my father arrange for you and I to marry as he has already promised me to this other man." Her voice cracked a little near the end of her explanation and a lone tear streaked its way down her cheek.
Annabeth cringed. She had to be strong! It was what her mother would expect of her. She could not be weak, and crying because she was going to be forced to marry someone she didn't want to was childish and stupid.
"Shh," Percy soothed her. "Shh. It's alright to cry."
Annabeth pulled back. "No, its not," she muttered, shaking her head and avoiding eye contact. "Crying is for the weak."
Percy shook his head, cupping her face in his large hands and forcing her to look at him. "Having emotions doesn't make you weak, Annabeth. It takes strength to show your true feelings."
Annabeth considered his words and realised that what Percy had said was, in fact, true. She realised that maybe by trying to be strong her whole life she had actually been weak.
She leaned into his warm embrace once more. "I suppose you're right," she admitted.
After standing in a silent embrace for a while longer, Annabeth spoke up again.
"I can't go back to my room tonight. I can't stay in the palace. I just can't be there now."
"Its OK," Percy whispered. "You can stay with me tonight. Jason is visiting with Piper until tomorrow afternoon."
Annabeth smiled. She had wanted to wake up in Percy's arms again since she had the morning after Thalia's wedding. Every morning she wished that his strong and careful arms had been wrapped lovingly around her when she woke up, and that the first thing she would see would be his loving smile.
"Thank you."
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The couple lay on Percy's bed, breathing heavily. Annabeth's hands were knotted in Percy's hair, his hands gently gripping her hips and pulling her closer to him. Percy gazed into Annabeth's eyes before leaning in to kiss her again, and he realised that this was a poor show of his self-control. She met him half way and returned a passionate kiss. She shifter even closer to him so that their bodies were pressed up together.
As they continued their passionate kiss, Annabeth instinctively pressed her hips closer to Percy's, making him moan into her mouth. Percy broke the kiss for a moment to breathe again.
"Are you sure?" he asked upon seeing the lust in Annabeth's eyes.
"Yes," she replied with a curt nod, her eyes glazed over with want. "I'm sure."
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Annabeth awoke the next morning curled up with her head on Percy's naked chest, his arms wrapped protectively around her like she had longed for and their legs twisted together. She carefully shifted to a more comfortable position, trying her best not to disturb the beautiful man she was resting on. Then the realisation of what they had done the previous night hit her.
And she regretted nothing.
Percy began to stir. His arms tightened around her momentarily before relaxing again. Then he opened his beautiful green eyes and looked deeply into Annabeth's. Percy smiled sleepily.
"Good morning," he said, his voice husky and thick with sleep.
"Good morning."
Percy's brow creased with concern. "Do you regret anything?"
"No, not at all."
He smiled again. "Good. Because I don't."
He leaned in to kiss her again and held her tighter to his chest. "I really love you," he murmured so softly that Annabeth almost didn't hear.
"I love you, too."
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A.N.: I really hope that this was long enough to make up for the late update. But don't worry, I promise to update next weekend or even before then! And maybe that didn't really need a warning, but its there anyway.
Please review and let me know what you thought, I really want to know (: and you can think of the reviews as being birthday presents ;D sweet sixteen tomorrow (20 January)!
Thanks for reading and for all the support. I've gotten so many encouraging reviews and it really means a lot!
[I'm going to post another edited chapter, or two, and also work on the long one-shot I started. Hopefully I'll have that up sometime this week, but I have a biology project to finish before I focus too much time on writing ): ]
