So just over a week, that's not bad right?

This chapter was pretty fun to write so I hope you enjoy it too

She did not want to go back, definitely not. No real trust could be held in fortune-tellers, they were considered frauds by many. In fact Rachel had openly admitted that she held no true perceptions of the Sight.

Annabeth had more pressing matters to concern herself with; her mother had barely let her out of her sight since her late return to the castle three days ago. She had not spoken to Marcus. In fact he had refused to even make eye contact with her on the rare occasions that they were in the same room as one another.

Meanwhile, the talks continued; sometimes with progress and sometimes not. Jason was more involved than he had previously been; supporting Annabeth in many of her suggestions and contributing with his own. Whatever issues with Piper must have been resolved, either that or Jason was particularly good at closing his mind off to certain things in order to focus on others. He was driven, focused and out-spoken during the discussions; a true leader. Annabeth was conflicted over such behaviour. She was happy to see her friend so comfortable in such a difficult environment, but so was her mother. Her mother who had been encouraging the time Annabeth and Jason spent together; their seating arrangements at dinner, leaving them conveniently alone to walk together in the gardens. At first, the situation was uncomfortable, but they managed to enjoy themselves eventually. As the two were left alone one morning, they diverted their walk into the city and wandered into the central market.

'Your mother is becoming less subtle,' Jason commented as they stopped at a fabric stall adorned with bright fabrics of every colour Annabeth could imagine seeing.

She laughed. 'My mother abandoned all ways of subtlety a long time ago. For such an intelligent woman she can be rather obtuse in her way of going about delicate matters.'

'Delicate matters?' Jason inquired lightly.

He was not looking at her, but at the stall. He passed his fingertips over a piece of fabric, the colour of which was a startling cerulean blue which reminded Annabeth of Piper's eyes in the sunlight.

Annabeth cleared her throat. 'My mother intends for me to marry before I ascend the throne.'

He knew this already, but Jason's hand froze over the material when she spoke. 'And I am the suitor she has in mind.'

'Yes.'

Jason looked at her. He was frowning deeply, as if disappointed in her. 'And you will follow these orders?'

'My mother—'

'Your mother will have no power when you are Queen, Annabeth.'

'But I am not Queen yet,' she objected, 'and I cannot be Queen without a husband.'

She expected him to argue again, but he did not. Instead Jason pressed his fingers to the fabric softly before turning away from the stall. After a hesitant moment, she followed and they walked slowly through the market, not stopping at any stalls but being rather more detached from the noisy trading of the townspeople.

'I am sorry,' Jason said eventually, 'I should not have suggested such a thing. It is the law, and it must be kept to.'

His posture was rigid, his shoulders wide and hands clasped behind his back. He looked older and rather more like his father this way.

'Jason, you are kind and a good person. But…but I do not…'

'You do not wish to marry me.' He finished for her confidently, throwing her a small smile. 'I understand that being forced into a marriage cannot make you particularly inclined to marry anybody.'

'It does rather take away the romance of the concept does it not?'

'We are royalty,' he said quietly, 'we are not allowed to indulge in such things.'

They were moving away from the market now and found themselves to be alone but for a few passers-by as they walked down a wide street and past the Inn belonging to the Fairfax's.

'What about your sister?' Annabeth asked. 'She is married?'

'Of course, she and her husband are to be King and Queen. They were married almost two years ago.'

'I remember. Was that for love?'

Jason smiled ruefully. 'Not at first. You remember I told you of my sister's stubbornness.'

'Yes.'

'They were childhood friends and they did love each other in many ways, but not as a husband and wife do. When my parents announced the engagement Thalia was furious.'

'What happened?'

'She went on hunger strike.'

'Hunger strike?' Annabeth asked, aghast.

'Do not worry.' Jason smiled again. 'She was sneaking food from the kitchens all the while. And in the end, they married. At the wedding Thalia looked stubbornly miserable; I had to lead her down the aisle as she would not be in the same room as either of our parents. But she could not be angry with him; he was still her friend.'

'And now? Do they love each other as they should now?'

'Of course, they are all but inseparable. I feel it was rather more Thalia's stubbornness than anything else and in time she recovered from her anger with our parents.'

'What is his name? Your sister's husband, I don't believe I've ever heard it.'

'His name is Luke.'

'Is he a good person?'

Jason smirked. 'As good as Thalia is, but yes he is. And he does adore her, far more than she deserves I think.'

Jason's laugh was warm and easy. Annabeth imagined him to be happy at home with his sister, who was stubborn and sometimes not an easy person to love, but worth it all the while.

A question was burning on her lips, a question she knew she could not ask. But she so desperately wanted to know about Piper; what had happened between them? And was it still happening now? For Jason to break the rules for her – Jason who treated the law with respect and obedience – she must mean a great deal to him. He must have seen something so irresistibly bright in her that he could not be drawn away.

The way Jason spoke of his sister falling in love, however reluctantly, expressed his belief in such a thing. Love. He had faith in the idea, he was waiting for it to happen to him, or had it already happened?

Annabeth remained silent for fear of intruding into Jason's personal thought and actions. They were not for her to know. After all, no one knew of her Percy and she would keep it that way. Though she no longer knew if Percy was hers to call her secret; she still had not seen him since the Harbour. Annabeth could hear water lapping at the shore now as if she were there, she could feel the cold water on her feet, she could see his face; bright and warm and happy.

'It is an incredible feat,' Jason said, dragging Annabeth from her daydreaming, 'this wall. To be built so strong over such a distance.'

'Yes.' She breathed. 'Though it is in need of repair.'

They stood in front of the high wall now and Annabeth could hear the sea beyond it; it had not all been her imagination. And she longed to be there again.

'Jason, I have just remembered; I am meeting somebody in the city. Would you excuse me from the remainder of our walk?'

'Of course.' He bowed and pressed a kiss to her hand, ever the gentleman. 'I will wander a while longer so that your mother does not think you walking alone in the city.'

He did not ask to escort her; he did not underestimate her and showed no inclination of intruding on her private business. She was grateful to have him as a friend.

'Thank you Jason. I will see you at dinner.'

He smiled and turned away from her, wandering idly back through the streets. Annabeth waited until he disappeared fully around the corner to lift her skirts and run along the length of the wall.

She was breathing heavily and her hem was coated in mud as she reached the gap in the wall and scrambled to climb through it. She straightened up and walked slowly down the path to the rocks and felt her heart drop when she saw the water; empty and unbroken. Nevertheless, Annabeth settled on the rocks, pulling her boots off and dropping her feet into the cold water. She felt goosebumps rise on her legs and her feet began to sting with the cold, but she kept them in anyway. It was a form of punishment for her carelessness, her irresponsibility, her thoughtlessness. But it did nothing to remove the image of his face from her mind; if anything it was stronger and clearer now.

He was not coming. He would never return here. That thought should not have hurt as much as it did, but it was a sting to her heart. The burning cold of the water rose up her legs like fire as Annabeth lifted herself from the rocks and into the water. Slowly, slowly up to her hips, and then she let go and was submerged fully.

It was as if somebody had disconnected her mind from her body; she had no control of her arms as they curled around her chest and her legs fell dead below her. Her eyes were clenched shut and the darkness swarmed around her like thick tar. She so longingly wanted to gasp for breath but her mouth stayed closed as her eyes did.

She was sinking. The weight of her dress dragging her deeper and deeper and Annabeth wondered what would happen now. The burning in her lungs had become unbearable and she opened her mouth to drag in a breath when there was suddenly warmth around her, and she was rising.

Her head broke the surface. The air burned her throat as she drew it in and stung her eyes as they peeled open.

'What were you thinking?!' A voice was close and strained.

Her eyes finally focused and she saw him. His face was close – filling her vision – and drawn with worry. His arms – warm and strong – were around her, supporting her in the water. The water. What had she done? She was drowning and he had saved her, which explained the fury in his eyes.

'What were you trying to do Annabeth?'

'I…I did not mean to—'

'To drown yourself?'

'No!' She drew in a deep breath and set her hands on his shoulders, calming herself. 'That is not what I intended to do, I swear it. I am sorry.'

She looked into his eyes. As close as the two of them were, Annabeth could see specks of blue and gold in the green irises. She watched his face soften and felt his arms loosen around her, though he still supported her.

'Please do not ever do that again,' he whispered, 'I cannot…I will not—'

'I will not, I promise. I do not know what I was thinking.'

He laughed; a strained low sound. 'Neither do I. I thought if I saw you again it would be from a distance again.'

'Percy, let me explain—'

'There is nothing to explain Annabeth,' he said dismissively, pulling her back to the rocks and beginning to let her go.

She reached for him, grasping his arm as she held onto the rocks with her other hand.

'Yes there is! There is more to explain than you know. And I deserve at least the chance to speak do I not?'

He sighed, closing his eyes. His face showed misery and she suspected it had taken a lot from him not to return to see her before now.

'That man you were with.'

'His name is Marcus and I do not return his affections.'

'You do not?' He looked at her.

'No I do not. I feel nothing for any other man that I feel for you.'

'I am not a man Annabeth. I cannot live in your world.'

She let his arm go, curling herself to the rocks and biting back the tears in her throat.

'You are right,' she said, 'of course you are. We live worlds apart and those worlds cannot ever meet.'

A moment of dead silence passed between them as Annabeth clung to the rocks, wishing she could be away from there. Then his arms were around her again. He pried her away from the cold rock and into his warm chest. Annabeth let out a breath and wrapped her arms around his neck as he hugged her tightly, breathing in his salty smell and stroking his hair as his face dropped to the crook of her neck.

The water lapped softly around them as they clung to each other desperately. Annabeth felt as if a lifeline had been thrown to her and it would be taken away at any moment; he would disappear from her and leave her cold and alone once more.

'You do not make this easy for me,' Percy mumbled against her neck.

She pulled back and took his face in her hands. His eyes were closed tightly as if in pain. This close Annabeth could see the scattering of freckles across the bridge of his nose and his cheeks. And the small white scar above his left eyebrow, which she stroked lightly with her thumb.

'What do you mean?'

His eyes opened. 'I should leave here and never see you again. I should let you live your life in peace.'

'But you will not do that.'

'Like I said, you do not make this easy for me.' He sighed. 'Holding you now, I do not ever want to let go.'

The intensity of his voice and stare sent shivers all the way down to Annabeth's toes. And she was suddenly aware of how he was holding her; completely without restraint. His arms tight around her waist, his breath warm on her face. And if she moved her legs closer, she could feel the strange scales covering the lower half of his body. But it did not repulse her as perhaps it should have; he was still beautiful.

She saw beauty in the brightness of his eyes, the fullness of his upper lip, the strength of his arms around her, in his laugh, his kindness. He was nothing but incredible to her.

'Then do not let me go.'

He drew in a sharp breath and met her eyes, wildly looking for the truth there. Annabeth impulsively leant closer and pressed her lips to his. She felt his whole body freeze for a moment and began to pull away from him, until he started kissing her back. Her eyes, which had opened in surprise, closed slowly as they rolled back a little.

It was nothing like the rough press of Marcus's mouth on hers. Even as Percy's lips pushed hers apart and his hand traced up her spine to cradle her neck and hold her to him, he was gentle. And as his arms came more tightly around her, she felt something rise in her chest. Something which made her fingers slide into his hair and press him closer, something which made her brave with him. Something which made the feeling of his bare skin against her want her to be rid of her own dress so that she could be bare too.

She could feel her own heart beating quickly as his did, like two trapped birds; their flapping wings desperate and fast. She trapped his lip between her teeth and felt the hum of his chest as he groaned. Then she pulled away, gasping.

His breath was hot on her face and his eyes were half-closed in a dazed manner. She should have been ashamed, but the sight of his happy smile made her laugh quietly.

'What?' he asked.

'You look so happy.'

'I am.'

They still floated in the water with their arms around each other. Percy's lips were red and his cheeks were flushed. Annabeth expected she looked much the same and delighted in the thought.

'Do not give up on me,' she said, 'not yet. Please?'

He dropped his forehead to hers and sighed. 'I do not think I could if I tried. This past week alone has been all but torturous.'

'So dramatic.' She laughed.

He lifted his head and grinned. She missed that smile – happy and free. Still smiling, he kissed her and she laughed against his mouth, feeling extraordinarily giddy.

Annabeth Chase was not a giddy person; she did not giggle or faint over spilt blood. She was sensible, focused and level-headed.

But with Percy, she was giddy. She was impulsive and happy and free. She felt like a child again; jumping from rocks into the ocean, sword-fighting with her brother with pieces of broken wood, running off for adventures with Grover and breaking any and all of the rules.

For such a long time after her brother died, she had collected herself and pressed herself into a little box. A box with rules and order and straight-faces. She had always been staring out at the world with a longing in her heart like the pressing of a child's hands to the window of a sweet shop.

Not anymore, not now. Now she was alive. Now she was free.