A/N: I own nothing but plot. Enjoy!

That morning the king had left before Annabeth had woken up as usual on the occasional nights the king spent at Dahlia Palace, only this time she had woken up in the king's bedroom.

She had never been here before since she was granted her own temporary quarters in Gardenia Palace. His bedroom was tastefully decorated with shades of calming blue and green. Everything was done low-key but with elegant pieces of furniture. Annabeth approved. One could always tell an owner's personality by the way they decorated their personal space. That or the king had some great interior decorators.

Although the physicians had said she was out of danger, Annabeth was still made to halt her swordsmanship lessons for a few days. Lucy and Piper were both buzzing around like worried hens, clucking their tongues whenever they thought she was working too hard.

The truth was, Annabeth was looking for anything to do to forget what had happened at the dowager queen's ball. Anytime she thought of how the dowager queen had conspired to assault her and then kill her, Annabeth had to fight the contents of her stomach from coming up. And so she threw herself into piles of paperwork to take her mind away.

Annabeth had already gone through the palaces' budgets and plugged any leaky holes. Those who had done a good job were praised for their merit and assured that they would get a yearly bonus. Those who did not, sorry, the queen was demoting or kicking them out.

Next, she had to make sure that the palaces' infrastructure was stable. The stewards last time had used poor construction materials in the fixing of the stables, so it would not be unheard of if the stewards had tampered elsewhere with their sticky hands.

There were so many affairs to take off besides the usual financial budgeting and approval of administration like preparing for the upcoming Festival of Bounty and Fertility. But even Annabeth was forced to take a break by Lucy and Piper. Even Sir Rachel was sent to report with a message that the king would stop the queen's swordsmanship lessons if she were to continue being a workaholic.

Kicked out of her own study, Annabeth ended up visiting the library in Gardenia Palace. She had been here quite a few times to study with her tutors before her move to Dahlia Palace. Dahlia Palace had a library as well, but the majority of books and scrolls were in Gardenia Palace. She had marveled at the stupendous size that rivaled that of a mid-sized museum.

Annabeth slowly browsed the bookshelves, selected a few interesting titles and then headed to the coziest spot in the library. There was a chaise propped by a corner of the library underneath a window that had a magnificent view of the gardens and the Eldoris capital but was hidden from the main library by bookshelves. Only this time, Annabeth's favorite library reading spot was currently occupied by the king.

She approached the chaise, a little disheartened that her spot had been taken. But then again, the king had been living here for twenty-three years. This was probably his spot first.

The king didn't seem to notice her approach. As Annabeth went closer, she realized that the king appeared to be asleep, a book lying open on his chest. So, even the king had his moments where he appeared to be dodging work?

She was going to turn around and leave to find another place to sit but the light from the windows had seemed to cast a filter over him like a gentle frame where he was painted by the gods that no Instagram filter could ever capture. It seemed a pity that no one else could see such a scene.

Annabeth quietly sat down on a stool by the side. She had brought some paper and pen to take notes, but now they were her instruments of art. Annabeth wouldn't claim to be the best artist around, but her major did require some art skills. Quietly, she began sketching the portrait of the king.

He was lying on the chaise with his long legs extended and his hands laid lazily underneath his head for a pillow. Annabeth sketched the legs quickly before moving onto his white shirt. The king had unbuttoned the top two buttons of his white shirt, and his blue tie was thrown carelessly over his jacket on a nearby chair. Annabeth clicked her tongue at his careless position on the couch. Who knew that the infamous Eldoris king was someone like this?

Her hands now worked to finish the details of his hair and face. The defined chin, the strands of hair messily falling over his forehead, and the strong nose all soon were shaped on paper by her deft fingers.

Annabeth then paused and had to smother a laugh. She felt like she was doing some very Edward from Twilight things. But sketching her husband was quite different from a weird emo vampire dude who liked to stare at his crush sleeping in the dark. She grinned as she continued her work.

Soon, she began working on a second sketch.

"Stop smiling or I'll have to redraw your expression again," Annabeth ordered.

The king obeyed although his face still showed amusement. "When did you know I was awake?"

"When you started smiling. So creepy," Annabeth replied.

"And you think sketching a sleeping person isn't creepy?" The king asked.

"If you weren't my husband, then most definitely."

The king's lips curled up at the word 'husband.' He sat up with the gracefulness of a panther. "At least let me see the drawing."

"Give me just a couple of minutes to finish this one."

As Annabeth completed the details of the second portrait picture of the king, the king observed her. She could feel his eyes on her and couldn't help but squirm. "Could you not stare at me like that?"

"Like what, my queen? Weren't you staring at me over ten minutes earlier?" He teased.

Annabeth shot him a playful glare. "Done! What do you think?"

She stood up to show him but didn't expect him to pull her into his lap to sit together on the chaise. The king was beginning to have a habit of hugging her close to him.

"Not bad, my queen. You could have made a career as a court painter," the king said.

Annabeth wrinkled her nose. "Painting isn't really my thing. I prefer sketching. I don't think I would make much of a court painter, to be honest."

Architects tended to draw more, but even then, architects used more computerized graphic skills to communicate their ideas in the modern times. But to the king, the queen's words were misunderstood as painting was an expensive and luxurious skill for princesses who were valued or loved by their families. As the former elder princess, how could she have had any access to paints? The most the former elder Kiran princess could do was probably find some scraps of paper or charcoal to play around with. The king automatically resolved to send her some art supplies the next day.

"Could I take this as a gift?" The king asked, holding up her two random sketches.

"Gift?"

Annabeth blinked. The Eldoris royals had some seriously talented court painters who even painted Annabeth once for a long, suffering four hour session. Why keep her random scribbles that would have got an art student kicked out of school?

"If you want to," she replied. "They're really not that great."

"I think they are." The king said resolutely. "You've managed to capture my essence completely."

The corner of her lips quirked up. Well, the king's word was law. If he said it was worthy, then the two pieces of paper could be placed into the royal treasury by the way he was praising it. Well, it wasn't as if Annabeth didn't like to hear compliments.

"I wonder what choice I should make," he murmured as he studied her sketch.

"Hmm?"

Annabeth knew that he often had minor court sessions with his ministers every day, and major ones every Monday and Thursday. Today was a Thursday. Was the king thinking about a political decision?

"Do what your heart tells you, within logical reason, of course."

This was what her mother and father had told her. Athena Chase was always someone who was logical, always finding what was most efficient and practical. But her father was more of a romantic, seeking truths to his heart. So Annabeth took both viewpoints into consideration.

"Follow my heart with logical reason? That's funny." He said. "I still wonder…. Then I've made my choice."

The king's green eyes were looking at her so intensely that Annabeth began to feel a little shy. It wasn't as if she hadn't been in this position before. But there was a softness to his eyes that had only begun showing up recently.

"Y-you're too close."

Jeez, Annabeth scolded herself. She was stuttering like a teenager being asked out to high school prom.

But the king didn't let her go. Instead, his hand came up to cup the side of her face. This was his choice.

"You smell nice, a little hint of citrus," he murmured.

Annabeth immediately flushed. She wasn't sure why she felt like she was hyper aware of everything around her so suddenly. Her skin seemed to have grown ultra sensitive in the span of a few seconds, from the warm hand on the small of her back to the rise and fall of his chest and then to his face that was mere inches away from hers.

She knew what was about to happen, but Annabeth couldn't pull herself away from this entrancing moment. Perhaps it was the golden sunlight that flitted through the window that bathed them both in a soft flow. Or maybe it was his gentle smile that sent butterflies fluttering in her stomach. Either way, when he leaned in, she closed her eyes.

It wasn't as if they hadn't kissed before. Hell, she'd even been in the same position before, sitting on his lap, leaning into his body. There was just something different about the atmosphere this time. Perhaps last night had something to do with it.

His kiss this time wasn't as deep or rough as before. No, the way he cradled the back of her head and stroked the small of her back as though he was holding something precious in his arms. The king's kiss felt far more exploratory, wanting to know every little detail of her. Slow was the name of this game, and she had been drawn into this like the main player.

"Percy…"

Annabeth shuddered as his lips moved breathlessly over hers again. This should be a true first kiss, Annabeth thought numbly through the haze that came over her mind. She wasn't an idiot, after all. The king was starting to like her. Not as a business partner or friend. Not as someone he had to seduce into his bed because it was his duty as king. Just someone he was beginning to 'like like,' as her stepmother from the modern world liked to say, much to the chagrin of her teenage sons.

But did Annabeth like him back like that? Maybe just an inkling? Somehow she felt afraid to think about it. It was as if he was eroding the barriers she had put up of him being a character. With every kiss she was stepping into this world and out of the one she thought she knew.

Perhaps it was just lust taking over her mind. Maybe she really had gone over the deep end.

Then Annabeth felt the cushions of the chaise touch her back as the king laid her down. His arms were on either side of her, keeping him from crushing her. The king's lips descended on her once more and she found herself welcoming him by intertwining her arms around his shoulders.

"Why do you taste so sweet?" The king murmured.

Annabeth felt that he was just saying nonsense, though her cheeks were flushed on their own. The last thing she ate or drank was just some tea. The king looked at her as though her lips were absolutely delectable.

Annabeth absentmindedly trailed her hands from around his shoulders to his chest. His white shirt was wrinkled now, making him look more like a king who played around like he had ever looked before. Of course, with all the time she had spent around him, the king's personality was not like that. But the knowledge that it was her who had made the king look so sexily hot and panting over her was rather stimulating.

Her palms came to rest on his chest. She'd always known how fit he was and what his muscular chest looked like without clothes since their wedding night. But covered up like this with just a triangle of skin showing over the rest of his buttoned shirt, she felt that it just made him all the more sexy. Something about leaving a little to the imagination. But sometimes reality was just that much better than imagination.

Her fingers moved of their own accord and slowly unbuttoned his white shirt. His collarbone peeking out from his shirt had just been too distracting earlier. She was the one who now did the seducing as she licked that eye catching collarbone. A ripple went through his fine body as he shivered at her touch.

Fine muscle tensed and relaxed as Annabeth ran her fingers over them. There were a few scars, but the old wounds only served to make him more human. More reachable.

Now the corner of the library where they were began to heat up. The king's patience was barely hanging on by a thread. Annabeth didn't quite know it, but she made a pretty picture lying on the chaise as well, her golden hair and blue dress in bright contrast to the red chaise.

"My queen…" The king groaned as her hands skimmed over his exposed abdomen.

Her fingers gently traced the lines, exploring every little dip and curve.

Perhaps sensing that it was unfair that only he was exposed, the king began his own exploration. His hands ran along over her clothed torso until his heated palms brushed over her breasts. Soft, trembling kisses landed on her own neck, revealed by the moderately low neckline of her dress.

A little nip of pain caused Annabeth to clench her grip on his bare back. The king's tongue soothed over the little pink mark he had caused on her skin. If he had his way, he would have long marked her skin all over from the moment that they had kissed. The king settled on gently cupping her breast over her dress. Annabeth arched her back as his warm palm massaged her chest, her body feeling taut from the delicate touches.

She couldn't help but squirm as she felt ticklish from his zealous kisses dotting her skin. But she didn't want to push him away. Her arms encircled around his bare torso, enjoying the heat of his skin. She had just turned her head to one side for him to gain access to the tender skin underneath her ear when her eyes met the shocked gaze of another pair of dark eyes.

"Eeeek!"

The king sprang to attention, sitting up and pulling Annabeth so she covered his bare chest. Annabeth burrowed herself into his neck.

This was the most embarrassing state she had ever been in, being caught in such a compromising position by Sir Nico and her personal maids.

A/N: Damn it, Nico. You and your timing. How dare you interrupt the readers' enjoyment? How long have they waited?

Hehe, I shall leave this here for now, my lovelies.

See you next chapter :D