DREAMING DILEMMA
The warm body of Percy Jackson turned into flickering flames.
Annabeth found herself in her favorite place from home; the library. Even though she lived in the palace all her life, the library never failed to shock her with vastness and elegance. The shelves stretched to the ceilings, holding books of all colors and sizes. Sunlight filed through the wide windows. The angels on the ceiling were easy to see with the light, and Annabeth was thankful so.
Seeing the library calmed her. It gave her a sense of familiarity and peace. Whenever she wasn't busy with her duties or fighting off her parents, her time got spent here. It was her favorite place to read in a quiet and steady environment. There wasn't the hustle and bustle of the outside world in the area. She could picture the stories she was reading perfectly inside her head, almost as if they were right beside her.
Now, it almost seemed like Annabeth was living inside her fantasy storybook.
Within a blink of an eye, a wave of heat spread over her. Flames erupted in front of her eyes, shades of red, orange, and yellow taking over. It was a sudden fire, eating away at every inch of her comfort place. Instead of spreading from the floor to the ceiling, the fire did the opposite. It rained down from the painting on the roof, trailing down bookshelves and breams.
Annabeth didn't understand why she was there. The smoke-filled her nose, making her fall to the ground with deep coughs. Her eyes watered, the smoke pulling the moisture out of them. She listened to wooden beams and bookshelves crash to the ground as she tried to get rid of the smoke in her lungs.
It didn't work, and Annabeth's vision began to darken at the edges. The fire crackled in her ears. Heat pooled around her, causing beads of sweat to drip down her forehead. No matter what she did, the coughs didn't stop. She couldn't get up, the floor pulling at her body like glue.
She wished that she could use her voice to scream for help. Too bad the smoke was running down her throat and spreading through her lungs.
Abruptly, an arm wrapped around her waist. She felt the muscle flex before it pulled her up. Her legs just about gave out beneath her, although the person who scooped her up took on her weight. She let the person drag her, her ears ringing. She barely heard the coughs of her savior, but couldn't feel the tickling in her chest anymore.
"Shit, Annabeth." The person breathed. "I told you he was going to stage the library."
The person sat Annabeth against a wall just as they exited the burning library. She coughed a bit, feeling the clean air enter her lungs. Her eyes now stung like hell, the cool air burning more than the fire. Her chest heaved up and down from the want of more air.
When her mind cleared some of its haziness, she asked, "How did I get here?"
Annabeth looked up at the person who saved her. She found a concerned Percy. Something about him was different, and she soon noticed. His head popped out of the top of black, full-body armor. Tucked under one arm was his helmet, and in his other hand was his sword. The sword he held wasn't his dull one. It was the one that gleamed in the light; the one he left behind in Athens.
Percy kneeled so his face was in front of hers. He dropped his helmet and cupped her cheek, using his thumb to brush some soot off her face. He looked into her eyes with his, smiling but laughing bitterly as if he were crazy.
"Don't ask me. You went into the library yourself."
"I don't remember…"
"Probably from smoke inhalation."
Annabeth shook her head. "No, we were at the creek the last thing I knew."
"What creek?"
The princess shook her head. Maybe her head was still fuzzy from smoke inhalation? That was the most logical answer. She had to be going crazy. This person in front of her couldn't be Percy. Perhaps her adventure with the assassins was a feverish dream? Besides, the creek was the first place she and Percy got along. Wouldn't he remember a place like that?
She whipped at her eyes as if trying to clean them from the fog inside her head. She felt something poke her skin in the process, but she blatantly ignored it. She was too caught up in seeing if she was crazy or not. Too bad she didn't realize that the object was pointy, sharp, and sparkly.
"I must be going crazy."
"No, no," The Percy imposter traced her face with his thumbs. "You're not crazy. You've been very stressed lately. The council has been pressing for an heir-"
"Excuse me?"
Annabeth opened her eyes wide. She stared at the boy in front of her who looked like Percy. With the haze inside of her mind, that didn't mean that he was Percy, but she could only hope he was. She needed someone she knew or thought she knew, at least. Whether she was crazy or not, it seemed like Percy was there.
Maybe he was the one going insane? What was with his mention of an heir? Why would the council be pressing for one anyway? Was she dead? Is Annabeth in the afterlife? Okay, maybe Percy was right, she was stressed. But stressed about an heir, that wouldn't happen for, what she hoped to be, years.
Suddenly, her attention caught sight of sparkle in the hall. She looked down at her fingers, seeing a diamond latched onto her left ring finger.
Percy noticed where she was looking and grabbed her hand with his. The ring nearly disappeared under his large hand, but the panic settled inside her chest. Her mind moved at the speed of light. Thoughts she never knew she would have to think in the present ran through her mind.
The whole corridor spun, and she grabbed the hand still cupping her face. Percy understood, taking both of her hands in his. She didn't know why, but she needed someone's comfort. Percy was the nearest being in sight, so he was the best option. He saved her once, why can't he do it again?
The panic swelled in her chest much as it had back at the hut in the woods. Rachel's words drilled inside her head. They repeated in the old, crackly voice. Over and over and over and over. Annabeth closed her eyes taking deep breaths after each line of fate.
'Heir of Athens to be wed…'
Her. Annabeth Chase was no longer Annabeth Chase. Who was she? Was she still the rebellious teen who refused to take no for an answer? Did she grow into a mature adult? Where was she now? Wherever she was, she was married. Who was she promised with?
'You shall wed your greatest enemy. You shall be disgraced by your people.'
Who was her greatest enemy? To her knowledge, she didn't have one that wasn't far too older than her or already an heir. How was she getting married to her greatest enemy? Why? Since when did the people of Athens hate her. All she ever did was treat them right and with the utmost respect? Did her parents have something to do with it?
'Heir of Athens to be wed…'
'You shall wed your greatest enemy. You shall be disgraced by your people.'
'Heir of Athens to be wed…'
'Heir of Athens to be wed…'
'Heir of Athens to be wed…'
"Perseus!" A voice thundered.
Annabeth snapped her eyes open once more, seeing a man standing above her and Percy. She didn't question Percy about his name. It was obvious from the beginning it was a nickname, but it wasn't her place to ask what his real name was. That was for him to do on his own time.
The man above them was old, much older than the two of them. His black hair wore white, making his hair like a mix of spices. His eyes glared at the two of them, while his wrinkled hands fixed the collar of his suit. A shiny band on his ring finger didn't pass by Annabeth.
"What can I do for you? What can I do for you, Your Highness?"
The King nearly growled, "I want you to get your hands off my wife so I can accompany her to the infirmary."
Percy squeezed Annabeth's hand before dropping it. He picked up his helmet, pulling it over his head. He walked away, and Annabeth pretended to ignore his glances back at her. The same went for her confusion. She acted as if she knew just about everything that was happening.
By the time Percy was far out of earshot, her husband leaned before her much as Percy had. When his hand came up to her chin, she flinched. The panic she shoved so far down in her heart arose. She didn't know who this was, and by the eyes burning holes through her, she didn't want to know. Her stomach turned.
She wanted Percy. He was something familiar. Of course, the sight of her home was comforting, but it wasn't the same. The library just got burned to ashes and now she was surrounded by a guard Percy and a husband she didn't know she had. All of the new information gave her a headache.
"How did you know?"
"Know what?"
His wrinkled grip tightened on her chin. "You know what I'm talking about. Don't play dumb with me daughter of Athena."
Despite the chaos surging through her mind, Annabeth remembered something Percy said minutes earlier. He said something about how he staged the library. If Annabeth didn't know any better, she'd say the evidence pointed to the husband gripping her face.
"That you staged the library?"
"Yes that, pest!"
Again, she flinched.
"You're not very good at hiding things. You need to get better guards."
A grin broke out on his face. "I might just do that."
The world faded to black before she could figure out what he meant.
Annabeth found herself walking into the palace's private room when the darkness evaporated. As if somebody was remotely controlling her body, she pushed the door open. Around the table sat all of the royals.
Two guards accompanied Annabeth, but they didn't faze her. She saw her parents' two thrones replaced with just one. It was the one that was her mother's, but why would she be sitting in it? Again, Annabeth's actions seemed to be controlled, because she didn't question anything.
Unlike the last experience, Annabeth wasn't in control. She didn't say what she wanted to and she was sure her face was blank. It was as if she was having an out-of-body experience, except she was still in her body. She was surely possessing herself, that's for sure.
She rested her arms on the side of her mother's throne, gazing at the area. The other royals stared at her expectantly.
"What do you propose we do?"
They began to shout and chatter, all the while Annabeth stared at Neptune. Her eyes didn't take themselves off him, and she didn't know why. What was she thinking? Why was Neptune so significant?
Annabeth stood up and slammed her hand on the table. "Silence!"
Mars glared at her, his eyes burning with fire. She glared right back, her storms extinguishing the flames. Annabeth stared at everyone at the table, daring anyone to challenge her.
"It's pretty obvious that without no ruler, Athens will dip into chaos. The first thing we need to prepare is a coronation. That will get me into the position of power, so then Athens isn't running on loose ends."
No ruler? Athens had her parents to rule. Why didn't her kingdom have a ruler? Did something happen to her parents? Then again, something bad needed to happen for her to suggest to the council that she becomes Queen sooner. She shook the overthinking away. Her parents were fine. This had to be some sickening nightmare.
"What about a King?" Venus gasped.
Mars turned his anger to her. "That's the least of our concerns, matchmaker."
"She's just a girl! She can't rule herself!"
"The kingdom can't govern themselves."
"Why don't we have her wedding and coordination on the same day!"
Annabeth was appalled by this idea. Her heart skipped a beat at the thought. She shivered, but it wasn't from the cold. She could only imagine one of those old men trailing their crusty hands up her torso. Just the entire vision of Venus made Annabeth want to wrinkle her nose.
She was insulted that Venus thought she couldn't rule by herself. Of course, she knew it would be stressful. Although, since it was the beginning of her rule, wouldn't the citizens give her a chance? Besides, most of them knew that she would be helping them out. She gave them money, food, clothes, a few years back. How could they not love her?
Keeping the citizens under control would be easy enough. Now, other things outside of her people would be stressful things, but she could overcome those. She didn't need a man right away. Besides, the law gave her two years.
Annabeth shook her head and folded her hands together. "No, no, no! That's very unnecessary, Venus! I know it will be hard but I must say I agree with Mars on this one! I need to focus on politics first."
"But you will be so stressed!" She dragged out the 'so'. "You can't manage without a man right side you!"
"Yes. I Can."
She didn't feel like arguing with Venus. She knew what she was capable of, not some love-obsessed Queen.
"Mother, you must believe in Annabeth! She completed her mission of capturing the assassins! Why can't you believe in her to rule alone for a little while? It won't be long! Athens has a two-year heir policy!"
Annabeth smiled as Silena stood up for her.
"And you know exactly what happened with those same assassins. We couldn't count on her to keep the kingdoms safe. What hope is there when she can't complete a mission?"
The princess turned her glare towards Neptune. What right did he think he had? Annabeth didn't know what the hell they all were talking about, but how hard was it to support her? She was young, but that didn't make her incapable of making decisions. How in the world could they think that finding a husband first was the right way to go?
"Athens can't run loose. You can't leave a kingdom in complete freedom for long."
"But dear," Venus chided. "They know you're there. It's not like much can happen."
"Are you blind? I don't have any power. Just because they know I'm there, it won't stop anyone from breaking the rules!"
"Someone's power-hungry," Neptune murmured.
Silena stood up and stormed beside Annabeth. "Listen, all of you!"
Now, Silena had a magic ability where everyone seemed to listen to her. It was kind of amazing. Many would say her mom could sway anyone she wanted, but it was truly Silena. She was pretty, kind, and had a way with words. Venus was only two of those.
The royals in the room turned to watch Silena. She smiled triumphantly, placing her hands on her hips. Her blue eyes darkened.
"We can give Annabeth the crown first. She'll be overrun with duties, but we can help her find a suitor. We can each pick somebody from our kingdoms and bring them to the palace all at once.
"We'll have a ball with all of the suitors, and then Annabeth can choose from there. She can come to us for the decision, and we can oversee it."
The council began to murmur in agreement.
Annabeth wasn't positive, but she wasn't sure she wanted the royals choosing her suitors. Mars would choose a bodybuilder made for war, Venus would choose a charming romantic man, and who knows who everyone else to choose. Annabeth thinks that both she and the person controlling her body agreed. Neither of them said anything about the matter.
She leaned over towards Silena and whispered, "Thank you,"
"I don't think you'll get the best options, but I have someone in mind." She winked.
"You're going to convince your mother about a suitor. Have fun."
"No, I think I have the right guy."
"Really? Someone for me that your mother would approve of."
Silena giggled. "Why do you think Mars called my mom a "matchmaker"?"
With that, she knocked her hip against Annabeth's, leaving her be. Annabeth trusted Silena, but what suitor would fit her and Venus' expectations? Maybe she was right? Her mother did seem to be the most… romantic type.
Oh, who was she kidding? Annabeth had no idea what was happening. All she could do was think as she "possessed" herself, but couldn't say or do what she wanted to do. She felt like a robot almost, or a puppet. She couldn't say or do what she wanted, but she was able to move and talk.
If it were true, something happened to her parents. She had to take over her kingdom sooner than she and the royal council thought. Her movements and words didn't seem panicked, so she was calm. Or she was playing cool in front of the council. She wasn't sure. Maybe she is older now?
Yet again, if her mother was already searching for suitors for her and she was only seventeen… If the council wasn't ready for her to become Queen either, then something happened to her parents for sure. Also, since Venus was at the council and it wasn't just Silena, it couldn't have been that far into the future.
Zeus cleared his throat from across the table. "Do you agree, Princess Annabeth?"
"I do."
As soon as the words slipped out of her mouth she asked, "Any objections?"
No one raised their hand. Silena did a very good job at getting the council on their side. She would surely make a perfect Queen. She met the love of her life, and she could sway people. Her ideas were always spot on, and she stood up for her friends. No wonder the royals didn't question her. She was born ready to be a queen.
Annabeth hoped she would be the same way. She didn't know how the hell she got into this situation, but she could only hope for the best. She got sucked into some terrible nightmare, or from all her built-up stress this is what happened. She wasn't ready for her impending fate, but she had no choice but to deal with it.
Dreams always gave messages, or that's what her parents told her. Almost like in life, everything that happened in a dream happened for a reason. Maybe her parents' possible deaths happen for a reason? What if her dream was trying to tell her something? Despite wanting to figure out more, the council meeting concluded without a problem.
She strolled out of the private room, now knowing she was dreaming. Instead of getting to find out more context, she could feel the walls of the palace crumbling around her. She didn't react at all, continuing to walk into the darkness. With the newfound knowledge that she was dreaming, it didn't scare her.
The wallpaper slowly peeled off the walls and the columns fell. The world around her began to fade as a raspy voice reappeared in her mind.
Annabeth nearly shivered for the reality of it all. As she walked through the collapsing corridor, things she'd seen in real life recently appeared. She saw herself running in Delphi, she saw herself splashing Percy with water, and she saw scenes of herself at the council meeting a while back.
'You shall wed your greatest enemy. You shall be disgraced by your people.'
'You shall wed your greatest enemy. You shall be disgraced by your people.'
'You shall wed your greatest enemy. You shall be disgraced by your people.'
Finally, it was as if she gained control of her body. She fell to her knees clamping her hands over her ears. She shut her eyes tight, praying that this hell would end.
'You shall wed your greatest enemy. You shall be disgraced by your people.'
'You're dreaming. You're dreaming' She repeated to herself, hoping it would help her wake up.
The voice that once took over Rachel continued to chant in her mind. Maybe she should've waited for a husband first? If everyone in Athens was going to hurt her, why not? Why didn't she listen to the council? They knew what they were talking about. Now she was stuck.
"Oh my Lord."
Annabeth's eyes popped open and she raised her head, only to knock it onto someone else's. She rubbed her head as Percy beside her groaned, stretching. She didn't even notice he had to remove his arms from around her until she realized she felt chilly without them there.
When she peeked up, Jason was there, blinking rapidly. Reyna was off to the side, rolling her eyes but hiding a smirk.
"Percy…" Jason started, giving him a pointed look.
Annabeth quickly stood up. She rubbed her face groaning. "Sorry, we were tired."
"Clearly," Jason muttered, pulling Percy off the ground.
Reyna gave her one last look as Jason dragged Percy back off to camp. "Feel free to come back to camp whenever. Dinner is ready."
She nodded thickly before watching Reyna's braid swish as she stalked off with the boys. Maybe she didn't agree with Jason very often, but oh my Lord was right. She had just slept beside the enemy.
Annabeth clenched her fists. She didn't have time for this shit. She had a mission to do. Lately, she has been back and forth. But now she knew, she didn't have time for this. She was sent here for a mission, and to become too close with the leader was not the plan. She was doing this for her people. She wanted to keep them safe.
No matter what happened next, no matter what she felt, she was going to get the job done. She was going to lead the crew into Karpenissi. She would then take them into Meteora, and get them locked up with the help of the royals. There was no fighting when she knew what the right thing to do was.
Maybe the smile on Percy's face this afternoon made her want to jump aboard their looting pirate ship. The way his arms held her tight while they slept on the creek's edge made her want to stay. Perhaps it was the sparkle in his aqua eyes that made her want to listen to his every command.
The whole team was great. They rarely treated her as an outsider. She was very new and they already considered her one of their own. Hazel was so kind to her, and Annabeth appreciated that. She didn't know who else she would've turned to when she felt so left out.
Too bad they were doing illegal things. Then again, they're doing illegal things because they have no power to do it themselves. Annabeth wanted to tear out every strand of her hair.
Annabeth walked back through the woods and into camp. Smoke rose into the setting sky from the fire, and she breathed in deeply. The group sat around the fire, eating their fish and game from hunting successes. Hazel waved her over, and Annabeth gladly took a seat beside her on the log.
When the princess looked up to see Percy he wouldn't meet her eye. Her lips formed a frown until she realized whatever little moment she had with him by the creek didn't matter. Within a week, anything any of them had would be broken. She was going to tear these new relationships to shreds.
Hazel handed her some food and she took it with thanks. The fire warmed the tips of her toes to the top of her head. As she ate the delicious food, she quietly relished the peace she was going to break. She didn't like it one bit, but she was going to have to do it. It wasn't about her emotions, it never was. She had to do what was right, no matter what.
Nothing could break her.
After dinner, she headed back into the tent she shared with the girls. The rest of them were out cleaning their swords, but Annabeth didn't need to worry about that. She laid under a thin blanket her head resting on a bag shoved with leaves. It didn't do her any good, but that didn't matter.
"Bethanny, we need to talk."
She sat up when Percy shuffled in. "I'm sorry."
He looked at her as he sat down in front of her. "For what? You didn't do anything wrong."
"You know what I'm talking about. None of that should've happened."
"But it did." He said, "I'm not very happy with it either, but I can't change the past."
"You can forget about it."
"What if I don't want to?"
Before she could speak, he leaned in.
What the hell? He can't just ignore her at dinner than expect her to allow this to happen! Not to mention they met days ago! She shoved him away and backed up, fumbling under the covers. When he looked back up at her with sad doe eyes, she pointed at the flap of the tent.
"Get out!"
He did get out with no hesitation. Annabeth breathed heavily; she was not a fool. What the hell was going on?
Words: 4,304
Yes, it has been a little while:) I'm back, don't worry about me. Just been a bit busy.
I know some of the things in this chapter may have seemed very spontaneous, out of place, or like a spoiler, but I promise everything will make sense eventually. There has to be some confusion from Annabeth, especially since we haven't seen from Percy's POV yet. So yeah, some things may seem like they don't add up, but they'll make a lot more sense in book 2:)
This chapter definitely isn't my favorite, but I still *kinda* like it so...
THANKS FOR READING! FOLLOWS AND FAVORITES ARE VERY APPRECIATED! I ALSO LOVE TO HEAR YOUR FEEDBACK ON MY STORY! IT MEANS SO MUCH TO ME!
[ANY RECOGNIZABLE CHARACTRS GO TO RICK RIORDAN]
-Bookworm-2026