Percy PoV
I woke up with the craziest idea in the world.I was going to propose to Artemis.
Today.
I gently kissed my future wife awake, watching as she smiled, her eyes fluttering open.
"Good morning, love," I murmured. "I'm going to set something up for later, okay?"
Artemis shook her head. "It'll get cold."
I whistled for the beagle pup, pulling the covers up to her neck.
As the dog got comfortable on Artemis's stomach, I kissed her forehead. "Arnold is a great protector, but he's pretty good at keeping things warm, too."
I pecked her lips and went on my way. I appeared at a small summit a few thousand feet above another cave and started chiselling.
About an hour later, I was finished.
My hands were really sore, but that could be solved easily.
I covered the words back up with snow and drew an X in the fresh snow over it.
After that, I spent another hour thinking of various little landmarks leading from the cave to the little summit and stashed capsules with notes in them at the landmarks.
I appeared back at the cave system I had learned to call home and cleaned up in the guest bathroom, not wanting to wake Artemis.
After showering and putting on a fresh set of clothes, I made blue pancakes.
I brought the plate of pancakes back to the bedroom, kissing my future wife's forehead.
Her eyes fluttered open and she sat up.
I had set out some food for Arnold, so he ran off to munch on that.
I set the plate down and picked up Artemis, setting her down in my lap before grabbing the plate.
"What were you doing?" She asked.
I kissed her cheek and handed her a piece of paper, which she proceeded to read as she ate the pancakes.
My girlfriend's ability to multitask so long as it involved food never ceased to amaze me.
After we finished, I whisked the plate off to the sink.
"Why am I going on a scavenger hunt?" Artemis asked.
"Because you love me," I replied. "Please do it, Arty."
Artemis nodded, kissing my cheek.
We got dressed in warm clothes and I grabbed her hand, flashing us to the starting point.
She picked up the capsule and read it.
This is a scavenger hunt for which the point of completing is a surprise, and you will only understand after it has been finished. Clues will be found in capsules like this, hidden in landmarks. You will find the first one in the maw of the beast.
Artemis put the capsule in a backpack and looked out over the edge. "There's a rock formation over there that looks like it has teeth over there. Let's go."
She started climbing across without any equipment and I sighed.
I followed her, and was very glad I did.
When Artemis stepped onto the rock formation, she slipped on a patch of ice.
I caught her waist, pulling her toward as far from the edge as possible.
My girlfriend pecked my lips, and I held her tightly.
"I'm fine, Percy," she insisted, grabbing the capsule beside my head.
I summoned a helmet and buckled it on her head.
As she was about to complain, I kissed her.
Artemis sighed and opened the capsule. "We're looking for a pointy rock. A big one."
Many hours later, we arrived at the summit.
Artemis wiped away the snow, reading the message.
'Hope you enjoyed the scavenger hunt. You've reached the end. Congratulations.'
"What was the point of the scavenger hunt?" She asked, confused.
"The lines on the box aren't finished yet," I told her, stepping back. "Look closer."
She did, a beautiful smile forming on her face as she wiped away to find another message and read it.
'Will you many me?' She spun around to face me, finding me down on one knee, holding out a box with
an elegant yet simple ring inside.
"Yes," she said. "Yes, Percy. Of course, I'll marry you."
I stood up and slipped the ring on her finger, kissing her softly on the lips.
My fiancé walked back over to the words, tracing them with her finger.
"You carved these by hand," she murmured.
I nodded. "I wanted it to be there forever, that way you can see it again."
We appeared back at home, Artemis snuggled into my chest.
As we took off the heavier coats, my future wife kissed my cheek.
"So, was it worth it?" I asked.
Artemis looked down at the ring on her finger. "A thousand times over. It's perfect, Percy. The ring isn't overbearing or anything like that. It's simple and elegant. It's handcrafted too."
She grabbed my hand, holding it so she could examine my palm.
I shivered as she traced the callouses.
"So you forged the ring yourself, and you chiselled that message into the mountain by hand?" My fiancé asked.
I nodded, holding her close. "I love you, Artemis."
"I love you too, Percy," she murmured into my chest, enjoying the warmth.
She looked up at me. "You're powerful, an independent thinker, engaged to and sleeping with one of his daughters. You're everything my father hates."
I chuckled. "He seemed to like me when I was Mason."
Artemis scoffed. "He liked the idea of handing off one of his maiden daughters to a powerful stranger in hopes of making an ally."
I frowned. "Your father really is a bastard."
Artemis kissed my cheek. "The rest of us aren't so bad. Zeus has his ways of being...persuasive."
"I know," I told her. "I'm thinking we can set up a system so the immortals that aren't Olympians have a say as well. And an abuse hotline." I wrinkled my nose at the last part.
"You think there's no need for an abuse hotline?" Artemis asked.
"I think that there shouldn't be a need for one. All-powerful immortals sometimes act worse than mortals," I stated.
Artemis kissed my cheek.
I sat down on the couch, my future wife curled up in my lap.
"Percy," she murmured. "I'm cold."
I slipped one of my hoodies over her head and brought her to the bedroom, cuddling with her under the blanket.
"Happy?" I asked.
My goddess nodded, nuzzling into my chest. "Now I'm warm and cosy. That doesn't mean you can stop hugging me now, though."
"Wouldn't dream of it," I mumbled into her hair.
Artemis quickly fell asleep, and I followed suit shortly after.
I woke up, and Artemis wasn't on my chest.
I sat up and looked around.
She wasn't in the bedroom, but the bathroom light was on. The door was open, so that didn't make sense.
I got up and quietly walked toward the bathroom.
Artemis was looking at herself in the mirror, tracing the love bites I had given her on previous nights.
I stepped forward, arms looping around her waist. "What's wrong?"
My shirtless fiancé blushed, looking up. "Nothing, Percy. I just got up. I didn't want to wake you."
Artemis turned to face me, a hand on my chest. "Thanks for asking, though. It's very kind of you."
My hands rested on the counter on both sides of her. "I love you, Artemis."
In response, she took my face into her small, soft, warm hands and kissed me.
