A/N: I own nothing but plot. Enjoy!
Annabeth was given a room in Perseus's underwater palace. Everything was of much higher quality than she had ever seen in Pegai. A comfortable bed made in the largest open seashell she had ever seen. Her own desk and chair constructed out of the finest wood. Empty shelves to store any scrolls were she to own any. It was even specially enchanted to have air underwater to mimic that of a room on the surface.
It was a fancy prison given to her so she would not complain or escape. But Annabeth would not escape anyways. Where would she even go, even if she could somehow leave the sea? Even the other occupants of the sea were hostile towards her.
The attendants were cordial if Perseus was there, but when he was gone, quite a few sent Annabeth cold glances. Fortunately, she didn't need to interact with most Nereids. Ione and Doris were the two Nereids who served the sea god most closely.
"Hmmph." Doris turned her nose haughtily. Annabeth watched as the Nereid went away, the blue starfish hair clip on the Nereid's dark hair giving off a cold air.
The other Nereid, Ione, looked quite similar to Doris but had pink pearls dotting her hair. Ione gave Annabeth an embarrassed smile.
"My apologies, lady," said Ione. "Doris…she…."
"It's alright. Thank you, Ione, for showing me my room. It's lovely." Annabeth said, gently. She was used to having others treat her like that back at the archon's household.
"Still. Please don't misunderstand." Ione looked down at her billowing robes in the sea. "Doris is usually a kind Nereid. She is just a little…envious. She has feelings for Lord Perseus, but when she heard word that you were to be his bride, and to see that you're quite beautiful…"
Annabeth wanted to tell her that she had no feelings for the sea god, and that Doris was welcome to take Annabeth's place at any time. But she had been warned by the sea gods to pretend that she was amenable to the situation of being a bride to the sea gods.
Annabeth didn't appreciate being used in whatever scheme she had fallen prey to, but she was promised that she would be taught the ways of being a demigod. And when everything was over, she would be free to go back to the surface. After what Perseus had told her, what awaited her on the surface lands was danger as monsters were drawn to her demigod scent. At least, she was somewhat safe here and would learn how to protect herself for the day she would be released. Not to mention, she hadn't experienced anything much in Pegai, and for the past three days, her whole life was upturned. A part of her looked forward to the adventure.
"Truly, Ione, I am fine. I understand."
Ione gave her a small smile. "Well, shall we go to the lord's office now that you're settled in?"
The sea god was in the midst of listening to his administrators give reports. At least, Annabeth thought they were administrators. A sleek gray dolphin was chattering excitedly as it seemed to report from a scroll it held. Waiting in a line outside the office were an octopus holding a scroll in each of its arms, and a myriad of other sea creatures.
The office itself was decorated plainly but was messy. There were only two desks in the room, one of which was occupied by the sea god. Shelves took up two walls, holding a multitude of scrolls haphazardly strewn about. Weapons decorated another wall. A long table was full of scrolls and maps, the evidence of someone's research.
"Lord Perseus. The lady is here." Ione announced their presence.
The sea god didn't even look up as a squid attendant squirted ink for the sea god to use. "Sit there and read those scrolls for now. Write a report based on the questions I have set for you."
So, Annabeth sat in the office and read the scrolls assigned for her and worked on the report. The scrolls were interesting at least. One depicted the origins and stories of the twelve Olympian gods. Notes were added in the margins, adding current relationships between the gods. Annabeth snorted quietly as the messy handwriting wrote "bad" and delineated a line between the sections of Athena and Poseidon.
Another scroll was an encyclopedia of the sea gods. Poseidon, the lord of the seas, of course. Nereus, termed the old man of the Sea, was often helpful in giving knowledge to demigods who sought him out, if they could catch him, that is. Oceanus, the primordial Titan of the Sea, who was the father of the potamoi, the river gods. He lay deep in the darkest corners of the seas.
The hours passed as Annabeth picked up the last scroll. This scroll was of a familiar one of various weapons. Annabeth had read this one in the archon's village. There was, of course, Zeus' master lightning bolt, and Poseidon's trident. But towards the end of the scroll were more weapons that were not mentioned in the version of the scroll she had read before. Annabeth checked carefully. The one she was holding in her hands was a first edition. Suddenly, Annabeth had the sense of what history she was holding in her hands. She began reading earnestly, curious to see what differences there were between what she had previously read.
There was one section of the scroll that was heavily marked with notes. The Blade of Souls, Annabeth read. Also known as Soul-Eater. Purported to be powerful enough to engulf the power of a god and sharp enough to cut away
Annabeth frowned as she observed the image of the weapon. A dagger or dirk of some sort. The blade did not look as powerful as Zeus' lightning bolt, nor as imposing as Hades' helm of darkness. Before she could study it some more, the scroll was plucked out of her hand.
"This scroll is not meant for your prying eyes."
Perseus scowled at her.
"I apologize. The scroll was in the pile of scrolls assigned to me. Truly."
Perseus continued to frown. Then he sighed and tossed the scroll onto the messy long table. "So that's where it was. I'll need to clean this up soon," he muttered, looking at the clutter around him.
"Why don't you have someone organize your office?" Annabeth ventured. He had so many attendants around him. She bet Doris the Nereid would tidy his office at the drop of a helm if the sea god wished it.
"I don't like others disturbing my things." Perseus said, half-distracted as he attempted to clean some of the disarray. "Did you finish the reports I assigned you?"
"Yes, here they are."
Perseus glanced over the scroll. He paused, and looked up at Annabeth. "You have experience in administration or the like?"
"Not really. My adoptive father was the archon's children's tutor, but he did teach me how to read and write. Lord Perseus? Is everything all right" Annabeth asked carefully, after the sea god looked pensive.
The sea god stared at her for a moment. "You, there." The sea god called the octopus over and tossed it Annabeth's notes. "Study that. This is the level of efficacy in the reports I expect now. Not too long or short. Especially take note of the summary and index pages in the beginning of the report."
The octopus took the report and the other sea creatures gathered around to observe. Annabeth found herself blushing. Out of the corner of her eye, Doris, the Nereid, had a sour expression.
"Now, come. Let us choose your weapon. Every demigod cannot survive without a weapon."
In less than half an hour, Perseus had brought her to an underwater arena. An array of weapons were laid out before her. Annabeth tried out a bronze kopis, but the weight felt just a little too light. The bow and arrow did not feel right either, and Perseus' distaste on his face showed his reluctance for the bow and arrow as weapons. Next, she tried the spear, having used one on the amphisbaena. But wielding the spear was awkward underwater, and the bronze spiked wooden club seemed incompatible as well.
"We will practice as though we are on land." Perseus decided. "But none of these weapons are truly suitable for you. We will try this sword for now."
Annabeth recalled the dagger she had stolen. "What of the dagger that I had? Could I not use that?"
Perseus frowned. "That dagger is not suitable either. Perish the thought from your mind."
"But you're holding onto it."
Annabeth suddenly thought of something. She had only glanced at the image in the scroll briefly, but she was sure of it. The dagger that she had stolen from the archon looked exactly the same as the Blade of Souls depiction.
"Are you not willing to have me use it because it's the Blade of Souls?" Annabeth asked.
"It is not for that reason," Perseus interjected. "I have studied it, and it is the same as any normal blade."
Annabeth narrowed her eyes as she considered his words. "You're not denying it is the Blade of Souls. Then why are you keeping it? It's not yours. I was the one who brought it here."
"It is not yours either since you stole it," Perseus shot back.
"Which you subsequently took from me."
"If you want a dagger so badly, then I will have a selection of daggers forged from the skills of our elder Cyclopes brought to you, far better than what that old dagger is."
Annabeth crossed her arms over her chest. "But if it's an ordinary dagger, then why won't you let me use it? So it is because you think it's the Blade of Souls, isn't it? Are you afraid I'll use it to take away the power of a god like you?"
The sea god scoffed. "That dagger is hardly able to consume a god's power, that I can assure you. I have tested it already." The sea god tousled his dark hair in frustration. "Why are you so stubborn about using this one dagger?"
Annabeth raised her chin. "That dagger saved my life on the perilous journey here. I consider it a good companion of fortune."
"You must be quite friendless and luckless in life if you consider a weapon a good companion. Who is your most intimate companion then, a spear?"
"No, a club, actually." Annabeth shot back at him. She resisted the temptation to take the bronze spiked club on the table and acquaint the sea god of just how intimate a club can be with a nice whack on his head. If only he wasn't a god and she wasn't surrounded by tons of seawater on all sides.
"Just because you're a child of Athena, do you think that you can get wise with me, girl?"
Annabeth bit her bottom lips. "I still want that dagger."
The two of them stared at each other in a standoff.
Perseus sighed in exasperation. "You're a brave one for mouthing off at a god. I had forgotten how obstinate children of Athena are." He pulled out the dagger from his robes. "Well then, Wise Girl. Know this. The last time I saw this dagger, a person died by my hands from this blade."
Annabeth's heart stilled. "You…killed a person using that knife?"
The sea god's green eyes turned dark as if staring into the past. "Yes. She was a traitor who caused the deaths of over two hundred innocent people." He said shortly. His tone made it clear that she was not to pry more.
Perseus suddenly tossed the dagger to her. Somehow Annabeth managed to catch it by its hilt without losing a finger. "If you still feel up to using the dagger knowing its heavy history, then take it. Take care to not betray us, lest the blade one day end up in you."
Annabeth swallowed nervously, looking at the blade just the length of her forearm. It did seem unremarkable. The fact that Percy had given her the blade in the end meant that he truly did not believe that the dagger posed no threat to gods.
Despite what Perseus had told her, the weapon felt comfortable in her hand. Something within her told her that the weapon was meant to be with her. "I am no traitor, that I can promise. But, I think…I would like to use this."
"Keep it then. Remember your promise with your life on the line," the sea god begrudgingly said. "But I will still have you train on a sword. It is good to know a variety of weapons."
Behind the arena, someone spied on the pair, eyes trained on the dagger in the demigod's hands. When the sea god glanced over as if sensing a presence surveilling them, the being was gone.
A/N: Oh, look. My first enemies to lovers story lol.
Taking a break for the holiday weekend. I start school very soon, so my updates will not be as frequent as they were of late.
Happy New Year's everyone!