A/N: Prepare to get confused. Utterly. Just read the summary again.

Disclaimer: I do not own the Percy Jackson characters, nor do I own the song New Perspective by P!ATD.


~There's a haze above my TV
That changes everything I see~


By the time Piper oh-so gratefully excused herself to join the others at the lunch ball because she felt it was necessary to leave Jason and Reyna be for the time being, Jason perked his arm forward for his wife-to-be to slip her thin arm in his. He felt it was getting rather late, and he knew Dakota and the others whom he was close with would eat him up for his delayed timings. Whatever the cause, he sighed dramatically before the grand doors, the loud scattering from behind them made him understand the hastiness of the crowd to get the party started, and he turned to Reyna. "Everything in order?" he asked her, cocking his head to the side in thought.

Reyna beamed up at him before quickly brushing non existable dirt from her innocent gown and nodding eagerly. "More than it should be, yes." Judging from the placid grin that seemed to be permanently stuck on her face, Jason wasn't entirely sure what she meant with that statement. Was she talking about them as in together them? Reyna always seemed to have a habit of putting a lot of confidence in what she believed in logically, and he had a feeling that she might be taking it to a whole new level.

I am seriously over thinking this. It is my birthday. I must find it in me to relax a little.

Planting a quick kiss on her forehead, he turned back to the guards, letting them know that it was okay to open the gates to the party. Frank Zhang, one of his top guards, nodded back in confirmation before signaling to just that. And open the gates he did.

Jason was immediately stunned by the decoration that had glamoured the hall he once thought to be big and plain. Now it was clearly to its extremist extravagance. White gloriously decorated sheets spun the room into shape, clearly matching his and Reyna's gowns. Along with that, the curtains were pushed back to let streaming sunlight in, reflecting upon everyone's bejeweled clothing making it gleam with brightness. He knew, however, that the decorations would be at once changed after the lunch's ball into darker colors for the dinner's, but he thought it best to make it last while it could.

"Oh, it's absolutely glorious!" Reyna exclaimed, her palms clutching her chest over her heart for more emphasis on her excitement. At this point, all eyes were now on them, cheering loudly for them as they walked down the hall, arm in arm. It was different, he thought. Normally when there were parties hosted in the ballroom, the other royalties always took center stage because they already claimed the throne. But now, as he watched Reyna smile at the crowd politely, he knew that this party was being thrown because he would soon become just like them.

"It's acceptable, I admit," he reviewed nonchalantly, trying his best not to show how pleased he was with the situation. However, he kept his chin up proudly and marched along with Reyna by his side to the very end of the hall where two large seats, not quite thrones but he could settle for now, perched. After being seated and finally releasing his arm from Reyna's due to the position of the chairs, Jason's father, the King, stood up from his throne with a glass in his hand, clearly ready to make a toast.

This signaled everyone else in the hall including Jason and Reyna to grab a wine glass of their own to prepare for the short speech that was to come. Jason had to admit; he was looking forward to this just as much as everyone else in the room. It wasn't everyday when his father proudly stood up for him in front of a handful of the finest people of the kingdom, and he was going to take this to heart. "Lovely ladies and gents," King Jupiter cried out, raising the glass in the air for everyone to see though it wasn't that hard. No one had moved a caterpillar's inch, awaiting the King's words.

"It has come to the time where the boy I have raised since he was half my forearm's height finally became admitted into the age of a person who can make clear, rightful decisions for the sake of the kingdom! This boy, my proud son, has taken it upon himself to seek a bride, and what a lovely bride she is," he pointed out, his head nodding towards the girl seated beside him, and she grinned back. He continued, "what absolute duties she can fulfill as queen and him as king, together, hand in hand to lead this kingdom to prosperity..."

By this point, Jason could see Reyna at one of her higher points of happiness, and he felt glad for her. Reyna always had a troubling childhood, with her sister meeting a very tragic end a few years back, and he was satisfied on taking the burden off of her. Yet, he felt he didn't know quite how to do that. Maybe after they were wed they would figure everything out: how to make each other happy and lead on a life that wouldn't end in heartbreak. He'd have to try hard for her that was for sure.

Whilst his father continued his speech about what he thought the future would hold as Jason and Reyna stood side by side for the kingdom, he couldn't help it when his eyes caught another's and he felt him swept away with the distraction.

Naturally, it was Piper that caught his attention, who seemed to be fidgeting with the ring on her right hand, though that wasn't a big surprise. She seemed to be doing a lot of that lately. Piper stared back at him while raising an eyebrow, as if it blame it on him on why he was staring at her in the first place. Which wasn't a question he could answer himself, if he was being honest. As King Jupiter rambled on about his and Reyna's kids and how soon the eldest would be the heir to take his place, Piper wiggled her eyebrows suggestively at him.

He mentally snorted. Take it up to her to be immature. Piper then resorted to crossing her eyes and scrunching her nose while sticking out her tongue sideways, and he found that he had to bite down a laugh. She was clearly trying to make him at ease, and while he still thought she was abnormally strange yet somehow managing to look appealing throughout the hideous faces, he appreciated the effort though it was doing a lot to brighten up his mood.

Piper made another unintelligent face, causing him to accidentally let out a chuckle, one that wasn't too loud but loud enough that Reyna noticed. Quickly as if his exchange with Piper never happened, he snapped his neck to look at her in the eye. "Yes, love?"

"Nothing, dear..." Reyna shook her head, eyeing him suspiciously. Slowly, she smiled softly. "I haven't seen you genuinely smile all day long. What caused the sudden change?"

Jason winced, hopeful that she hadn't caught him sneaking glances at her friend. It would be hard to explain that while his father was preaching on just how good of a couple they would make, he wasn't paying even the slightest attention to what he knew he should be doing. "I just thought of something...it's not important, I promise." Reyna continued to stare at him strangely before a loud noise erupted, letting them know that the crowd was cheering to the King.

Saved by the father, he thought as he averted his gaze from her gratefully to the crowd and grinning stiffly for the crowd. He hadn't heard the rest of his father's speech, but he didn't care anymore. He chose to improvise and pretend he knew what the speech was saying as all eyes were on him now, and he had to act. That was, until, his eyes caught with a pair of multi-colored ones once again.

Jason knew he shouldn't have let his gaze linger on her, especially not with Reyna watching him so closely, and he flitted his eyes to another portion of the crowd to give him space. Who am I trying to fool? His gaze returned to hers only to find she was smirking at him, making him realize that she most probably knew what had just happened and why he was so hesitant to look at her.

He was about to form a quick scowl on his face directed entirely to her, when Piper's lips started to move and she mouthed the words, I'm bored too.

And, putting aside the fact that her language speaking was still entirely foreign to him, he genuinely smiled back because somehow, she knew exactly what he was thinking.

After that, the day went by a blur to him, especially since he resolved to talk to Reyna for the rest of the event, not wanting to get into more trouble he already felt he was in. However, at night was completely different.

The function itself had changed drastically; the decorations were now a darker maroon color and everything had changed back to how Jason always viewed the hall: the same. He still took Reyna as an escort, of course, but not before kissing her on her lips a few times so she forgot about what had happened in the morning. He didn't want to witness Reyna angry at him for something as feeble as what happened, but he knew she had a jealousy streak though there was no reason to be jealous. Jason didn't even view Piper as an acquaintance let alone lover. And that was something he knew wouldn't change any time soon.

However, his plans to ignore the girl said all flew from his mind when she joined them that evening at their table. The difference between the morning event and the evening was that the morning was meant specifically to be formal. The King only showed up to the one in the morning because it was not only safer that way, but also so he wouldn't have to bother with the kingdom's relentless pestering. Selfish, Jason thought, but that was the way things worked. The evening was a lot less strict. Jason and Reyna were allowed to roam freely about, talking to whomever the wish to speak to and ignoring those who they didn't.

Jason had just finished his drink, now looking down back at it as he realized it was the same drink he remembered specifically that girl told him not to drink. He shrugged to himself, thinking that that theory was about as nuts as she was, and that he wouldn't be able to take anything seriously anymore from her.

I can toast to that.

But, the fates proved to despise him because that was precisely when Piper showed up. Reyna had turned around because of an insistent tapping on her arm. They turned around to meet her, and once again, he was baffled by what she was wearing. In the morning, her clothes were rebellious; now, they were almost innocent.

A complete switch from the rest of the guests, him and Reyna included. Nevertheless, with her blue dress, hair pulled up, and a non-painted face, she was stunning. This time, he didn't allow his mind to dwell in her beauty because he insisted that he remember the bad, irritable traits about her instead. He was surprised on how well it seemed to calm him down.

Reyna, who was next to him in a fancy maroon dress of her own, grinned at the sight of her friend. "Piper! You came!"

Piper's eyebrow twitched up in amusement. "You expected me not to?"

"No, no," Reyna shook her head dismissively, her face scrunching up to show her concern. "I'm glad you did, of course! I didn't see you this morning, however...at the ball, I mean. Not what happened...before that."

Jason knew she was referring to the fight that he and Piper had in his dressing room about her manners, but that wasn't what seemed to strike him at the moment. She hadn't noticed his glances at Piper throughout his father's long speech! It wasn't as if he was particularly cheating on Reyna or anything, that was preposterous, but he still felt strangely...guilty. Again, he blamed it all on Piper who started it all.

Another irritable trait she had.

Piper smiled slightly. "No, I was there." Her eyes met his for a split second, and he had to fight back sighing, knowing what he had to do.

"Yes, she was, darling," he said, resting his hand on Reyna's shoulder lightly, reassuring her. "The wine must have gotten to your head."

Reyna glared at him mockingly before rolling her eyes. From in front of him, Piper snickered. "Probably. I'll leave you two to be now. I have to go...run a quick errand."

Seriously, did no one notice the way she spoke their language? 'Run a quick errand'? he thought, completely confused as the girl walked away, her thumb rolling against her ring finger. She had a habit of doing that, he noticed. Maybe the ring had sentimental value that he didn't know about. She'd gone buggers a long, long time ago, and she can't be saved now.

"Well, she left hastily," Reyna pointed out, now turning to face him completely. He was just about to shrug when a soft melody was being played, making his lips quirk up in delight.

"Care to dance, fair lady?" he offered cheekily, offering his arm once again. She curtsied before slipping her arm in his and reaching up to kiss him on the cheek gratefully.

"My pleasure, kind sir," she replied back, but her voice still seemed to be a little off, and he knew exactly what she must have been thinking. He could tell just from the way her face scrunched up back into that confused face he knew so well. Reyna was stiff, he'd admit, but he could read her like a scripture. He wondered offhandedly if she was ever able to do the same for him. Again, that was another issue he could figure out once they were married.

Confirming his thoughts, Reyna spoke up. "Have I ever told you how I met Piper in the first place?"

Jason was in the middle of wrapping his hands around her waist and hers on his shoulder as they continued to sway to the music when he answered back. "No, I don't believe so." And he found himself perk up a bit at the conversation, a little curious himself. A lot curious, but he wouldn't dare admit that.

She grinned, her eyes glazed over deep in thought. "I had seen her near the palace while I was out taking a brief walk when I noticed she was out of breath, as if she had been running from somewhere...anyways, I had walked up to her to ask if she was alright - this happened a few years ago, thought you should know - and she smiled at me, you know that adorable smile she does when her eyes pop out and those little dimples show on the side of her cheeks?"

In fact, he did know. He saw it especially that morning when Piper smiled for him to cheer up his mood a little, much more different than their behavior in the dressing room. He wondered what had made her opinion of him change so quickly. Maybe he had been too quick to judge. Perhaps...he could try to understand her better...? He would never apologize, of course, because that was always unquestioned - why would a soon-to-be king apologize to a commoner, after all? But he could be...kinder, dare he say it.

All of a sudden, he felt his stomach tug a little and he felt a wave of nausea hit him hard. He struggled to maintain a straight face as to not distract Reyna from her story.. Maybe it was something he ate that was causing this?

"Well, she told me that everything was fine and I needn't be worried..." Reyna trailed off, lost in thought for a while. Jason felt his stomach tug again, a little harder this time and he debated about ending their discussion now for a later time while he checked what was going on. However, she continued, not noticing his discomfort. "Her clothes were tattered and her hair was a mess at the time. She clearly looked like she'd been running through the forest, but she absolutely refused to tell me where she had been...I think - "

"I wouldn't drink that if I were you. I had some myself, and I practically retched it all out the second I got the chance." He groaned audibly, his stomach now having done a violent flip, making Reyna stop midway to finally take a look at what was causing him the problem. How could he let himself be so stupid? So Piper had been telling the truth about the drink...he'd make sure to have a word with the caterers about the issue he had to deal with.

"Sorry, love, but my stomach isn't exactly agreeing with my food and beverage choices, so I must attend to them," he smiled apologetically at her. "I'm afraid I'll have to be right back." He made a move to turn around to dismiss himself but Reyna's voice stopped him.

"Oh, alright..." she looked worried, concerned even, so he shot her another smile. "Do you need me to come with you?"

He chuckled, smiling through the pain. He really was having a tough time right now, but his pride meant more to him than anything. "Not much you can do about it, love. But thanks for...offering. I'll be back in a few minutes." Hopefully. With one final awkward wave, he dismissed himself from the hall, claiming he had to go to the bathroom to anyone who wanted to discuss what was wrong.

Little did Jason Grace know in that moment, that what 'a few minutes' meant to Reyna and everyone else at the ball present was completely different what what was yet to come for him. Maybe he should have given her a proper goodbye right then, maybe have given them all a proper goodbye.

He wasn't going to see them in 'a few minutes' that was for sure.

The first thing that hinted him so was as soon as he threw up whatever was in his stomach, he turned around to head back to the ball. However, a quick almost unnoticeable flash of light hit him from the corner of his eye made him stop in his tracks. He waited a little while before shrugging and heading back to the party. Then, longer this time, it happened again. This time, he followed where he thought the light would be.

Turned out, it was somewhere a little more deeper in to the forest than he thought. The shadows and the evening noises that were created through nature did little to diminish his curiosity about the light. After longer periods of walking through the forest, he heard someone muttering, in his language no less, but it was...familiar...and feminine.

His eyebrow raised now, he walked towards the noise silently before feeling his jaw drop at the sight of a figure drawing patterns into the soil right there with something that glittered in the full moon light. A ring. Completely confused now, he decided to make himself known, thinking in his head that though this was very peculiar and odd, he should be getting back to the party now or the guests would start worry where he was.

"Piper? What are you doing?"

Her brunette head whipped backwards to face him, her colorful eyes widening at the sight of him as she jumped a little, startled. She stared at him, mortified for a reason he didn't know but intended to find out. As in, right then. Jason was furious, confused, and annoyed. All at once. But then again, this girl seemed to bring out so much more in him he never knew he had. But right then was not the time to dwell in such things.

"Jason!" her eyes glanced back and forth, sideways, seemingly petrified at seeing him there where he stood. Then suddenly, him still utterly confused, she began shaking her head, tears beginning to form in her eyes at whatever was going on. "Uh, I mean, sire..." she cleared her throat awkwardly whilst he rose an eyebrow at her. She was acting way more than suspicious now. "You...what are you doing here?"

He answered with no hesitation. "I could be asking you the same thing."

"Did you follow me here?"

He felt queasy at the thought. "No...well, not exactly." He glanced towards the ring he had noticed Piper always wore on her finger and how it was filled to the brim with dirt. He frowned.

"Look, whatever the case, you need to leave."

At this, he shot his eyes up to her, furious all of a sudden. "Me?! I need to leave?! I am absolutely through with your behavior, lady! You can not expect people to just - "

" - Okay, okay, I'm sorry, I'm sorry, but - " she forced out, moving towards him with her arms raised out as if she were trying to usher him out, but somehow while she was in a hurry to have him rid of (something he most personally wanted to pull both his and her hair out at just how angry she made him), her foot - that now seemed to be bare, he noticed, and not clad in the party's footwear - caught in a branch and she fell into his arms unceremoniously.

Jason caught her easily in his arms, his arms wrapping securely around her waist in order for her to stand up straight. Her eyes caught his one last time before he could now really see the tears threatening to fall out of her eyes, and all of the insults he thought of throwing her vanished from his mind. His only brief thoughts were how depressed and brought down she looked at this and how he wanted to see her smile that dimple-bringing-eyes-popping smile...his mind drifted to thinking of bringing his hand up to wipe away the stray tear that fell from her eyelid...

He didn't even notice the ground around him was shaking, or that the patterns on the soil seemed to glow from underneath them...all that he paid attention to was her.

But then she spoke.

"I really am sorry...it's too late now, I'm afraid...I couldn't even get the damn ring on time..." her voice sounded so broken, as if she was sympathizing for him. For what, he didn't know. What could this girl possibly be hiding from him? Yet, something told him he was to find out very soon. He found it in him that he was afraid of what could possibly happen, and he tightened his hold onto Piper subconsciously.

"I don't understand what you are - "

He immediately shut his mouth closed when a searing, burning hot white substance flashed between his eyelids. However, instead of screaming in agony as he imagined himself doing if something like this would ever have happened (which is not something he would imagine, mind that), he found himself slowly closing his eyes and vaguely felt himself falling.

With his arms still wrapped around her tightly, he brought Piper down with him.


A/N: YES, I KNOW, SO FREAKING CONFUSING. LIKE, HOW TF DID THAT ENDING GO FROM 0 TO 100 IN A SNAP OF A FINGER? HERE'S A HINT: Everything just gets more and more confusing from here on out. Be prepared.

*says with confidence and puts on sunglasses like an effin' boss* Jasper's about to get loaded.

...Okay, ignore the top line please. I'm freaking tired, alright? Literally slept at two in the morning and woke up at 3:45 AM and couldn't go back to sleep. Don't judge if this chapter was crap af.

Till next time,

Penguin