"38 comes, 38 ends,

38 closes, 38 mends,

It be the last and final verse,

Brought by the curse of 38's words."

Lol. Just a hint for what kind of chapter this will be. Prepare thyself.

Chapter 38

Years passed, and the two remained together.

A typical love story, they say- A knight and a Princess. Only he wasn't a knight to begin with, but a lowly servant of the king. And she wasn't that princess who smiled and waved and fancied royal suitors, no. She was one who never smiled, was shy, and could snap one's neck if she had to.

They did not meet by gaze and fall in love at first sight. He didn't show of his strength or ride in on a white horse. She didn't swoon and giggle at his mere presence. No, none of that.

They met as children. They were friends, best friends. They made promises they kept and promises they didn't keep. They had times of fun and joy, and times of separation and mourning. They kept together no matter what life threw at them. They kept their faith and passed death.

They knew they weren't almighty and powerful. They knew they weren't perfect. They knew fear as they knew joy. They knew shame as they knew honor. They knew anger as they knew sorrow, and eventually, they learned how to smile.

They learned how to really smile. She learned how to be happy and find happiness even in a lifetime's worth of mourning. He learned how to value a single spark of joy in every person, and the value of a smile.

They weren't a typical love story. They were human, and they knew it. They weren't the figure of perfection like those in legends. They knew each others' faults and accepted them.

Because they knew the true meaning of a smile- it was a promise.

"Another sunset…" She mused, her head rested comfortably on his shoulder. "How many has there been…?"

Percy couldn't help but crack a smile at her small question. He looked at her for the hundredth time this day. Her golden curls fell about shoulders, flowing down her back. She wore her red and black dress of which the sleeves reached until her elbows. She wore trousers and boots underneath making it easier for her to climb and run. Her eyes… her beautiful grey eyes he would never get tired of looking at were half-closed, gazing off towards the horizon.

He couldn't help but gaze at the scenery before him as well. The sky was turning from a dazzling shade of orange to a dark, satisfying shade of blue. The clouds were pinkish in the light, taking up some space in the sky. The city below them seemed quiet and at peace as if the entire kingdom paused for a moment to marvel at the sunset.

The two lay snug against the trunk of the giant tree at the side of the castle wall. The captain of the guard had his arm around the princess's shoulders, hand twirling around nervously in her hair.

"Maybe the thousandth…." He muttered, breath tickling the top of her head. "Happy Birthday again, Wise Girl."

"You've definitely said that for the thousandth time." The princess laughed.

"Still, you're like, twenty-five now." He chuckled lightly. "It only comes once a year. Enjoy it."

"We should be heading down." She sighed, peering up at the quickly increasing amount of stars. "It's night-time."

"Okay." Percy agreed and helped her down, but not before she pulled him into a kiss and thanked him for the best birthday ever.

"It's not over yet." He whispered.

"Where are we going?" Annabeth laughed as Percy led her down their worn path through the hedge mazes. She saw the fading blue stone ahead of her which marked the entrance/exit of the path. But before she could emerge from the hedges, Percy held her back and peered out as if suspecting an ambush.

After about three seconds, he turned back towards her, grinning. "Close your eyes." He said rather slyly.

"No." she immediately replied, not in the mood for surprises. But at that moment Percy gave her those irresistible puppy-dog eyes that seemed to reach into her very soul, and before she knew it she was being led through the grassy courtyard with his hands over her eyes.

She waited more or less patiently with the occasional growl every time she heard him snicker. Eventually she felt a rise beneath her feet and the familiar gurgle of water sounded in her ears. She knew exactly where they were.

Her hands found the cold stone railing of the bridge, the occasional moss patch tickling her fingertips. Then they stopped where Annabeth assumed was the middle.

"Keep your eyes closed." Percy said, a hint of excitement in his voice. His breath tickled her neck as his hands slipped away from her eyes, leaving the princess alone for a moment before resting them back on her shoulders. He slid them down her arms until they reached her hands.

She had her head on his shoulder now as he whispered in her ear, "Open them."

And so she did.

The sight she beheld amazed her even more than the sunset.

Fireflies, hundreds of them, flying hither and thither around the courtyard, little glows that seemed to match the stars above. They lit up the grass and leaves in a somewhat magical way, passing over the pond, resting on lily pads. Their lights seemed to bring everything to life.

Then she noticed all the little jars resting at the foot of the stone bridge, lids all opened. She couldn't help but feel somewhat giddy and light-headed.

"You… collected them all?" she asked, her voice but a whisper of fascination.

"For you." Percy smiled. "It took a lot of hedge-invasions, but it was all worth it."

" You sir," Annabeth turned and faced him, her hands in his. "Are the best." And she kissed him.

People said that when you kissed that one person, you feel like your heart is beating out of your chest and butterflies tie your stomach in knots. But Annabeth felt nothing like that. Well, sure her heart seems to skip a beat, but all the while she felt safe and secure. She felt at home, as if she can rest knowing that Percy would always be there for her, and she knew that she would always be there for him.

They pulled away, their foreheads touching. Annabeth stared once more into his sea green eyes, feeling herself melt into them. But then he did something unexpected.

He kneeled down on one knee.

He held her one hand, the other going to his pocket.

He pulled out a small, white box.

"Annabeth Chase, I know that you know I love you, and I will always love you no matter what. If you fall, I can't promise that I'll catch you, but I promise that you will never fall alone, and I promise that I will be there to break your fall. Because I love you, Wise Girl." Then he looked up at her, directly into her eyes which were starting to well-up with tears.

He opened the box. Inside was a beautiful golden ring that seemed to be lined with silver, and nestled on top was a beautiful blue gem that shined like moonlight.

"So do you want to build something permanent with me?"

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"Yes."

OKAY!

That's a wrap, people! (oh, wait, no it isn't.)

Well, that was fun to write! Almost took me a year… I hope you enjoyed it, everyone! Thank you oh SO MUCH to those who supported me in writing this! (looks at Cheska). I LOVE YOU ALL.

But to answer your question… nope. I won't be writing an epilogue.

As the great Rick Riordan put it, epilogues are stupid because they wrap up the story, giving it a proper ending, and that's not the way to do it. You want to have something to think about, to imagine some sort of new story, right? Well, what if I were to tell you that I'll be writing a NEW STORY based on THALUKE IN THE SAME UNIVERESE AS THIS ONE.

It'll be focusing on what happened before Thalia came to the kingdom and the progression of Thaluke throughout the plot of Smile. And who knows, you might get to see what happens after this chapter. Percabeth included. I'll notify when it's uploaded.

Also, it'll be titled "Just Trust Me".

'Till next time! Bye!

~Apollo'sFantabulousDaughterXD