A/N: Thanks again to everyone who followed or favourited this story. I'd also like to issue a special thank you to GriffinGirl8655, ACosmos97, and PrincessOfAtlantis101 for reviewing-I dedicate this chapter to you guys! :)
Two days after the Privy Council meeting, Queen Sally found her son pacing the length of his bedchamber. The prince did not seem to notice her presence, so she opened her mouth to greet him.
Before she could say anything, Percy came to a sudden stop. He muttered something unintelligible under his breath, and then executed a shallow bow. The queen raised her eyebrows, but shut her mouth. She decided to wait patiently for the prince to notice her. In the meantime, she could watch him and try to make sense of his odd behaviour.
Percy straightened his back, shook his head, and resumed his pacing. He paused again a moment later and bowed a little lower.
This time, when he mumbled, Queen Sally heard every word.
"Pleased to meet you, Lady Annabeth—no. It's a pleasure to meet you, Lady Annabeth—no."
The queen smiled softly to herself as she watched her son stumble over his words. She remembered being just as nervous the first time she met Poseidon, back when the king was still a prince.
After several more moments of watching her son pace, bow, and mumble, Sally decided to take pity on him. She cleared her throat loudly, and held back a laugh when Percy whirled around to face her. The prince's green eyes went comically wide as he noticed her.
"Mother!" His face turned a brilliant shade of red, "How long have you been standing there?!"
"Long enough." The queen admitted. She grinned before adding, "I think you should use 'Pleased to meet you, Lady Annabeth' with a shallow bow. It makes the best impression."
Percy spluttered for a few seconds before finally accepting her advice with a quiet, "Alright. Thank you."
"My pleasure," the queen smiled, "but I did not come here just to embarrass you. I came to tell you that the Duke of Attica and his family have arrived. They're in the throne room, waiting to meet you. Your father and I will keep them occupied until you're ready, but don't dawdle."
"Okay," Percy tried to appear confident by standing a little straighter, but the queen noticed that he was fidgeting more than usual, "I'll be down in a minute."
Sally tried not to let her amusement show as she excused herself and exited the room. She gave her smile free rein, however, after pulling the bedchamber door shut behind her. Her smile grew when she noticed Poseidon walking down the corridor towards her.
"Is everything alright?" The king asked. "You were gone longer than I expected."
"Everything is fine." Sally gave her husband a conspiratorial grin, "Percy just needed some time to practice his greeting."
"To Lady Annabeth?"
Sally nodded, and Poseidon responded with an amused smirk, but his smile turned sheepish soon after.
"I wish I had thought of that." The king admitted. Twenty years had passed since they first met, but he was still embarrassed about his initial greeting to her.
"I'm glad you didn't." The queen grabbed her husband's arm and leaned into him affectionately. "You left a very strong first impression."
Poseidon snorted, "I made a fool of myself."
"Yes, but you were a lovable fool."
The queen remembered every moment of their first encounter perfectly. She met him in the throne room with her parents and the former king and queen present, similar to how Percy would meet Lady Annabeth. Poseidon walked into their meeting with his usual confidence, but his steps faltered when he saw her. He stuttered out a standard greeting, and then stared openly at her while she curtsied. The former queen was about to scold her son for his poor manners when the prince suddenly exclaimed that Sally was the most beautiful woman he had ever seen. Poseidon's face turned bright red after that announcement, but his flustered behaviour stole Sally's heart.
The queen hoped that Percy and his bride would find love just as easily.
~~~ A Kingdom Divided ~~~
Percy's palms were sweating as he approached the throne room several minutes later, so he wiped them discretely on his tunic. Once they were dry, he took a deep breath and entered the room where his fiancée was waiting.
The throne room in Merchester Castle was long, but narrow. There was not much furniture inside—just three golden thrones resting on a raised platform at the far end of the room. Portraits of past monarchs hung from the walls in gold frames. Their eyes seemed to follow Percy as he walked on the thin strip of red carpet leading up to the edge of the platform, where seven people stood waiting in fine attire. Percy recognized three of them as his father, his mother, and the Duke of Attica, but the final four individuals were strangers to him. Nevertheless, they all turned to look at the prince as he approached them.
No one spoke until Percy was standing next to his father. The king then cleared his throat, signalling for the duke to begin introductions.
"Greetings, your highness." The duke bowed, "I am glad to see you in good health."
Frederick turned and gestured towards the four people on his left.
"Allow me to introduce my wife, the Duchess of Attica—" A small woman with red-highlighted hair curtseyed, "my eldest son, Matthew, the Marquess of Erudale—" a young boy who looked to be about eight years old greeted Percy next, with a bow, "—my younger son, Lord Robert Chase—" another boy, who looked identical to the last one, bowed, "and my daughter, Lady Annabeth Chase."
Percy's heart nearly skipped a beat as he looked at the blond woman curtseying before him. She was breathtaking. Between her curly blond hair, high forehead, and flawless complexion, she was the epitome of conventional beauty. Her best feature, however, was her stormy grey eyes. They drew the prince in with their intensity, distracting him from the conversation so that he almost missed his own introduction.
Poseidon seemed to notice his son's distraction, because he smothered a smile, and then cleared his throat to catch the prince's attention. When he spoke, he addressed the duke and his family, "This is my son, Prince Perseus of Merchester."
Percy collected himself in time to give a shallow bow. He glanced at the duke and bid him "greetings," then turned towards the duke's family.
"Pleased to meet you, Duchess, Lord Erudale, Lord Robert, and—" the prince paused briefly to give the final name special acknowledgment, "Lady Annabeth."
Percy flashed what he hoped was a charming smile, but Annabeth did not smile back. Her grey eyes flashed with barely controlled anger, and another emotion that Percy couldn't quite identify. The prince was so surprised that he almost took a step back. What had he done to deserve such a look?
The queen also seemed to notice Annabeth's hostility, because she placed a comforting hand on her son's left shoulder. Then, she flashed her most diplomatic smile and suggested that they all head over to the outer bailey, where the tournament was ready to begin.
"Excellent idea!" The king seconded. His next words suggested that he was unaware of the tension between Annabeth and his son, "Let's all walk a little bit ahead of the new couple, shall we? It'll give them some time to get acquainted."
The adults all nodded their agreement, so the king led his wife, the duke, the duchess, and the duke's young sons out of the throne room. Once they were gone, Percy turned to Annabeth and offered her another smile. She accepted it as coldly as she had the last one.
"Have I done something to offend you?" The prince asked, with bewilderment clear in his voice.
Annabeth merely scowled and crossed her arms. "You need to stop the engagement announcement."
"What?!" That was the last thing Percy had expected her to say. "Why?"
"Because our betrothal will become legally binding once it's been announced, so neither one of us will be able to break it without causing a scandal!"
"Why is that a problem, though? I don't want to break our engagement—our wedding will improve the stability of the kingdom!"
"Well, I don't want to marry you!" A hint of desperation leaked its way into Annabeth's voice. "I highly doubt that you'd want to marry someone as contrary as me, either!"
A thought snuck its way into the back of Percy's mind—what if Annabeth was faking her earlier anger, in order to appear so unpleasant that the prince would break their engagement? The thought seemed preposterous, because any noblewoman would be eager to marry a royal, but Percy suddenly recognized the unidentified emotion hiding in Annabeth's eyes. It was fear.
"Has someone threatened you?" The prince questioned. It was the only explanation he could think of at that moment. "Did they tell you that they'd hurt you if you married me? Because if that's the case, then I can protect you."
Annabeth scoffed. She was back to acting unpleasant. "I don't scare that easily. Besides, who would have threatened me? No one else knows about our engagement yet."
Percy had forgotten about that. Even the king's closest advisors didn't know. Still, he couldn't make sense of Annabeth's behaviour.
"You claim not to scare very easily," the prince argued, "but I recognize the fear in your eyes. Tell me the real reason why you don't want to get married."
Annabeth's glare intensified. A lesser man would have shrunk back from her gaze, but Percy was brave, stubborn, and just a little foolish. He refused to back down. Eventually, Annabeth sighed and uncrossed her arms. They fell lifelessly to her sides, and the storm in her eyes abated.
"Please don't ask questions. Just tell your father that I won't be able to fulfill my wifely duties, so the engagement needs to be called off. I can't tell you any more than that."
Percy shook his head. "I'm sorry, but my father has been very clear—our marriage is necessary for the benefit of the kingdom. He's already signed the dowry agreement with your father, so really, our betrothal is already binding. The king won't break it easily."
Annabeth frowned and her eyes turned vacant. She stared off into the horizon as if she was processing a million thoughts at once. Percy thought it was mesmerizing.
Eventually, Annabeth blinked. Her eyes took on a curious gleam as she looked at the prince.
"I am barren, Prince Perseus. I could never bear you a son."
Percy paled. So that was the wifely duty she couldn't complete? Producing a royal heir was a queen's most important responsibility.
"How do you know that you're barren? Surely you've never…"
Percy trailed off, but Annabeth understood his suggestion.
"No! Certainly not! I am pure, I assure you, but I—" she faltered, "I have a condition."
The blonde's cheeks went bright red. "It relates to my womanly cycle. I never stop bleeding, so we could never consummate our marriage. I don't know if I am truly incapable of having children, but my inability to consummate a marriage means that I could never bear you an heir."
"Oh." Percy's face suddenly felt warm. "Please accept my condolences on your… condition. But," the prince swallowed the lump that had suddenly appeared in his throat, "I admit that I don't understand. Why would such a condition prevent you from consummating our marriage?"
"The blood from a woman's cycle is corrosive," Annabeth stated simply.
Percy winced and took a sudden step backwards. All thoughts of consummation fled from his mind as he subtly shifted his pelvis away from his betrothed.
"I see," the prince gulped, "and you have seen doctors about this condition?"
Annabeth nodded. "They have not been able to help."
"Why did the duke not mention this during the engagement negotiations?"
"I am not certain, but I believe that he was too eager to secure the king's favour. Our marriage would restore his honour, so he was unwilling to jeopardize the negotiations by mentioning my condition."
Percy frowned. He hadn't realized that the Duke of Attica was so dishonourable and manipulative. He would have to warn his father not to trust the newest Privy Councillor too much. Nevertheless, the king had manipulated Frederick as well. The duke didn't know that a rebellion might soon break out, or that his daughter's marriage was intended to secure his support in that rebellion. Such were the intrigues of court life.
Regardless of the duke's dishonesty, the crown still needed to secure his support. A political marriage was the only way to do so with certainty. Percy was the only royal offspring from his parent's marriage, and Annabeth was the duke's only daughter. Regardless of her medical condition, they needed to marry. They were the only match available to link the two families. Still, Percy needed to produce a royal heir. Even if an heir wasn't necessary, unconsummated marriages were unstable. They could be annulled—but maybe that was the solution!
A plan began to form in the back of Percy's mind. His marriage to Annabeth was necessary for the good of the kingdom; that much had already been established. Nevertheless, Annabeth could never produce the heir that he needed. That was also clear. At first glance, the situation seemed hopeless, but deeper analysis revealed that there was a suitable solution. They could marry, and stay married until the country was stable once more. That would secure the Duke of Attica's support in any revolts against the crown. Nevertheless, once the kingdom was stable, the duke's support would no longer be necessary. Percy could get an annulment for his marriage to Annabeth—citing their lack of consummation as justification—and then he could marry another woman, so that she could bear his children.
The plan was perfect.
"I won't ask my father to cancel our engagement because of your condition." The prince announced.
Annabeth frowned, "Did you not understand me? I cannot produce an heir."
"Of course I understood," Percy replied, "but our marriage needs to take place to end the feud between our families. Even you must admit that."
Annabeth seemed reluctant to agree, so Percy continued speaking. "I propose that we get married, but do not consummate our marriage. I don't want to incur any, uh, injuries, due to the corrosive nature of, um—" The prince broke off in the middle of his sentence, then picked up elsewhere, "We can stay married long enough to heal the rift between our families. Then, after several years have passed, I will seek an annulment due to our lack of children, and my need to produce an heir. After that, I will be free to marry another woman, and she will bear my children."
Percy did not bother telling her the reason why their families needed to reconcile. Annabeth stared at him as she analyzed the plan and tried to find its faults. Evidently, she found none, because a look of awe crossed her face when she realized its brilliance.
"That's perfect!" A smile lit up her face, making her look even more beautiful. "I agree to your plan, but with one condition."
Percy was so dazed from her smile that he agreed without thinking.
"Excellent!" Annabeth laughed, "My condition is this: we don't tell anyone else about the plan. Your father might not be pleased to hear about my condition, and my father certainly wouldn't be pleased to hear you discussing an annulment. Everyone will be much happier if we keep this matter to ourselves."
Percy wasn't pleased about withholding the information from his father, but Annabeth was right. He might make a fuss about her condition. Also, it was only fair that he couldn't tell the king, because Annabeth wouldn't be telling her father either.
"There's one more thing, Prince Perseus." Annabeth chewed her bottom lip nervously, "My condition is embarrassing, so I'll ask you not to discuss it with anyone—even my father."
Percy had no problems agreeing to that; discussing such intimate matters made him uncomfortable, anyways.
"Alright, I agree to your conditions." Percy smiled at his fiancée, and this time, Annabeth smiled back. The prince then gestured to the doorway, "Now that the matter is settled, shall we join everyone else outside? The tournament should be starting soon."
~~~ A Kingdom Divided ~~~
Annabeth almost felt guilty for lying to Percy as they exited the throne room together. The prince seemed like an honourable man; he did not deserve to be deceived. Nevertheless, Annabeth had no other choice. Her life was on the line. She would tell whatever lies were required, or create any "medical conditions" necessary, if it meant that she could keep her secret hidden.
Unfortunately, the prince's plan for their marriage suggested that he was smarter than he first appeared. That meant Annabeth would have to be careful around him, because if he ever discovered her deception, both she and her father would be in danger.
A/N: Thanks for reading! I hope you enjoyed it, and please leave a review if you feel inclined to do so. I gladly accept both positive comments and constructive criticism. Flames aren't really appreciated, but I won't delete them either. My goal is to take your comments and make this story better. :)
Does anyone think they know what Annabeth is hiding?
As a small historical note, I thought I'd mention that people in medieval times actually believed that menstrual blood was corrosive! I giggled when I found that out, and decided that I had to incorporate it into the story some way. Hopefully I didn't make any guys cringe (if there are any guys reading this, that is). Also, divorce was frowned on, but annulments were acceptable and frequently issued if consummation never occurred (sometimes kings were even able to get annulments when marriages were consummated, but didn't provide children). So in that way, the plot point is solid.
Two more things before I let you go. One, I mentioned that the tournament would be occurring in this chapter, but the chapter seemed to take on a life of its own once I started writing. I didn't actually plan for Percy and Annabeth's first conversation to go like this, but I'm pleased with the result. It sets things up well for later in the story, and avoids the awkward consummation issue. Back then, people would've expected them to consummate the marriage on their wedding day, regardless of whether they knew each other or were attracted each other. Today, our thinking is different, and I didn't want to make readers uncomfortable, so I developed a plot point to avoid it. Hopefully the people valuing the historical accuracy of this story don't mind too much, because the justification for the delay is still accurate! Anyways, my point here is to tell you that I meant to include the tournament in this chapter, but didn't. Sorry if that disappoints you, but I promise that it WILL be featured in the next chapter.
Lastly, I've updated every other day so far, but I don't know if I'll be able to keep that up. My next update will probably be on Saturday, or around then.