A/N: Wow! I want to start this chapter off with a huge thank you to everyone who reviewed! They would be: Bolle Accidentali, Biaxbm, ZeynepD, Jedi1, schinthaladpudi, those-that-wander, Wow (a guest), bookloverforevah18, and aquachick521. You're all awesome! I couldn't believe that I'd gotten so many reviews (nine in total for the last update, which is three times the average for my chapters so far). Each of your comments brought a huge smile to my face, so again, I'd like to say: thank you!
You've waited a week for this update so I'll keep the rest of this author's note short. You just need to know that "cotehardie" was a fitted jacket worn by medieval men in the late 14th century. Women also wore cotehardies, but theirs were fitted dresses.
That's all for now, so enjoy the chapter! As promised, it includes the first Percabeth kiss.
Percy and Annabeth's wedding guests poured out of the chapel and into the courtyard shortly after Mass ended. The nobles gathered outside the chapel doors, but left a pathway for the new royal couple to walk through. As soon as Percy appeared in the doorway with Annabeth on his left side, they cheered and applauded for the couple. Several guests threw seeds over the newlyweds' heads in order to bless them with fertility. A few of those seeds became lodged in Percy's hair as he led Annabeth through the crowd, but he appreciated the gesture anyways.
He and Annabeth approached the Great Hall, where their wedding feast was ready to begin. The hall looked just like it had forty days earlier, at the tournament banquet. Two long tables covered in linen cloths ran the length of the hall. They were flanked by dark wooden benches, and they were empty aside from a few candelabras and centerpieces. The guests would supply their own plates, goblets, and utensils. Only the High Table, which rested at the far end of the hall, on the dais, had cutlery and dishes already set out.
Percy and Annabeth walked towards that table while their guests entered the hall behind them. Each guest was greeted by a servant and led to his or her seat, but they all remained standing until Percy, Annabeth, and their parents sat down at the High Table.
As soon as the last guest of honour was seated, the rest of the nobles sat also, and the castle chaplain blessed the meal. He barely spoke the word 'Amen' before several servants carried water basins, bowls, and linen towels into the Great Hall. The servants helped each guest wash, and then kitchen squires brought in the dishes for the first course. They served the High Table first, presenting a civet of hare, a quarter of a stag, a stuffed chicken, and a loin of veal. The chicken and veal were covered with sauce, gilt sugarplums, and pomegranate seeds. The servants also placed enormous meat pies at either end of the table, and then placed smaller pies on top of them until they formed the shape of a crown. Percy accepted portions from every dish, and when he bit into the pies, he tasted deer, gosling, capons, chicken, pigeon, and rabbit in the filling.
The food was so good, and the prince was so hungry, that he barely spoke a word to his new bride. There were jesters pranking guests at the lower tables, minstrels playing songs from the gallery, and multiple jugglers providing entertainment, so Annabeth did not speak to him much, either. In fact, they both enjoyed the food and entertainment so much that all of the feast's five courses passed before they shared a full conversation.
Percy turned towards Annabeth while she was washing her hands at the end of the final course, then he smiled. "Did you enjoy the meal, Princess Annabeth?"
His bride looked taken aback at her new title, but she quickly recovered herself. "Yes. Did you?"
Percy confirmed that he did. Then he paused while Annabeth dried her hands on a linen towel and passed it off to a servant. As soon as the princess's hands were empty and her attention was back on him, Percy cleared his throat nervously. "You look beautiful today."
Annabeth looked pleased with his compliment, but her smile quickly turned devious. "Only today?"
The prince spluttered. "I—no, of course not. I just meant—"
"Relax," his bride chuckled. She placed a comforting hand on his forearm, "I'm only teasing."
Percy nodded, but he still felt flustered. For some reason, talking with Annabeth made him extremely nervous. Looking at the princess then, with her golden hair glowing in the candlelight and her grey eyes glistening, Percy was afraid that he would say something embarrassing.
"I like your dress."
Like that.
The prince closed his eyes as heat rushed to his face. Chivalry required him to compliment his lady on her beauty, and Annabeth gave him a lot to work with in that regard, so why did he choose to comment on her clothing? What kind of man took an interest in his lady's dress?
When the prince opened his eyes again, Annabeth was staring at him with an amused expression on her face.
"I mean the colour," Percy tried to explain. "Blue is my favourite."
He was saved from further embarrassment when the castle chaplain stood to deliver the post-meal prayer. The Great Hall grew silent, but Annabeth leaned over and whispered in his ear just before the priest began to speak. "My favourite is green."
She leaned back with a small smile on her face, then folded her hands and bowed her head. Meanwhile, the prince glanced down at his clothes—an emerald cotehardie, white hose, and a forest green cloak. He grinned widely as the priest began to pray.
"We give Thee thanks, Almighty God, for all Thy benefits, and for the poor souls of the faithful departed, through the mercy of God, may they rest in peace. Amen."
"Amen," the guests echoed. They crossed themselves, and then stood so that the lower tables and benches could be cleared. Servants carried that furniture away, but two squires brought a new, smaller table in. There was nothing unusual about the table—it was three feet long, equally wide, and covered in a white table cloth—but Percy's heart stuttered when the squires set it down. They placed it at the bottom of the dais, in full view of both the High Table and the rest of the assembly. Then a new squire placed a single gold plate upon it.
The prince felt Annabeth stiffen beside him as the guests stepped forward, one by one, to place small buns on the plate. Once the gold surface was covered, they started placing the bread rolls on top of each other to form a tall tower. By the time that the last guest placed his bun down, the pile stood two feet tall, and the table lifted it another three feet off the ground.
The guests glanced at Percy and Annabeth, whose faces had turned bright red, then they began to whisper excitedly amongst themselves. Their whispers grew louder as the royal couple stood and walked slowly towards their wedding cake. Percy stopped next to the right side of the table, while Annabeth stood on the left. They made awkward eye contact over the buns, then shuffled closer until their waists were pressed against the table.
Percy's heart rate doubled as he thought about what came next; they had to kiss over the cake. Unfortunately, that was easier said than done when the buns were piled up so high. Knocking the bread down was a bad omen, but if the cake remained intact after their kiss, they would enjoy a long and prosperous marriage. Given their secret plans to get an annulment, the prince half expected every bun to roll off the plate.
He leaned in slowly and hesitantly while Annabeth did the same. Their lips met in the middle, just two inches above the highest bun. The cake stood firm, but Percy's mind turned to mush. He suddenly couldn't remember—why hadn't they tried this sooner?
Then Annabeth pulled back, and Percy's brain gradually resolidified. It still felt a little wobbly, like the jelly they'd had for dessert, but his senses were all working fine. He heard the guests cheering for them, felt his heart beating wildly, and saw Annabeth staring at him with wide grey eyes. She was biting her lower lip anxiously, which made Percy frown. Kissing him couldn't have been that bad.
The prince didn't have time to dwell on that thought, however, because the minstrels started playing a new, slow song from the gallery. That was his signal to open the evening dance with Annabeth. He offered her his arm, and they walked to the center of the Great Hall together. The guests all circled around them, and the music grew louder as Percy withdrew his arm, then clasped Annabeth's left hand with his own. He lifted their joined hands up to the height of their heads, and then they each took a small step backwards. Next, they moved forward until they were standing so close that their left forearms rested vertically against each other. They repeated those steps—moving backwards, then forwards—and then, when their forearms were flush against each other once more, they maintained that position and rotated slowly to the right. They turned in a complete circle, and then, when they were back to their original positions, they repeated each step.
Other guests quickly joined the dance. They all clasped hands with a partner, then stepped backwards, forwards, backwards, forwards, and rotated in time with the music. The king and queen also joined, and soon, the entire assembly was dancing.
The rest of the evening passed quickly. It consisted of dancing, drinking, music, and more drinking. The king and queen danced for a while, but they pleaded exhaustion after the lively estampie and promptly returned to their seats at the High Table. In comparison, Percy and Annabeth took hardly any breaks. The music seemed to dispel Annabeth's earlier anxiety, and the liveliness of the crowd energized the prince. They danced almost every set—both fast and slow—and both seemed to be enjoying themselves immensely. Every once in a while, Percy would notice his parents beaming at them from the High Table, but he was too busy concentrating on his dance steps to pay them much attention.
That changed quickly when the king stood from his chair and called out to the crowd, "It's time for the bedding!"
The music came to an immediate halt, and every guest stopped dancing. A group of young men charged the newlywed couple, and Percy had to suppress his battle instincts, which told him to fight them off. He knew that the men meant them no harm, so he allowed them to lift both him and Annabeth up off the ground. Nevertheless, his hand did itch for his sword when they started grasping for Annabeth's garter. Fortunately for the men reaching under his bride's dress, the prince wasn't carrying Riptide with him that day.
No one else stepped in to help Annabeth, either, because grappling for the garter was an approved wedding tradition. The guests merely cheered as one burly noble tore off Annabeth's left garter, and another grabbed her right one. Other than Percy, the only person who didn't seem pleased with the tradition was Annabeth, whose skin had turned deathly white. Her grey eyes were wide with fear, and she clamped her thighs together tightly.
Percy couldn't help but wonder at her strange reaction. He couldn't think of any woman who would be happy to have strange men reach under her dress and remove a piece of clothing, but Annabeth didn't seem shy, she seemed frightened. The panic in her expression suggested that she thought the men would hurt her, but that thought seemed ridiculous—no one would dare violate or harm her in front of her husband, her father, or her father-in-law, the king.
Percy tried to make eye contact with Annabeth to assure her that she was safe, but that proved difficult when the men carrying him kept jostling him around. Thankfully, Annabeth seemed to calm down when her second garter was removed. The men took their hands out from under her dress, and she seemed to realize that they didn't mean her any harm, because the fear in her eyes subsided. Her skin changed from pale to bright red in a matter of seconds when the men carried her and Percy out of the Great Hall and towards the gatehouse.
The guests cheered loudly after them, but most stayed behind in the hall. Only Poseidon followed the men as they carried the bride and groom into the gatehouse tower, up the stairs to the first floor, and into the princess's chambers.
The bishop who officiated their wedding was already in the room, waiting for them to arrive. He raised his hands as soon as they entered the chamber, and then pronounced a blessing over them. "The Lord be with you."
"And with thy spirit." Poseidon and the men carrying the couple intoned.
The bishop then bowed his head to pray, "Bless, O Lord, this bedroom, and all who dwell in it: that they may abide in thy peace, and remain in thy will, and live in thy love, and grow old and multiply into length of days. Through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen."
He moved towards the bed, then raised his hands once more. "The Lord be with you."
"And with thy spirit." Poseidon and the men repeated.
The bishop then prayed again, "Bless, O Lord, this bed, you who sleep not, nor may sleep. You who guard Israel, guard thy servants who rest in this bed from all false dreams of demons. Guard them while they watch, that sleeping they may meditate upon thy precepts, and sense thee through sleep, that here and anywhere they may be guarded by the help of thy defence. Through our Lord Jesus Christ. Amen."
The men carried Percy and Annabeth from the door to the bed, then they placed the couple down upon the mattress. Poseidon stepped forward as well, and everyone crowded around the bed as the bishop uttered the final blessing.
"Let us pray. May the hand of God be over you and may he send his holy angel to guard you all the days of your lives. Amen."
Poseidon, the bishop, and the men all crossed themselves, and then they left the room so that Percy and Annabeth could validate their marriage. Poseidon was the last to go; he turned as he crossed the threshold, sent Percy an obvious wink, and then pulled the door shut behind him.
The prince flushed at his father's behaviour. He waited a moment for his face to cool, and then rolled onto his side to face Annabeth. The princess stared boldly back at him, but her shallow breathing betrayed her nerves. When Percy tried to place a comforting hand on her shoulder, she flinched.
The prince drew back as if he'd been burned, "I'm sorry!"
Annabeth shook his apology off. "It's fine."
She sat straight up in the bed, and then looked Percy dead in the eyes. "I need you to confirm that your plans for this marriage haven't changed."
The prince's eyebrows drew together in a straight line. "What do you mean?"
"I'm referring to our agreement about the nature of this marriage," Annabeth clarified. She glanced nervously at the door, as though she was afraid that someone might be listening. "My condition hasn't changed."
"Oh," Percy propped himself up on one elbow. He struggled to meet her gaze as he realized what she was referring to, "Don't worry, I don't expect anything from you tonight. Our agreement still stands."
Annabeth let out a shaky breath and settled herself back down onto the bed. Her relief was palpable, and Percy wasn't sure whether he should take that as an insult or not. He rolled to the edge of her bed, then stood.
"I should leave."
He started to walk towards the door, but Annabeth's voice stopped him.
"No!" She pushed herself off the bed and practically ran towards him. "We still need to make this marriage look real. You should wait a few minutes, just in case someone is outside. If anyone noticed you leaving too quickly…"
She trailed off, but Percy understood her meaning perfectly. If he left her chambers too soon, and was spotted doing so, then it would be obvious that their marriage was not consummated. That would attract a lot of unwanted attention at court, and their marriage would be susceptible to an annulment before they were ready for one.
"Please," Annabeth grabbed his hand, sending a shot of warmth up the prince's arm, "stay for a few minutes."
Percy didn't have much choice in the matter, so he agreed. Annabeth's posture lost its rigidity the moment that he nodded, and they walked back to her bed together.
They spent the next two hours talking. Percy was surprised at how easily their conversation flowed, but chatting with Annabeth was easy when there weren't any candles around to make her hair glow golden and her eyes shine like silver. The prince made it through their entire conversation without embarrassing himself—although, it helped that Annabeth did most of the talking.
When Percy finally left, it was only because Annabeth's head was starting to droop. She insisted that she wasn't tired and he didn't have to go, but Percy excused himself anyways. He was glad that she didn't want him to leave, but it was late, and his eyelids were starting to feel unusually heavy. He needed to return to his chambers before he fell asleep, fully clothed, on top of his new bride's bedsheets.
Annabeth reluctantly acknowledged the logic of his argument, so they bid each other goodnight, and then Percy left her chambers. He walked down the corridor to his room with a tired smile on his face. Every time he spoke with Annabeth, he found himself liking her more. They'd exchanged several letters in the weeks preceding their wedding, and between those letters and the few times they'd met in person, Percy already felt a strong connection with her. Now that they lived together, he would get to see her more often. He looked forward to developing their friendship further.
Four guards greeted Percy outside his bedchamber door—two more than usual. They placed their hands on their swords when he approached them, but quickly stood aside when they recognized his face in the torchlight. Percy passed between them and entered his room, but he stopped short in the doorway when he spotted Poseidon sitting on his bed. Suddenly the two extra guards made sense.
The king stood as soon as he noticed Percy. He glanced at the prince's wrinkled clothes, then grinned. "So the deed is done?"
Percy's clothes were wrinkled from when the men dropped him onto Annabeth's mattress earlier that night, during the bedding ceremony, but he didn't bother to correct the king's assumption.
Poseidon took his silence as a confirmation. "There is no need to be embarrassed, Son. You are wed now; consummation is your right, and your duty."
The king clapped Percy proudly on the back, and then went to leave the room. He pushed the chamber door open, then paused. "Oh, and Perseus?"
The prince turned towards him with one eyebrow raised, "Yes, Father?"
Poseidon smirked, "Your mother and I are eager to welcome a new royal heir. Try not to keep us waiting."
~~~ A Kingdom Divided ~~~
Annabeth was tired; she barely managed to keep her eyes open after Percy left. Nevertheless, she resisted the urge to crawl under her bedcovers and sleep, because there were other matters that she had to attend to first. The servants would check her sheets for blood in the morning, and she had to make sure that they found some.
Thankfully, Annabeth always had a plan, so she came prepared. She pulled a necklace out from under her chemise, and then detached the small vial of chicken's blood that was hanging from the chain. She pulled back her sheets, removed the vial's cap, and then poured the chicken blood onto the bed. It was an unoriginal, but effective, method of faking lost virginity.
The princess let out a shaky breath as she watched the chicken blood dry. Then she replaced the cap and hid the vial. Finally, she stripped down to her linen undergarments and climbed into the bed, where she quickly fell asleep.
That night, she dreamt of life in Merchester Castle, where she no longer had to deal with her father's spite, her mother-in-law's censure, or her half-brothers' antics. For the first time in a long time, she slept with a content smile on her face.
A/N: So how did you like the chapter? It had a lot more Percabeth than previous updates, and it included their first kiss. We don't have much insight into Annabeth's feelings yet, but Percy is clearly warming up to his bride.
One reviewer asked me if this story will ever venture into an M-rating. Sorry to disappoint you, but the answer is no. I will have Percy and Annabeth grow closer, of course, but I won't write any explicit material. Percabeth is married, and they will fall in love, so they'll probably consummate the marriage at some point (I think, but I'm not sure, because I haven't gotten that far in the story yet). When/if that happens in this story, it will take place "off screen." In other words, I'll allude to it and show their reactions afterwards, but I won't describe the actual encounter.
I hope it's not narcissistic of me to say this, but I really loved the following paragraph: "[Percy] allowed [the men] to lift both him and Annabeth up off the ground. Nevertheless, his hand did itch for his sword when they started grasping for Annabeth's garter. Fortunately for the men reaching under his bride's dress, the prince wasn't carrying Riptide with him that day." Protective!Percy is so much fun to write!
Finally, I've had a few reviewers on AO3 ask me to include Thalia (and Thaluke) in this story. Is that something you would be interested in?
That's all for now. Sorry for the long author's note, but thanks for reading and please review! As always, there are a few historical notes below for the people who are interested.
Historical notes: (1) It was an actual medieval wedding tradition for the newlyweds to kiss over a "cake" (which, in medieval weddings, was just a pile of buns). In some countries, the husband would follow the kiss by breaking a bun from the cake over his wife's head (to ensure their fertility), which is the origin of modern cake smashing. I didn't include that tradition in the story, but I thought you might find it interesting. (2) Young male wedding guests (usually groomsmen) actually did charge the bride and fight over her garters. Then they carried the newlyweds up to the bride's room for their bedding. In some countries (but not all), people actually stayed in the room while the bride and groom consummated their marriage! In other countries, like Atlantis in this story, male guests simply put the bride and groom to bed, then left them alone and assumed that consummation would occur. (3) I made up the dance between Percy and Annabeth. There are no existing records that describe the choreography of medieval court dances, but we do know a few common steps, so I just combined a few of those steps to create the dance in the story. (4) Every once in a while, Percy will give Annabeth random compliments in this story. That will seem a little out of character from the Percy we all know and love (who thought a lot of complimentary things about Annabeth, but rarely spoke them out loud). Nevertheless, men in medieval times were expected to compliment ladies openly and frequently. It was the "chivalrous" thing to do, so Percy's random compliments to Annabeth (such as when he called her beautiful at the feast) are natural and expected for men of the time. They're not out of character, they're just an example of how medieval Percy and modern Percy would have different habits, since both are a product of their times.
Thanks for reading!