"You've been invited to the royal wedding at Hyphen, next week, my lord." A messenger said to Poseidon, kneeling in the Roden throne room. Poseidon sat in a makeshift throne, placed in front of the original throne, but not directly in front of the original, as to keep respect for the king who came before him. Poseidon hummed in his chair. Percy looked up from his chess game with Achilles, meeting his father's eyes.
"I will attend it." Poseidon said, which made Percy frown.
"Father." He said, standing. "Does this not sound like the most obvious trap you've ever seen?" Percy said in protest. Poseidon shook his head, standing, and walking to his son.
"War is inevitable across this continent, Perseus. People have been rumoring a war between Ruthage and Hyphen for decades now, but I want to show that's not a reality- because truly, our eventual quarrels will be with Olympiad, not Hyphen." Poseidon finished, and he placed a hand on his son's shoulder.
"You will join me to this… wedding, along with Achilles and the fifty finest Ruthage has." He said, pointing an eye at Achilles.
"Yes, sir." Achilles said, and hustled out of the room. Percy sighed, sitting back down.
"You know how much I hate this kind of stuff." Percy said. Poseidon chuckled, and followed Percy's movements. He sat across from his son.
"You asked me about your difference in training from your brothers. You've been trained to win swordfights, they've been trained to endure this type of thing. People would find it disrespectful if I show up with just soldiers, and your brothers are weeks away, so you're coming." Percy groaned.
"At least let me bring my sword," he muttered.
"Sure." Poseidon said, standing and walking back to his 'throne.'
It was a three day ride, including a warm stop to see the royal family in Tetun, on the way to Hyphen. Hyphen was a grand kingdom, only three centuries old, so on the newer side, but intimidating nonetheless. The pure-white architecture flooded through the cities, representing the primary value Hyphen stood for; wealth. Hyphen people were infamous for only caring about their coin. Percy assumed Poseidon had been eyeing Hyphen for over a decade, looking to take control of the city. The location of the main city was central to trading routes between the Northern & Southern kingdoms. He'd heard people refer to Hyphen as 'Ruthage's Key to the South.' and Percy's assumptions were correct, because his father was taking in every detail upon their arrival- every bit of architecture, the people, the places, something he never did with any kingdom he'd seen his father in before. As they walked through the royal castle, Percy caught some weary glimpses. It was only him, his father, Achilles, and two soldiers going through the Royal castle. The other men were allowed to set up camp near the Hyphen barracks, and Percy didn't want to imagine what they were doing there.
"The royal throne room, sir." The guide said, and opened a grand set of double doors into a much larger room, with pillars dividing a main commons and two mirroring wings on each side. On the opposite side of the doors was a long dining table, and sat there was a woman- the absolutely most gorgeous woman Percy had ever seen, platinum blonde hair flowing down her shoulders, and a blind man could see how perfect her skin was.
Queen Aphrodite.
Next to her sat a buff, clearly war-torn man. Scars lined his face, his arms. Percy could tell he was absolutely huge through the regular clothes he donned.
King Ares.
On each side of the royal couple were two girls- splitting images of one another. They had their mother's hair- a blinding platinum blonde, but they both had their fathers eyes, eyes that wanted to kill.
Princesses Piper and Pallada. The miracle twins of Hyphen.
They were called miracles because people thought a mage had to die in his power usage to birth them two. Poseidon had assured Percy that was false, but he wouldn't have put it out of the realm of reality. Aphrodite had been shot by an arrow just below her collarbone but a week before she was due, an assassination attempt on her honeymoon with Ares. Poseidon walked forward, and Percy mirrored his movements. He dropped to a kneel, and Percy did the same.
"Queen Aphrodite. King Ares. Piper. Pallada." he said, nodding to each. He rose, a smile on his face. The royal family stood from their chairs. Ares cracked a grin.
"Poseidon." he said, walking out from the table to hug Percy's father. The other three did the same, greeting and hugging Percy and Poseidon. Percy turned, noticing Achilles had stood back with the other two soldiers. Percy motioned him forward to come meet the family, but he shook his head, waving Percy off.
"It's been too long. Ever since you wed Sally, I've been fearing for your life. I always thought she could kill a man with her eyes." Ares jokes, and Poseidon laughed.
"Before we get started, I think we need to clear the air a bit." Aphrodite said, shoo'ing away Piper and Pallada. "Your taking of Roden." Aphrodite said, and a cold breeze flowed through the room. Percy heard Achilles walk towards them.
"What of it?" Poseidon said confidently. Aphrodite shook her head.
"The only thing separating Roden and Hyphen is Tetun, and the world knows Tetun Royalty would let you do anything, including pass a million-man army through their streets." Aphrodite said sternly, and Poseidon shook his head.
"You have me mistaken. I wouldn't make that sort of play, I am simply just… tightening my grip on some of the Northern kings." Poseidon chuckled.
"You're not trying to have influence in the South?" Ares asked, and Poseidon smiled.
"I think I'm too old to try for some Kingdoms in the South, Perseus here however," Poseidon said, placing a hand on Percy's shoulder. "I can't guarantee that he won't try to invade the South when I'm dead." Poseidon explained. He grabbed a drink off of a dish that a servant brought forward.
"If I change my mind, however." Poseidon started again, "You have my word, that on my father's grave my first move won't be your front door." Percy saw the same confident smile crack his father's face. He hated this version of Poseidon, not the father he knew, rather the version of Poseidon where everything was a threat. If this is how court politics went, he hated it.
It was the day of the wedding, or, not a wedding, as Percy had learned, but a day where it was declared who each princess would marry. They were both sixteen years old, which wasn't irregular- most royal children were declared even before then. Percy had heard stories of arranged marriages upon birth of the next child between some kingdoms. He'd also learned that Aphrodite was allowed to pick her own husband, because she was one of four daughters, the second to youngest, Zeus didn't think anything of what she might become, but she chose Ares, heir to Hyphen, and that Olympiad-Hyphen alliance that came from the marriage has dictated the South for two decades. They, Achilles, Percy and Poseidon were walking to the throne room, or being led there by two Hyphen guards. Poseidon and Achilles had spent the day not just getting ready, but placing bets on who each princess would marry. They predicted Piper would wed Ature Braaten of Astibad, an island kingdom known for having the most deadly navy in the world. Poseidon thought Pallada would marry Destrian of Olympiad, believing that Zeus would force his daughter to maintain the Hyphen-Olympiad alliance. Achilles joked that Aphrodite would wish for Pallada to marry Percy, who almost gagged at the thought. Poseidon laughed, saying he wouldn't let his son marry someone of Olympiad descent.
The guide opened the grand gates, and they walked into the throne room. It was full of people, royalty from all across the continent, family friends of the royal family. Percy recognized some- the royal family of Tetun, probably here to propose their son, Travis to Aphrodite and Ares. As they entered, a silence came over the people, everyone who'd stopped talking stared at the Ruthage royal family.
"Uncle Poseidon!" A pale, tall man wearing mage robes boomed, and walked towards them.
"Nicholas. How good to see you. Still advising, I see?" Poseidon said, hugging the man.
"Always. My father would kill me if I gave up control over these idiots." Nicholas whispered the last part. They pulled apart, and Nicholas smiled down on Percy. He realized now that Nicholas was really damn tall. Like six-foot-five tall.
"This must be the demon I've heard so many stories of. I am Nicholas Di'Angelo, but you can call me Nico. I am the royal mage here at Hyphen, as well as your-" he put a hand on Percy's shoulder, "cousin."
"Perseus, you probably don't remember Nicholas, but his father is Hades, leader of the Brotherhood, Lord of the Mages." Percy nodded, hugging Nicholas. Nicholas pulled away, still smiling.
"How old are you now? I haven't seen you since you were at most six."
"seventeen now." Percy said.
"That's a prime age to come to Azotela, Poseidon." Nico said, raising an eyebrow at Percy's father.
"Over my dead body, Nicholas." Poseidon said, before bursting out laughing with Nico.
"Come, Perseus, I'll introduce you to a couple friends of mine."
"This is Ature of Astibad." Nico started, and Percy shook the hand of this smaller boy, but his hand held firmer than any king he'd ever met.
"I'm Perseus Jackson, but call me Percy, please." Ature nodded.
"Not one for full names?" Ature joked, smiling.
"No, the only people who call me my full name are my father or people trying to kill me." Percy said, laughing at his own joke.
"I've heard stories of you. They say you're the greatest sword fighter on the continent, at only seventeen. That you tore through almost a thousand men yourself at the battle of Roden." Ature said, eyeing Percy.
"Excuse my brother, please. His ego is through the roof at the prospect of marriage tonight." A girl said. Percy turned, and he wish he hadn't. The girl was gorgeous, but not like every other girl in this throne room. She looked like she could kill Percy without breaking a sweat, her pitch black pupils matched her hair.
"Reyna Braaten. Nice to meet you." She reached her hand out, and Percy shook it. She frowned at the motion.
"What?" Percy asked.
"All the men here kissed my hand. I guess I got used to it." She said, taking a drink of whatever was in her cup.
"Oh, apologies. I just don't do this," he motioned to the space around them, "royalty stuff. I've kind of spent my whole life in a barracks or a sparring area." He said, taking a seat next to Reyna.
"I like that. All these people are insufferable. Especially them." she said pointedly, staring down at a group of people at the opposite side of the room. They looked like they hated one another, with a couple of the younger people staring at Percy's group with envy.
"Who are they?"
"Olympiad royal family. Absolute shitshow of people, all of them, complete assholes." Percy smiled, looking at Reyna.
"You speak from experience?"
"My sister, Hylla was almost married to that absolute twat of a man, Apollo, but my father pulled out of the arrangement after realizing how unbeneficial it was for us." Reyna said casually. "I always dreamt of coming into power, invading the main continent and just wiping Olympiad off the map. Then I thought logically, and we as a nation don't have the manpower to do that." She said, taking a bite of the meat on her plate. Percy looked at it, almost salivating out of his mouth due to hunger. He forced himself to look away. Everyone had fallen into conversation.
"You, on the other hand…" she trailed off, smirking at Percy. He looked at her, frowning.
"What about me?" Reyna groaned and rolled her eyes.
"You have been raised a soldier, haven't you?" She said, and Percy felt a twang in his heart.
"That hurts a little." He said, looking around at the royalty around the room. It felt like everyone was incredibly drunk.
"Don't worry, I'm almost the same. My father keeps me out of most if not everything when it concerns royal business. I'm only here because this knobhead," she motioned to her brother, "asked me to be here." Percy smiled.
"Do you have any siblings?" Reyna asked. Percy nodded.
"Three. Triton, Orion and Andromeda, both the complete opposite of me."
"How so?"
"They were raised to be, I don't know, royal. Politicians. They've never handled a blade in their lives. They've been raised to rule a kingdom, not fight a war. I've been raised to be a general of an army, to fight wars, invade kingdoms. We were touring Hyphen and all I could think about was how we could invade it." Percy said. Then there were bagpipes playing, interrupting his thoughts.
"And Andromeda?" Percy smirked at the thought of his sister.
"My father's daughter. Nobody in the world could touch her while he breathes- or I."
"Oh! It's starting." Reyna said excitedly. Percy was lost.
"What's starting?"
"The royals are going to propose their children for marriage, and it's going to go so poorly."
Reyna was right. It went poorly. At least five families had brought their weak-looking sons to offer up to Aphrodite and Ares, all of which had been shot down with insults from both parents. Both Piper and Pallada looked miserable.
Then Zeus got up. He led his son up, Hephaestus was his name. Zeus went on about how a remarriage would allow for the 'great' alliance of the South to be maintained for another generation, and Percy felt bad for Hephaestus. Percy saw the anxiety and misery in the boy from a mile away. He expected Aphrodite to accept Zeus's proposal, but he was surprised, she denied it.
"I wish not for us to… keep it in the family, as some would say. I believe it to be more beneficial for us to branch further out, father. Not just that, but the boy you brought here today is not the most beautiful creature I've ever seen." She was right, Hephaestus was ugly. Zeus growled, and dragged his son back to their table. Percy felt a tap on his shoulder, and Poseidon stood behind him.
"Come, Perseus. It is our turn." he said, and Percy recoiled from shock.
"What?" He said, heartrate increasing rapidly.
"We must give our proposal to Queen Aphrodite and King Ares." Percy felt an anger come up for his father. How dare Poseidon deceive him like this. He wasn't brought along for respect and tradition, he was brought along to get wed off to a Hyphen princess. He growled, and stood.
There was a deathly silence as Poseidon and Percy walked to the center of the room, before the royal family. They stopped on the center of a sundial imprinted on the floor, and Percy stood as straight as possible, with the 'perfect' posture that Chiron was always stressing to him.
"King Ares. Queen Aphrodite. I am here today to offer my son's, Perseus, heir to the Ruthage throne, hand in marriage to your daughter, Piper of Hyphen. A marriage between our children would mean a unity between the two greatest kingdoms in the North and South. Not just that, but Perseus himself is the greatest sword fighter on the continent. He could best any knight from any of these kingdoms present tonight blindfolded and poisoned." That drew laughs from the crowd. "He himself was on the frontline for the battle of Roden." Poseidon started, and there were some hitches in breath.
"He singlehandedly tore through the Roden ranks, eliminating at least a thousand men himself. The honorable Achilles of House Symme can attest." Achilles stepped forward.
"What Lord Poseidon says is true. Perseus was the greatest fighter on the field that day, better than even myself. Without him there, I fear we wouldn't have taken Roden so easily."
"And how easy was that?" someone shouted behind them. Percy turned, and saw that Zeus had said it. Percy sighed.
"Seven thousand Roden dead. We lost no more than five." Percy spoke up sternly.
"Five, what? Thousand?" Zeus mocked, trying to degrade the Ruthage.
"Hundred."
There were literal gasps around the crowd. There had been rumors of a dominant victory for Ruthage, but nothing could've prepared the people there for that number.
"I thank you for your time, your majesties." Poseidon finished, and he walked back, and Percy followed. He heard someone else get up to propose themselves, but he didn't listen at all.
"You lied to me." Percy hissed. Poseidon turned, frowning at his son.
"You wouldn't have come otherwise." Poseidon said carelessly.
"I'm seventeen. I killed my first man just a few days ago. I want nothing to do with these people." Percy spat. Poseidon flared his nostrils.
"Your marriage to either of those girls would make us the greatest kingdom in the world. An empire, a dynasty, a tyranny." Poseidon scolded. "Know your worth, boy, don't make me show you it."
"Why can't Orion or Triton marry them? Triton's sixteen. Perfect age." Percy argued.
"Orion and Triton are due for much greater things than those two girls, Percy." Percy's breath hitched. Rage burned up through him.
"And I'm not?" he growled, turning and walking to take his seat by Reyna back.
The night continued, another few royal families offering up their children, before Aphrodite and Ares had announced they'd made their decision. They called forward Percy, Ature and Hephaestus. The three stood in silence, the royal family seemingly examining them when someone burst in behind them; a knight in full armor, with his face covered. He quickly dispatched the two guards at the door.
"Excuse me, your majesty! Forgive my tardiness, and the misunderstanding with your guards." he rushed to the center of the room. "Please! I come in peace!" he pleaded, with groups of people drawing their weapons. He stared down the three. "If I may, milords." Percy sensed Ature stiffen.
"Let him." Percy said lowly, stepping aside.
"I need but one moment of your time. I am lord Jason Grace of Elard, and I have come to claim your daughter's hand in marriage." he said, and people gasped.
"A knight of no renown, dares enter my court…" Aphrodite rose, "without revealing his face?"
"I apologize, your majesty! A knight's oath forbids me from revealing my face until the midnight bells." Hephaestus lurched forward and kicked the knight's helmet off. Underneath was a grey, animalistic human face. He had no hair- small porcupine spikes replacing it. His teeth resembled that of a rat, with a dog's nose.
"One of you… prove your worth and kill that beast." Aphrodite hissed at the three boys before her.
"This is no beast." Percy said, staring down Jason Grace. "This knight has been cursed."
"You are as worthless as the rest of them, Perseus Jackson. Kill this thing!" Zeus roared, and a knight rushed Jason, but Jason simply dodged the swing and knocked the knight unconscious.
"Queen Aphrodite of Hyphen, Lord Ares, my Piper. By the law of Balhaimer, I have come to claim what is rightfully mine!" Jason declared, and Aphrodite's rage shot to her husband, who stood wide-eyed.
"Lord Ares, in the forests of Baku, I saved your life, and you granted me the right to the law of Balhaimer. I am here to see that promise fulfilled."
"Tell me he is lying." Aphrodite seethed, but Ares shook his head.
"He speaks the truth." Ares said, and guards around the room drew their swords. They closed in around Jason, before attacking. Jason survived a few, before one got him from behind, forcing him to the ground. As the knight above Jason was going to kill him, Percy grabbed a sword from a noble sitting behind him and caught the blade of the knight. Percy kicked the knight back, knocking down another two.
"The law of Balhaimer is considered to be one of fate." Percy said, grabbing Jason's arm and helping him up. "In the all-powerful kingdom of Ruthage, we consider fate to be the one thing you cannot defy. I cannot stand by my heritage and let this happen, your majesty." Percy spoke to Aphrodite. Jason grabbed a sword off of the floor, as more knights attacked. Percy was a machine- whirling through faceless guards and knights, being sure not to kill, only to send a message.
"Stop!" King Zeus roared. "I have seen enough. I will not let my granddaughter get married off to some nameless fool because of a worthless law." The fighting ceased, and Zeus walked to the center of the room, face to face with Percy.
"I say we duel for it." He said cockily.
"Right here." Percy reinforced, wiping blood off of his sword. Zeus ripped a blade from one of his knight's hands, dashing at Percy, who deflected Zeus's strikes, but Percy could tell Zeus was stronger than he'd anticipated. Zeus's blows were easy to read, but the physical strength was too much. Percy ducked and weaved, retaliating. He cut open Zeus's arm with a quick strike, backing away. Zeus grew angry, blindly rushing Percy, but Percy ducked under and kicked Zeus in the jewels, and tripped him. Zeus squirmed on the ground in pain. Percy flicked the blade out of the king's hands, the seventeen year old towering over his opponent.
"You never defy fate, King Zeus." he said, walking back to Jason's side. Piper shot up from her seat, sprinting to Jason, and embracing him.
"I told you not to come." she whispered.
"I could not stand by and let this happen without making an attempt, Piper." Jason said back. "Queen Aphrodite, I saved your husband's life in the forests of Baku, and was gifted the law of Balhaimer as compensation."
"Oh, you stupid bastard." Aphrodite hissed at Ares, walking out from the royal family's table and onto the floor. "Better off you'd left him for dead."
"You knew he'd come." Percy said to the queen.
"And you…" Aphrodite stared at Piper, "carousing with the beast that swindled your stupid father!" she spat, and Piper flinched back.
"It is not swindling, mother. The law of Balhaimer comes from generations before us. It's always been an honest gamble." Piper corrected.
"Your majesty, with the law, you're as likely to get a bumper crop as you are a child. Fate has determined that it is Piper."
"Is there not a man in here that does not cower before destiny?" Aphrodite exclaimed. "Does Poseidon, the all-ruling emperor of Ruthage, the strongest empire of our generation, fear destiny?" she called, and Poseidon slowly emerged from where he was sitting in the back of the room.
"In the case of tonight, yes, your majesty. I do fear destiny. However, I've witnessed mothers murder children, kings trying to barter their women, and every inch of a battlefield. You cannot be riddled with a plague and cry destiny, ignoring the fifty other corpses lining the street." he walked to the center of the room. "The Law of Balheimer goes back further than the Ruthage record knows. A promise gave is a promise kept." he finished. Aphrodite simply nodded. She walked to Jason, pulling him close, and whispering something in his ear. Percy saw her unsheath the dagger in her dress, and swing at Jason.
Piper let out a scream from behind them, and wind flooded the room. Everyone was shot backwards, just Jason and Piper in the center remained. A tornado-like barrier surrounded them. The windows shattered, and hand-in-hand, Jason and Piper started to levitate. It was unlike anything Percy had ever seen before. Percy tried to get to them, but was forced back. He took his dagger out from its sheath at his hip, and with all of his strength, he threw it butt-first at Piper's head, and it pierced the shield and hit her. The wind went away, and everyone stood, looking to see what had happened. Aphrodite looked around- her dining room destroyed. Glass, blood and every decoration imaginable thrown about, but in the center sat Jason and Piper, hand in hand.
"Do you believe in fate now, Queen Aphrodite?" Percy asked her, and she ignored him, rising. She walked to the two in the center, taking Piper's face in her hands.
"Is this what you want? Truly?" she asked, and Piper nodded her head. She turned to Jason, lip quivering, and through what Percy thought could only be white-hot rage, said, "you have my blessing." Suddenly Jason dropped to the ground, screaming in pain. Bells sounded outside.
"Jason? Do we have a mage?" Piper asked.
"No!" Percy ran forward, "his curse. It's wearing off." slowly but surely, a beast-like creature morphed into a human. Striking blonde hair replaced the porcupine-like spikes, his dog-nose reverted, and when he opened his eyes- an encapsulating blue stared back at Percy.
"Jason…" Piper said, tearing up.
"Is it gone?" he asked, breathlessly. Piper nodded, hand to her mouth to cover her sobs. They pulled eachother into an embrace. Percy started to walk to check on his father.
"Wait! Lord Perseus. Tonight you have done more for me than anyone ever has. You have saved my life, and carried me to new beginnings. I must repay you."
"I have trust you'd do the same for me, Jason. I do not need such." He reaffirmed.
"Please, Perseus. I cannot start a new life off the back of a debt to another." Jason pleaded. Percy rolled his eyes and turned back.
"Fine. I'll take the law of Balhaimer, as you have. If you come back from wartime to a child, well, you know how it goes." People around the room gasped.
"Do you have any idea what you just did?" someone beside him hissed.
"Fear not, if I'm seen here again I'll either be dead, a prisoner of war, or more likely to find a new dog than to find a child." he said, turning back to where his father was. As he was walking, he heard the sound of someone puking, turning on his heel.
In front of Piper was a pool of vomit.