Mission Accepted: Percabeth AU (HoO)✔️

Uncertainty

Photo by Sarah Darcaj on Unsplash 

"Absolutely not," Monica shakes her head.

Piper crosses her arms, "Okay then where would you put it?"

"I was thinking silk draped over here," Monica points to an empty wall in the Great Room where the palace hosts parties that are not balls. "They would be deep violet and black, representing the luxurious colours of Ast."

I really have no experience when it comes to planning a party, let alone a Royal one with a kingdom I know nothing about. So, of course, I'm not sure what to say. Luckily, Piper jumps in, "What about flowers? Red?"

Monica purses her lips, "Red is used for mourning in their culture. However, bright yellow is used for celebrations, we could use that?"

"That could very well work," I nod along not having a clue what I'm doing. My hands fidget more and more throughout our planning sessions, itching to get back to my real work.

Monica passes a sketchbook to me, "Anna, draw out the flowers around the edge of the tables."

I look down at the sketched out Great Room, silk drapes, and beautiful decorations planned out. Tables leave room for a place to stand and for the 'dance floor', neatly organized. Taking the pencil from her, I roughly draw flowers on the edges, my hand shaking slightly. I'm not the best drawer in the world, let's just say that.

Piper looks over my shoulder, "Annie what the hell is that?"

"Its..." I gesture wildly to my sketch. "uh, flowers."

Monica lets out a laugh when she glances at the page, "It does not look like flowers."

I thrust the sketchbook into Piper's hands, saying with a hint of a smile on my face, "Here. You draw then." Piper snorts, erasing my drawings.

We continue to move around the room until we have a clear plan on what we want it to look like. Nerves build inside me, thinking of the coming week. I shove the thoughts away before they can form. Instead, I turn to Lady Annabeth for help – shutting the agent thinking down – suggesting to Pipes and Mon, "Let's go to the archive section of the library to gather information on Ast."

Monica looks at the Great Room once more before nodding slowly, wheels turning in her head, "Yeah, good idea." She faces us, "Who do you think's gonna go home?"

"Is it too wishful to say, Hasina?" Piper asks.

I laugh a little, "Yeah, that's not happening for a bit sadly. The King won't let it."

Monica's eyes widen and she looks down the hallway as we leave, "Annie! You can't just say that!" It takes me a second to realize she's talking about the King and not Hasina being Cruz. I just shrug, unsure of what to say.

"I think one of us could go home," Piper bites her lip uncertainly. "I mean it can't be Hasina, and Paris has gotten close with Percy." Hearing that new piece of information, my heart twists.

Monica looks to me, "I'm afraid it could be you, Annie."

Immediately I get defensive, saying a little too roughly, "Why do you say that?"

Monica flinches, wincing, "You were gone for like four days or something, a lot happens in that time."

"Let's just hope it's not one of us." I sigh, running a hand through my hair. None of us voice how much of a lie that is.

*~*

~*~

"What's with you and Paris?" I question the second Percy comes into my room.

His eyebrows furrow, closing the door behind him, "Paris?"

"Yeah."

"Did the other girls say something?"

I look down at my hands, fidgeting. "They said you've gotten close with her while I've been gone."

Percy sits next to me on the bed, tucking one leg while the other hangs off the bed to face me. His eyes soften when he speaks, "I mean, yeah, I've gotten closer with her." I let out a sharp exhale and he continues, "What was I supposed to do? There was a chance you weren't going to come back, Father was pressuring me, I was to go on all these dates. And Paris, she was very persistent. I had to have someone in mind if you...if you – died."

Silence takes hold of the room. I know it's unfair to blame him for the situation, for needing to pick a wife regardless by the end of this to secure an heir and the kingdom. I push back against the small thorns of hurt, slipping my hand into his. He squeezes it and I smile slightly. "It's okay, I know this whole thing is stressful for us both."

Percy leans closer, his sea-green eyes looking at me with intent, "You have to know I was at that mic, in that conference room every time I was not needed elsewhere in the palace. I hated leaving your side. I zoned out most dates, most meetings, most balls. I could only think about if I was going to see you again. Annabeth, you have to know I am choosing you to be my wife and I know this is not the most ceremonious way to say this and I will propose to you soon without the eyes of the public or rebels or agents or the girls or anyone." He gulps after his rambling, run-on sentence. "But I want to marry you."

His words knock the air out of me completely. "I uhh – "

"You don't have to respond this second, I just wanted you to know," he says.

I trace his palm with my finger, exhaling, "I want to marry you too. But this whole Selection thing is so fast, so demanding. I wish – I just wish...you weren't royalty."

The way he looks at me is as if I slapped him, "So, you're saying you might not say yes because I'm going to become King?"

I throw my hands up, "I don't know Percy! It's a lot to take in, I never thought I would marry you coming into this, let alone be the freaking Queen!"

"We can take this slow," he urges.

I scoff, "What about this is slow?! Percy, you're demanded to marry someone by the end of this! What if I want to wait a couple years?!"

He runs his hand through his hair, "I don't know, I don't know."

"Well, I guess we both agree on that. We both just don't know," I say, pushing off the bed, walking to the balcony.

I breathe until I hear the door close, signaling that he's left. Leaning against the railing I let out a frustrated cry. 

Have a great day/night wherever you are! - The Fangirl