Pampered by the Villainous Tyrant King

Chapter 8

A/N: I own nothing but plot. Enjoy!

********************************

The princess was slowly transforming, Percy thought. A few days of nutritious food, rest, and medicine had helped transform the shadow of a person into a brighter and healthier image. Her hollow cheeks were slowly being filled out and her physicians were getting her to gain some weight. Still, she looked like she could be blown over by a simple breeze.

She was doing well in her studies, though her etiquette teachers noted that her skills starting out were those of a beginner. As expected of someone who had never been taught the etiquette of a noble from birth. Yet this frail looking woman was smiling and extending her hand out as though she was the strongest knight in the world.

"You're quite audacious, Princess." Percy finally said.

Behind the princess, her maid, Lucy, looked nervous. Perhaps she thought that the king was displeased and her new mistress was in trouble.

"But I like bold people." Percy finished. "I'm a person who holds grudges as well. We are alike in that aspect."

He dropped his teacup in its fine porcelain saucer with clink sound that made Lucy flinch. But the princess remained unwavering.

"But has the princess ever thought that if she were to hold hands with this king, that she may be the one to be dragged to hell with me?"

The princess' smile didn't change, as though she had expected it.

"I wouldn't have offered this deal without knowing the risks, Your Majesty."

Percy reached over and placed his hand in hers. Her hand felt delicate in his larger and calloused hand but she shook his hand with a firmness unlike her feeble appearance.

"Then I hope we shall be good partners," Princess Annabeth said lightly.

Surprisingly, the princess wanted a written contract in addition to their verbal agreement.

"It's not that I don't trust the king's words. I just think a written contract will help us remember every detailed condition we have for each other." The princess's grey eyes shone innocently.

Percy just shook his head and chuckled. He was used to having people be afraid of him so the princess' reaction was rather...refreshing. And so the conditions were carefully listed.

The eldest Kiran princess would have Percy's help in keeping the Kirans from assassinating her. In return, the princess, acting as the Eldoris Queen, would not only manage the internal palace affairs properly, but also help root out the dowager queen's hold on the influence while blocking other noble Eldoris families who may want to insert their daughters or sisters for the position of the king's mistress. He was definitely the one earning more of the bargain on this deal, unless the princess was holding something back.

"You know, I don't really care if you have a lover or two, Your Majesty. As long as my conditions are met."

Percy frowned. It was strange for the main wife to push her husband towards other women. The princess' words truly indicated the shallow depths of her feelings towards him.

Even his father, King Poseidon, had only eyes for Percy's mother when she was queen and had never taken another concubine. It was only under Lady Amphitrite's family's political pressure and that Lady Amphitrite had a passing resemblance to Percy's mother that Poseidon had remarried. But King Poseidon had always reinforced the principle of not having more than one wife for familial relations would be messy.

For Percy to take on concubines would mean his enemies would have more opportunities to place spies right inside his very domain. He wasn't a particularly lusty person in the first place, nor did he even have any woman in his past life since fighting a war took precedence.