The Arranged Marriage (Percy Jackson Fanfiction)

Nineteen

Percy, for the first time in his life, despised the sunshine that poured into his window, dragging him from his slumber in which had taken hours to fall into. Percy's sheets wee tangled around his legs and sweat coated them in a thin sheen—a sign of the nightmares that had chased away any hope of him having a good night of sleep. The sunlight splayed its warm fingers on his bed and Percy snarled at it. The breeze danced through the open window and ruffled his hair and dried his sweat. Crete was awake and lively outside—already tending to their daily duties and enjoying the warmth of the early summer sun.

When Percy looked to Annabeth's bed he was surprised to find her already gone awake and gone, her bed remade, the armor and fighting leathers that hung by her bed gone too. Percy had a faint idea of where she was—and figured he could use a few moments of blowing off steam too, especially before reports of Roma, the questioning of his people and those of surrounding city-states, flowed in. And so Percy donned his fighting leathers, slid Riptide into its scabbard at his side and sheathed a couple of daggers in the bandolier that crossed his chest. As he left, he poked his head back in and shoved one last dagger into the sheath strapped to his leg that wrapped around his thigh—one could never be too careful.

Especially with war sneaking up behind them awaiting the moment when they dropped their guard and it could slide its cold fingers down their throats. And press down until they couldn't breathe anymore.

* * *

Indeed the ringing clang of a metal sword slicing through its obstacle was Percy's betrothed—hacking and sawing and slashing at dummy after dummy until stuffing and metal armor littered the arena. Annabeth spun, her foot connecting with a crack as she sent the last dummy flying across the arena, its legs ripping from its torso at the sheer force behind the blow.

Percy watched in awe of his wife-to-be as she flung her dagger that she had tugged free from her waist band and impaled the shredded dummy as it jerked into the wall twenty feet away. Percy leaned against the column by the door and clapped slowly. Annabeth turned lazily and grinned: "Enjoying the show? Maybe you could learn something."

"Show me what you've got," he said, gesturing to himself, "we'll duel. I want to see your swordsmanship anyways."

Annabeth's eyes went wide—"Wait, who said anything about swordsman – "

"Here," Percy tossed Annabeth a sword and drew Riptide from his scabbard, smiling innocently when Annabeth flinched a bit.

Annabeth frowned then opened her mouth to most likely object, but Percy was already swinging. Annabeth hefted the sword Percy had given her up to parry his strike and shot him a wild glare. Percy grinned in return as he yanked his sword back—to Annabeth's chagrin, she didn't lose her balance. Annabeth snarled at him and unsheathed the dagger at her side, swinging it up along with her sword to trap Riptide with them. Percy saw the attack coming and yanked his sword away, ducking to avoid a blow to his shoulder. Annabeth swept a leg out to trip him but Percy rolled and jumped up to swing Riptide at Annabeth's exposed left side. Percy stepped into her range and grabbed her sword arm, twisting easily so that it fell to the ground at there feet and he parried her slash with her dagger. Percy's arm thrummed from the impact and it jarred his teeth. Annabeth bared her teeth at him before driving her knee up —

Percy grunted in pain but managed to stay standing, his lower region howling in pain. His grip on his sword loosened and Annabeth drove her dagger into the hilt, forcing Percy to drop it. Percy gaped at Annabeth but watched as she smiled in victory.

"Too sensitive!" She chirped as she stepped closer, laughter dancing in her eyes.

Percy rolled his eyes—and struck. Like an asp in the desert, Percy sprung at Annabeth, slamming into her, sending them both sprawling over, Annabeth's dagger flung from her hand. Annabeth barely had time to widen her eyes in surprise before Percy had her pinned to the grass in the arena, his lower region still singing in agony, but he held tight, leaning down to laugh in her face: "Too cocky!"