Courtly Love (a Percy Jackson AU)

Chivalrous Men Give Knives to Pretty Girls

***Annabeth***
"Princess Annabeth," Piper told me, her eyes sparkling in excitement for the first time in many weeks. "I have news for thou."
"What is it?" I asked, looking up from my embroidery.
"King Percy desires that you and him spend a day together on horseback," she told me.
"Together?" I asked. "Without a chaperone?"
"Well, yes," Piper said.
I put down my embroidery. Horseback riding sounded much more thrilling than causing my eyes to water up from sewing all day. "I should like that," I said, getting up.
I quickly brushed my hair, something I never bothered to do until I had to leave my chambers, and straightened my grey, velvet dress. "Thou art coping well?" I asked my lady-in-waiting.
Piper didn't answer, so I turned towards her. "I can still convince the king that Lord Dylan deserves to be executed," I told her, but she shook her head and said nothing.
"Have a fair day, milady!" she said as I left.
I met King Percy at the stables. In his tunic, with a sword strapped to his belt, and cloak over his broad shoulders, he truly looked majestic. I dare say that my face may have been colored like a sunset. I dropped into a curtesy and he smiled. "Princess Annabeth," he said, looking at his stallion instead of me. "Would thou give me the honor of thine company?"
"Yes, sire," I said, though I felt that I should say more.
Nico brought out a gorgeous roan horse for me to ride, a beauty dubbed "Arion." "He is the fastest horse I have ever owned," King Percy told me as we began to ride, our horses trotting slowly.
I smiled at him and tried to tell myself that my stomach was tumbling because of the horse's gait and not because I was in the presence of the English king. The gentle breeze blew against my face and I hoped that it's coolness would lighten my flushed cheeks.
We rode in companionable silence until we reached a sturdy oak in the middle of a green meadow. We stopped to let our horses eat, holding onto their reins so that they would not wander away. "I wanted to tell Thou that I am sorry," King Percy told me.
I looked at his earnest gaze and nodded. "I may have lost my temper with the king of England," I admitted.
"May have?" King Percy jested. "I dare say that thou did. I never knew that the French were so fierce!"
I flashed him a smile. "My cousin is the Holy Roman Emperor," I reminded him. "No one in their right mind would mess with my family."
"Thou art correct," King Percy said. "After what happened to your lady-in-waiting, I wanted to make sure that does not happen at court again."
I gave him a sad smile. "There will always be people who break the law," I said.
"I know," he said, "But I am afraid that that might happen to someone like thou and I could not..."
"Could not what?" I asked, realizing that we were now inches apart, our bestie mingling together in the cool, crisp autumn air.
"I desire that thou accepts my gift," he said and then reached into his satchel to pull out a silver knife. It was finely made and looked like it had been polished yesterday. My name was engraved on the knife's hilt. "It's beautiful, sire," I told him.
"It's also dangerous," he said. "I want thou to be able to protect thine life if needed, though I do not doubt that thou could rival many knights at jousting."
I smiled broadly. "I could defeat thou in a jousting tournament," I said.
He shrugged. "I could best thou in a naval battle," he shot back.
I leaned forward. "That I do not doubt," I said.
Like two ships that had been sailing alongside each other, but now had both docked together at shore, we embraced. I felt his sturdy arms around my shoulders and breathed in his salty, comforting scent. We drew back and I smiled at him, for once unable to say something witty. He seemed just as bashful as I.
I kissed him. It was a slow, soft kiss-like drinking a comforting cup of warm mead while reading a manuscript beside a burning fire. "I love thou," he said, as we drew apart.
I mounted on my horse and he did the same. We rode back to the castle, but could hardly keep our gazes off of each other. "Goodbye, sire!" I said after leading Arion back to his stable.
"I will enjoy thine charming company again, milady!" he shouted as I walked back to the castle.
"How did thine day come to pass?" Piper asked me as I sat down on my bed, staring at the ceiling and thinking of the king.
It took me s moment to register her question. "It went great," I said. "We went horse riding and he gave me this."
I showed her my silver dagger. "It's finely crafted," Piper said. "It looks like something Beckendorf would make."
"Beckendorf?" I asked.
"Have I told thou?" she asked. "My sister is getting married to a local blacksmith soon!"
        "Does thine mother approve?" I asked.
      She shrugged. "My mother knows what it is like to be in love with someone that thou cannot have," she said, though she sounded like she was speaking not just about her mother.
       "I am truly glad for their union," I told her.
       "Speaking of marriage," Piper said. "When doth thou think that King Percy will sue for thine hand?"
       "Do not be ridiculous," I snapped, though my cheeks were burning. "King Percy can have any lady he desires."
       "He wishes to marry thou," Piper said.
         "How doth thou know?" I asked.
         "He looks at thou as if thou art the only woman in the room," she said simply.
       I looked at her in surprise. I had never noticed that. Then, I slumped. "Even if he lives me now," I said, "he will never be a faithful husband. Kings never are."
      "We'll see, milady," Piper said. "We shall see."