Courtly Love (a Percy Jackson AU)

The Sinful, The Virtuous, and The Comely

***Percy***

      I glared at Lord Octavian and held my knife close, ready to strike him. "Bryce," Lord Octavian drawled. "It seems as if the Lord has put this all into place for us. We can kill them all in one place."

      Princess Rachel glared at him and picked up a sharp stick, resourceful as always. Princess Annabeth handed me my sword and I gave her my knife. She had told me that she preferred knives over swords. Luke unsheathed the sword strapped to his belt and I feared that he would turn on us. Instead, he stepped forward and pointed the tip at Lord Octavian's nose. "Put it down, Castellan," Lord Octavian ordered, his voice as deadly and sharp as the sword he held in his own hands. "If you attack me, it will be the last breathe that thou takes."

     Bryce smiled cruelly, as if enjoying the sharp tension in the air, which reminded me of just before lighting strikes the earth. "I've killed before," he drawled. "I've even tortured many lords and ladies."

      I looked at Princess Annabeth, but she just shook her head. Relieved, I turned back to stare at my enemies, hoping to look more formidable than I actually was. "Thine forces are outnumbered," I told Lord Octavian.

      He smirked. "Two of thine forces are merely women and one is pregnant to boot," he retorted.

      "Merely women?" Princess Annabeth said. "Merely women? Thou art merely a cowardly, sinful scumbag."

     "Thou art a crooked-nosed knave!" Princess Rachel added.

      "I will never trust thou again!" Luke growled.

     "Pray not that thine own sins catch up with thou," Lord Octavian taunted. "Thou may be a knight, but that doth not assure thou a place in Heaven-especially as thou art a boot-licking Judas!"

      Luke looked grimly at Lord Octavian. "I pledge my fealty to King Perseus Jackson," he said solemnly. 

     "Thou has broken your vows before," Lord Octavian retorted.

    "And thou art a hedge-born cumberworld," Princess Rachel said.

   "At least I'm not a pregnant, hedge-born princess," Lord Octavian sneered.

      Princess Rachel drew closer to him and whacked him in squarely in the chest, causing him to drop his sword and fall to the ground. "My bruised buttocks!" he squealed like a squirrel.

    "That's for coupling with me," she retorted. "I pray that thou receives more earthly punishments, husband!"

      Bryce helped Lord Octavian up and drew out his own knife. I stepped forward and swung my sword at him, causing him to duck. While I was trying to disarm Bryce, Lord Octavian got to his feet and drew out his sword. I felt pain in my lower abdomen and felt a wave of dizziness when I saw blood staining my tunic. 

      Princess Annabeth charged at Lord Octavian, screaming like a banshee and wielding my knife in her hands. Frank drew out his short, stout sword and joined her. Princess Rachel was standing beside them, occasionally jabbing Octavian with her long branch, which caused him to sprout a lot of curse words.

      Grover rushed towards me and tore off part of his finely-woven cloak, pressing the fabric against my wound to try to staunch the flow of blood. Tyson looked at my wound in distress and pulled out his own sword. "Thou hurt my brother!" he yelled, charging at Lord Octavian.

      By this point, both Lord Octavian and Bryce had been disarmed. I felt groggy and my limbs felt as shaky as those of a newborn horse's, but I tried to fight through the pain. I grimaced as I spoke. "Tie them up," I ordered. "We'll try them for treason when we return to the castle. For now, we must stop at a manor and see a barber."

***

      We stopped by the manor of Lady Selene. She was a kindly widow who had fallen in love with a man, only to lose him to an outbreak of smallpox that had ravished England before I was born. She had never remarried, but a huge brood of children, many who had become lords, ladies, and knights in their own right. My father had once told me to find a lad as steadfast and virtuous as Lady Selene. As I glanced at Annabeth's comely face, I wondered what my father would think of my ever-growing desire to wed her.

      Lady Selene took one look at my companions and I and yelled for a barber. Ten minutes later, I was sprawled out on a cot while a shrew-faced man examined my wound. I felt dull-headed and woozy and my chest hurt every time I breathed. The barber bandaged my torso after applying a poultice that caused me to wince in pain. "Princess Annabeth," I said, thinking of her first. "Has she been tended to?"

      "Princess Annabeth only has a few bruises and shallow cuts," the barber informed me. "She and all of your companions will be fine, though I reckon thou will have a scar."

       "Remind me to have Lord Octavian executed," I muttered.

      The barber's face twitched into a smile. "Duly noted, sire," he said before getting up to leave.

***

      We had stayed at Lady Selene's manor for three weeks. Now, it was time to return home. I had a kingdom to rule and traitors to punish. I also had a damsel that I wished to marry. I turned to see Princess Annabeth on a mare, the Scottish princess's stallion beside her. 

     As always, Princess Annabeth looked comely, though she was wearing a hand-me-down gown of Lady Selene's and her tangled hair was under a white headdress. She caught me staring at her and smirked. I looked away; our marriage would have to be discussed later. "Thanks for thine hospitality," I told Lady Selene, who merely nodded.

      She waved as we sped off, our horses' hooves causing the earth to pound like the steady beat of a drum or the waves of the sea pounding against a rock beach. We galloped back towards my castle and towards a better tomorrow. As the dawn light began to slowly illuminate the landscape before us, I felt full of mirth at the thought of coming home.