The Glory That Is Rome (a Percy Jackson AU)

The End of an Era

"Percy," Annabeth said. fiddling with the hem of her stola. "We can't meet anymore. I'm sorry, but I'm the empress now and I need to be fully loyal to Luke."

Percy felt his heart twist in his chest.

"I'll be careful," he said.

    Annabeth laughed and said, "You are as reckless and impulsive as Thalia. Please, don't make this harder for yourself than it has to be. I know I am hurting you, but I have to. I'm not sending you away — that would be too suspicious. I'm just not going to meet you again without Luke there too. I love him and I owe my loyalty to him as the emperor and as my husband."

"I understand," Percy said, "and I want you to know that my loyalty to you will never waver. I love you whether you are my lover or not."

He kissed her hand and it felt more intimate than their tryst in the sea cave.

    "Percy!" Annabeth said as he turned away.

    He stared at her. Annabeth wet her lips.

     "I'm sorry for toying with your feelings," she said and Percy nodded.

     He left and felt like he was being torn apart by lions in the Circus Maximus. He had thought that Annabeth loved him. He certainly did. He went to sleep every night lonely without her beside him. He remembered the smell of her skin and hair and the taste of her lips. He sighed.

    "You look lovesick."

     Percy jumped at the sound of Travis's voice. Was his face really so easy to read? 

    "Who is it?" Travis asked. "Miranda? Juniper? Katie? Please tell me it's not Katie."

    "Of course not," Percy snapped.

      "You sound angry," Travis noted.

      "How would you feel if Katie said she wanted nothing to do with you anymore?"

     Percy hoped that would shut up Travis, but it did not.

   "She tells me that everyday," Travis said. "It's her way of flirting."

    He wished Annabeth's words were a way of flirting with him, but he knew better. Annabeth had used him for her purpose and now that she had used up his usefulness, she had decided to cut him off. He wished he could tell Travis what was really bothering him, but he couldn't betray Annabeth — even after what she did.

      Travis put his hand on Percy's shoulder.

     "Hey man," he said. "It will get better. There are plenty of pretty slave girls that would love to get with you. You won't be single for long. I can help you get with someone if you'd like. Kinzie says you're cute and I've seen Lucinda look at you often."

    But neither of them are Annabeth, Percy thought. When he was younger, he had visited lupae, but now that idea made him feel sad instead of excited. As boys we throw ourselves into the arms of lupae to amuse ourselves, he thought; as men we do it to console ourselves. Percy didn't want to console himself.

    "Whatever," Percy said. "She's just a stupid wench. You're right. I'll get over her."

    He wished he could believe his own lies.