Vicious Femmes (a Percy Jackson AU)

Drew Tanaka

I found myself spending my second day at court with Drew Tanaka who knew all of the gossip to be had. She would compliment ladies on their gowns and then mock them behind her back. Despite this, there was something I found compelling about her.
Perhaps it was her appearance. She was arresting in a way I had never seen. She had striking features, skin the color of snow, and hair as black as coal. Her eyes were what really drew me in when she spoke. Nancy told me she got them from her father who was a merchant from the Far East.
I wondered what it would be like to travel the world and I longingly thought of visiting the palaces in the Far East. Did they live in stone castles or were their palaces made with gold? All I knew was that they were immensely rich. Spices came from the East. Silk was produced in kingdoms that it took months to sail to in good weather. Sometimes it seemed like France was rubble compared to the gold of the East.
      I soon learned why Drew gossiped and Piper suggested that I use a loom to pass time. The job of courtiers was to entertain the king. The day dragged on and I was hardly surprised when Drew said she would retire to her bed chamber.
      "She's going to get all beautified by Lacey to meet Octavian," Silena said with a giggle.
      "He wants to marry her," Nancy added.
         She turned to me.
        "Is there anyone you like?"
          I shook my head.
           "No one?" Silena asked. "There must be some beau who has caught your eye?"
       I felt heat spread from my cheeks to my neck.
       "Come on," Silena said. "Tell us. Who is it?"
        "Percy Jackson," I said quietly.
         "Oh no," Nancy said. "You cannot like Percy Jackson. Drew has a fling with him. To be with him would be to break the bonds of sisterhood!"
       I looked at her blazing eyes and felt a similar sensation to when I had rung the Church bells and the sound had send shockwaves through my body.
     "Don't worry," Silena assured me. "We won't tell Drew."
        "Your secret is safe with us," Nancy promised.
****

       When the day was over, I flipped onto my bed, surprised that I was tired. Who knew talking took so much energy? I accidentally slept through dinner and Piper shook me awake to bring me some venison soup. It was cold, but hearty and I enjoyed the flavors of spices my father rarely bought.
         "How was your day?" Piper asked.
          "I made some friends," I said in between spoonfuls of soup. "The Poupées."
      Piper stiffened and I added, "They invited me to eat with them. They seem nice."
        "Silena and Drew are my sisters," Piper said softly.
      The three of them were all beautiful, but in different ways. Silena was the tallest with a wide-eyed, soft look. Drew looked like an empress. Piper looked like a statue of the Greek goddess Aphrodite.
      "I didn't know," was all I said
       "Lacey and I were not legitimized," Piper stated.
     I nodded. Only men had the power to legitimize. I thought Piper would say something more, but she merely blew out the candle illuminating my room and left me to fall asleep.

Author's Note: Before Columbus's voyages, Europe looked towards Africa, Asia, and the subcontinent of India for wealth. Today, many women in Asia get double eyelid surgery — often for cosmetic reasons. Monolids were favored at times in Asian kingdoms such as Japan, but modern Asian counties often favor double eyelids, which means women — and men — feel a pressure to go under the knife to be beautiful.