Mission Accepted: Percabeth AU (HoO)✔️

The Hunt

Katie wakes me before the sun is even up. Looking at her through one eye, squinting, I huff, "Why did Piper have to pick such an early time to begin getting ready?"

Before I know it, Piper enters my room. Her smile widens at the sight of me standing. "Don't you look lovely in the mornings."

I glare at her, through my messy hair and tired eyes. When I begin to move, I wince at the soreness my muscles still possess from the fight. Thankfully most of my cuts have vanished from sight as they weren't that big, but my bruises are still visible on my torso and arms, the occasional one on the legs. Clove hurries over to me, the minute I step out of the bathroom. She sits me down before inspecting the cut on the forehead. "Hmm, if you plan on dunking your head underwater it will be visible you know."

Glancing at Piper, I ask, "Visible enough to keep me from doing that?" Please say no, please say no.

Clove frowns at it. "The cut still needs to fully scab over and finish healing. But if I remember correctly, Leddy has some waterproof makeup."

Andy snaps her fingers and points at Clove as though she were the smartest woman alive. "I'll go to her then."

"Leddy is one of the seamstresses, she's worked on all of your dresses so far," Katie says, pulling my tangled hair back.

Piper takes a seat beside me, instructing what she wants to do for the look today. Katie and Clove, as usual, take two seconds to set my natural curls before stepping back and allowing me to wash my face. While I scrub, and Piper applies some makeup, Clove prepares my riding outfit. While Katie prepares my bathing suit to go underneath. It's an ocean blue bikini, and I love it because the bottoms are like shorts.

Clove looks at me, "Ready to get this day started?"

*~*

~*~

Finally, Piper and I meet up with Paris, Gabriella, Evie, and Colette joining us in the stables. The horses stamp their feet impatiently, and I gladly make my way over. In the far corner is my horse from the base. Her name is Athena, after the Greek Goddess of Wisdom. I always adored when my mother would tell me stories of Athena's adventures. Almost as if she were her.

Athena nudges my hand and I smile, "Yes, yes, I brought you carrots. Geez, demanding much." Nonetheless, I nuzzle into her before feeding her some treats. I've been so caught up in everything that I haven't been able to see her since we've arrived. I pat her greyish coat. It was her coat that got my attention right away when I first got her. "Now, I want you on your best behavior. The ladies have to trot slowly." Athena replies with the flick of her tail and a huff. Rolling my eyes, I lean in, "But we don't have to follow those rules necessarily."

"Annabeth! Is that your horse? Oh, she's lovely! Mine's Bolton, he is a purebred," Piper greets, bringing her horse over. Bolton has a dark coat with one brow spot around his left eye.

"How long until the rest of the girls arrive do you think?" Paris asks, saddling her white-spotted horse.

"They'll be so late the palace staff will have to saddle their horses, as what usually happens when ladies of such visit," A voice speaks. Startled, we all look over to see Princess Elise leading her own horse. The horse sniffs at us, her light brown coat glistening.

"Your Highness," We all curtsey.

Princess Elise smiles, nodding her head to us, "But I'm glad some of us respect riding as much as arriving early."

Intimidated, the girls curtsey before leading their horses out. Princess Elise turns to me, who is saddling Athena. Deciding I would much rather embarrass myself out of talking than suffer awkward silence, I speak, "So what's her name?"