A/N: You know the deal. Enjoy!
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She pulled back from him to an appropriate distance and curtsied. The Earl of Atlantis gave his customary bow in return, not spilling a drop of wine from his wineglass.
"It is a pleasure be acquainted with you, my lady."
"Thank you, Your Grace."
"No need to thank me. It is not often a beautiful woman falls into my arms so prettily."
The blonde woman's expression stiffened slightly. Ah, so she didn't like the meaningless adulation the nobility placed upon each other. Percy made a note to remember that.
"But I should be the one to apologize for startling you and causing you to fall in the first place. I hope I haven't caused you too much distress."
The lady slowly grinned. "That's true. You are at fault for startling me."
Percy blinked at the woman's bluntness. His interactions with other women had him expect either one of two outcomes. One where they would throw themselves upon him or the other where they would hide and cower if they believed the nasty rumors about him.
This new outcome was unpredictable but refreshing.
"But what I meant to thank you was for helping to keep the Olympian Kingdom safe and for bringing Crown Prince Jason home. I hope my cousin hasn't given you too much trouble."
Ah, so this was Jason's favorite cousin. "Not at all. It is my honor to fight alongside Crown Prince Jason. It is just as much of a pleasure to meet the Lady Annabeth. His Highness has talked quite a bit about you."
"Has he?" A golden eyebrow arched over her clear grey eyes. What a beautiful color, those striking grey eyes. "And what has he said about me?"
Percy grinned. He had been a common soldier in the Atlantis Empire when he had met Prince Jason. Although the two had butted heads at first, they had naturally developed a strong friendship. Jason was straightforward, honest, and loyal, all traits Percy could see essential in a future Emperor. Jason often talked about his home and friends, such as those about his favorite sister, Thalia, and his first love Piper. But Percy remembered the stories of the cousin Annabeth the most.
A noblewoman who once dueled two gentleman? A woman who liked designing things? How interesting. Most people would call her unladylike, but Percy liked the unconventional. High class life was dull and the mysterious Lady Annabeth was a gem indeed. High society should always need someone to keep them up on their toes.
"He did tell me about the time his cousin locked two of her suitors in a closet, out gambled a third until he lost nearly all of his family's fortune, and nearly shot a fourth with her horrible archery skills," he teased.
Lady Annabeth flushed, the pink color quite becoming on her cheeks. "To be fair, I told Lord Taron that I had no talent for the bow and arrow. He insisted on 'teaching' me."
"Then he was a fool for not believing you."
Percy observed the woman in front of him as he sipped his wine. Soft golden curls trailed over her shoulders like a picture frame. Her posture was straight and proud, so she was likely quite confident in herself but not to the point of arrogance. Quite pretty too, with those striking grey eyes dancing with mirth. And everything was all neatly packaged in a stunning blue silk dress that brought out her slender silhouette.
"You know, most people wouldn't bring up a lady's past," Lady Annabeth said dryly. "Unless your social etiquette has gone rusty through your time on the battlefields."
"It's a good thing I'm not most people. Besides, most ladies do not learn of the sword nor evade their suitors by escaping to the balcony."
Well, he was doing the same, hiding from the droves of women who coveted the title of his wife. He would have to get married eventually, that he knew, but he wanted to enjoy the life of a bachelor to the fullest before resigning himself to a jealous wife who only cared about his wealth and not his health.
"Hmm, touche."
Someone cleared his throat. Percy turned to see Jason's head bodyguard, Earl Leo, standing nearby. "Pardon my intrusion. His Highness requests my lady's presence."
The lady beside him groaned. "He probably wants me to set me up with another stupid candidate," she grumbled quietly. "He better not be an old geezer."
Then, to his surprise, Lady Annabeth plucked the wine glass from his hand and drained the red liquid in a few gulps. Perhaps she didn't want to be sober for whatever Jason had planned.
"Thank you for the wine and conversation, Earl. I do hope we meet again." With that she went back inside.
Leo lifted one eyebrow. "Well. That was interesting. What were you two talking about, all alone out here?" He waggled his eyebrows teasingly.
"Just talking about things."
"Just talking about things, the man says." Leo mocked. "Well, I never comment on one's bed choices, but I wouldn't try anything with Lady Annabeth."
Percy rolled his eyes. Jason would kill him if he ever had any impure thoughts to his favorite cousin. "I know, I know."
Perhaps the rumors had gone too far. He knew all those trash talk about his supposed night activities. But the truth was he had only two lovers in the past, one he was actually engaged to before she broke it off. Both relationships ended far before the war started. Probably the broken engagement was what led to those unsightly rumors. People would always believe what they want to without knowing the whole truth, so he never bothered to clear the air.
Percy studied the soft pink imprint Lady Annabeth's lips had made on his empty wineglass.
"By the way, His Highness asked for you too."
"Did he?"
It was easy to find Jason in the ballroom. Jason's eyes lit up as he approached.
"Ah, perfect timing, Percy. Let me introduce you to someone. This is Lady Annabeth, daughter of the Baron Chase."
Lady Annabeth's face flushed slightly as she saw him. Whether it was from the alcohol or from the realization that he was the one Jason wanted her to meet, he didn't know. Still, he couldn't resist teasing her.
"We meet again, Lady Annabeth." Percy gently brushed his lips on the back of her hand, then leaned slightly forward so his next words could only be heard by her. "It's a good thing that I'm twenty-six. Hardly an old geezer, right?"
Annabeth's eyes flashed. She opened her mouth to retort. Perhaps sensing another debacle was going to happen from whatever she was going to say, Jason stepped in.
"Oh my. The dance music is starting. It seems like Baron Rodrick is approaching, Lady Annabeth. Perhaps, he'll ask you to dance."
Her grey eyes showed her panic as the portly man came closer. Percy wasn't a fan of the Baron himself. The Baron treated his wives poorly and any person of lower status like dirt. Percy had met him once before he had been promoted to Earl. The Baron had sneered upon him then but now had tried to ingratiate himself once Percy was an Earl. What a hypocrite.
Percy turned to Annabeth and bowed. Jason's pointed looks at him were obvious. Well, he didn't need Jason's hints to do what he was going to do next. Even if Annabeth could manage to avoid the baron, the baron would probably turn his attention to him next. "Would you indulge me with a dance, Lady Annabeth?"
"It would be an honor, Your Grace."
Usually the male would lead his partner to the dance floor, but he had to laugh when Annabeth pounced on the arm he offered and dragged him away from the baron as quickly as she could without seeming like she was running.
"Is the baron not to your liking, Lady Annabeth?"
He pulled her small waist close, grasping it in his left hand while placing her left hand in his right.
"I do not wish for such a marriage, Earl Perseus."
"So you wish for a marriage for love?" He didn't think Annabeth was that kind of daydreamer. That ideal was perhaps possible with commoners, but not in nobility. With what Jason had said and Percy's first impression of her, Lady Annabeth seemed much more logical.
"Not at all, Earl Perseus."
She had light feet, stepping in time with the music as they twirled with the other dancers.
"Call me Percy, Lady Annabeth." No one else besides his mother used his full name. It reminded him too much of the suffocating life as an powerless illegitimate child in the Atlantis Empire.
"I dare not, Your Grace," she smiled flippantly. "Such things as first names imply familiarity, and familiarity between an unmarried man and an unmarried woman would be fodder for the wolves of society."
Percy dipped her gently and pulled her back up in a whirl. "That is indeed true. Pray tell me, my lady, then what kind of marriage do you hope to have? Or would you prefer no marriage at all?"
She took in his words thoughtfully. "To be honest, I would prefer not to marry, but such a future is a duty for the nobility," Lady Annabeth said, with a small hint of bitterness. "I would prefer a man who is not Baron Rodrick. Someone not old enough to be my grandfather at the very least."
"Not Baron Rodrick and not far along in years like a grandfather? Then perhaps...a man like me?"
He had only meant to be teasing, but the look in her eyes suggested that she might actually consider his words seriously.
"Perhaps." Now it was her turn to smile knowingly, her grey eyes sparkling in laughter.
The music soon ended much to his chagrin. He rather liked dancing with this enigmatic lady who surprised him with every phrase she said.
Percy and Annabeth bowed and curtsied to each other. "Thank you for the dance, Your Grace. I suppose I'll see you around...Percy."
With nothing but a tempting smile sent his way, Lady Annabeth blended into the crowd so smoothly, leaving Percy to wonder whether such an intriguing lady truly existed or was she a figment of his imagination all along.