The letter from the royals of the Atlantis Empire did not take long to arrive. Percy handed the letter over to his wife, who was curled up on his lap. Niles, the butler, poured them both cups of tea, now used to the frequent public displays of affection between the couple in the house.
"So they want to meet me?" Annabeth asked.
"My father would not have minded whomever I marry. Queen Amphitrite is another story. I'm sure she's furious although she can do nothing about it now."
Indeed, Queen Amphitrite had cast out the poor innocent servant who had delivered the unfortunate news to her. Unknowing of Annabeth's relationship to the royal Olympian family and Duchess lineage, the Queen only soothed her nerves when she realized her husband's favored son had married a lowly Baron's daughter, unable to provide much political influence. Her son, Prince Triton, would still have his heir position unchallenged. All she had to do was still remain an elegant and regal Queen, and face the Earl and his new wife with as much dignity as possible.
Percy planted a soft kiss on her temple as though he'd been doing it for all his life. "After the royal meeting, I'd like for you to meet the rest of my family. Then I have to spend at least a few months at the sea mines for an annual operation check up."
Annabeth leaned against his shoulders. "I want to meet your mother and stepfather. And it sounds like your baby sister, Estelle, is quite a handful. Just like my husband," she teased.
"Hey, I don't go around biting things without discrimination like Estelle does. Mother wrote to me detailing how she had to pry the remnants of her favorite feather pen from Estelle's mouth." He bent his head to her ear, knowing from experience that her ears were quite sensitive. "But I guess I don't mind biting places that are on you."
Annabeth thwacked him painlessly with the light letter. "Manners, Your Grace. We're not in our bed chamber."
"Then why sit on my lap in the first place? It's quite distracting from work, though I must admit I don't mind the slightest. Besides, no one else would mind it if we made love in my office."
The butler did mind, however, and quietly slipped out of the Earl's office. Niles was beginning to think that he was the only single man in the mansion as he rounded the corner and found a maid and footman in the throes of a very intimate embrace. He sighed and headed towards the kitchens for a mug of ale as a remedy to his loneliness. Perhaps he should accept the blind dates his mother was hinting at after all.
"Now look what you've done," reprimanded Annabeth. "Niles never looks at me quite in the eye anymore."
"Well, perhaps he and the maids will knock louder when they comes to wake us up in the morning. My beautiful wife is far too tempting. Besides, I do remember you being quite a willing participant."
But important matters were at hand. Annabeth and he soon resumed their discussion for the trip to the Atlantis Empire. Percy had already expected the call from the Atlantis Empire when he sent a letter and a copy of the marriage certificate in response to the royal letter decreeing he marry. His ships had been undergoing check ups and repairs to prepare for the sea voyage since then. Supplies for the voyage were already delivered, and according to his mother, she had already prepared embarrassing stories of his childhood to share with her new daughter-in-law.
"I've never traveled away from the Olympian Kingdom," Annabeth said. Her eyes sparkled in anticipation of the trip. "Let alone imagine I'll be able to travel on a ship."
"You'll love seeing the Atlantis Empire sights," he promised. "There's nothing quite like seeing the architecture of the Royal Palace. Half of the castle floats in the water, but the more beautiful half is actually underwater. There's a gallery where the walls and floor are constructed of industrial glass held in place by volcanic diamonds. You can see all sorts of ocean creatures and sea folk like merpeople swimming by."
Percy could already see the gears turning in her mind as she thought about the brilliant engineering in place that kept the Atlantis Palace afloat and stable. Architecture was indeed one of her many loves. But he was her first love, wasn't he? He never thought he would be jealous of architecture, but here he was.
"How about you pay attention to me right now, and I'll give you a first class tour of the Atlantis Empire once we reach there?" He asked, amused.
"Just like a child," she teased.
Percy tossed aside the last of the letters he needed to go through. Annabeth let him pull down the bodice of her dress, the last letter regarding Baron Rodrick's movements and illegal business ventures quickly forgotten.
***********************************
A storm was brewing at the port town of Velvicia. Despite the dark clouds and gathering winds, the port town was busy with ships coming in and out. It was an important center of trade between the Altantis Empire and Olympian Kingdom.
"Rough skies," grumbled the man. He was garbed in clothing that befitted the weather, dark and nondescript.
Besides him, the other men in the alley behind the hotel murmured their assent. Men of few words, they all were. But that was fine. In such an occupation as theirs, not many words were needed.
Mercenaries didn't need much than money after all. Dark clouds would provide all the cover they needed to accomplish their job.
The man stood up and stretched, revealing lines of thin black ink embedded in his forearm. Each one indicated an assignment completed. Kidnapping, threatening, theft, assault. It didn't matter what the job was, as long as the money was placed into his hands.
Tonight's task was particularly lucrative with a down payment of ten gold bars and ten more upon completion. There was even the promise of women, once the employer was done with the one he wanted.
The man sneered. It had been a long time since he had smelled the fear of women, particularly the blonde ones.
***********************************
Annabeth didn't complain when the food from the hotel arrived late and slightly burned. Her stomach was still lurching from the dizzying sensation of using the teleportation portal earlier that day, so she doubted she would be able to stomach much beyond the bland lentil soup and coarse bread.
According to the conversations around the hotel's bar, the storm hitting the town of Velvicia was going to be a big one. Everyone was hurrying to batten down windows and tie down loose gear. The hotel staff was also rushing about, trying to prepare more rooms for the sailors and merchants planning to stay in hotels rather than on their ships on the rough seas for the night.
Percy frowned as one of his sailors brought news to him.
"I'm sorry, Captain. We may not be able to get the ship moving until next morning, midday at the latest. The worst of the storm is supposed to blow over then." His second mate, Calen, said apologetically.
"I've already predicted that the storm would make things difficult, but we've traveled through worse storms before. So what is this I hear about the grommets in our sails being loose?"
Calen bent his head down sheepishly. "Some of the newly hired sailors got drunk last night and tore up the sails by accident. I apologize, Captain, we should have been more vigilant. We'll have the ship fixed by morning."
Percy sighed and rubbed the bridge of his nose. "I'm away for a few months, and you lot already start lazing around? I thought I told you, Calen, that all hires go through me."
Before him, his sailor trembled, Annabeth noted. She had never seen Percy's war side before. Percy must have been a strict captain.
"Annabeth, I'm going to inspect the rest of the ship and see what the damages are. I may not be back for a while," Percy informed her.
"That's fine, Percy. You do what you need to do." She pulled out the book he'd given her about Atlantis architecture. "I'll have something to amuse me in the meanwhile."
Percy pecked her on the cheek, reluctant to leave the company of his wife. "I may not be back until late at night. Don't wait up for me. And stay out of trouble," he joked.
Calen looked curiously at the pair, perhaps never seeing his captain be so intimate with another woman.
"When do I ever get myself into trouble?"
Percy smiled and kissed her on the lips this time before heading out.
Annabeth watched her husband leave before trying to stomach a few more mouthfuls of the cooling soup. Had this hotel ever heard of salt or rosemary? For a trading town, she would have expected their fare to be more diverse than this.
"My lady? The room has been prepared if you are done with dinner." One of the barmaids served her a hot drink of apple ale.
Mmm, warmth. Annabeth inhaled the cinnamon-y scent, hoping the liquid would help settle her stomach. There were a lot of spices in this drink, better than the bland lentil soup she had earlier. "Yes, please. I'll retire to my room now."
She followed the barmaid up the stairs to the prepared room. Somewhere along the third flight of stairs, Annabeth felt her stomach hurl.
"Are you alright, my lady?" The maid asked as Annabeth clutched onto the guardrail of the stairs.
"Yes, just felt dizzy for a bit."
Perhaps she hadn't fully recovered from the side effects of using the portal. Percy had assured her that the hazy feelings would go away eventually and that he would get her some seasick medicine for the sea voyage just in case.
Annabeth tossed her head, trying to get her mind clear. But the whirling in her mind seemed to worsen. Her body felt out of her control.
No, this wasn't a side effect of using the teleportation portal. Every fiber of her being screamed fight or flight. Something was terribly wrong.
No one else was in sight besides the maid and her. Annabeth tried to reach for the knife she always kept hidden in her dress, but none of her limbs moved the way she wanted to. She couldn't even reach the emerald ring on her finger to alert Percy. Her knees buckled and the maid caught her before she could tumble down the stairs.
"You-" Her voice seemed to catch in her throat. "What did you put in that ale?"
"Don't worry, my lady. It'll all be over soon."
The barmaid's freckles and red curls hidden underneath a white cap was the last thing Annabeth saw before her eyes closed, and her world tipped upside down.