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"That is the most ridiculous thing I've heard," Annabeth scoffed, looking at her aunt,"A ball?!"
"In your honour. To you to find a husband," the queen nodded, taking a rather indelicate bite of her biscuit.
"No thank you," the princess resisted the urge to roll her eyes as she curtsied,"I would rather suffocate. And besides, it's not necessary for me to find a groom."
Queen Minerva feigned shock, throwing her biscuit across the room in outrage,"The invitations have been sent out!
Annabeth could feel the rage bubbling up inside her, but she kept a tight leash on herself, forcing herself to exhale as she looked at her aunt,attempting not to throttle her," Then why on Earth would you ask me?!"
"Because!" The old crime fell back on her chair, "Everything I do is for you and your brother! You're both so ungrateful!"
Annabeth's leash snapped,"I'm ungrateful because you've almost run the kingdom into bankruptcy! It's my right to rule, and you haven't handed over the reigns yet instead continue to party with those sycophants you think are your friends!"
It appeared that Queen Minerva's brain broke. She clutched the maginififent purple drapery behind her, waiting in agony as she blubbered on about how Queen Athena would want her to rule.
Annabeth had just about enough. She turned on her heels to leave as the queen made one last scalding remark.
"This has to do with that boy! Doesn't it?! That ragamuffin you found on the beach! That's why you won't find a groom! You want to procreate with a commoner!"
Annabeth whipped around, facing her aunt. Anyone in the room would have noticed how the queen shrunk back in her seat a little bit as Annabeth's grey eyes focused on her, glaring daggers like her late mother's always did.
"I do not require a groom. I require my kingdom back," Annabeth paused, long enough for the Queen to collect herself again,"You may have this ball of yours. And I shall come, to have some fun and nothing more."
The princess of Athens walked out the door, "Try not to drain our coffers any more than you already have!" she yelled back to the queen, surprising herself with her sudden burst of confidence.
Annabeth had never spoken back to her aunt before. Not in fear of the queen, but in fear of what she might do to her if she made another stupid statement.
Wisdom's daughter, the princess of Athens. That was Annabeth's title.
Her mother was a skilled warrior and had a mastery over the arts, and under her was Athens transformed into a hub of knowledge.
Her aunt however, possessed none of her mother's military ability. She was gifted at the arts, but that was all anyone could give her credit for. That and her vow of maidenhood.
Annabeth found it appaling that after all her merits and achievements, her aunt was now fixated on leg shackling her to one of her minister's sons.
She thought about the statement. This has to do with that boy! Doesn't it?!
Did it?
Annabeth couldn't lie about the pull she felt towards the boy from the moment she gazed into his sparkling sea green eyes.
She certainly noticed him more than she noticed any other man before. And always found herself drawn towards him, as if some silent force was tugging a rope between them.
She never felt unseasoned around him. Even when his eyes bore into hers as If he could see the depths of her soul, read the unspoken words between them.
She could imagine a life with the boy. A life with him as her consort or...even husband. But she didn't think he would be interested in that.
In fact, he didn't seem much interested in her.
Annabeth often found herself thinking about his source of knowledge. He knew a great deal about the merpeople and the ways of the sea.
He claimed to have a friend who was a merman...but was that the truth? Was there something she was missing?
She pushed those thoughts aside as her eyes met his again, as he awaited her in her chambers. Sand stained.
She remembered how close they were a few hours ago. How it took everything in her to not touch her lip's to his, becoming lost in his warm embrace.
"Did you go to the beach today?" she asked, a smile forming on her lips at the memory as she went to find him a towel.
She enjoyed his mere presence. There was something quite soothing about it.
The boy nodded. He fished something out of his pocket and handed it over to her as she gave him a towel.
"What is this?" Annabeth asked, he turned over the smooth marble-like stone in her palm, feeling along its edges. It was slightly irredentist, catching in the light.
Annabeth thought it looked beautiful. She'd never seen a prettier bead of grey stone.
The boy pointed to Annabeth's eyes.
"My eyes? It looks like them?" the boy nodded in affirmation, rubbing the towel against his skin. Annabeth watched the motion, fascinated. Everything about him fascinated her.
She ran her thumb along the stone.
"Wait!" Annabeth gasped, returning the stone to the boy as she ran into her room.
She scrummaged through her things until she came upon a wooden box, a gift from her stepmother where she placed most of her treasured belongings.
She rushed back to the boy, clutching her oval treasure.
"I'd found this years ago on the beach," she explained, showing him the glittering sea-green sea glass,"I quite think it matches your eyes."
The boy grinned, taking her hand in his as he examined the rock. Annabeth's hand buzzed with some unknown force as she took a step closer to him.
She'd found this rock years ago as a child when she had a particularly bad day. It had cheered her up so immensely that she decided to claim it as her own.
It had been years since she looked at it, but the memory remained one of her favourites. The boy's grin reflected on the smooth, and though Annabeth just caught a glimpse of it, her heart skipped a beat.
"My aunt intends to throw me a ball," she stepped away from the boy, and that Godforsaken effect he had on her.
"And it's quite appalling!" she explained as they moved to the sitting quarters. The boy had a small smile on his face as she told him of her outburst. It gave her a smudge of satisfaction as she played with the sea glass in her hands, the same colour as her mystery boy's eyes.
"And I don't want to find a groom. Not...not right now-" Annabeth explained, hoping for some sort of reaction from the boy. Something flashed in his eyes but he made no other move.
"Say...why don't you accompany me? We can have some fun," Annabeth asked him, playing with the sea glass as he nodded in affirmation, a smile on his already handsome features.
"Good. I was hoping you would agree."