Chapter Text
Flat on our backs. Shoulders nearly touching. Staring up at clouds drifting lazily across the sky.
Percy talked.
A lot.
Enough to compensate for the fact that I hardly spoke at all. It was… pleasant. Having someone fill the silence without expecting anything in return. Percy didn’t mind the quiet. He treated it like encouragement.
“I just think Achilles was dumb,” Percy declared, waving a hand toward the sky. “He could’ve just gone to the Underworld and saved his ‘friend.’” He made exaggerated air quotes at the word friend, when it was obvious to everyone they were lovers, not just friends. Everyone knew Achilles had been in love with Patroclus. No matter what the official poets insisted.
“How would he save his friend, Percy?” I asked lazily, baiting him.
Percy turned his head sharply toward me, eyes lighting up.
“Oh, that’s easy.”
Here we go. I rolled my eyes.
“First of all,” he began, propping himself up on one elbow, “he’s incredible at the lyre. He could’ve just marched down to the Underworld, played something tragic and dramatic, impressed Uncle Hades, and walked back out.”
“You make that sound simple.”
“It is simple.”
“Hades is not simple.”
“Uncle Hades loves music.”
“You don’t know that.”
“I absolutely know that.”
I remained on my back, eyes on the clouds. “I think he was blinded by rage,” I countered calmly. “It’s hard to think rationally when someone you love dies.”
Percy didn’t miss a beat. “For three days?” he deadpanned.
I huffed a laugh. “Love makes you crazy,” I said lightly. “I thought it was kind of sweet,” I said it in a dramatic, theatrical tone that would have made Dionysus question my sanity.
Percy stared at me.
“You want me to drag your killer around like a lunatic?” he asked, barely holding back laughter.
“Only if you really love me,” I replied automatically. The words left my mouth before my brain caught up. There was a pause.
I felt it.
“…As a friend,” I corrected quickly. “Obviously.”
Silence.
Percy rolled onto his side to face me fully. He was trying very hard not to smile. “Sure,” he said softly. “‘Friends.’”
He did the same air quotes he’d used for Achilles’ 'friend.'I stared at the clouds very intensely.
“How have your suitors been faring?” I asked, twirling the ring absentmindedly between my fingers.
Percy let out the most maniacal laugh I had ever heard from someone lying in a meadow.
“Honestly? It’s kind of fun watching grown men cry out of frustration.”
“I’m sure that reflects well on your character.”
“It reflects excellently,” he said smugly.
I turned the ring again, watching how the sapphire caught the sun.
“What if you found someone you actually liked?”
Percy shrugged, staring up at the sky.
“I guess…” He hesitated. “I’d just give them the ring to find.”
I glanced at him.
“I mean,” he continued, softer now, “this quest isn’t meant to last forever. I’m just waiting for the right person, I suppose.”
The words settled somewhere uncomfortable in my chest.
“Good luck to that simple-minded fellow,” I muttered. “You’re a wicked soul, Jackson.”
“Hey!”
He tackled me.
It wasn’t graceful.
One second I was on my back, the next Percy was on top of me, grass crushed beneath us. I let out a short laugh before I could stop myself. The sun must have shifted. That was the only explanation for the sudden warmth in my face. Percy propped himself up slightly, looking down at me. There was a flicker in his eyes I couldn’t quite name. Then he glanced away first. He rolled off me and stood.
“Sorry,” he said, brushing grass from his clothes. “I have to head back.”
“Yeah,” I replied, sitting up. “See you.”
“Tonight?”
I blinked. “Tonight?”
“Yeah.” He stepped backward a few paces. “They’re having that dance gathering thing. You’re not coming.”
I hadn’t planned to.
Absolutely not.
But if Percy was going to be there—
“I’ll see you then,” I said.
He paused.
Something pleased flickered across his face before he masked it.
Percy nodded, waved once, and ran off through the trees. I remained there, the ring still in my hand. Tonight. What in the gods’ names was I going to wear?
+++++
I knew the palace would be grand.
But this felt excessive.
Marble columns wrapped in gold leaf. Chandeliers dripping light like liquid fire. Silk banners in sea-green and deep blue cascading from the ceiling. The entire place smelled faintly of salt and expensive perfume.
Music filled the hall. Laughter. Spinning bodies. Dancing had already begun. I was late. I was always late.
And now I felt ridiculous.
Percy would be thriving here. Center of attention. Surrounded by admirers hanging on every word. Men desperate to impress him. Princes and generals and fools all waiting for him to smile in their direction. He might even find someone tonight. The one he’d actually want to give the ring to. The one he’d been waiting for. So why was I here? Why was I interfering?
“Hey. You ready to dance?”
My eyes twitched. I knew that voice.
It should not have been that easy to recognize after only three meetings. But it was. It would have taken more than—
Percy in a dress.
Was not how I thought tonight would go. He stood beside me, draped in flowing white and sea-green fabric, the kind of Greek attire that wrapped and folded instead of tailored. Gold accents shimmered along the edges. His hair was loosely tied back, a few strands falling around his face.
He looked—
Unfair.
No one else seemed to notice him.
They were all scanning the room for Percy Jackson. Not this version of him.
“What’s with the attire?” I asked evenly.
“Everyone’s looking for Percy Jackson,” he replied, leaning closer. “They’re not looking for me.”
“Well,” I said, forcing my voice to remain neutral, “at least it looks good on you.”
His eyebrows lifted slightly. “Oh?”
I immediately regretted speaking.
“You clean up well yourself, Son of Hermes,” he added, eyes flicking over my formal clothes with slow exaggeration. “Almost looks like you’re trying.”
“I’m not.” But I had spent 2 hours of my day getting ready for tonight.
“Sure.”
The music swelled. Percy extended his hand.
“So,” he said lightly, “are you going to stand there looking broody, or are you going to dance with me?”
I hesitated. This was a mistake. This entire arrangement was a mistake. And yet here I was, dressed properly, in a palace I didn’t want to be in, staring at the omega prince I was absolutely not supposed to be jealous over.
“…Fine,” I said, placing my hand in his.
The moment our fingers laced, something settled. Like this had always been the movement. Like I had stepped into the correct rhythm without realizing I’d been off-beat before. I didn't think. I simply followed. Percy moved easily, confidently, guiding us through the dance floor. I found myself smiling. Not the polite curve I wore in courts. Not the smirk I used when I was bored.
An actual smile.
I was just… here.
“With you,” I almost said.
“How’d you know it was me anyway?” Percy asked as we turned.
“How could I not?” I replied, as if it were obvious.
He tilted his head slightly. “I mean it. No one else noticed. Not even my dad.”
That surprised me. Poseidon had missed it? I shrugged. There wasn’t some grand explanation.
“I guess…” I hesitated, then said it plainly. “Because it was you.”
Percy’s steps faltered just slightly before he recovered. He looked down for a moment. I braced myself, half-expecting him to do something reckless. Step on my foot. Spin too hard. Laugh it off. Instead, he rested his forehead briefly against my chest.
Just for a second.
My entire body went rigid.
I could feel his breath through the fabric of my clothes. The steady rise and fall. The warmth. He didn’t say anything. Neither did I. Then he pulled back, took my hand more firmly, and leaned close to my ear.
“I want to show you something,” he murmured. “You have more time?”
I did. Far more than I should have. “Yeah,” I said, trying to sound unaffected. “A bit.”
Percy didn’t comment. He just tugged my hand again. We slipped out through a side archway and onto a balcony overlooking the ocean. The music faded behind us, replaced by the roar of waves crashing against the cliffs below. The night air was cool.
Percy leaned against the railing, moonlight catching in his hair.
“This,” he said, gesturing toward the dark water, “is where I threw the ring.”
I stepped beside him. “What did you actually throw?”
He grinned.
“An old fake gold band. Probably worth less than the shoes those idiots are wearing.”
I blinked.
“The sapphire?”
“Glass.”
The ocean roared below us.
“My dad won’t let me rule,” Percy continued, softer now. “Just because I’m an omega doesn’t mean I’m stupid. But apparently it means I’m decorative.” There was no bitterness in his voice. Just something tired.
“Alpha greatness is expected of me,” I replied. “Leadership. Expansion. Legacy.”
“And you don’t want it?”
“Power never appealed to me,” I admitted. “I’m fine living day to day. Traveling. Existing.”
He turned toward me fully.
“So you want to do nothing?”
“It’s great,” I said with a small smile.
He looked at me like that answer fascinated him.
Three meetings.
That was it.
It had all happened so quickly. I had done what my father asked. Made the effort. Attended the dance. Been seen. That should be enough. I reached up and pulled the ring from the cord around my neck. The sapphire caught the moonlight.
“Here,” I said, taking his hand and placing it in his palm. I curled his fingers around it gently. “It’s all yours, Jackson.”
His hand was warm against mine.
“Don’t lose it this time,” I added lightly.
But Percy didn’t laugh…“Thanks,” he said quietly. “What will you do now?”
“My father will be satisfied for a year,” I replied. “Then I’ll have to do something like this again.”
The words felt heavier than I meant them to.
“Maybe you won’t have to,” Percy whispered.
“Huh?”
“Open your hands. Close your eyes.”
I narrowed mine instead. “Why?”
“Just do it.”
“Fine,” I sighed. “Fine, Your Highness.”
I closed my eyes and held out my hand. I felt him step closer.
“This,” Percy said softly, “is yours now. Take it. Keep it. I lose things all the time anyway.”
His voice was right in front of me.
“I’m glad you had it.” Something warm brushed my cheek.
Barely there.
A ghost of a kiss. And something solid was pressed into my palm. When I opened my eyes—
The ring.
Back in my hand. The balcony was empty. Percy was gone. The ocean roared below like it knew something I didn’t. I stared at the ring resting in my palm.
I might be dense.
But I wasn’t blind. He hadn’t lost it. He’d chosen me. And for the first time, that felt terrifying. Things that felt this good were not supposed to happen to me.
++++
I was packing.
That was the safest word for it.
Not fleeing.
Not staying.
Just… packing.
My bag sat open on the bed. Clothes folded with mechanical precision. Dagger wrapped in cloth. Travel cloak draped over the chair. The ring still hung around my neck. I touched it without meaning to. He had given it back. Not by accident. Not as a joke.
Chosen. The word pressed uncomfortably against my ribs. I liked him. That much I could admit.
Love?
No.
I tightened the strap on my bag. If I left now, it would be clean. No promises broken. No fathers disappointed. No kingdoms involved.
A dance.
A ghost of a kiss.
That could be enough. Couldn’t it? Voices drifted in through the open window from the courtyard below.
“…found it, they say—”
“…Prince denied it—”
“…Poseidon furious—”
“…swears that isn’t the ring—”
I froze.
Slowly, I stepped closer to the window. Two servants stood below, whispering urgently.
“A man came forward with a gold ring this morning. Claims he found it at sea.”
“But the Prince said it isn’t his.”
“Poseidon says he’s lying.”
“He’s forcing the match.”
My blood went cold.
“Forcing?”
“The Prince is refusing. Swearing that ring isn’t the one he threw.”
I didn’t breathe.
“Poseidon says he’s being dramatic.”
The ring burned against my chest.
“He’s to be married by sunset if he keeps resisting.”
My bag hit the floor. I didn’t remember dropping it. Forcing Percy to marry some snake who likely had a replica forged overnight. Forcing him because Poseidon wanted control. Because to men like that, any omega would do.
Any crown. Any alliance. As if Percy were interchangeable. As if someone as brilliant and stubborn and infuriatingly wonderful as Percy Jackson could be reduced to a bargaining chip. You had to be kidding me. I didn’t remember crossing the courtyard. I only remembered the ring shining openly at my throat.
I wasn’t hiding it anymore.
“I have the real ring,” I announced as I pushed through the throne room doors. “Percy Jackson is my bride.”
The words echoed harder than I expected.
The room was already in chaos.
Percy stood below the throne, fists clenched, eyes blazing.
“That isn’t my fucking ring,” he snapped at the man beside him. “My ring has a marking I’ve only ever seen. I made sure of it. So I could tell the difference when one of you desperate idiots tried to copy it.”
The man standing near him was smug. Slimy. Holding up a gold band as if it were a treasure.
“Lord Poseidon,” the snake said smoothly, “your son promised to marry the man who found the ring. I have the ring. Does the Prince intend to go back on his word?”
Poseidon was silent.
Considering.
That was the worst part. He was actually considering it.
I stepped forward.
Percy saw me.
And gods help me—
Hope lit his face.
“L—” he started before catching himself.
“My lord,” I said, bowing properly before the sea god. “I am Luke, son of Hermes.”
The air felt heavy.
“And what this man claims is false. I have found the ring. And I can prove it.”
“Step forward,” Poseidon commanded.
I obeyed.
Each step felt like walking into a storm.
I removed the ring from my neck and placed it in the god’s massive hand.
“I noticed the initials engraved inside,” I said evenly. “I assumed it could only belong to your son.”
Poseidon turned it. The light caught the inside band.
P.J.
The liar went pale.
“You dare lie to me?” Poseidon’s voice dropped into something that made the walls tremble.
The man stumbled back.
“No, sire, I—I had no idea—”
“You intended to deceive my house.”
“I only—”
“Someone deal with him.”
Guards moved instantly. The man’s protests were swallowed by the sound of the ocean roaring against the palace foundations.
Justice.
It felt deserved.
And then—
It hit me. The silence that followed. The weight of what I had just declared. Percy Jackson is my bride. I swallowed. Slowly, I turned. Percy was looking at me like I had just rescued him from drowning. No sarcasm. No teasing. Just something Bright.
He stepped closer.
“You came,” he said quietly.
There was no clever reply ready this time. Percy stepped forward and wrapped his arms around me, and without thinking, I held him back. He fit there too easily, like this had always been the right place for him.
“I couldn’t possibly allow someone like that to marry you,” I muttered near his ear.
Poseidon’s voice cut through the moment. “As my son promised, he shall marry you. You shall become king, and—”
“Nah.”
The word left me before I filtered it. Both Percy and his father stiffened. The ocean outside answered with a low, warning roar.
“You dare defy fate, boy?” Poseidon asked, his tone sharpening like a blade.
“No. Not at all,” I said evenly, though my pulse was pounding. “I will marry Percy when he and I are both good and ready. Not because you cornered him. Not because of a spectacle. As for being king…” I exhaled slowly. “I’m not cut out for that role.”
Poseidon’s eyes narrowed.
“But Percy is,” I continued, glancing at him. “He thinks. He listens. He argues with myths for fun. He knows this place better than anyone. I don’t mind ruling by his side, but he should lead it.” I reached for the ring and slid it onto my own finger. “If Percy will accept me, I’ll be his bride.”
There was a stunned silence.
Percy covered his mouth, but he couldn’t quite hide the smile breaking across his face.
Poseidon looked openly disgusted, but he had boxed himself in. His word was law. His son had promised the finder. I had proven it. And I wasn’t asking for his throne.
Percy leaned against me, slipping his hand around my arm possessively.
“You would make a lovely bride,” he said sweetly.
“Thanks,” I replied dryly, hoping the sarcasm carried.
Percy’s fingers tightened slightly, and I felt him shaking with contained laughter against my side. He was radiant. Victorious. Infuriatingly pleased. I just hoped what I was offering was enough for him.
+++
Later, when the throne room had emptied and the storm in the walls had quieted, Percy pressed a soft kiss to my cheek. “You’re really okay with… being my bride?”
“I wouldn’t have offered if I didn’t mean it,” I said. I leaned back like I hadn’t just challenged a god for him. “Besides, I’ve heard the bride's lifestyle is excellent. Naps. Good food. Endless drinks. Minimal paperwork. That's living.”
He laughed, bright and unguarded. “I just mean—you’re an alpha.”
“Lazy alpha,” I corrected. “I’ve been told.”
“Your dad—”
“Has nothing to complain about. I did exactly what he wanted. Secured a powerful match.” I looked at him then, properly. “And you… you make me happy. That’s more than any crown.”
Percy’s expression softened so quickly it almost hurt to look at. He climbed into my lap without ceremony, wrapping his arms around my shoulders like this was the most natural thing in the world. “I fucking love you.”
The words landed warm and reckless against my skin. I hesitated only a second. Not because I didn’t feel it. Because once I said it, there was no pretending it was a little anymore.
“I feel,” I began carefully, brushing a thumb along his waist, “more or less the same.”
It sounded understated. Measured. Calm.
What I didn’t say was that I would burn down towns, kingdoms, even gods for him. That I would stand in front of oceans and storms and never step aside. The idea of him being forced into anything made something violent and protective rise in my chest.
I kept it simple instead.
Percy smiled like he understood anyway. I stepped beside him, our shoulders brushing. The ring rested warm against my skin. I hadn’t taken it off.
“You’re aware,” I said, “that technically I stormed your palace, challenged your father, and declared myself your bride without consulting you.”
“Technically,” Percy agreed.
“And you’re fine with that.”
“Oh, absolutely,” he said. “Very romantic. Ten out of ten.”
I rolled my eyes, but he slipped his hand into mine anyway. Below us, the sea stretched endlessly toward the horizon. Not a cage. Not a throne. Just a possibility.
“What happens now?” I asked.
Percy thought for a moment. “We don’t rush, we don’t let them decide. We travel if we want. We stay if we want. We marry when we’re ready.” He squeezed my hand. “And if anyone tries to force it…”
I smirked. “We drown them.”
He laughed. Soft. Bright. Mine. I realized then that love hadn’t arrived in some grand thunderclap. It hadn’t announced itself like a prophecy. It had crept in quietly. In tree branches and dances. In arguments about Achilles. In a ghost of a kiss on a balcony.
I had found something real. Percy rested his head against my shoulder.
“I’m glad it was you,” he murmured.
“Me too,” I admitted.