Chapter Text
On July 25th, 2023, all journalistic outlets in Europe – and most of the World – stamped the breaking news coming from the Royal Palace of Athens on their first page. The abdication of Crown Prince Theseus of Greece effectively changed the line of succession of the Hellenic Royal Family, and Prince Perseus of Greece and Denmark took his place as Heir Apparent of King Poseidon I (Former Prince Pavlos-Alexios of Greece and Denmark).
As those events took place, Prince Perseus’ wife, Annabeth Chase, an American girl born in the state of Virginia, raised in San Francisco, California, and a graduate of Columbia University, became the first commoner to ever be bestowed the title of Crown Princess of Greece.
But our story didn’t begin in 2023. It started almost exactly ten years before that, at a time Annabeth couldn’t have told you what was the name of the current King of the Hellenes. She did, however, objectively know that the charming Prince of Greece was one of Europe’s darling boys (although she couldn’t for the life of her understand why, as idolizing the monarchy in the 21st century just sounded so… inadequate to her ears).
For all the reasons listed above, as our story begins, Annabeth Chase has no idea what awaits her when she sets foot in Corfu, on the Fourth of July of 2013. Sometimes, later in her years, she wonders what her life would have looked like if she had skipped her friends’ summer eurotrip to go visit her parents in San Francisco, as she had initially planned to do.
Well, by then, she was past the point of no return.
/*/*/
“Well, isn’t this cozy?” Leo commented with not a small dose of sarcasm as the group walked inside the Airbnb Piper had rented for them. The girl in question snarled at him.
“Why don’t you go enjoy the outside then? Finish detailing your lovely lobster tan,” she grunted back, earning a pout from their friend.
“Next time don’t sleep under the sun,” Annabeth, who was trailing behind, said as she finally entered the small space and gave Leo a sympathetic smile.
“Easier said than done,” he answered, back in motion and climbing the small ladder that took to the loft part of the flat.
Annabeth couldn’t help but agree with him. They had left New York fourteen days ago, and those two weeks had been filled with nonstop activities planned by Piper and her sister Silena. All the cities, the clubs, the restaurants, and even the museums they had picked were nothing if not breathtaking and outstanding, but Annabeth was getting too tired to be able to actually enjoy the visits.
It was for that reason that she audibly sighed and groaned as Silena informed the group that she had managed to get them all on the VIP list of some fancy club called Elysium. The friends, minus the sisters, chorused Annabeth.
“Come on guys, it’s the Fourth!” Silena argued, bunching her long, dark hair in a bun as the crowded space began to overheat. Her vibrant blue eyes looked for Clarisse, her girlfriend, for support. Clarisse hid behind the frame of their friend, Will.
“Really? You too babe?” Clarisse winced at the words. “Where’s your guys’ sense of patriotism?”
“Left it in Spain, along with the rest of my energy,” Connor said, collapsing on top of his twin on the apartment’s small couch.
“Okay! If you all wanna act like some old bums, be our guests. We’re going, right ‘Lena?” Piper asked from the small kitchenette, hoping to get some support from her sister. Silena, however, hesitated before answering as she finally locked eyes with Clarisse.
“Whatever, I’ll just go by myself,” Piper began to storm to the only bedroom in the place, but stopped as Annabeth, who had been watching the exchange and hadn’t had the energy to interfere, finally spoke.
“Okay, let’s make a deal. Silena already got us on the list, and I’m sure it was hard for her to do so, so we go out today and take tomorrow to relax, just sleep and lounge around,” her voice was weak and her hopes were low, but it still attracted the attention of the whole group, and Silena and Piper both shot her grateful looks. Leo grunted ‘Kay’ from a spot in the loft Annabeth couldn’t see. Clarisse yawned but also nodded, part in defeat, part in clear relief at not having to go against her girlfriend. Connor and Travis tried to argue, but were quickly silenced by Will, who confirmed all three of them were going.
“Great!” Piper spoke again, with a vigor that indicated she had chosen to ignore the previous confrontation. “Time to get ready then!”
There was another chorus of sighs, but, this time, the sisters blissfully ignored them.
Annabeth and Piper had been friends for almost four years. They had been assigned as roommates during their freshman year at Columbia University, and, after that summer, they would officially enter their final year of studies.
It was because of that reason that Annabeth didn’t argue when the girl pulled her to the bedroom to spend the rest of the day getting ready for the party.
As Piper, who looked as remarkable as her older sister did, but with opposite features – while Silena had striking blue eyes, Piper had piercing chocolate irises; Silena’s skin was pale and milky as their mother’s, but Piper had inherited their father’s native complexion (as well as his literal movie-star beauty) – finished doing her hair, Annabeth laid in the room’s bed and thanked God for small victories. Okay, the place wasn’t the largest, but at least she wouldn’t have to share the cramped living room with the boys, or the loft with Clarisse and Silena, who didn’t have a door to block their nonstop banter.
As the AC began to work and her muscles relaxed after the tiring trip, Annabeth stared out of the window and reasoned that the place wasn’t half bad. The beach itself was perfect, and much less crowded than Santorini at that time of the year (Will, whose father’s side of the family was of Greek descent, had instructed them to avoid the tourist-trap island and go to Corfu instead, and that was what they did).
Stopping to think about it, the whole trip had been a success (if you didn’t count the fatigue-fueled arguments that were arising). The whole situation made Annabeth pleased with her decision to not go home to another uneventful summer with her parents and Malcolm (her over-successful brother whom Annabeth’s mother loved to compare her to) in San Francisco. Not that she didn’t have fun with her friends and family there, but more of the same was starting to become monotonous.
“So, this place where we’re going is kinda like a lookout-at-the-docks-turned-club,” Piper began as she moved to apply a thin layer of makeup to her face.
“Hm,” was the most eloquent answer Annabeth’s overtired brain managed to formulate.
“So, you should definitely wear that blue dress you bought in Croatia.”
“Hm…” Annabeth answered almost affirmatively. It was actually a great pick and saved her time to think of what to wear.
“It will go great with your tan.”
“Heh.”
“And I’m sure Silena will want to do your makeup for you,” Annabeth breathed a sigh of relief as Piper finished saying the words.
“Thanks.”
“No problem, babes. Thank you, for being the voice of reason, as always.”
“I just didn’t want to see you guys upset,” Annabeth said as she finally stood up and joined Piper in the small en-suite bathroom. As she looked at herself in the mirror, her eyes widened at the view of her hair, which was looking more like a rats’ nest than anything else. Piper laughed at the reaction.
“Go shower! Who knows, you might find your Sam today. Or your Bill. Or your Harry!” Piper continued snickering as she referenced the classic Mamma Mia love interests. Annabeth shot her a dirty look.
Finding Annabeth a new boyfriend after she had broken up with her high school sweetheart (and now the friend group’s notable jackass, Luke Castellan) had been her best friend’s goal for a few months now, and the summer in Europe had only served to make Piper even more motivated.
Annabeth remembered her exact words when they were boarding the plane that would take them from JFK to Lisbon: What if you have a summer romance? Oh, that would be so cute –
“You better be happy and satisfied if I manage to not pass out on the dancing floor,” Annabeth sharply said as she grabbed her towel and entered the shower. On the other side of the opaque curtain, Piper laughed again.
For people who weren’t in the mood for partying, the group certainly changed their minds pretty fast.
Silena and Annabeth watched as Clarisse, Leo, Connor and Travis pre-gamed by taking shots of cheap vodka on the small dinner table. The older of the McLean-Beauregard sisters finished styling Annabeth’s golden curls (just a couple of thin twin braids meeting in the back of her head) and gave her a gentle pat on the back to let her know she could go.
“Thanks for this,” Annabeth said as she stood up, eyeing, on a window’s reflection, the hairstyle and the tones of blue Silena had applied to her eyelids that perfectly matched her slightly loose, silky, new deep-blue dress.
“Thanks for getting the boys to agree to go,” Silena echoed her sister’s words from earlier. Annabeth shook her head and reflexively moved to lower the hem of her dress, that had ridden up to a slightly too-short length.
“I’m sure whatever you picked for us will be fun.”
Silena smiled openly and planted a quick kiss of gratitude on Annabeth’s cheek before ushering her to the outside of the building, so she would have more space to get herself ready.
Outside, on the simple balcony that went around the small apartment, Will and Piper shared their own pregame: a joint made of the weed Will’s cousin had gifted him when they arrived in Athens.
The two were in the middle of a fit of laughter when Annabeth opened the sliding doors to join them. Will’s eyes were already red and slightly puffy when they locked with Annabeth’s grey irises, and he extended a hand, offering her their vice.
“No thanks,” she shook her head and took a seat on one of the chairs that were positioned facing the ocean. “I won’t make it out of here if I smoke,” she finished, suppressing a yawn.
“Suit yourself, but this shit is the nice stuff,” he said, shrugging and returning to giggle with Piper about some boys (and girls, from Piper’s part) that they had seen passing by the beach during the afternoon.
“William, I have a feeling this place will be historical,” Piper said with the certainty that made Annabeth laugh. She fought the urge to roll her eyes as Will fervently agreed.
Oh, if she had known back then just how right they were…
When they arrived at the club at 1 a.m., after some barhopping, the place was crowded with a line that turned the street’s corner. Silena guided them with confident steps to the entrance, giving their names to the bouncer who immediately opened the door to the VIP section for them.
A second guard asks to take their phones, marking them with their names and locking the devices inside small, square safes before giving them cards to retrieve their belongings after the party.
“Wow, this seems… exclusive,” Travis says as they walk the steps that take them to the lounge.
“When I say VIP, I mean it,” Silena says with a smug shrug.
Leo hugged the girl from behind.
“You’re a real G, Sil!”
“Next time don’t doubt my plans,” she said with an equally smug tone, but Leo only leaned in to give her a quick kiss on the cheek (that earned him a burning stare from Clarisse, which he waved off with a flick of his wrist).
The VIP section overlooked the normal areas of the club, like an enormous stadium box sealed by what seemed to be bulletproof glass. The nightclub itself was huge and the thick-glass windows on the northern part of the building gave the partygoers a full view of the dark waters of the ocean. Electronic music pumped from the speakers so loudly that, after they finished climbing up the stairs and effectively joined the exclusive part of the party, they had to practically yell at each other’s ears to be heard.
Connor and Travis, as expected, were the first to disappear in the crowd. Annabeth was sure they would locate them again soon enough if they were attentive to any havoc being caused. Leo was next, leaving the group to try his luck with a gorgeous brunette who didn’t seem much interested in the short, red-looking boy. Clarisse and Silena were next, ditching them to go dance together.
Wordlessly, the remaining three navigated through the crowd to reach the bar. Will raised his voice to call the bartender, and soon they were sharing shots of tequila.
Feeling contaminated by the euphoria running loose around the place, and motivated by the liquid courage, Annabeth managed to push aside her exhaustion and she soon found herself on the dance floor with her friends. They were clumsier than the people who seemed to be used to the spot, so they knocked and stepped on one too many shoulders and feet, but they laughed and danced more as a reaction.
After what could’ve been minutes or hours, Annabeth exited the dance floor holding Will’s hand, chuckling as they watched Piper make out with the tall brunette Leo had been after earlier.
“Damn, we’re falling behind!” Will half-heartedly complained, in between chuckles. His short golden hair, so similar to Annabeth’s in color, was falling in front of his eyes and a thin layer of sweat glowed against his skin. Annabeth thought she must’ve been in a similar condition.
“So, what are your targets?” She humored him. Knowing Will, he had already mapped the whole crowd out and had at least 5 options already ranked and evaluated.
“No targets today,” he shook his head and Annabeth raised her eyebrows in surprise. “Just a target.”
Will gestured with a nod of his head to the far corner of the club, where a few tables were joined together and a considerable group gathered around them, raising bottles of champagne and appearing to laugh loudly (as it was impossible to hear them from that distance).
“Which one?” She asked
“The one by the window. In black.”
Leaning on the glass wall that gave the VIP lounge a view of the normal club, was a man that stood out from his group. He was sipping on a flute of champagne and smiling along with his supposed friends, but not being as boisterous or loud as the others seemed to be. Truthful to Will’s words, he was dressed in black pants, a black blazer, and a black shirt, with its first buttons opened.
To put it simply, from a distance, he was one of the most handsome men Annabeth had ever seen, with perfectly cut black hair, sharp, yet sophisticated, features, and a nice frame. She understood why he didn’t have eyes for any other options.
She was still analyzing her friend’s crush when a movement by his left side caught her attention. A second man, dressed in a white shirt with most of its buttons open and the sleeves rolled up, hugged him from the side and swayed to the rhythm, making Will’s target dance along with him. In his free hand, the second guy held a bottle of Don Perigon, and his equally dark hair was messy and shining with what was either sweat or champagne.
“Well, maybe I have two targets,” Will spoke by Annabeth’s side, and she could hear the smirk on his tone. Still, she didn’t turn to answer him, too entranced by the scene. The second man leaned to say something right by his friend’s ear, making him throw his head back in a fit of genuine laughter.
It happened in a fraction of a second. His eyes were still crinkled in humor, and Annabeth couldn’t tell their color from that distance, but she could positively attest that his smile was to die for. He took the bottle he was holding to his mouth to take a sip, and eyed the general direction of the bar, pointing something out to the man in black.
Until his eyes zeroed in on Annabeth.
His playful smile slightly faltered, and the hand that held the expensive bottle slowly lowered. They were far from each other, but she had no doubt that he was looking only at her. She smiled reflexively, and the man smiled back, tilting his head up and down in a smooth motion, unabashedly checking her out.
Their gaze broke, and Will whistled a low tune by her side.
“That was hot,” he said.
“It was,” Annabeth turned to him, nodding, unable to deny it. “I guess Greece really has gods walking around,” the remark is something that she definitely would never have said sober (or with Piper around to hear it).
Although Annabeth still hadn’t gotten a new boyfriend (or experienced a summer romance, like Piper liked to remind her) she still liked to have fun once in a while, and she had kissed more than a few mouths since they had touched down in the Old World. That’s why, when Will held her hand and pulled her through the crowd to the other corner of the lounge, she didn’t protest.
“Let’s get our men,” he whispered by her ear and Annabeth couldn’t help but open a scheming smile. She was very self-assured normally, and the drinks only helped enhance that trait of hers.
As they neared the table that the two men and their friends were sharing, Annabeth had a clearer view of the guy whom she had flirted with (could you call that flirting already?). He had seen her approach and was eyeing her with a smirk playing on his own lips. The lights were still too colorful for her to make out the color of his eyes, but his gaze pierced her with such intensity that she thought it wouldn’t matter If they were red. Annabeth noted the mischievous look he gave off when he slightly tilted his head to get a better look at her and the dimples that appeared on both sides of his cheeks.
She felt a few eyes turn to look at them as he started walking to meet her where the crowd ended and their table began, separated by a velvet rope that Annabeth hadn’t seen until they were finally there, like they had a mini lounge inside of the VIP area.
The man wordlessly reached to release the rope and let them inside. The rest of the group was still too entertained to mind the two friends as they took their first steps inside the enclosed space. After Will passed the threshold, Annabeth’s target returned the rope to where it had previously been.
The beat, the energy, the tension… they were all so thick that Annabeth felt like she could hold it, feel it in her hands. She forgot all about Will when the man she had been eyeing turned around and smiled again, this time so close to her that she could see his pointy canines shine under the minimal light of the space. From her peripheral vision, she saw her friend smile and wink at her before he started walking to the other side of the table, where the man in black was still leaning against the glass.
“First time here?” Annabeth’s target leaned in to ask, with his breath hot by her ear, making the hairs on the back of her neck stand up and goosebumps travel down her spine.
“That obvious?” She asked, equally as close to him. He pulled back the slightest bit, just enough to look her in the eyes again.
Green eyes, Annabeth thought as he finally stood close enough for her to see all his details. His eyes, the short stubble that was appearing on his face, his long eyelashes…
“I would have remembered if I had seen you before,” he said with a charming tone, and Annabeth identified his accent as a mix of British and Greek.
“I’m Percy,” he offered his hand after some beats of silence of them just… feeling each other, the energy that radiated from both of them.
“Annabeth,” she offered in return, holding his hand to shake it but being caught by surprise when he used his hold to pull her closer.
“You sound American. Is that right, Annabeth?” He said, again by her ear. Annabeth would deny to her grave the reactions she felt when he first called her by her name, with that tone and in that husky voice that indicated he had been being loud all night long.
She nodded, lifting her eyes to be able to look at him in the eyes, as they now stood almost chest-to-chest and Percy was more than a head taller than herself.
“Well, let me show you how we Greeks greet each other when we meet for the first time.”
Before Annabeth had a chance to answer, Percy dipped his head down, letting his soft lips trail on her left cheek, then on her right. His breath was hot on her skin, and she had to fight off a shiver that traveled through her body when he let his lips linger on her jaw before he pulled back to look at her again.
“Are you always this charming when you meet someone new?” She teased him, as his mischievous smile motivated her.
“Only with the ones I find incredibly gorgeous,” Percy’s tone was a mix of playful and sultry that shouldn’t work, but that fit him perfectly. His scent finally reached Annabeth’s nostrils over the smell of nicotine and alcohol. Musk of sweat, citric of refined perfume, and salty, like the waters of the sea outside.
“What else do you do with the people you find incredibly gorgeous?” Annabeth boldly asks before she has a chance to think the question over. Percy smiles, lopsidedly.
“Let me show you,” he says before dipping down again, this time capturing her lips on his.
And Annabeth kisses him back knowing that it’s all too fast, because she is just human, and she has the conscience that only someone who isn’t human would be capable of turning Percy away.
And he’s good at it. The rhythm in which his tongue slides over her own, the way his canines bite down on her lips with just the right amount of pressure, the touch of one of his hands as it finds the nape of her neck and his fingers twist around her curls, and the other pulls her closer by the waist… it’s all too good to be true.
And, after they pull apart, he offers her the drinks that are displayed on the table, giving Annabeth glasses and shots of liquors and spirits she had never had money enough to even taste before. As Percy then pulls her to dance to a remix of an ABBA song (how cliché), she notices that Will and the other man are flirting in a secluded spot by the table, and Annabeth silently cheers for her friend.
The night passes in a blur of more kisses, touches, and laughs. Percy is goofy, yet every step he takes seems measured. His accent shouldn’t be that charming, Annabeth thinks, and she can see through the open buttons of his shirt that his muscles are insanely well-defined. A few lines appear by his eyes when he smiles, but he doesn’t look old, so she gathers that he must smile a lot. He is easy to talk to, funny, and somehow witty and clueless at the same time.
Annabeth doesn’t even remember she had felt so tired before that she thought she would pass out of exhaustion on the dance floor. She knows that, logically, she shouldn’t want it, but she realizes she wouldn’t argue if Percy asked her to leave with him and go somewhere else. A part of her, embarrassingly, even craves it.
But, when Clarisse finally finds her through the crowd and tells her and Will that the group is ready to leave, that it’s 5 a.m. already, Percy smiles one last time before reaching for his pocket and placing a phone in Annabeth’s hand.
“How do you get your phone in here?” She asks, noticing that he has already opened the phone app for her.
Percy tilts his head and smirks before answering.
“It’s a secret only locals know about.”
“Are you a local?” Annabeth asks as she finishes typing her number.
“Of Greece? Yes. Corfu? A little,” he says taking the phone she’s offering back.
“Text me through WhatsApp, my number doesn’t really work around here.”
“Of course,” he gives her a last, quick kiss. “Will I see you around, Annabeth?”
“I hope so,” she answers before she realizes it’s genuine. She didn’t the night to end. Another shiver traveled down her spine, this time due to the small panic that overtook her.
“I hope so too – ”
“Okay, pretty boy, let her go,” Clarisse neared them and physically removed Percy’s hand from Annabeth’s waist. “We gotta run before Silena kills us.”
“Nice one, Annie,” Will said by her ear as he passed the two girls. Annabeth chuckled at the sight of the hickey on his neck that hadn’t been there at the beginning of the night.
As they walked away, Annabeth turned around one last time to steal a glance at Percy’s table. His eyes were locked on her, and he was sitting at the booth that was placed along the far wall.
Is he pouting? She laughed one last time before Clarisse pulled her again, urging her to go faster.
Annabeth turned his attention to Will, who lifted a hand to high-five her.
That had been good. Dangerously good.
When Annabeth woke up the next day, she didn’t even remember getting home. She was dressed in an oversized shirt she had probably stolen from one of the boys sometime along the trip, and her hair was still styled like Silena had left on the night before. She was sure that, if she looked at the sole of her feet, she would see black.
But it wasn’t the hangover or the sun peeking through the blinds that awoke Annabeth. No. It was the distinctive sound of Will’s voice coming from outside the room.
“OH MY GOD! OH MY GOD!” He continued saying as he opened the door and walked inside.
“Shut up, William!” a sleepy Piper threw a pillow at him, which he easily batted away.
“What happened?” Annabeth asked, her voice still groggy and husky from the night out.
Will seemed as energized as ever as he took his phone and practically shoved it on her face.
“Look. At. This.” He said the words as if it was the most important thing he had ever spoken.
As Annabeth’s eyes started focusing on the screen, she thought that might actually be the case.
He was showing her the tweet of one of those viral news portals. The picture captured her attention first. It was of the two men who they had spent the night with, Percy and whatever else was the other’s name. They were looking disheveled and impossibly handsome as they exited the club in what seemed to be just some time after them, judging by the sun. The photos were also clearly taken from a paparazzi.
After Annabeth finally managed to stop staring at the pictures, her attention turned to the subtitle.
As she registered the words, Annabeth’s blood ran cold and her mouth opened in surprise.
Europe’s favorite second sons living their best lives! Prince Perseus of Greece and Denmark and Prince Nikolaj of Denmark are seen leaving a nightclub in Corfu.
Annabeth stood up in a fast swing of her legs.
Oh crap.
As if on cue, Annabeth’s phone vibrated on the bedside table as a message arrived. She didn’t think twice before shoving Will’s phone back on his chest and reaching to grab her own.
Unknown number (4:24 p.m.): Hey, Annabeth.
Unknown number (4:24 p.m.): It’s Percy.
Unknown number (4:25 p.m.): I had a lot of fun last night. I’m sorry if I’m texting you too son, but I couldn’t help myself.
Unknown number (4:25 p.m.): Do you have any plans for dinner?
A wave of excitement and a feeling she couldn’t name spread through Annabeth’s body and settled on her belly. Like butterflies.
Oh crap, indeed.