Aunt Hera's making my ears bleed - Pt 1

Percy POV

I honestly did not think I would be invited to the wedding today. A few hours after Annabeth found out about my engagement, my phone was flooded with texts and calls. The most...explicit one was from Thalia herself, who probably would have killed me if we weren't cousins.

I explained everything to my friends, Jason being the most understanding. Piper too, after she spent 20 minutes yelling at me about keeping such a big secret from them.

Luckily,word didn't get back to mom yet.

Unluckily, I havent had a moment to talk to Annabeth for the three days that followed the incident. Maybe cause she was openly avoiding me. Piper pulled me aside one day that Annabeth cried herself to sleep every night and that I better fix it.

If only they knew how badly I wanted to.

I begged dad the other day, practically got on my knees, and begged him to reverse the engagement and to find some other way. But no.

Gods I hated him

The wedding is beautiful, I should focus on that. Thalia and Luke opted for an outdoor venue and got married under a pine tree.

I didn't know what to expect when I pulled into this massive resort, but they went all out.

Jason was the best man and stood proudly next to Luke, who was absolutely glowing. And Annabeth....she looked like an absolute vision as she stood at the altar, waiting for Thalia too.

She was in this knee-length dress, which was a sort of iridescent gray that rested against her skin. A cut out in the back, which was only further accentuated with her high ponytail.

She looked gorgeous. But what's new?

She was laughing with Connor and Travis Stoll, Luke's groomsmen.

I'd tried talking to her, or even catching her eye or approaching her. However, she managed to expertly avoid me all day. And I didn't want to ruin the special day for her, so I let her be.

Even if looking at her broke my heart.

"It's starting," Aunt Hera exclaimed, turning her nose.

Ugh, I spent the last hour listening to her talk about how 'juvenile' the whole ceremony was. I'm pretty sure Thalia put me in the back row with them to punish me. I deserve it

For probably the first time in her life, Aunt Hera was right. The wedding band started up, playing rock music that shocked everyone and caused Luke to burst out laughing.

Thalia walked in about then, in a simple white gown and some pretty earrings. Chiron walked beside her, looking so very happy while Uncle Zeus ground his teeth in the background.

There was no flower girl or any more interruptions as Thalia walked down the aisle, her blue converse proudly peeking out from underneath her dress.

Annabeth dabbed her eyes with the back of her hand, Luke doing the same, standing up straighter, jaw on the floor.

I felt myself get a little emotional too. No matter how much Thalia and I fought, she was still my cousin. And I did love her.

"We gather today to join-'' the priest began, and abruptly stopped, eyes widening in horror as Thalia crashed her lips into Lukes, causing an uproar of cheer from both entourages.

Luke pulled away first, tipping his head back as he let out a roar of laughter, "can we just skip to the good part?'' he asked the priest, pulling Thalia closer to him. The priest just nodded, looking at Thalia's glowing face.

"Uhmm...Do you, Luke Castallen take Thalia Grace to be your lawfully wedded wife? For as long as you both shall live?'' he asked, shifting uncomfortably on his feet.

"I do," Luke declared, giving his almost wife a meaningful stare.

"Do you Thalia Grace take-"

"Yes," Thalia grinned, launching herself at Luke again much to the poor priest's dismissal. The old man looked like he was about to faint. In retrospect, so did Aunt Hera and Uncle Zeus.

"Then I now pronounce you man and wife," the priest declared, the lovers paying him no heed as they continued their little makeout session

"you may kiss.....ah.... never mind." and with that being said, he just walked off stage, shaking his bald old head.

The guests, me included (some relatives of mine.....ahem ahem excluded) stood up positively elated, clapping.

"We're married!" Thalia yelled out from the altar, grinning ear to ear. She threw her bridal bouquet, which consisted of dahlias in celebration, and it landed straight in Annabeth's arms.

That's when her eyes met mine for a split second. She glanced away immediately, face heating.

I felt my throat tighten up. Please just talk to me, Annabeth. I silently begged whoever could listen.

After that spectacle of a ceremony that I had come to expect from Thalia, the wedding party moved indoors into the venue, where there was a buffet set up.

Everyone had assigned chairs, and mine was with, as my luck had completely run out, with Uncle Zeus and Hera.

My father had not been invited after he and Thalia had an argument about the whole engagement entanglement. And mom well, she couldn't make it.

The dinner went on for a while. Thalia and Luke sat at the far corner of the room, with a special table that was reserved just for them.

Annabeth, ahead of them. With Travis, Katie, and Connor. They were having what seemed like a lovely chat.

I looked over to where Jason, Piper, and Chiron sat. They also seemed happy.

Here, Aunt Hera was making my ears bleed with some absolute nonsense about some people from her country club or something.

So to divert my mind, I looked at Annabeth. Halfway through her meal, her phone seemed to have rung and she went outside to answer the call. For a little longer than half an hour.

I was worried she got lost, and almost even went to go find her.But she found me first when she returned to the banquet hall wearing a look I could not decipher as she walked right towards me.

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Oh noooo what do y'all think happened?! Is Annie ever gonna talk to Percy again?

And yes, I thought I'd be nice and posted this a whole week early! (See who says I'm evil?) [posted on 11th Jan21]

( NikhRizv Sorry about another not so happy chapter MMWAHAHA)

Stay tuned!!— S