One Year Later

The warm, summer Angeles light filtered through the windows, warming my sleepy face. I slowly opened my eyes and looked out the window. What a beautiful day to get married.

The sky was as blue as I had ever seen it, white fluffy clouds dotted here and there. A bird flew past the window, singing its spectator melody. The warm breeze pushed the curtains into the bedroom and the smell of the trees and flowers from the garden wafted into the room.

I yawned and turned around to see Percy. I was surprised to find that where his body normally was, there was nothing. He had made his side of the bed and gone, leaving a note on the pillow with a single blue flower.

'I can't wait to marry you,

- Your Seaweed Brain'

I smiled at his messy handwriting scribbled across the card and picked up the flower, pressing it to my nose and breathing in the intoxicating fragrance.

It had been one year since Percy proposed, and today was the day that we would finally tie the knot.

Preparing and planning a royal wedding was nearly impossible. I had spent most of the last year planning everything from flowers to guests, to serviets and forks. It was a mammoth of a task, but I was lucky that I had the help of my bridesmaids and palace staff. And of course Sally.

In the past year I've also been planning what I'm going to do with the caste system. It took a few months after the proposal for the council to take me seriously and after that it still took forever to make them listen and help me plan. After I become queen later today, I'll put my education plan into place and in the next five years there will be cheap schooling for everyone in every province, no matter what caste they belong in.

I got out of bed and placed the flower on the desk along with the note. I looked out the window and waited patiently for my maids to arrive.

Out of all three of my original maids from the Selection, one remained.

Justine had stayed for six months after the proposal. She was one of my rocks. When it got too much she would sit me down and talk to me, listen to me and then tell me how she saw it. She rarely called me miss anymore as she had become a close friend. Six months ago she had saved enough money. She bought a house for herself in the city and moved out, away from me. She welcomed her little sister Sydney to live with her and their mother broke it off with Justine's abusive step-father. I met Sydney and she is the most sweetest girl in the whole world. A month ago Justine came back and asked if she could work here again as she was missing the work and me terribly. She's the only one left.

Hazel, after a week of staying at the palace after Percy's birthday last year, had gone back to New Asia with Frank. They're still dating and going strong. I was sure that they would already be married if not for their young age. I had no doubts that in the future we would be hearing wedding bells and flying to New Asia for Hazel and Franks wedding.

Alicia had the worst and best year that anyone could have asked for. She left three months after Justine had first left. She had enough money to move back home and feed her parents and four other siblings. She found a boy pretty quickly and they fell madly in love. Tyler was hilarious and humble, perfect for Alicia. A month after she left, ten months after the proposal, her little brother fell ill. They had enough money to take him to the doctors, and he was diagnosed with stage four leukaemia. He was rushed into therapy and they gave him everything they could. But it was no use. The boy of eight years was dying, so they decided to travel the country and show him as much as the world as they could. I personally helped pay for some of the expenses as a way to repay Alicia for everything she had done for me. Three days ago I got the terrible news that little Henry had passed away peacefully surrounded by his four older siblings and parents.

My thoughts were interrupted with the door opening and a stream of people walking in.

The first was Justine who immediately gave me a hug, opening the balcony doors wider and then disappeared into the wardrobe.

The next was my maid of honour, Thalia. Thalia hadn't changed much at all, apart from her official title. Princess Thalia Grace of Illèa was crowned last month, along side her brother. She didn't change her hair or her style, still rocking her leather jacket and converse shoes. Her sarcasm hadn't dwindled either and it was funny to see the shocked faces of the council whenever she had a go at them. I'd asked Thalia to be my maid of honour because she and I had become really close in the last year. I now considered her as my family. But that family was soon to be broken up as in the next few days she would be leaving and joining the hunters of Artemis, a girl group of hunters apart of the military. She was pretty excited to do so.

"Good morning, Annie." She ruffled my hair as she walked past me.

The next in was Piper. Piper had had a pretty good year. A month or so after Percy and I got engaged she started to date Jason. It would seem that in the near future she would become a princess too by marrying Jason. Her speech about body image back in the Selection had taken the world by storm. She was now a ambassador for a world organisation that empowered men and women all over the globe. She had raised millions of dollars for foundations and charity's all over the country. She had done pretty good.

After her, Rachel waltzed in. It surprised many people when I asked Rachel to be one of my bridesmaids. Why ask the girl that Percy was going to marry? Because she and I had become close friends. After the Selection we stayed in touch, writing letters to each other now and then. I gave her time to mend her broken heart and she turned out to be pretty awesome. Recently she just sold one of her most well known art pieces to a very rich guy and gave three quarters of the money to charity. She's been travelling the world, painting and drawing everything she sees. She become one of the most well known artists in Illèa. She gladly accepted my invitation.

My next bridesmaid surprised everyone too. Reyna had taken a little bit longer than Rachel to warm up to me, but we had become close in the last year too. Reyna decided she was going to join the Royal Guard, and within the last year she had worked her way through the ranks swiftly and she now sat as one of the heads of security. During that time we bonded over war strategies and battle plans.

The last one in was Hazel. She walked straight up to me and squeezed the life out of me.

"I can't believe that this day is really here. I've waited so long for this and now you two are finally going to get married," She rushed out without taking a breath. "Is it bad that I don't want you to get married even though I want you to get married?"

"Huh?" I pulled back from her and looked at her confused. "That makes no sense."

She rolled her eyes. "I'm not even going to try and explain it to you."

I nodded. "I think that would be smart."

"Enough talking," Thalia snapped. "We have a wedding to get ready for."

Squeals irrupted from everyone's mouths, apart from Reyna's and Thalia's. they smiled though, and I smiled back. Thalia was right, we had a wedding to get ready for. My wedding.

Justine pushed me into the bathroom and shut the door behind me, leaving me to take a shower.

When I got out I wrapped myself in a fluffy robe and walked out to find that all the girls were enjoying a lovely looking breakfast.

"What about-"

"There's some over there for you, Annabeth." Justine pointed to a plate topped with a stack of blue pancakes sitting on my desk waiting for me.

I blushed and smiled at her. "Thank you, Justine."

I sat down next to Thalia and Piper on the bed. Rachel was sitting on the floor, her back against the end of the bed. Justine was sitting on the couch with Hazel and Reyna sat at my desk facing the rest of the group.

"So," Thalia swung her fork around and nearly poked my eye out. "What's actually happening today?"

We all turned to her wide eyed. "Uh," Reyna looked at her concerned. "You're the maid of honour."

Thalia nodded and stuffed a piece of pancake in her mouth. "Yes. Of course. I know what I'm doing, I was just testing you lot."

"Well," Rachel dragged it out. "For us who don't know what's happening on one of the biggest days of Annabeth's life," She looked pointedly at Thalia. "We need to get ready and be at the front of the palace just after lunch. From there we will get a car to the church. The wedding is first, then the coronation."

"Do you know your lines?" Piper asked me.

I nodded. I had memorised the lines that I needed to say at both the wedding and coronation six months ago. "A lot of I Do's and I Am's."

"I know!" Thalia grumbled. "When I had to do it Jason was all like, 'it's a great honour. We have a family and now we're royalty!' But it was the most boring thing I have ever had to sit through,"

Reyna rolled her eyes. "You're pretty lucky."

Thalia glared at Reyna. "I know I am."

"Oh shut it," I pushed Thalia on the shoulder. "This day is about me, not you."

"Yes, Your Majesty!" All six girls chorused perfect unison.

We burst into a fit of giggles, our pancakes forgotten next to us as we laughed.

After eating breakfast we started to work on the bridesmaids hair and makeup. More maids came in to help and after too much laughter and not enough work we finished. All their hair was done up in different styles of braids and buns and they walked around my bedroom with freshly painted nails and faces and fluffy white robes wrapped around them.

They all crowded around the bathroom as I sat down on the chair in front of the mirror. They talk and laughed as Justine applied light makeup, just a touch of makeup as recently I had been enough sleep so I didn't look like a zombie.

Percy and I decided that I would move into his bedroom on the third floor. It wasn't much of a change as I lived on the third floor before the Selection, and sleeping in the same bed as Percy didn't feel strange either as we had been helping each other sleep by keeping the nightmares at bay before the Selection ended. That's what I loved about it so much. It felt so natural to fall asleep to the sound of Percy's even breaths and to wake up to drool running down his chin. To work around each other as we got ready for the day, to walk down to the dining room together and eat breakfast then start a day of meetings, planning and speeches as a team. It was natural and it was perfect.

Nightmares had kept on going throughout the year, getting worse and worse as we got closer to the worse day of my life. But as we started to get closer to the wedding, as the flowers were finalised and RSVP's came back in the mail, the nightmares started to turn to dreams of the future.

Percy and I hadn't stopped talking about our future. We knew what we were going to do once we became king and queen and we knew we wanted to become parents. I still got dizzy thinking about it sometimes.

"Thinking about your prince?" Piper squeezed my shoulder.

I rolled my eyes. "I'm thinking about my Seaweed Brain and how nervous he must be."

"He can't be that nervous, can he?" Hazel asked. "It's not like your going to run away."

"That's exactly what he's thinking." Tyson said from the doorway of the bathroom. He was already dressed in his black suit and orange tie, his hair neatly styled.

"What?" I asked, turning around to face him confused. Everyone else turned towards Tyson too and he blushed under all the attention he was receiving. Why would Percy be thinking that I would run away?

"Everyone was trying to calm him down before I left. He started to panic because he thinks that you'll realise that he's not good enough for you."

I raised my eyebrows at him in question but he nodded telling me that he wasn't making it up. Percy really was freaking out right now over the fact that I would realise that I'm to good for him.

Really, Seaweed Brain? I thought. I'm the one that should be freaking out because I'm not good enough for you.

I sighed and got up, picking up a pen and a piece of paper from my desk and sat down to write. Everyone watched in silence as I wrote Percy a small letter.

I signed it off and folded it neatly, giving it to Tyson. "Give him that and if that doesn't calm him down splash some water on him. That should do the trick."

Tyson gave me a fist pump and left the room, note in hand.

"What did you say?" Reyna asked as I sat back down in front of the bathroom mirror.

I smirked but didn't answer, watching Justine apply the last of my makeup to my face.

"So, how are you feeling?" Rachel asked.

"I don't know," I looked at the girls through the mirror. "A little bit nervous, but more excited and happy. Sad too."

They all nodded understanding how I was feeling. I watched Thalia leave the room.

"But!" Hazel nearly screamed. "Think about the honeymoon!"

"Yes!" Piper nodded enthusiastically. "Greece! It's going to be amazing,"

Rachel wrapped her arms around herself. "The food and the people, the beaches."

"The architecture," I sighed.

They all rolled their eyes.

Justine did my hair expertly. The bun was low around my head, leaving room for the crown on top. It was held together by pins with peals on the end and it looked beautiful.

"All that's left now is to put you in the dress," Justine smiled at me. "I'll go get it."

She left with two other maids to go and find my very expensive wedding dress. Calypso had actually made it. After the Selection, she set up a small sowing business in the city. It became big and popular quickly because of the Selection and it was now one of the leading fashion businesses in the country. She started dating Leo a few months after she opened her shop and Leo bought the place next door, leaving the Royal guard and opening up his own mechanic store. It's the best one in the whole province.

Justine came back holding the heavy dress with the help of two others. Thalia had gotten me a small circular platform to stand on. They helped me into the extravagant gown. As Justine was tying it up at the back, there was a quiet knock on the door. It opened to reveal Sally.

Sally was wearing a long, pale pink dress that went straight down her body, pooling at the bottom and then flowed behind her in a train. Her hair was left out, a small tiara already sitting on top of her head. She looked radiant.

Sally had been one of the most supportive people in the last year. She helped me so much in so many ways. From moving bedrooms to helping me make country changing decisions. She helped put Percy back in line when he acted out and she helped keep the media under control. She was the mother I've always wanted. I guess I've always had a mother.

She gasped when she saw me, and I saw tears form in her eyes. She walked over and I bent down a little to give her a hug.

"You look absolutely gorgeous, Annabeth," She whispered in my ear. "I'm so proud of you."

"Thank you, Sally."

She pulled back and gave me a massive smile. "My babies are finally getting married. I've dreamed of this day."

I laughed. "I have too."

It was then I noticed that she was holding a veil in her hand.

"What's that?" I asked her.

"It was your mother's wedding veil," She looked at me sadly. "She wore it when she married your father and I figured you might want to wear it too."

She handed it over to me. It was simple, white but elegant with a floral clip to pin it in your hair. Justine took it and pinned it in my bun, the white material flowing down my back to just above my waist. It was perfect, just my style.

"Thank you," I hugged her again.

Sally gave me one last look and left, closing the door behind her.

Reyna checked the watch that was on her wrist. "Not long now to go."

The butterflies started to flap in my stomach.

Justine continued tying up my dress and when she was done, Thalia held out her hand for me to hold as I stepped down.

Tears started to prickle my eyes as I looked at myself in the mirror. The dress was perfect.

They all crowded around me, now dressed in their pale blue bridesmaids dresses. We all looked stunning.

"Ready to go?" Piper asked, putting a hand on my shoulder.

I looked at myself in the mirror one last time then turned around, nodding my head.

"I'm ready."

The girls picked up their bouquets that someone had dropped by earlier. Justine helped me walk, making sure that I wouldn't trip and Thalia held my flowers as well as hers.

We walked slowly down the halls and stairs of the palace. It was eerily quiet. People would be working downstairs in the kitchen preparing food for the ball for tonight after the wedding and butlers and maids would be preparing the palace for the hundreds of guests coming tonight, but the halls were empty.

My father was waiting for me at the door. He was wearing his official uniform, a red jacket with gold shoulder pads, black pants and shoes with medals pinned on his chest, a sword strapped to his waist and a black hat on his head.

He smiled at me as I walked closer to him. "You look beautiful, kiddo." He hugged me then kissed me on top of the head.

"Thanks, Dad."

"Quick!" Thalia tugged my arm. "Photos!"

We all walked through the front doors of the palace and lined up on the steps, Lou Ellen at the bottom with her shiny camera in hand. We would get some photos before the wedding, but most of them would be taken after.

I stood in the middle and the girls lined up on either side of me. We smiled and laughed and Justine joined in the second one.

Three cars pulled up and we split off into the cars. Piper, Thalia and Hazel in the first one, Reyna, Rachel and Justine in the second and my father and I in the last one.

He took my hand as we drove down the driveway towards the city.

"I just want to tell you how proud I am of my baby girl," He kissed my hand and I watched as tears started to gather in the bottom of his eyes. "You've done so well, kiddo. You're going to do great things, and you're going to be happy, healthy and safe. Everything that I could have asked for."

"Thank you." Out of the corner of my eye I saw crowds of people from the city on either side of the road. They waved Illèan flags, flowers in their hands cheering as we drove past.

He brought his hand up and ran his fingers along my veil, smiling as he remembered his wedding day. "Your mother would have been proud of you too," My attention went back to my father as he continued to talk. "She would have loved how strong and smart you have become. She loved you Annabeth, with all her heart. I want you to know that."

I nodded, my lips pressed together in a tight smile as I tried to keep the tears at bay.

We slowed down some minutes later in front of the massive main church in the city. My father got out of the car and ran around to open my door, taking my hand to help me get out of the car. It was extremely difficult.

There was a red carpet set up that lead up a few stairs to the main doors where Percy and thousands of other people waited for me.

The crowd irrupted as soon as I got out and I turned around, smiling at everyone.

Zoe ran down the stairs towards me, wrapped her arms around my waist in a hug.

"Hi, Zo-Zo!" I smiled at her, my bridesmaids lining up in order out the front of the doors. The crowd was defending, screaming my name and congratulations.

She was wearing an adorable cyan blue dress and sparkly shoes to match. Her hair was done in high piggy tails and when she smiled at me, she showed off the gap in the front of her mouth where her tooth used to be.

"Hi, Bethy!" She giggled as she picked up a piece of my dress and dropped it. "Your dress is very big."

"I know!" I huffed. "It's very hard to walk in, but it's pretty isn't it?"

She jumped up and down. "Almost as pretty as my shoes!" She pointed her foot at me, the sun catching on the sparkles.

I gasped. "Almost!"

She giggled and ran back up the stairs to go and talk to Piper.

Bobby and Matthew walked down the stairs and gave me a hug.

"Hello boys," I grinned.

Matthew placed a hand on my cheek and smiled sadly at me. "Look at you. All grown up."

Bobby out his hand on the other cheek and faked wiping a tear away from under his eye. "On your wedding day. Our little girl."

I laughed and swatted their hands away. "Soon it will be you two here and I'll be doing the exact same thing to you."

Both boys looked at each other for a second then shuddered.

Dad came back from his conversation with one of the guards at the door. The guard uniform made my heart skip.

"Everyone's ready inside. Are you ready, kiddo?"

Everyone was asking if I was ready. Ready to marry Percy. Ready to become queen. In reality, I was born ready.

I nodded and he held out his arm for me to take. I slipped my hand through, my hand resting near his elbow. My brothers ran off to the start of the line, took two boxes containing the rings from a waiting guard and stood ready for the door to open. Thalia handed me my bouquet of blue flowers and got into her position. I laughed as Zoe took a basket of flower petals from a guard and waited impatiently for the doors to open, Tyson standing next to her.

When they did, I let out a slow, long breath. This was it. Today I would marry the love of my life and become queen of Illèa.

Music swelled up from inside, the live orchestra playing magically.

Zoe and Tyson walked into the large cathedral first, throwing petals to their left and right. I could almost hear the sighs as everyone watched the little girl smiling with her missing tooth.

Bobby and Matthew walked in next, smiling at the crowd as they walked on the petals left behind by Zoe. Everyone watched the two black boxes that held the rings.

Reyna followed suit, flowers in hand. Then Rachel, then Hazel. Piper sent me a wink over her shoulder, mouthing the words "I told you so!" Before following the other girls down the red carpet.

Thalia turned around and gave my hand a quick squeeze. "Just remember," She whispered. "He's here. He's always with you, no matter what."

I gave her a sad smile as I watched her turn around and follow Piper down the aisle.

My thoughts turned to the people that I wished were here. There were a lot of people that I would have liked to be here today.

One of them would have to be Alicia. She was mourning her little brother with her close family and friends, and I thought about her a lot sending her love, but I also wanted her here to celebrate this glorious day that we've both been waiting for. She was there from the start of the Selection, I wanted her to be here at the end. But I knew that where ever she was that she would have the TV turned on in the background and be able to watch me marry Percy.

My mother, Athena Chase, would be by my side now if she hadn't of died when I was a baby. Another person that I would have loved to be here.

The last person would be the one that I wished the most that he was here.

Luke.

The worse day of my entire life was only a few months after the proposal. Up until then I had spent as much time with Luke as I could. Thalia joined us most of the time and we become the family that we were always meant to be. Thalia and I were the last people to see Luke alive.

We mourned together for a brother lost, and we still do. He was killed quickly and peacefully having said all that he needed to say.

I thought about him every day and I realised how much I needed him. He was always there for me, even though it took him a while to get there sometimes, but now he is gone. Just a distant memory.

I knew he was there, walking on my other side as my father and I walked up the stairs. He's been my family even after he left, just like he promised.

The guests of the wedding watched me enter the grand cathedral with held breaths. There was audible sighs and gasps once they looked at me. I plastered a smile on my face and squared my shoulders, Sarah's voice reminding me in the back of my head.

The music flowed through the church as everyone stood, my father and I slowly walking down the aisle.

I could see Chiron in his new wheelchair at the altar, Percy standing in front of him and off to the left. His back was towards me but when he turned around the breath was taken out of my lungs.

Even after nineteen years of knowing him, his looks still got the better of me. He hadn't even tried to tame his wild jet black hair that hung in his face. His plush pink lips mouthed the word "wow" when his eyes connected with mine. He was wearing a navy suit, a white collar shirt underneath and matching blue tie to my flowers. His sea-green eyes shone with love and happiness as I moved closer and closer to him.

The whole world faded out of my ears and eyes as Percy shook my fathers hand before taking mine and pulling me closer to him. I watched him distracted as Thalia took my flowers. Grover stood just next to Percy as his best man, Jason, Leo, Frank and Nico all wearing the same navy suit, white shirt and pale blue tie.

"Hi," Percy whispered breathlessly.

"Hi," I whispered back, my smile so big my cheeks were already aching.

"We are gathered here today to witness the marriage of Prince Perseus Jackson and Annabeth Chase," Chiron's voice boomed across the large area captivating everyone's attention. "We are also here to witness the momentous coronation of our future king and queen."

Chiron talked about marriage and love and what it symbolises. He talked about the Selection and our lives before hand. I didn't pay much attention for Percy and I were just looking at each, taking on everything that was happening around us and what was actually happening. Our marriage.

"The vows," Chiron nodded his head to Percy who cleared his throat, taking both of my hands in his. He only had eyes for me as he recited his vows from memory.

"Annabeth, you have been apart of my life from the very first day," His smile mirrored mine. "And I cannot imagine a life without you. You are my brains and my heart, my whole being and I cannot express how much you mean to me. I promise to listen to you and talk with you. I promise to catch you if you fall. I promise not to favour my mother's blue cookies over you," Everyone laughed. I blinked the tears away. "And I promise that I'll always come back to you, even when I'm old and I can't remember anything, I'll be there for you. I promise to build something permanent with you."

I felt like I was going to explode and my love for Percy would fill the entire church.

Chiron nodded his thank you to Percy and smiled at me. "Percy, I'll never be able to thank you for all that you have done for me," I squeezed his hand. "You've been there from the very start, always having my back and supporting me in every decision I've made. You've held my hand when things were tough and you've wiped the tears away. You are my other half and I don't know what I would do if you weren't in my life. My promise to you is to always work with you, to talk and to listen to everything you have to say. I promise to hold you hand as you have done with mine and I promise that you can always count on me. I even promise that I won't nag you about drowning your blue pancakes in maple syrup and I won't complain when you slam me into the ground with your sassy remarks." I stared into the sea-green eyes that I loved so much. "I promise to build something permanent with you."

Bobby and Matthew brought over the boxes containing the rings. We said the traditional vows as we slid the rings onto each other's fingers. I felt like I wasn't actually in my body, that I was somewhere else dreaming of this perfect occasion but it was real.

"Do you, Perseus Jackson, take Annabeth Chase to be your lawfully wedded wife, to have and to hold from this day forward; for better, for worse, for richer, for poorer, in sickness and in health, to love and to cherish, till death do you part?"

His sea-green eyes sparkled. "I do."

"Do you Annabeth Chase take Perseus Jackson to be your lawfully wedded husband, to have and to hold from this day forward; for better, for worse, for richer, for poorer, in sickness and in health, to love and to cherish, till death do you part?"

"I do." I squeezed Percy's hand my heart beating a million a minute.

Grover appeared at Percy's side with an apple in hand. Percy took the apple and held it out for me to take. I felt like I was going to explode from all the emotions swirling inside of me like a storm as I took the apple and bit into it. I could feel the stares of everyone as I chewed as quickly as I could, wanting to kiss Percy so badly.

"I now pronounce you husband and wife. Perseus," Chiron turned to Percy, smiling brightly for his students and their great future ahead. "You may now kiss your bride."

When he kissed me, just like the first time in the Selection, I had the feeling that my brain was melting right through my body.

My whole being swelled as we pulled away from each other, sea-green locking with grey. The man in front of me is my husband.

I didn't hear the applause booming in the church until I turned around and saw that everyone was standing up, tears streaming down some of their faces as they clapped.

Percy gripped my hand tightly, holding onto me for dear life afraid that I would disappear, as we smiled at the crowd. I couldn't explain what I was feeling. A sense of elation and pure bliss.

"Now to the coronation," Chiron's voice was louder than the applause.

Sally and Paul stood up from their seats on Percy's side. They both wore their crowns of power, a long cape tied around their necks that flowed out behind them. The velvet was purple and it was furry at their shoulders. They climbed the stairs and Sally squeezed both of our shoulders, tears of joy in her eyes. Paul was beaming.

Chiron talked about past kings and queens, the good that they had done, I nearly scoffed at this. Sally stood in front of me, to the left of Chiron and Paul was standing in front of Percy. Both Percy and I were facing his parents, our hands still gripping each other's.

Chiron then talked about our responsibilities and our duties and what we must do in the years to follow.

"Now for the traditional vows of acceptance and the passing on of leadership through the crowns." Chiron nodded his head to Paul and Sally, who turned theirs heads towards Percy and I.

Percy and I knelt down on both of our knees and placed our hands in front of us. It was difficult with my massive dress but I managed.

"Do you, Perseus and Annabeth Jackson, solemnly promise to fulfil all the duties of King and Queen of Illèa?" Paul asked, remembering what to say from the many, many rehearsals we had had.

"We solemnly promise to do so." Percy and I's voice was steady as we promised. I also noticed how I shared Percy's last name now.

"Are you willing to sacrifice yourself for the citizens of this great country? To make decisions on their behalf, to exercise justice with mercy and uphold the law?" Sally's voice was filled with so much love and hope that I knew that she was nearly bursting at the seams.

"We are willing."

Both Sally and Paul unhooked theirs capes from their necks. Thalia and Grover came over and helped to swing the caps around so they were lying after Percy and I. Sally kiss me lightly of the forehead as she clipped the cape around my neck.

My breathings was so quick I thought I was going to faint as Sally took the crown off the top of her head and placed it gently on mine. What surprised me the most about it was not the weight of it but the how natural it felt.

Out of the corner of my eyes I saw the crown sitting on top of Percy's head. We were an offical team ready to fight together for the citizens of our nation. Together.

Sally held out her hand for me and helped me stand up. I found Percy's hand as we turned around to face the crowd.

"All hail King Perseus Jackson and Queen Annabeth Jackson!" Sally and Paul shouted.

Everyone chorused the line back to us and I let out a breath that I didn't realise I was holding.

Percy and I turned towards each other and I bowed my head slightly because we weren't meant to be talking. "King Seaweed Brain,"

He smiled his trouble maker crooked smile. "Queen Wise Girl."

Sally held in her excitement as she kissed my cheek and gave me a hug. "I'm so proud of you, sweetheart."

"Thank you," I smiled at her. She turned to Percy and squeezed the life out of him.

Paul gave me a hug and a kiss on the cheek too. "Congratulations, Annabeth."

"Thanks, Paul."

Percy and I turned back to the crowd. "Please rise for our new King and Queen."

The orchestra started playing their music as everyone stood up. Percy and I walked slowly down the stairs and stood at the bottom for a second, taking in every single little detail.

"I just want to get to the blue wedding cake," He leant over and talked out of the corner of his mouth.

"As long as we get to eat it together."

"Together,"

And as we were running down the aisle, hand in hand, Percy whispered in my ear, "Best birthday present ever."

For once, we didn't look back.

*sits in silence as I realise this is the end*

Holy Poseidon's underpants! I'm sorry for the late update but did you enjoy it? Are you happy or sad? I'm a mixture of both.

Are we happy for all our character? I tried to give them something in the last year that didn't revolve around love because these girls don't need no man! But it's nice to see all the ships sail!!

Shout out to @HannahS0313 for helping me find the dress. And thanks to everyone who sent me suggestions, I was drowning in them!

This isn't the complete end as you will get a Bonus Chapter. I'll put my final authors note after that so don't delete this story from your library! You'll get percababies if you stick around!

A massive thank you to every single on of you,

Word count: 6424

*throws blue cookies at all of you*

- Squirrel