xxxxx

"And I finally looked upon you and realized you wore a crown of gold, and I finally saw the unexplainable beauty hidden behind your hooded eyes."

xxxxx

Annabeth admired the beautiful man laying below her. She didn’t recognize him, but of course that could be because his eyes were closed and his untidy hair covered most of his face.

She tentatively reached out a hand to brush away the stray strands so he could see him. She didn’t know why, but she had this unbearable, burning desire to see him. To stare into his eyes, kiss those beautiful lips… Her fingers ran through the silky strands of raven hair covering the man’s face. ’’Who are you?’’ Annabeth muttered. ’’How did you get here?’’

She slowly scooted closer to the unnamed male, and set her palm on his toned chest. She could feel the steady beat of his heart under her hand, assuring that he was alive. That, and the steady rise and fall of his chest was the only reason Annabeth thought that he was mortal. Even with that, it was completely possible that this man, this mysterious man, could be god.

It wasn’t that unbelievable. He had the look of one of the gods. Of course, Annabeth hadn’t ever seen a god. She had heard of gods falling in love with mortals and siring children, her best friend was a result of such an affair. That could be what this man was, an affair of a god. But that still didn’t give Annabeth the explanation she wanted.

She continued to silently brush his raven locks from his forehead, running her fingers through his hair. ’’I wish you would wake,’’ she whispered. ’’I want to know who you are.’’ When she was met with silence, she slowly stood to walk away.

Before leaving, she turned around once more to look upon the man. ’’I wish I could see the beauty behind your hooded eyes.’’

xxxxx

Percy woke to the sun shining in his face and a girl running away.

xxxxx

It was 5 months after Annabeth had laid eyes upon the mysterious man, and she thought about it every chance she had. She couldn’t get the raven haired man out of her head, but she would never see him again.

xxxxx

It was now a full year after she had seen the man, and it consumed her every thought. She was absolutely infatuated with a man she never spoke to, never seen the eyes of. A man she never truly met. Maybe that was why she was so fascinated. Because he was a mystery that she couldn’t solve.

’’Annabeth, we must hurry. The King and his son will be here soon.’’

Annabeth sighed. She didn’t want to go greet the King, or the Prince. She knew she would be given the task of escorting the Prince, it was part of her duty as the princess’s hand maiden. ’’Of course, madam.’’ She quickly finished brushing her blonde hair, and rushed out to meet with the princess.

Following the streams of people, Annabeth was preoccupied. What was the King like? What was the Prince like? Being the princess’s hand maiden, she got front row seats to greet the royalty coming.

The square was silent as the sound of horses hoofs grew louder. 1… 2… 3… 4… 5… And there they are. Annabeth’s breath caught in her throat. There was the Prince, sitting tall on a black Stallion, a crown of Gold resting on his raven hair. It was him, it was the mystery man. ’’My lady,’’ Annabeth muttered.

The princess turned her head to look at Annabeth. ’’How many times have I told you? It’s just Piper.’’ Piper turned back to look at the oncoming royal train. ’’What is it?’’

’’It’s him, the man I saved.’’

She was met with silence. To be honest, she hadn’t expected much less. Piper opened her mouth to reply, but the crowd had started to shout for their King. There wasn’t anything to be done but wait. Maybe Annabeth could talk to him later.

xxxxx

’’Who are you?’’

’’Annabeth, my lord.’’

’’It’s just Percy.’’

’’Of course, my- Percy.’’

The prince chuckled. ’’There you go. Why do you seem so flustered?’’

Maybe because I think I’m in love with you, and I’m the one who saved your life a year ago, but you’ll never remember me after this.

’’No reason.’’

An eyebrow was raised. ’’Oh really?’’

Annabeth fidgeted nervously under his gaze.

’’Y-yes.’’

The prince leaned forward and whispered in her ear. ’’I don’t think so, mystery girl. I’m the boy with the hooded eyes, yea?’’

Annabeth flushed. ’’And apparently you are also the boy with the crown of gold.’’ Her eyes widened, and slapping her hands over her mouth, she fled.

xxxxx

’’I want to know who she is.’’

’’You know who she is, Perseus. She is but a servant.’’

Percy glared at his father. ’’No she isn’t,’’ he snapped. ’’She’s so much more than that. She deserves so much more than that.’’

The king raised an eyebrow at his son. ’’Unusual behavior for you.’’

Percy avoided his gaze and fixed his eyes on the ground. ’’I think I love her.’’

’’You just met her.’’

’’And did that matter with mom?’’

He was met with silence.

xxxxx

"I have to see him!"

"Annabeth, I said no."

"But Piper--"

"I said no. End of conversation."

xxxxx

Annabeth snuck out for the first time that night. She made her way to where she had first talked to him after he had come. She hoped that he was just as interested and had the same thought. She was met with an empty courtyard.

xxxxx

She snuck out every night for the week the prince and his father were there. Every night, she was met with disappointment.

"Maybe I shouldn't have hoped," she murmured walking away.

A man standing in the shadows watched her retreating figure, sea-green eyes looking remorsed. "And I wish you hadn't," he whispered sadly. "Because loving me will only bring you sadness."

The last thing he ever heard her say was this: "And I finally looked upon you and realized you wore a crown of gold, and I finally saw the unexplainable beauty hidden behind your hooded eyes."