Piper's dress. It's the masquerade ball! So much preparation. Hope that I did it to your expectations. And it's split into multiple parts, so more than one chapter.

Annabeth's POV

We finished the dresses just in time for the ball. With the help of all of our maids, it only took a few hours. Sounds of people walking down the hall carrying large objects is all we've heard for the past few minutes. Rachel went to try on her dress and we're anxious for the results.

Finally, she walks out. The ball gown is adorned with flowers, as is the mask. The coloring brings out the green of her eyes behind her mask and her hair looks less fiery and more subtle. Altogether, she looks just like spring.

"Here," Piper says, walking over to Rachel and placing a crown of flowers on her head.

"It's perfect," I say, nodding my head. "Piper, try on yours."

Piper rushes into my bathroom with the dress in hand. I add the final touches to my crown. Reyna is doing the same. I'm nervous, but I'm not sure why. Am I worried about the dresses? Percy? The threat of elimination? Another Piper incident happening? Percy?

Soon, Piper comes out beaming. "What do you think?" she asks, twirling in the doorway. Her skin tone compliments the red and orange hues. Her hair goes with it as well. The mask hides most of her face, but her eyes are visible. She looks stunning.

"Amazing!" I gush. "Pipes, you look beautiful."

"Thanks. Reyna, do you want to try on your dress next?" Piper asks, placing her crown on her head.

"Sure," she says, grabbing her white and blue dress.

"Piper, can you do Rachel's hair while I do yours?" I ask her, grabbing a hairbrush.

"Sure," she says while motioning Rachel to sit down.

I brush Piper's hair out, noticing the choppy hair cut. Her hair looks good down, but it's a little bit to plain. I stand up and plug in the curling iron. While I'm waiting for it to warm up, Reyna walks out of my bathroom.

"Well?" she hesitantly asks.

Her dark hair and eyes contrast against the light blue and white. Most people envision a snow goddess with blonde hair, but I always thought she would look like Reyna, with the dark colors of her hair and eyes.

"You forgot the mask and crown," Rachel reminds her.

Reyna walks over to where she left her mask and puts it on. If possible, she looks even better with the air of mystery surrounding her. Her eyes look darker. Her crown is decorated with blue and white glitter, complete with icicles and snowflakes.

"The picture of winter," Piper promises as I continue to curl her hair. "Cold and untouchable, yet beautiful."

When I finish curling Piper's hair, she waves me to go try on my dress. I grab the coral material and head into the "dressing room".

My dress is a much bigger ball gown than I usually wear. It looks like something from a movie, something a real princess would wear.

I get into the dress, still not tired of the feel of satin on my skin. It's difficult to get into, as all ball gowns are. They need to look tight when you wear them, which makes it difficult to wear them. Finally, it's on. I turn around and look at myself in the mirror.

I look nothing like the Four who used to envision herself marrying Luke, the girl who lived with a father who ignored her and the step-mother who hated her presence. Right now, I look like a princess. A real princess.

I tie on my mask and look in the mirror again. Even I don't recognize who I am.

I walk out of my bathroom and try to look invisible, which is difficult to do when you're wearing an extremely poofy ball gown.

"Annabeth, you look so beautiful!" Piper exclaims.

"Thanks, Piper. I forgot my crown, though."

I put it on and turn to finish curling Piper's hair.

"We better hurry. We only have a little less than an hour until the ball."

I soon finish Piper's hair and move to start on Reyna's. I do her hair in a French braid and put her crown on.

"Are we ready?" I ask close to half an hour later.

"Almost," says Piper. "You haven't had your hair done yet."

She beckons for me to go to her and she releases my hair from the ponytail. She brushes it out and leaves it to stay in its natural curly state.

"Let's go," Rachel says, her hair in a bun. We all follow her lead and walk out of my bedroom, masks on.

Down the hall in front of us are the Hunters. They all are wearing the shorter dresses we made, varying in color. Thalia's is blue, Zoe's is silver, Hylla has on a black dress, and Bianca is wearing gold. Fake weapons are in their hands. Thalia is clutching a spear, Zoe a bow, Hylla has a sword, and Bianca is carrying a knife. They look dangerous.

I hear music pulsing from the ball room. Playing right now is a popular song that I know all the lyrics to. I wobble in my high heels as we look for our place to sit. There are six tables in a circle with other tables. The Hunters sit at a table with a "2" on a sign. I look for a "6".

Before I can find it, I see him. He's wearing a breastplate and sandals. It looks like a gladiator's costume. He hasn't seen me yet, but he's smiling at someone else. I quickly turn away before I can see who it was.

I find our table and beckon the others to follow. I can tell that Rachel also saw Percy since she's looking a little green. Or maybe that's just the weird lighting. All the chandeliers have been turned off and irregular spotlights have taken their place. Blues, greens, pinks, and oranges are shining at random places. It reminds me of what a party should look like.

The only team who's table is empty is the third group. Willow and Drew are nowhere to be seen. Percy frowns when he looks at that table. I can tell he's anxious to start.

I see our new teacher, Sasha, standing near the prince. She must be here to grade us. What she's grading us upon I don't know.

Finally, Willow walks in with the others on her heel. She added giant peacock wings to her costume. The other three have smaller wings. Willow's mask is lacy and her eyes are visible even from here.

"Now that we're all here, I'd like to thank everyone for participating for this ball to take place. A special thank you to Miss. Piper for thinking of this in the first place."

Piper blushes while we applaud. She hates being the center of attention, from what I can tell.

"I'd also like to thank all of the Selected for each playing a specific role in helping this to happen. The music is wonderful, group one. The food looks great, group two. Group three, excellent job in the decoration department. Group Four did superb with the floral decorations. The lightning looks magnificent, group five. And the costumes look so wonderful, group six. Thank you. Now let's get this party started!"

The music starts up again and the girls rise to talk and mingle. Rachel goes to talk to another girl while Piper and Reyna start chatting next to me. I awkwardly stand up to go get some punch.

"You look beautiful," a voice whispers in my ear. Percy.

I turn and see his smirking face in front of mine. His sea green eyes are looking at my dress and mask.

"But what are you supposed to be?"

"Look at the other girls in my group. What does it look like?" I snap.

His eyes widen, but he looks over like I told him to. After a few seconds, he looks back to me.

"Summer? Are you all being the seasons?"

"Huh, looks as if your two brain cells could put that together. It was getting a little shaky."

"What?" he asks, his eyes so adorably confused. His eyebrows knit together as he looks at me with confusion and shock spelt across his face.

I take a deep breath before replying.

"I'm sorry. This whole ball thing has been stressing me out for days. And you ignoring me hasn't helped either."

"I-ignoring you? I haven't been ignoring you," he stutters. "I've just been meeting with the other girls is all."

"Is that the excuse you've made?" I ask, trying to keep the laugh from escaping my lips.

"It's not an excuse, actually. It's true. I went on a somewhat date with Hazel Levesque. Have you met her yet?"

"Not exclusively. Why?"

"She just seems like someone who needs an older companion. She's not fit for the cut throat competition of the Selection," Percy says with a wink.

"It is not as intense as I was expecting. Except for, you know," what happened to Piper. The unspoken words travel between us and put a damper on the mood. "But most of the girls are nice and not as stuck up as I was expecting them to be."

"What about me? Am I all you thought I would be?" He asks me with a smile, a sarcastic trouble maker smile.

You are so much more than everything that I thought you would be. I was expecting a stuck up prince, but I got you instead.

"You're not bad. But I have to say, I was a little disappointed that you have failed to ask me the deep stuff. I thought a prince was supposed to be romantic."

"Fine. What's your favorite color?"

"How is that deep?"

"That way I'll know something about you that not many others do. So what is it?"

"Greenish blue," I say after a moments thought, taking a slight risk.

"Like the color of the ocean?" he replies.

"Yes," I'm relieved he didn't catch my enormous hint.

I hardly noticed, but we have started to dance. There are about two dozen guards here as well for the other girls to dance with. Most are still in uniform, but no one seems to care. I spot Luke very pointedly ignoring Thalia.

"What's your favorite color?" I ask as we dance.

"Blue. It's the same color of the ties I wear everyday, haven't you noticed?"

"Yes, but I just thought you made poor wardrobe choices by wearing the same thing everyday."

"Well do you know what I'm dressed as?"

"A gladiator, of course. From Rome."

"What? I thought gladiators were Greek!"

"No, Seaweed Brain. Gladiators fought against slaves, lions, captured enemies, and other things in the Roman Coliseum. Of course, it was reduced to rubble in the third world war, but it was still famous after it's destruction."

"You're like a walking encyclopedia. Can I use you for my next math test?"

"You have math tests even though you're the Prince?"

"Unfortunately. And it's not any easier, even if you're royalty. The teachers don't take it any easier on you."

The song ends, but we continue to dance. Others are looking at us, staring at the prince and the girl who dares to dance with him.

"I think that's my cue to dace with someone else, but I'll find you later, Annabeth."

"I'll be waiting, don't worry."

He walks away and asks Hazel to dance. She blushes and takes his hand as the music starts to play again. I walk over to get punch, but a shadow falls over me before I can drink.

"You're being quite the charmer, aren't you Annie?" a familiar voice says to me.

"What do you mean by that?" I ask nonchalant.

"Didn't you see the way he looked at you? He's definitely smitten."

"Whatever you wish to believe."

"Annabeth, be careful," he suddenly says, his voice dropping.

"Why?"

"Others may be slightly jealous that the prince has special interest in you. Just make sure to not be the prince's absolute favorite."

"I can do whatever I want, thank you. And if the prince decides he loves me, then let him. I'm not scared anymore, Luke. I can make my own decisions without your input. And it might help you to speak to Thalia instead of ignoring her. Neither of you are benefitting from this."

I walk away before he can say anything else to me.