Princesses, Punks, and One Problem.

You're Invited!

"Yes."
That one word was Annabeth's biggest regret. Immediately after the cursed word passed her glossed lips, she knew.
Percy dropped his head, defeat evident in his stance.
That cracked Annabeth's heart. What shattered hers? When Percy turned away, turned his back on her. He didn't understand she was doing this for him.
Everything was for him. She didn't even know why, was the worst part!
Luke- No, Kronos, laughed. "Let's be married soon. Better start sending out invites." He winked as he worked his arm in a hook around her waist.
Pulling her close to the smell of his Axe perfume, Luke smirked. "We're a perfect couple."
He hissed in her ear. She inwardly cringed, and externally flinched in response to his hot breath against her ear.
He laughed. "I'll be back in a moment Anna. Don't go anywhere." He commanded, before releasing her, and walking back up the wooden walkway over the rise, and out of sight.
To find Percy. And rub in his victory. Throw salt in the wound. 'Cause why not?
-/-/-/-/-

"Yo, have you seen a blonde about this tall with grey eyes? Maybe with a sorta blonde guy next to her? Really tall on the guy?" Thalia asked yet another one of the many beachy merchandise stands, gesturing with her hands at their height.
The guy running the stand, a maybe fifty year old man with peppered grey and white hair wearing tourist tacky shirts and khakis, only shook his head, and went back to hanging up cheesy shirts with lame slogans.
Thalia inwardly groaned. It had been almost half an hour since she'd lost sight of Percy after some chunky couple had asked her to take their picture and insisted she retake it twice since apparently they were "blurry".
She should've just said no and moved on. This is why being nice sucked.
Glancing down the boarded wood planks of the boardwalk, Thalia tried to think about where Luke and Annabeth would be, considering that's right where Percy would be.
Sucking on her inner lip, Thalia folded her arms.
"Hey, dude?" She asked the pepper haired man. He grunted in recognition that she was talking to him, a low pig like sound. Nasty.

"Did you see a tall blonde dude? With a few freckles? Fancy clothes?"
The guy shrugged. "I mighta."
Gods dam it! Thalia cursed. He wanted her to freaking bribe him for telling her where to find Luke.
She frustratedly chucked a crumpled up ten at him, rolling her neck impatiently. "Well?"
"Yeah, I mighta seen him. Walked down to the surf. Towards that old plastic crab."
Thalia didn't bother replying, only clicked her heels together and restarted her journey towards finding Percy, Luke, and Annabeth.

She found Luke first, and then Annabeth uncomfortably stuck to his side, her eyes pained.
"Thalia!" Luke grinned. "She said yes!"
Thalia nodded slowly, blowing a strand of raven black hair out of her eyes. "I heard."

She was walking dangerous ground now. Should she reveal what she knew? What would he do to her if she did?
Her eyes fell on Annabeth. Usually she would be the one to strategize, help Thalia solve a problem. But now she could tell there would be no help given. Annabeth's eyes were unfocused and lost in some memory or other.
Thalia couldn't imagine what Luke had done to her.
She decided to play it safe, and keep hidden what she knew.
"I'm happy for you." She said blandly. As if she said that a million times a day and she no longer had any interest in it.
She watched as Luke forced a thin smile onto his face. "Thank you. Now, if you'll excuse me, I  have to go do something." He'd turned icy cold in an instant.
Thalia shrugged and nodded. "Have fun with that one Castellan."
He gave her that strained smile again. "Keep an eye on Anna for me. She's a bit... tense."
She nodded and gave him a half smile of her own.
With that Luke meandered away, and all of a sudden, Annabeth's eyes snapped to focus, landing on Thalia.
"Thalia you have to help me stop the wedding." She whisper pleaded, her eyes flitting back to Luke. "He's going to hurt Percy Thalia. You have to help me stop him... he'll make it indirect. I know he will. He's going to try and ruin him."
She was rambling desperately, and all Thalia could do was furrow her brows. "What? Why would he do that?" She'd been gone for too long clearly.
Annabeth looked around frantically before replying. "I made an oath that I'd say yes to everything he wanted if he'd let Percy go, from when he'd taken him, and, and," her breath caught as she started crying.
"Now I can't say no to him, and he's going to find a way to get rid of Percy, permanently!"

And so Luke was.

As soon as he found the son of Poseidon, he was going to make him regret the day he was born. It didn't take long. Percy was on the very end of the boardwalk, his head between his hands, feet dangling just above the water.
Something told Luke Percy wouldn't try to fight him. Even so close to so much of his power source.
Because the younger boy looked absolutely wretched. His shoulders were shaking. Probably with admittance that he had failed Annabeth.
Luke grinned.
"Someone looks upset. I can't imagine why." Luke sing sang from behind Percy.
Percy didn't reply, his glassy eyes downwards, avoiding Luke's undoubtedly smug blue ones.
"Well, I may be able to make your day a little better."
Percy only shook his head in reply, as crystalline tears began to drop into the salty sea below.
"Seriously, I think I can. You'll get to watch dear Anna be happy."
Percy glanced up at that, and Luke aimed to strike his blow.
Ever so slowly the sandy haired menace withdrew a gold lined card from his suit pocket, extending it to Percy.
In curly cursive letters, were two words. "You're invited."