Whack!

Blood misted onto Percy's face as his sword slashed through another mortal like cutting through butter. They fell to their knees and collapsed into a pool of blood which dampened the sand of the arena floor. He knelt down with a small smirk on his face as he saw tears fill the eyes of the girl he had just disemboweled. Percy unsheathed the dagger on his belt and chuckled softly.

"Don't worry," he whispered, mockingly caressing her face with the tip of the blade, "it will all be over soon." The tip of the dagger reached her neck, and he slit her neck with a quick motion.

The crowd cheered as blood bloomed from the cut and soaked into the ground. They beckoned the next and last mortal to enter the arena this night. The ramp fell once more and a few seconds later another young girl emerged from the dungeons below. She was shaking from head to toe, but had a set jaw as though she was trying to keep face.

Percy slowly stood, looking over the girl with a sly smile, "What a shame, to ruin such a pretty creature."

"Is that all we are?" the girl managed through her teeth, "Are we just creatures to you?"

Percy sauntered over to her, he circled her once before gently running his fingers through her hair, "Hardly."

The girl jerked her head away from his hand as she did so the crowd began to laugh. She glared at him, "I don't know what she sees in you, you're a pig."

"Call me what you like, but my fiancée seems to think pretty highly of me."

"I'm not talking about her," the girl started to back away from him, "I'm talking about Annabeth."

For a moment, Percy stared at her, "Who?"

"Annabeth," the girl continued to back away, "the demigod girl you have locked up down in the dungeon."

The crowd was becoming restless, hungry for blood and tired of talking. Kronos's voice boomed overhead, trying to keep the crowd engaged, "Percy, did your mother ever teach you not to play with your food? Especially if it's not for you?" he laughed, though there was a slight strain.

Percy ignored him and advanced on the girl, "The girl in that dungeon has nothing to do with me."

"You sure about that? Or is that what they tell you," the girl cautiously walked backward, keeping distance from Percy. Rae and Kronos seemed to be getting very uncomfortable. Rae was standing, watching them carefully.

"Who are you?" Percy gripped his sword as though he was itching swing it.

"My name is Taylor," the girl replied. "I met Annabeth in the cell I was being held in, she said you weren't well."

"I'm fine, thanks," Percy growled. "Now, if you'll let me get on with this--"

"If you wanted to get on with it you would have already killed me."

"Shut up."

"If you wanted me to shut up, you wouldn't allow me to keep talking."

"I said, shut up."

"You remember her...don't you. Annabeth, I mean."

"She's not a part of my life anymore, she betrayed me."

"How?" Taylor snapped, eyeing the crowd carefully. They were growing even more bored, talking among themselves and leaving to grab even more food to stuff in their mouths. They could not hear their conversation, "do you even know? Or is that another thing they aren't telling you?"

Percy opened his mouth to deny her accusation, but found himself being unable to prove her wrong. He glared at her, "Don't talk about things you don't understand, mortal."

"Then kill me, obviously you're itching to do it, why else would you have kept me alive for this long?"

Percy turned to the guards, "Get her out of my sight, she can live because of her intelligence," he began to walk away, but turned back to Taylor, "seems she's rubbed off on you since being in that dungeon. From my memory, she was also just as annoying."

He made his way back to the emperor's box where Rae was leaning against the wall with her arms crossed. As he entered she studied him carefully, "You let her live."

Percy sighed, "I found her to be...intelligent enough."

For a moment Rae said nothing, but there was something dangerous in her eyes. Percy bit his lip and looked down at the floor. He heard Rae move toward him and gently tilt his head back up to meet her eyes. She smiled slightly, as though it pained her, "Are you sure it had nothing to do with Annabeth?"

"Yes," he answered a little too quickly, but immediately noticed his mistake and smiled, speaking more slowly, "Yes, I'm sure. I hardly know the girl. Besides, she betrayed me...right?"

He had meant that to come out as a fact, but his tone betrayed him and it came out as a question. He honestly could not remember how the demigod girl down in the dungeon had betrayed him. Especially, since he hardly knew her at all. This made him unsure, it was unsettling. His memory was fuzzy once again, though this was normal, his memory was often fuzzy. Percy often attributed this to being around Rae, he would even forget his own name at the sight of her, so this was no different.

"Yes, she did," Rae breathed, seeming to choose her words carefully.

"We have a big day tomorrow, maybe we should--"

"I think that's a good idea," Rae quickly turned and exited the box.

The entire way back to their quarters she was silent and walked a little ahead of Percy. He knew it bothered her, every time Annabeth was mentioned she got this way, but he did not fully understand why. Percy could hardly recall anything pertaining to the girl, yet her name had the effect of a curse word. He understood that she was a part of a horrible regime, but they are hardly a worrisome matter.

When they reached the hall that separated their quarters, Rae began to walk toward her quarters without a word. Percy sighed and grasped her arm, "Rae."

"Drop it, Percy," she tried to tug her arm from his grip, but he did not let go. Instead, he pulled her to him and hugged her, which she slowly returned.

"Don't go to bed angry."

"And don't go to bed thinking about her...I know you are, I can see it in your eyes."

Percy did not deny this, though he had to bite his tongue to avoid it, "It's not what you think--"

Rae rested her head against his chest, running her hands gently over his shoulders and wrapped her arms around his neck. "Can we forget about her? It's the night before our wedding."

Percy smiled, "It is, isn't it. The Queen has planned it at sunset tomorrow, am I correct?"

"Yes, when the sky runs red," Rae laughed softly to herself. She looked up at him and smiled, "Good night, Percy."

"Good night, sweetheart," Percy let her go and turned to walk back to his chambers when Rae stopped him. Even in the dim light, he could see she was blushing slightly.

"Percy, being how it's the night before our wedding...," she bit her lip, not meeting his eyes. "Do you...would you like to sleep in my chambers tonight?"

The pause was long and awkward, Percy felt his face turn red and his mouth seemed dry. He wracked his brain to try and respond to this proposal but finally Rae sighed, "Never mind, forget I said anything."

"No, it's just...I don't think your mother would appreciate that."

"If not tonight, it will be tomorrow night anyway."

"Yes, but...we would be married by then," Percy nervously scratched the back of his head. "Rae, it wouldn't be right to--"

He was cut off by Rae pressing her soft lips against his and everything he was about to say faded from his memory. She pressed herself against him as though trying to convince him to grant her request, but Percy gently pulled away from her, "Rae..."

She glared at him, "Whatever, Percy," the glint in her eyes was like the look she had back in the emperor's box. Rae quickly turned away from him and nearly run down the hall that lead to her room. There was an unmistakable slam of a door. Percy groaned and walked back to his room in frustration. He closed the door and laid down to sleep.

It was not long after he fell asleep he was awoken again by a nightmare. Percy woke in a cold sweat, shaking from head to toe. He could hardly remember the dream, but he knew there was a lot of screaming, blood, and the feeling of hopelessness weighing down on him. He remembered something else...Annabeth. She had been there too. She had been...helping him? No, she had tried to kill him.

Percy wracked his brain, trying to remember, but it was slipping away from him the more he tried to. Maybe he did not have to...but no, it was a dream; it was not real. It kept bugging him though, like a distant memory.

After an hour of debating with himself, he got up, grabbed his cloak, and exited the palace. He made his way to the dungeon and found himself outside her cell. Annabeth's cell. She was curled up on the floor, hardly dangerous...Percy took the key on the wall and opened the cell door, quietly shut it behind him. He walked over to her and jerked her to her feet. A knee in the gut was something Percy did not expect or a punch to the jaw that left him sprawled on the floor.

"What do you want?" a voice snarled above him.

"To have a little chat," Percy gasped, holding his side as he slowly got to his feet.

Annabeth watched him carefully, tensed and ready to strike again if she had to. Percy glared at her, "You better watch who you attack, I could have you executed for that."

"Much better than living in here," she snapped, her eyes dark. "You said you wanted to have a chat, about what?"

"What you did to me," Percy growled.

"What I did to you?"

"Yeah, what are you? A sorceress? Hm?" Percy took a step forward, all the anger and frustration from the night seemed to start boiling up inside him. "Why can't you get out of my head? Did you send that dream to me?"

"I have no idea what you are talking about!"

"I think you do!"

"But I don't!" Annabeth backed away from him, he was becoming uncomfortably close. "If you come any closer, Percy, I swear--"

"Don't lie to me, you tried to kill me."

"When? When have I tried to kill you?" Annabeth glared at him. "Honestly, the only thing I can recall is you and your little princess trying to kill me. Are you really losing it over a dream?"

"We...we were in water, there was a lot of screaming and I felt—I felt hopeless. And you were dragging me down," Percy insisted.

Annabeth eyed him suspiciously, he could see her mind working to choose her words carefully, "You got every detail right, but one. I was trying to help you, trying to keep your head above water. Those screams you were hearing were the spirits in the water, trying to make you give into hopelessness. Trying to drown you."

"No, Rae said--"

"I don't care what anyone here has told you, I'm not your enemy."

"Prove it."

"Prove that I am."

"Why would they lie?" Percy hissed.

"I can think of a number of reasons," Annabeth pressed herself against the wall. Percy stood directly in front of her, his face an inch from hers. She took in a sharp breath.

"So explain them."

"Step away from me and I will."

Percy grabbed the front of her shirt and forced her harder against the wall. Annabeth yelped and tried to kick him but he was too close to do any real damage. He glared at her, "You don't have an answer do you. You're the one that's been lying."

"Percy, I--"

"Percy?" another voice came from behind him that made Percy's stomach drop. He froze and closed his eyes before letting go a tense sigh. He released Annabeth and turned around to find Rae standing outside the cell.

"Rae...," Percy winced, "What are you doing here?"

"I could ask you the same question," Rae growled, crossing her arms.

"I couldn't sleep."

"So you came here?"

"Listen, Rae--"

"No, you listen," Rae opened the door, Percy had left the key in the lock, "you need to tell me what's going on."

Percy hesitated for a moment, opening his mouth to say something but nothing would ever come out. He shook his head and quickly exited the cell, walking out of the dungeon entirely.

Rae rounded on Annabeth, "Why was he here?"

Annabeth did not answer her, but stared blankly. She felt her chest tighten in resentment and fought the urge to bust her knuckles on Rae's face.

"What? You can't tell me?"

"Oh I could, I'm just enjoying the fact you're almost begging me for an answer."

Rae rolled her eyes, but looked off to the side. She bit her lip and sighed, Annabeth could see the torchlight reflecting off what looked like tears, "I...I know we aren't exactly on the best of terms--"

"--that's an understatement--"

"--but please...I-I can't imagine my life without him. I-I just can't, I love him so much and I don't know what I would do if I lost him."

Annabeth glared at her as Rae voiced the same thoughts that had haunted her for so long, the only difference between her and Rae was the fact that she had already lost Percy.

Tears rolled down Rae's cheeks, and she finally met Annabeth's eyes, "Did he...did he mention me?"

Silence let the question hang in there air, Rae fell to her knees and she sobbed. Annabeth watched her for a few minutes, her throat tight as Rae looked up at her. She glared at Annabeth through her tears and growled, "I swear...I-If you get in the way of our wedding...I-If you get any ideas..."

"What could I possibly do? I'm locked down here...there are no ideas I can come up with that could result in a favorable ending for me. Besides, what could happen in less than twenty-four hours?" Annabeth answered, her eyes never leaving Rae's as she kept her voice steady. "Though...is your relationship with Percy so fragile that it can be threatened by demigod girl locked in a dungeon who he seems to despise above everyone else? Even with all your memory tampering--"

"How do you know about that?" Rae snapped.

"I'm a daughter of Athena, what'd you expect? With the way he's behaving and the comments he's been making...not to mention the sorceress that always seems in eyesight of him, of course I would come to the most logical conclusion."

Rae starred at her for a moment, "You really are an insufferable know-it-all aren't you."

"Guilty as charged."

"Just--stay out of my way."

"That shouldn't be too hard...now if you're done here I suggest you get off the floor and go back to your bed. I don't think your mother would like the sight of you on your knees in front of me," Annabeth tried to smile but it turned into a grimace. As she spoke she did not recognize her voice, it was cool and airy. "You do have a busy day tomorrow, you know, with the wedding and all."

Rae got up and narrowed her eyes, "You should too," she shot back, "you're the Guest of Honor."

Before Annabeth could ask what she meant, Rae quickly exited the cell, slamming it shut, and left the dungeon.