Athena woke up to an odd weight on her stomach, opening her eyes she saw an arm draped across her stomach. We must have fallen asleep. She thought.
“Good morning doll.” Percy said kissing the top of her head.
“I guess we fell asleep. You were right, this is nice.” Athena stated laying her head against his chest.
“Well you fell asleep on me and I was afraid I’d wake you if I tried to leave. Are you mad?” He recounted.
“No.” Athena said shaking her head.
Just then someone knocked on the door, Athena looks up at Percy, “well it was good while it lasted.” She said getting up.
She crossed the room and opened the door to find Liam. Well this doesn’t look good she thought.
“Liam, what brings you here so early?” Athena asked surprised to see Liam and more than bit worried that there was about to be a huge blow-up, she knew how it looked.
“I came to talk to you about last night.” Liam replied walking into her cabin. He stiffened when he saw Percy laying on her bed, he stayed the night he thought.
“I would have thought you would have left by now Duke Perceval,” Liam stated coldly.
“I think that’s more your M.O. Your Majesty. Don’t you usually have to slip out in the middle of the night? I observe the luxury of being able to wake up with her in my arms.” Percy replied, his voice dripping with contempt for the king. Percy hated the way Liam had been treating Athena.
Athena stood rooted to the ground, a look the mixture of shock and fear on her face. She knew this would end badly, Liam was unlikely to believe nothing happened even though they clearly sept in their clothes and on top of the covers. Percy wasn’t going to let Liam treat her badly, she may have just met Percy but she already knew he didn’t pull punches when it came to him seeing someone being treated unfairly. Percy hated how Liam seemingly threw her out in the trash only to keep her hidden, and a secret mistress.
“What do you mean you thought Percy would have left by now?” Athena asked, shock evident in her voice.
“I came by last night around 1am to talk to you, Madeline had been texting me all night bitching that I was ‘fucking my whore’ when ‘my whore’ was was supposed to be at the bachelorette. Madeline was seething and wouldn’t believe me that I didn’t know where you were and begged me to ‘try and keep it in my pants’. I had come by your cabin earlier in the evening to check on you when Madeline first started texting me and you weren’t here, so I checked again later and heard you and Duke Perceval talking.” Liam said, spitting out Madeline’s words, he hated that Madeline talked about Athena that way but his hands were tied, he served the crown, Cordonia, and he had to keep Madeline happy to keep Athena safe.
“Liam, what you heard, that’s all that happened. We talked, we fell asleep, we slept in our clothes, clearly.” Athena responded gesturing at her and Percy’s clearly slept in clothes.
“I’m sure.” Liam scoffed, “Duke Perceval is known for keeping it in pants.” Liam sneered sarcastically.
Percy stood from the bed nearly vibrating with anger, he hated that people assumed he was the love them and leave them type, just because he was older and hadn’t settled down didn’t mean he wasn’t open to love, it just meant he hadn’t found it, yet.
“If memory serves me correctly Leo and yourself had a rather prolific sex lives growing up, I am quite sure you both have shared your bed with more women than I have. I seem to recall a few men as well.” Percy declared his voice seething with anger.
Athena looked between both men, she knew this could get ugly fast. She wondered which brother Percy had meant, but she couldn’t think about that now. Now she had to try to keep things from getting too ugly.
“Liam, nothing happened last night, all we did was talk and fall asleep. Percy took me to dinner because I really didn’t want to deal with Madeline flaunting her ‘love’ and when we came back Chance wouldn’t let Percy leave. So we came inside and talked waiting for Chance to fall asleep so Percy could slip out, but I guess we fell asleep first. Liam, please let’s just talk calmly without accusations toward one another.” Athena implored, a thin glimmer of hope evident in her eyes.
Liam looked from Athena to Perceval shaking his head. “What could we possibly have to talk about? You said you wanted to explore your options and you are, I just didn’t expect you jump into bed with him so soon.” Liam stated, a tinge of regret in his voice. He wished he could take it all back, take back what happened at the coronation back, but it was too late, she’d slept with him and he was losing her.
“Liam! That’s not what happened, we fell asleep that’s all.” Athena replied, pleading him to listen to her, believe her.
“Let’s just say I believed you, do you see how it looks? You are already trying to clear your name of one scandal, do you really want to add another?!” Liam said his voice now rising in anger, why couldn’t she just be honest with him and tell him the truth about sleeping with Perceval? Not that it would make it easier to stomach the thought of the woman he loved in the arms of another man.
Athena felt like she had been slapped, why wouldn’t he listen to her believe her? Why couldn’t he ever just trust her and stand by her side supporting her? Is this what had become of their relationship, him always second guessing her? Would she be better off just forgetting him now? Was it time for her to move on?
Percy saw the hurt and tears in Athena’s eyes, he felt rage build up inside him. The king would never put her first, she would always come in second, to the crown, to Cordonia, to image. Image, that’s what it always came down to for the king, him and his precious image. When would he see that image wasn’t as important as he thought? He clenched his hands into fists by his sides, trying desperately not to level one of his fists and punch the king, no that would be treason, much worse than a bad image, he’d have to stick with his words. “That’s all that ever matters to you isn’t it? Your image! That’s why you turned your back on her at the coronation knowing she was framed, or did you actually believe for a second that it was true? Did you doubt her? Is that the REAL reason you chose Madeline? Did you doubt her fidelity to you, or did you doubt her ability to be queen? I knew the second I saw those pictures she had been set up and I didn’t even know her at the time! So did you think she had been unfaithful or did you just think Madeline would make a better queen?” Percy stated, his voice rising to match Liam’s.
Athena’s tears spilled over as she heard Percy speak the words, the questions that had run through her head so many times over the course of the four weeks that had spanned between the coronation and the start of the royal engagement tour. She had kept trying to tell herself that they weren’t true, that Liam loved her, but even Percy was seeing it, maybe it was true after all. Maybe Liam had thought she was unfaithful, maybe Liam hadn’t meant what he had said in the hedge maze, maybe he was always going to choose Madeline. A sob broke from her throat as the tears fell faster.
Percy looked to her, his heart breaking, he hadn’t said those words to hurt her, he was trying to show King Liam how he had hurt Athena, but now his own words had hurt her. He closed the space between himself and Athena pulling her into a hug, only to be stopped by a hand on his shoulder.
“Don’t you touch her!” Liam shouted through gritted teeth.
Chance jumped from his place on the bed and ran to Liam growling at the king, Liam finally seeing the Corgi.
“Why should you care YOUR MAJESTY, you are engaged, Athena is free to do what she wants, isn’t she? I mean that is the IMAGE you are portraying. It’s the reality you created by pushing her aside.” Percy yelled brushing the unwelcome arm off of him. Chance stepped closer to Percy and Athena, his eyes remained on Liam, and a low growl emitting from his throat.
“You ok there doll?” Percy asked softer, once again pulling Athena towards him, kissing her on the top of her head. She shook her head against his chest and he sighed, he hated seeing her hurting.
“I SAID DON’T TOUCH HER!” Liam shouted, hand clenched into a fist, arm pulled back to throw a punch.
“LIAM!” Drake yelled grabbing Liam’s arm, stopping him before her could hit the duke.
Chance growled louder and barked at Liam.
“Drake, where’d you come from?” Liam asked, his eyes widened in surprise at the arrival of his best friend.
“I was walking by and heard raised voices. The door was open and I saw you about to take a shot at Duke Perceval. What the fuck is going on Liam?” Drake asked, confusion and concern evident in his voice and on his face. Athena was crying, Duke Perceval was trying desperately to calm her, stroking her hair. He had just seen his best friend about to sucker punch the Duke, all while Athena was in his arms. Athena, the woman he loved, the woman they both loved, and now there was more competition for her heart, now he’d never win.
“I came here to talk to Athena about her skipping Madeline’s bachelorette, and Percy was still here from last night, they slept together Drake!” Liam exclaimed, hurt, anger and sadness all evident in his voice.
“For the last time Liam we didn’t have sex, we fell asleep talking!” Athena croaked, face buried into Percy’s chest, tears soaking his shirt as he continued to desperately try to calm her.
“Whatever did or didn’t happen Liam you can’t punch a Duke!” Drake stated trying desperately trying to make Liam see reason.
“Drake.” Liam answered, his voice breaking. He couldn’t take his eyes off the scene in front of him, Athena crying in Perceval’s arms, Perceval trying to calm her, stroking her hair. Once again his actions had caused this, there was no one else for him to blame. Jealousy had given way to rage, and now he really was going to lose her. He shook his head sadly, Perceval was right, he had only cared about his image and now his untainted image was going to cost him the woman he loved.
Drake looked at the now dejected Liam, he knew what he was feeling, he knew he had never stood a chance of winning her. Not when his competition was Liam, a prince become king, his best friend, his lover. “Duke Perceval has Athena, let’s go to your cabin and talk.” Drake said leading Liam out of Athena’s cabin and towards his own.
Chance settled down and rested his head on Percy’s foot as Drake and Liam left, closing the door behind them.
