Chapter Text
I stood there, unsure of what to say. The room was filled with Zeus’s descendants—Hermes, Apollo, Ares—and, of course, his wife, Hera, who was watching me with an almost predatory gaze.
It wasn’t often a god found himself speechless, but hearing my father—the god of gods, I rolled my eyes mentally—saying the impossible had me repeating his words just to make sure I hadn't misheard.
"You want me to marry Percy?" I asked, the words tasting foreign in my mouth. Percy might have saved the world, even the realm of the gods, but to marry him? And for what? Just so Poseidon wouldn’t try to pawn him off to Hades or someone worse? The whole thing was madness—and I know madness. It’s my specialty, after all. Maybe I had sprinkled too much of the crazy on Zeus over the years.
"I have a wife," I reminded him quickly, almost biting my tongue as the words spilled out. A flimsy defense, but a defense nonetheless.
"She divorced you after you were assigned to Camp Half-Blood," Zeus said with that smarmy, victorious smirk I’ve always hated. My eye twitched at the reminder. I had conveniently forgotten about that detail. Something about ‘the final straw’ or ‘irreconcilable differences.’ “Oh... yeah,” I mumbled, the memory coming back with a wave of bitterness. Things rarely went as planned.
But this? An arranged marriage to someone who had once been my student? Less than ideal didn’t begin to cover it. I could already feel Hera's eyes boring into me, her presence heavy with judgment, as if daring me to argue further.
Still, it would only be for seventy years—eighty at most. And Percy... I had always had a soft spot for him, for his compassion. Not to mention, he genuinely cared for the other campers, something I respected. It was only right I protect him, even if it meant agreeing to something this absurd.
Zeus’s gaze never wavered, and for a moment, the weight of his decree pressed down on me like a physical force. There was no escaping it, not this time.
And rather that than be married off to his second option—Hermes. The blonde-haired God was still mulling it over, his head tilting side to side in thought before his golden eyes landed on me. He flashed me a wide grin, the gap between his teeth only adding to the unsettling creepiness. Ugh.
I answered fast, not giving anyone else a chance to snatch up the offer.
“Got it. Fine, I’ll marry Percy,” I blurted, my words quick and sharp. Better me than him. “But what about his dad?” I added hastily, feeling a prick of unease. I wasn’t about to deal with Uncle Poseidon’s wrath.
“He’s already agreed to the terms,” Zeus replied, that smug smirk never leaving his face. “He considers it a win. After all, a sniveling demigod managing to marry a higher god?” He chuckled, clearly amused by the whole ordeal. There goes my plan of having Poseidon swoop in and keep Percy safe in Atlantis.
Before I could piece together what he meant, Zeus snapped his fingers. A gust of divine wind swirled around the room, and in an instant, Percy appeared in front of me—dressed in a wedding gown.
I stared.
Percy stood there, gagged and bound, in a sleek, ivory wedding dress that shimmered under the lights. The dress hugged him perfectly, with intricate lace around the bodice and delicate tulle trailing behind him like a bridal veil. His blue eyes were practically on fire, glaring at Zeus with a look that could melt gold.
I felt my face heat up, completely flustered. My gaze darted from the hem of his gown up to his flushed face, which was framed by loose strands of his usually messy black hair.
Ares let out a booming laugh, practically doubling over with glee, while Hermes smirked, thoroughly enjoying the spectacle.
My mind scrambled to catch up with the absurdity of it all. Why was Percy in a wedding dress? And why, out of all things, did he look... good in it? I shook my head, trying to rid myself of that thought, but it persisted, making me even more flustered.
I hesitated to even reach out to him. Not because of the chains or the fact that Percy looked ready to murder Zeus on the spot—but because of the damn dress. My heart raced, and for a moment, I forgot I was a god and not some nervous mortal about to say his vows.
"Uh..." I stammered, not sure what to do with my hands. Percy glared at me now, clearly not impressed by my reaction.
Ares slapped his knee, still laughing. "You gonna swoon, Dionysus? Or should we find you a room?"
I shot him a look but quickly returned my gaze to Percy, who still hadn't broken his furious stare at Zeus. I could only imagine what Percy was trying to say under the gag, and frankly, I didn’t want to know.
Great. Just great.
Zeus’s voice cut through the room, dripping with impatience. "He's drooling all over my floors—take him away."
Percy growled in response, and, as if on cue, he managed to look even more defiant while drooling. Great. Just what I needed—another reminder of how absurd this situation was, especially with him in that ridiculous wedding dress.
Sighing, I decided to tackle my new husbandly duties and help him to his feet. I grabbed his arm, carefully avoiding the mess on the floor, and roughly wiped away the spit and blood that stained his face. Despite the chaos, I couldn’t help but feel a flicker of pride. Percy wasn’t backing down, not without a fight.
"Okay, raindrop," I muttered dryly, struggling with the chains binding his wrists. “Let’s get to Camp Half-Blood. I’ll take off these chains once we’re there.”
Percy kicked out with a fierce determination, his body tense as he tried to wrestle free. His eyes blazed with defiance, and I could almost hear the choice words he’d be throwing my way if it weren’t for the gag. Dress or not, Percy was a force to be reckoned with.
The irony of the situation wasn’t lost on me. Here I was, trying to be the protective husband while dealing with an enraged Percy dressed like a bride. My heart was still racing from the sight of him in that gown, but I had to focus on getting him to safety and figuring out how to navigate this whole mess.
I threw Percy over my shoulder, bracing myself against the sharp kicks he aimed at me. His anger radiated off him like the heat from a roaring flame, but I wasn’t in the mood to argue. The sooner I got him to Camp Half-Blood, the better.
Zeus’s voice cut through the room, sharp and final. "Consider you both married," he declared, his tone leaving no room for doubt. "From now on, you belong to each other, bound by the will of the Gods."
Percy’s furious blue eyes locked onto Zeus with a searing intensity, but Zeus seemed to take pleasure in the display. He stepped forward, his expression a twisted mask of satisfaction.
"Let me be perfectly clear, Perceus Jackson," Zeus said, his voice dripping with malice. "You have no choice in this matter. You’re marrying Dionysus, not because of any love or desire, but because it suits the whims of the gods. Your fate was sealed the moment I decided it. You were a pawn in our games, and now you’ll be bound to Dionysus for the foreseeable future. Your precious freedom? Gone. Your will to resist? Trampled ."
He looked at me with a cruel smirk. "And Dionysus, despite all his claims of care, will be stuck with you—just as much a prisoner to this farce as you are. Enjoy the marriage, Percy. It’s a reward for your so-called heroism and a lesson in humility."
"Apollo!" Zeus barked, cutting through the tense atmosphere. My brother, who had been standing nearby, looked unusually uncertain, his usually unshakable demeanor faltering.
Apollo handed me a golden apple, his expression unreadable but laden with a heavy weight. His hesitance spoke volumes—he wasn’t sure about this arrangement either. But, with the apple now in hand, I realized there was no turning back.
I glanced at the apple, then at Percy’s restrained, furious form. The weight of Zeus’s cruel words and the reality of our situation pressed heavily on me.
Zeus’s voice cut through the oppressive atmosphere, cold and commanding. "Don’t do things halfway, Dionysus," he warned, his tone leaving no room for ambiguity. His eyes were cold, devoid of any empathy. "You have until the end of the day to consummate this marriage."
I sighed, barely containing my dread. “Yeah, got it,” I muttered, trying to mask the unease in my voice. I glanced at Percy, whose eyes were wide with a mix of anger and despair. The gag prevented him from speaking, but his face spoke volumes.
Zeus’s smirk widened, as if he relished in the fear and discomfort radiating from Percy. "It’s not just about the marriage, Dionysus," Zeus continued, his voice dripping with malice. "You’re to ensure Percy accepts his godly heritage. He needs to understand his place before he turns into one of us, and you’re going to be the one to make sure he does."
Percy’s eyes flashed with a mixture of horror and betrayal, his brows furrowing deeply as he tried to process the gravity of Zeus’s words. His face was a canvas of raw emotion—fury, sorrow, and a deep, helpless despair that made my heart ache despite the grim circumstances.
Zeus’s gaze shifted to Percy, and his voice took on a mocking tone. "He’ll need to be reminded of his new reality. It’s a lesson in obedience and acceptance. He’ll be bound to you, Dionysus, and there’s nothing he can do about it. Make sure he understands that."
“Yeah…” I muttered, barely able to keep the resignation out of my voice. The thought of forcing Percy into accepting his godly heritage, combined with the twisted demand to consummate the marriage, weighed heavily on me.
With a final, cruel chuckle, Zeus dismissed us with a wave of his hand. “Get it done. I expect to hear good news by tonight.”
I nodded, though the words barely registered. I felt a cold sweat forming on my brow as I turned away from Zeus’s unyielding gaze. Percy’s eyes followed me, filled with a silent plea for mercy that I couldn’t fully grant.
I prepared to leave the room, feeling the weight of Zeus’s expectations and the gravity of my new role. The thought of what awaited us—both in the immediate and the long term—left me feeling terrible. The reality of our situation was settling in, and it was more horrifying than I had imagined.
I adjusted Percy’s position on my shoulder, his struggles lessening as he resigned himself to the situation.
Percy kicked and screamed in my room at camp half blood. As I paced. This was not good, not good at all. What the fuck was I supposed to do with him? We were fucking married? Like that. Percy finally stopped moving, I sighed. Removing the ropes might be the first part.
After a while, Percy’s movements slowed, and he eventually stopped, panting heavily from exertion. I took a deep breath, knowing that the first step was to at least remove the ropes. My heart ached as I looked at him, recognizing the anger and fear in his eyes.
Leaning down, I tried to soften my approach. "Will you at least hear me out, Percy, before you start yelling?" I asked, my voice tinged with desperation. I could see the confusion and distress in his eyes, and I knew he could read the awkwardness in my stance, the conflict etched into my face.
Percy’s gaze was unwavering, his blue eyes a storm of anger and betrayal. The gag muffled his words, but his expression conveyed everything he couldn’t say. I was just as trapped in this nightmare as he was, and it was clear that neither of us wanted this arrangement.
“Just... give me a chance to explain,” I said softly, feeling the crushing weight of my new role and the burden of the situation settling heavily on my shoulders.
Percy’s anger seemed to falter slightly, and he gave a reluctant nod. I quickly undid the chains binding his wrists. He rubbed his sore arms and hands, his movements tense and jerky. With a grimace, he spat out the gag, his face flushed with a mix of frustration and vulnerability.
His voice cracked with the weight of his emotions, and the sight of his distress made me waver. "What the hell is happening, Mr. D?" he asked, tears stinging his eyes.