PeaceMaker

At the bottom of the stairs was their brother, Justin, waiting for them with a bright smile on his face. He stood there by the stairs, his eyes peering through the flood of people walking down the stairs at his sisters. He grinned when he locked eyes with them. It was the most welcoming feeling they had felt since they finished their performance. 

The only welcoming feeling even. 

They reached the last step and immediately exchanged bows with Justin. 

"Well hasn't it been a while since I got to speak to the celebrities of this event?" Justin teased, standing in between his sisters. Annabeth and Jena on his right, Maria on his left. "You have no idea how much you guys have done with your performances."

Maria chuckled, a bright smile forming on her face in excitement. Around her, eyes turned to look at her, blazes of pink on their cheeks. "Did we? There was not really that much reassurance after we left except for the clapping and the conversation with the king."

Justin turned to look at his sister, his eyebrow raised. "I can just say that you probably caught a lot of attention altogether, even by yourself, Maria," Justin praised. He frowned, groaning immediately after. "Tomorrow is going to be such a hassle, having to comb through all of the marriage proposals you guys would have stacked by the end of this event."

Annabeth chuckled, her steps growing lighter. "Really now? I think the most hassle would be father and the way he will be reacting to all of those proposals. He's bound to be annoyed."

"Is there ever a time that he's not?" Justin remarked, "when it comes to men coming any bit close to you guys, he puts up all of these barricades like he's going to war with them."

Jena tried her hardest to keep the laugh in, but ended up bursting. In front of her, a boy stumbled when he caught her smile. 

Annabeth chuckled, laughing at the reactions people were having to mere smiles that the sisters were making and laughing at the reactions of people to her smile. It was amusing, just how much facial expressions could affect the way people react. From how open they were, to the way they looked at others, to their actions. 

Everything could be controlled just by the slightest emotion shown on someone's face. 

It was one of the few things she enjoyed about being in an event like this, she got to experience mass reactions from the people around her.

"Where are we going to be sitting?" Annabeth asked, her eyes looking at the seats in front of her. Her eyes combed over the best seats for them to be able to relax in. Away from the gazes of their parents would be nice too. 

Justin looked at her, an amused expression on his face. "I guess I wasn't the only one who didn't know," he chortled.

Annabeth cocked her head in confusion. "What do you mean?"

Her eyes watched as people began to stand up from their seats and mix into the crowds. 

"There is no sitting down right now," Justin sighed, his hand running through his hair. 

"Excuse me?" Jena's head craned to get a look at Justin, "what do you mean we're not going to be sitting?"

Justin nodded towards the crowd of people. "This is the interaction time, remember," Justin muttered, a hint of tiredness in his voice. "We're all supposed to get up and interact with people. Especially us, the young people in this event."

Annabeth groaned. "You've got to be kidding me."

"Nope… wish I was though," Justin sighed, "remember that this is an event for one of the people here to gain marriage proposals afterall. There needs to be interaction or else they can't get married haha…"

Annabeth tried her hardest not to roll her eyes. "They should have thought about the people who aren't seeking a wedding or marriage," Annabeth sighed, "not all the people that came to this event wanted to come for the proposals." 

Justin shrugged. "It's not like they can read minds though, whether or not people wanted to do that, they still have to take them here afterall," He chuckled lightly, "you can shoot all your arguments at them after this."

Annabeth sighed lightly, "Like I could."

Justin chuckled, "At least you know…" he muttered. He looked up into the crowd and spotted a waving hand. It was Walter. "I think I'm going to spend my time with them for now, they seem pretty accustomed to this place and the people here."

Annabeth followed Justin's gaze and found Walter. She lowered her head in thought. 

"You guys coming along?" Justin asked, turning to look at Annabeth and Jena and then turning to Maria. 

Maria looked up at Walter and nodded her head immediately. "That sounds fun, why not?" she shrugged. "Is there going to be some new people here and there?"

Jena nodded her head, answering for Justin, "It's inevitable as all of them come from influential families. There's most likely going to be a swarm of people around them…" Jena muttered. She didn't need to say her answer, Justin already knew she was coming along. 

Her comment was for Annabeth. 

Annabeth wasn't one for social events, and especially not one for crowds. She liked to spend her time away from the limelight, tucked into a corner of her own and burying herself in books. That was her ideal idea of a good evening. It was the complete opposite of what this evening was planning for her. 

"I heard the Prince and his fiance will be walking around the groups of people interacting with us too," Justin muttered, "it'll be a good choice for you guys to try and stick around, you might get the chance to speak to her highness."

Maria's eyes lit up immediately at the sound of that. She exchanged glances with Justin and immediately leaned over him, to look at Annabeth. Her eyes sparkled in happiness, "Wouldn't that be sooo much fun?! Getting to meet her highness and all? Maybe it can even help us increase our chances at her picking us to be ladies-in-waiting."

Jena smirked. "I think that's the whole point, Ria."

Maria chuckled, her eyes turning to Annabeth, her mood reducing a bit when she noticed the unsure expression on her face. She shot Jena a glare. 'Why would you mention the thing about crowds?' her glare seemed to say.

'It's not like she can't figure it out herself anyway. Whether or not I mentioned it, she would have thought about it,' Jena shrugged, shooting Maria a returning stare, 'at least this way we can persuade her ahead of time.'

Maria sighed and turned back to Annabeth. "Pleaseee," Maria begged, "Please Annieee."

Annabeth flinched at the use of her old nickname. She twitched, resisting the urge to shoot Maria a glare. She clenched her fist and let out a sigh, her eyebrow rushing as she looked at Maria. "Do I even have a choice?" she asked. 

Her eyes looked away from Maria as she survived the crowd. She hated to be all alone amongst floods of people that she barely knew. She turned back to Walter and straightened up her stance. She'd rather be with people that she knew.

"Let's go," 

Maria broke into a giggle and high-fived Justin while Jena chuckled. 

Together, the four of them trudged forward into the crowd, heading towards the waving Walter. It wasn't long till they reached him, the path before them seemed to split open as they walked past, people stepping away like they were royalty

"There you guys are," Walter greeted, throwing a hand over Justin's shoulder as soon as he arrived.

Justin nudged at Walter. "A bit tipsy already?" he asked, a mocking tone in his voice It was returned by a shove from Walter. 

"Don't sell me out like that," he whispered. "Besides, I'm not that drunk. If I was, I would not be standing."

"True that," Falls chuckled. There were girls standing around him, each trying to gain his attention. He paid them no mind. 

Antonio remained quiet, suddenly very stiff when he noticed Annabeth's presence. 'She is so captivating…' he thought to himself as he looked at her, his eyes barely able to look away. 'Her eyes… look so beautiful..' he thought to himself. 

"Are you forgetting something?" Dramio asked, nodding at Justin ever so slightly. 

The air was a bit tense at those words as everyone's eyes turned to Justin and his sisters who stood close to each other. Annabeth looked at Justin, ignoring the stares from the girls who stood in the group. She knew they were staring, glaring at her and her sisters as if they had intruded on some sacred property of theirs. 

If she had to be honest she was close to laughing. 

Justin turned to his sisters for a moment, a light 'ah' leaving his lips. He pushes Walter off him lightly and turns to his sisters. "I would like to introduce my sisters."

Annabeth and her sisters smile, bending into a slight bow.. "It's a pleasure to meet you."