0: A Monologue of an Engaged Youth

Quite frankly, Will Solace is not ready for a vow of marriage.

Or, any type of vow and promises really. Will, as much as he hate to admit it, is a careless guy. He's bond to say things that couldn't be done, and that's the type of thing that couldn't be undone.

So try to imagine how much of a shock Will parent put him through by announcing his sudden marriage to the sole Heiress of Ramírez-Arellano? If you guess it's enough to give him a heart attack then your guess is, unfortunately, correct.

Truly, this has to be a nightmare, his mind chimed. A sick, twisted, nightmare orchestrated beautifully by his fear of tying down to someone;

To be devoted to someone;

To be everything to someone.

Will inwardly groaned.

Oh Lord, just by thinking about it, Will stomach already did a summersault just for the sake of it.

Gulping down his quickly moving upward breakfast, Will try to focus his attention to the other side of his cart window. The bumpiness of his carriage did help him straight his mind a bit. But the grim view definitely does not.

What Will saw is an endless row of death tress, greeting him with black void aura of uneasiness, that something wrong, oh so wrong, is going to take place. Only to be covered by a hopeful freshly fallen snow on their dead, sharp-looking, branches.

As Will soak in the view in sullen silent, he worriedly started to question himself: What will come of this? Will this bring happiness to his family? And what about him? Will he live happy (or at least satisfied) with this new wife of his? Or will he keep screwing up like he always does? Making his family even more poorer?

Oh for the love of God, that last question is in need of a positive answer. Like, right now.

Inwardly, Will sighed.

There is no use on dwendelling the question that will be answered in a few hours, his brain said wisely (and oddly). If Will was patient enough, he will get his answer, whether he like it or not.

With this truly unsatisfying conclusion, his carriage keep on moving onward, unknowingly bringing a young man in his early twenties to an early demise.

Literally.

"Oh come on, sonny!" Will's father chirped from the driver seat, "being engaged wasn't all that bad! Look at your Pop here, stuck marrying an ancient miserable widow and still radiating happiness like the sun! Ah, truly this situation is in need of a Haiku!"

Hurriedly like a rat trying to dodge a trap, Will make a reply to save his already endangered life. "No thank you, Father. I'm fine. Honestly, there's no need for a Haiku."

Sited beside her son, Will's mother let out a nasty scowl. "Hmm? What's this about 'Ancient Miserable Widow', my dear Husband?"

"Nothing, dearest!" Will just had to stifle a laugh at his father, the way he answered his wife question is identical to that of a little girl shrieking in fright, high pitch and all.

Huh, it seem Will's father have forgotten that his wife were also riding along in this little trip with them, the old fart. And he said his wife was the ancient one in the family.

Apollo Solace is a man in his mid forties, striking gold hair now dimming to grey as old age starting to catch up to him. Will admit, his father is pretty fit for a man his age. Tan body lean with muscle and skin almost untouched by wrinkle, having those rare ageing-so-damn-slow face. No wonder he still considered himself a Heartthrob, the egotistical old fart.

Will's mother on the other hand, is the complete opposite. Diana Solace could be mistaken for a woman in her late sixties with so many wrinkle decorating her pale skin. Stern grey-like moon eyes circled by black circles, like Panda. But instead of it being cute, it just look disturbing. Especially for a toddler. Oh, the poor toddler. Diana's lock of black hair was tied into a messy bun, grey hair even more evident as an obvious contrast.

As their only son, Will know a concerning amount of nothing about his parent backstory. He know nothing of how they meet, how their's life before marriage, heck even his grandparent is a complete unknown. The only thing they are happy to share is that they are forced into marriage, presumably by the said grandparent. Other than that, zero. Complete and utter mystery.

But enough about his parent, let's talk about Will. This delightful young man over here is moiling over his fate as an engaged youth, but you charming individuals out there already quite informed about this, am I correct? Then let's talk about how this particular gentleman look!

Appearance wise, Will Solace is almost an exact replica of his father. Wheat blond hair, sky blue eyes, and the sun-kissed skin. The only thing he lack from Apollo gen is his muscle, which, much to his annoyance, get him ridiculed by his father a lot.

Wearing midnight blue vest over his white dress button-up shirt, Will sure look dapper. The young man fiddled with his cheery-yellow coloured butterfly tie, finding it ridiculous. His father had been really adamant of him wearing this particular accessory, the old geezer. Will try to roll the shirt long sleeve into his elbow, only to be greeted by his mother smacking. Afraid to meet Diana's terrifying eyes, the young man look down to his brown cleaned-to-perfection-shoes, biting his bottom lips in a sulking manner.

Personality wise, his mother is quite delighted to fine he took a lot from her. Will wasn't quite sure about that though. Like his parent, Will took a liking to archery, but not for hunting like his father usually force him to do, but only as a fun hobby to past time.

You see, Diana is an avid nature lover, a vegetarian, tree hugger, whichever you like to call them. So of course she's mortified by the activity of hunting, always in a big fight whenever Apollo come home with a pig in tow. So you can imagine how delighted she is to found out the son that she previously thought a carbon copy of her idiotic husband enjoy archery and respected nature as much as her. She rubbed this in Apollo face quite frequently. Too many to count actually.

And speaking of nature...

"Mother, are you sure about bringing these monstrous sunflower around?"

Annoyedly, the blond youth smack one of the offending leaf of the said sunflower away from him, only to get his hand slapped back by his mother.

"Don't smack them! They are fragile!" She scolded, eyes could burn hole into a fabric. "Deary, explain why this sunflower is important to our dimwitted son."

"Alright, Sweetie Pie~" Apollo ignored the way his wife cringed at his pet name for her, attention solely on their son, leaving the carriage to move without a driver.

"Willy, sonny, this horrendous excuse of a flower here-" Wife's glare ignored, "Is here for one reason alone; and that is to show off our wealth and knowledge to the Arellano's! Can't be ridiculed for our poor status now, can we?"

Hearing this, Will frowned. "Father, we are poor. How could a measly sunflower prove what we are not?"

"Look at the size, sonny!" Apollo unnecessarily pointed, "look at it!"

The younger Solace try to refrain himself from rolling his eyes at the absurdity that is his father.

"Alright, it's huge, I understand that. Then what? Is that it?" Will wholeheartedly shown how impressed he is by this fact, or lack of it there of.

Already foresaw a banter between the males in the family, Diana cut in. "What your idiotic father trying to say here is that; By showing this sunflower to the Arellano's, our family will be acknowledge to what the Solace clearly deserve to hold for centuries. The nerve of them striving our glory!"

The distaste for this particular subject is quite obvious by the woman foul attitude, but that's not what Will concern himself about as his mother words replayed again and again in his mind, finding it odd.

"Wait, 'Acknowledgement'? What's this all about?" Will questioned, mouth tugging downward at his parent sudden silent. "Father? ...Mother?"

"Honey, I think you spoke too much," Apollo commented, ever the one to read the mood.

His wife snapped, "I know that, you buffoon!"

Not the type of person to be giving in until satisfied, Will voice up his suspicion. "Is this engagement of mine only a tool for this family? To achieve some... Thing?"

Again, his parent clam up like a clam.

The young Solace continue on, more angry as the second tick by. "Well, if my suspicion are correct, I'm having none of it! Father, turn around! I demand we go home, now!"

"No can't do, Son. We need you for this," Apollo's eyes were on the road, hand clutched tightly to the horses rope, either not realising or ignoring the way his son stiffened.

That tone... His father never use that kind of tone to him before... And the way his eyes glare off into the distance... It was terrifying.

Eyeing the inside of the cart and finding that only the carriage door stand between him and his life as a single happy Heartthrob, Will decide to go for it. Leg ready to kick-

His attempt at running away are suddenly stopped.

Ahh, what the-?!

Vines. Long slithering vines somehow find its way onto Will's body, wrapping it real good and tight. Will's hands practically digging into his hips because of how tight they are.

Ugh, what in God's name-?!

Eyes widening in panic, the young man look up, searching for the source of his misery. And low and behold, it was his mother, or her's sunflower to be exact. The root of the blasted thing make its way out of its pot, now hugging Will's body tightly like a serpent to its prey.

"Mother, what are your plant doing? H-help?" Will gulped, expression turning into a grimace.

Diana shook her head, face unreadable. "It's not the plant, sweetie, it's only a mother doing her job."

Her son frowned. "You're the one doing this?! ...How?"

Apollo spoke up, finally giving his full attention to the bantering son and mother, and also his coorporation to the problem at hand.

"Don't worry, sonny. We'll explain everything after your marriage to the lovely daughter of Arellano's. Oh, I can't wait for that! I heard she have a dog, wonder if they are cute?"

Not helping father, Will's mind screamed, not helping.

The rest of the trip is then spend in silent.

A/N: Hello! I'm Dilly, and this fic were suppose to be a one-shot Halloween project that was soon forgotten by the me in the past! ...It's kinda sad really.

And seeing as how this is February and Halloween definitely wouldn't come any sooner, I decide to just, "Screw it!" and post it even though there weren't any creepy stuff in February. Does Valentine count?

Anyway, disclaimer! I do not own the PJO or the HOO series, I would love to claim otherwise but Uncle Rick gonna sue my ass if I did. So nope, do not own anything.

Hope you guys enjoy this Prologue, Will is a pie to write! ...No, I lie, he's far from being a pie, he's hard, cookies-making hard. Maybe because I suck at cooking. But he's fun, so I forgive him.

So please review? I give you a cookie! A cookie that have burnt to crisp so... Maybe not... But please do?

Hmm, this is awkward. See you next time, I guess? Bye, good bye, ciao.

Still here? What are you doing?

Okay, for real this time.

Bye!