The Prince and the Pea- Solangelo

The Pea

Will POV

That night, Persephone led me to a new bedroom, since I was almost confirmed to be Nico's future husband at that point and she said it was more comfortable. When we walked in, I felt my jaw go slack. There had to be at least 70 mattresses on the bed frame. 

"Wh-why so many mattresses?" I asked. 

"Because 100 is a lucky number and we want the final challenge to go well." Queen Persephone explained. There were a hundred mattresses?! "Well, better get to sleep now. It will take a while to get up there." I nodded, still looking for the top of the bed somewhere near the high ceiling. The Queen left and I was alone with this gigantic bed. I decided to get the climbing over with so I put my feet on the ladder. All in all, it took about 10 minutes to climb all the way up. 

"It's for Neeks." I kept telling myself. "Make his parents happy." 

I collapsed on the 100th mattress when I finished, trying to catch my breath. All of a sudden, something poked my back. It wasn't so much painful as it was uncomfortable so I shifted but it was still there. I shifted again, and this time it landed on my head. I did this again and again for around an hour before I decided to just suck it up and try to sleep. Only, that was impossible. Or, it felt like it at least. That was when I started crying. I know, I'm a baby. But I was so tired and I just wanted to get the final challenge done so I could marry Neeks. Nico, who I loved. With his raven black hair, and deep brown eyes, and- ow! I shifted again. It kept getting more painful until it felt like a knife, stabbing into my back. That was when I realized I wasn't getting any sleep that night. I tried to move to the opposite side of the thing, but it seemed it moved with me. I decided to just get off the bed and sleep on the floor, but the ladder fell onto the floor with a loud thunk just when I was going to try. Great. I climbed to the side of the mattresses hoping to climb down them on my own, but that didn't work either. Every time I made it past a mattress, I found myself back at the top. It was hopeless. 

I cried. And cried. And cried. I couldn't help it! By now the pain was like a sword was stabbing through my body. I even checked to see if there was blood under my shirt. I just wanted Neeks. He made everything better. 

Nico POV

I woke up the next day earlier than normal by Hazel shaking me. "C'mon, dad and Persephone want to announce something right now." 

"What?! Why?" I asked. It was 5:00am, an hour before we usually wake up. 

"I don't know, but we need to go now. I have a feeling the final challenge is happening based on their faces." She said, worriedly. I shot up. 

"What?! Right now?! And I'm not there?! I need to go to him!" I rushed out of bed, but Hazel caught me by the door.

"No, Nico, we need to go downstairs. I don't think they'll like it if you intervene." I huffed slightly, but nodded. 

"Fine. Let's go." 

"Now that we're all here, I wanted to share the final challenge for 'Prince William'." Persephone said putting air quotes on his name. I sneered at her. 

"What is it?! What did you do to him?!" 

"Relax, Nico." Bianca said from my right. 

"I asked Hecate to put a few potions on a pea and stuffed it under 100 mattresses. She said that if he was a real prince, he would feel it. Every time he moves, the pain will get worse and he won't be able to climb down until morning so he's forced to sleep there. If he didn't sleep, we know he's telling the truth about his identity." Persephone explained. By the end, I was fuming. 

"You did what to my fiancé?!" I shouted. "How dare you! What did he ever do to you?! All he's been doing these past few days were worrying about these tests and now you won't even let him sleep?! What's wrong with you?!" The dining room door suddenly opened, showing Will. I immediately calmed down by seeing him, but I couldn't help but notice how exhausted he looked. He passed. I know he did. I instantly ran up to him, wrapping my arms around him. He hugged back, confusedly. 

"Hey, Death Boy." He whispered, exhaustion coming out in his voice. 

"William, how'd you sleep?" My father asked. I pulled away so I could see him. 

"I'm sorry but I need to say this...that was the most uncomfortable sleep in my life. What are you stuffing in your mattresses?! I feel like I've had swords stabbed into me." He said, stretching. I glared at Persephone with all the heat I could manage. She hurt Will. I can't just let that happen! 

Wait...

I grinned looking up at my sunshine. "Will...do you know what this means...?" He looked confused.

"No..." 

"You passed. You passed all the challenges! We can get married!!" I leapt into his arms. 

"...what...?!" He gasped, hugging me tightly. 

"Hecate put a potion on a pea that was stuffed in one of the mattresses, and made it so that only if you were a prince, you would feel it. You passed." Will gasped silently a little before hugging me just as tightly. We pulled apart and kissed, ignoring my family at the table. I was going to live the rest of my life with my sunshine.