𝐀𝐍𝐃 𝐈 𝐑𝐈𝐒𝐄// 𝐒𝐨𝐥𝐚𝐧𝐠𝐞𝐥𝐨 𝐑𝐨𝐲𝐚𝐥𝐭𝐲 𝐀𝐔

𝐂𝐇𝐀𝐏𝐓𝐄𝐑 𝟒𝟓// 𝐒𝐦𝐨𝐤𝐞 𝐀𝐧𝐝 𝐃𝐮𝐬𝐭

When Nico opened his eyes, the camp was bustling as people readied to depart. The healers had already gotten Beckendorf and Beauregard into a carriage, soothing the horses, who were skittish from all the noise. Nico could faintly see a wagon in the distance, next to the prisoners’ tent, no doubt to aid in transporting them back safely.

Nico immediately got to his feet and helped Magnus pack up the cots and tent. He also tried to help with other things, but didn’t know where they went, and was practically running in circles until one of the healers politely told him he could leave. Fighting back a smile, Nico ran off to find his friends. 

By the time he found them, everything was ready, and people were trying to figure out which carriage to take. HIs friends greeted him with loud hellos, and he smiled back as he came over. 

“Glad to see you’re doing well,” Annabeth said. 

“The surgery wasn’t that invasive, thank the gods.” Nico fidgeted with the collar of his shirt, resisting the urge to touch his neck. “How much longer will we be here?” 

“We’ll be gone in another hour, hopefully,” Percy replied. “Just a little longer to get everyone rounded up.” 

Nico nodded, had some small talk with them for a few minutes, before excusing himself, pushing his way through the crowd until he found Will, standing next to Kayla. 

“Nico!” Will grabbed his hand and pulled him close. “How are you feeling?” 

“Uh–” Caught off guard by his touch, it took Nico a moment to think. He lowered his voice. “Are you sure you want to…be seen like this? In front of the Council?” 

Will hesitated. “Well, people saw us hugging, and word’s got around. So I figured there was no point in hiding it, y’know?” He winced. “I mean, if you don’t–” 

“No, no, it’s fine. You just surprised me, that's all.” He coughed against the dust stirred up by all the ruckus. “Percy said there was an empty carriage, room for about six people. Maybe we can get Hazel, Reyna, a few of your choosing?” 

Will sighed. “Oh, thank the gods. I had to ride with Hakkam and Pinkerton on the way up here. I nearly threw myself out of the carriage.” 

Nico cackled. “You poor soul. I would’ve begged for a horse.” 

“I almost did.” Will turned back to wagons, which were all packed up. Nico could see the carriages for the nobility on the other side of them. Will sighed through his nose, drawing Nico’s attention back to him. “I feel bad about standing around. I wanted to help, but the guards already had everyone they needed, and I just got in the way.” 

Nico nodded, mouth twitching. “I tried to help the healers before I got here. It did not go well.” 

Will gave a loud laugh, startling Kayla, and Nico grinned. Despite such a dark event, Will was still full of so much joy, and it made Nico’s heart soar. 

☀️☀️☀️

Will chose Austin and Fletcher to ride with them. The carriages set off, the wagons trailing behind them, with a few soldiers on horseback to guard it. Two of them flanked the prisoners’ wagon, making sure nothing extreme happened. 

In the morning light, the destroyed Black Hand base was an empty husk, no longer looming in the distance like a monster. Smoke still lingered in the air from a few cinders. He was surprised that a tiny bit of it was still burning, after all this time. 

Seeing the wreckage filled Nico with mixed emotions–dread, but mostly relief. The Black Hand had finally been conquered. There was nothing to be afraid of. 

Will followed his gaze, squeezing his hand. He leaned down to whisper, “Wild, isn’t it? It’s all over.” 

Nico gave a smile, squeezing back. “It’s all over.” 

☀️☀️☀️ 

“You don’t have to rub it in, Reyna!” Nico playfully snapped. Hazel was laughing, and Austin was trying to stay calm, but Nico ignored them. “It was dark, and I was not thinking. Don’t act like you ended up any better than I did.” 

The first hour of the carriage ride had been uneventful, save for a little small talk here and there to break the silence. Hazel had gotten bored of it and challenged everyone to talk about the most embarrassing thing that had happened to them.

Reyna and Nico had offered a story of the two of them and Octavian taking a spying mission down into a Shade village, only for it to end in disaster–a drunk Nico had gotten stuck in a hunter’s trap, and ended up hanging upside-down for an embarrassing amount of time. Reyna, equally intoxicated, had heard him scream, and tried to run to him, only to fall face-first into an empty ditch and break her nose and arm. Octavian had finally managed to find them, and had to be bribed into cutting Nico down, and helping Reyna temporarily splint her injuries. 

“You would’ve thought a few experienced spies would know better than getting drunk on a mission,” Reyna continued. “Our damn target caught wind of a bunch of Shades making a ruckus and skipped town. It took several days to track him down again.” 

“Abaddon was furious at us for it,” Nico laughed. “Octavian ratted us out to him. He was mad we ditched him to go drink.” 

“I don’t blame you for ditching him,” Hazel joked. “If I was stuck with him, I would’ve done the same thing.” She clapped her hands, donning a dramatic persona to get a few more laughs. “As wonderful of a tale that was, there are much more to be told. Who’s next?” 

A bit of mumbling back and forth, before Will leaned forward. “One time, when the servants and Council were in the ballroom preparing for a dance, I tripped at the top of a staircase, and went crashing all the way to the bottom.” 

Nico put a hand over his mouth, picturing the ballroom’s marble staircases with a wince. “Did you break anything?” 

“Breaking my bones wasn’t what I was worried about.” Will took a deep breath, blushing. “How do I say this…? The hem of my robe was a bit too short, so when I went tumbling down, it went above my hips–” 

The five listeners launched into hysterics. Nico put his face in his hands. “The Council saw your underwear?” 

“It was only a few seconds, thank the gods.” Will rubbed his temples. “Percy thought it would be smart to throw himself on top of me, instead of just yanking my hem down for me. Knocked the wind out of me.” He chuckled. “Apollo ran over and nearly tripped himself.” 

“I guess clumsiness runs in the family,” Lee giggled. 

Will gave him a playful smack, grinning. “So, yeah. To this day, I refuse to wear robes that are mid-thigh. I learned my lesson.” 

The six of them kept going. Hazel’s story was also about falling–tripping over her dress while giving a speech, shortly after her coronation. One of Austin’s patients had been a crush, and he had not only mixed up what potions to give her, but knocked over an entire rack of vials in front of her. Lee had once spilled cleaner in a hallway and turned the whole place into a slip-and-slide. 

“I thought it’d be funny to slide around in it,” Fletcher continued, rolling his eyes. “I went right into the wall, in front of my mentor and the Head Healer at the time. I was seventeen and very, very stupid.” 

They talked and laughed as the sun climbed high in the sky, as they left the past behind them in a cloud of dust.