The Kingdoms

Chapter 2 - Welcome to the Dungeon!

Percy looked for a opponent and soon found one, what he hadn't realized by the time he was on the ground. It was the prince from the other kingdom, Nico; Percy got onto his feet, grabbing his sword in the process and hoping he hadn't been too slow. Luckily, one of the fighters from his kingdom had attacked Nico right then. So, he got an advantage on the black haired prince. After a tiny bit more fighting, as he was a good fighter, with swords clashing every second.

He started to notice that everyone had stopped fighting to watch the fight. Which made Percy work harder, he wasn't going to let them lose the battle because he hadn't practiced for a while. Nico was younger than him, but he was a really good fighter and he had to admit. He looked like he had stayed up all night waiting for this battle in the morning, dark circles under his eyes to show it.

Then, when they were were both exhausted, he was able to actually get to him. He would have killed him, but he couldn't bring himself to do it though. So, he was able to unstable him, by shoving him with the sword. They had got small cuts along their hands, but other than that they were not hurt at all. Percy smiled when Nico fell to the ground from it, not expecting the shove, that was probably the last thing he would have thought.

Percy put his sword up against Nico's throat, with a small smile at his victory. He pulled him up and kept the sword where it was, threatening the others. "Retreat now, or he'll die." Percy told them crossly, no one from the Earth Kingdom tried to stop them and listened. They backed up out of the palace and then Percy loosened up a tiny bit. Not too much though, he was still holding Nico after all.

He looked over to Tyson who hadn't noticed what was going on till it was all over. Well, the thing with Nico anyway, Tyson went over and grabbed Nico.

"How about you go get some rest? I will keep care of him." Nico was trying to get out of Tyson's grip, but Percy knew that he wouldn't be able to.

"Fine, just make sure he doesn't get away." Tyson nodded, he headed off with Nico. Percy went back to Annabeth, he couldn't help picking her up and pulling her close. He started to fall asleep, he didn't know that he had been so tired, it was probably that long fight with Nico.

-#-

Nico was put in the dungeon, as Tyson had to go after a while. The guy had almost killed him by suffocating him in his hold, luckily he had realized and loosened his grip a tiny bit so he could breathe. Nico had been in a few cells from the previous war, he hated that he had been overpowered by Percy. Shoving him was the last thing he would have thought of, and that was what bugged him so much, he didn't suspect the simple often.

He sat on the infamous uncomfortable bed, trying to get used to his surroundings for the time being. He recalled what the plan had been, well they succeeded in it. Or something close to it. Nico was supposed to get captured, and then Poseidon would expect he has something to stop Hades from conquering the Kingdom. He was completely wrong though, he sort of just wanted Poseidon to think that.

Just so they can do a sneak attack in a week, he was supposed to stay alive as long as he could. Even if after the attack they don't get him back, he would most likely be killed. That was this brutal plan that Hades had thought up, sure it was great and all, but he was risking the chance of Nico dying.

Now all he had to do was wait a week, Nico wasn't exactly pleased with being in this cell. Hopefully they might give him a bit more hospitality as the days go on, that would be slightly better than this. After a couple hours, it got dark and it was clear that they had reached night. He laid down on the uncomfortable thin cushion that kept him off the cold steel, then rested his head on the thin pillow. At least he had a pillow, he ended up falling asleep in the darkness of the room.

-#-

Nico woke up to the sound of the door, not the one part of the cell, just the wood door that kept him in even if he got out of the cell. Percy was there, looking rather glum. He had a feeling that it was about Annabeth the girl that they had sent an assassin to kill. Nico couldn't stop thinking of what Hazel would say about the plan, as she hadn't known about it at all.

Hades had planned to tell her after Nico had been captured, so she wouldn't try and stop it. Which wasn't the best idea in Nico's eyes, but he decided to just go along with the plan. It meant them being able to have another chance to conquer the Kingdom and all. Percy snapped him back to reality by talking.

"Hello, Prince Nico." Percy said, in such a dull, formal, and hurt voice. As if he had just stopped crying and was trying to pull himself together. He was glad that Percy didn't know that killing Annabeth had been one of the plans. Nico would probably be dead if he did.

"Hello, Prince Perseus." Nico said with as much annoyance as he could possibly put, glaring at him. Maybe, then he would be given a nicer room, rather than a cell like a criminal. Well, technically he would be a criminal in this kingdom, but he was another prince so he would normally be excused or most of the time anyway.

"Sorry about you not getting a room, we had to clear out one last night." Percy stated, almost choking over the words. Nico knew exactly who he had been talking about, obviously he was getting Annabeth's old room or something. It was the room that had been hers, till she was to be married with Percy. Which didn't happen due to the war now, Nico felt a bit bad for the guy, just married and already a widower.

"Completely fine, so what is the reason you are here?" Nico decided that it was about time that Percy just told him what he wanted. Since he highly doubted that the prince wanted to come talk to the prisoner only because he was lonely. Especially after everything that happened, the battle, and his wife being killed seconds after getting married.

"You are going to be moved to the other room, which was the reason why I got the servants to clean it out the room for you. So, would you be cooperative?" Nico just rolled his eyes as if it was obvious, he would have to rather than not as it would just make being here all that worse. "I will take that as a yes." Percy sighed, opening the door and he grabbed Nico's wrist. Nico had been slightly shocked by the physical touch, not ready for it at all. Percy didn't seem bothered by it and just led him over to where he would be, guards keeping an eye on the two. Just in case Nico tried anything of course.

Nico walked at Percy's pace, while they walked through the massive palace, he examined Percy with his rather un-prince-like features. He had dark black hair that sort of went wherever it really wanted, or anywhere Percy had directed through it when he combed it with his fingers. As it was clear by looking at it, that Percy did it quite a lot, as some hair strayed away from the constant change in directions that it was put in. The other prince had sea green eyes, which did suit his kingdom almost so well it was as if he was some kind of dream.

Nico shook his head, looking away, what the heck was he thinking? He couldn't let him fall for someone, that was just irresponsible, especially during a war and a plan that he had to be faithful to his side for. He couldn't just think of how bad it would be for Percy after it, would he die during it, fighting against them? He felt a horrible feeling in his stomach, thinking how it would feel as he counted the casualties and saw Percy's body sprawled amongst all of them.

Percy opened the door to the room he was to stay in, it was nice. It had some rather nice coverings over the bed, light as it was summer, but it was nice either way. It was coloured a very natural beige, except the blue drapes that was spread across the top of the room in the corner between the roof and wall. "This is where you will be staying."