Solangelo Oneshots

Fairytales

Since the beginning of time, humans have been inexplicably drawn to stories. Small escapes from reality, wild imaginations and the sharing of a message to so many people have shaped the world as we know it. Especially fairytales.

This story is not a fairytale. It could be one. But it's not.

Once upon a time there was a prince. He was prince of the land of the Sun and his father, the king, ruled the land as a mostly benevolent and kind ruler if not a tad vain.

The prince's name was William, although mostly he was known as Will. As with most princes in fairytale and indeed as with most humans in general, he wasn't one to go along with the way things were supposed to be. He was kind and more understanding than most but he was also raised sheltered and so held his own prejudices.

For many years the land of the Sun had been at war with the land of the Dark. Raised in the palaces safe walls, Will had never seen the extent of the suffering nor the violence inflicted upon his people but as a curious person he naturally went to the library and asked questions and found out more than enough to thoroughly despise their opposition. It was only all cemented in his mind when his elder brothers came back from war as fallen heroes, martyrs amongst the dead.

As heir to the throne, Will could no longer enjoy his own company curled up playing or put in the gardens. He had duties to attend to. His mother was dead, as they tend to be in stories, and his father's brazen nature was bound to get him into trouble sooner or later. There was also the inevitable event of Will being sent off to war.

When the day came, it started off like any other but when he looked at his father's face he knew. The servants packed what he needed and he stood at the gates staring at his home.

"Don't die, Will," the King said, setting a hand on his shoulder.

"I'll try my best," Will answered, though not sarcastically.

-

Warfare had never been the prince's strong suit. He was a far more talented medic and morale raiser. Nevertheless, the kingdom needed a member of the royal family to look to in these gloomy times.

Before the first battle began, Will sat atop his horse, looking around at all the faces below him. Old to young, impatient to scared, they were all gathered to protect their home. How many of those innocents would end up dead?

Will caught a glimpse of the enemy over the hill and shouted the order to charge.

None of the sounds would ever leave Will’s mind. Clashing of swords, screaming, sobbing, hooves galloping, people dying. Will’s eyes narrowed into focus on the apparent leader of the fight. Will jumped off his horse and snuck around through the fighting until he was right behind the knight. He took his chance.

Pouncing ontop of him, they rolled into shrubbery, covered in scratches and exhausted but still fighting. On instinct, Will grabbed his sword, managed to yank off the guy's helmet and hold the blade to his neck.

Had this been the fairytale they deserved, they might have met each others' eyes, slowy leaning closer to oberseve the features of the other until their lips where a breath away.

Instead, he received a sharp kick in between his legs and dropped his weapon in pain. The knight scrambled from beneath him and held a sword to Will’s neck this time.

"Surrender," the knight's voice trembled either with rage or fear or both.

"Nice weather we're having." Will thought he might be going mad but he was calm. He was calm because the hand holding a sword to his throat was no steadied than his own. "Shame to be fighting in it."

The knight hesitated. "I suppose so."

Will sat himself up on his elbows. "You're Nico, right? Hades' son?"

"And you're Will."

"It's a pleasure."

Will shakily got to his feet. Nico surveyed him warily but didn't stop him.

"What's going on?" Nico asked.

"Right now or in general?"

"Why are you so unfazed about this?"

"I didn't want to fight you know."

Nico raised an eyebrow. "Are you seriously trauma dumping on me right now?"

Will shrugged. "You're not going to tell anyone."

"No. I'm not. But we have to fight."

"Why?"

"I don't know! Because people are idiots."

Will took a step closer.

"Are you an idiot?"

"Is this really appropriate right now?"

"Are you?"

Nico inhaled sharply. "No."

"Well then." Will smiled.

Nico opened his mouth to respond before something caught his eye. "Wait, holy shit!"

He was staring at Will’s leg. There was a large gash right down it where his armour had a gap and blood seeped down, staining the grass. That would likely explain how dizzy Will was.

"Would you look at that?" Will marvelled before he fainted.

You could imagine that Nico picked him up oh so tenderly and carried him on his horse all the way to the palace to be healed.

Or you could know that Nico left him to bleed out on the battlefield.

There were so many what ifs, so many maybes, so many hopeful moments, so many glimpses of a fairytale.

But sometimes stories don't have happy endings.

-

A/N

Hey loves! This is utter crack cos I cannot be bothered to write a plot today.

Thanks for reading!!

Ash x