At Your Service- A Royalty Solangelo AU

Chapter 33

TW: Violence (stabbing someone in a non-lethal place)

When morning finally broke, Nico rolled over onto his side with a groan. A headache was ensuing from the night before, sending jolts of pain through his skull when he attempted to let his eyes flutter open. Adjusting to the light, he could make out the form of Will laying near him in the bed, feeling the weight one arm draped over his torso protectively. Asleep, his hair was fanned out in tufts across his pillow, mouth parted slightly as he let out quiet snores, face tucked close to the crook of Nico's neck. For some unfair reason, the sunlight seemed to radiate off of him, bringing out a golden undertone to his skin which was marked with pillow lines. 

With a quiet laugh, he brushed some of the strands off of the Hele's forehead as delicately as possible. Will inhaled deeply, his eyes opening to stare hazily at Nico with the same intoxicating blue colour from the night before.

"Hey love," he smiled with a voice groggy from sleep. A smile accompanied his face, though his eyes still squinted up at him with the eyelids threatening to pull him back to sleep again. 

"Shh, go back to sleep sunshine," Nico whispered pressing a kiss to Will's forehead. 

The blonde did not need another push to fall asleep again, mumbling a quiet "okay" before rolling over onto his other side. Immediately, Nico missed the warmth, and as enticing as it was to slip back under the covers, he had too much to do.

So as to not wake the sleeping man again, Nico slipped out of bed and collected his clothes from where they were draped across a nearby chair, heading to the adjacent room to get ready. In the bright room, he was able to quickly lace up his top, the cool silk fabric settling on his skin again, and he made quick work of lacing his pants before straightening up to look at the shelf in front of him where the reminder of the past night glowered. 

From atop a velvet pillow, the silver crown glistened in the early morning light, reflecting the soft rays from the sun sharply. Engraved in the perfect metal, wrapping in harsh curls across the base of the crown was the Aruman royal motto. With a gentle finger, he traced the words, following each line to its jagged point before it curled back into the next. 

Tenebris est puritas. 

Darkness is purity. The single phrase a reminder to all rulers that only in the dark could they be true saints. To exist in the gray matter between light and dark was not a choice, it was to embrace all of darkness' entirety to be holistic. Power was pure, and pure was darkness. Power was a sacrifice, thus ruling was a privilege. 

Numbly, he raised the crown to his head, shivering as the cool metal settled into his hair. The mirror in front of him mimicked his movements, but he would never see that. If he did not look at his reflection, he would not have to be disappointed with the man he had become. Without looking back, he left the room. 

Percy was standing guard outside the room when he left, falling into step quietly beside him as he shut the door behind him. 

"Your majesty, I think you will want to clear your schedule for the morning," Percy talked in a hushed voice to him as they strolled through the corridor.

"And why would I do that, Percy? I already have enough on my plate, I really do need to make it through all of the hearings today so that it actually seems I am a king willing to care for his people." 

"It's not that, it's just-" the general trailed off, evidently not wanting to go any further.

Nico halted in his tracks, the still pounding headache being amplified by the heavy crown and affecting his patience quite a bit. Trying to school his expression he turned to face the general. "Just what?"