The Not so Golden Ages (A Solangelo AU)

Nico Makes an Angry

Nico shifted as he felt Will place a hand on his shoulder and shake him gently. "Nico...we're here." 

He shifted again and opened his eyes and looked around. "Finally." Nico grumbled. Will slowly opened the curtain and peeked out, frowning slightly. Nico blinked and peeked around Will's shoulder as the carriage slowed to a stop in front of a large castle. He was rendered silent. 

Sure, Nico had gone with his father a few times to bring lavender to the castle back in Skiio but he never got to look around. 

Percy opened the door and handed both of them cloaks. The two blinked and put them on. Will looked to Nico and slowly pulled up his hood for him, momentarily letting his hand linger on Nico's cheek. Once Will felt it grow warm with blush, he blinked and pulled away, blushing too. "Pull up your hood, sun spot." Nico slipped his hand in with Will's, making him blink and do so. 

The cold, night sky mostly covered their being. Percy and Annabeth unsheathed their weapons and led them into the castle. 

Nico sighed in relief as they were escorted down the hall. With all the guards patrolling the castle, Nico felt safe. But there was something different about the guards. It wasn't unsettling. Just....different.

When Will noticed the look on Nico's face, Will smiled slightly. "Aunt Artemis is considered a maiden queen. She prefers all of her guards and staff to be female who have sworn off men so nothing gets tried on her. There's a few males around here but they're sworn off females." He explained. 

Nico blinked. He had never heard of a maiden queen. Sure, there were maiden goddesses, but no. Nico didn't believe he had ever heard of a maiden queen. "Is that why I'm getting weird looks from them?" He looked to Will as he pulled back his hood. 

"They probably think you're cute and are all "Oh darn, I wish I wasn't sworn a maiden because that scrawny kid is pretty cute." Will smiled at him. 

Nico snorted. "Yeah, right." 

Will did his little giggle that really always gave Nico a fizzy feeling. He would cover his mouth and scrunch his nose, closing his eyes. He would lean forward, giggling. It reminded Nico of a little kid. 

"Oh, yes, ha ha, that was hilarious." Nico raised a brow. Will kept giggling as they neared the dining hall. The smell of food suddenly hit him. He inhaled the smell of...fish, maybe? Baked bread joined the aroma. Nico had never had fish before. He only had freshly baked bread once. At his....sisters funeral. As the hall suddenly seemed to tilt and spin, Nico stumbled to a stop.

As Nico slowly stopped walking, Will turned to him. "Nico? Do you feel alright? You look like you're gonna be...." Will just barely had enough time to catch Nico as he crumbled, clutching his stomach as he started coughing. 

Will's eyes widened. "Percy! Nico's sick!" He called worriedly, holding his friend close. 

Percy and Annabeth turned, both paling as Nico started vomiting. He didn't have anything in his stomach, causing it to look....bloody. "Oh gods...." Will decided to take matters into his own hands and shoved past his frozen guards, carrying Nico to the infirmary. As Will ran, Nico kept coughing up acid and such. He felt bad as he felt Will cringe when the contents rolled down his back.

Finally, when Nico was barely conscious, Will reached the infirmary and laid him down, backing away, trembling. Nico was able to only look at Will and notice the blood on his hands and chiton, and the terrified look in his eye before falling unconscious.

A few days later, Nico was released from the infirmary and was walking around the castle quietly. The doctors had assured him that it had just been from exhaustion. Nothing to worry about. He was about to enter his chambers when he heard shouting from will's next door.  Nico flinched and looked over with a slight frown. 

He walked over and slowly peeked in, shocked to see Annabeth yelling at Will. Nico blinked and slowly slipped into the room, trying to stay hidden. "You're attached to him, William! It's not going to end well! We both realize you two have something between you that will only end in heartbreak!" Annabeth stared at him, talking with her hands.

"Who cares? It won't end in heart break! I love him, okay? I'm in love with Nico di Angelo. And if I can't be king one day because of that, then who cares? I won't let that stand in the way!" Will snapped coldly. Nico had never heard Will speak to a person like that. And what he said....

That's when it happened. Annabeth swiftly slapped Will, right across the face. It was so hard that Nico could hear it. It sent Will crashing to the ground. That's when Nico lost it, he shoved the tapestry he was hiding behind away and rushed over, kneeling by Will and holding him close, glaring. "Excuse you, but Will is gonna make an excellent king one day. Whoever he loves. He's kind, caring, protective, and understanding. I don't know about you, but that's what I look for in a king." Nico glared up at Annabeth, still holding Will. His eyes were dark, dangerous. With his tousled black hair and the dark bags under his eyes, he looked frightening. Death like, even.

Annabeth glared right back. "The kingdom would never accept for this, William. I was just trying to help you know that." She snapped, storming out.

Will looked up to Nico, tears rushing down his face. Nico put a gentle hand on the dark bruise forming on his cheek. "Did....did you mean what you said....? That...you're....you're...." 

The other boy nodded, losing eye contact with him. Though he had just been slapped, and his crush was confronting him, Will seemed to retain a sense of equanimity. "I....I do, Nico. And I know that it's wrong to, meaning the fact that I'm a male and you're a male, but....I don't know why I'm explaining myself." He scratched the back of his head. "You would never feel the s-"

Nico stared at him as he spoke, he tilted his chin up and pressed his lips against the princes. Will slowly blinked before closing his eyes and kissing him back. 

Sure the action was incognitable. But they didn't care, obviously.