Behind Golden Bars {Solangelo Neko/Royalty AU}

Hera

(I'm going to try to update as much as I can this weekend, but I'm not sure how well that'll work...)

Npov

Okay, I have to get them safely through the castle. That's all. Then this huge mess we're in is going to go away.

Just get them safely through the castle.

I was more than stressed. Everyone was behind me as we made our way through the castle, and I couldn't see Apollo, which meant he could've killed someone and I wouldn't even know. I hoped he really was trying to help us...

He probably wasn't. The only reason I'm doing this is for Will.

I had to remind myself of that. That this is what Will wants, that he trusts his dad. If he can trust Apollo, then I can too, right?

Okay... almost there...

It suddenly occurred to me that maybe Apollo would help us get Hera out of the kingdom, and then do something else to us...

Too late now. We arrived at the room where Will had spoken to Hazel about dating me: the royalty meeting room. I was flooded by bad memories here.

I thought I had it bad then... Now we are literally in a war zone, about to lose our lives, and we're working with Apollo.

We are working with Apollo!

I glanced nervously behind me. Everyone looked alive...

I meowed and they all came rushing forward. I heard voices inside the room, but I wasn't really focused on them. I was too busy watching Apollo.

If he hurts my friends, I want to know, and I want to be able to attack him.

I watched only him, but I knew everyone was silently filing into the room.

Everyone except Apollo....

Why isn't Apollo going into the room?!

||||||||||\\\\\\\\\\wpov//////////||||||||||

I was so angry about Octavian, I completely forgot about Apollo.

My hands were shaking with a mix of so many emotions, I gave up on even attempting to name them.

Octavian is working for Hera!

We slipped silently in the room, but Hera didn't seem surprised to see us. In fact, she actually seemed like she was expecting us....

That couldn't be good.

(A/N: I wanna end here but I feel bad about ending the last chapter like that so I have to keep writing...)

||||||||||\\\\\\\\\

pov//////////||||||||||

I wanted to know where Apollo was going, and why he wasn't entering the room. I followed him.

||||||||||\\\\\\\\\wpov\///////////||||||||||

Hera stood up, and then brushed off her gown. I don't think there was a speck of anything on it anyway...

Where'd Nico go? He was just here! I told myself he was probably just behind someone, in a place where I couldn't see him.

Yeah, that's it. He was in cat form, so he was probably just hidden. I relaxed.

"Well, well, well. I see Apollo did his job bringing you here."

My heart stopped.

I must've misheard that. I must have.

Hera saw the look on my face and smiled. "Yes, William. Your dad tricked you. Surprised? You shouldn't be."

My hands shook. It seemed like everyone was on Hera's side.

But then Annabeth unsheathed her knife. "It doesn't matter."

I raised my bow and notched an arrow, pointing it straight at Hera.

Everyone else followed our lead, taking out their weapons and pointing it at someone.

"Oh, how cute. You think you can kill us." Hera said.

(A/N: I'd just like to say that I'm imagining Hera as Umbridge and it makes this whole scene better.)

"We don't think we can kill you. We know we can kill you." Percy growled.

Hera looked directly at me and I knew she had something planned. She must've done something....

"Oh, but I have something of yours." She looked directly at me. "Something I'm sure that you'd like to get back."

My heart started beating quicker.

Nico.