unattainable | solangelo royalty au

Chapter Thirty

A/N: I wrote a stucky/civil war reference into this without noticing and I'm not taking it out.

WPOV:

I awake to something colliding with me. I'm knocked back against the wall, then slide down it onto my side.

"Oh, shit? Are you alright?" I open my eyes to see Nico looking at me worriedly.
"Yeah..." I sit up and smile at him. The slight pain on my back is frowned out with happiness as seeing him conscious.
"Sorry." Nico blushes. "I just got excited. I kind of jumped on you..."
"It's fine." I assure him, taking his hands gingerly. I'm not sure where his boundaries are. He pulls me close, wrapping his arms around my neck, and I hug him back, burying my face in his shoulder and sighing in relief.

"Hey." One of the sisters, Hylla, I think, nudges my leg with her foot. "I hate to break up this beautiful reunion," she looks and sounds completely deadpan, "but we need to move."
"Your parents replied to the letter you sent." Reyna informs us. I start to see differences between the two. Reyna is an inch or two shorter, with two braids instead of one.

"They're sending people to collect you tonight, disguised as traders."
"What time is it now?" I ask, looking outside through the dirty window. It looks only a little bit lighter than when I arrived earlier.
"Dusk."
"I slept through the whole day?" I ask incredulously. Reyna nods.
"Thanks for your help." Hylla mutters sarcastically.
"You should have woken me up!"
"Bianca wouldn't let us." Hylla grouses.
"You looked like you needed the rest." Bianca says softly.

Nico lets go of me, turning to smile appreciatively at his sister. I don't have any siblings. I can't imagine how they've felt the past few days, apart. Not even knowing if the other was alive!

A knock at the door causes me to jump. Reyna unsheathes a rusty dagger as Hylla pulls out a similar knife. Nico turns to face the door, crouching like he's ready to leap to action. Meanwhile, I just sit, terrified by the prospect of being found out. Bianca leads the little boy, Jason, into a dark corner, out of sight, as Thalia risks a glance out of the window.

"There's a skinny dude standing there." She tells us. "He doesn't look like much of a threat, but he's got a wild look in his eyes." Hylla glances out and and looks back in disgust.
"It's the kid from the prison. Leo."
"Let him in." Nico says.
"No way." Reyna shakes her head. "He might have been followed. Or this is a trap. And anyway, he's annoying."
"I think people are more concerned with finding us than following him, and they don't know he's with us." Nico points out."
"He's not with us." Hylla insists. Nico shoots a scowl her way.

"This won't be a trap. Why would he be working with the people who imprisoned him?" He continues. "As for him being annoying... tough. He helped us."
"We didn't need his help. And he just wanted to escape."
"He still worked as a distraction when he could have just ran away." He snaps. "We owe him this much. This is Thalia's house, let her decide."

Thalia thinks for a moment, then opens the door. Reyna and Hylla groan as he rushes in, loudly babbling out thanks then going into a story about what happens after he was freed. I block him out after a few minutes of him talking so fast and excitedly, I can barely understand him.

I turn my attention to Nico, who relaxes and sits down between my legs, not facing me.
"You'll make a great king." I tell him, loosely wrapping my arms around his waist. He shakes his head.
"I doubt it. I mean, look what I've done so far because I can't control my emotions."
"This isn't your fault." I say, pressing my chest to his back. "Besides, you're still growing. Just then... you were diplomatic and generous." I kiss the back of his neck, and he takes one of my hands and squeezes it. "Those are important qualities for a ruler." That my parents don't have.

"I should know." I continue. "My parents have been training me to rule since before I could talk."
"My parents seem to think they can just rule forever. They pretty much ignore me and my sisters. They'll be married off, and I'll... I don't know. I guess I'll rule eventually, as their first, and so far only, son.
"Sisters, plural?" I frown quizzically. He nods.
"I have a younger half sister from my father's second wife. Her name is Hazel. And his third wife is pregnant."
"Wow. I wish I had siblings." I sigh.

"Will... Is this going to be the last time I see you?" Nico asks quietly. Tentatively. Like he's afraid I'll say yes. I shake my head stubbornly.
"No way. I'll try my hardest to end this war before it gets out of hand, then I'll invite you back here and... Hell, I'll marry you, if you like!" I blush. When I become king, the first thing I'm going to do is making gay marriage legal. My family's oppression will end with me.

Nico turns to me, blushing but smiling sadly.
"But what if you can't?"
"Then I'll run away to you." I tell him. I decided to a while ago.
"But this is your home!" He protests.
"There's nothing here for me if you're not here, experiencing it with me."

"Will, it's too dangerous!"
"I'll risk it for you." I insist. Nico looks up at me, tears brimming in his eyes. He swipes them away angrily.
"I don't think I'm worth all this." He mumbles.

"You are." I assure him. "I think I've proved it already, but I'll happily say it again. I'd do anything for you, Neeks. Anything. I swear."