I don't own PJO or Cinderella. Can this be a disclaimer to end all future disclaimers?
Chapter 7
Percy was sitting on his bed. He had gone back to the palace after the incident with that girl cutting her own foot. He couldn't believe someone would cut their foot and marrying someone they didn't love just for the sake of being a princess and later a queen. Maybe romantic love didn't exist at all. Maybe he was just being stupid with his dream about marrying Nicole. Maybe she had already forgotten about him and the ball.
A part of his mind, however, replayed in his head the hours that he had spent with Nicole and convinced him that she definitely wouldn't forget him. But how would he find her then? His previous attempt had failed miserably. Percy banged his head against the wall.
He didn't want to be a prince. He wanted to be a normal boy. He envied all the kids who thought that life as a prince was the best thing that there could ever be.
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-The prince is in love with you?
Nico and Thalia were on the graveyard with Bianca. They had just told Bianca what had happened in the ball and at her stepmother's house. Nico cringed. He was afraid that would be his sister's reaction.
-That's so sweet!
Nico looked at his sister in surprise. This wasn't what he expected at all.
-We have to find a way to make him meet Nico. What exactly can you do with your magic? - Thalia said
-Well…
-I think you didn't understand me. The prince is in love with me.
-Ti ho sentito la prima volta, Nicky. Now Thalia, I wonder if you could…
Nico sat on top of a tombstone. He certainly hadn't expected that to be his sister's reaction.
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Nico had almost fallen asleep when his sister and Thalia came back. He knew that he should at least go with them when they were deciding about his life, but he didn't believe they could find a way for the prince to meet him. Besides, the prince wasn't in love with him he was in love with Nicole. For all he knew, as soon as Percy found out that he was a boy he would throw him in jail or worse.
-Nico.
Nico turned around to look at Bianca. She was standing next to a girl around his age, with eyes and hair exactly like his. The girl looked exactly like Nicole.
-Who the hell is that?
-For your information, I can hear you. And speak. Although that is probably obvious to you now. - said the girl.
-Thalia?!
-Yep. This is me in human form. Unfortunately, I happen to look very much like you. That sucks. Wait, maybe I look more like Bianca when she was my age.
She looked at Bianca hopefully. Bianca shook her head.
-What is your plan? Or have you just got as far as to make Thalia look like Nicole?
Bianca looked at Thalia and rolled her eyes. She was starting to become too much like Thalia, Nico thought.
-Of course we have a plan, scemo. Thalia will go to the palace and try to get in. She looks so much like Nicole and knows things that just Nicole knows, so they'll surely let her in.
Bianca looked pointedly at Nico at this part.
-You will tell her everything that happened, so that the prince believes that she is Nicole. You will also accompany her as Nicole's brother. Thalia will then talk to the prince and if the prince really thinks that she is Nicole at the end of an hour, you come back. If not, then you have to do something to show him that you're Nicole, Nico.
-Something as in…
-We've already figured at least 50% of your life, the least you can do is figure out the other 50%! -Thalia shouted.
-Okay, there's no need to shout! Let's go to the freaking palace already, I'll tell you all you need to know when we get there.
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Grover was walking with Percy inside the castle when he heard something.
-What's that? - Percy asked.
Grover hesitated before answering. He knew how depressed Percy had been after the whole cut-foot-to-fit-shoe incident.
-It's probably just some girl who's trying to convince the guards that she's Nicole.
Grover tried to say that causally, but failed miserably. Percy stopped walking and looked at him.
-Has this been happening a lot?
Grover nodded.
-I want to look.
Grover turned, but Percy was already at the window, looking down at the door. They were on the first floor, so they could see what was going perfectly.
A girl with short black hair was trying to convince the guards to let her in. A boy, probably the girl's brother by the looks of it, occasionally interfered to tell the guards something. Their voices carried up, so that they could hear what they said. The usual.
Grover turned, meaning to suggest to Percy to continue their walk in the gardens, when he saw his friend's face. Percy was smiling, a true smile, for the first time in two days.
-It's her! It's her Grover! That's Nicole!
He ran towards the gate, leaving a very confused Grover standing by the windows.
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Nico held his breath as he entered the palace for the second time. Of course, the last time he had entered by the main gates, not by climbing the wall that led to the gardens.
-How can humans do anything without wings? They're stupid and can't fly, it's a miracle that they've survived this long.-Thalia muttered.
Nico put a hand over her mouth. He could hear voices coming from the other end of the garden. He and Thalia quickly climbed the nearest tree, which happened to be an olive tree. Thalia started cursing at dresses, so Nico put his hand over her mouth again. This time, she bit him. Nico glared at her.
-She looked so much like Nicole, Grover. I can't even recognize Nicole anymore!
-Well, maybe you could try to forget about her. I mean, what are the odds that you'll ever see her again?
Nico smiled. The prince loved him! He was so happy he didn't even notice what was happening until he heard Grover exclaim. Thalia had managed to fall from the tree.
Nico, Grover and Percy looked at her with their mouth open, but Thalia pretended she didn't see any of them as she got up and cleaned her dress. She then turned to Grover and put her hand forward.
-Hi! My name's Nico, short for Nicole. Sorry for any inconvenience I might have caused. I just wanted to see Percy and, well, climbing up the garden wall is way easier than entering through the main gates. You should probably do something about that.
Grover just stared at Thalia with his mouth open. He seemed to have forgotten how to speak. Nico, on top of the olive tree, shared Grover's surprise. Percy was the first to get over the shock.
-Nico?!
Thalia blushed. How the hell did she manage to blush? Was she a professional actress or something? Thalia was a box of surprises, thought Nico.
-Hi Percy. I heard you were looking for me.
They both stared at each other for a few seconds.
-I'll just...umm...go count leaves or something.
Grover hurried off, glancing back occasionally at the couple.
-Do you want to sit down?
Thalia nodded and she and Percy sat down on a bench not far from the olive tree were Nico was hiding. Percy looked at the girl sitting next to him and smiled. They sure had a lot to talk about.
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And so arrives the end of yet another chapter. In fact, this will probably be the penultimate chapter. Thanks to everyone that is reading and reviewing and following and favouriting (which isn't even a word!). Special thanks to Mitzuna for her awesome review :) Thalia's also my favourite character in this story. Oh, I almost forgot: The Italian means "I heard you the first time" and "silly(or stupid)".
Magic_Sofia
