So sorry it took me so long to update but... okay I have no real reason I'm just very easily distracted.
Disclaimer: All characters and inspiration for certain ideas and characterization are property of Rick Riordan.
Nico (POV)
I nervously walk after the silent Reyna into one of the empty rooms.
She hates me. She's going to tell everyone what a freak I am. At best I'll be disowned.
"What do you think you're doing?" Reyna hisses.
I move back, avoiding looking her in the eye.
"You know I don't like Rachel." I whisper.
"Obviously but couldn't you find someone else?" she sighs.
"There's nothing wrong with Will." I mumble, getting a little angry. Who is she to tell me who I can kiss?
A look of realization appears on his face. "I don't care he's male." She tells me quickly.
I blink "B-but you said?"
She looks guilty. "Didn't he tell you?"
"Tell me what?" I ask.
"His grandfather is Zeus. He's one of the princes of the skies." She explains, a sympathetic look on her face.
My mind starts spinning. Will? He can't be. He's kind and funny. Zeus is selfish and cruel, they can't be related. He wouldn't have lied to me.
"He would have told me." I insist.
"Did you tell him?" Reyna asks, raising her eyebrow.
I glare at her, answering her question.
She has a point, but a prince? This is very bad.
"Are you sure it's him?" I ask.
She nods. "I've met him before and I wouldn't have had to. He looks like Prince Apollo's tw… actually he has a twin, make that clone."
"What should I do?" I groan, falling back onto the bed.
"I would say end it, but I'd rather not waste my breath." She sighs, sitting next to me. "Perhaps you should tell him the truth."
I sigh. "Maybe."
If I tell him he'll probably want nothing to do with me. I don't know if I could deal with that.
A loud crash breaks me out of my thoughts.
I rush after Reyna into the ballroom where everyone is watching a couple in the middle, who had loudly dropped one of the trays of food.
"Just one dance." A clearly intoxicated man asks, holding onto one of the servant's waist.
The girl who has striking blue eyes and black hair poking out of her bonnet glares at him. "Not to be rude, sir." She hisses, clearly having no problem with being rude. "But if you do not remove your hand from my waist I shall chop it off."
The man just grins and moves his hand lower, causing the servant to take his hand and flip him over her shoulder, hitting his head against a nearby table, knocking him out cold.
During this flip her hat had fallen from her head, causing the audience to gasp.
"Princess Thalia."
"Why is she here?"
"The princess of the skies!"
Oh no. Will must have brought friends.
The guards rush towards her, but she quickly ducks under their legs, using the tray as a shield.
Several other members of the audience start knocking away the guards and trying to get to the doors.
"I told you this was a bad idea, Leo!" A caramel skinned girl with choppy brown hair yells, holding a dagger.
"How was I supposed to know they wouldn't welcome us with cupcakes?" The boy I assume to be Leo yells, throwing something at the doorway causing it to explode, making a large exit.
I notice Will fighting back to back with another blonde boy.
"PRINCE NICO!" One of the guards yells, trying to pull me away from the havoc.
Before they could reach me I feel something cold against my neck. "Let us go or Prince Nicky here won't make it to his wedding." A familiar voice says calmly in my ear.
I want to fight, but I know I can't risk the knife cutting me.
The audience freezes, I notice Will glaring at us.
"Let them leave!" King Poseidon's' voice booms over the ballroom.
The girl holding me starts backing towards the giant hole in the wall with a crowd of others following after, weapons raised.
"You are an idiot." A caramel skinned boy I recognise as Cecil hisses.
The girl chuckles. "No I'm a quick thinker."
I suddenly realize why her voice is so familiar. Lou Ellen.
"Release the prince!" My father growls, looking murderous.
"Ah ah ah. How do we know you won't try and kill us if we let him go?" Lou teases. "But we will release him… eventually."
I can almost hear Lou Ellen smirking.
"Meaning very very soon and unharmed." The other blonde boys adds quickly/
They pull me down the corridor with nothing but the sound of Lou Ellen laughing manically.
Once we are out of the castle and half a mile into the woods Lou lets go of me.
"Sorry about that, death head. I couldn't think of anything else." She says, not sounding too sorry.
I notice Will being very quiet.
"It's fine." I grumble. "Though this isn't exactly going to help with the war."
Lou shrugs. "Not my problem."
The others look at me suspiciously.
"Uh Nico. Can we talk?" Will asks nervously.
"You know him?" Leo asks suddenly.
"Kind of." He admits, before pulling me away.
Once we're out of earshot of the others he turns to me.
"WHY DIDN'T YOU TELL ME YOU'RE A PRINCE?" We yell together.
"I wasn't sure how you'd react." I admit.
"Same plus I thought you were from The Seas and there's the whole war thing." He agrees, rubbing his neck nervously.
"So… what now?" I ask, playing with one of my rings.
"I don't know, Nico." He mutters, looking at his feet. "Things were bad before, but now? Sky royalty kidnapping Underworld royalty isn't exactly going to help."
I nod, suddenly noticing how far apart we are. "And the wedding is approaching." I add.
"So this fiancé of yours?"
"Princess Rachel." I groan.
"We don't have time now." He says awkwardly. "Usual place a week from now?"
I nod.
He takes hold of my hand. "I don't want to lose you, Nico."
I try to smile but it probably came out as more of a grimace.
I lean in and place a small kiss on his lips. "I don't want to lose you either."
He smiles warmly at me. "I should go."
"Me too. They probably think that crazy bitch killed me." I agree.
"I'M NOT A CRAZY BITCH!" Lou's voice screeches.
I turn to see her and the others all attempting to hide behind a nearby tree. Oh shit.
Everyone but Lou and Cecil gape at us.
"So am I invited to your wedding?" Leo asks, grinning at us.
I glare. "No, nor were you invited to this ball."
He pouts. "Come on dude! We made it entertaining."
"You made it a fight! We kidnapped a prince!" the blonde boy with a scar by his lip hisses.
"Relax Jason." Lou chuckles. "All is fair in love and war."
"I-I should go." I say, before dashing off, towards the faint sight of castle in the distance.
When I get to the castle I see it is surrounded by guards.
I decide to test their skills and easily sneak past them all, all the way into Poseidon's office where the sound of arguing is coming from.
"We need to strike now! They've probably killed my son!" Hades hisses.
"Oh father, I didn't know you cared." I say, entering the room.
Hazel pulls me into a hug. "Are you alright? Did they hurt you?"
"I'm fine." I tell her honestly.
"Great, looks like I'm still engaged." Rachel groans, not being able to hide her relieved expression.
"Nice to see you too." I grumble.
"You're alive." Hades says dismissively. "We can kill them now.'
"NO!" I yell. "They're just stupid kids who snuck into a party. They didn't plan on kidnapping me and no harm has been done."
"Did they do no harm when they killed Bianca? This has gone too far!" Hades hisses. "See the healer, I have plans to discuss with Poseidon."
I go to argue, but decide against it and storm out, followed closely by Hazel and Rachel.
"What happened?" Hazel asks.
"They brought me into the woods and let me go." I tell them. `
They share a disbelieving look.
"Your heiress." Reyna says, sighing with relief when she sees me. "I will be bringing you to the healer, and just about everywhere else for the rest of your sad existence."
"Are you sure you're not the girl I'm being forced to spend the rest of my life with?" I ask sarcastically. "And what did I say about calling me your heiress."
She gives me a knowing smirk. "I can't remember anything."
"Healers. Now." Reyna tells me.
"I'm fine! The most dangerous thing I did tonight was dance with Rachel." I sigh.
"HEY! I'm no worse than crazy blonde bitches kidnapping you." Rachel argues.
"I was perfectly safe."
"You were kidnapped by the enemy with a knife to your throat." Hazel sighs. "Just don't almost die again."
"I'll see you later." I tell Rachel and Hazel. "As I am sure you'll be pestering me all night."
As soon as we're out of hearing distance Reyna turns to me. "What really happened?"
"How do you know that wasn't the truth?" I reply.
"I know you're in relationship with one of your kidnappers."
I sigh. "Lou didn't know I was a prince either so when she heard she did the first thing she could think of."
She nods. "And you and Will?"
"We're going to see each other again." I admit.
"Good. I'll be coming." She tells me.
"What? NO!" I exclaim.
"It's for your safety." She tells me in a tone saying there's no point in arguing.
I glare at her before storming of to the healers.
Will (POV)
After Nico had run off the others turn to me.
"You're gay?" Leo asks, as eloquently as usual.
"Yeah." I admit. It's not exactly universally accepted… what if they hate me?
"Sweet but why did you choose Death Breath?" Leo asks.
I glare at him. "His name is Nico, and I didn't know."
"They've me sneaking out for months and going on romantic walks, oddly enough the topic they're both princes never came up." Lou grins.
"As romantic as this is we should leave before King of Kelp sends his guards to kill us." Thalia reminds us.
We nod and start walking towards Festus.
