Percy sat at his desk in his bedroom, the light of the setting sun slowly decreasing behind him lit up the dark chamber. Today was a longer day; one of the few he has had since his been there.
That's one of the things that lifted into his mind as his Italian teacher wrote down sentences for him to translate. He started keeping his own record of days that go by in Oltre Malavita, and then applying it to the mortal world standards. He started it when he asked Nico how long he had been there, following the question with voicing his belief of only feeling like he been there for a month. Nico didn't look at him, dancing his eyes away to avoid contact.
Percy started the record and after about twenty-one days, he asked Nico if he was right. Nico said he was, and then ask if it felt like an other month since his first question. When Percy, shocked a bit, answered no, Nico dropped the bomb on his.
Percy had been here for almost ten years. Nico has been for about triple that.
Percy almost fell out his chair but the son of Hades caught him before he hit the ground. They were sitting on his bed at the time, late one night, and Nico said sorry to him over and over for it. Percy told him it was okay, it wasn't his fault, but it still surprised him.
Ten years... TEN YEARS?!
Wait, did that mean he was still twenty years old, or thirty?
Did that mean Nico was seventeen, or forty-seven? That made him older then Percy... Wow... Mind blown.
Wait... Isn't Nico really seventy something since he was born in the 1940's?... So technically he was over a hundred years old...
Holy Hera! How did he go from being three years younger then me to over triple my age?! Percy thought at the time but didn't say anything in case of sounding stupid.
But it was still mind blowing.
Then Nico dropped another bomb on him. He had assigned a tutor for him for Italian so he could learn the native language. Percy was actually okay with that one. He was pretty tried not knowing what anyone said to him.
Percy watched the teacher take another page and quickly continue writing, scribbling down the words in English. Percy was defiantly going to have homework.
Percy tapped his foot impatiently, his knee bouncing. He glanced out the window and scowled when he find nothing abnormal. He turned towards the door to find it not opening, no matter how long he stared at it. He slightly signed at that, trying to get some anxiousness off his body that pressed into him like iron.
His teacher, Florence, laid the papers down on his desk and told him to translate them. He picked up his old fashion ink pen and began to write. Due to the fact that he already knew Greek, it lessen the thinking and the understanding, which was really something for the boy, since he always had a problem with language and literacy in English. The plan was to learn Italian and the basics of it so they could enter into the native language head on, which was apparently called Malavitese.
Percy thought that name was completely weird. It sounded more like a rare breed of dogs that didn't exist anymore then a language. So he just settled on calling it by the same title of nationality as the people: Malavitain. That sounded a little better, not a lot, but a little.
His teacher was a maid that works in the castle that taught the Italian language in her earlier life. Florence wasn't like most of the people here who are from the era of Ancient Greece. She was from the era of World War l, an American born citizen with a grandmother who taught her the language, making her grow up in a bilingual home. Percy found that somewhat fascinating, knowing two languages and being able to speak them and having to all your life. It was somewhat funny as well. If she wanted to talk to grandma, she had to speak Italian, but if she wanted to talk to your little brother, she had to speak English. An argument or debate in that house must have been confusing and funny all at once.
The ghost tapped her long white fingernail onto the paper. She ordered him to work after Percy realized he was wondering off into his own mind. He did the first sentence before turning to the door again. He scowled when nothing happened.
He worked his way to the fourth question before checking again. It stayed the same and he was starting to grow frustrated. They said they would give him a notice before hand so he could possibly talk his way of getting out early, and he was starting to think that they forgot like last week.
Percy worked his way to question seven, writing the first three letters of the first word, when there was a knock on the door. Florence called out for them to come in. The door opened up to a small boy with dark hair and an innocent expression on his young face. Of course they would send little baby Dagger. He would have done it, too.
Florence watched as Dagger sweetly wondered towards Percy and handed him the fresh, dark red apple that he held behind his back. Percy thanked him as the baby boy turned on his heels and went out the room in the same fashion he entered in.
His teacher paid little mind to it. Percy acted as if he did the same, but he still looked down to the fruit in his palm and, using his fingers to move the round thing, saw five strikes stabbed into the skin.
Percy didn't like the fact he was given such a little notice. He didn't really have any time at all to do anything with Florence now, since she was a very stubborn woman. It would at least take him twenty minutes to get her to even think about letting him go early. He bit his lip down in stress, not noticing his teacher over his shoulder till seconds later.
He flinched in his chair, losing a beat in his heart. Florence paid no mind to this as she walked away from his desk and stood in front of it.
"Finish these before our next lesson." She ordered him.
"Yes ma'am." Percy nodded to her.
"You are free to go." Florence told him, her smile spreading across her face.
Percy's did the same. "Thank you ma'am." He called out his native farewell to her and handed her the apple that she took as he closed the door behind him, grabbing Riptide on his way out. He gently stepped out into the hall, looking down both sides, before dashing towards the entree and down the hallway to the right. He twisted and turned his body as he ran, trying to avoid the ghost servants who happen to be walking briskly pass him.
At the end of the hall, Percy approached a two parted way: one way going up stairs and the other going down. He had a sharp right turn to decaying staircase and, after what he decided was a hundred and one steps, entered into a large, loud room filled with dozens and dozen of ghost humming around with pots and pans, dashing about with clicking plates and utensils. Percy smiled, the smell of freshly made food reaching his nose and watering his mouth.
He slowed his paste to a walk. It wasn't exactly smart to run through a busy kitchen, especially when none of the staff was going to move for him. And, yes, he was speaking from experience on that part.
He walked slowly, letting the ghost with there hands full with things go on while he moves away. Some of them that were busy beating or rolling the dough he assumed was bread greeted him.
"Good day to you, Master Perseus." A male ghost called out to him.
"You too, Sir." He waved back him.
"Have a wonderful evening, Belliessa Margaretta." A woman giggled out to him.
He warily smiled back. "Thank you."
He still wasn't used to that title of his, even though some of the servants of the castles have been causally calling him that the whole time his been there.
Percy did know what it meant at first; it was before he started taking his lessons. He recently asked Nico what it was when he was on his room one night, and the son of Hades told him that it was the people's way of calling something or someone "darling". It's a rough translation to "Lovely Pearl". Nico explained, after seeing his expression from that, that the people here value him because he was alive, a characteristic that they find, not only rare, but extremely admirable. Percy then asked where the whole "Pearl" thing came from, and Nico said it's because he came from the sea, his own Father's realm, and they find him as beautiful and precious as a pearl.
Percy then ask him if the people called him anything like that. The younger (or older?) demigod answered no, that he was king and that was improper and, overall, weird. Percy knew he was lying and, after he turned his face away from him, he could still tell that his lips were pursed and he shared a look with Bradshaw who wore the same expression. That worried him a bit.
He walked towards his goal that laid at the back of the room. He noticed Dagger near by, standing on his toes, trying to steal a cookie from the fresh dozen. The female cook near by stood ready to strike his little hand with a wooden spoon. He assumed that it was Dagger's mother, since the two looked exactly alike.
Before the woman went in for the attack, Percy came over, picked up the boy, settled him onto his hip, and picked up two cookies. The woman didn't stop him as he put on in his and the boy's mouth and then jolly walked on, like it was a natural thing to happen.
Percy scattered on to the back door and exited the room, putting himself outside onto the grounds. He found it funny at first that the kitchen held the back door of the placa, kinda like how a normal farm house would. He pointed this out to Nico once and the death king just smiled at him and, like always, he smiled back.
Something some rare has now became a daily thing...
Most of days he was here, when the sun was shining and the ghost were walking and working, Percy was taking his lessons inside his room, only coming out to go down to the fighting arena to take his sword fighting lessons. Percy felt dead during the whole routine. He felt as if he was at school again, and he hated school. Mostly because he found the subjects hard and all the people there were jerks, but that wasn't the same case here. His teachers were nice and he was learning very well on his own.
It was just that he felt so alone. Yes, he had never been the popular kid with tons of jokes or with bunches of money or anything like that. He was the loner no one liked or cared for, and, yes, the situation has changed a bit from then, but he still felt alone.
He has made some friends other then the ghost king, most of them were like Dagger, children of the servants of the castle, but he didn't really see them most of the time because of his lessons or they're off with other things to do, like their chores that need to be done for their families. Percy understood they needed to do that and respected it, so he didn't really borther them when they were around. It wasn't like the moral world were he could call someone up and hangout with them. No, days like these where he knew they be there and they all planned on doing the same thing where he can really spend time with just had to be lucky; a Gods given talent that he didn't have.
He walked onto the grass, taking another bite of his cookie. He looked around for any sign of them, hoping that he didn't go ahead and leave him. He ran his hand through his hair and rubbed his face.
"I need to shave." Percy voiced his thought.
Dagger's little hand touched his hairy cheek. "My mommy doesn't shave her face."
"I would hope not." Percy commented after his random statement. He gave the rest of his cookie to the little boy who stuffed it into his face, making his chubby cheeks even chubbier.
Percy took another step forward. He felt like he was being watched, and his skin started to crawl.
Just then, a rock went flying out of the west. Percy leaned back to dodge it, and then leaned forward to dodge the second one. He stood straight, hand ready to uncap Riptide. The two thieves came out and Percy could have laughed at his twin buddies threw up a rock like a bouncy ball.
"Took you long enough." The blonde one, Ander, snickered.
"Are you done dancing or can we get to the meeting now?" The brown headed one, Gavin, joked.
Percy smiled, almost letting himself think of how much they reminded him of his old friends back at camp. He stopped smiling and ran with them.
They aimed for the other side of the castle, the north wing, and rounded the west to do so. Dagger bounced on his hip as he ran, making Percy have to move the boy over to his chest. They reached the spot where another boy waited for them, rope in hand.
"Where have you been?!" The oldest boy of the group yelled at them.
"Never mind to that. Come on." The two twelve year olds told him in union as they took the rope and climb upward.
Percy couldn't help but find it funny, once again, that he was the oldest out of the group that waited for him up on the ceiling. The oldest boy, who stood with him at that moment, was only fifteen, a whole five (or possibly fifteen) years younger. In Oltre Malavitan, a child became a legal adult at age seventeen, which meant they had to start the patriarchal tradition of marriage and then have children as they went to work somewhere in the community.
The boy, Gasper, raised a brow at him before climbing up. "Are you sure on bringing him?"
Percy shrugged. "He's cool. He'll be fine." Dagger was looking around instead of looking at him, not noticing that they were talking about him.
"Alright then." The teenager went up. Percy waited till he was near to the top before he set Dagger to his chest again and began to climb himself.
He soon joined them, the group of just three turning into a clan of ten. He had arrived onto the ceiling of the meeting room and was ready to enjoy the show
"Come on, they started a little bit ago. None of you missed anything really important." One boy said as the sea prince settled down, hiding the best he could manage without being seen.
For every month that goes by, the clergy men and the law officials and some certainly selected generals of the monarchy and the king gather together to hold a meeting to discuss any issues that might have came up during the month and some of the bigger picture problems that might have occurred. It was long and boring and, in Percy's view of it, stupid.
The meeting usually lasted a whole day, even lingering through the night and into the next morning. Percy didn't like that. Not one damn bit.
For all of his time in Oltre Malavita, since the night Nico woke him up and saved him from there, Percy had looked forward to every night and thank the Gods that they came so quickly.
Every night, after Percy bathed and changed clothing, he would lay down and wait for his savior to arrive. It was never the same time every night, but the fact that he came was all that mattered. Nico would came into his room, sometimes changed or not, and lay down with him. Percy would talk to him about anything till he fell asleep and, when he enter into his hell, Nico would wake him up and hold him. It was a heaven sent thing, to have someone hold him and tell him everything is okay. To pet his hair and be able to tell him what was happening in his dream and how scared he was and to have them actually understand.
Just the fact that Nico was able to wake him up was a miracle all on his own, and to calm him down was also another thing that seemed impossible once, and the fact that he was getter better... It was unexplainable of how good it felt.
Percy was starting to think of the war and the loss less, he was dreaming of the place less, and he was actually starting to laugh and smile without forced effect. He was becoming happier and it was because of those nights with the ghost king. And it scared him to death to even think about ever losing that.
It happened a long while ago, when he didn't come the whole night. Percy stayed up and waited for him, praying and hoping at he come. The sun rising was his answer and he cried against his effects of being strong. He took it as his sign of being too much for the only person he could be okay with. He was too broken for the only person who understood.
He soon smacked himself for being stupid, wiping his face dry. He was mad at himself for being an idiot, acting like a clingy high school girl when her boyfriend don't text her back. He was also mad at himself for being so damaged, for having to much baggage for anyone to take care of without going crazy or leaving.
He stood and got dressed. He had fighting lessons early that day and he thought some physical release would be best to clear his mind. Before his hand reached for the knob, Nico opened the door for him. For a good long second, they just stared at each other. Percy made sure he was glaring at him before he let himself enter. Nico embraced him into a tight hug, which was extremely rare for him, and apologized for his absence a million times.
Percy forgave him, hugging him back just as tightly. He was just happy to have his skin, his touch, his eyes, and his voice with him again. That he was still there for him.
Percy settled himself onto the two foot wide ground, placing himself in front of a square like dome made of glass and stone. He used the glass as a window, using it to peek into the wide, dark room where about three dozen men sat and talked. Most of them sat on one side of the room, while Nico sat on the other side, in his grand golden throne. Bradshaw sat beside him, as well as some others he didn't know about.
The Ghost King was in his usual togs of black clothing, except for a dark blue blouse, with two swords on both hips. Percy had to fight himself from starting to long. He would go straight to Nico's face and stay there for a while till his eye wondered down to the black sword that seemed to glow in the dark. Both sights set him off in opposite directions; one good and the other bad.
A tall man stood in between the two sides. He looked mean, yet fair with thick blonde hair and a scowling expression. He reminded Percy of a lawyer in a way, with him speaking out loud for everyone to heard and referencing everything back to some law and quoting it. Percy was thankful that they were speaking English, so he could understand everything. Most of the boys he was with found most of the subjects being discussed boring, not really caring about any of it till night fall, but Percy found every little bit interesting. He liked learning about the ways the monarchy worked and how everyone had a part in it for a guarantee of stability.
"Who's that guy talking?" Percy asked.
"That's Dion." Ander poked him. "He's the court of the king."
"Court?" Percy asked again.
"He's kinda like an observer of the king to make sure his not doing anything illegal or that could hurt the kingdom. He's like the nagging mother of the crown."
"I've never seen him before." Percy thought to himself mainly.
Just then, the sun finally settled and all the boys around him smiled as they leaned in more to hear. Percy and the others discover that the group always discuss the best things at night since they were near the end of their time span. That was when all the debates broke out and the swearing took place. It was the best.
Percy wrapped his arms around Dagger, who was in his lap. The boy held his head up high to make sure he could see what was happening.
The tall man held some papers in his hand and was looking them over before putting them down and looking dead on to the King. Percy bit his lip again when he looked at Nico. He looked good in the royal blue shirt he was wearing. It brought out his eyes, still not enough to bring out there true color, but just enough to make them dazzle out of his pale skin.
Percy admitted to himself, yet again, that Nico was very good looking. He knew that it was odd for a male, like himself, to think that but he couldn't help it. Besides, it was embedded into his mind so it was only for him to know and think about. As long as only he knew, he was fine.
He smacked himself for thinking about it again. He told himself that he would handle the ordeal later and he turned back to the seen before him.
Dion stood tall, blonde hair shining brightly, as he spoke to the king. "My King, it has been an honor to serve you." His voice was deeper then Percy expected. "You have made my job very easy, and that is a very rare saying for me to state."
Percy tapped his fingers on his knee impatiently. He wished all of this would be over soon. If they ended it earlier tonight, Percy still had time to get down and run to his room before Nico.
"But, I'm afraid I have came across a small...factor your courting partner's qualifications for being the second ruler of our land."
The room was very still and quiet as all eyes fell to Nico. The king sat straight in his throne as he raised a brow and expressed an uneasy face. He glanced to Bradshaw who shared the same expression.
"I'm courting someone?" Nico said the suppose statement in a questionable tone.
Dion pursed his lips and signed, like he was hoping to avoid talking to him like this. "Perseus Jackson, the son of Poseidon." He stated loudly. "That is who I mean, my lord."
The room was dead silent. No one breathed. Or, well, Percy certainly didn't.
The son of Poseidon felt his face go burning red as he felt the surrounding boys gawk at him in curiosity. All those eyes on him, waiting for him to explain when he couldn't even began to think about what he just heard. His heart raced like lighting and banged against his chest like a drum.
Percy shook as he glanced down to Nico who was putting on his best poker face, but his slightly rosy pink blush was still seen. He kept his eyes normal instead of them going wide and his mouth intact even though Percy could tell he was about to drop his jaw. He was sporting the look then for the son of Hades.
"I don't understand." Nico said, which was almost unreal to Percy because he wasn't sure how he kept his tone steady and form.
"I second that." Bradshaw spoke up. "I don't see any standard that Master Perseus does not meet."
Percy almost yelled at him from his hiding spot. Of course, the one moment that Percy actually needs him to hate and deny him, he stands up for him. Why did a part of him like that? He smacked himself again for being stupid.
"Perseus does not meet all the requirement for the position of Queen of Oltre Malavita. And this isn't slight, your Highness. He does not meet almost any of them." Dion stated again, ignoring Bradshaw.
Percy felt his face fall at that, along with his heart and stomach. Why? What was wrong with him? He might not be the picture perfect example of royalty but was he really that bad? Was he really beneath what Nico need?
"I didn't know you and the King were..." Gasper's voice trailed off. All his friends were still looking at him with surprised expressions.
"Neither did I." Percy stated as he kept his attendant to the meeting. He honestly wanted to know why. Not that he was interested or anything... He was just curious like everyone else.
"How so?" Bradshaw challenged him.
"Well..." Dion started off the answer in a tone that made it sound obvious. "Queen, by definition, is a female ruler. Perseus, from what I haw gather from appearance, is not female. There for, he can not even be a subjection into consideration for the title."
"Since when did the book state that it has to be a female to be Queen?" Bradshaw stood and faced Dion with a space of four feet between the two men. Percy felt as of a fist fight may break out. "It never bluntly states that it has to be a female."
Percy was first confused about what he meant about the whole 'it' and 'state' thing. He point Ander and asked. The boy, who was glued in like everyone else, pointed down the table near Dion. On it was a thick, brown covered book that made no title.
"The Book of Laws." Ander whispered quickly. "It had all the laws in it. For citizens and rulers."Percy nodded as his response.
"No, but it does state that the only other ruling status that is allowed in the land is the married wife of the King, which means the Queen. If Perseus is to ever marry the King, he would technically be another King, not a Queen. That, my general, is not allowed."
"Oh for the sake of Glorious Hades, most of the citizens here are Greek. These people are no strangers to two men being romantically together as a man and a woman would be. It's second nature to them. It's almost resentful to not only Perseus, but also to the King for being so closed minded."
Dion glared. "General, I am as Greek as you are and I do, truly, find it not as wrong as it might sound, but it is what the book states and I must make sure that the laws in the book are followed to the fullest. It is my job to not only the kingdom and it's people, but also to the King and to the Gods."
"But it's idiotic!" Bradshaw cried. "The King has every right to have who ever he finds fit to be at least eligible for the possibility of being his partner in both marriage and ruling!"
Nico sat in his throne behind them, looking as of he was writing his own obituary or autobiography about his possible death in that moment. Percy was doing the same thing. He was hoping he didn't die from embarrassment. That be a very sad way to go for him.
"Also!" Dion yelled over the crowd that had broken out into a roaring debate from Bradshaw's protest. "Even if Perseus was the correct gender, his doing as Queen are still questionable not ideal. His lack of meeting the standards for so are the reasons why."
Percy's head was spinning. He wasn't sure if he completely understand every, and he was afraid of asking anyone for the fact that they might take it the wrong way.
It wasn't as if he had a problem of two guys being together. No, he just really wasn't that way with Nico... Not saying that he wouldn't want to be like that with Nico, but he just saying he isn't, and he was pretty sure that Nico doesn't want to be like that with him. As far as Percy was concerned, Nico was straight... Maybe.
Dion went over to the book and flipped it open to a certain page before picking it up and bring it to his previous position."There are six standardized qualifications for any woman to meet for any chance of being Queen." He read out loud in English. "Number One: The Queen must be mortal."
"And he is." Bradshaw stated. "He is a demigod. Part mortal, part god. We have had demigod Queens on Oltre Malavita before that you have approved of Dion."
"Yes." Dion nodded. "That's true. But that isn't the only requirement. Number Two: The Queen must be able to adjust to the way of life and the culture of the people here in Oltre Malavita."
"And he has." Bradshaw crossed his arms.
"General, I haven't even outside of the castle." Dion challenged.
"So? If he is to be the second highest ruler then he should be adjusted to the life he is aiming for. Besides, he has been living here for nearly ten years. He has adjusted to the time, the routine of the castle, the way the people act. He even learning how to speak and read the language. He has developed familiarity to Oltre Malavita. He follows the culture here as he lives in it."
Percy was slightly surprised by that. He wondered how good of a lawyer Bradshaw would be in the mortal world. He was doing a pretty good job defending his case.
"Yes, maybe." Dion said. "But does he understand it. And does he truly accept it fully. Which Number Three requests. The Queen must be taught and know all the history if Oltre Malavita."
"We can do that." Bradshaw turned sideways to look at Nico. "We have already rearranged a few classes for the boy. We can add another. He already knows the start of our land and how it has been blessed by the death God. He can easily learn the rest after that. Our own King will teach him for assured measures."
That part was true. Percy was told about how the land became to be. Nico told him in his room one night, making it sound like it was a magical Greek myth like all the others that ended up being true. He said he never learned the Queen's name, and when he asked, he was told that it was forbidden to speak about since her name was like a curse upon the land. Percy found that a bit mean but once he thought over what she did, how she disgraced her kingdom by her own selfish wishes and killed her own son for it, he understood and agreed completely.
He felt a tiny bit happy that Nico was offered to teach him. He liked the idea of being around him more and having him as a teacher. The two thought entirely differently naturally, but the fact that Nico knew that and could probably explain it to him in a way he could get was great. He mainly just wanted to hang out with Nico more, but he planned to stick to the other idea since that would probably be safer and less weird on his account.
"Even if you do that..." Dion gave Bradshaw a look before reading again. "Number Four: The Queen must be capable of ruling the Kingdom if the King cannot do so for a short period of time for any reason. The Queen must be able to successes the duties in a satisfying manner, like leading the army into battle if necessary."
One of the men beside Nico stood. He was a round figure who wore armor of bronze and gold. "I do not know where you were during the third attack of the Tyrants, Dion, but I recall the young man running into the battle with no fear." His voice boomed over the room and voiced back off the walls that Percy could feel the vibration from his position outside "And his bravery matched his strength, as he fought like a master against our enemy."
Another man rose with the same uniform. "He has a fighting technique that I have never seen before. He is better then most of our best warrior. I would put him on the front line in a heartbeat if I had one."
The room broke out into chaos again as the men broke out into agreements again. Percy giggled at the ending line before glancing down to the King who was glaring around the room and rolling his eyes. The dark man titled his head upward and almost saw Percy, but the sea prince ducked before he could see him, hopefully.
Percy peeked his head back up to find Nico scolding at the room again, probably debating rather to set it on fire or not.
Dagger in his lap wiggled himself to facing the sea prince. The young boy looked up at him with big eyes. "I didn't know you were getting married, Percy."
"I'm not getting married." Percy said.
"Are you sure about that, Percy?" One boy joked.
"Are you sure the King knows that?" Another wiggled his eyebrows. The group laughed.
"Me and Nico aren't like that." Percy felt his face go hot again.
"It's okay, Percy. Many people would love to have the King's affections." Gasper poked at him. "Besides, I think you make a lovely queen."
"How is the king as a lover? Does he come to your chamber every night and make sweet, gentle love to you?"
"I hate you all." Percy covered his face as the boys died of laugher around him.
And the biggest part of that... He wouldn't really mind that. In fact, he kinda desired it.
"Number Five: The Queen must be approved by the Council before any engagement is made and settled." Dion read.
"They're still courting, no real engagement is even been considered or subjected-"
"And for the fact that he had been living here for nearly ten years, and still no where near qualified, should show that he is never going to be fully good enough for the title for not only his gender, but his lack of ability for being a ruler!"
"We have had dozen of queens that have taken much longer then ten year to be prepare for there position and-!"
"And yet, we never had a ruler that had ruled for three decades and still remains unmarried. We never had a King who has wasted so much time and energy on someone who is clearly not acceptable!" Dion fought back. Percy felt hurt and didn't like where any of this was going.
"My King." Dion walked up to the throne of an irritated Nico glaring down at him. "I mean no fences to Perseus in anyway, I have never dream of meaning harm to him in anyway. But if he is not suitable, then it would be wise to no longer beat the dead horse and move on to another, preferably more suitable, candidate for the title of Queen. We need only to return him to where he belongs and leave him from there. There is no shame in the making of a mistake."
Percy gasped silently as he began to shake in fear. They were going to take him back to the mortal world. He was leaving. No, no... No!
He looked at Nico who was looking around the room frantically. Everyone was shouting and arguing. The men beside the throne were the loudest as the called out statements to the heated debate that raged on between Dion and Bradshaw.
"Percy." Dagger, still on his lap, cupped his hairy cheek. "Are you okay?"
Percy breathed as calmly as he could, trying to not look like he was frighten. He couldn't go back. For the sake of the Gods, he couldn't go back!
"ENOUGH!"
Percy looked in to find Nico, now standing, glaring down at the now quiet men. His was slightly breathing hard, like he was holding out on his anger. His dark eyes landed on Dion and his glare harden.
"Let me make this perfectly clear to all of you." He growled in a dark tone. "Perseus Jackson is a honor guest of mine. He is not my...significant other. Also, I have not chosen a queen yet, because I am focused on my work and prefer to work with the problems I have to fix now then creating new ones I am never going to solve." The men laughed at that. "Furthermore, I have read the Book of Laws myself and know for a fact that there is not limited amount of time that the King has before it is demanded to wed. It is not even a requirement for a King to have a Queen. And as far as I'm considered, I am, at the time we're in, not interested in a wife and or a husband yet."
Percy ignored the sting in his chest and eyes. Then he blinked and mentally smacked himself. Why was he hurt? He had no right to be so. And why did he also feel a little ping of hate and anger during the whole thing? Yes, he found everything Dion said insulting and believed that he could be a very good Queen if he wanted too, but it's not like he actually wanted to... Right?
"Overall, Perseus is my honored guest, my very good friend. And he is welcome into my home for as long as he likes and finds fit. And, if by some epiphany or magic, I do wish for him as a ruling partner, I have every right to make him so with as much time as I need him to have so he can be fit for the title. There is no law against that of any kind." Nico's eyes finally left Dion's matching glare. Percy was thankful for Nico more then ever then.
"Let's call it a night gentlemen." Nico announced. "Until the next meeting men, good day to you all."
The men stirred to get up and began to leave the room. The boys around Percy began to do the same, going down the same rope the came up on.
"Wait. What's sixth rule?" Percy asked any of them. "He only said five."
"No time." Ander pushed him forward. "Come on, you'll be late for your date with the King."
"I seriously hate you all." Percy stated before sliding down the rope. Once his feet met the ground, he put Dagger on his hip and turned to face him.
"This little event never happen." Percy said softly. "Got it."
Dagger nodded his head. Percy took off from there and aimed for the same way he came. He dashed into the kitchen and handed Dagger off the his mother as he ran up the steps. He ran to his side of the castle and jumped into his room. He threw of his shirt and boots and landed on the bed, trying to fake sleep. He knew Nico would come straight to his room right after like he alway did, and he didn't want to get him any shady suspicion of where he has really been.
Percy laid with his back towards the door, so he could only hear when Nico came in. He kept end his eyes closed and his breathing even. He was actually kinda proud of how he was doing when he felt those dark eyes on him. For a few seconds, nothing was said.
"Get up Percy. I know you're up. I saw you."
"Damn it."
Percy lifted himself up on his elbow and opened his eyes to a smirking Nico. He soon turned away from him and walked over to look out the window that showed the still high up moon.
Percy sat up from his position. A distant part of his mind recalled about one of the boys joke. He suddenly had the desire to fall down onto his back with a lusty eyed Nico on top...
"I'm so sorry about all of that back there." Nico walked back over to him. "That was really... Wrongly view."
Percy snapped out of his little kinky daydream and nodded. "It's okay. I understand. I'm kinda defended and disagree but I'm alright."
Nico smiled. "You're not the only one."
"Apparently." Percy said. "I thought Bradshaw didn't like me."
Nico shrugged. "He can be hard to deal with sometimes but once he gets used to you, he's fine. He's gotten used to you and probably finds you very good for the job of a Queen. That and he hates change. He would absolutely loath it if I went and got another person from the mortal world and returned you."
"Good to know." Percy's tone was dead. He didn't feel exactly loved, but more tolerated then anything.
That and he was happy to know he wasn't going anywhere away from Nico. He hated the very thought of it. Hell, Nico not sitting on the bed next to him was making him nervous and lonely.
Oh God. I'm was so clingy. Percy thought to himself in disgust.
"What was with that one guy, Dion?" Percy asked. "How big was the stick that was up his ass?"
Nico chuckled. "Dion, my legal court, is suppose to be like that. He has to make sure everything is absolutely correct."
"Still, he was a bit harsh in there." Percy crossed his arms and pouted.
"Yeah," Nico nodded in agreement. "But that's his job."
Percy titled his head. "I still think it's a bit stupid through."
"What?"
"That I supposedly can't be Queen because I was born with a penis. Like the thing makes me unable to be a good ruler. I'm not saying that I need to, or even want to, be Queen or whatever but if I work hard and meet all the requirements, there is no reason I can't be. Yeah, I'll have trouble with the Council but nothing to bad." Percy realized then he was ranting and slightly bragging from Nico's stunned expression. "Overall, I should be a good Queen if I really try. And if I do, it should be enough to prove that I can do it at a respectable success. Besides, it's you and me working together. We're a good working pair together. I would be a good ruling partner for you."
Nico kept up his wide eyed look. "And as a marriage partner?"
Percy realized his mistake then. He felt his face go raging hot as he stammered a little, trying to find a way to explain his speech. Sure, deep down he didn't care one bit, but he wasn't sure if he could say the same for Nico. "Um... Let's change the subject."
"That's what I thought." Nico snickered as the sun roses from outside. The light in the room growing along with it. Nico picked up his white riding shirt he was wearing earlier and handed to the sea prince who pulled it over his torso. It was a bit right but nothing too bad. Especially with the fact that Nico's eyes lingered there before meeting his again. Percy fought back his smirk.
"How is your fighting lessons coming along?" Nico asked, his face lovely in the dawn light.
"Great. I'm good to beat your royal ass, but I always was." Percy let his smirk appear, feeling flirty.
Nico smiled back at him. "I highly doubt that."
"But it's true." Percy smiled more. "It's actually scientific."
Nico raised a brow at that. He raised his hand up to the sea prince's cheek. Percy leaned into his touch to fully cupped it, his warm skin cooling against his.
He also did this, and it was totally unfair. Whenever Percy was winning the flirty competition or a deep debate, Nico would touch him in the simplest way to make his brain malfunction and disable him to think of anymore come backs. The older demigod wasn't sure if he knew his effect or not. All he knew that it was the most bittersweet sensation he had ever had in his life.
Nico lightly ran his thumb under his eye. "You know, since you're so awfully cute, I guess I can show you some mercy when we actually do fight."
Percy laughs. "Please, your royal ass is going to be even cuter when I beat it tomorrow."
Nico's dark eyes flared up with a certain light. He titled his head to the left in a slight angle. Percy knew he had him then. "I accepted your challenge, and maybe you could be a proper marriage partner for me."
The ghost king extended his finger out to that spot behind Percy's ear and forcefully applied pressure. Percy bit down his bottom lip in reaction.
"As long as you don't fuck as hard as you fight." Nico added quickly. "Because that would be extremely disappointing."
He removed his hand from Percy's face. He didn't want that, but he kept smiling. "I'm sure it's still enough to satisfy you, no matter what."
"We'll see about that tomorrow." He winked at Percy and exited the room with a sly, sexy smirk.
Once he was gone, Percy was finally slapped by reality and realized a few things. One of them was that he was seriously starting to see Nico as more then a friend. Also, Nico was, just maybe, doing the same thing with him. But most importantly...
Nico's royal ass was actually really cute.
{...}
This chapter is longest one so far, which is pretty good, considering that there was a lot of Percico stuff going on in it.
Also, those chapters that will have smut in them that I warn you all about it are coming up soon. Not the next chapter soon but soon. I'll give a big warning in the chapter before so you guys will know a head of time. I will be changing the story's rating to M then so if you're not following the story (which you should do) just watch out for it.
Also, sorry if I had Bradshaw too big of a part into the chapter. I'm afraid his going to have a large part in the next chapter as well. I normally don't like story where the OC is the center piece of the story, or a very large part of it and I'm trying to avoid that with Bradshaw. But I hope you still enjoyed it.
Thank you all again for reading, please review. Next chapter is going to be fun to write and I hope you all have fun reading it. I promise it's going to be good.
