Epilogue

Nico could not believe it. She was pregnant; they were going to have a baby, or two. Maybe even three if he was lucky!

After she had told him the news the night before he had made love to her so passionately that he was sure the cause of her current exhausted state was from the multiple orgasms he induced throughout the night.

As soon as the sun had risen, he had run out to the grocery shop and bought five pregnancy tests. Unfortunately for him he was forced to wait till well after midday before she finally woke up. It had then been another battle to coerce the groggy woman out of the bed and into the bathroom. Once he had done that they had both waited anxiously for the results and now she lay beside him naked sweaty sleepy and sated, again. Once he was sure she was asleep he went to his safe and brought out the necklace and ring.

He placed them on her as she slept soundly and continued to gaze down at her lovingly. A few hours later Thalia woke up and stretched languorously across his bed. "How long was I asleep for?" she asked her voice heavy with sleep.

"A few hours give or take"

She yawned, "You sure know how to wear a girl out." She snuggled into his side gently and closed her eyes to sleep before she noticed the jewels on her body.

"Not that I am complaining about waking up being draped in diamonds but what is all this?"

"On your left hand is your engagement ring. And on your neck is a family heirloom." Nico explained.

"They are stunning," she breathed as she observed the pieces on her neck and finger. The ring had a black band with a massive round diamond sitting in the middle. The necklace however was the real prize.

He noticed her still admiring it, "That necklace has a beautiful story attached to it. A story about love, war and hope."

She sat there silently still admiring the ring. She looked up at him, "Tell me the story."

Nico nodded, "My grandma used to tell me all these things as my bedtime stories."

He traced around it as he began to tell her the story.

"There was once a slave girl in the late nineteenth century. She was originally from what is now Turkey but she was taken over to Italy when she turned sixteen. The story goes that, the summer before she was taken she met the son of the then Sultan and they fell in love. Obviously this was at a time where there was a lot of war and instability and that made their relationship even more forbidden. But he loved her so much that he risked everything just to keep seeing her in private. He knew his time with her was coming to an end so he took his father's most precious stone and decided to give it to her. He found a hole in this stone and had the idea to fill it with his blood so she had a piece of him wherever she went and hoped that one day, it would lead her to him. He then took two of his mother's necklaces, one diamond encrusted and one gold and somehow wove them together. Once he was done, he had a necklace and a charm which he gave to her on the night they consummated their love."

He continued tracing patterns on her body as she listened intently to the story, "Well she was shipped to Florence and married to a kind young man and a few months later she had a baby boy and she called him Alessandro. Alessandro grew up to be a fine young man and her husband was very proud of him but she knew Alessandro wasn't his son because he had dark brown eyes, while Alessandro had exquisite amber eyes, exactly the same as the prince's eyes. But to avoid being discovered, she lied that he inherited her father's eyes."

"Alessandro loved his parents dearly and would never have chosen to leave them but he knew his country was at war and so without much choice he was drafted into the army. While he was there, he rose through the ranks quickly because of his natural leadership skills and physical superiority. While he was still a Major in the army, he was given a new direct superior after the previous one died and what shocked Alessandro was his similarity to the man. Of course Alessandro was curious and soon he discovered that the man was really a Turkish Prince and also his father. They grew close and fought side by side till the war ended. By then His father was a Lieutenant-General and he a General, both highly decorated. Alessandro and his father returned home after the war to look for his family but to his dismay he found his mother begging on the roads. He asked what had happened and she told him that his father had been killed in a bomb raid. Alessandro was distraught but he revealed his real father to his mother. She was overcome with joy and when he asked her where the necklace was, she removed the bun that she always wore in her hair and there lay an amber gem, which had streaks of red lacing its facets hanging off a gold and diamond chain half a centimetre thick still in pristine condition."

Thalia still lay there listening to him tell the story. When he stopped she looked up at him with wide, curious eyes, "So what happened to them?"

"As war hero's they were rewarded hugely for their efforts and so they decided to become wine merchants. The necklace was the most sacred possession of the family and it was passed on from generation to generation always to a man to present to the woman. And that my dear is the necklace you wear now." He pecked her on the lips as she smiled back.

"That is such a beautiful story Nico and I love them they are beautiful." She continued to stare at the necklace mesmerized.

"I'm glad you like it but I think it's time we got out of bed and shared the good news. I'm pretty sure Percy is still trying to plan my extravagant proposal." He smirked as a reluctant Thalia wiggled closer into his side.

"No I don't to get up, too tired."

"Thalia I'm about to tell my father and I don't think Silena would appreciate hearing from a third party, neither would Zeus to be quite honest." That seemed to tell get her up quickly, she scowled at him and stuck her tongue out. "You are no fun!"

Nico just chuckled as he followed her into the shower to get ready for what was sure to be a very long day.

Xxxxxxxxxxxx

Nico and Thalia were married a month and a half later at the Di Angelo's country home in Florence. Close friends and family who had been with them through all their tough times surrounded them. Thalia gave birth to a bouncing baby boy called Massimo. He was followed only a year and a half later by twin girls; Sonia and Sofia and three years after them came the baby, Adriano.

Both Nico and Thalia had everything they could ever want and they were happy because Happy is what happens when all your dreams come true!

Finito