AN: Bet you weren't expecting a second chapter. But here we are. I hope you enjoy it, and please leave a review etc. If you have any questions or suggestions, please feel free to PM me.

Another thing while I am at it, is this. I am a part of a discord group, there are tons of others there, plenty of writers, admittedly mainly PJO, but other stuff too, including a growing number of writers from other fandoms. Feel free to pop along and say hi, I'm always happy to chat about the stuff I write. So if you fancy it please do join by sticking this: discord .gg / elibrary into discord, with no spaces, or using the link on my bio.

Thanks for reading and please do leave a review, or feel free to PM me, I am usually much better at answering those!

If you see any errors, typos, mistakes etc. please let me know, I've proofread and run it through Grammarly but nobody is perfect.

Disclaimer: I do not own Percy Jackson or Game of Thrones.

( - )

(Last Time)

Taking another sip of his ale, a smile spread across his face as he heard the door to the tavern open and saw Pia, now in a new, nicer dress, enter.

"Oh my, she's a pretty one," Matthias muttered as he too looked up at Pia.

Next to the merchant, the blonde guardsman nodded, even as he gawped at Pia.

"Alas, I suspect she is spoken for," Lucan chuckled, with Ben, Robin and Ruby all nodding and laughing along, even as Pia waltzed over to their table and slipped into the seat next to Nico, a bright smile on her face as she idly grabbed his flagon and took a sip of his ale.

Matthias expressed curdled into something sour.

The guardsman meanwhile flushed red, as his older compatriot let out a bark of laughter.

"What did I miss?" Pia asked, guilelessly as she looked around the table.

( - )

Chapter 2

( - )

(With Nico)

The room was cold when Nico awoke the next morning.

The fire that had been merrily crackling away in the cottage's hearth had gone out overnight, leaving only white ashes in its stead.

With Summer nearing its end the days had started to get both shorter and colder. Especially out in the country and away from the cramped, overpopulated cities.

Fortunately, despite the slight morning chill, his bed was warm.

Sure, the straw mattress with its rough spun sheets and threadbare blanket was not the comfiest. It was nowhere near as comfortable as his old memory foam mattress, duck feather duvet and silk sheets had been.

But despite that, it was comfortable enough to do the job it was intended for.

Besides which, the heat he could feel radiating from the familiar form at his side was far more soothing than his silk sheets had ever been, and far warmer than his duvet.

Shifting onto his side he looped his arm around Pia's slender naked waist and drew her closer to him. A soft sigh left his lips as he nuzzled his face into her hair, even as she let out a soft mumble of her own and ground her firm rear against his still-sticky crotch.

Grinning into the back of her neck, he ignored the cold of the outside world and instead basked in the warmth of Pia's companionship.

His throat was dry and sour from the ale he had consumed the night before, but his head was clear. It was one of the perks that came with being a demigod. It was all but impossible to get hangovers, not unless the beverages in question were of a divine nature.

Shifting his position on his mattress he could feel the ropes below groaning in protest as they adjusted to his new position. He'd still not quite gotten around to procuring some wooden slats for the bed, and so had used some carefully threaded rope to support his mattress instead.

Ignoring the creaking of his bed he took a deep breath and then exhaled, a thin film of misty air left his mouth and dispersed above him.

The previous night had been a late one as he and several of his friends had whiled away numerous hours drinking, conversing with the merchants, and by the end of the night, singing and dancing along to the local's folksongs. From what he could recall, he'd even tried his hand at dancing, much to the amusement of Pia and several of the other locals from Hookton-on-Weir.

Smiling to himself at the pleasant memories, he could feel his breathing start to match Pia's as their naked chests rose and fell as one.

What time had they ended up leaving the inn?

It must have been well past midnight.

Pia, he knew, had excused herself an hour or so before for proprieties sake and had returned to her home to see her family before they all retired to their beds. Only for her to then sneak out of her window only half an hour later so she could join him on his walk back to his farmstead.

It was not the first time she had done so, nor even the hundredth time for that matter.

Her family, he heavily suspected, knew exactly what was happening.

They might be ill-educated by the modern standards he was used to, but they weren't stupid or oblivious.

That said, so long as it wasn't being flaunted in their faces they also didn't seem to mind just what Pia was getting up to. As they instead accepted her excuses of 'leaving the home at first light to break her fast with him so she could then help with the farm work straight after' at face value.

Even Roran her burly, perpetually grumpy father seemed to turn a blind eye to her behaviour.

Not that that surprised him all that much. According to Pia, her father had always had a soft spot for his only daughter. Much to her brother's chagrin. After all, where her father constantly bullied her younger brother into working with him at the mill in the hopes that he would eventually take it over from him. He more or less let Pia run wild, within reason, and never seemed to put any pressure on her, even when she refused marriage requests, or rejected offers of work up at the castle.

Nico smiled at that thought.

He suspected he knew the reason why her family was willing to turn a blind eye.

Pia, although very sweet, kind and earnest was not at all subtle.

She expected him to propose.

As did her father, and probably her mother and brother too.

Not that any of them had confronted him about it. Or a least not yet.

He let out a soft sigh at that thought, his mind wandering over to what his life would be like with Pia as his wife.

His lips curved up into a smile at the thought, even as he drew in another breath, his head still nuzzled within Pia's long, dark tresses.

It would be a good life.

He released his breath, creating another plume of steamy air.

A life filled with laughter, peace, happiness and hopefully even children.

While he was roughing it as a demigod, and fighting in his wars, such a life was more than he had ever thought possible.

And as soon as he was able to do so it would be something he would make a reality.

But first, he had to bring in the next harvest and then buy his farmstead off the Whents.

Before he married and settled down to start a life with Pia, he wanted full independence and financial stability.

He didn't want to remain a tenant of the half-mad Whents, paying them both a tithe and rent season to season just to have the right to keep his farmstead.

In a feudalist society where serfdom was the norm and where the rich had all the power, he did not want to fall into arrears to the nobles or be evicted.

His smile turned into a grimace.

He didn't want all the work he and the others had done on the farm to go to waste.

Not that he had any intention of giving up the life he had built of course, even if he had to protect what he had with brute force and violence.

Fortunately, that probably wouldn't be the case. After all, he had already built up some capital over the last two years of scrimping and saving. Plus, he'd had a bit of luck and had found an old money hoard at the base of a dead tree – probably the ill-gotten games of some bandits that met a sticky end. This meant that with the new harvest, he would hopefully be able to get all that he would need to buy the land he worked on outright.

But first, he needed to get up.

Holding back a groan at the thought of leaving the comfort of his bed and the warmth of Pia's company, Nico braced himself for a moment. Before, with a deep sigh he exhaled and forced himself up and out of bed.

A shiver ran down his spine as his bare feet contacted the rough wooden floor, even as the cold air hit his naked skin.

"Fuck," Nico muttered to himself, his hands clenching into fists as the slight film of sweat on his body plummeted in temperature.

His cottage was weather tight, but far from insulated.

Rubbing his hands together and breathing into them, he danced across the floor and pulled on his woollen trousers, shirt and some boots.

The mornings out in the country were cold this time of year.

Thankfully though things warmed up immensely during the day.

Not that that helped him right now.

Grumbling to himself at that, he sent his bed and Pia's sleeping form one last longing look, before he turned and stoked the smouldering fire in the hearth and threw some kindling and sticks onto the dim embers.

Just because he had to suffer through the cold, didn't mean Pia would have to.

With that thought in mind, he headed outside and filled a pot with rainwater from the barrel outside, and then hoisted it above the slowly reawakening flames in the heart to heat up.

Westeros might lack coffee and tea as he knew it – to his everlasting displeasure it didn't have espresso – but a nettle infusion was still hot and flavourful enough to get him going in the morning, even if it didn't have quite the kick that came with a more caffeinated drink.

The same could be said for the food too.

Where ideally, he would start the day with a hearty Eggs Benedict, now the best he could get was a heel of bread and a hunk of cheese, or on cold mornings some porridge.

Grabbing a second pot, he measured out enough water to make a couple of brews, grabbing a nearby pouch he emptied a handful of leaves into the pot and left it to stew.

Shifting his attention to the larger pot, he repositioned it above the now cracking hearth and unhooked a sack of oats from where it was hanging from the roof – out of reach of any scavenging rodents. With another tired sigh, he started measuring out some oats into the steaming water, threw in a handful of salt, and then stirred it all together.

Rolling his shoulders, and stretching, his arms clasped behind his back. He winced as he heard a few loud cracks.

With the breakfast on and the nettle infusion stewing, he should have enough time to head out and have a top-off wash to both wake him up and cleanse him of the smell of stale sweat and sex. Once done, he would head back inside, wake up Pia and dish out some hot food and drink; enough to keep them going till lunch.

Opening the door and stepping outside again, he smiled as he looked out at his misty fields.

Across the river, he could already see smoke starting to sputter out of several chimneys.

As with every morning, he wasn't the only one up with the cocking of the rooster.

The life he now lived was not an easy one.

It required hard work, time and commitment.

But it was a good one all the same.

He wouldn't change it for anything.

Humming to himself at that thought, he stripped off his shirt and withheld a shiver. It was cold but compared to some of the areas he had visited in the Underworld, it was practically balmy.

Folding his shirt and putting it to one side and kicking off his breeches, Nico took a deep breath and dunked his head in his chosen water butt, completely soaking his hair, before with a loud gasp he pulled back and started quickly scrubbing as his body as cold water trickling down from his sodden hair.

When he had first started his morning ritual, people had thought him mad.

They thought he would give himself pneumonia or something, not that they phrased it quite like that. Instead, they had just said he'd drive himself to an early grave, as 'too much washing was bad for a person'.

Suffice it to say his continued existence and good health were still a talking point to some of the more gossipy or cantankerous residents of Hookton. They blamed it on his Crownland-based peculiarities.

Not that he cared.

The world he lived in now might be undeveloped compared to what he was used to, and his hygiene habits, ideas and sensibilities might be an anachronism, but he would be damned before he lowered himself to living in squalor or stood by and said nothing when he saw people doing stupid shit.

He had long since stopped giving a damn about what people, or society as a whole thought of him.

He wasn't an insecure kid, terrified of being abandoned by his sister or looked down on by his peers anymore.

His heart clenched painfully.

Gritting his teeth, he suppressed the flair of emotion in his breast and instead dunked his head in the butt again, cleansing himself of unpleasant memories.

Wiping the water out of his eyes, he headed back into his cottage.

It was warmer now, especially compared to what the temperature was outside.

Dropping his shirt on a nearby table he grabbed a semi-clean blanket from a nearby basket and dried himself off, before once again pulling on his breeches, shirt and boots.

Over the hearth, he could see the pots were starting to bubble. Walking over he took them off the heat, and then headed upstairs to wake up Pia, his booted feet creating a cacophony of creaks as he moved.

Making it to the bed, he leaned over and kissed the younger girl on the forehead.

"Pia," He muttered softly.

Pia grumbled in response.

Considering her marginally spoiled upbringing, she was still getting used to early mornings. She was awake now, he knew it, she knew it, just as they both knew she would pretend to stay 'asleep' for as long as she could.

It had become a regular thing at this point.

Smiling, he reached under the blankets and started tickling her sides.

She lasted all of a few seconds.

"S-stop it! S-Stop!" Pia groaned, writhing beneath his fingers. "Nico!"

"Come on, up you get," He grinned, continuing his ministrations.

"Do I have to," Pia grumbled, slumping back as he stopped his tickling and just held her hips. "Instead of me getting up, why don't you come back to bed?"

"Tempting," Nico smiled, his hand spreading as they began to caress her hips.

Pia's eyes opened a sliver, her lips curving up into a smile.

"Then get down here!" Pia smirked, shooting up suddenly her arms wrapping around his shoulders, and her pert naked breasts pushing against his chest. Pulling back, she pulled his unresisting form onto the bed.

"Ah fuck it," Nico grumbled as he landed on the bed.

He could already feel Pia's slim hands deftly unlacing his breeches.

"No, fuck me," Pia grinned, all traces of coyness and tiredness had gone now as her eyes instead gleamed with a wicked combination of mischief and desire.

Smiling, Nico leaned down and captured her lips with his own, his hands lacing into her thick, dark locks, even as he surrendered to his desires.

The morning chores could wait a while longer.

( - )

(Sometime later)

Settling down around the table sometime later, Nico dished out a bowl of porridge with a scattering of freshly picked fruit to Pia, before making one up for himself. Already there was a cup of steam nettle tea in front of each of them, and a jug of water in the middle of the table, along with a wooden board with some freshly cut wheat bread and some hard cheese.

It wasn't a feast by any stretch of the imagination, but it was hearty and filling, and just what a person needed after a night of drinking and carousing. Especially when said person had a day of work ahead of them.

"So, what were you chatting about with those merchants last night?" Pia asked idly, as she scooped up some steaming porridge and gently blew on it.

Her hair was still a little damp from her morning wash, and she was currently wearing one of his shirts in lieu of her dress as she dried herself by the fire.

They had a long day ahead of them.

"Which merchants?" He asked as he drank some tea.

The flavour was slightly bitter, but it warmed him to the core.

"The ones you were chatting with before I arrived and dragged you out to dance," Pia replied.

Nico frowned for a moment in thought.

"Oh, that Matthias guy," He frowned. "He was just sharing some rumours he had heard."

"Rumours?" Pia pressed.

"Rumours of war," Nico said darkly, his black eyes shifting to the fire. "Apparently there has been some trouble at Court, and the nobles have started playing their games."

Pia's eyes widened. "But it won't affect us, right?"

Nico grimaced. "Hopefully not, but apparently there are raiders in the area. House Lannister have sent their dogs out to seek revenge on the Tullys for a stupid sleight. From what Matthias and some of the others were saying, they've attacked several villages already and… well, hopefully, once they sate themselves they'll crawl back to holes they came from."

Pia grabbed his hand, her eyes full of fear. "What if they come here?"

"Then I'll deal with them," Nico said simply, his tone blunt and earnest.

Pia shook her head, her unbound hair flicking around behind her. "You're just a farmer though, Nico. You're not a soldier or a fighter. T-These men, they're killers."

Squeezing her hand, Nico forced a smile. "It'll be alright, Pia. I doubt they'll come this way, and if they do… well, then just make sure to stick by me, I will keep you safe. I promise."

Pia swallowed but nodded.

Nico's heart clenched painfully.

He hadn't paid Matthias' words much mind the other day, as such dark thoughts had been swiftly dispersed when Pia arrived, a smile on her face, and her eyes alight with mischief.

But now he had time to think….

If the Great Houses; the Lannisters and both the Starks and Tullys continued to escalate he could only see things heading one way.

His free hand clenched into a fist.

He had already lived through two wars, he didn't want to go through a third, even if he were on the periphery of it this time.

Not that he thought either the Titanomachy or Giganomachy, would compare to the medieval warfare that would take place in Westeros.

No, what he had gone through was brutal, but still contained. Innocents were mostly kept out of it. It was as civilised as a war could conceivably be, after all, neither side wanted to rule over the ashes, and both sides had the power to control their foot soldiers.

In Westeros though, a world set comfortably within the Dark Ages, warfare was far more horrific. Modern-day war crimes and crimes against humanity were an everyday occurrence during medieval wars, and barely even garnered a raised eyebrow.

His lips went dry as he pondered over what the future held.

He liked his comfortable, rural lifestyle. Despite its simplicity and the lack of creature comforts, he was, perhaps for the first time since his mother had died back in the 1940s, happy.

He didn't want to lose it.

Nor did he want the peaceful Eden he had carved out for himself in the Riverlands green and pleasant lands to be razed and desecrated.

"Look," He began, choosing his words carefully. Pia wasn't like him, she was sweet and innocent, and have never been confronted with death or suffering. It wasn't a concept she had any experience with and open she hopefully never would. "These things happen. It's just those with too much power and money having a dick-measuring contest. The Lannisters and the Starks, they're just jostling for position at Court while the King is away on a hunting trip, and this raiding is just the ripples from the conflict happening at King's Landing. Once he returns, he'll through his weight around and knock them back into line."

"But what happens if things get worse?" She asked worriedly.

"Then we keep our heads down and wait for the storm to pass," Nico said honestly, ignoring the guilty gnawing away inside of him.

He was a fully realised Demigod, a son of Hades, a diplomat and a warrior. Admittedly not on the level of Percy or Thalia, but more than capable of smacking around a few privileged shit heels in armour.

Simply put, he had the power to intervene if he was truly minded to.

What he lacked though was the inclination or conviction.

"Now come on," He smiled warmly, giving her slender hand a slight squeeze. "We've work to do."

Pia's lips twitched slightly, the fire of mischief seemingly reigniting with her. "We do, do we? But Nico, I'm a guest here. I've accepted your gift of bread and salt, and so am protected by sacred guest rights from having to do any work while under your care."

"Uh huh," Nico gave her an unimpressed look. "Is that your personal interpretation of guest rights?"

Pia smiled smugly and nodded.

"But then surely one could argue that you're no longer a guest here. After all, you're practically a member of the household at this point," Nico said, his head cocked to one side.

"Oh my, is that a proposal?" Pia asked coyly, her eyes gleaming.

"Soon," Nico promised with a slight grin.

Pia's cheeks reddened and she looked down at her bowl of porridge, as she idly moved the oats and berries about. "So…, what do you want to do today?"

"Finish ploughing and seeding the new field before winter comes," Nico said, his brow furrowing in thought.

The seasons in Westeros were kind of fucked up, but from what Olaf – one of his neighbours – had told him, winter. Or rather True Winter, the kind that lasted years. Would be arriving soon. According to Olaf was probably only a couple of years away now, and considering how long the Summer had been, over a decade at this point, it was likely to be a harsh one.

Which meant that time was of the essence to make the most out of the land and build up his stores and coffers. As when winter set in the nights became very dark and cold, and the range of things that a farmer could grow, became extremely limited.

"Shouldn't be too hard then," Pia said with a smile before she looked around his home. "And what will you do after that?"

"Look after the fields, and then get some more livestock. There are some areas that are too rocky to plough, but which are perfect for grazing." Nico smiled following her gaze.

His home was very rustic and simple. It was much smaller than Pia's family home, and very minimal too in terms of decorations and furnishing. Even he could see it lacked a woman's touch.

"Then I could probably look at making this place a little homelier," He allowed.

Pia shook her head, "I like it, it's cosy and feels like home."

Nico felt his heart flutter, and warmth fill his chest.

"With you here, it definitely feels like home to me," He replied cheesily.

Instead of laughing or rolling her eyes, Pia's cheeks flushed a darker red and a brilliant smile spread across her face.

Nico met her smile with his own.

The days were long, and the work was hard – especially without using his powers – but he wouldn't change his current life for anything.

( - )

(A week later)

Sitting at a rough wooden table, covered in stains and crumbs, Nico idly nursed his mug of ale as he sat back and watched the frivolities.

Pia was currently dining with her family, Lucan and Ben as far as he knew were both back in Harrnehal, either at the smithy working a late night or causing a ruckus in the Brown Bear.

Fortunately, Will and Robin were both present and had decided to join him for dinner.

Taking a sip of his beer, Nico vaguely listened to Robin and Will's conversation as they argued about the size of a fish Robin had apparently caught the other day. Robin was claiming it was almost long as he was tall. Will meanwhile, was making it known that he believed Robin to be full of shit.

It was unfortunately not the most interesting of conversations, as it was an argument he had heard repeated multiple times. Robin liked to tell tall tales, especially when drunk, and Will was far too rational and humourless for his own good and rose to the bait every time.

Tuning them both out, his attention was quickly drawn to the entrance when the door opened and cold air rolled in. The sudden rush of wind momentarily lessened the heavy sweaty atmosphere in the pub.

Frowning slightly as he watched a trio of men walk in, Nico immediately recognised them.

It was Matthias the narcissistic, moustachioed merchant that had stopped off a week ago en route to Riverrun, plus his two guards.

Watching as the men entered the tavern and pulled off their travelling cloaks, Nico's eyes narrowed as he quickly noted the dark rings under their eyes, pale skin and the tightness of the skin around their eyes. They looked tired and stressed.

Nodding as he caught Matthias's eye, Nico returned the moustachioed young man's tight smile with one of his own.

He hadn't expected to see the arrogant merchant again, or certainly not so soon. After all, Riverrun was still some ways off, and considering what he had said the last time, the man had been preparing to continue on to the Reach after his business at Riverrun was complete.

Watching as the man picked his way through the crowded inn, Nico didn't raise a fuss as the man and his two guards took the bench opposite him.

The three men looked exhausted, and the bench at their table was pretty much the only free seating that remained in the inn.

"Nick, wasn't it?" Matthias said idly as he clicked his fingers at one of the serving girls, gesturing her over.

"Nico," Nico corrected mildly.

"Yes, yes," Matthias waved him off. "Some wine and beer for my men, plus whatever halfway decent food you've got left in the kitchen." He continued, his attention now on the serving girl as he shoved a handful of silver stags – the local currency – into her hands.

"Milord," The young girl curtsied awkwardly, her wide eyes shifting up and down his fine clothing and the golden chain he had around his neck.

Matthias just waved her off, already dismissing her from his mind.

"Didn't expect to see you 'ere for a while yet," Robin interrupted, his brow furrowed as he eyes Matthias and his men up and down.

"And I hadn't been planning on it either," Matthias shot back irritably, a look of obvious distaste spreading across his face as he looked around the tavern. "But unfortunately, the news that was awaiting me when I made it to Riverrun was dire and necessitated my swift return home to secure my assets. Bad business, bad business indeed, and to think this trip was promising to be a lucrative one. Put alas the best-laid plans of mice and men often go awry."

"Aye, it's a shame," The grizzled older man scowled. "A cryin' shame indeed."

"What's happened?" Nico asked at once.

Matthias looked angry, frustrated and tired, but also nervous too.

Something had really ruffled the arrogant man's feathers.

The moustachioed merchant licked his lips nervously as he looked around, before with a grunt he sagged in his seat. "You'll probably find out sooner than later. The king is dead."

Nico felt his eyes widen.

"King Robert, dead?" Will muttered, his eyebrows knitting together in consternation. "How did the Demon of the Trident croak it? Surely, he wasn't that old?"

"Killed in a hunting accident from what I heard, gored to death by a boar," Matthias said dismissively. "But alas that's not the worst of it. No, the worst of it is that Lord Stark apparently tried to usurp the King's heir, young Joffrey. Only for the coup to fail almost as soon as it began. Apparently, his household was slaughtered, his daughters taken hostage, while the Quiet Wolf himself has been imprisoned in the Black Cells for treason. Which definitely won't go down well. I was in Riverrun when I heard it, and there was already talk of a repeat of the 'Hour of the Wolf' with the North marching south to free him."

Nico didn't get the exact reference, but he could at least infer enough from it to know that the rest of the Starks and their subjects in the North were apparently chomping at the bit to march south and wage war.

"Shit," Will muttered.

"Shit," Robin groaned.

"Shit indeed," Matthias nodded tiredly. "Either way the Lannisters had already been in the midst of calling their banners when the king died, and so probably have a sizeable force already. The Starks meanwhile are close allies to the Vale and the Riverlands, and I imagine, have already started doing the same. It's going to be another civil war and a nasty one at that. Especially considering Stannis and Renly have fled King's Landing. From what a merchant I met on the road was saying, Renly is already seeking allies in the Reach to declare himself king, and I wouldn't be surprised if Stannis was doing the same."

"Impossible, those two, they're the king's brothers, right?" Will asked.

Matthias nodded.

"Then that ain't possible. The king's sons are first in line, and then his brothers, that is the way it's always been," Will continued, shaking his head.

"Yes, that is indeed how the succession works," Matthias said dryly, pausing only to give the serving girl a nod as she dropped off two mugs of beer and a goblet of wine at the table. "But unfortunately, during his coup, Lord Stark, the man renowned for his honour, denounced the king's children as the bastard spawn of his Lannister wife, Queen Cersei and her own twin brother, Ser Jamie. Which, if true, would mean they have no right to the throne… and well, you can imagine how the Queen and her father are going to react to those accusations…."

Letting out a loud sigh, Matthias down his goblet of rough wine and shouted for 'another'.

"By the gods, I need to fuck something!" He growled, running one of his hands down his face. "All my plans are now in ruins, and with Lord Dondarrion apparently dead…, well I need to get back home as soon as possible… this is not how I thought this venture would go!"

Ignoring the moustachioed fops complaining, Nico sat silently as he took in all he had learned from his less-than-pleasant table mate.

It seemed things had escalated from a political quarrel to a full-blown war.

He doubted the Lannisters would let Lord Stark's actions and accusations stand.

At the same time though, Lord Stark's family, retainers and allies wouldn't take his imprisonment and probable execution sitting down.

Add in the king's brothers apparently going rogue and making their own bids for the throne, and well… things would be getting very messy very soon. He could only hope that this brewing war passed him and his happy little life by.

As he dwelled on these thoughts, Matthias and his men continued drinking and bothering the serving girl as they quickly demolished the food she brought, and several rounds of drink after, even as the three settled down and occasionally made conversation. With Matthias mainly complaining about how shit everything was. The only Brightside apparently, was that he might make a bit of money from the war if he churned out cheaper boots for the conscripts to buy and more expensive ones for the nobles.

The two professional soldiers meanwhile just grumbled about the likelihood of them being pulled into the war, especially with their liege lord dead.

None of them were particularly good company.

Robin and Will meanwhile descended into a worried conversation about the possibility of them being conscripted by the Whents if the Tullys called for their bannermen to raise an army.

The mood at the table had become grim.

Not that he was any better, as he just sat back and nursed his ale, his brow furrowed as he thought over all he had heard and pondered on what the future held.

It didn't look good.

"I'm going for a piss," Matthias grumbled after a while as he grabbed a jug of wine and stumbled towards the door. "You two, follow." He ordered his guards as he stumbled drunkenly away.

The man's mood had soured considerably throughout the course of the night.

Watching the merchant stumble towards the door, Nico shook his head.

The guy would likely get himself in trouble.

He could only hope the two slightly less drunk soldiers would keep an eye on him. After all, although Hookton was not dangerous by any means, there were still opportunists, either visitors to the coach-house or locals that would be more than willing to take advantage of an overly privileged drunken idiot if the opportunity arose.

Not that it had anything to do with him.

He didn't owe the moustachioed merchant a thing.

Sighing, Nico pushed himself to his feet.

He wasn't in much of a mood to drink or make merry.

The news he had heard was grim.

All he wanted to do now was find Pia and take her home with him.

"I'll be seeing you," He nodded at his two glum drinking partners.

Both Will and Robin grunted.

They too didn't seem to be in a particularly festive mood.

Making for the door, he dropped Sally a nod as he passed, thanking her for the food and drink, it had been good, even if the atmosphere had become somewhat sour by the end.

Pushing past some chattering and laughing locals, Nico pulled on his travelling cloak and headed outside, a shiver running down his spine as the chill wind hit him.

Pulling his dark, threadbare woollen cloak tight around him, he turned and headed for Pia's father's house. The large house was clearly visible from where he stood. It was outlined by the light of the moon and had merry orange light dancing in several of the windows, denoting that the residents were still up and about.

Smiling, his mood picked up slightly as he got away from the noise and heat in the inn. Nico started across the cobbled courtyard, passing the stables as he headed for Pia's family home.

As he walked through the courtyard though, his sharpened hearing picked up a nearby scuffle and a sudden scream that was quickly stifled.

"Shut up bitch!" A familiar voice growled. The words were slightly slurred. "You two hold her, and then you can have a go when I'm finished."

Scowling darkly, Nico changed direction and stormed towards the darkened stables and the source of the commotion.

He had a pretty good idea just what was happening, and just who the perpetrator was.

Bursting into the stables, Nico's dark eyes saw through the shadowy interior with ease. His gaze first shifted to the two soldiers in their mail, boil leather armour and tabards, before then moving on to a flushed and red-faced Matthias. Who he could see was currently struggling to pull his breeches down, even as his two guards held a young girl down. Her body was partially obscured by the straw, and a gloved hand was held over her face, stifling her screams for help.

Locking eyes with the girl, black rage filled Nico's heart in an instant. Without a second thought, he started towards the three drunkards.

"Oh, it's you," Matthias said dismissively, his arrogant gaze shifting to Nico's face in recognition. "Leave now and say nothing of what you've seen, and there'll be some coin in it for you later."

Nico didn't reply as he stormed forwards, the shadows around him twisted and writhed as if in pain.

Perhaps sensing the danger he was oozing, the two soldiers scrambled to their feet. The younger one was already struggling to draw a long knife from his hip, even as the older, grizzled one raised his hand in warning.

It looked like he was hoping to take the diplomatic route.

Not that Nico cared about that right now.

No, because the girl they had been holding down was not some poor random girl.

It was Pia.

"Look, bac-" The older man started to say.

Nico cut him off before he could finish as he lashed out with his hand like a snake, his fingers quickly closing on the older man's throat. Only for him to then squeeze his hand in a fist and withdraw it a second later with a spray of blood.

Gurgling, the older man collapsed to the floor, dark red blood spraying out of the gaping hole in his neck and splashing across Nico's face.

Ignoring the man's dying gasps and his comrades cursing, Nico went for the other guard. He didn't think, he didn't second guess himself.

Instead. he just lashed out with all his strength in a straight punch. His fist burrowed through the man's leather armour and light chainmail and up into his chest cavity, opening his hand he clenched something squishy and wet.

Wrenching downwards, he disembowelled the guard in a single, visceral move.

"W-wait-" Matthias tried to stutter, his eyes alight with pure terror, as he pissed himself, soaking his legs and his breeches, which by this point had dropped to his ankles in fetid urine.

Nico didn't wait as he dropped the viscera in his hand onto the ground. Instead, with a single punch he shattered Matthias' lower jaw into bone fragments, leaving only his bloody moustache to cover the lower half of his face.

Stepping past him as the merchant slumped to the floor, Nico didn't even glance at the three dead men as he instead scooped Pia up in his arms.

The moment he drew close to her she threw herself at him, not caring of the blood or what she had just seen as she instead clung to him like a limpet and cried into his shoulder.

Sparing the three bodies a glance as he headed for the exit, Nico paused only long enough to stamp his foot. In response, bone hands burst out of the ground and pulled the three dead bodies beneath the earth. Not looking back, he headed out into the night, with Pia held close to his chest.

As he walked, he made sure to keep his voice low as he muttered comforting things into Pia's ear, even as he headed straight for her father's house.

The only thing that mattered to him at that moment, was getting Pia somewhere safe.

Everything else could go hang for all he cared.

( - )

AN: Oh Nico, for all you appear placid and nice on the surface, you really are a little psycho inside. It is one of the downsides of being a Child of Hades, you hold onto a grudge for far too long, you have a negative outlook on life and like the colour black far too much, you live and breathe edgelord, and you basically walk the knife edge between monstrous lunacy and greatness.

Let me know what you think of the chapter, and also what you think the story might hold in the future. I would love to here some theories.

Also, I am on discord with a load of other writers, so if you fancy popping over to ask questions or offer suggestions about this story, or any of my other ones, or to find new authors you might not have come across yet, please feel free to use the link in my bio.

Thanks for reading and if you have any suggestions or questions feel free to PM me or find me on Discord.

Catch you later.

Greed720.