To the Sun, To the Stars, To the Sky

Epilogue

Will POV

The crown did not belong to me, but we had to decide who should receive it. The decision wasn't hard, and my proposal was widely accepted. We needed strong leaders, but ones who had strong ethics as well. The leaders would be voted in, and each would be given a piece of the crown in order to represent their position.

We split the crown into three before the ceremony. Reyna had been the obvious choice, and she took her third with dignity as she kneeled to accept it. Garbed in some of the finest clothes that the rebellion had been able to retrieve for her, she looked elegantly fierce. Her eyes were serious, and her speech was about moving the country along according to its needs and its people, not for land or for monetary benefit for the rich.

Percy had also been an easy choice, after all the ruckus he caused literally everywhere he goes. Everybody wants Percy Jackson on their side. He also wore nice clothing, which Annabeth and I had picked out to avoid "embarrassing the entire nation" since his original choice had consisted of an orange suit with a horrible green bowtie. It hadn't been a good look. Now, he walked out with a dark black suit with a purple tie to match the purple cape Reyna adorned. He gave a speech about his own experiences, and how he would use them to right the wrongs he had seen.

And then there was Nico. The crowd hushed as he stepped forward. They'd heard of him by now.

After his work on the day of the battles, there were few complaints about him either. Yet, he hadn't been expecting it like the other two had been. He had practically done a spit-take when we asked him, and then he thought it was some sort of joke.

But Nico had a stronger moral compass than anyone I knew, possibly due to all his experiences in the army. He had a big heart. We needed someone like him in charge. Not really a leader, but he cared for people, and he wanted what's best for them.

And so Nico adorned a more appropriate version of his soldier uniform. It had been specially made and modelled after his dearly loved uniform, but it was less constricting and more for fashion than for practicality. It was white rather than camouflage, and he now wore a sash that went across his chest, matching the royal purple of Reyna's cape and Percy's tie.

He stepped forward to receive his crown and knelt. His third was handed to him. He stood again, slowly, to address the crowd.

"I never expected to be here," he told the crowd honestly. He looked astonishing, and I was having troubles focusing on what he was saying. "As many of you know, I was a third-rank soldier. I spent most of my time terrified of what would happen if I misstepped. Luckily, I was found by the rebellion and somehow, through means I still don't really understand, I'm standing before you with a third of a murdered king's crown." He swallowed. "But I promise you all that I am going to do my very best to ensure safety and equality for everyone in the nation. The army is not the only wrong this nation has committed. I will seek to find and fix them all, and I apologize now for all the mistakes I'm going to make. But we will try as leaders to fix my mistakes and right our wrongs, because you all deserve it. Each and every one of you." He raised his third of a crown like a glass. "And so, thank you for allowing me to work for you and allowing me to do my best to take this kingdom past the sun, past the stars, and past the sky. As a nation, we will rise. Thank you."

Word count: 650

A/N: Well, that's the end. Thanks for following this story! I hope you enjoyed it. Let me know what you thought, and have an absolutely amazing day or night, wherever you are. 

Yours,

Sunny