Worth the Fight- A Solangelo Royalty AU

XVI-2 1/2 Years Later

TWO AND A HALF YEARS LATER
NPOV:
"Nico, come here!"

I set my sketchbook down on my bed with my pencils and jogged into the kitchen to be faced with a mass of golden hair.

"What'd ya need, Haz?" I asked from the doorway leading to the kitchen.

She turned around, clearly flustered. Her arms were full of paper bags filled with food.

"Help?" She squeaked.

I laughed and took the bags out of her arms and set them on the counter a few feet away. Hazel sighed in relief.

"Thanks, Neeks."

I started putting away some of the groceries as she took off her coat and removed her gloves and hat.

"No problem, sis. How was your trip to the village?"

See, Hazel and I weren't exactly siblings, but when she took me in a couple years ago after finding me on the side of the road, she had always acted like a sister.

"Great! I saw Frank there! He tried to talk to me, but then his grandmother needed help. So he had to leave, still, I'll take what I can get." She giggled a bit before dropping her tone, deadly serious.

"The palace is still looking for you, if not more now than ever. They have guards searching every house, barn, and roadside in the kingdom for you."

When would they give up?

"Then I guess it's a good thing that you live just outside the kingdom." I said plainly, hiding all emotion.

She stuck her lip out.

"Nico, why don't you want to go back, I thought you loved him."

I shook my head.

"No Hazel. I loved Bianca and I love you. I never loved him."

But it sounded like I was trying to convince myself more than her.

"But-"

"No. If I went back, the king would throw me in the dungeon for stealing, running from the law, and locking Will in a carriage. Remember?" I asked harshly.

"Will saved you from the dungeon before, though!" She argued.

"Then maybe they'll skip right to killing me."

Hazel hesitated for a moment, shifting from one foot to another.

"Neeks, the guards are starting their search in the woods tomorrow. They'll find this place quickly and who knows what will happen when they do."

I sighed.

"Whose guards are they sending?" I asked anxiously.

"All of them."

"Really?"

She nodded and I sighed.

"I'll run, then. I'll run into the forest and hide. Then at least you won't get hurt."

She nodded, knowing all-too-well that it was hopeless once I'd made my mind about something.

"I'll pack for you tonight."

"Make sure to pack a flashlight" I said as I looked out he window at the setting sun.

"I will."

I nodded and walked off to bed.

When did my life become such a mess?
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"Nico! Wake up! They've come early!" I bolted up.

Hazel threw clothes and a satchel at me and ran over to my bedroom window.
"They're coming, hurry!
I threw on the clothes and gave her a peck on the cheek and hug.

"Bye Hazel, I love you." I whispered.

"I love you, too, Neeks, now go!"

I scooped up the satchel and rushed out the door. I heard the guards approaching feet coming over the hill and I quickly sprinted in the other direction. After about half an hour I stopped running and turned around me.
I couldn't hear any approaching footsteps and I saw no one. I found a good tree and started to climb. I was 30 feet in the air when my foot slipped and I fell to the ground with a loud THUD!

My vision darkened temporarily and pain surged through me as the air left my lungs, but I knew that I had to try again. If nothing else, that fall had shot up a signal, telling the guards where I was. I quickly tried climbing the tree again, but my movements were slow and labor-filled. I was fairly sure that I had broken my right ankle and who knows what else. Also, I feared I had a concussion, but I refused to stop climbing until I was at the top. I took a moment to look over my wounds.
I had scratches covering my entire being, some deep, some long, all painful. My right knee was most definitely shattered completely. And my right ankle was at least twisted. I reached up and touched my head to find that I had a large bump forming. It erupted in pain when I touched it.
All at once, a group of about 20 men on palace horses stopped looked around the clearing. Led by none other than Prince William himself. I couldn't see his face, but I'd know that golden hair anywhere. I felt woozy and had to grip the tree tightly to remain sitting up. I knew if it wasn't for my massive headache, I would've likely been panicked.

Will dismounted his horse.

"Nico? Please come out." His voice was different than I remembered but I couldn't think as to how.

Everything was silent. I held my breath.

Eventually Will sighed and remounted his white horse. He said something to his men and they started to leave when a hawk whizzed past my head, hitting my sore. I let out an involuntary yelp and started to fall. The men stopped. Time seemed to stand still as I fell from the limb. Will jumped off his horse at lightening speed and dashed over to me. I would have died, then and there, but a split-second before I hit the ground, Will threw his arms out and caught me. I looked up at his dazzling blue eyes.

"Nico?"

Then I passed out.
(A/N so so you like it? It's a long chapter! Sorry the time skip is so large but I really needed it to be in order for it to work in my story. Also, soon I'll probably start another fanfiction soon. I don't think I'm going to abandon this one but it won't be my main priority)

Word count: 1018