unforgivable | solangelo royalty au | sequel to unattainable

Chapter Seven

tw: torture, branding

WPOV:

Nico closes his eyes and lets out a long breath. When he opens them again, his expression is less guarded. I slam my own walls up even higher, determined not to show how much his open expression gets to me.

"I tried to save you." He says quietly. "We came back about three months after the war ended, but the palace had such high security, we didn't get much time to search for you."
"You broke into the palace?" I ask. He nods, looking into my eyes.
"Annabeth and I did it, disguised as guards. We couldn't find you, and we almost got caught, so we had no choice but to leave before we did."

Three months after the end of the war... I would have been in the dungeons. I don't tell Nico that, of course.
"I'm glad you didn't save me."
"Why?" His voice almost breaks, and he looks so, so hurt.

"I was better off in my kingdom. I was needed there. I... I bettered myself. And then when my mother died, I bettered the kingdom."
"You bettered yourself?" He raises one eyebrow sceptically. "When we reunited, we had a screaming match. If anything, you seem worse now."

"By your standards, perhaps." I say dismissively. "But by the standards of royalty, I became better. I learned how to rule properly, and accepted that my mother was right-"
"She wasn't."
"Don't interrupt me." I snap.
"It's my ship, I can do what I want." He retorts.
"That has no relevance. Have some basic manners." I argue. "Or have you forgotten your royal upbringing?"

"It seems like you've all-too-easily fallen right into that bullshit lifestyle." Nico responds. "Your mannerisms are scarily claps to your mother's."
"Well yes, she taught me how to properly act." I roll my eyes. "After you and your friends escaped and I was brought back to the palace, my mother saw to it that I would not disobey her again."

Nico's eyebrows furrow.
"How..."
"I don't wish to talk about it." I say quickly. His eyes scan my face like he's searching for something, then his shoulders slump.
"You're so closed off... What happened to the Will I knew?"

She killed him.
"I killed him and was reborn." I say. "The same can be said for you, really. Just I improved, while you... Well, you certainly didn't."
"Hat is that supposed to mean?" He clenches his fists, which rest on his thighs.
"What do you think it means? You're a criminal!"

His fists unclench, and a cocky smile slips onto his face.
"Y'know, technically you're a criminal too. You helped us. That's a criminal offence in your kingdom, right?"
"I did my jail time." I reply coolly.

"Not so high and- wait, what?"
"I spent a year in the dungeons,"
I tell him, "to pay for my crimes." Nico looks shocked, but he eventually manages to speak.
"You're supposed to get the death penalty."
"My mother made special arrangements for her only heir." I shrug.

"The fact she made you do time at all is a shock." He admits. I shrug.
"It straightened me out."

He scoffs, and I can't help the
small smile that graces my slips.
"Not that way, I admit." Nico smiles back shyly. "Though my wife likes to think differently..."

Nico's smile falls as quickly as it appeared.
"You're married?"
"Yeah." I keep my expression from confronting in disgust. "We're hardly affectionate, though. Like with your sister, it's an alliance and a way of having an heir more than anything."

Nico nods, biting his lip nervously. A thought occurs to me, and I wring my hands awkwardly.
"I... I assume... Tell me if I speak out of turn, but... Did she... "Nico frowns in confusion as I stumble over my words. I sigh and decide to just get it out. "Bianca died, didn't she?"