King of My Miserable Life

Chapter 21

It was only when they got back to Cartia did Nico finally figure out what his father had meant. He went to his father's office, went to tell him that they were back. When he opened that door without knocking, he finally saw what the king was hiding from him.

Sitting behind his desk, Hades had a hand over his mouth as he tried to stop the blood he was coughing up. Dark, thick liquid that didn't look much like blood at all. He didn't notice Nico until the young boy ran to his side, trying to use tissues to help catch the blood. "Are you okay?! What...what's happening?"

Hades looked up at Nico with a sense of sorrow, eyes that had seen and felt too much. Blood dripped from his mouth, specked Nico's pale fingers. "Nico... You weren't supposed to see..."

"I...I..." Nico let the soaked tissues fall to the floor. "What is this..."

Hades wiped his face, grimacing at the taste that now filled his mouth, sticking to his teeth and tongue. "Nico...I didn't want you to know yet. I was going to tell you at the end. But it seems...it seems the end may be closer than I thought."

Nico felt his heart drop into his stomach. "You're sick... You're really sick..."

Hades moved away from Nico, his bloody hands sliding against his desk. "I didn't want you to find out like this, Nico. Not like this."

"...How long do you have?" Nico's voice was low, almost too low to be heard. "Do you know?"

"The doctors estimate a month left." A half smile, a smile full of blood. "Just a month...doesn't seem real, does it?"

Nico could feel his hands shaking but couldn't keep them still, not for anything. Nor did he care to try much. "No, it doesn't...it really doesn't..."

"Listen, kid." Hades put his hands on Nico's shoulders, using him to keep himself standing. "I'm going to teach you to be king, okay? Don't worry. You'll be a good king. I believe in you."

"How...?" Nico didn't look him in the eyes. "How can you believe in me?"

"Because you're my son. You're my flesh and blood. I've seen enough to know that you won't let this country fall into despair." Hades fell into his chair with a look of pain. "I'll start teaching you how to do everything, don't worry. Stop by here tomorrow, we'll start your lessons."

"My lessons..." Nico looked at the floor. "Yeah, okay..."

"And Nico? I'm...I'm proud of you, Nico." Hades rested his head in his hands. "I'm proud of you, son."

Son...son...he was someone's son...he wasn't an orphan anymore...proud...son...

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Lessons went by smoothly. Nico kept the information from Percy, kept the idea that his father was dying in the back of his mind. Hades taught him all he needed to know, showed him how to make important decisions. After a month's time, Nico had grown to care for his father. Too bad it was short lived.

Nico was, as fate had it, still a teenager when he saw his father die. The sick man collapsed during a session, collapsed right into Nico's arms. Blood in his mouth, blood from his nose, eyes darkened and glassy.

"Dad..." Nico looked down at him, felt sick at the sight. "It's going to be okay. You're going to be okay, I promise."

"Nico..." Hades coughed, a wet, corrupted cough. "I hope...I hope I didn't make you too sad...giving you away...I hope you can forgive me...I'm sorry..."

"Dad..." Nico wiped some blood off the man's face. "I forgive you. I forgive you, don't worry about it. I..."

Hades coughed again, taking longer to recover this time than last. Nico watched in agony before speaking again, his words now wet with his forming tears. "I love you, dad. I'm sorry it had to happen like this."

Hades moved a hand up to touch Nico's face, moved his fingers to the edge of Nico's eye. "So...very like Maria...so very like her..." His hand fell, left a trail of blood on Nico's face.

And with his falling hand, Hades took his last breath.