King of My Miserable Life

Chapter 22

Nico stepped into Percy's room in a numb haze. Everything felt like a dream, nothing seemed to be real. He had let servants clean him up, had let them take Hades' body. With his last ounce of will, Nico found himself at Percy's door. He needed his brother. He needed his brother more than ever.

"Hey, Nico." Percy grinned. Annabeth was laying on his bed, drawing on an old pad of paper. "Guess what?"

"Percy-"

"I finished five whole books!" Percy exclaimed. "Can you believe it? I can't even!"

"Percy, I-"

"Not to mention that one was almost two hundred pages long." Percy boasted. "You should be proud of me."

"Percy." Annabeth cut in. "Something's wrong with him. Calm down and let him talk."

Percy deflated, his lips turning into a frown when he saw Nico's face. "Nico...what is it?"

"Dad..." Nico leaned against the wall. "Dad is dead...dead... I'm...I'm gonna be king...dad is dead..."

Percy's face fell. "You're kidding...you've got to be kidding."

Nico sunk to the floor. "I wouldn't joke about this, Percy."

"Dead? But...how?" Percy walked over to Nico and sat beside him.

"He was sick." Nico buried his head in his knees. "He's been sick. I've been trying not to think about it...but that didn't help him. He's gone."

"Damn..." Percy rested his hand on Nico's shoulder. "I'm sorry, man."

Nico started to cry, small whimpers as tears soaked his knees. "Percy...I'm scared...I'm so scared..."

Percy grabbed his brother-friend and pulled him into a hug, keeping him close as he let him cry it out. "It's going to be okay. You're not alone. You're never going to be alone, Nico. No matter how lonely you feel right now, even though the world seems like its crashing down around you. You're not alone."

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A funeral for a king. A country of mourning, a country of celebrating. Some came to pay their respects, others came to make sure he was dead.

Long live the king...

After a funeral of blankly staring at the wall, Nico went through the day he had always dreaded. A coronation, a coronation of a new king. A king who hadn't even grown up in that country. People stared, nobody clapped.

A silent coronation, not fit for a king.

But Nico still didn't think of himself as a king anyway.

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Will knocked on Nico's door, looking down at the ground. It had been a long day, an exhausting day. Cartia wasn't ready for Nico to be king, nor was Nico himself. "Hey...it's me. Can I come in?"

"I don't care." Nico sounded calmer but still as if he was in a bad state. "The door's unlocked, I think."

Will entered the room before closing the door behind him. Nico was laying on the bed, curled into a small ball, his eyes shining with tears.

"Are you still scared?" Will asked, sitting beside him.

Nico nodded. "I can't help it. I don't know why. He taught me how to do everything. I just...I just can't."

"Nico, you'll be a great king." Will pulled Nico up so he was sitting before wrapping an arm around Nico's shoulders. "I know you will. Just try your best."

"Try my best? I didn't even grow up here!" Nico argued. "How am I...how am I supposed to..." A tear dripped from his eye, sliding down his pale face.

Will kissed the side of his head. "I'll help you. So will Percy and Annabeth. You've seen how smart she is. She'll help."

"She'll help..." Nico told himself. "And...and you'll stay with me, even though I'm king?"

"Of course," Will promised. "Why would I ever leave you?"

Nico shrugged. "Too much baggage."

"So? I love you." Will smiled. "I do, Nico. I love you. And we're together and you're king and everything will be okay. I promise."

Nico laid his head on Will's shoulder. "Life will be okay?"

"Life will be okay."

"We'll stay together?"

"We'll stay together."

"We'll get married someday?"

"We'll...what? Did you just propose to me? Nico, you're like sixteen."

"I'm the king, I make the rules."

"...We'll get married someday."

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AN: Love you all and hope you enjoyed the story. Godspeed