#solangelo royalty au | Explore Tumblr Posts and Blogs

mediumgayitalian · 3 months

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HELLO omg i love your solangelo royals AU, their flirtatious enemies to lovers chemistry in part 2 is so cute 😭 not sure if you’re planning to write more in the universe (i’m already so grateful for what you have out!!) but i just gotta say i am so curious about nico seeking asylum, and what the circumstances were when he showed up, and i desperately want to read more of EVERYTHING in this paragraph:

“Will was annoyed with him the first day they met. He was annoyed the second time, seething, really, dragging Nico back to the sterile surgical suite to fix his torn stitches. He was annoyed when Nico first shouted at him, bewilderment at this random physician treating him like he was another resident of the palace, not the only son of Hades. He was annoyed, notably, the one time Nico came to the infirmary after spraining his wrist in sword fighting and, in Will’s words, “breathed too loudly.”

i hit that ao3 subscribe button so fast 🫠

anyway, love your writing and all the snippets you post!!!! thank you!!

hi hi hi!! you have been reblogging my stuff!! i am very grateful for it as it makes me feel appreciated enough to keep posting!!

i am absolutely planning more in-universe 😎😎 i want the main fic to be long, slowburn, and will pov; i have lots of scenes rattling around in my brain but i'm still working on an actual plotline lol. if i figure out a way to start it i'm just gonna start and hope the plot finds me along the way lol

okay so the asylum thing. i have Lore and im so pumped u asked so here is my rambling:

my idea, and this whole spiel is pretty heavily inspired by this royal au series i'm obsessed with by @gatesofember (with a sprinkling of setting inspo from this fic by @percyinpanties), is that each olympian/major god is a House. so like House Zeus, House Apollo, House Hades, etc. i just thought it was way cooler than kingdom lol.

nico has been fighting nonstop w his father since bianca died. just. constantly. notoriously. they do not get along. they argue about EVERYTHING.

one day, Prince Nico of Hades shows up at House Apollo, ass o'clock in the morning, barely clinging to his horse, exhausted, and claims asylum.

uproar. basically. like thats DRAMA.

of course apollo loves drama and also cannot refuse asylum without good reason, so he graciously accepts. some fun details about that:

nico is now, before a prince, an Asylum Seeker. by status, he is not royalty outside of his own House if he steps away from the role, which he lowkey has done by seeking asylum from his own House. he has very little say in anything now.

apollo, however, has granted him shelter in the royal wing of the House, granting him a royal suite of apartments as if he was a visiting diplomat/royal/House Hades representative. this does not, technically, change his official status, but it does make abundantly clear that apollo still considers him of royal status. aside from that, he's still a prince, and no one wants to make an enemy of a prince (since he can still easily return to his throne, essentially? like there are no laws stopping him from doing so. this whole situation is just Odd and Weird and Really Good Gossip), they were all gonna treat him like prince anyway. he has the fancy clothes and still wears his circlet and often sits in on apollo's fancy meetings and shit (apollo likes his nerve).

will could not give any less of a shit.

he is the only person in the entire House and probably beyond who not only does not give a shit, and does not give a shit to nico's face.

this is insane behaviour.

will is the house physician, right. so in term of respect, he has a lot of it, but he has no authority outside his own infirmary, really. he gets a lot more respect than his status calls for because he's prodigiously good at healing. like. people tease that he can raise the dead. he can't, but. you know. apollo is the House of Drama, really, so no surprises there.

will kinda holes himself up in the infirmary?? there are a few reasons for that. one, apollo is a very artistically inclined House, and will is not very artistically inclined, so he started working in the infirmary as a kid and basically stayed there lol. the court physician before him was actually apollo's oldest daughter, hygieia, whom will adored to a million pieces and who doted on him lol. (she got him a little physician's tunic when he was seven and he literally wore it until it was threads). anyways. he feels useful in the infirmary, and its also where he does all his studies, so he mostly stays in that area of the castle. two, he doesnt get boundaries very well. he also thinks hierarchy is deeply, deeply stupid. for his own safety his friends are like hey. maybe dont interact with visiting royals and diplomats and shit. because someone is going to stab you one day. (and will is like 'well i'll just fix myself then' and they're like 'will for the love of the gods. please.') plus the east wing of the castle (where the infirmary is) is rly well lit and beautiful and leads right to the gardens and the library, so will likes it there :)

this would usually be a great mix, right? nico, who has been treated very much as a prince his entire life and has had people either walking on eggshells around him or scared of him, who has never had anyone but his father and maybe his sister defy him in his life, chilling in the centre part of the castle with the rest of the more royal members, and will, mr Authority Who? Don't Tell Me What To Do, chilling out in the east. no need to interact with each other.

except.

nico is a dumbass who got hurt on his way to House Apollo. and did not tell anyone bc thats embarrassing. so he collapses right after asking asylum, and is carried to will's infirmary, who waits with his foot tapping until nico wakes back up and tears into him 😭😭 calling him the biggest dumbass to ever cross these lands and getting quite creative with it, really, absolutely running his mouth, and as soon as nico recovers from being bewildered (does not take long) he is like you??? cannot fucking talk to me like that???? i am the prince of ghosts???? fucker??? who do you think you are talking to??? and will is like i brought you back into this world, you fucker, i will send your ass right back out of it if you dont sit down and shut up and write down these recovery instructions. and nico is like ???? meanwhile the nurses in the infirmery who know will's stubborn ass are GIGGLING. like they think hes gonna die but at least its funny.

everyone lowkey expects nico to tattle to apollo and get will thrown out or something.

nico does not. which is weird, because, like, maybe he usually would?? but will makes him so mad he cant even think straight. the second hes released from the infirmary he stomps to his new quarters, seething. he shows up in the infirmary next day with the full intent to start an argument. instead, will tries to put him to WORK. and then gets irritable when nico refuses and kicks him out.

just absolutely insane behaviour. if anyone talked to nico like that in his House theyd be arrested, if not excecuted. hell, if will says this shit in front of apollo he might still get arrested, because what. but nico keeps going back and continues to get humbled by will basically every day.

and, ho ho, what happens?? does he maybe begin to care about will?? no. of course not. will is a pain in his ass.

insert part two here, blah blah blah, nico very obviously does care about will and its embarrassing

he realises right after this that he cares about will. although theres still a layer of denial over it bc will is his fucking nemesis, a pain in his ass, and also a Whole Ass Guy, so.

will begrudgingly allows nico to drag him out of the infirmary on occasion.

he has to admit, that when nico isnt being a diva, he is.

kind of.

charming.

a little.

if he had a knife to his throat, he would admit this.

maybe.

in terms of falling in love, they fall in love FAST. after that barrier of "you're so fucking annoying" "IM annoying?!?!?!" "yes glad you agree" crumbles, they both go TUMBLING off that cliff bro. will takes a cannon to every single one of the bitchy walls nico put up after his sister died, leaving him heart wrenchingly lonely. he treats nico like a person. and nico treats will like an equal, not someone lesser, in fact he treats will like hes not a prince, not a king, but a god. he reveres him. will has never felt this worthy of anythign in his life.

obviously, though.

its vague ambigious royalty times.

their relationship is forbidden and very, very secret.

nico, as a royal, wouldnt face many consequences, but will...

the issue is that will is the most frustrated by the secrecy. nico has always known that he would have to love in secret, he grew up in that truth. will has never lied about anything in his entire life. the whole royal hierarchy makes no sense in any way and pisses him the hell off. he doesnt like having to be cautious about the way he touches nicos shoulder.

4. wrote too many things in one block and got cut off 💀💀 turns out i DO have a plot omg. thank you for asking. GOD i love them so bad.

5. as for the paragraph you liked -- ME TOO I WAS SO PROUD OF IT. IM GLD YOU LIKED. im seeing now ive kinda mixed the first and second "will was annoyed with him" in my brainstorming but eh. ill iron it out later.

6. anyways!! thank you!! expect more for the royal au soon. not sure if im gonna do what i did on my other blog and start slowly updating & posting the long fic, or if ill add some more short ones as i write the long fic in its entirety before posting, but ill figure it out. i have lots to say about them and theres nothing more fun to me than writing secret relationship and rivals to lovers teehee

#THANK YOU FOR ASKING I NEEDED THIS SO SO BAD #ask #solangelo #royal au #brainstorming #longpost

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jackwolfes · 3 months

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Currently obsessed with your solangelo royalty au. It's constantly on my brain atm

ahh! im glad 😊 there's been a bit of a hiccup with getting it finished but shouldn't be toooooo much longer until i can share the next few chapters, especially given that i didn't exactly leave it on the nicest of cliffhangers 😅 here's a lil sneak peek because idk when i'll be sharing the next chapter:

For all the time Will has spent in this infirmary wing, he is unfamiliar with pain. Not the very fact of it, he supposes, but the reality of it. Seeing it on other people is entirely different to feeling it himself, and now he has no choice but to feel it. For days his muscles continue to randomly spasm, jerking violently as he sits in bed and causing pain to ricochet up and down his limbs. Pain is something that Will tries to avoid whenever he can, but there’s no out to this. It’s part of being a medic, easing pain. He sees too much of it and so often finds himself powerless to fix the actual root of the problem, that all he can do is ease the pain of the people he works with. Sometimes, at least. Sometimes he can’t do anything.

#asks #anon #solangelo #fic snippets

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beuatifulbuttercup · 7 months

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Here are some fic ideas that I would write if I had writing talents

PJO Superhero AU-

the gods were instead scientists who did experiments

a lot of them experimented on their own children bc why not

when Percy was experimented on he was so damn powerful he killed like half of them

Camp-Half Blood is still a camp and hidden except it is used to train their super powers

They all go to mortal schools in New York

And they become super heroes and Drew runs their social media account

PJO Royalty/Bridgeton Au-

King Zeus, Queen Hera, Grand Duke Poseidon, Grand Duke Hades, and Grand Duchess Demeter kinda just run things

Duchess Athena, Duke Hermes, Baron Dionysus, Prince/ General Ares, Prince Hephaestus, Viscountess Aphrodite, Sir Apollo (knight), Madam Artemis (dame).

All the main characters are of age to be married off so its ball season

Percy and Annabeth are THE enemies to lovers ship

Prince Jason needs to marry to get the thrown so he marries Lady Piper, one of the many daughters of Viscountess Aphrodite(none of whom have the same father), but he has feelings for Leo Valdez a blacksmith! But it's okay because Piper has had growing feelings for a certain dame named Reyna!

Random idea that needs to be included is Calypso is a queen from a ally kingdom and comes to the wedding and falls in love with Apollo

Lou Ellen Spy Au-

Alabaster and Lou were camper but Alabaster was one of the first people Luke recruited

Chiron suspected Alabaster since he would always sneak out w/Luke, Chris, and Ethan

Lou Ellen was clueless to this and Chiron called her to the Big House shortly after Luke left

she was asked to be a spy for the camp as Alabaster was going to ask Lou to join

cue the next four years of Lou's life from the ages of 10 to 14 sending info on the Titan Army back to camp and the only people who know are Chiron and Mr.D

must include angsty QPR Lou Ellen and Cecil

Godly Parent Swap AU-

This one is way too long to include on this post. To see the entire idea click here. Long story short is Silena, Chris, and Ethan are the children of the big three.

Ships I would include- Charlene, Percabeth, Chrisse, Minor Solangelo but more as the story continues, Tratie

Famous AU-

Percy is a huge pop punk singer and Annabeth is a famous movie star. Against their will they have a fake dating stunt. Staged by their managers Reyna and Katie respectively.

Thalia, Jason, Piper, and Rachel all are nepo babies. Thalia is apart of a band with Nico, Travis, and Clarisse are all in a band together. Jason is a famous fashion model. Rachel is a social media influencer who always posts about her activism. Piper is apart of a TV show starting her family. Her mother and all of her half-siblings are the stars of the show.

Hazel is a famous jewelry designer who works with Piper who is a model

Leo is a Tejano music artist, he's so popular

Cue them hiding from he paparazzi while dealing with their love lives.

Thats it for now! These are just the ideas I wanted to jot down. Feel free to steal any of these ideas from me as I don't write but I would love to see how people would write out these stories.

#pjo #pjo hoo toa #percy jackon and the olympians #percy jackson and the olympians #heroes of olympus #pjo aus

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rrversesummerbang · 1 year

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Rules and Guidelines

To prepare for sign-ups opening, here are the rules and guidelines for this event!! Make sure to read these before signing up :D

- Do NOT sign up for this exchange if you just want a free gift - this is an exchange! You get out what you put into it - as in, you give a gift, you get a gift. Please put as much effort into the gift you give as you’d want to receive.

- If you are not comfortable posting your work on tumblr and/or ao3, do not sign up for this exchange. If you do not believe you will be able to complete the requirements by the due date (December 30th), do not sign up for this exchange. (That being said, if something comes up after sign ups, there will be a grace period for those unable to meet the due date).

- This event is only fun if everyone gets a gift, so don’t be that person who signs up without giving anything in return!

Gift Expectations

- NO NSFW. Any specific requests for NSFW content (smut in particular, or anything that would typically cause for an explicit rating on ao3) will be removed.

- ARTISTS - create a finished, polished piece, whatever that means to you. Can be any media, but must be posted to tumblr by the due date.

- WRITERS - the minimum wordcount is 1k. If it’s a chaptered work, the first chapter must be posted on tumblr and/or ao3 by the due date.

A good rule of thumb for all creators: put the same amount of effort into your creation as you hope your gifter is putting into theirs!

How to Submit Your Gift Request:

At the end of the sign-up form, you will be prompted to describe the gift you would like to receive. Below are suggestions on how to request your gift.

Option 1: a romantic or platonic pairing. you could also include archive tags (fluff, college au, angst with a happy ending) to give your creator a better idea of what you’re looking for.

Ex. solangelo fluff in a high school au, valgrace hurt/comfort canon compliant, etc.

Option 2: a short plot description. Try to keep these short and sweet! give your creator something to work with - don’t map it all out for them.

Ex. Person A is royalty and person B is their bodyguard. when there is an assassination attempt against person A, person B’s soft and protective side comes out.

Option 3: straight to the point: Nonbinary Piper McLean. Rachel vs. the Oracle. Texan Will Solace. Plain and simple, gives your creator plenty to work with.

These are guidelines, not an exact format that you need to follow, but please try to keep your request short - one to two sentences! This lets your gifter have some fun with your request :D

That’s all for now, and I hope to see all of you sign up! If you have any questions, feel free to dm @rrversesummerbang or @ethannku

#announcement #pjo gift exchange 2022 #rules #pjo #hoo #toa #Percy Jackson and the Olympians #Heroes of Olympus #trials of apollo #pjo fan event

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ikeasharksss · 7 months

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might rewrite my solangelo royalty au but w/ pynch now. ok

#ronan as the restless prince & adam as his guard who has to keep him in line #thinking thoughts #it'll be my first pynch fic too tee hee

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rosyrequiems · 1 year

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⋆｡ﾟ☁︎｡⋆｡ﾟ☾ ﾟ｡⋆

hello & welcome ᵕ̈♡ my name is rai and i'm a writer of fic & original material. i'm brand new to tumblr , and i'm super excited to join !

fandoms

— kpop -> enha, skz, ateez, txt, svt, etc

— genshin / hsr & animanga -> jjk, kny

— film & tv -> pjo, tbosas, the last of us, succession, the bear, tsitp, etc

— books -> pjo, fourth wing, poppy war, acotar, an ember in the ashes, shadowhunters, grishaverse

— theatre -> aaron tveit, wicked, moulin rouge, waitress, sweeney todd, next to normal, hadestown

recently posted fics

— we'll always have summer ; solangelo tsitp au, chaptered & incomplete, found family dynamics

— somewhere in the haze ; skz long fic, shadowhunter au, 1st work in a series

— i laugh like me again ; tlou, 5 + 1 joel & ellie things

— left behind ; tlou, ellieriley, canon compliant

current wips

— the great war ; skz shadowhunter au, sequel to somewhere in the haze

— a shift in the stars ; original space fantasy, revolves around 3 siblings, extensive world-building, royalty & rebellion

— stardust & moonshine ; original sapphic romance, star-crossed lovers & price of fame

find me elsewhere !

— ao3

— twitter

— nanowrimo

#about #about me!#ao3 writer #writers on tumblr #new to tumblr #writing #kpop fic #kpop fanfic #kpop writing #fic writing #skz fic #percy jackson fic #solangelo fic

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gatesofember · 4 years

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Frailty and Fortune: Chapter 5

PJO Arranged Marriage/Royalty AU Part 10

Rating: T | Pairing: Solangelo

Prev | Next | AU directory | Read it on AO3 (Recommended) | Arranged Marriage AU Masterpage

Summary: A few months have passed since Prince Nico’s wedding to William of Solace. Even with his husband at his side, Will sometimes feels lonely as he settles into his new life. He misses his home, his family, his friends, and his studies in Venadica. Meanwhile, Nico is uncertain how to help him, awkward about expressing himself, and he wonders if he’ll ever be able to truly make his husband happy. As time goes by and Will continues to feel lost in his new home, Will and Nico must both learn how to make their marriage work.

Will wasn’t especially prone to anger. That wasn’t to say he was immune to occasional flashes of outrage, but his temper usually remained firmly under control. Aggravation, annoyance, and exasperation—those happened to Will in regular doses. But resentment? Rage? Very rare.

In hindsight, it wasn’t entirely surprising it had been brought out as a result of his interactions with Nico. Will had already been furious about Midas, the ponies, Zoe’s poor healthcare, and the general state of Phrygia, and Nico had a habit of making Will feel unusual and strong emotions. Before, said emotions had mostly been positive; the only exception Will could think of had occurred after Nico snapped at him in Salacia. Will supposed his intense reactions happened because his love for Nico amplified everything he felt.

But the possibility that his anger may have stemmed from love hardly made it good. Anger, Will thought, was rarely ever good.

That didn’t stop him from feeling it.

Nico didn’t return to Will’s room again during the trip. After their argument, he stopped inviting Will to join discussions. “Reyna and I are going to review finances with Midas,” Nico had gruffly told him the evening after they fought. “Why don’t you go read a book or chat with Lityerses or whatever it is you’ve been spending all your time on?”

Two days later, Will gave up on waiting for an invitation and offered to help in their evening talks.

“Make up your mind, Will,” Nico had snapped. “Do you want to be involved or not?”

“Exactly what do you think I’ve been doing in the mines all day?” Will had hissed back.

“Having a grand time with your new best friend Lityerses, I expect!” Nico had answered, and then he’d stormed away.

Anger wasn’t good, but Nico wasn’t making it easy to stop feeling it.

Nico, after all, had been the one to invite Will to Phrygia in the first place. Nico had said he wanted Will’s help. And then he changed his mind because why? Because Will had invited Lityerses in for tea?

Will tried to remain impartial. He tried to see things from Nico’s perspective. And yes, Will knew that Nico wasn’t entirely to blame. He did feel guilty for accusing Nico of disliking Lityerses because he was a past suitor—he knew very well that Nico hated being reminded of any of his attempts at courting. Worse still, he knew that Nico probably hadn’t mentioned Lityerses to him because it must be an especially sensitive topic. Will ought to have been more considerate.

But no matter how Will looked at it, Nico was out of line. Nico couldn’t resent Will for talking to someone. Nico couldn’t tell Will who he was and wasn’t allowed to spend time with.

And if Will started spending more time with Lityerses and Zoe, he couldn’t deny that spite may have been a factor. If Nico was only going to continue being ridiculous, Will decided, then he’d wait until Nico was ready to stop acting like a child to talk to him again. After all, Will had more important things to attend to.

Actually, Will was quite happy in spite of his husband’s antics and he wasn’t about to let Nico ruin that for him. He felt useful for the first time in months. He was healing again. He spent hours poring over old records on the pit ponies, calculations running through his head as he made his way through the data stored in them. He enjoyed spending time with Lityerses and Zoe, especially when he could watch the way the siblings interacted with each other, and he’d even begun to think of them as friends. Will had promised them he’d remain in contact, and Lityerses in turn had promised that he’d keep Will updated on the happenings in Phrygia.

And Will was particularly proud of himself for the way he’d dealt with Midas over the course of the trip. The plan to extend the mine’s slope was already in motion. Work had halted on the three lowest levels until construction was complete. Plans for above-ground stables had already been drawn up, and, after much argument, Will had forced Midas to agree that he would not send ponies to the mines until they reached at least five years of age, preferably older.

“But these circumstances aren’t unique to my mine,” Midas had insisted. “All pit ponies—”

“I didn’t ask about other mines,” Will had interrupted. “Being standard does not make something right. This is a serious problem and you will correct it.”

On the morning of the day they were to leave Phrygia, Will and Nico joined Midas and Lityerses for breakfast in a sunny room overlooking the gardens. Nico was clearly angry and Will couldn’t say he was looking forward to sitting next to him for the entire carriage ride home. They hadn’t had the opportunity to be alone in days—or rather, they hadn’t taken the opportunities that presented themselves—and Nico still seemed content to ignore Will as obviously as possible. He took the chair next to Will at breakfast, but didn’t bother to even look at him.

That was, until Zoe came in to join them.

Zoe’s health had been steadily improving for the past several days. With her cough dying down and her throat less sore, Zoe had proven her brother’s teasing quite warranted by talking Will’s ears off every time he came to see her. She’d even taken to climbing out of bed and walking around the room during Will’s visits. Will had expected her to be moving around the estate shortly after they left, but he certainly hadn’t predicted she’d reveal herself in front of guests.

Evidently, neither had Midas.

“What are you doing out of bed?” Midas asked, his words stiff and slow and the pitch of his voice a low rumble.

Zoe instantly folded in on herself, holding her arm self-consciously and glancing at the floor. “I wanted to join you,” she said.

“You were supposed to stay in bed.”

Will had to stop himself from berating Midas. He was still a guest in Midas’ home and interfering with his family life was inappropriate. But Will certainly wasn’t going to say nothing. He’d had his doubts about Midas’ parental capacities and this only solidified what Will already suspected. How dare Midas speak to his own daughter that way? How dare he make her feel unwelcome at the table in her own home?

“Lord Midas, aren’t you happy your daughter is up and about?” Will asked with a polite smile. “She’s made quite a nice recovery.”

Nico set down his teacup with a loud clatter. “Forgive me,” he said coldly, “but I was under the impression that your daughter was studying abroad, Lord Midas. And for some reason, it appears that I am the only one present who did.”

“Ah,” Midas said slowly. “Yes. That is, erm—”

“They weren’t supposed to know?” Zoe asked, her eyes going wide. She was still standing awkwardly in the entryway, waiting for an invitation to join them. “My apologies, Father—I thought—the Prince is his husband, so I thought he knew.”

“Exactly what is going on?” Nico demanded, the cool edge of his voice quickly becoming hot. “And how is my husband involved?”

“Well,” Midas started hesitantly. “Your husband...my daughter...you see....”

Will set his tableware down beside his plate. “Zoe has been ill,” he said, too impatient to wait for Midas to explain himself. “When Lord Midas approached me our first evening here, he asked me to examine her. I chose to respect her confidentiality.”

“Should I...should I leave?” Zoe asked, still standing in the doorway. She looked as though she were about to cry.

Lityerses’ chair squeaked when he pushed it back from the table, hurriedly getting to his feet to go to his sister. He put his hand on her shoulder and leaned down, whispering words of comfort that Will couldn’t hear as he led her out of the room.

Will put his hand on Nico’s arm. Nico glared at him sharply, but Will didn’t pull away. “She’s a child,” he mouthed. Let Nico be angry with him and Midas later. Zoe had done nothing wrong.

Nico pursed his lips and snatched his arm out from under Will’s hand.

“Honestly,” Will muttered under his breath, and he pushed his chair back and left the room after Lityerses and Zoe.

Will found them a short way down the corridor, Zoe with her back to the wall and Lityerses kneeling on the floor in front of her, whispering and holding her hands while she sniffled and nodded. Will waited until Lityerses saw him and nodded him over before he approached.

“Don’t cry, Zoe,” Will said, kneeling next to Lityerses. “We’ve worked so hard to get rid of your stuffy nose.”

Zoe smiled and even laughed a bit. Lityerses released one of her hands and offered her a handkerchief to dry her tears.

Zoe dabbed at her eyes. “I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to get you in trouble with your husband.”

“You have nothing to apologize for,” Will said. “I was the one who chose not to tell him. If anything, I should be thanking you—I didn’t like keeping secrets from him and now we can talk about it.”

Zoe nodded, her fingers curling in the handkerchief and wrinkling the fabric.

“Won’t you come back in and eat with us?” Lityerses asked. “I’ve missed having meals with you.”

Zoe shook her head. “I don’t want to upset anyone more than I already have.”

“You haven’t upset anyone, Zoe,” said Will. “None of this was your fault. Personally, I would love for you to join us.”

“If you really want to go, then you can go,” Lityerses added. “But His Highness and I want you to be there. I’m sure Father would, too—he’s just upset about other things right now.”

Zoe looked down at the handkerchief clenched in her fingers. “I don’t know,” she whispered.

Will glanced at Lityerses. He was watching his sister patiently, squeezing her hand and waiting for her to be ready to speak again.

Will stood up. Lityerses knew his sister better than Will—he could handle the situation on his own. Will had to make sure that if Zoe decided to join them again, she wouldn’t walk into a hostile environment again. “I’m going to go back inside and see if things are settled with your father and my husband,” he said. Lityerses nodded, Zoe offered a quiet thank you, and Will left Zoe in her brother’s hands.

Back at the breakfast table, Nico was on his feet, glowering at Midas with his fists balled at his sides. When he heard Will’s shoes on the marble floor, he turned.

“Kind of you to come back,” he spat.

Will pursed his lips. “Zoe is crying in the corridor,” he said coldly, directing himself to both Nico and Midas. “I do not know if she and Lityerses will come back to join us. While I understand that the situation is unexpected, it seems to me that we have no reason to make a little girl cry. She has done nothing but share her excitement over her recovery. We ought to be ashamed of ourselves for making her feel so distressed over it.”

Midas looked away, and while the anger did not completely disappear from Nico’s eyes, it did simmer lower until he had it contained behind a composed mask.

Will took his seat in silence and Nico fell back into his chair. No one spoke when they returned to their meal, but the soft chiming of cups and tableware felt so loud that it hurt Will’s ears.

Eventually, Lityerses and Zoe did return. They stood in the doorway and Lityerses placed his hands on his sister’s shoulders. “Zoe is going to join us for breakfast,” he said. With a sharp look at his father, he added, “She just made a miraculous recovery from her illness thanks to our guest, and we’re all very grateful to see her well again.”

A short beat of silence passed before Nico gave the girl an uneasy smile and said, “I’m glad you’ve recovered, Zoe.”

“Yes,” Midas agreed. “I’m so happy, dear.”

When they joined the table, Lityerses was the one to take over the conversation. He talked about Zoe’s health and praised Will’s work, occasionally encouraging Zoe to join in when she was uncharacteristically quiet.

Will smiled. For Lityerses, this was a small, quiet act of rebellion against his father. Will had a feeling that with Lityerses there, he was leaving Phrygia in good hands.

“You may write to me with any questions and I’ve left behind instructions for Zoe’s care in the future,” Will said. “For day-to-day health management, I’ve gathered a dietary plan for your chefs to ensure her immune system is fed the support it needs. It is vital to ensure that Zoe is exposed to disease as little as possible. I suggest stricter supervision of the staff—especially those in contact with Zoe. No one is allowed in the estate when they are ill, or at least they may not be near Zoe or anything she may touch, eat, or drink. Proper hygiene is also necessary—not just for Zoe, but for everyone in the estate, including the staff. Everyone must wash their hands regularly. With soap. The medical equipment must be washed before and after each use. I would recommend extra caution as we approach autumn—sickness is especially common in the colder months of the year.”

“And this disease—goldrot, you called it—you believe it can be controlled?” Midas asked.

“I believe I have diagnosed it early enough that careful management will considerably slow its progression,” Will answered. “Just be sure to follow my plan exactly. I also would advise updating some of your medical equipment. I have already taken it upon myself to dispose of some unnecessary and dangerous tools your healers were using. I wrote down the specifics for you to review.”

“You have my gratitude, Your Highness,” Midas said. “I am in your debt.”

“I only wish to keep my husband’s people healthy,” Will said. He wondered if that statement would appease Nico a bit.

Nico’s eyebrow twitched. It may have just made him more angry.

“Still, I wish to repay you someway,” Midas said. “You mentioned that you are currently without a patron and that your studies are on hold. I would be happy to sponsor you.”

Nico’s tableware clattered onto his plate.

Will was similarly shocked. He controlled himself enough not to gape, but he had no idea how long it was before he spoke again. Midas? Midas wanted to be his sponsor?

Will had given a lot of thought to who he might ask for sponsorship or how he would approach the topic, but it was always the kind of anxious, circling thought that ultimately led nowhere. Should he ask for his father’s continuing patronage, or should he be independent? Would it be odd, as the Prince’s husband, to be sponsored by another Pluton, or would it be preferable to take a sponsor whose intentions were in the interest of Pluto? Would a Pluton even be willing to spare the money to fund his studies, given the state the country was in?

“Thank you for your generous offer,” Will finally managed to say. “I will consider it further.” He didn’t want Midas to sponsor him, not really—even if Midas was wealthy—but it would be impolite to say no without taking the time to think about it. “In the meantime, might I suggest you send some of your healers to Venadica in my place? If Zoe is to continue to stay healthy, then her healers need proper training on her disease.”

Will glanced at Lityerses as he said this and gave him a pointed look. Lityerses was bearing witness to Will’s suggestion, so Lityerses would need to hold Midas to it.

Lityerses nodded that he understood.

“Then I will heed your advice and await your answer,” said Midas.

Will spared another peek at Nico. He couldn’t see Nico’s eyes, but judging from his clenched jaw and the way he was sawing at the meat on his plate, Nico was absolutely livid.

When breakfast was over, they prepared to leave the estate. Will exchanged goodbyes and well-wishes with Lityerses and Zoe along with an invitation to write, and then he gave Midas a more formal farewell.

Reyna gestured Will and Nico to their carriage with Mellie and Hedge, but Nico said, “My husband and I will be riding alone in the second carriage with the luggage,” and Will prepared himself to face Nico’s anger.

The second carriage—the luggage carriage—had to be rearranged to accommodate for their presence. While he waited, Will looked back at Zoe and Lityerses. They seemed nervous for him, Will noted, so he smiled at them reassuringly. He could handle Nico on his own.

For the first few minutes of the ride, there was silence as they sat in the cramped carriage. The luggage was carefully restrained but took up a great deal of the car, leaving Will and Nico forced to sit rather close. The carriage clacked over the stone roads of Phrygia as Will looked over the luggage and out the window angrily—angry at Midas for the secrets that lay clustered in the cracks of those too-clean streets, angry at Nico for being angry with him, and angry at both of them for making Zoe cry.

Will wanted to be angry. He couldn’t remember ever wanting to be angry before, but right then, he did. He wanted to be angry because Nico was angry, Nico was about to yell at him, and Will did not plan on backing down. After all, anger may not be good, but it could be useful.

Will had always tried to live his life in a way that ensured no one had a reason to be upset with him because he hated making people angry and he was terrible at dealing with it. He always became submissive when anger was directed at him, ready to roll over and show his belly by way of apology, too desperate to please to fight back. With Nico, Will decided, he would not be like that.

Nico, unlike Will, was short-tempered, quick to jump headfirst into an argument without thinking about the consequences. But with Will, Nico, too, submitted easily. As soon as Will smiled at him, Nico’s anger fizzled away. And then, when Will tried to discuss it, Nico always quickly assured Will that nothing was wrong, that Will hadn’t been at fault, and that he was sorry he’d gotten angry. It had taken Will a while to take notice of the problem, but he’d figured it out at their wedding after Nico stormed off when Will teased him about Cecil and Ellis. Whenever Nico had gotten angry at Will before that incident, Will really hadn’t done much wrong. That time at their wedding, Will had. And yet Nico had done the same thing he’d always done—brushed aside Will’s apology and assured Will that he wasn’t at fault, taking responsibility for the entire encounter on his own. They’d never had a real discussion about what happened.

Will would not allow that to become normal for them. He would not allow that to happen to his marriage.

So Will clung to his anger desperately, vowing to himself that he would be strong and that he would force Nico to be strong, too.

When Nico finally spoke, his voice was icy, clear, and firm, and Will didn’t think he’d have to worry about Nico succumbing too quickly to let out his feelings.

“How dare you.”

The fresh wave of fury that rolled over Will promised that he wasn’t in danger of surrendering, either. “And what, exactly, are you referring to?” Will said. “How dare I spend time with Lityerses, or how dare I heal Midas’ daughter? I wouldn’t turn away a patient on the basis of disliking their father. I’m a healer, Nico. This is my duty.”

“You’re my husband and you have a duty to me.”

“Forgive me, but I do not think that my spousal duties include medical negligence.”

“I’m not asking you to abandon someone in need of healing. I’m asking you not to meet with people I distrust without at least making me aware.”

Will scoffed. “Do you have a list of people I am not allowed to speak to?”

“You didn’t need a list. You knew very well that it would upset me.”

That, at least, was true. Will had known that Nico wouldn’t like him being alone with Lityerses and Zoe while he healed her. But that was hardly the point. He didn’t think Nico had the right to be upset about it.

“And why should I consult you before healing someone? I wasn’t aware that you had any authority in matters involving medicine.”

“Don’t speak to me that way,” Nico growled.

“You can’t give me orders without an explanation!”

“What is there to explain? I’m asking you to behave like a husband ought to!”

“The way a husband ought to?” Will demanded. “In that case, Your Highness, a good husband would never try to stop me from healing someone.”

“I’m saying that you should have consulted me!”

“I couldn’t consult you! It would have been a breach of privacy to say something. It’s my responsibility as a healer to protect the confidentiality of my patients and Plutons are so private about their health nowadays.”

“That is ridiculous,” Nico snapped. “You shouldn’t keep secrets from your husband.”

“I didn’t keep a secret,” Will insisted. “I protected someone’s right to confidentiality, and I’d do it again.”

“Not just someone. You were making deals with someone you knew I didn’t trust.”

“And what would you have done if you knew? Would you have asked me to stop? If you had, I wouldn’t have listened to you.”

“I would have at least liked to have been made aware! We need to be careful what interactions we have with that family. Look what’s happened—you didn’t consult me and now Midas has proposed sponsorship, which would get you even more involved with them! You are not to accept his offer.”

Will hadn’t been interested in Midas’ patronage, but Nico prohibiting it tempted Will to reconsider.

He took a deep breath to quell the fury boiling inside him, and in a shaky voice, he said, “You are being ridiculously controlling and you have been this way the entire trip. You won’t let me talk to anyone and if I go against your wishes, you fly into a rage. Do you have any idea how much you embarrassed me in front of Lityerses this week? Your jealousy was out of line.”

“Embarrassed you?” Nico repeated. “If you want to talk about embarrassment, then let’s discuss you using my given name in front of Midas—twice! Even after I asked you not to!”

“Yes, so I made a mistake! I’ve been in the habit of using your given name and I said it without meaning to. And I understand that you value privacy—even if you don’t seem to value the privacy of others—but somehow I don’t believe that’s all this was about.”

“Really,” Nico snarled. “Then enlighten me, Will: what was it about?”

“This was because you didn’t want them to think that you allowed someone to see you when you were vulnerable, or that you trusted someone enough to let them use your given name. You didn’t want them to think I was important to you. You wouldn’t let them see us. You wouldn’t even let them see me. You kept trying to lock me in a box to show off when it suited you to have a husband who’d pick out all the problems with the welfare of Midas’ animals, but the second I said anything remotely positive about someone in that family, you’d explode. Lityerses, namely. Honestly, Nico, he’s not the same person you met before.”

“People don’t change, Will,” Nico growled.

“You’ve changed,” Will pointed out. “You’ve changed so much in the years I’ve known you. You’re hardly the person I met three years ago, and you’re certainly not the boy my aunt introduced me to in Venadica when we were children. And right now, you’ve changed into someone who’s completely overbearing and absurdly jealous.”

“How was I supposed to know what you were doing with Lityerses?” Nico demanded. “You wouldn’t tell me anything! All I knew was that you were lying to me and you’d tell me you were going to look over some records or go to bed early or read a book, then I’d find you with Lityerses instead. What was I supposed to think?”

“You shouldn’t have suspected me. Frankly, I’m insulted that you’d even say that. You know, Nico—you know I love you. You know that you’re the only person I’ve ever loved. How dare you think that I would go behind your back? Do you really trust me so little that you would jump to these terrible conclusions when I didn’t tell you where I was for a few hours this week?”

Nico opened his mouth, but then he choked on his breath and averted his eyes. He fell back against his seat and turned to look out the window instead.

They didn’t speak again for a long while. They exchanged a few short words where mandatory when the carriages stopped for a while in a town several hours outside of Phrygia for a break. After letting the horses rest and having a meal, they boarded again. Will half-expected Nico to insist on the two of them taking separate carriages, but Nico climbed into the luggage car again, looked back at Will, and jerked his head to indicate for Will to follow.

Still, they didn’t speak. Will kept his hands on his lap and looked out the window until he felt something brush across his pinky. When he looked down, he noticed Nico’s hand on his own lap, lightly touching Will’s over where their thighs pressed together in the cramped car. Will wondered if Nico had touched him on purpose. He reached out with one finger to test the theory, then their hands slowly crept closer until their fingers were firmly entwined.

It was late into the night, about an hour outside Divitia, and Will had been half-dozing when Nico finally spoke up again.

“I was afraid,” he said.

Will had been leaning against the door, but turned towards Nico in surprise. “Afraid?” he repeated after a moment’s hesitation.

“Midas,” Nico said. “I was afraid he’d do something to you. Lityerses, too.”

Will frowned, but waited for Nico to continue.

“When I was a child, I...Midas....”

Nico stopped and sighed. He remained silent for another moment before continuing. “Asterion. Long ago, I told you that he had a cruel first master.”

“His master was Midas?”

Nico shook his head. “No. But Asterion’s master was involved in the same secret baiting ring. At first, they mainly baited bulls, but when the Scarlet Delirium began to take a toll on the economy, bulls became too expensive and valuable to throw away for entertainment. They turned to dogfighting instead. And Asterion...you’ve seen Asterion’s scars.”

Will waited, but Nico didn’t continue. “This was why you left Asterion behind?” he asked.

Nico nodded.

Will swallowed. “Nico, were you...how did you end up with Asterion if...and if you know so much about this, then—Nico, did you see all this?”

Nico nodded again. “Asterion’s first master was my old tutor, Minos. All of this happened when I stayed in Minos’ estate in the countryside during the Scarlet Delirium. I was the one who testified against them.”

“Gods above, Nico,” Will whispered, and the last lingering bits of his anger melted away. He didn’t need it anymore—he wasn’t in any danger of falling victim to his own urge to quell someone else’s wrath. Now Nico was vulnerable, opening up to Will in a way he hadn’t before. Now Will’s job was to listen.

“And Lityerses,” Nico said. “You asked if I didn’t like him because he was offered as a suitor, but that wasn’t...I didn’t even meet with him, Will. I sent him away. I don’t like him because Midas used to bring him to watch the fights. I saw him there, Will. I saw him laugh.”

“Oh, Nico,” Will said, gut twisting in disgust. He’d known that Lityerses had gone to the matches, but laughing at them? And Nico had been forced to watch him? “Nico, I’m so sorry, really—and what I said—I know you don’t like being reminded of past suitors, but I went and said all that anyway.”

“It wasn’t exactly an unreasonable assumption—”

“No, Nico, no. Listen to me. I shouldn’t have done it. I upset you needlessly, didn’t I? And from the way you reacted, it seems like this is much more painful for you than I thought it was.”

Nico sighed. “I just...when I was trying to court people before you, everyone kept berating me for what I was doing wrong. Everyone was frustrated with me. They all said I was just being difficult—first I refused to ever take a wife, and when they offered me husbands, I turned them away, too. Everyone kept telling me I was being childish. And if they didn’t believe I was being badly-behaved on purpose, then they just assumed I was a horrible person who no one would ever willingly agree to marry.”

Nico wasn’t exaggerating, Will knew—he’d had the reputation of being cold for years before Will met with him. Cecil had even approached Will out of concern at his own wedding, hinting that he suspected Will had been forced into the arrangement.

“I’ve always felt like I wasn’t taken seriously,” Nico continued. “And yes, I was...difficult. But I was always so angry at that age and sometimes it was hard for me to control it. The fact that no one bothered to listen to me only made me even angrier. Besides, all my suitors came with an impression of me already in their heads that I couldn’t easily overwrite—except for you, of course. Fortunate that I found someone who’d admired me as a child, wasn’t it?”

Nico smiled at Will like he was trying to make a self-deprecating joke, but Will didn’t find it very funny.

“I won’t tease you about it again,” Will said. “And I certainly won’t make those accusations anymore.”

Nico’s smile twitched and he looked away. “With other suitors, you’d be partly right. I was rather terrible and some of them were, too, so yes, I have some rather petty grudges. But Lityerses—I don’t think what you said would have upset me so much if it hadn’t been about Lityerses.”

“I understand,” Will said. “But it still upsets you, so I won’t tease you like that again. And as for Lityerses—what he did was disgusting, I agree. I don’t approve in the slightest and I’m not trying to defend him. But I do need you to know that he truly isn’t like that anymore.”

“Will, I know what I saw. He laughed.”

“I know,” Will said. He reaffirmed his grip on Nico’s hand. “Actually, Lityerses and I discussed his father’s baiting. He told me that he went to see the fights and that he enjoyed them at the time. But Lityerses and I only talked about it. I understand that hearing about the horrible things a person does and seeing them are very different. You may never be able to forgive Lityerses, but can you at least try to listen to what I have to say?”

Nico’s jaw tensed, but he lowered his eyes and nodded.

“Lityerses only knew what his father had taught him,” Will started. “He never had a reason to question Midas until his trial because he didn’t realize his father was doing anything wrong. He’s learned since then. He’s been scrutinizing everything his father does for years so that he’ll know if Midas ever does anything like that again. He’s been looking into the wellbeing of the ponies, too. He helped me go over the records. Nico, I’m not trying to defend what Lityerses did, but children can’t be held completely accountable for acting on what their parents teach them. What matters is who they grow up to be. Lityerses is an adult now and he’s made his own choices. He’s not your enemy anymore.”

Nico pursed his lips. “I trust you, but it might take me a while to believe that.”

“I understand. And there was nothing to be jealous of.”

Nico nodded. “I know.”

“And if you do feel jealous anyway, I’d like you to discuss it with me instead of being angry about it,” Will said. “I suspect you’d feel far less angry if you’d just talk to me. You can’t just tell me how to act or who to spend time with.”

“I know,” Nico said again. He rubbed his temple. “I’m this way with Reyna, too. I got so jealous when she was around Prince Jason because I was scared he’d take her away from me.”

“Nico,” Will said slowly, “you do realize that’s ridiculous, don’t you? Just as ridiculous as me running off with Lityerses.”

Nico frowned in distaste. “I didn’t think you’d run off with him.”

“Then what did you fear would happen?”

“I don’t know,” Nico admitted. “I suppose I was jealous that you were talking to him instead of listening to me. I was scared that you’d get hurt somehow.”

“You thought he meant to harm me?”

Nico sighed. “I don’t know what I thought. I wasn’t thinking. I was...reacting. That’s what I’ve been doing this entire trip. I shouldn’t have come to Phrygia at all, really. Given my history with Midas, Reyna offered to send someone in my place, but I thought I could handle it. At the very least, I shouldn’t have brought you into this.”

Will felt a spark of annoyance flicker back up inside him. “If you hadn’t brought me into it, Zoe would still be ill. You wouldn’t have all the information you do on the ponies. I didn’t need your protection, Nico. I’m sorry you felt that way, but that didn’t give you the right to keep me locked up or to stop me from healing people. Everything you worried about was entirely in your head. I even tried to tell you that earlier this week.”

“I—” Nico looked like he wanted to argue, but then he sighed. “Yes. You’re right. I know.”

Will watched as Nico fiddled with the lace trim of his sleeve in the moonlight.

It was another moment before Nico started talking again.

“You were right to heal her. I wish you had notified me, but...of course you saw to her first. I wouldn’t ask you to neglect someone in need of healing.” Another silence. “I’m trying to apologize. I’m terrible at apologizing.”

“No, we’re not doing this,” Will said, and Nico looked up in surprise. “No,” Will repeated. “We were doing so well and we’re not going to stop now. You’re not just going to tell me you’re sorry for everything and then just expect us to move on. You are going to explain to me why you’ve been so angry. I’m going to tell you why I’ve been angry. We will work out together what we did wrong and what we should have done instead. Now tell me why you hated me using your given name in front of Midas so much.”

“I overreacted—”

“No, Nico. Tell me why you were angry.”

“I....” Nico stopped. A second later, he started again, but then he stopped just as quickly. Finally, he said, “I do like privacy, but you were right. That wasn’t what it was about. I didn’t want Midas to think that I was....”

“What? Weak?”

Nico half-shrugged, half-nodded. “I was a child last time we met. I testified against him in the trial, but he managed to squirm his way around the law. This time, I wanted to seem...powerful. I wanted him to know that he couldn’t take advantage of my inexperience anymore. I wanted to make it very clear that I was his prince and his duke and that he was to answer to me. I thought that if you behaved more formally, he’d...I don’t know anymore. It sounds silly now.”

“You didn’t want to be underestimated.”

Nico nodded.

“You could have said this to me earlier. I would have been happy to help you intimidate him.”

Nico blew out a puff of air and smiled weakly as he shook his head. “Will, you can’t be intimidating. You’re too kind.”

“Nico,” Will said. “I had him quaking in his shoes when I confronted him about the ponies. I think I’m the one being underestimated.”

Nico blinked at Will. “Yes,” he said, like he hadn’t considered that before. He paused. “Yes. You are quite amazing, Will. It really is a shame that you’re not making trips to Venadica. If you want to accept Midas’ funding, I....” Nico frowned, like the next part was difficult to say. “Well, I won’t like it, but he is wealthy. And you’re right, this sort of thing is your choice.”

Will frowned in confusion at the sharp change in topic. “Thank you, Nico,” he said. “It’s my choice, but your support does mean a lot to me. And....” Will looked at their hands, still joined on top of their thighs. “I know that I did some things wrong on this trip, too. Can you talk to me more about what made you so angry this week? It can’t have all been about Lityerses, can it?”

Nico sighed and adjusted the way he was sitting to get more comfortable on the bench. “I felt like you were being...oddly capricious,” he admitted. “One moment, you were passionately involved in taking care of the pit ponies, and the next you were having tea with Lityerses or saying you wanted to go to bed early or telling me you wanted to relax and read a book. I couldn’t tell if you really wanted to help or not.”

“I was with Zoe,” Will explained. “And when I was with Lityerses, we were either talking about Zoe or the pit ponies.”

“Well, I know that now. I just didn’t know that then.”

“I thought you were difficult to read, too,” Will said. “One minute, I felt like you valued my opinion and my help, and the next, you were brushing me aside.”

“Because I was upset because I thought you were difficult to read.”

“You didn’t have to act so vengeful. You could have talked to me about it.”

“And you could have done the same. But even if I had approached you, what would you have said? You would have just lied to me about Zoe again.”

“I—” Will started, but Nico was right.

“You should have told me something, Will. You could have said that you were healing someone.”

“Honestly, Nico, I didn’t think that it would cause such a problem.”

“I don’t believe that. You knew that it would upset me.”

Will’s words caught in his throat. “Yes,” he said after a second. “Yes, you’re right. I did. But I didn’t do it with the intention of upsetting you. Do you know how important confidentiality is to some people, Nico? This wasn’t about keeping a secret or lying. If I’d told you I was healing someone in the estate at Midas’ request, you would’ve had questions and I could have accidentally revealed too much. I don’t think it would have been difficult for you to find out that I was looking after his daughter.”

“That’s ridiculous, Will,” Nico said, his snapish tone taking Will by surprise. “You could have told me what you just said—that you were healing someone in the estate, but you couldn’t give me more information because you wanted to keep their identity private. If I asked questions, you could have told me that you couldn’t answer. Instead, you lied to me—and not very well, either. It was obvious that you were hiding something. I was confused. You refused to spend time with me, I kept finding you with Lityerses after you told me you’d be doing something else, and I had no idea what was going on with you.”

Will swallowed thickly. Nico was right. He could have done something, but he hadn’t. “I think that by the time I realized that not telling you about Zoe would cause such a problem, we were both already so angry,” he said. “I didn’t especially want to talk about it and I’m not sure you would have listened at that point.”

Nico nodded. “That’s true,” he admitted. “After you made that comment about me judging Lityerses as an ex-suitor, I was so furious with you that everything made me angry.”

“I really am sorry about that.”

“I know. That’s not the point, though—the point is that I still think you should have said something from the beginning, when I asked you what Midas wanted after he visited you that first evening. Just that someone was ill. For all I knew, it could have been a stable boy—or even a horse. You didn’t have to specify that your patient was human.”

Will nodded. “You’re right. I don’t regret trying to protect Zoe’s confidentiality, but you’re right—I should have done something differently. I should have told you enough to ease your worries, or I could have even asked Zoe for permission to speak to you. I really did feel guilty about everything.”

“In any case, you did some impressive work this week,” Nico said, his voice taking on softer tone. “You handled all the ponies and the mine’s records of them, you dealt with Midas so well, and you did all that while looking after Zoe. I’m sorry I didn’t appreciate it at the time.”

Will smiled warily. “Thank you, but you don’t have to flatter me. I’m not angry anymore.”

“Maybe I just want to compliment my husband.”

Will’s smile felt more genuine then. “So do you forgive me?” he asked.

“Of course I do,” Nico answered. “Do you forgive me?”

Will did—there was no question about it. Perhaps they’d need to talk about it more in the future, but he was tired of fighting and he wanted to smooth the whole thing over and move on. It seemed like Nico felt the same.

Still, Will couldn’t resist teasing his husband just a little.

“Not yet,” Will replied. “I require a display of devotion to ensure that your apology is genuine.”

Nico looked confused for a moment, but then he grinned. “A display of devotion?”

“A kiss will do.”

So Nico gave him a kiss, and they continued to kiss until they reached Divitia.

#solangelo #Will solace #Nico di Angelo #solangelo fanfiction #solangelo fanfic #solangelo royalty au #solangelo arranged marriage au #arranged marriage AU #pjo arranged marriage AU #royalty au #pjo royalty au

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marbleheavy · 3 years

Text

all these others gonna tear me apart

“You are the son of Apollo?” the King asks.

“Yes, Your Majesty,” Will says calmly.

“And why have you come?”

“My kingdom has fallen,” Will tells him, “My family is dead. I have nowhere else to go. I heard of the graciousness of Olympus and how they are receiving refugees from what seems to be the end of times. I came to ask for sanctuary.”

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Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse AU

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Rated: Mature (for violence)

30,762 words

Read it on AO3!

#I DID IT #I FINISHED IT #horsemen au #andromeda fic #solangelo #plague will solace #well pestilence actually #but!!#will solace has plague powers #and that's the important part #royalty au #nico di angelo #will solace #secret relationship

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toffrox · 4 years

Text

Solangelo as TS albums

Lover - canon solangelo

all of my enemies started out friends

there’s a dazzling haze/ a mysterious way about you dear

something gave you the nerve/ to touch my hand / it's nice to have a friend

literally the entire song Daylight

Folklore - childhood friend au

and i’ve been meaning to tell you/ i think your house is haunted/ your dad is always mad and that must be why

i knew you/ playing hide and seek and/ giving me your weekends

don't want no other shade of blue but you

1989 - college au

so young, but we're on the road to ruin/ we play dumb, but we know exactly what we're doing

baby, I know places we won't be found

calling me up/ but I don't know what to say/ i've been picking up the pieces/ of the mess you made

RED - three days in the infirmary

walked in, expecting you'd be late/ but you got here early and you stand and wave/ I walk to you

autumn leaves falling down like pieces into place

all I know is we said, "Hello"/ And your eyes look like coming home

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pls-let-me-out · 4 years

Text

Invisible String

So, this is a snippet (i think this is what they are called? I don’t know?) of the soulmate/modern royalty au i’m writing because

aesthetic

@pjobroadwayslut14

The Queen smiles, while the King looks like his usual stoic self. Will has met him a couple of times, but the King has never spoken to him. Will has literally zero court etiquette, but even he knows that he can’t speak to the King, if he isn’t being spoken to first.

“Everything will be fine,” the Queen says. “His Highness will like you, I’m sure.”

What if it is Will who doesn’t like the other? What if they just don’t click, and are still stuck with this damned bond?

The King goes to sit on the throne, the golden crown shines bright on his dark head. The Queen squeezes Will’s arm, giving him a reassuring smile.

“It’s going to be okay,” she says. “Keep a smile on your face. Photos will be taken.”

Will nods. He can’t find it in himself to tell her that knowing that is not helping his nerves at all. He takes a deep breath; Hazel flashes him a smile.

Annabeth comes to tell him where to stand. Not near the thrones, where the Royal Family is, but with the lords and ladies.

Bells ring. Prince Niccolò is at the gates. Will takes a deep breath.

Trumpets. Prince Niccolò is at the front doors. A drop of sweat is running down Will’s temple.

The doors open. Will doesn’t remember closing his eyes.

A staff is beaten on the marble pavements. A guard clears his throat. Will opens his eyes.

“His Highness, Crown Prince Niccolò di Angelo of House Pluto.”

The guard moves. His shoes squeak, then steps echoes, and–

Will’s heart stops.

Soulmates are rare. As much as Will despises the bond, he used to like hearing the story of how his mother met his father.

“It all becomes more; you know?” she would tell him. If he closed his eyes, he could hear her voice even now, her Texan accent coating the words as she brushes the hair from his face. “You look at the world, and it’s brighter, as lovely as Grandma’s tales say. You believe that magic can exist.”

When he was fifteen, Will tried scrubbing the tattoo off his shoulder.

Now Prince Niccolò enters, and the whole world holds its breath as he walks through the room. His steps slow down, until he’s standing still, his head slowly turns.

It would be a magical moment. It should be. The sun is hitting Prince Niccolò just right, shining right behind him. The golden medals on his chest are almost blinding, his hair is flawless. For a moment, his fingers move, as though trying to grasp the invisible strand tying him and Will.

Only, Will feels nothing. The world isn’t brighter, nor tender.

It’s the clicking of the cameras that brings the Prince back to reality. He blinks, his gaze shifts to the nobles behind Will, and the spell on him breaks. Even from afar, it’s clear that his breath shudders.

The world isn’t any different, but Will can’t stop shaking. He grips the hem of his coat, until his nails hurt.

Will’s and the Prince’s eyes don’t meet again.

#modern royalty au #solangelo #nico di angelo #will solace #nico as the prince #his name is niccolò because why not #solangelo fanfic #lgbtq fiction #soulmates au #rick riordan

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alien-rainbow · 3 years

Text

The Princes Of The North and South (1/3)

Solangelo fic, Royalty AU, kinda sad ending, kinda not, Will is betrothed to Bianca

Word Count: 1,732

The moon reflected off the snow and pretend up the through room witch was covered in shadows because the only light was coming from the candle chandeliers and the huge heath that sat in the middle of the room. The castle of Phoebus or The Sun Palace, as Will's family called it, was made to allow in the most natural light possible. The snow was falling gently covered the ground in a cold silence that matched the moon inside of the room. Will perched on the ebony chairs and stared silently at his dinner that sat on golden glistening plates. It was a wonderful assortment of meats, potatoes, berries, gravy, and biscuits though he had lost his appetite.

Kalliop, the queen had just informed him that he would be wedded the princess, Bianca Di Angelo of Olympus. The kingdom of Olympus took months to get to from William’s castle in the South while Pluto, the crown city of Olympus was placed in the north. While it didn't snow much. The castle was almost always cold and was wedged in between two huge black mountains. Will had interacted with all the royal children throughout the continent at a once every ten-year ball, though he had never talked personally with the princess. Even if had talked with her then he wouldn't remember her. It had been ten years since the last ball and there would be another this spring. Will had been only six and the Princess would have been seven, Will believed that she also had a younger brother who would have been five.

Will could only remember a few things from that night, most of the memories were of a blur of music, sweets, other people of all ages dressed in the fancies things they could find. The memories that were solidified in his mind was one boy, he was a head shorter than WIll and a year younger. He had olive skin, dark brown, maybe black hair, and dark eyes. He remembered those eyes sparkling with mischief as he and Will ran around tormenting the older royalty. It pained Will that he couldn't remember the boy's name. When Will had first met the boy he had remembered the child's bright smile and how the first thing Will said to him was how beautiful he was, back then it was fine. It pained Will that he couldn't remember his name. Though he knew if he ever saw the boy again he would remember. Will had never met someone like him, his pale confection and dark eyes were not common in his kingdom.

Will also remembered thinking that the older girls looked ridiculous wearing so much material. The older the people looked, the sadder they looked. He remembered the strange looks they gave him and it wasn't until years later that it was confusion. They had forgotten the beautiful innocence of childhood and the time when they believed that royalty meant that would have everything they ever wanted. Will knew he was privileged but it didn't mean that parts of royalty didn't suck.

There was no way for him to marry someone from love because marriage was an alliance and always had been that way. Also, the fact that Will fancied men didn't help. His father was the only one and had known about him but after he died and his mother took control over the kingdom, he had to hide himself to stay alive. If he died then, Austen would just take his place as next in line. The queen, Wills "mother" hated him. Will's real mother was a musician with whom witch his father had had an affair. The queen's real son, Orpheus was dead days after his birth, Will had been born a few days earlier so they just put him in as the king's child. Though the queen refused to gove Will her son's name. She couldn't stand Will and wanted him dead but since he was the king's firstborn and the fact that his father had loved him unconditionally, she wanted to honor his memory and allow Will to take his place as the crown prince. Though she didn't make anything easier for him. One slip up and he would be punished for it, something like being attracted to men would get him killed.

Will was snapped back to reality when his mother harshly spoke his name, "William, you will respond to me when I speak to you," she said tightening her lips, forming a thin line of displeasure. His siblings looked at him with pity, Austin and Kayla looked worried for him. They knew that Will hated the idea of marrying, though they didn't know that it was the female part of marriage he disliked. His older sister Eriopis looked longingly at him, she would have given anything to be able to rule her own father's kingdom. The queen also disliked Eriopis but only because she was a reminder of Apollo's first marriage, while Will was a disgrace upon the family name.

"Yes, mother," was all Will could manege, he felt as though his collar was tightening around his neck. He knew this day would come but he didn't think It would come so fast. He had also held the small hope that he would have some choice as to who he married, but then again, the queen saw him as the crown prince and not her son. "I'm not feeling well, may I turn in early?" Will asked politely trying to not upset the queen further. She studied him quietly then slowly nodded her head.

"You will need your sleep anyhow," she said waving a jeweled hand through the air, they will arrive tomorrow morning," Will did everything he could to not gasp or show any sign of shock.

"Ye-Yes, Mother," WIll studied then turned on his heels and walked quickly out of the dining hall as four soldiers turned to follow him. Will glanced behind him in search of a familiar face in the guard. He made eye contact with Cecil Markowitzn and after he gave him a small nod, Will broke into a sprint down the hall, he didn't care who saw him or what he did, he just needed to get out. He ran down the halls and almost tripped onto his face multiple times before reaching a back door that led into the garden. Goosebumps formed on his skin as the cool air slipped through the cotton shirt and wool and fur cape.

"Will?" a quiet voice whispered. Will whipped around to see Markus slip out of the wooden door and walked swiftly over to the taller male and wrap his arms around him engulfing the prince in a hug. "What happened, I only saw you sprinting through the castle as the guards struggled to keep up with your gazel speed," Markus let out a small laugh at the fact that WIil could put the royal guard to shame when it came to sprinting.

"I'm betrothed," Will leaned his head against the man's chest, Markus's solder length hair was earth brown that matched his brown eyes. Those eyes now gazed sadly at Will.

"Oh..." Markus and Will had flirted years ago but after about a year of considering themselves together (secretly), they broke up. They were now friends with benefits and Markus was the only person Will felt like he didn't have to pretend around. Markus tightened his arms around Will as tears started to slip out of the prince's eyes. Markus continued to rub the blonds back in a soothing motion and after a few minutes asked, "Who?" Will took a deep breath and let out a shaky breath before speaking.

"Princess Bianca Di Angelo of Olympus," Will said slowly as if testing the words. Will lifted his head to look into Markus's eyes, like his younger siblings, they held worry and pity. Markus then smiled gently and bopped Will's nose causing the prince to let out a small laugh.

"Whatever happens you will be a great ruler Will," Markus gently took Will's hands and pressed kisses against his fingers. "You have more kindness in the tips of your fingers than most people possess in their whole body, whatever happens, You will be a great king. That's a fact." Tears started to flow even harder cascading down his cheeks, feezing before they even left his face. "You'll always have me," Markus said continuing to smile at the prince. "I may be nothing but a stable hand but I'll always be here if you need to talk."

"You're more than just a stable hand, You're my best and only friend."

"And that's, why I'll never leave your side, My king," Markus said bowing dramatically then looking up to smile at him. Will didn't want to go through with this marriage but knowing that he would always have Markus made it a bit easier.

"I should get to bed, the future queen is arriving tomorrow." Markus also seemed surprised by the lack of notice considering the fact that it took months to travel to Wills kingdom from the Di Angelos country in the north.

"Of course, I need to get back anyway," Markus pulled Will into one last tight hug before running in the direction of the stable, choosing to go around instead of through the castle. Will watched the shorter boy jog back when he rounded of the coroner and Will could no longer see him did he head back into the castle. He walked quickly through the halls knowing that someone would get in trouble if the queen found out how much he ran off and for how long. Will turned into the hall that his room was in and he saw four guards standing at their positions next to his door and Cecil talking with them. When the gaurd caught sight of him he jogged up and began to scold him for running off though Cecil had never once tried to stop him. Will acted like Cecil’s lecture was working and once he was pleased with Wills acting he allowed Will into his room. Will excused his servent and tore off his clothing himself though struggling greatly. After he had stripped himself and slipped on a simple cotton nightgown, Will fell into the soft silk of his bed and passed out the second his head hit the feather stuffed pillows.

#solangelo #will solace #nico di angelo #bianca di angelo #fanfic #royalty au #writing #writer #wrote this instead of sleeping #fluff #apollo #bittersweet #bittersweet ending #childhood friends

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