Npov

My heart soared. Apollo was going to let me be with Will again! I was going to be with him!

He pulled my cage out from under the bed.

"Nico!" Will beamed at me. Apollo opened the door to my cage and I kept out of it, into Will's arms. He hugged me to his chest and I felt him start shaking a bit.

Was he... crying?

I looked up at him. He was smiling, but he did have tears falling down his cheeks.

He's crying tears of joy, I realized.

"I've missed you so much..."

He buried his face in my fur and I licked his cheek. I'm okay, I tried to tell him.

After a while, he took a deep breath and put me down. I turned human, then he wrapped his arms around me again.

"I missed you, too." I said.

He pulled away from the hug once more and started looking me over, obviously looking for injuries.

"Are you hurt?"

"No, he took care of me."

"Do you feel alright? Are you sick?"

"No, Will, I'm okay."

"Are you-"

"Will. Your dad took care of me. I'm alright. Really."

He pulled me towards himself again, but his eyes were on his dad. "Why did you do everything you did?"

"I knew Hera would be coming. If she thought me to be a caring, thoughtful dad, she wouldn't have trusted me. And I had to hide Nico, not so that you'd marry who I wanted you to, but so that she wouldn't suspect anything and would have my full trust. I couldn't tell you this, though, because if you knew, it'd ruin the whole plan. You're a terrible liar, Will. Honestly."

"One more thing." Will said. "Mother. What really happened to her?"

What? I thought Will said she died... I looked up at him curiously. What had he found while I was locked up?

Apollo's gaze fell on me. "Right. Nico, I need to show you something." I looked nervously at Will. What were they talking about?

Will took my hand as Apollo led us through the corridors and stopped at a large door that I recognized as the door that led to his room.

"And why did you keep nekos as slaves?"

"I had to hide the fact that Nico was here."

"What?"

"William, please, it'll all make sense soon, but I really have to ask Nico to translate something."

"Translate?"

"Well, that was the wrong word. Interpret is more like it."

"Okay...."

I bit my lip. What in Hades were they talking about?

Apollo swung open the doors and led us to a desk. On it was a map and a letter. He handed me the letter. "Read it." I frowned, but took the letter. I read through it. About halfway through I saw the symbol.

অধোলোক

FLASHBACK

I was a baby. I was in a crib and watching the mobile above me with fascination. Then I saw my parents come in. They were holding hands.

I laughed when I saw them. My mother picked me up and turned me to look at my bed. "Do you like it? We thought you would."

I laughed again as I looked at the crib. It was painted white with black designs on the side. অধোলোক was repeated. Over and over, but with spaces in between.

"The designs on the side represent our country. When you get older, you'll be king." My dad said.

My mother set me gently back down in the crib and smiled one last time at me before leaving with my father.

End of flashback .

I stumbled back.

My mother. I just saw my mother.

"Nico?! Are you alright?!" Will helped me stand. His father looked grim.

"T-the symbol..."

"What is it?"

Another wave of nausea swept over me as I remembered them talking about how it represented our kingdom. Meaning we had a kingdom.

"It doesn't make any sense..."

Apollo led me to the map of the castle. "Just as I suspected. Nico, I think your past is even worse than we thought. And Will... I think I know how to get your mother back."

1.) Have you figured it out yet? Just say yes, no, or maybe in the comments because we wouldn't want to spoil it for others.

2.) I'm really sorry about how terrible this is. I'm writing when I'm tired and uninspired to write so it probably seems forced. Oh well.

3.) 11.8 VIEWS?! THANK YOU SO MUCH!