AN: Okay so, few quick things. 1) I changed up the Prologue a bit so that this chapter makes a bit more sense. Mostly just ages and Percy's curse. 2) This is based in the 1500s cuz medieval times and all but we're gonna pretend they have some modern stuff cuz there's fairy and trolls so there's gonna be movies and plumbing. Okay? Okay. Enjoy!!
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Nico

Nico hadn't always been the broody, intimidating, loner type of guy.

He had actually been a rather happy child in his younger years. Hyperactive, inquisitive and oh so blissfully naïve. The picture perfect image of a cute, playful toddler. Not only that but he was also a lot healthier back then. His skin had a rich dark Italian tan, a large contrast to his now snow white complexion. His eyes were a bright and lively shade of brown contrary to the appearance of broken glass that they now held. His cheeks had even been full and chubby, the type that would have relatives pinching them as they exclaimed about how he had at least grown a good three inches since they saw him last. Now they were sunken and gaunt, his relatives huddling away from him while shielding their children as if he was a monster.

But that was the present and right now Nico had to focus on the past. If someone were to ask him about where his story first started and if he was in a good enough mood to tell you, (or if you were Will Solace) Nico would have to think back to a time that he could barely remember...a time when he was happy.

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Venice, Italy 1555

From what Nico remembered, Maria di Angelo was a beautiful lady. Her dark hair would always be tied back, a string of white pearls around her neck with white lace gloves to match. Combined with her black velvet dress and matching hat, she looked just like a stunning starlet from the movies. She was the daughter of an Italian diplomat that his father had met while on a business trip. The rest is history.

Soon after, Bianca and Nico were born, living with their mama while their father stayed with them for as long as he could, traveling back and forth between Italy and Olympia. They were quite a happy little family. Their relatives always cooed over how Bianca had their mama's radiant smile and how Nico had her dark brown eyes. They also made sure to point out how different their father was around her...

Bia hushed him, scolding him fondly. "Taci fratellino. Essi ci troveranno se siamo troppo forte." Nico stifled a giggle and nodded, putting a finger to his lips and making a shushing noise. He peered into the kitchen from behind the door, observing his Mama throw her head back and laugh at something at something Papa said, smiling as she stirred the dessert batter. Nico watched as Papa came into view, so big that Nico had to tilt his head all the way back to look up at him. He wrapped his arms around Mama's waist, and kissed her hair, a gentle smile spreading on his face. Mama tutted in disapproval but it was hard to miss the matching expression she wore.

"Stop that, I'm trying to make your dinner before you leave for your meeting." She chided, laughing softly when his Papa groaned in response and buried his face in her hair. Nico still couldn't get used to how strange her voice sounded with an Americano accent.

"Do I have to?" He grumbled "You know how they are. No respect at all." Mama rolled her eyes and flicked some of the batter onto Papa's nose.

"I keep telling you, if they saw this side of you, they'd be different. The kinder, gentler side that always comes out when you're with me or the bambini. The others would spurn and fear you less." She said firmly. Papa just continued to grumble and pulled away to wipe the batter off his nose, glaring playfully. Nico didn't really know how glares were playful but Bia had told him that Papa loved Mama very much and would never be a meanie to her. Papa huffed and Nico quickly turned his attention back to the scene before he missed anything.

"Why are you even cooking? You know we have the staff to do it." Now it was Mama's turn to huff.

"Nonsense! This is my family and only I will cook for them." She said firmly, setting her bowl down and poking Papa square in the chest, her other hand on her hip. The sight was so funny that Nico couldn't help but to burst into giggles, quickly stopping and going deathly still when Mama looked in his direction. Eventually Mama turned back to her bowl, sighing sadly.

"It's such a shame though. I've finished the batter but the children aren't here. I suppose I'll have to let you lick the spoon instead." She said casually. Nico gasped in horror. Before Bianca could stop him, he ran into the kitchen, straight into Mama's waiting arms, exclaiming about how he got spoon licking rights and not Papa.

The last thing Nico remembered was his mother's laughter, the sound fading along with the memory.

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Venice, 1556

It wasn't very surprising that King Hades wasn't...popular in the other two major kingdoms. Despite being one of the three most powerful kings, he was the most despised among most nobles. They viewed him as a harsh and unforgiving king. The land he ruled over didn't help his image either. It was dark and gloomy for a good chunk of the year, pomegranates being the only food that grew yearly without fail. The kingdom was also prone to attacks, disease and crushing poverty. If Nico currently wasn't so furious with his father, he would've defended him. It wasn't his fault the kingdom was like this. Most of the other rulers refused to provide trade and alliances. Some of them were even the ones who attacked. Mostly King Zeus, the one who reigned over not just his one kingdom but also the entire Olympia empire. In Nico's opinion though, the man was a paranoid coward. But he may be biased.

You see, back in the fateful year of 1556, when Nico and Bianca had been the mere age of 3 and 5 years old, Zeus had decided enough was enough. King Hades was getting too powerful and must be stopped, effective immediately. Now Zeus couldn't attack Hades directly. That would cause the people to turn on him. So instead he launched a stealth attack.

To take out the two heirs.

Nico whimpered and burrowed himself further into Bianca's arms. He didn't like it in the basement. It was cold and dark and there were too many scary noises. Why did Papa make them stay down here?

There was a loud crash upstairs along with a lot of loud men yelling. Nico could feel Bianca start to tremble. Oh. That's why. Papa said something about bad men coming to visit so they had to stay down here. Nico didn't understand why though. Why were the bad men here? Maybe they had come for Nico since he had snuck an extra cookie at dinner when Mama and Papa weren't looking. As soon as the thought was in his head, Nico burst into tears, Bia trying her best to calm him. He'd give up cookies forever if it meant that he wouldn't have to leave Papa and Mama and Bia. Why was Papa taking so long anyways? He said he would get Mama and be right back. Why wasn't he back?

Bia was rocking him now, saying it hadn't been too long, only a couple of hours. Only a few hours? It had felt like they had been down for months. Nico thought that Bia was definitely trying to keep him quiet so he tried his very best to stop crying.

Eventually the yelling stopped and Papa came back for them. Nico noticed that Mama wasn't with him. He was about to ask but one glance at Papa and his mouth snapped shut. Papa looked...scary. Nico didn't know how else to describe it. Papa just...didn't look like Papa anymore. The three at them just stayed still and stared at each other for what had to be at least another month before Papa gestured for them to follow him, turning around and leaving without a word. Nico could only stare at where he used to be. Eventually Bia slowly got up and took Nico's hand, leading him back upstairs. The house looked the same as before...almost. It was messier. Nico noticed that the portrait of Mama was missing from one wall, along with the special obsidian vase she gave Papa. As Bia walked him through the halls, Nico noticed that they weren't the only missing things. There was a distinct lack of Mama everywhere they went. Nico suddenly realized what was happening. Mama must be playing hide and seek and she wanted them to find her! He grinned excitedly and let go of Bianca's hand, darting from room to room in search of Mama, checking even his best hiding spots that he told only her about.

He never found her though.

Nico checked the last place, frowning when he still couldn't find her. Mama was really good at this game. He didn't let that deter him though. He instead skipped off to find Papa.

He found him sitting in the kitchen, still looking very scary. Now Nico understood why. He couldn't find Mama either. But that was okay, they could search for her together. He ran up to him, bouncing excitedly.

"Papa?" No answer. "Papa! Hellooo?!" When Nico still didn't get a response, he huffed and stomped his foot. He did not like being ignored. "Papa! Do you know where Mama is hiding?" The question finally got a reaction from Papa, but he only sighed and got up, walking away.

"No." Nico grinned widely when his guess was confirmed and he ran after him, skipping along beside him when he caught up.

"That's okay Papa! Do you wanna look for her together?"

"No." Nico stopped skipping but quickly started up again, putting on his best pleading face.

"Pleeeeease Papa? I know we can find her if we look toget-"

"Your mother is dead Nico!" Papa suddenly shouted and Nico went rigid. He didn't know what 'dead' meant but Papa had never yelled at him before. Never ever. Nico feel his eyes fill up with tears and he ran off to Bia.

She didn't know what dead meant either.

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Olympia, 1563

After the attack, Hades moved Bianca and Nico to his castle in the Olympia region. At first, the realization of their mama's death pained them, but being as young as they were, the few memories they had of their mama faded as they aged. Hades had made himself scarce as soon as they got settled, leaving the two of them to be raised by the staff, most of the attention on his new wife, Princess Persephone. That didn't matter though. They had each other and that was enough for the two of them.

Nico remembered Bianca better than his mother but physically there wasn't much difference between them. Bianca was the one who resembled their mama best after all, the same olive skin tone, silky dark hair and lean body. One thing she did have of their father's though, was her eyes. They were pitch-black and sparkled with something akin to either genius or madness.

As much as Nico loved his sister, there were times where he wondered if it was the latter.

You see, Bianca was the firstborn child of their family. She had been blessed with one of Hera's gifts as well. Hera must of had a sick sense of humour because Bianca was given the ability to see and communicate with the dead. When they were younger, it seemed like fun. The ghosts Bianca talked to appeared to enjoy her company and vice versa. Nico actually got quite jealous of her at times, usually finding her sitting around the castle, wanting to talk and play with the ghosts instead of him. The fun didn't last for very long though.

When Nico was about 8 years old, the gift started to take its toll on Bianca. She was distant, even reclusive at times, hiding away in her room for a majority of the day. She barely ate or slept, didn't bother to brush her hair and her plain white nightgown became her favourite thing to wear. When Nico was 9 she started to break, crying and throwing tantrums like a toddler, screaming in terror at nothing but thin air. Hopefully.

There were also times when she got quiet. The times when her eyes looked dead and she would do nothing but stare off into space, sometimes mumbling incoherently under her breath. Nico was scared of those moments the most...

It was the middle of the night. Nico was alone in his own room in his own bed and he couldn't sleep. His father thought that with how Bia had been lately, it would be better if they slept separately. But no matter how hard he tried, Nico couldn't sleep. Bia might've been acting strange, but he still missed her.

Nico heard a light switch being flicked on and looked up to see a patch of light shining under his door from the hallway. Then he heard slow, deliberate footsteps that seemed to be coming towards his room...closer...and closer...

Nico was hiding under his blanket by now. He heard the sound of the doorknob turning, the sound of the door creaking open slowly and then no sounds at all. Just complete and utter silence. Nico was trembling now but he decided to risk it. He peeked out from behind the blanket and there, standing in the doorway in her white nightgown, was Bianca. She was breathing heavily, her fists clenching and unclenching at her sides. Her eyes were dead. Yet, Nico couldn't help but to relax at the sight of her.

"B-Bia?" He asked softly, slowly lowering the blanket. "You couldn't sleep either?" Bianca didn't answer him, simply standing there for a few more moments before she strode in and gripped his shoulders tightly, her eyes suddenly wild.

"Nico, you must listen to me. Holding a grudge is dangerous for us. It is our fatal flaw. You have to forgive. You have to. You have to promise me this. Promise me Nico" She said urgently, her eyes bloodshot from the lack of sleep, her grip on him tightening to the point where her nails were digging into his skin.

"B-Bia...you're scaring me..." Nico whispered softly, whimpering a bit at the pain blossoming in his shoulders. Bianca blinked slowly at him before lurching back so suddenly that he couldn't help but to yelp in surprise. She tilted her head at him and smiled a bit, finally relaxing.

"Good...that means you'll remember." She said softly before turning to walk out. She paused in the doorway, looking at him over her shoulder and giving him a smile that reminded him of how they used to be, back in Italy. "Goodnight Nico." She said softly before leaving him alone in the dark.

When Nico was 10, Bianca seemed to get better, back to her usual self. Nico was happy. Until she joined a few other royal children on one of their special 'quests'. Nico didn't really understand why quests were such a big deal. You had to fight monsters, you rarely slept in an actual bed and not to mention, there were no bathrooms with plumbing. The thing that annoyed him the most back then though was that he was too young to go. He made one of the Princes promise to bring her back safely. A pretty one, with sea green eyes. His name was Percy.

When they returned, the Prince had a small toy figurine instead of his sister. She had had another episode and disappeared during the night, somewhere off in the desert. For some reason, Hades thought it would be 'easier on the kingdom' if they thought she just fell ill and died of it.

So Bianca's death was covered up, nobody searched for her and Nico was officially alone.

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Olympia, 1568

Nico was a mess after what happened with Bianca. He couldn't run away because of the guards so he instead decided to get himself lost in the maze of a castle, eventually ending up in the underground dungeon. It was a story that Nico would rather not talk about. One that involved him almost setting a prisoner free. He still had nightmares about the experience.

Another nightmare worthy time was brought on when he was 14. He refuses to think about any memories from the time but he had fallen terribly ill one day, hellish hallucinations of unimaginable horrors plaguing him day in and day out. Nico came close to dying many times. When he was better, he was almost sad that he didn't.

It wasn't until a few weeks after he recovered, at one of the political meetings, that Nico realized the cause behind his sickness.

Nico looked around the room. The royal leaders were in one room, discussing political matters while the children were in another. To 'bond'.

It wasn't much of a bonding experience though. Everyone had separated into their own little cliques and were chatting away about the latest gossip. Something was off this time though. Nico noticed a distinct lack of sparkling sea-green and dull grey eyes. Prince Percy and Lady Annabeth were missing. Not that he minded, he had never been too fond of Annabeth and he absolutely...despised Percy after the incident with his sister.

That didn't mean he wasn't curious about it though. He spotted an advisor with a trident crest on his uniform and walked up to him, bowing to show at least some form of respect.

"Good afternoon. I just happened to notice that the crown prince Perseus is absent. Is he alright?" Nico asked with false concern. This was probably the only time he took his etiquette lessons seriously. The advisor thankfully seemed to be friendly, nodding and humming in thought.

"Yes, Perseus has regrettably fallen ill. He's suffering from these terrible hallucinations."

Nico's eyebrows shot up at that and he had a sudden sinking feeling in his gut. "Hallucinations? Is that so?"

"Yes, your Highness. Lady Annabeth as well. It's such a shame really, it's because of those cursed gifts. The Lady would have been spared of the illness if Perseus' gift hadn't been to share difficult times with those who fall in love with him"

Knowing of Percy's curse, it wasn't hard for Nico to put two and two together. That didn't mean he didn't hate himself for it though. In love with the boy who let his sister die? What a disgrace.

Of course, the other royal children weren't stupid. One by one they started to figure it out. Prince Jason, Queen Reyna. Even his younger sister Hazel, who appeared at the castle door last year and had been a part of the family ever since. Nico even gained the courage to tell Percy and Annabeth, after he had gotten over his crush. They all accepted him.

Yet, Nico still couldn't accept himself.

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Olympia, Present Day, 1569

"Wait, so you're telling me that you like boys?" Will asked, breaking Nico out of his thoughts. Nico suddenly became aware that sometime during the retelling of his past, Will had pulled him into his lap. He was currently running his fingers through Nico's hair and after the emotional word vomit, the soothing gesture felt nice. Nico decided not to point it out, instead taking the time to inspect Will's face carefully. The older boy looked oddly happy. Then again, Will always looked like that. Odd and Happy. Figuring that he didn't have much left to lose, Nico gave him a small nod of confirmation. He was rewarded with a grin brighter than the sun, his heart thumping wildly in his ribcage at the sight.

"I like them too."

For the first time in years, Nico felt a flicker of hope.

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Translations:
-Be quiet little brother. They will find us if we're too loud.
-Children