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The night of the long-awaited ball had finally come, and the queen of the Underworld could not contain her excitement as she and her husband galloped throughout the kingdom to survey ongoing preparations. The pathway to the lord’s castle, which had always been shrouded in darkness and made treacherous by both living and magical obstacles, was now ablaze with light and cleared of all dangers.
Hades reined his stallion to a stop upon reaching the cavernous entrance to the kingdom. Jumping off, he took hold of his queen’s slender waist before swinging her down. Once, this would have made her gasp or giggle but now, Persephone didn’t even say a word and immediately left his arms as soon as her feet touched the ground.
Picking up her skirts, she ran here and there, inspecting every little detail, her face a picture of intense concentration.
“There are not enough asphodels here,” Hades heard her fret. Asphodels were glowing white flowers that could only be found in the Underworld, and its rarity had led to immortals treating them as prized collections.
Tonight, the blooms would serve as welcome gifts for the queen’s esteemed guests, the flowers stringed together to form wreaths. Prepared in advance, the wreaths were laid out on a floating table, and after a cursory glance, Hades walked to where his queen was, asking quietly, “Are you sure you still need more? There seems to be enough.”
Persephone wringed her hands anxiously, saying, “Enough isn’t enough, Your Majesty. There must be more than enough. I would be so embarrassed if a guest were to come and find out that we’ve run out of wreaths. They would think we’re being selfish or worse—-” She lifted worried eyes to his. “They would think you are unsupportive of my endeavors—-” Persephone bit her lip. “I do not want them to think that, Hades. I want them to see for themselves that you are not the big, bad, scary monster the legends make them think you are.”
With her gaze swimming with tears, Hades was unable to deny his queen’s request and he said finally, “It shall be as you will then.”
He issued a command to one of the retainers and when he was done, Persephone threw her arms around his neck, her face lit with joy. “Thank you, thank you, oh you don’t know how excited I am. I know this shall be the most wonderful night of my life.”
Pulling away, she stepped back, saying teasingly, “But first, I must know. Do you think my dress wonderful?” She twirled around for effect, loving the way the voluminous skirts, which were spun from gold thread, played around her legs.
“It makes you even more becoming, my queen.” But was the gown worth risking antagonizing the goddess of wisdom?
In his last visit to Mt. Olympus, he had been stunned to have Athena giving him the cold shoulder. As they shared many similarities, there had never been a quarrel between them, and as such he had not hesitated to ask what was troubling to her.
At his question, Athena had looked at him with narrowed silver eyes before saying finally, “You do not know then.”
“Know what?”
“Your wife has approached Lady Arachne.”
Hades had been surprised. “Arachne? The brainless chit who has been boasting about her skills in needlework and her supposed superiority over you?”
“Yes,” Athena had answered dryly, “and apparently, your wife believes it.”
Hades had swiftly apologized on behalf of his queen and tried to excuse it as folly caused by her youth.
“I shall overlook it because of you, but Hades – we both have been young once, and even then we knew the difference between right and wrong, did we not?”
The memory made Hades grim, but he deliberately pushed the thought aside. Athena was only being her usual pessimistic self, he thought. Focusing on his queen, he told her with a smile, “You will make me the envy of many men tonight.”
Persephone giggled. “Do you really think so?”
“Of course.”
“Do you believe I am beautiful?”
“Do you truly have to ask that?”
“As beautiful as, perhaps, Helen of Troy?”
“More so in my eyes,” he said honestly.
“What about Aphro—-”
Hades blinked, a part of him incredulous that she would actually ask such a question. Surely she knew how vengeful the goddess of love and beauty could be when it came to anyone challenging her title as the world’s most beautiful woman?
Thankfully, the sound of powerful wings slicing through the air cut Persephone’s words off and Hades looked up just in time to see his second-in-command flying down.
Upon touching the ground, Thanatos bent down on one knee. “Milord, milady.”
Persephone squared her shoulders, and before her husband could react, she said in her best regal-sounding voice, “You may rise, Thanatos.”
Hades glanced at his queen in surprise, wondering if she was aware of how pompous she had sounded.
His face stoic, Thanatos reported about the influx of guests and the estimate time of their arrival. “With your permission, I shall inform the subjects living next to the doors to temporarily evacuate the area while—-” He stopped when Persephone shook her head.
“Which subjects are you talking about?” the queen asked.
“Those who live near the entrance, milady.” The winged demon’s tone was unnaturally ambiguous, making Hades frown. Why was Thanatos being evasive?
“Like the centaurs and harpies, perhaps?” Persephone insisted. “And the Gorgons, too?”
“Yes.” Hades answered on Thanatos’ behalf, murmuring, “Those are exactly the subjects Thanatos are referring to. I have offered them refuge in exchange of their sworn allegiance.”
“I knew you were talking about them,” Persephone said eagerly, “and Your Majesty, I beg you, please do not ask them to go.” Before he could answer, she continued passionately, “They might think you are ashamed of them, and you wouldn’t want that, would you, Hades? I am certain they would want to do their part and greet your guests. Let them know that they represent you, and they will consider it an honor that you have trusted them with such a responsibility.”
Thanatos’ face remained expressionless at the queen’s honeyed words, but inside he was hoping that the king would see through his wife and prevent such a travesty from happening.
What the queen was saying was different from the queen planning. He would stake his life on that, but unfortunately even if it did – his death would not mean a thing if the king didn’t see the truth for himself.
“Hades, please?” Persephone gazed entreatingly at her husband.
“Very well,” the Lord of the Underworld said reluctantly.
Thanatos took a deep breath. “Understood, milord.” After bowing, he turned back and flew away, his heart in despair.
This would not be good.