Bianca's POV

The day was bright and cheerful- well, as cheerful as the Underworld could be. Persephone told me that I couldn't sulk around the Underworld and be Goth, so I might as well be overly happy. Kind of annoying, I know, but I need Father to be happy with me.

I walk down the stairs into the entrance to Father's throne room. The door was massive, and made me feel overly small every time I came here, even though I was 5'4. I pushed the intercom button- something that Father had installed when he got sick of people coming in without asking.

"Hello? Who is it?" A voice on the other side asked. It had an annoying Chicago accent.

"Bianca DiAngelo. Let me in."

"Oh, right away, ma'am." I hastily tiptoed into Father's throne room. I turned and thanked the ghost who had let me in. He was probably from my time or a little bit before. I wondered how a kindly gentleman like him had died in the early twentieth century. I didn't ask. I had learned not to ask here in the Underworld, just to wonder. The truth hurts sometimes.

I saw my Father. He was sitting in his throne, which I always had found menacing. The skulls on the front of the chair's arms followed you with their empty eye sockets.

"Bianca? Why are you down here?" Hades asked. I put on my Bambi eyes.

"Daddy, do I have to go to Grandma's?" 'Grandma' is what Father makes me call Demeter, even though I absolutely hate her. She was always downright wicked to Nico whenever he came down here.

"Yes. You know that." He says.

What! Ugh. I have to get some friends down here.

"Father, do you hate me?" I ask. I was always a Daddy's girl, and kissing up was one of my 'special' gifts.

"No, honey, why?" Hades asked.

"Because you make me go to Grandma's every day! You might as well torture me!"

"I know she's terrible, but you really should go."

"Demeter makes me eat wheat all day! I feel sick and never eat. I'm losing weight! And I didn't think that that was possible for a ghost!"

Demeter walks in.

"Who's boring?"

Dad and I panicked.

"My mother." I said. I loved, loved, loved Maria, but Demeter doesn't. It was the perfect lie.

"Yes, yes she is." Demeter went off insulting Maria like I wasn't in the room.

If only I could strangle her…

"Come, Bianca!"

"Dad! Do you see that! She just says 'Come!' like I'm some sort of pet! Maria never would've done that to me. Why can't I just spend the day with her?"

At the sound of my Mother's name, Dad froze. He had loved Maria like the moon and the stars, but Zeus had killed her. She's down here in the Underworld somewhere.

"Bianca, you know that I can't do that."

I was furious.

"You. Can't. Do that? WHAT ARE YOU TALKING ABOUT! You're the Lord of the Dead, for the Gods' sake! Of course you can do that!"

Dad looked hurt, like me bringing Maria up broke his heart. I mean, Maria was his last love. Of course it did. But I was sick and tired of being pushed around by Demeter all the time.

Hades' POV

I stood there, looking at my helpless little girl. She was her Mother's spitting image. Seeing that same smile lit up my world. I couldn't let her see her Mother, though. It would bring so many terrible memories back. I didn't want her to turn out like Nico, lonely and hardened by sadness. If Bianca would see her she would be so mad at me. After all, Maria's death was partially my fault.

I feel so guilty for Bianca's terrible upbringing. After she turned eight she was thrown into the life of a Mother to Nico. I wanted her to see Maria so badly, for Maria to hold her in her arms and tell her everything was alright, but I couldn't. If only I could tell my beautiful Bi this.

"Bianca! Enough! Please go find Persephone and help her in the garden; at least; if you don't want to go with your Grandma."

"But-"

"You heard me. Leave. You too, Demeter."

They filed out of the room, and I called my watch-ghost to bring Maria in here.

A few minutes later, the watch-ghost returned with my beautiful wife.

"Hello, Maria."

"Ciao." Maria responded in her native Italian. She smiled.

"Bianca wants to see you." I said, my face probably filled with noticeable worry.

Maria pulled her curly black-brown hair out of her face. She didn't hide like Bianca did behind that beautiful hair. I wished my children had more self-confidence.

"If if spend one afternoon with her, it won't hurt, Hades." She said. Her thick accent echoed richly off the walls.

"But you are a forbidden ghost. You can't be seen by anyone. My brothers,"

"Hades, your brothers don't control the Underworld. You do,"

I came to the realization that my brothers cannot boss me around in my domain. If I can see Maria, then why can't Bianca? I think that everyone should be able to see the forbidden ghosts.

"Thank you for being so honest." I said softly, still a bit worried. But, then again, that's what parents do.

"Bianca! Get in here!"

Bianca nervously ran into the room. I could tell that she didn't like to be called in. She always thought that she was in trouble. When she was little, she would cry and hug Maria whenever Nico blamed her for breaking something or calling him a bad name. She was always uncomfortable in these situations.

"Yes, Daddy?" She said faithfully, and then she saw her mother.

"M-m-Maria?" She cried, and burst into tears.

"I haven't seen you in so long! Ohmygosh… ohmygosh…" She was sobbing, her face hidden in her mother's ghostly black hair.

"Daddy…" she whispered, her eyes shining, "Thank you."