My darlings!
I owe everybody a huge apology for the very long delay. Terrible things kept happening but now I have a new laptop, several chapters written ahead, slight writer's block, and a terrible caffeine addiction. Thanks for being patient! Hope you like it!
Chapter 1.
I have only been gone from my mother for a week, yet I have heard that the earth is already cold and nothing is growing. Save for the evergreens, granted permission by my mother to provide some color to the desolate wasteland that the earth becomes. I wish I could care. I know I should feel remorse, but it is not my fault, it was my mother's choice to freeze the ground above. I can't change her.
Since my return, he hasn't left my side once, even when I simply sit in the field of dark flowers, listening to the silence, he simply stands near me. I am not stunned by this action. I expected it. I do not want him to leave me alone. We walk through the corridors talking or simply in silence, but nothing is ever awkward for me, not anymore.
This morning, he asked me if I would like to see what his duties are, and if I was willing to take up my duties. Shocked that he was truly prepared to allow me to do no work at all and simply lounge around, I agreed instantly. I dressed in a grey crushed velvet gown with long sleeves, and of course, my silver crown entwined with the twilight blue flowers.
We entered the throne room and are now in our individual thrones. Our thrones are next to each other, mine on his right, and they are both equally placed. However, while mine is curved, comfortable, and silvery in hue, his is straight and made of jet. We sit and wait, arms on the rests on our chairs, backs straight. How formal... but now the door opens.
There is an utter silence as a golden haired man walks bravely up to us and kneels. He's holding something under his arm. My lord nods and the man stands. I almost gasp aloud, he's alive, but not a god, what is he doing here? How is he even here? The man speaks. "My lord and lady, I am called Orpheus, and I come here simply to reclaim what was taken from me before it's time."
"Pray, what is this thing?" My lord is gazing intently at the golden man.
"My wife, your highness. I wish to take her back to the living world with me." I desperately try to remain impassive like my husband, so I remain silent, letting my love speak.
"No one may return from the land of the dead. It is forbidden." The golden haired man runs a hand through his hair and looks about frantically.
"My lord, I beg your pardon, but did you not disregard what was forbidden to marry your own wife?" My love remains silent, staring pensively at the young man. "I love my wife more than my own life, I need her back. Please." Silence. I don't mean to, but I shift slightly in my throne. The man instantly turns to me, pleading with his eyes. "My lady..."
I must think of some way to speak to him, to keep him talking, give my lord time to think. "What is that under your arm?" The man smiles, his eyes still sad however.
"It is a lyre, when I play it, music is heard and it tells stories." I lean forward slightly.
"Would you play for me?"
He nods and settles the lyre in his arms familiarly. "It would be an honor." The first note is like a tear, falling softly, gently down into the heart. As he plays I cannot stop my own real tears from slipping down my cheeks. My love notices and studies my face intently, but I can't even look at him, my eyes, ears, and very being is channeled and focused on the music that the man pulls from the small harp-like instrument.
The story is of a love so deep and strong and a pledge for eternity, a marriage. But then fear, terror, she is missing. Then sorrow and despair, they have found her, she is dead. Rage, desperation, love, longing. Only after a long time does the music soften then fade and die out. I can hardly move. He bows and tucks the lyre under his arm again. My love turns his head away from me to the man.
"I understand your pain, but..." I can't stand it, tears glistening on my cheeks, I turn to my husband and rest a hand on his arm. Whispering so that only he can hear I speak into his ear.
After a second, he nods, "Only for you." Then, still looking at me, he addresses the young man. "Return the way you came, your wife will follow you. But do not look back until after you are out into the sun, for if you do, she will be forced to return to the dead forever. As for you, you are forbidden to come here again, not even in death, if you succeed neither of you will ever die. If you fail, you are alone for eternity. That is the way it must be." The man is smiling, eyes clouding over. He bows, too thankful to speak and turns and walks back the way he came. "Wait, I should inform you that you have made the furies cry, and they will never forgive you. You have incurred their wrath, beware." The meaning of these words doesn't seem to really sink in but he nods and bows again. As he leaves the room, I see a slender woman's silvery shadow begin to follow behind him, careful not to be seen.
My love announces that this has caused some business to arise and that he will see me later. I shiver at the look he gives me. By allowing Orpheus to attempt to return with his wife, he had created quite a bit of stress for himself. And I had a feeling that I knew exactly how that stress was to be relieved. Two good deeds promised, and it wasn't even lunch time. Orpheus should reach the above world sometime tomorrow afternoon. Time is different below.
That evening I wait for him in our room, laying flat on the bed, wiggling naked in the silk sheets. I dive under the covers as I hear the door open then shut a second later. There is absolute silence... did he come in? I slowly peek out from the top of the blankets and just as I wiggle out to look about the empty room, two arms seize me by the waist and pull me up off the bed. I scream in delight and squirm around and am suddenly pressed, completely naked, against that wonderfully solid and familiar form that I know so well. He holds me away from him so that I am standing on the bed and he stands on the floor, barely looking up at me. Scanning me up and down, I blush under his gaze and shift a little but he holds me in place firmly. I smile as he kisses the place above my heart, and I lean towards him and, with my hands still held firmly at my sides by his hands, I kiss his cheek gently. He freezes then looks at me. I wink and his eyes flash. In the next instant, I am laying with him over me, held above me by his arms on either side of my shoulders. Wrapping my arms around his neck I slowly pull him down to me. As he rests his mouth on the side of my neck in a prolonged kiss, I whisper, "You are so wonderful." I kiss him happily, then stop and look at him and our eyes meet.
"And you just realized this?" His voice vibrates through my neck and then down, lower, deeper, "I am hurt.". He smirks.
"I am deeply sorry my lord. Please allow me to make it up to you." He looks thoughtful. Damn him. Then nods with self satisfied grin, oddly similar to his smirks.
I suppose it was hours later, for time really doesn't matter below the earth, that I woke. I wasn't sure what had woken me but then I heard it again. A heart breaking. My love was still asleep on the bed, he looked so content that I let him rest. Slipping out of bed and wrapping a smooth silky robe around myself I left quietly to investigate. The sound was continuing and I could hear screaming and vague entreaties from above. I ascended the stone stairs along the wall that led up towards the entrance to the Underworld, the entrance for the dead. I stood yards away from the entrance where Orpheus stood banging his fists against the rocks, blood trickling, and screaming until his voice died and all that was left was his mouth stretched open in a silent cry. I realized what had happened instantly...
He had waited until they were almost out, but he had looked back and now Eurydice could never be with him again, not even in death, for he could no longer die. My own heart is pounding hard in my ears as I hear that beautiful voice and the horrible twanging of the lyre catching on the jagged rocks both crying their pain. I try to approach him, but I am suddenly pulled back. It's like a sharp tug behind my navel pulling me a back several steps. I try again but the tug is sharper and now I am halfway down the stairs. I close me eyes and try to locate the source of this power. An incredible force is surrounding me and with my eyes closed I can almost see it, though it has no form or color, but it is so strong and vivid. Then I hear it. A deep indescribable voice is whispering into my ear. "You mustn't leave. This is not your fault, things must follow their course on this matter. Return to the palace." The voice did not stop talking but that was the main message. The underworld was speaking to me... I took one last look at the poor broken man lying on the ground clutching at his broken heart then began my careful descent on the stairs.
I wanted to explore the power of the underworld in this one! Ta! PLEASE REVIEW!
