The first time they met was in the woods.
By human standards, they were both ten, although both of them were hundreds of years old. That was the way it worked for gods—their aging was slowed so that they could reign over humans for as long as possible.
The two of them couldn't have been more different, but they met in the woods that fateful day. She'd wandered deep inside, hoping to see more than she was allowed to under the watch of her mother. He'd come to the surface in an effort to clear his head of the stories of the dead he listened to on a daily basis. They'd met at a stream, her on one side and he on the other. Their eyes met and for the first time, they were properly introduced.
Nicolette, the maiden goddess of flowers and the wild, daughter of the goddess of fertility and grain.
Maximillian, the god of the Underworld and riches, lord of the dead.
Their first conversation was short but sweet, promising further interactions in the future.
The next time they met was in a field.
They were now thirteen by human standards, Nicolette beginning to blossom into a young woman and Max into a young man. This time, they were able to speak longer, enjoying each other's company. Reluctantly, they parted.
The third time they met, they were sixteen. This time, the meeting was in a mountain glen. Unlike before, this wasn't by chance. He'd sought her out to talk to, and she'd willingly agreed to the arrangement. They were almost full-grown now, preparing to enter what humans called adulthood.
The fourth time they met, he abducted her.
Ever since she was a child, Nicolette had been told that she was beautiful and desirable. She hadn't known what that meant until she was older, but she knew that she didn't want to do anything like that yet. Now she was being forced to get married in order to prevent war on Sleepy Peak, which would surely destroy the world if taken too far. The male gods wanted her and she had to pick one to marry.
Pikeman, the god of war, was pimple-faced and flirtatious.
Dolph, the god of hand-crafts, was too weird.
Harrison, the god of magic and love, was more of a friend.
Neil, the god of knowledge, was basically her brother.
Preston, the god of theater, was gay.
Petrol, the god of justice, was too silent.
Joseph, the god of fortune, was as flirty as Pikeman.
Nurf, the god of metal-working, was also gay.
Her options were limited. And it wasn't as if they could marry her without her consent, but she didn't really have any way out of this. Only major gods of Sleepy Peak were allowed to try for her hand, and only the ones of sufficient age to warrant her attention.
She needed somebody else.
And it was while she was simply out in the fields, not far from Sleepy Peak, that she was set upon by a pair of her godly suitors—namely, Joseph and Pikeman. Both longed to claim her as their bride, but they thought taking her maidenhood would make her more willing. They chased her, and she was able to avoid them thanks to her status as a goddess of nature. However, they were more powerful than she, and Joseph was the god of fortune. She couldn't run forever. She cried out for somebody, anybody, to help her, afraid for her life and safety.
It was then that the ground cracked open before her and a chariot pulled by terrifying black horses erupted from the depths. The driver was cloaked in the same inky darkness as their horses, cutting a threatening and imposing figure. She fell backwards, a bed of lilies sprouting beneath her before the driver grabbed her hands and pulled her onto their vehicle. They cracked their whip and they vanished underground, leaving the lilies as the only sign of Nicolette's disappearance. Her suitors found the blooms within moments of the goddess vanishing and immediately went to tell the other gods.
The goddess of the wild was missing.
Nikki was more terrified than ever as she and her kidnapper (rescuer?) traveled through the ground. It wasn't unpleasant, but they were keeping a tight grip on her that was slightly uncomfortable. She longed to ask them who they were, why they'd come to her aid, where they were going, but her fear kept her mouth shut tight. It was chilly as they neared the infamous River of Lost Souls—deadly to cross by swimming. Her heart pounded as the menacing figure driving the chariot snapped the reins. The horses leapt it with ease, landing safely on the other bank.
Just as swiftly as they'd traveled through the ground, they passed through the Fields of the Dead. The spirits of those waiting to drink from the River of Forgetfulness watched her go by with interest. She swore she could hear them whispering about something, but she couldn't quite catch what it was. Before long, the temperature became pleasantly warm again as they stopped before a gorgeous and luxurious palace made of dark marble. A goddess with night-black wings and clothing the color of mortal blood was waiting at the front as the driver stepped off the chariot and removed their helmet at last.
"Max?" Nikki whispered, shocked, stepping off to join him.
"Sorry for the theatrics," he apologized. "It was the only way to get you out of there without being seen."
"But… why would you help me? We've hardly met, except for those few times when we were younger."
"Because you called for help." The goddess with the blood-red clothing (probably dyed with mortal blood) climbed into the chariot and drove it away.
"Well, thank you."
"What the fuck was up with the two gods of can't-control-their-own-dicks chasing you?"
"They want to marry me."
"Ah. And trying to rape you will accomplish that?"
"No." She backed away from him on instinct, but he shrugged.
"You can hide here until they get the message if you want. It's the one place most gods refuse to enter if they can avoid it, save for David."
"Oh, wow! Really?" She looked up at the palace as he opened the door without touching it. "How'd you do that?!"
"The Underworld responds to me," he replied simply. "It's part of being the ruler here."
"Wait, what?!" He faced her, confused. "You're the god of the Underworld?"
"Yeah. Shit, I didn't tell you that when we were younger, did I?"
"No. It would've been nice to know!"
"Come on. I'll show you around the palace."
They entered the marble building and Nikki was amazed at all the jewels and gold and silver that she saw. It was enough to make even Cameron Campbell, the king of the gods and father of Joseph, balk in jealousy. In fact, most of them probably didn't even know about all the riches in the Underworld, hence why they thought it was a horrible place to be and avoided at all costs.
"You have a lot of precious stones," she commented.
"Well, I'm also the god of riches. The only gems I don't control are pearls since they're made in the water and not the earth. What, are you impressed?"
"It's all really shiny."
"Sire!"
They turned at the sound of a male voice to see a god with honey-blonde hair and blue eyes, panting as he ran towards them. His clothes were old-fashioned, but he seemed relieved to see Max until he caught sight of Nikki. Immediately, the god froze, tilting his head in confusion.
"Excuse me, sire, but who is this?" he asked.
"Jaspar, this is Nikki. Nikki, this is Jaspar, the god of judgement."
"It's nice to meet you, ma'am," Jaspar told Nikki.
"It's nice to meet you, too."
"Where did you come from?"
"She's our guest," Max interrupted. "Don't worry about it. Why did you need to see me?"
"I was wondering where you went. It's rare for you to leave the Underworld."
"It's a complicated story. Don't you have work to do? The souls of the dead aren't going to judge themselves."
"Right. Sorry!"
Jaspar walked away and Max led Nikki to a guest room. It was where she'd be sleeping while staying in the Underworld, and he even offered to take her on a tour of the realm. She accepted, naturally, but he was distracted by Jaspar asking for help deciding on the fate of one soul he wasn't sure where to send. Max begrudgingly left Nikki alone, and she wandered through the palace. Eventually, she came to an orchard that was within the palace gardens. Her stomach rumbled with hunger; she hadn't eaten since early that morning, so the pomegranates looked more appealing than usual. She reached for a particularly ripe one.
"STOP!"
She squealed and turned to see the black-winged goddess from earlier. Her skin was tanned, complimenting her dark brown hair and bright green eyes, which were narrowed with suspicion.
"Sorry. I haven't eaten for a while. Are these your trees?"
"No, they're not. They belong to Max, but they're trees of the Underworld. If you eat their fruit, you'll be bound to the Underworld forever."
"Oh, I didn't know that."
"It's not your fault." She reached up and picked the pomegranate Nikki had reached for. "The ancient laws of the Underworld aren't known by surface gods like yourself."
"How did you know that?"
"I like the surface a bit more than Max does. I represent the Underworld on Sleepy Peak during meetings, and I've seen you there. You're Nicolette, the maiden goddess of flowers and the wild, aren't you?"
"Yes. And you are?"
"Rosemary, goddess of misfortune. You're acquainted with my twin brother, Joseph."
"He's part of the reason I'm down here."
"And that's why I prefer to live in the Underworld over Sleepy Peak. Those damn gods think they have the right to use us, but they don't. I ate the fruit of the Underworld long ago, and I've been bound to it ever since."
"Thanks for stopping me. I don't know if I want to stay down here, though…"
"The Underworld is beautiful in a way the surface can only dream of."
Rosemary turned, as if she heard something.
"Well, duty calls." She extended her wings and flew away, vanishing from sight. Nikki felt her stomach grumble again and sighed. Within minutes, Max found her and had his servants bring her some food from the surface. She was grateful for all he'd done for her.
"And you're sure this is where she was last seen?"
Pikeman and Joseph were frustrated with Campbell not taking this seriously. They'd been hoping to figure out who had taken Nicolette before Candy found out, but their king obviously didn't give a damn.
"Yes, sir," Joseph replied. "There was an earthquake and by the time we reached this spot, there were these flowers. Obviously, Nicolette has been kidnapped!"
"Hm." He rubbed his chin thoughtfully. "Is it possible she just ran away?"
"She would never!" insisted Pikeman. "Nicolette wouldn't leave us willingly! Oh, what a grave misfortune."
"Rosemary!" Joseph growled. Suddenly, a large black wing hit him in the face.
"S'up, jerkface?" asked the very goddess he'd just invoked the name of, hovering above them.
"What have you done with Nicolette?" demanded Joseph.
"Nothing. Calm down."
"So… her kidnapping isn't your doing?"
"Hell no! It doesn't work that way."
"What's goin' on?"
The three gods and one goddess turned to see Candy, the goddess of fertility and grain, standing there. She looked worried.
"Your daughter's missing," Rosemary stated bluntly. Her brother smacked her in the face with his golden wing (a mark of his status as the god of fortune).
"Missin'?"
"Some lowlife kidnapped her! We can't sense her anywhere!" Pikeman added.
"You don't have any idea who could've done this?"
"No, ma'am." Candy felt her world shattering around her. Her precious daughter was gone. Somebody had taken her, and they had to pay.
"Well, then, if I can't have my daughter, then the world must starve." The plants around her feet began to die, spiraling outwards.
"Isn't that a little drastic?" inquired Rosemary.
"My baby girl is missin' and you think I'm bein' drastic?!"
"She's a goddess with a fair amount of power, and she's not a child. She can handle herself."
Rather than taking back her declaration, Candy let out a huff and disappeared. The world began dying faster, making Rosemary very concerned as Campbell vanished to attempt to console Candy. The goddess slapped her brother and Pikeman on the backs of their heads with her wings.
"Ow! What the Tartarus, Rosemary?!" snapped Pikeman.
"One of you needs to fess up to what you were doing when she disappeared and promise not to do it again. Then she'll come back."
"So you do know where she is!" Joseph shot at her. "Why are you lying?!"
"Because as long as she's on Earth and Sleepy Peak, she's at risk for one of you two dickheads trying to rape her! I don't know where she is, but I know it's safe if you two can't find her. Let me know when your consciences catch up with you." She extended her wings and flapped them once, vanishing in the resulting wind.
That was an 'oh, shit' moment for the two gods…
Meanwhile, in the Underworld, Nikki got the tour she'd been promised. It was as beautiful as Rosemary had said (except for Tartarus, which was basically fire, brimstone, and guys getting punished for eternity for heinous and evil acts) and she could see why a god or goddess might choose it over the surface.
"It's all so big," she commented as she looked over the Isle of the Blessed. "I've never seen so many beings…"
"Well, those who die remain here unless they're reincarnated," Max informed her. "There's also a bunch of nymphs and minor gods and goddesses who prefer the Underworld to the surface."
"What do you do?"
"Well, I mostly handle difficult cases of judging souls and reigning over all of them. It's stressful." Nikki pursed her lips.
"Is it lonely?"
"Kind of. Dead people aren't exactly the best conversationalists."
"Yeah, the living aren't, either." She smiled at him and he smiled back.
"Hello, sir," Rosemary said, hovering in front of them. "Sorry to interrupt—"
"Yet here you are doing it," Max sighed.
"I need to talk to you about something very important. It can't wait."
"Fine. Let's do this. Nikki, I'll see you later?"
"Okay." The goddess was escorted away by a pair of nymphs as Max faced his eyes from the surface.
"What is it?"
"I was just on the surface with Campbell, my brother, Pikeman, and Candy. Candy's not taking her daughter's disappearance well. We're going to see an increase in the dead coming down here if we don't do something."
"Are you saying we should return her with those two lurking around?"
"No, I'm saying we should come up with a plan. I have a simple idea, but you would both have to agree to it."
"And what the fuck is that?"
"You marry her and she eats the food of the Underworld. If she does that, she'll be safe with us and her mother can't object to her being down here."
"I mean, I don't have a problem with marrying her… but she might have a problem with it. I think I want to get closer with her first."
"Are you insane?! You're going to kill mortals!"
"Look, I don't want to force her to marry me out of necessity!"
"I can talk to her. She'll marry you because you haven't tried to rape her and you've been nothing but nice to her. She doesn't exactly have a lot of those options."
"Fine. I'll talk to her."
"Make it fast. Let's save as many human lives as possible."
"You want me to… marry you?"
"Yeah. If you marry me, the other gods on Sleepy Peak can't touch you." Max bit his lip. "If you don't want to, I won't force you."
"So my mom is going to starve the earth if I don't come home?"
"According to Rosemary, yes. Once we're married, you can safely return to the surface." To his surprise, she shook her head.
"No, because I'll return to the surface. You'll be alone down here again, and I'll be alone up there. It won't really be a marriage at all—it'll be more like a business arrangement. And it's not fair to either of us. I think you're the nicest person I've ever met, and you deserve to be happy."
"I'm not nice, Nikki. I'm an asshole who can't keep his mouth shut when it matters." She shook her head again.
"You talk to me like I'm a living being and an adult—not a trophy, an object, or a little girl who needs to be protected from the world around her. That's more than anybody else has ever done for me. And you saved me from Pikeman and Joseph."
"I heard you calling for help. Anybody would've done the same."
"I was calling for help for a while before you showed up. All the nymphs and satyrs and mortals ignored me. You were the one who came to my rescue." Max felt a lump in his throat.
"We're two completely different people. I'm the god of death; I'm supposed to be alone in the dark. You're the goddess of the wild; you need sunlight and fresh air. Neither of those things are down here. You wouldn't be happy."
"In the month I've been here, I've been happier than I've been for the past few centuries. I want to stay in the Underworld with you."
Max took a deep breath.
"You understand that just by marrying me, you'll become Queen of the Underworld, right?"
"I understand that perfectly."
"And your mother is going to have a fit."
"Let her. I'm an adult now and I can make my own decisions."
"All right, then." The ground beside him shifted and revealed a bright red gemstone. "I guess you could call this your engagement gift."
"It's beautiful." He picked it up and put it in her hands.
"I'll ask Dolph to make it into a ring when I get a chance."
"I'd prefer a necklace."
"You just have to go against expectations, don't you?"
"Yep!" She smiled brightly and leaned closer. "You wanna know a secret?"
"Sure…?"
"I've… liked you since we met the second time. I've loved you since you brought me down here."
"You wanna know my secret? I've loved you since the second time we met."
Nikki's jaw dropped and he pulled her in for a kiss. Warmth spread through their bodies as they pressed together, sealing the confessions they'd just made and their betrothal.
"She's in the Underworld?!"
David cringed at the volume of Candy's voice. He hated selling Max out like this, but it was either that or let the mortals all starve to death. That was a thought he hated even more than betraying Max.
"I want you to go down there and bring her home, now!"
"C-Candy, could we… erm… maybe think this through?"
"He abducted my daughter and forced her into that dark hell! She needs sunlight and fresh air, and there's not a bit of it in the Underworld. She'll wither away to nothing if we don't save her from him!"
"I'm just saying, rushing down there isn't the best idea…"
"I'm getting together her suitors. We'll make him hand her over."
David gulped nervously.
This is bad. Really bad.
Why did you take her, Max?
He watched as Candy rushed off to gather Nikki's suitors, most of whom were more than willing to go down and rescue the abducted wild goddess. After all, they'd had very few sacrifices due to the state of the earth, and they wanted those tributes back again. And they hated the god of the Underworld. Most of them were jumping at the chance to stick it to the surly one.
David had to warn Max. He flew to the Underworld, grateful for his status as swiftest of the gods that allowed him to beat Candy there. Finding Max was slightly more difficult than he'd thought, due to the fact that the god of death wasn't in his throne room. Rather, he was in a beautiful garden that had sprouted quite recently with Rosemary, Jaspar, and Nikki. The goddess of the wild was wearing a beautiful crown of roses and daisies and Max was holding her hands in his. All four of them turned at David's intrusion.
"David? What are you doing here?" Nikki asked in surprise.
"What's going on?"
"Nikki and I are getting married," Max informed him. David felt a shock.
"M-married?"
"Yeah. It's the best way to keep her safe from the other gods."
"About that… I may have let it slip to Candy that Nikki's down here and now she may or may not be heading down here with a bunch of Nikki's godly suitors to take her back!"
"Shit!" Max cursed, balling his fists.
"Hurry through the ceremony!" Rosemary recommended. "I'm Nikki's witness, David's yours!"
"MAXIMILLIAN!"
Pikeman's voice cut through the still air of the Underworld. It was too late to complete the ceremony, so they only had one option.
Fight back.
"We'll hold them off!" Rosemary told Max, holding out her arm. "You and Nikki run to safety!"
"Like fucking hell I will! This is my domain! Nobody comes here and messes with me!"
"That may be true, but Nikki is still tied to the surface! She can be dragged back if they catch her, and who knows the Underworld better than you?!"
Max let out a frustrated groan and grabbed Nikki's hand.
"Kick their asses for us!" he called as they ran off.
Now it was Rosemary, Jaspar, and David against Candy and Nikki's suitors.
But Pikeman and Joseph were nowhere to be found…
Nikki panted as she and Max ran through the palace. Max was going blindly, she could tell, since he kept turning random corners. She'd never seen him so angry or panicked before. They burst through a door into the orchard where the pomegranates grew.
They're trees of the Underworld. If you eat their fruit, you'll be bound to the Underworld forever.
Nikki is still tied to the surface!
A plan began to form in her mind—a last-ditch effort to save herself and Max should they be caught. And just in time, because Pikeman tackled her fiancé to the ground. She screamed before Joseph pulled her away.
"Nicolette, you're safe now," Pikeman assured her, pushing Max's face into the ground.
"Nikki, run!" Max choked out. He was too frantic to summon his powers, and that worsened when Pikeman took a set of adamantine chains to him. He was bound, since he couldn't break the chains and they sapped his power.
"Let him go!" Nikki demanded.
"Why, so he can corrupt your mind more? You're coming home, Nicolette!"
"Don't touch her!" Max snarled. "Don't you dare fucking touch her!"
"Shut up!" Pikeman kicked Max's face, making Max bleed golden ichor.
"Stop it! He hasn't done anything to me, which is more than I can say for the two of you!"
"You don't belong in the Underworld," Joseph sighed, shaking his head. "And you never will. You're going home to the surface where you belong."
In that moment, Nikki made a decision. She wrenched away from the god of fortune and plucked a pomegranate from a nearby tree, splitting in halves. She held it threateningly and Max's eyes widened with fear.
"Nikki, no! Don't!"
"I belong in the Underworld."
She plucked six seeds from the fruit and popped them into her mouth. Suddenly, the ground beneath them shook, frightening the two surface gods. Nikki shone with a power Max knew all too well—the power of the Underworld. She was bound to it now, for the rest of eternity. And the other gods couldn't force her to the surface, no matter how much they wanted to.
"It'll take more than an earthquake to send me away!" sneered Pikeman.
"That wasn't an earthquake," Max hissed. "Nikki's a goddess of the Underworld now."
"Why? Because she ate some stupid pomegranate?"
"No, because she ate the fruit of the Underworld. She's bound to it forever, which means even more that you can't fucking touch her." Nikki shoved Pikeman aside, pulling the chains off Max and freeing him. He narrowed his eyes at the two surface gods.
"I'm not afraid of you!" Pikeman declared.
"You know, it's impossible to kill a god, but you can torture them for centuries. How about that? You deserve at least two hundred years for what you tried to do to Nikki."
Joseph gulped and knelt in surrender.
"Please, just come to Sleepy Peak so we can clear this whole mess up?" he begged. Pikeman capitulated as well.
"We'll go."
"Marriage?"
Cameron's shocked tone was echoed by many of the gods in attendance. Max and Nikki stood before the entire pantheon, hand in hand, neither backing down from what they wanted.
"I want to marry Nikki," Max repeated. "Make her queen of the Underworld. She's already bound to it and we love each other."
"I won't let you!" snapped Candy. "You kidnapped her!"
"He didn't!" Nikki shot back. "He saved me from being raped, Mother! By two gods in this very room!"
"He… what? Who?"
"Pikeman and Joseph," clarified Rosemary, crossing her arms. "Nikki was screaming for help for quite a while until Max heard her. Nymphs, satyrs, and mortals all ignored her."
Candy took a deep breath, her ire towards Max evaporating at this new information.
"Fine. Marry him, then. But I do have one condition."
"Name it."
"You have to spend three months of the year with me. The rest you spend with him."
"That's fair," Max noted, shrugging.
"I agree," Nikki stated.
"Let's get this wedding underway!" declared Cameron, everyone resettling for the ceremony.
"At least she's happy," Neil whispered to Harrison, who nodded in agreement.
"Max, Nikki, despite your separation of Underworld and the surface, you came together and fell in love," Cameron began. "Now you will be bound by marriage forever, and rule the Underworld as its king and queen."
"I promise to love you, cherish you, and always be faithful," Max recited.
"I promise to love you, cherish you, and always be faithful," Nikki echoed.
"And now, by the power vested in me as king of the gods, you are now husband and wife. You may kiss the bride."
Max and Nikki kissed for the first time as a married couple. Most of the gods and goddesses in attendance cheered, happy that there would be no war on Sleepy Peak over Nikki's hand in marriage and that Max didn't seem as foul-tempered anymore. Pikeman, of course, objected to the union quite profusely, but there wasn't anything he could do to stop it.
The party drew to a close and the rulers of the Underworld retreated to their realm.
And thus began their millennia of happiness.
So, this is a note to explain my thought process for this story.
This story will be a series of one-shots based around various Greek myths, starting with Hades and Persephone because they have the most functional marriage in Greek mythology and I really wanted to do some Makki shit for it. I actually don't think any other pairing could've worked for Hades and Persephone, considering their personalities and dynamic. Also, Hades is my favorite god because he's not a womanizing asshole or a pompous douchebag. He's a nice guy who does his job, keeps his promises, and loves his wife.
Rosemary is here as the goddess of vengeance and misfortune—essentially, she's this pantheon's version of the Eumenides, aka the Furies. Joseph was added because I thought it would be interesting to have her twin as her polar opposite god. I guess you could make the case that they're also the Artemis and Apollo of this world, which makes a lot of sense. Most of the other gods are pretty self-explanatory.
I will be taking requests for myths to adapt. If you make a request, make sure you add in the gods involved in the story so I can adapt it appropriately. Otherwise, I have to guess, and you do not want me to guess with shit like this.
Oh, and just a quick side-note: this one chapter took me a month-and-a-half to write. It's over 4500 words and twelve pages long. I'm hoping to make all the chapters this quality, so let me know if you like it!
So long and thanks for all the fish!