Maria di Angelo was a fortunate woman.

She was born into a prestigious and wealthy family at the end of the Great War. Her mamma (mother) was an aristocrat with influential ties to the nobility and the Pope. Her papa (father) was the Italian Ambassador, one of the more distinguished members of the government. And her nonno (grandfather) was a retried general of the war, a celebrated war hero of his time.

Maria di Angelo was a fortunate woman . . . but she was also a lonely one.

The men and women who surrounded her due to her status didn't care to look beyond it. None of them were interested in her hobbies and thoughts. No one cared for her opinions and emotions. Despite having everything that a woman of her time could ever want, Maria was never truly happy.

Which is why she was sneaking away from the high-priority Ball that her papa was forced to throw for Benito Mussolini, their oh-so-glorious leader.

All Maria wanted was peace and quiet, not to talk to the chauvinistic assholes that made up most of the fascist government. If she had to hear one more person comment on how she should get married and have children, she swore to all that was holy that she would scream.

Maria walked further into the woods behind her mansion, the moon a silent spectator to her journey. She was heading to the graveyard that was further ahead, one of the few places where Maria could be herself without having to put on airs as a daughter of the ambassador.

She pulled her black lace shawl tighter around her shoulder, the chill in the air making her shiver. For some reason, the shadows in the night seemed . . . excited. It was as if something was happening in the dark, something that shouldn't be witnessed by mere mortal eyes.

Maria was close approaching the graveyard, the elegant archway gates were open. Close enough to the gates, Maria spotted a man dressed in all black standing in the graveyard. The man was holding something up in the air. Taking a few steps closer allowed Maria to see that the mysterious man was actually holding some kind of creature in his grasp.

The creature was transparent with a mucus-like liquid dripping down its face. It had many teeth, all of them sharp and jagged like broken glass. Its limbs were thin and lanky, almost unnatural in its length. Its eyes glowed red with terror, as if it finally understood the full scope of the situation it was in.

Maria watched with curious eyes as the man said something to the creature before crushing its windpipe. The monster exploded in gold dust, its remains falling onto the ground like snowflakes in the winter. Maria gasped in shock as she witnessed the scene. There was something very unsettling about what she had just watched. She wanted to leave. Now.

However, before she could even take a step, she bumped into something behind her. The bump caused her to take one step forward, this one step was all it took for her abused heels to finally break at the base, throwing her weight off balance and causing her to fall straight to the ground.

Right when Maria braced for impact, she felt something pull her into a cold embrace. When Maria felt herself become steady, she opened her eyes and glanced up at the person who caught her.

Eyes as black as a void stared straight into her soul. The man's face was deathly pale, as if he didn't ever leave his house. Wavy black hair brushed against his broad shoulders, giving him an imposing air. Due to her proximity to the mystery man, Maria was able to see the abnormal way his black suit contorted into faces of tortured beings.

"Why, hello there. And, may I ask, what is such a lovely lady doing out in a night like this? Don't you know, there are creatures that are lurking around in the dark that wouldn't mind taking their pound of flesh." The man's silky smooth voice caressed Maria's ears. Despite how threatening his words were, she felt as if he was concerned about her wellbeing.

Maria gently pushed herself out of his arms, a blush covered her face for being in such an intimate position with a total stranger. She took a small breath before facing the man's onyx eyes once more. " . . . you're one of them."

The man tilted his head to the side a little, his eyes looking at her with an unfathomable expression. "You can see through the Mist then."

Maria paid attention to how the man put an emphasis on the word 'mist'. But, otherwise, she stared at the stranger, waiting to see what he would do for his next move.

The man hummed in interest and studied her like a particularly fascinating antique. "Ah. There is some divine blood in your veins. A hint of the Greek Goddess Nike and, surprisingly, with a blessing from the Roman Goddess Fortuna. No wonder you were able to see me."

Maria didn't understand everything the man was talking about. Still, what was this about divine blood? Did the man just imply she was related to gods?

Suddenly, everything made sense to Maria. Or as much sense as she could piece together. All the instances of strange and unfathomable events that Maria had witnessed came together in a elaborate picture. Creatures that resembled myths and fairytales, instances of impossible things coming to pass, and chances of accomplishments and luck that went against logic finally had an explanation.

"You're a god, aren't you?" Maria asked. She took in the man's profile once again and tried to figure out which god the man was. And he was definitely a god. No creature could look as handsome as the man that was in front of her could.

Considering he mentioned Greek and Roman gods perhaps he was a god from that pathogen. He had dark clothes and seemed to blend in with the night, not to mention his suit that looked like it was made of tortured souls. That must mean . . .

" . . . Pluto. You're Pluto, Lord of the Dead, Ruler of the Netherworld."

The man raised an eyebrow, impressed by how quickly she figured it out. "Correct, in a manner of speaking. I am actually Hades."

Maria blushed at how slightly off course she was. But her embarrassment was pushed down allowing her excitement to rise to the forefront.

For as long as Maria had been alive, she had always seen things that were unusual in nature. Maria thought she was crazy. Or at least had a severe case of delusions. But to find out that it was because all the myths and legends of the world were real, that she wasn't crazy, made her feel elated. Maria wanted to find out everything about this new world she stumbled into.

If Greek and Roman gods were real then were other gods real? How did that work? How come no one knows that the gods existed? Did that mean that the unnatural disasters of the world were the actions of gods? Where gods responsible for the creation of the world? How was she related to the gods? What was the Mist? What was the afterlife like?

Maria was practically vibrating in eagerness. But, before she could shoot off all the questions she had, she reeled in her enthusiasm. Maria was a lady, and ladies don't act like puppies in a sugar high. She was going to ask Hades in a nice manner if he could answer her questions.

Maria cleared her throat. "Hades, Lord Hades, I-I have some questions about the world you live in. If I may ask, would you mind meeting with me at L'Accademia Hostaria at 4 to answer my questions?"

Hades stared at Maria in surprise. " . . . You wish to spend time with me? The Lord of the Dead, Ruler of the Underworld."

"Yes. I do." Maria stated dryly. Obviously she wanted to spend time with him. How else would she get answers to the questions she wanted to ask. Not to mention, was there any other god around that could answer her question? No, there wasn't.

Hades' eye twitched at her response. "I see. I believe there is some time in my busy schedule to entertain such a beauty. I will see you then." Hades then melted into the shadows with a smirk on his face, disappearing as if he was never there.

Maria just stayed in the same spot, a little dazed from everything that happened.

Unknown to her, this was the beginning of something that would change the very world as she knew it.

Hades watched as the beautiful mortal woman across from him complained about her persistent suitors. Her chocolate-colored hair was in a bun, a few curls fell in her face causing her to push it out of the way every few minutes or so. Her cognac eyes were lit up in a fiery passion as she described the numerous ways that her suitors could shove their gifts up their ass.

Its been a few months since they've begun meeting each other. At first, Maria was quite respectful and was always conscious of the questions she asked. However, the more time Hades spent with Maria the more relaxed she became. So relaxed, in fact, that she was now pushing all her problems onto him.

Not that Hades minded. He was self-aware enough to say that he had been doing the same thing. He would often come to their meetings gripping about how idiotic Zeus and Poseidon were acting again or how Demeter kept nagging at him to eat more cereal or how Persephone was spending too much time with her new lover and kept throwing more paperwork on his workload.

Sometimes, Hades wondered why he even married Persephone. He was still doing most of the paperwork for the Underworld. Sure, people may say that he married Persephone because he raped her but that whole tale was a joke.

Persephone wondered into the Underworld to escape her mother's overbearing behavior. Then, when she naïvely ate some pomegranate seeds from the Underworld, Hades was forced to bring her back to the Underworld. It wasn't like he could just let her go, rules were rules.

Of course, Zeus just had to step in and demand Hades to let Persephone visit the Surface again when Demeter threw a tantrum. Something that Hades was forced to abide by. And, to make matters worse, Demeter demanded Hades to marry Persephone since he 'raped' her. Something that Hades did not do, thank you very much. He had more pride than to stoop down to that level.

However, in the end, Hades caved in to the demands. Soon, he ended up with a horrible reputation amongst the nature spirits and an unexpected wife and Queen in the Underworld.

Thankfully, while Hades and Persephone grew to love each other as wife and husband, they were smart enough to come to an agreement that they would be able to take lovers to the side as long as their spouse approved of the choice. They already saw the mess that always occurred with Zeus when he cheated on Hera. They would very much like to have a healthier marriage than those two, please and thank you.

"Hades? Are you listening?" Maria raised an eyebrow at him, her lips pursed in displeasure.

"Of course. Hearing your lovely voice is my pleasure. Not listening would be a crime." Hades smoothly said.

Maria sighed in exasperation, then took a sip of her coffee. "How is Persephone?"

"She's doing fine. She's with her new lover, Kirill. He's a Russian botanist. They just confirmed that she was pregnant." Hades took a bite out of the tiramisu (coffee-flavored desert) he ordered.

Hades remembered the first time Persephone introduced him to Kirill. He was the polar opposite of him with blonde hair, blue eyes, and an interest in all things alive. Hades did an entire background check on him just to make sure that he would take good care of his wife. And he did. He was a gentle person who worshiped the ground Persephone walked on. The only thing that endeared Hades to the man.

He was much better than Adonis, who Hades still held a grudge over for breaking his wife's heart by choosing Aphrodite over her.

"And this is, like what, her seventh lover? And, seventh child?" Maria nibbled on her struffoli (tiny fitters put together with honey and decorated with sprinkles) as she tried to count the number of people his wife have been since there marriage.

"Yes. It's a good thing that its winter. Demeter would have threw a fit if she found out that her precious daughter was pregnant." Hades wryly said.

"And how about you? Have you found anyone that caught your eye?" Maria asked.

The sun was beginning to set. Shadows covered half of her face, making her olive-colored skin glow. Her red lips were quirked up in amusement as it always is when she was around him. For one second, Hades wanted to reply 'you'. But he was a little . . . frightened.

It was laughable. Here he was, a God among mortals, and yet he was scared of destroying the easy friendship between them. Hades has had only six lovers in his entire lifetime, Persephone was the only lover who was a permanent fixture in his life. Yet, the feelings that Maria aroused in him were so different, so strange, so strong.

The feelings between Persephone and him was one between a wife and a husband, a Queen and a King, a Goddess and a God. It was a love of family, of eternity, of companionship. All the other lovers he had only invoked in him a passionate infatuation, a scorching romance, a sensual lust. It was about power, about wealth, about Immortality with them.

The feelings Hades had for Maria were soft, gentle, and sweet. All the burdens he had as the Ruler of the Underworld fell off his shoulders with her. She calmed his worries and brushed away his fears. She offered him an ear to vent at and a joke to laugh at. She looked at him not as a frightening specter like Persephone once had or as a all-powerful God like his mortal lovers did, but as a person.

Maria made Hades want to change, to become a better person. She made him feel as if there was so much more to him than being the Lord of the Dead, as if he wasn't a bitter and terrifying man. She made him feel human.

Hades loved Maria. His deep affection for her came not from what he was, a God, but rather who he was, Hades. Something that no one else but she could claim to have.

" . . . No. Not yet."

Maria then switched the topic to something else, knowing that he didn't want to talk more of the subject. And Hades listened. Because what else could Hades do but listen to the woman who stole his heart.

Maria smiled as Hades began to lecture her on the appropriate rites for Greek funerals. His entire face was animated, replacing the gloomy expression he had previously from dealing with Zeus.

They were currently walking around the Catacombs of Rome at midnight, one of the frequent night excursions that Hades has began taking her on.

It all began when Maria was asking Hades about his favorite places to visit. And it ended with him ringing on her doorbell at midnight and snatching her away to go off to far off places and distant lands.

It was a good thing that she was living on her own now, otherwise her parents would have had a heart attack. It was a little lonely living in her small villa all by herself, however.

But more men have been trying their luck on getting her hand in marriage. Papa was beginning to worry about some of the men from the Fascist Party trying to do the same, which is why she was sent away from her home in Venice to her grandfather's home in Florence. The small villa was the only thing left of Nonno before he passed away.

It was a good thing that she moved to her nonno's villa. She was able to spend more time with Hades. And during the time she spent with Hades, Maria managed to fall in love.

It came as a pleasant surprise to Maria. She already adored Hades. He was a charming and suave person. His dark humor and appreciation for the classics were joy to experience, his gentlemanly behavior only added to his dignified image. But it was the awkwardness that he displayed and the thoughtful personality underneath his persona that made her fall in love.

Hades listened to her, he payed her attention. He didn't treat her like a fool or below him just because she was a woman, he treated her like an equal. He made her feel like she mattered, like she was something special.

The feelings she had for Hades were things that she has never experienced before with any other man. A whirlpool of emotions that caused her to fiercely yearn for him when his presence is gone. He was so intertwined with her life that she would surely flounder without his stable companionship in the incoming hurricane that would ravage the world.

Hades and Maria soon ended up on the doorstep of her nonno's villa. The lamp nearby created a small bubble of light, encasing the two people in it. The atmosphere felt intimate by the glow that softened the severe plains of Hades' face, making him look all the more handsome this night.

"It is here that I shall leave you . . . " Hades stared at Maria for a few moments, a rare hesitance in his eyes. For a second he seemed to be conflicted about something. His expression soon cleared up. He took a subtle breath before cupping her face.

Maria felt her heart beat faster, her mind already knowing what would happen in a few moments. But, unlike all the other times were other men would touch her, Maria leaned into Hades' hands, knowing that she would be safe with him.

Hades leaned towards her and kissed her chastely on the mouth. His lips were cool, a slight contrast to how warm she felt in his embrace. His lips moved on her own lips, slow and steady, as if he was memorizing the very shape of them.

Soon, they parted. Maria took a few breaths, a pink flush spread across her face. Her eyes fluttered, as if the entire kiss was simply a dream.

Maria stared at Hades from his embrace. She then took a few steps from his arms and to the door next to her. She saw as the expression in Hades' face slightly turn into hurt from her actions.

Maria opened the door to her nonno's villa and grabbed Hades' hand.

"Stay the night." She asked, her voice soft in an unusual shyness.

The hurt in his expression faded away and turned into pleasure.

"Of course." Hades then followed Maria into the villa, footsteps echoed in the empty street.

The lamp light soon died down, bathing the entire doorstep in darkness. All was quiet in this melancholy night.

Hades paced in front of the doorway that led to where Maria was currently giving birth to his fourth child.

Despite already having three children already, Hades still felt the stomach churning anxiety of his child coming into the world. It wasn't the same as when his nymph daughter, Macaria, the Greek goddess of blessed death, was born. Or his roman demi-god sons, Alfred and Theodore.

He had a feeling that the child that was soon coming into the world was going to be powerful. More powerful than any other child he has had so far.

A scream came from behind the closed doors. For one moment, Hades contemplated using all of his godly power to destroy the door that blocked his way to Maria. However, logic soon took ahold. Birth was painful and there was nothing Hades could do to relieve the pain his beloved felt.

Instead, Hades waited for a few more minutes before a nurse came up to him. "Mr. di Angelo, was it? Your wife and child are currently resting now. You can enter the room and see them for the time being."

Hades nodded his head in understanding before entering the room. There, his beloved laid in bed, her face glowing as she cradled a small form to her chest. She looked up and smiled at him, beckoning him to come closer with her eyes.

Hades walked over to Maria and pressed a kiss to her cheek, relieved at the fact that she was alive. As the Ruler of the Underworld, Hades has witnessed many women's lives ending due to childbirth. The fact that Maria didn't go that way was a great relief. Though, if she did die, Hades would bend the rules for her and bring her back to life before Thanatos came for her soul.

Hades looked at the bundle that Maria was holding close and felt a smile come across his face. The baby's hand was curled around a lock of Maria's hair, their eyes the color of onyx blinked heavy with sleep. For one second, Hades could have sworn that the baby's form glowed with a divine blessing. But with one blink, all he could see was his child staring at him in a drowsy manner.

"We have a son, Hades. A son." Maria said, gazing at the child- their son -with love.

Hades hummed as he moved to sit in the hospital bed with Maria. "I hope he has your spark."

Maria huffed as she curled into his embrace with their child. "I hope he doesn't. I've gotten in a lot of trouble just being myself."

"That's true. But being who you are is why you're the woman I'm in love with." Hades placed his finger on the baby's chest, letting his child grab onto it with its tiny hands.

"I'm happy that he'll at least grow up to look like you." Maria gently teased. "He'll surely be a ladies' man in the future."

Hades smirked devilishly at Maria. "You know what they say: Like Father like Son."

Maria softly laughed before, once again, staring at the child. "If I ever had a daughter, I would have named her Bianca for my nonna (grandmother). May she rest in peace. But now we have a son."

"What do you want to name him?" Hades asked. He always let his children be named by their mothers, mostly because he wasn't very good at names. The guardian of the Underworld, Cerberus, was bestowed the name Skylos, which was translated to 'dog' in Greek.

"I think that a name honoring my relation to the Greek Goddess Nike would be nice." Maria brushed a stray curl from her son's head. "Niccolo, which means 'victorious people'. Let him emerge from all his battles in victory."

Hades looked down at his son, the fragile demi-god that would deal with a world full of monsters trying to kill him, and smiled.

"Niccolo di Angelo. May you grow in the future to become a worthy heir to the House of Hades."