A/N: Hey there everyone! I'd like to thank for ErikaCrotts, Fostersb and Miseriie reviewing! You guys are AWESOME! I'd also like to thank everyone who put my story on their favourite and subscription lists. Thank you!
This chapter is a my shortest yet! By a goood few hundreds of words.. lol. Sorry for that.
I hope you enjoy it!
Seph entered the Underworld with Hermes, hurrying. If her mother found out, she was dead. She had told her that she had missed her friend Hermes, and she wanted to spend a little time with him. Hermes had nodded along and then mentioned he wanted to take Seph with him to the Himalayas to drop a gift for one of Zeus' children. She had smiled sweetly, a sparkle of hope in her eyes as she eyes the young pair. Seph knew that deep down, she harboured the hope that Seph would come to her senses, leave Hades and marry a sensible choice, like Hermes. Seph rolled her eyes as she made her way past a happy Cerberus, only pausing to scratch his chin.
"I have to tell you something, Seph. Something I probably should have told you from the beginning."
She turned to Hermes.
"Quickly, Hermes. We have to hurry."
He nodded and blurted.
"The handmaiden is Xendra."
Seph stared at him, disbelief in her eyes. Seph had known the girl since she was a babe. Xendra was the only handmaiden that Seph had ever played with. A tear fell down her cheek as she realised how much they needed to find a solution. She could not let someone she considered her daughter, even though Seph looked much younger than Xendra did, perish. She glared at Hermes.
"Why didn't you mention this before?"
He looked nervous and pointed at Seph.
"'Cause I knew you'd act like that."
She gave him one last cutting glare before she ran down to the bank of Styx and waited for what seemed like an eternity, but was probably just a few moments, as Charon quickly rowed his boat back to her. She smiled at his shocked expression.
"I need to hurry, Charon. I can't stay long."
At once, Charon nodded, making sure they were seated, his face serious as he rowed faster than she had ever seen him. She leaped from the boat, Hermes on her heels as she ran to the throne room. She passed confused souls and stunned subjects alike. She made her way to where Hades sat, gloomily brooding as he stared at the smaller throne next to him. As Seph saw her husband, her heart leaped into her throat and simultaneously melted. A tear leaked from her eye, falling behind her as she ran.
Hades stared at Seph's chair, remembering how she looked sitting on it and wishing she was there. He heard a pounding noise and rolled his eyes, not removing his gaze from his Seph's seat. Were his servants really stupid enough to run in his palace? As the pounding neared, almost on him, he lazily lifted his gaze, ready to admonish whoever chose to interrupt his moping time. Quite suddenly, his arms were filled with warm, soft female. He sat there, shocked. His mind filled with anger. What the hell? Just as he was about to drop whoever was on his lap to the floor, the woman's scent filled his nostrils.
Seph.
His mind screamed. His pushing hands suddenly dragged her closer, all anger melting. His heart swelled almost to the bursting with love and tenderness. She was back. He didn't know how, since she wasn't due back for another couple of weeks or so, but somehow, his beautiful Seph had returned to him. He buried his face against her hair as he felt her body shake with sobs. He felt a tear leak from his own eyes and whispered,
"Seph?"
Scarcely able to believe it was her. His Seph had been returned to him? No. Wait. This had to be a dream. Yet, as he held her in his arms and breathed her in, she felt as real as she ever had.
"Yes, my love. It's me."
She whispered, her voice hoarse with tears. He pulled her away, to see her precious face. Tears leaked down her soft cheeks. He looked her over, re-memorising her features. Suddenly, he crushed her lips to his in a savage kiss. She moaned, returning his kiss, full on.
After a few passion filled moments, a voice was heard behind Seph, clearing its throat. Hades growled. He needed to be alone with his wife. How dare someone try to disturb him? He lifted a hand from her silky hair, to banish the interrupter to Tartarus, when suddenly, Seph pulled away. His brows furrowed and he tried to pull her back, but he could not without hurting her. Confused, he asked,
"Seph, what's wrong?"
Breathing uneven, she tried to get air into her lungs before saying,
"We have a problem, sweetheart. That's why I'm here."
All at once, Hades rose from the throne, taking her with him, in his arms. Anger flaming in his eyes, he snarled,
"Has someone hurt you?"
Seph shook her head, adamantly.
"It's not about me."
Relieved, he sat back down and began nuzzling her neck.
Seph's resolve weakened and she arched her body almost instinctively before realising what was happening and pulling away. She pressed her lips swiftly to his, pulling away before he could deepen the kiss and scatter her thoughts.
"It's very important, though. You made a deal with one of Ares' sons about protecting a handmaiden of Artemis, remember?"
He sighed, remembering the predicament. He shrugged.
"The man was an idiot. I only agreed to protect her from Ares. Not from Artemis."
Seph pulled away, shocked. At once, he regretted his words. With Seph returned to him, his compassion was slowly filling him, like thick syrup flowing into a bottle. Slowly but surely.
"What do you mean?"
She asked, confused. He shook his head, trying to clear it of his lustful thoughts of her.
"What do you need of me, love?"
Wary now, she said,
"I think you need to return them both to earth, Hades."
Hades shook his head, unyielding.
"I cannot undo an oath made on Styx, Seph. You know that."
Seph looked stricken. When one took a vow on the water of the river Styx, it was an unbreakable oath. Even the Gods could not renege on an oath on Styx.
"That idiot. How could he swear on Styx?"
"It wasn't his fault, love. A vow on Styx is the only vow I accept. It is after all, my river."
She nodded, trying to think.
"Why is this so important, Seph? What has happened?"
She hugged him, crying on his shoulder.
"It's awful. Aunt Artie wants the handmaiden's head for being with a man and Ares wants both their heads for trying to hide behind his back. The handmaiden is Xendra, Hades. I can't let anything happen to her. I love her. It's horrible!"
Hades held her to him, rubbing a comforting hand over her back.
"It'll be fine, love. It's a simple matter of just giving the souls to whoever wants them."
Shocked, she stared at him.
"What?"
She squawked.
"Well, I bargained for his soul, and the oath can't be broken, but I can give him to Ares, since the soul is mine to do as I wish. The girl's soul, however, I can't give away. I can just keep her here or something. Then, everyone shall be happy."
"Except the lovers, of course! What is wrong with you, Hades? If that was me-"
"Then I would have fought Ares to protect you. Not sold my soul to have someone else do it. Even if I had to lose my life to protect you, I would have."
She shook her head, trying to be adamant, while her heart melted.
"Hades, you cannot expect a mere mortal to go up against Ares. He would have been killed and then his lover raped and left to rot. You know Ares, Hades. He made the right decision to come to you. Although now I am questioning his choice."
She got off his lap, leaving him bereft. Hades reached out his hand for her, wishing she had not turned her back on him. He would do anything for her, but he could not go back on his word.
"I can only gift a soul to a God, Seph. I cannot return his soul to her."
She turned, tears leaking down her eyes. His heart shook, knowing he had done this.
"I thought..."
She shook her head and said,
"I'll leave now. I need to go back to my mother."
She turned and was about to walk off. Hades moved forward and took her arm in his hands, spinning her back to him, gently. He pulled her into his arms, cradling her to him.
"Don't Seph. Don't do this. Why are you angry? My hands are tied. There is nothing I can do."
She clutched him, sobbing against his shoulder.
"I know. I just can't let this happen to Xendra. She was so lonely when I wasn't there, Hades. You can't know how it is to be above, where everyone condemns you for who your parents are. She was abandoned as a baby at Artemis' temple. I was there when she was found. I helped raise her. She is like a daughter to me. More like a sister now, but the love I have for her is as deep as a mother's. Everyone jeers at her calling her the daughter of a slave, since they are all of noble birth. No one dared to touch her except me. I can't bear for her to be unhappy, Hades. She has had enough sadness in her young life. Help me help her, Hades. Do it for me."
He sighed, stroking her hair. He could not allow anything to happen to someone who meant so much to his Seph. After her friend Menthe had tried to steal Hades from her a few millennia ago, she had since held back most of her trust in relationships, with the exclusion of theirs of course. Now, she had finally shown interest in this handmaiden, and Hades had gone and screwed it up. Why didn't he think things through before he made deals? When Seph was not there, he generally did as he pleased, uncaring for the consequences. Now, he wished he could undo what he had done. Deep in thought, he did not hear Hermes clear his throat.
"Seph, we need to leave..."
He whispered. Hades eyes lifted to Hermes', blazing with fury.
"She has just returned."
He said in a deadly whisper.
"She will leave in a while."
Seph pulled away, unaware of the tension in her husband. She wiped her eyes and sighed, saying,
"No, he is right."
Behind her, Hermes blew out his pent up breath, relieved.
"But you just got here, love."
Hades whispered, all anger evaporating. He stroked his finger down her delicate cheek and she gave him a watery smile.
"My mother will be worried. I need to leave. Visit me."
She pleaded, holding his face in her hands. Seeing him had increased her need of him exponentially. He nodded, smiling.
"You will be in your own room, tonight?"
She smiled.
"I'm gonna make sure of it."
He grinned and then frowned.
"Tonight will be the only chance we have to take care of this little... Upset."
He said, disappointed.
"Good. I'll come with you."
He frowned at his wayward wife.
"You should stay home, safe, love."
"I am not a child, Hades. Don't think you can get away with treating me like one just because you are fiery."
Hermes cleared his throat behind her.
"I believe the adjective you are looking for, Seph, is hot. Not fiery."
She smiled her thanks and turned back to her husband.
"Come to my room tonight, we'll figure out what to do and we'll go. Okay?"
He sighed.
"Fine, little one. I insist, however that you listen to everything I tell you."
She grinned and nodded. Hades sighed.
"And yet, I doubt you're going to."
She grinned wider and said,
"I live to serve!"
"Ha!"
Scoffed both Hermes and Hades. Seph turned, casting a deadly glare at Hermes.
"You are not hot, however. So you can't get away with bossing me around."
Hermes looked offended.
"I'll have you know-"
Seph cut him off.
"If it's going to be another story of your exploits with females and just how fine they think you are, please. Spare me."
Hermes glared at the back of her head, trying to bore a hole through her skull, without Hades seeing. This was to no avail however and in the end, he sighed and gave up as Hades pulled her into a kiss that made him blush. He whistled, looking away from the couple.
Hades smiled down at his wife.
"I will see you tonight, love."
She smiled, dreamily up at him.
"Yes. Tonight."
With that, she and Hermes left him alone, to return to Olympus, Seph glancing back at him and winked saucily. He fell back against his throne, bereft. Only his wife had this effect on him. Well, that was not quite true. Only his wife had any effect on him at all. He really could not care less what happened to others. Everyone assumed that since he acted so loving with his wife, then he had to have a decent side deep inside, somewhere. It was probably just difficult to see. How wrong they were. Only one person had an impact on his emotions. He could look at thousands of people suffer and die and not bat an eye lash. His Seph, however, was another story. He could not allow anything to hurt her, in any way, be it physically or emotionally. Of course, she was oblivious to this, assuming, just like the others, that he had as much love and care to give to everyone as she did. He left her with her delusions.
He conjured an image of his beloved wife in his mind, closing his eyes. It was torture to be around her, however, and not touch her as he wished. He looked up to the ceiling and whispered,
"Tonight is going to be a very long night."
E/N: I sincerely hope you enjoyed this chapter. Lol. I know it's kind of short but I couldn't fit more in. Sorry! Good, bad, awful? Please review and tell me. Also, if you have any comments, at all including criticism please tell me. Thank you so much for reading!
