An Invitation to a Party

"What are you doing?" Hecate asked as she strutted into Hades' office without knocking, as per usual.

Looking up, Hades nudged his glasses down his nose so he could get a better look at Hecate, stood in the distance. "I am working, evidently. The Underworld does not run by itself."

"Yes, but it's Saturday," Hecate reminded him as she trotted forward so she could come and perch on the edge of his desk.

"It is," Hades replied, pushing his glasses back up his nose as he returned to focusing on his paperwork.

"It's Saturday," Hecate repeated.

"It is," Hades repeated.

When he didn't look up, Hecate blew a black bubble into his face, and when he still didn't look up, she sighed and pulled something off her clipboard, dangling it in front of his face.

"Sat-ur-day," she said once again.

"And this is?" Hades asked, eyes flickering up to see she was holding out an envelope, with Zeus' seal emblazoned on the back.

"Your invite to the yearly god meet up," she said, flipping the envelope around so he could see his name on the front. "Which is tonight, in case you didn't know. Aren't you lucky you have such a nice secretary to remind you? I've been reminding you all week, mind you, so I shouldn't need to remind you again, unless you've been ignoring me, of course."

"I do on occasion ignore you," Hades replied, returning to his work, and Hecate snorted. "You have a tendency to waffle on about things irrelevant to my work, and I do not wish to get distracted."

"Boo, you bore," Hecate said, and she shook the envelope in his face. "Come on, you've got to get ready."

"Zeus only invites me out of common courtesy," Hades said. "You know I am not wanted, which is why I never go, and I will not start now. Besides, I do not like anyone there."

"Not even Hermes? Thought you were buddies now."

"Not even Hermes."

"Not even Persephone? She'll be really gutted to hear."

Hades' head shot up, and Hecate flashed him a wicked grin. "That got your attention."

"You lie. Persephone is not allowed out. Zeus and Demeter forbid it."

"You really do live under a rock, literally, I suppose, if you class the Underworld as underground," Hecate remarked. "Today is the one day Zeus lets her go out. You can see her without sneaking around. You haven't seen her for a while, have you?"

Hades' gaze turned from Hecate as his frown softened, and he fought back a sigh. "Not since the beach, no."

"Then you can see her today," Hecate said. "But only see her. No interaction, lest something goes wrong and you both get into trouble."

"I will… consider it…" Hades muttered as his heart started to ache, simply at just the thought of Persephone. See her, but only see her.

"Sorry, but I already considered it for you," Hecate said. "I told Persephone we're going. What? Don't give me that look. You're not the only one with her number. Remember who gave it to you?"

"What do you mean 'we'?" Hades asked, leaning back in his chair and taking off his glasses.

Hecate shifted her fingers, revealing another envelope hidden behind the first, only this one had her name on. "I'm a goddess too, you know? We all get invitations, even Nyx, and we know Zeus is terrified of her. Come on, don't you want to have fun? It will be great to see everyone's faces when we turn up in our finest gear, ready for a cocktail."

Before Hades could argue back, there was a knock at his door, and before he could reply to that, the door was already opening. In strutted Nyx, in her white dress, the stars in her midnight hair glistening as it flowed behind her. And, despite Nyx being the personification of night, the room only darkened when the person behind her entered.

Erebus, Nyx's consort, had ashen grey skin, and hair made of literal darkness, where the separate strands always appeared blurred, due to their absorption of light. Unbefitting of the personification of darkness, he wore white, perhaps to match Nyx, although he never truly said.

Fighting back a sigh, Hades leant back in his chair and tapped his fingers against his desk. "What brings you here, Nyx and Erebus?"

"We come baring invitations, son," Erebus said, waving two envelopes. Just as Nyx was lovingly referred to as the mother of the Underworld, Erebus was thought of as the father figure, henceforth he called everyone 'son' especially Hades, for he claimed it was amusing to watch Hades squirm at the pet name.

Hades sighed. "Please do not tell me you—"

"Hecate said you were going, so we thought we absolutely must too," Nyx said, beaming as she strutted across the room and perched on the other corner of Hades' desk. She caught Hecate's eye, and both goddesses shared a grin before turning their attention back to Hades.

Hades sighed again. "Please, I—"

"You cannot deny a goddess her wish," Erebus said, marching forward so he stood directly in front of the desk, and he waved his and Nyx's invitations alongside Hades' and Hecate's.

Hades sighed again. "You realise absolutely no one in Olympus likes us? We shall all just be cast to the side as soon as we enter."

"I am sure Persephone likes us," Nyx said.

"And I'm sure Hermes only dislikes us," Hecate chirped.

"You are correct about the others, though," Erebus added. "I am sure they hate us."

"Thank you, Erebus, for your contribution," Hades muttered.

"But what does it matter?" Nyx crowed, and she shared another grin with Hecate before looking back down at Hades. "They may hate us, but we shall look spectacular regardless."

#

Persephone was sat cross legged on her bed, a bag of abnormally large marshmallows in hand as she gazed at the small TV she had somehow managed to convince her mother to let her have. She needed to do something when locked up in her room every day of the week. Not that she truly was, when she spent most of it at work in the coffee shop, but Demeter didn't know that. And so she had let Persephone get a small TV, which the young goddess was currently using to stream the trashiest show she could possibly find, a show Zeus would absolutely disapprove of.

Funnily enough, lately she'd been really getting into stories about star-crossed lovers. When the lovers finally got together, she'd either give a long, romantic sigh, or squeal into her pillow.

"Persephone, why are you still in you pyjamas?" Demeter asked when she walked in, frowning at the state her daughter was in. Today, Demeter was wearing a pink rose behind her eye, and her short, curly hair was sparkling with green glitter, matching the sleek, dark green gown she wore, a belt of smaller roses tied tightly around her waist.

"I gotta finish the episode, it's at the good part," Persephone explained, stuffing another marshmallow into her mouth. Boy, she couldn't wait to babble about the latest episode to Psyche! Persephone almost kept forgetting about her marshmallows, she was too fixated on her show. Oh, Arachne was going to get so annoyed on Monday when Persephone and Psyche wouldn't shut up about the show.

"Persephone, dear, we're leaving in half an hour," Demeter said, giving a drawn-out sigh. "You don't have time to get ready. And if you keep eating those, you won't fit into the dresses I gave you."

"That's the point," Persephone said, and she popped another marshmallow into her mouth.

"Just… just get ready…" Demeter said, her eyes cast down to the floor. "You do not wish to anger Zeus, after all."

Demeter swept out of the room, and Persephone stared down at her marshmallows, screaming to be eaten despite the fact her appetite had just flown away. With a sigh, she snatched up her phone, seeing several messages from both Hecate andHades.

Hecate: Mission success! Totally convinced him to go. I can't believe my antisocial boss is going to a party… ZEUS' party ٩(^ᴗ^)۶

Hecate: And don't you go bailing on me now, I'll be gutted

Hecate: As in seriously I will hunt you down and set Cerberus on you

Persephone: Cerberus LOVES me. You can't set him on me. I'll see you at the party xx

Hecate: Don't do anything stupid though. See you soon ( ˘ ³˘)©

Persephone sighed and rolled her eyes at her phone, hoping Hecate would somehow be aware of the action, then opened her conversation with Hades, her heart fluttering when she read what he had sent.

Hades: I have been informed by Hecate you shall be at Zeus' gathering, so I shall see you there. Hecate forbids me from speaking directly to you, but I imagine there will be a way to get around it if we try. If Zeus dares try to do something, I shall stop him, do not worry.

Persephone clutched her phone to her chest and sighed, flopping back down on her bed. She lay there for a moment, staring up at her ceiling, popped another marshmallow in her mouth, and finally typed out a reply.

Persephone: I can always count on you! Save your first dance for me xx

Hades: I will.

Hades: xx

Just as she would do when watching her shows, Persephone squealed in to her pillow. Rolling off her bed, she supposed she might as well get ready. Only… she grinned. You do not wish to anger Zeus, after all, Demeter had said. And Persephone didn't, to be fair—Zeus made her palms sweat—but if Hades wouldn't let Zeus do anything, well, then that meant it was time to go wild.

Away with her mother's dresses that she could barely breathe in. Away with things that weren't Persephone. No, instead she rummaged through her wardrobe, picked out her most ideal dress for a party, and, once dressed, trotted downstairs.

When Demeter saw her daughter, she gasped, and then shook her head. "Persephone, dear, I said something that doesn't displease Zeus."

"Actually, I believe you said don't anger Zeus," Persephone retorted, to which her mother frowned. "Besides, I am not made for pleasing Zeus, and the same goes for you."

Spinning around, she showed her mother her dress. It was too the knees and light green, with the skirt jaggedly cut to resemble leaves, and to show the dozens and dozens of frilly pink petticoats underneath.

"Persephone, Zeus is King of the Gods," Demeter reminded her, her brow creasing even further.

"King of Not Me," Persephone said.

"Also my dress matches your roses. Don't say I didn't think about it."

Tentatively, Demeter raised a hand to the rose in her hair, then sighed again. "Persephone, you didn't even care for your hair."

Untrue, for she had. She'd decorated it with ribbons and flowers, but she'd also let it flow down, wild and free. What was the point of having natural hair if she had to hide it all the time just to please some almighty god who had his head stuck up his arse?

Persephone's shoulders started to slump as her expression began to match her mothers and she simply said, "I didn't want to."

"Oh, Persephone. You're usually more… compliant than this…"

"Yes," Persephone whispered, her gaze dropping to the floor. "You look beautiful by the way, Mother. I didn't get the chance to say so before…"

There was a pause before Demeter said, "As do you, my dear. The dress suits you."

Persephone's head snapped up and she stared at her mother, but Demeter was already turning away, indicating for Persephone to follow.

"Come," Demeter said. "You don't have time to change into something… more suitable. It's time we leave. The party starts soon. Just remember to be—"

"Careful who I dance with. You say that every year," Persephone said, but still her heart fluttered.

I will, Hades had said when she'd asked him if he'd save his fist dance for her.

"I will," Persephone repeated, and Demeter at least nodded in mild satisfaction.

#

Despite infamously hating humans, the gods always made sure to hold their annual get together in a human establishment. A display of power, Zeus claimed. A display of arrogance, Hades would mutter to Hecate who, as expected, always agreed.

And Zeus' plan worked, of course, for when the gods were arriving for their party, humans would gather outside to gaze in awe as they caught a glimpse of divinity. The women swooned when Apollo pranced onto the scene, dragging a reluctant Artemis behind him. The men swooned when Aphrodite strutted into view and blew them all kisses, though hearts most certainly shattered when she took Hephaestus and Ares by the arms and led them into the party. There were cheers when Poseidon approached, and then truly thunderous rounds of applause when Zeus arrived last, always last. He was the best, after all, or so he liked to claim.

However, this year, as he absorbed his roar of approval, it appeared he wasn't the last to arrive. Zeus had been about to enter the party, alongside Hera, when the crowd squealed, and a dark chariot drawn by four dark horses appeared.

Appropriately, the crowd fell into a deathly silence as Hades stepped from the carriage, his cape swishing behind him. He could not care about Zeus, watching from the entrance with wide eyes, and simply focused on helping Hecate out of the carriage. It wasn't as if she needed help, as she only ever wore several inch stilettos, but it was gentlemanly anyway.

And then, Nyx stepped out, followed by Erebus, and Hades pondered of it was possibly for silence to become even more silent. There was a moment before whispers started to break out. Who was this mysterious woman in a white ball gown and hair like midnight? And who was this mysterious man who matched her in both clothes and hair?

As Hades waved the chariot away, he turned to face Zeus, who's face had become pale at the sight of Nyx. Even Hera's eyes were wide. As Hades regarded his brother with a cold neutrality, Nyx smiled and turned to her audience.

"My dears, I am Nyx, the primordial deity of night," she announced, stepping forward and flashing her moon like smile at the crowd. Raising her hands to the dusky sky, she said, "My consort Erebus and I would love to great you on this fine evening, as do my companions, Hades and Hecate."

Neither Hades nor Hecate smiled as they bowed their heads to the crowd, which had quietened once again, though Hecate did have to dig her nails into Hades' arm to stop herself from sniggering.

The four gods from the Underworld strutted towards the entrance to the party, stopping shortly in front of Zeus and Hera. Hades dared say he heard a sharp intake of breath from the observing humans as the gods confronted each other.

Zeus' white suit darkened slightly as his eyes became storms, yet Hades refused to make any motion with his face, only continued to stare. It was Erebus that broke the silence when he took Hera's hand and gently kissed it, saying, "Lady Hera, it has been a while. I am glad to be graced by your presence once more."

"And I too," Hera said, with as straight a face as possible. She turned to Nyx and only managed a small nod as she said, "Lady Nyx."

Nyx smiled regardless, and said, "Dear Hera, the peacock feathers look divine on you. I could never pull off such a dress."

Hera glanced down at her blue dress, and then towards Nyx's. "…And I could never pull off yours."

"What brings you here, brother?" Zeus asked, his voice low as she glowered up at Hades. Hades may not have had much on his younger brother, but at least he had height.

"An invitation," Hades replied.

"All gods and goddesses are welcome," Hecate said, and she waved at Zeus to step aside. "Come now, some of us are starving."

When Zeus did not move, Nyx cleated her throat and said, "If you would please step aside. Some of us are are quite famished."

Zeus' scowl deepened, but he said no more as he stepped aside, Hera staggering back with him. Nyx grinned and swept passed. Erebus frowned at Zeus, smiled at Hera, then followed his partner. Hades and Hecate gave both king and queen the same cold, calculating looks before stepping past themselves, though Hecate broke into a grin when Zeus could no longer see.

"Did you see his face?" she snickered, wiping a fake tear from her eye.

"Funnily enough, I did," Hades said. "I was stood in front of him."

"I know," she replied, smacking him on the arm. "Now remember, don't do anything stupid. Stay on your best behaviour, okay?"

Hades, remembering his promise to save his first dance for Persephone, simply said, "I will."

A/N

Really sorry about the late chapter! I couldn't update last month because I was busy, and I was supposed to update on the first of this month but I was really ill .

Anyway, we're going to have a party mini arc! Hope you all enjoy! We got to meet Erebus to go with Nyx, as well as a glimpse of Hera. Who knows who we'll be seeing next chapter? Prolly a lot more!

Kate x