The next morning I wake with my arms around the waist of a goddess. Kari is the most beautiful thing I have ever seen. Her hair is spread over the pillows. Her mouth is open and a thread of saliva hangs out. The pale skin almost glows in soft morning light. She is beautiful.
And mine. Kari is mine, in as sense. She will never truly belong to anyone. But somehow, I am part of her. Last night was proof of that.
We did nothing but kiss and talk and fall asleep next to each other. The entire thing was surreal, but pleasantly so. We neither argued nor disagreed, we simply carried on a quiet conversation. When our words became slurred we stopped talking and just drifted off.
"I am glad you did not leave last night." I whisper to the sleeping girl, burying my face in her hair. It smells like fresh flowers-lilac and daffodil. I want continue sleeping, but no dream is greater than this.
Soon she will accept her place here. Then we can move on, together. I can teach her greater control of her power, show her all of our lands, allow her to manage the running of our home. She will be magnificent. We will be magnificent-if she gives "us" a chance. I believe she will now. Her reaction after hearing of my announcement on Olympus gave me hope. We can make it. We can restore the old kingdom. We can prove them all wrong and rule in a way never before seen. Kari just needs to take a leap of faith.
"Mmmmm."
I shift her in my arms. "Good morning?"
"Not quite yet." She murmurs. Her eyes are still closed and she hasn't released me. "Give me a few minutes."
"As long as you need."
"How long have you been up?"
"I am not up yet." I point out. "Not very long. I have just been laying here. Thinking."
"About what?"
I was slightly taken aback. No one had ever asked me what I had on my mind in one particular moment. It had always seemed taboo. "About…" I struggled to find words. "The future, I suppose. Us. The Underworld."
"What to do about my mother?" Kari asks, coyly.
That makes me laugh. "Yes, that as well. But not too much."
"What can we do?"
Silent, I pull her closer to me, thinking. What could we do? How can we beat this? I know it can be done. They have said it will be done. But how? Demeter is a powerful woman in her own right, and she is thousands of years older than either of us. The odds are not in our favor. Still, it must be done. I fear that if we do not win this time, we will either be stuck in this cycle of rebirth forever, of be condemned to mortal lives. Options I do not like.
Kari is looking at me. I smile.
"We can," I say seriously. "Have breakfast. "
XXXXXXXXXXXXX
"He loves me, he loves me not, he loves me," I chant to myself, plucking away the white petals of an ox-eye daisy. After breakfast in bed, Hale left, saying he had work to do with three judges whoever they were.
"They need another opinion." He had explained, kissing me on the forehead swiftly while adjusting the clasp on his cloak. "I know you want me to stay, Kari. But I do have a job down here-"
"I understand, Hale."
"—it is not always a great one, but I a bound to my duties. I wish not to leave you, but –"
"Hale, I get it."
"-this is a matter that cannot be set aside, you see. And I swear to you—"
"HALE." I said loudly. "I know. Don't worry, I can entertain myself for a few hours."
He sighed. "I know, but after yesterday…that was a lot to take in. I did not want you to be alone so long."
"Is Erebus busy?" I asked, hopeful.
Hale frowned. "He is with Nyx."
"Oh." I said. "Then, I can just have some alone time."
"I will return soon." He promised me, kissing me again.
"And I will be waiting."
Waiting again for Hale. I should be called Penelope rather than Persephone. Although, to be honest, I have no problems with Hale doing his duty. I expect if I ever take my supposed place as Queen of the Underworld I will probably have to work just as much.
Hale has never really explained what exactly he does job-wise. I mean, he's not Death, he just rules Death's victims. But what does than entail? The people here are mostly dead, or minor gods seeking refuge from the cruelties of the Olympian Courts. There is truly little to rule over.
Now that I think of it, I've never seen any of these soul that live in Hale's realm. I haven't seen much of the Underworld, true. But I would have though by now that I'd have seen one. Maybe I already have, and just didn't know it….
"He loves me, he loves me not, he loves me, he loves me not…"
If I had seen one, surely I'd know it. Yet, I have not seen anyone here save for a few gods and horses. Realizing this, I understand that my social life has been significantly reduced over the last few months. My life aboveground did have a strict mother, but I still got out of the house. I had friends, many more than I do down here.
I have come to the last petal. "…he loves me not." I say finally, pulling the slim white bit off. I close my eyes briefly.
"I disagree." A voice says from behind me. "He certainly loves you."
My eyes fly open. The daisy has a single petal sticking left. I know I had taken off the last petal, how…? I whip around, straining my neck in the process.
"Hale!" I stand to throw myself on him. He laughs, picking me up to twirl me around in the air like a child. When he stops and we stand back, I can see that he is pleased, smug even. This makes me chuckle.
"You are happy to see me?"
I stop, totally confuzzled. "Um, yeah?"
Hale briefly looks me over, eyes flickering between storm and dove. Then he smiles. "Of course you are. Yes, I am glad to see you as well."
"How was your meeting?"
"It was an event." He winced. "A favorite of Apollo's committed an unforgivable crime. She needed to be sent to Tartarus. None of my judges were willing to make any enemy of Apollo, so I needed to be there to give the final verdict."
"Does that sort of thing happen often?"
"Occasionally." Hale replies. He sits down on the grass, taking me with him. When we are arranged just so (me sitting cross-legged Indian-style, with his head in my lap), he explains further. "The gods do not take on mortal lovers so much anymore. It is dangerous to have a demigod out in modern society. If one is conceive, the child is raised by the divine parent. Yet, for the most part, we stick to our own kind."
"Do gods not use birth control?" I'm curious. Wouldn't they want to, instead of making tons of little godlings?
"They can, but many prefer not to. Often times, it does not work." Looking at me, Hale smiles slyly. "We are gods, after all."
"Ew."
"I am simply answering your question, Karianna."
"Still. Ew."
"You know," He says. "Being disgusted by the act of sex suggests a lack of maturity."
"I am mature." I sniff. "I just don't want to discuss it…like that."
"Kari, we will have to talk about it eventually." The eyes have darkened. He's serious now. "We are, in many ways, already married."
"That does not mean I am doing IT with you."
Smoothly, Hale takes my hand. "And I would not ask you to until you are ready. IT is not an issue between us now. However, I do not want to give up this 'making out.'"
Giggling, I nod. "Okay. We can still do that."
"Well, then." Hale props himself on his elbows to kiss me, long and sweet and entirely chaste. My tongue darts out to trace his lips. Excited, he sits up so we are on the same level. I massage his scalp as his hand slide down to hold my waist.
"Ah, My Lord…"
I yank myself away from the steamy Lord of the Underworld to see Erebus, who is looking quite embarrassed to have found the two rulers of the realm in such a compromising position. Considering he is blind, I'm surprised he knew what we were doing. But I don't question. Instead, I sit up (Hale had accidently caused me to topple to the ground, not that I was complaining) and do my best to look regal, or something.
"Erebus, um, Hale told me you were occupied today. Great to see you…anyways."
"My lady, you as well."
Do I hear irony is the blind man's voice?
Hale has, miraculously, straightened himself out. Running his fingers though his rumpled hair, he stands. "Erebus, what is the meaning of this call?" He demands, tugging on the hem of his tunic. I'm surprise he's being so rude to Erebus, his friend and ally. Normally they get along well. Though, perhaps it's because he is just as embarrassed as I am. Men tend to react to these intrusions by lashing out
The god of shadows turns his unseeing eyes to the younger god. "My lord, I have something I would wish to discuss with you in private."
Hale looks at me. "Surely nothing that Karianna can stand to hear."
Erebus smiles wryly. "I am certain she could stand it, my lord Hades, but I do not believe you would want her to."
Frowning with realization, Hale pauses to look at me again. Finally he sighs and says: "Kari, you should go inside."
I scowl. "I'm not a child, Hale. I want to know."
Smirking slightly, he nods in agreement. "I know you are not a child." He says softly. "Please. If I can, I will explain later."
I switch my gaze from him to Erebus. "Why can I not stay? What's so bad about me listening?"
"One day, my lady," Erebus says calmly. "You will be the once keeping secrets and sending him away. This is business of a sensitive nature; you must wait to hear such news."
Glaring at the two of them (one of which couldn't see me glare, so it was a bit pointless) I stand and walk out of the gardens, intent on visiting the library.
XXXXXXXXX
"Her temper is remarkable, my lord." Erebus remarks as we walked the garden path.
"Yes." I murmur.
"Much like your own."
"Hmm."
"You have a very hot one, my lord."
"What is it we need to discuss, Erebus?"
Erebus stops to turn toward me. "Lady Demeter is looking for access into the Underworld."
"She cannot come down without my permission. I have taken measures to ensure that. Nobody except for me can grant her entry."
Erebus inclines his head. "That is true." He agrees. "She seeks to gain entry with someone else—a fellow goddess who is sympathetic to her cause. Artemis, perhaps?"
"Of course, that would work. " I rub my chin. "Were you on Olympus this morn?"
"Yes."
"Did Zeus make it clear to her that she was to involve no one else in our dispute?"
"She sought a private audience with him." Erebus confirmed. "The word is he told her that Persephone remains in the Underworld of her own will and if she wishes for her daughter's return the affair is between only the two of you." He tilts his head. "Does not Kari's opinion matter?"
I shake my head. "You know her views on these matters mean a great deal to me. But I do not want to risk her leaving. She might want to just visit the above world, and plan to return only for Demeter to catch her and keep her there forever. I do not want her to realize her options for I fear she might unintentionally endanger our life here."
"So you lie to protect her."
"I do not lie!" I snap. "I am merely leaving out certain details. She will thank me when we succeed because of my prudence. "
"My lord, do not mistake my concern for a bias. I am worried for your sake. Kari will not take the news that you have kept certain pieces of information from her lightly. This could very well break her trust in you."
"It is for us." I say stoically. "She will understand why I have done what I have done."
"Will she?"
"Yes, I know she will." This questioning is doing nothing for my mood.
The sightless eyes flicker around in their holdings. "Then, my lord, you have made the right choice."
We halt our conversation to walk the perimeter of the garden silently until we reach the willow that stood outside Kari's room. There, I turn to Erebus. "Is there anything else?"
"No, my lord."
"Thank you, Erebus. I am sorry for my outburst. The week has been a long one."
"It is forgiven. Go to Persephone. She needs to see you. Do not let her stay angry for too long."
"I will not. Kari can never stay mad with me."
Erebus chuckles. "One day that may change."
"Your mate is just disagreeable." I point out.
"She is," he agrees. "But Nyx has her good side as well. Now go."
I leave him in the shade of the willow to seek out my darling flower.
XXXXXXXXX
Behind me I can hear him lurking. His breath is heavy, his steps loud. I ignore him, focusing on my thick book instead. The diagrams are graphic, detailed, nothing I would normally read. A medical handbook is way out of my range, but I'm getting something out of it nonetheless: I was right in thinking I could never be a doctor. I can barely handle these sketches, let alone the real thing. Come to think of it, how am I going to deal with being Queen of the Dead. Surely some of those spirits are slightly gory? Or more than slightly gory…? Um, ew.
"I can hear you creeping on me, you creeper. Go away."
Perfectly calm, Hale ignores my request. "If you are interested in medical text I have multiple editions of Gray's Anatomy and The Canon on Medicine."
He gestures with his fingers and the books drift off shelves on the third level, landing on the book elevator. When they arrive on the bottom level with a sharp "Ding!" they zoom toward me. Hale deftly grabs the books and places them on the small table beside me.
"Leave me alone."
"Kari, you're acting like a sulking child."
I restrain myself from answering back with a shrill "Am not!" So I settle on no reply.
"Kari?"
No response.
"If you'll talk to me I'll give you one free question."
What? A free question? Was I paying for them before?
"Any question you have, I'll answer. Completely. Until you are satisfied."
Well, this could be enough to pardon him. A free question…anything…what could I ask? Oh, I've got—
"Why won't you let me wear black?" I blurt out. "Freakin' brilliant." Diana's voice says. "You asking a question pertaining to your wardrobe."
Hale observes me for a moment before speaking. "The Queen of the Underworld wears dark colours based on the feelings of her realm. Or, rather, how mortals feel about her realm. The colours of mourning. For you to wear them, those shades of misery, it would not be right."
I frown. It sounds like a lot of BS to me. "Okay, traditional clothing I can understand, but, Hale, you were seriously p.o. about that."
"'P.O.'?"
"Pissed off." I explain. "It means really, really mad. What I'm trying to say is, it more than a breech in traditional dress code. You were like, ready to tear somebody's esophagus out."
He sits in the chair across from me, steepling his fingers. Looking between the spaces, he peers at me. "My perceptive darling." He says fondly. "Yes, there is more. It is…dangerous for you to dress in such a familiar way. We feared you might….realize yourself too soon. The burden would be too great. You could go mad. If you are not prepared, magically and mentally, the consequences are more than I am willing to bear."
"Wait what?"
"You will—"
"Good mad, got that. You're saying my wardrobe is affected by the possibility that I could randomly become fully reincarnated. Like, for realz?"
"'For realz'?"
"For real. Seriously. "
"Ah."
"I'm sorry, it's hard to stop all these references to my old life."
"I could never expect you to. In a thousand years, I know you will be saying 'No frickin' way' and I look forward to it. To answer your question, yes this could potentially happen."
"So, if I were to wear that sexy little black dress?"
"You could go insane."
"I throw on my favourite pair of acid-washed grey skinny jeans?"
"I am not entirely sure what those are, but yes, you could lose your mind wearing them."
"Does this included accessories? Shoes, belts?"
"No, just…main things. Things that were hers."
"So I could wear those jeans?"
"I suppose so, but let us not take that risk. It does not matter, your clothes are not your own anyways."
I shift in my chair, frowning. "All my clothes are hers?"
"Yes." Hale smiles. "Do not tell me you are offended. You are the same person."
"Well, not really. But she was bigger than me! Taller and wider."
"The clothes adjust themselves." He says dismissively. "Are you satisfied?"
"I suppose." I sniff. I'm still frustrated that I asked such a dumb questions. There are so many better things to ask. "But you're not off the hook."
"'Off the hook'? I am not on a hook."
"It means I'm still a little pissed."
"Oh." Hale sits back. "And, I wonder, how could get off this metaphoric hook?"
I muse for a moment. What could he do? Evidently I took too long, for Hale spoke up.
"Would I be of this hook if I taught you how to create an orb?"
"You mean one of those smoke things that you use to show me the past?"
"Yes. Are you interest?"
"Totally." This could be a blessing. A way for me to watch Di, or watch Will work out. Hale is giving me a resource nearly equal to having a cell phone.
Hale smiles. "And I am off the hook?"
"If you can teach me, yes."
He gestures to one door that I have never seen before in one corner (how can there be corners in a round room?). Taking my hand, he leads me to the door, pausing prior to opening the door.
"Kari, this room has a vast array to texts. I know you are widely read, and there is little you love to do more. But I am asking you now to not read a single book from this room, unless I specifically give one to you." His seriousness makes me want to laugh. I mean, they're just books.
"Why?"
Hale frowns briefly, then smiles indulgently. "Because, my love, that's the way it is."
"Seriously, they're just books."
"A few books landed Galileo in home imprisonment." He offered. "Kari, I am being entirely serious. The books in this chamber are dangerous. If not treated with the proper respect, the results are… severe. Promise me that you won't go sneaking."
"Hale, I—" His grim expression leaves me short of words. "I promise. I won't pry. Cross my heart, hope to die, and all that."
He considers for a moment. "All right." The doors are flung open. "The first thing you need to remember is focus…"
XXXXXXXX
Hours later I sit, frustrated, staring at my lumpy oval of fine mist. I've been at this for hours, and this is the best effort I've produced yet. Wistfully, I recall, two hours previous, pulling some puff of mist from the air, getting so excited. Hale's smile was so wide, you would have thought I was holding his first born. I was so proud and excited!
The excitement has worn off more than a bit, especially seeing as my patients is dying faster than a swatted fly on a hot summer day. I've yet to see any images or scenes. I'm at the end of my rope. Hale saw this coming and left, leaving an open book, detailing the scrying exercises I was supposed to be going through. I did not mind (much) for he had skipped out on the work he swore he would finish this morning.
I let the light mist disparate to try again. Focus. Focus. Focus. Breath…and…I blow gently on my hand. The tiny poofs float into my palm, swirling and swirling until they come to rest, forming a perfect…oval. Like an egg.
"Grrrr!" I toss the egg-shaped failure. It hits the stone wall, spreading itself out, looking much like the effect one gets when tossing stones into water.
Hale was right. This is far too advanced for me. I shouldn't have let him trick me into trying. He just setting me up for severe disappointment. Gritting my teeth, I commit this aggravation to memory. Hale was not getting out of this one.
Sighing, I look at the directions once more. It seems so simple. The only ingredients are concentration, will, and breath. I decide to try once more. Closing my eyes, I seal my mind, pinning my thoughts to the one object, the one desire, the one…
I sigh a gentle gust into my cupped palm. I open my eyes, my one application being my gift. The mist has appeared, but it's thicker, more smoke-like in quality. The pieces swirl once more, churning to converge dead center.
The result is a tiny, perfect, lovely little purple orb, floating only a few centimeters above my flesh. It's smaller than Hale's have ever been. All the same, the pride wells up in me. I want to laugh. Yet I am silent for a picture begins to form in my orb.
I see my mother's stern features. She is speaking to someone, a figure just out of my view.
"Karianna is being kept. His is imposing his will upon her own, I know it!"
"And what do you suggest I do about it?" One cool voice asks. "This business is no matter of mine, I assure you. I was not involved last time, nor will I be again."
"You must make her see!" Mom cries. "Make her see that she does not love him, make him believe her to have scorned him!"
The figures rises. It is a curvy, scantily-clad blond woman. Her lips are lush, her face heart-shaped and breathtakingly perfect. Her nose has a perfect curve to it. The breasts her gown just barely covers are round. Her eyes are a forget-me-not blue that will never be forgotten. She has a certain aura of age about her, but does not look to be more than five years older than me.
"Demeter, you forget your place. These are not affairs I meddle with, not affairs of the gods." This other woman sounds offended, but I can see a glimmer of a smirk in her eyes. "I am sorry, but I cannot help you. My father has already spoken, has he not? You are not be aided in your quest, I'm afraid."
My mother is speechless for a brief period, then snaps back to. "You meddled last time, I am sure of it!" She retorts. "He was never interest in Kore before I—"
"What is done is done." Aphrodite sounds mournful, but in a mocking sort of way. "I cannot interfere. If it makes you feel any better I can tell you this…" She drifts off, clearly teasing Demeter.
"What?"
Her lips curve, creating the perfect, almost seductive smile. "They truly love each other. Deeply, truly, wonderfully. Nothing you can ever do, short of killing them, can stop that."
Mom lets out a furious scream, and my orb goes black.
XXXXXXXX
I leave Karianna to her practice, hoping to start (and maybe finish) the outrageous amount of work that has piled itself upon the various surfaces of my workspace. To be honest, it is not nearly as heave as it would seem. A great deal of the scrolls are letters from diplomats or my fellow gods. Several files are reports of various Underworld trials. I have a bit to read about the mining of my precious stones, metals, or other ground resources. Letters asking permission to visit, to dig, to punish. It is all business. Until recently I have never fallen behind. Until Kari.
Perhaps in a few days I might begin to ease into calling her "Persephone." Though, I might not be the one to start. Hemera might receive a better reaction than I would. I sigh. Eventually she must step into her role as Queen to the Underworld, wife to me. Though I do not, at home, go by my true name, I feel as though Karianna needs the time to become accustom to hearing her given name, rather than this new, foreign one her mother felt fit to adorn her with.
After I discover her new name, I felt the need to research the meaning behind it. The full name derives from the Greek name "Korinna", or "Corinna". However, her shortened name (or "nick-name" as she puts it) has multiple derivations, from "Katherine" to "Katrina". In its simplest translation, "Kari" signifys "Pure of Heart", something I believe expresses my flower on her deepest level. She is the eternal maiden. She is pure in a way I cannot fully comprehend. Nevertheless, I appreciate her nature in the only way I know how: loving her for it, every moment of every day.
I just wonder, how much devotion does she return?
Three hours later, when the pile is significantly reduced, I stand, planning on leaving to visit Kore once more, as is tradition, before she spends the rest of the evening with Hemera. But a scroll catches my eye.
A woven, dyed case protects the fragile paper. The toggle that clasps the case is a single tooth. A shark tooth. I unroll the paper, hesitant. Only rarely does my second brother venture to contact me. Rarer still that he would do so by diplomat. His eldest son, no less.
The signature stands out bold, in blue ink. William Leander Glyndwr. Also called Aon, the eldest son. His mother was unknown. He appear to claim his place over five thousand years ago. Already having a prince, and unwilling to relinquish any of his kingdom, Poseidon granted this son the honor of being ambassador of the seas. In recent years, Aon has had little work, so he began playing with mortals. Harmless, really. Making friends. Dating. Experiencing mortal life. We saw no harm; he was a demigod. They had the choice to reside with us, or integrate in with the humans.
I frown, for I recall a Will that Kari knew. He was a strapping fellow, slightly British…no. It was not possible. But even I do not believe myself. Kore attracts gods like rotting meat attracts flies. There is no way his attendance at her high school was any coincidence. It appears my elder brother was keeping an eye on my Queen, prior to the rest of the Immortal society even knowing of her existence.
Interesting.
The name info I just felt needed to be added somewhere. There is a great deal of symbolism in this chapter, and it's an important one. Though, not horribly important.
Okay, here's the deal. I've had 75 page views for the last chapter at this point and no reviews. I'm skipping out on WTVC right now to finish this. So, please, please, please tell me what you think! If you don't like it, than your opinion is wanted! If you love it, then tell me! Please!
Along with your review, please inform me of your favourite book and why you like it. Or something about it.
Sounds like homework, right?
It's something like this: People like talking/writing/texting about themselves. At the end of every chapter from this point on, expect a question regarding you, your likes & dislikes, etc. If you review, I'll write.
Ciao!
