I stand on the shore of the Acheron, not far from the rocks. The palace actually seems beautiful in a gothic way from down here. Bigger too and I notice the lack of windows.
Then Hades appears beside me, a little bewildered, but nodding as if he now understands.
"Interesting." He mumbles and I nod, looking back at the palace.
"Yup. You forgot to put in windows." I say and when I look back at him, he frowns.
"No, I mean no one has ever teleported from the palace to the shore of the Acheron. Only me." He says and I nod, not really seeing the big deal. He stares at me for a while and then looks at my stomach. "I suppose it could be their birthright, passing onto you momentarily." He adds, mumbling. "Makes sense." He concludes.
"Or, here's a thought: I'm your wife, your Queen, your Goddess. Maybe I can walk the beach whereas no one else can because they aren't married to you." I say and he sort of gives me this little grin.
"Sure." He replies condescendingly, which makes me glare at him, making his grin broaden.
At that moment, we're interrupted with one of the Furies who sort of glides over with her large wings and lands gracefully on the shore, advancing as close as she dares to get (which is closer than most). She's probably the one that escorted me back.
When I got caught earlier by the Furies, my reaction was essentially this: I got caught by the Furies. Seeing women with snake-like hair, red eyes and bat wings, wearing shredded robes and weapons tied around their waists, apparently doesn't fizz me.
Well, I'm a Goddess now and I'm married to their fearsome boss, Hades. Nothing can really fizz me after being with Hades.
"Alecto, thank you for –" Hades begins and she quickly reminds me which Fury she is. The unceasing angry one. I guess that's why I should be fizzed. Her sisters are the embodiment of murder and jealousy. Alecto sounds bad, but I think I'd rather deal with her, just maybe not at this moment because she looks pretty pissed off.
"We have discussed among ourselves and decided that perhaps, with our Lady's newfound power, that she may oversee the souls going to Elysium." Alecto says, surprising Hades who doesn't try to finish his sentence that she so rudely cut off. She's gutsy, I'll give her that. "Perhaps you would be more inclined to work if she assisted you." Alecto adds, getting a little frown from Hades. Oh, I like her.
"I was working. I'm married and I'm going to be a father. Not only that, but I rule this place; I can take time off work when it pleases me." He says and Alecto doesn't seem nervous, just bored.
"Not when thousands of souls enter and you only have three assistants. Oh, and we decided to promote ourselves from servants to assistants." She adds and I can't help but grin a little as Hades' frown deepens. Alecto glances at me, somewhat pleased, and back at Hades.
He turns to me, ignoring Alecto for a moment. I hide my grin and put on my blank expression.
"This is entirely up to you." He begins and before he can say anything else, I quickly give my answer.
"Yes." I say and he frowns, also ignoring Alecto's grin which I'm sure he knows is on her face.
"You'll be often busy. With the children, you will be away from the palace." He adds, as if trying to discourage me from accepting this job offer that I already accepted, and Alecto casually jumps into the conversation.
"The children could eventually have their own roles; no doubt they will inherit power from their father. Consider it a family business." She says and Hades glances over his shoulder a little, his body language clearly telling her that he'd prefer if she'd bud out. Like that's going to happen.
"You're not alone anymore, Hades." I say, getting his attention. "It also means I can help here. Your Queen, remember?" I say and smile at Alecto who doesn't seem all that angry. Maybe the Furies aren't as bad as they're rumoured to be. "And it's the Elysian Fields. How hard can it be?" I ask with the warmth and brightness that I know makes me the Goddess that I am: Light, Warmth and Hope.
Hades doesn't seem to like the idea, but gives me a slight nod, turning to Alecto.
"Understand that she is to rest. When she is tired, no one is to nag her. If she wants a day, a week or a month off, she has earned that right." Hades says and Alecto narrows her eyes at him as he implied that she and her sisters nag him. "Is that clear?" He asks and she gives a fake smile.
"Yes." She replies and he nods, turning his back to me. She spreads her wings, flaps and takes off, flying away quite rapidly.
"She's nice." I say and Hades gives me this arch of the eyebrow as if assessing my mental state. "What is it you do when you work?" I ask and he gives me this inquisitive look, as if wondering if I'm really interested in listening or I'm just being nice. "Well?" I ask, impatient.
"I sort the souls when they enter. The Furies and I judge them. Sometimes, there's nothing to do in the case of those that damn themselves to Tartarus. At times, there are some misunderstandings." He replies and I arch my eyebrow, non-verbally asking for details. "Some people get framed and although they didn't exactly live good lives, they aren't always horrible people. Or, at times, they weren't in nurturing environments and had little control over their growth." He adds so nicely as I'm sure he can relate a little to that last one.
"Sounds fun." I say and he frowns a little at me. "Just imagine, we'll be working together." I add with a bright smile that doesn't change his expression. "Oh, it'll be fun." I conclude and he seems a little doubtful.
"We'll find out." He replies and gestures for me to walk with him down the beach, if I can call it that. We have quite the long way to go, but it's actually nice. I slip off my shoes and smile as Hades stops, looks at me and frowns.
"Haven't you ever walked down a beach, bare feet?" I ask and he looks at the water that doesn't move. Apparently there's no such thing as tides in the Underworld.
I grin as Hades slips off his shoes and removes his socks. He picks up his shoes with one hand and extends the other to me. Together, we walk down the beach, hand in hand, feet in the squishy warm sand.
"Just don't touch any of the waters here." He says, his eye on the Acheron.
"Yes, I know that each one is deathly." I say and the corner of his lips twitch. "Does Charon ferry the dead here?" I ask and he nods. I sort of expected him to look at me oddly because it's a pretty stupid question. "Is it true that he refuses to ferry those without proper burials?" I ask and now he looks at me oddly.
"No. He refused because they bitched and moaned non-stop. We stuck them all in one area and left them there. Each time there are more, Alecto takes them." He says and I grin, finding that to make more sense. "You can see how Charon, the strong silent type, disliked those souls. And I'm sure you can understand why Alecto is known as the –" he begins, but I cut him off.
"Unceasing angry one." I say with a smile that makes him grin.
"Right, Greek Mythology nerd." He replies and I grin as I look into his chilled eyes. "Must be wonderful to be a part of mythology." He adds and I smile the most cheesiest smile of my life, getting him to chuckle. "I'll take that as an affirmation." He concludes.
"It's just surreal. The great Hades is going to have children and the world is going to continue thinking that Hades is just some miserable and possessive God who keeps Persephone as his imprisoned bride." I say, getting a slight grin from him in response. "Doesn't that sort of tick you off?" I ask and he shrugs his shoulders.
"Not really. I'm usually the first person they meet when they die. Satisfaction enough for me." He says, head up high and getting me all turned on. He's so good looking when his ego increases, his features sharpened and that strength! Hades glances at me with a grin, and then I notice that I'm biting my lower lip, staring at him. I smile innocently, making his eyes glimmer. "Speaking of satisfaction, I hope that later, we can soak in a luxurious warm bath." He adds, this seductive glow in his chilled eyes.
I can't help but casually bring his hand closer to my inner thigh as I turn closer to him. His fingers arch, trying to feel me but my gown is such a tease, not letting me anywhere he wants to go.
"Is that a hint that I need to bathe?" I ask and his lips twitch with this grin.
"Gods don't stink, my Dear." He replies and I let out a small laugh, imaging that some probably put that statement to a test. "I merely suggest a bath for relaxation. As my pregnant Goddess, you should be relaxed and pampered, don't you think?" He asks, pulling me into his arms and bringing our walk to a brief pause as he strokes my cheek, staring into my eyes while his other hand feels my thigh like a gentleman.
Yeah, he's going to be feeling my inner thigh later in the bath.
At that moment, we hear a shriek and I glance away from Hades, trying to identify the source of that horrible sound.
"That's the Furies, obviously furious." Hades says and I look back at him with a grin.
"Nicely said." I say and he grins with pride. "Best not to make them wait, I guess." I add and he lets out a slight snort in response.
"We're in charge here. They can wait." He says and we continue our walk down the shore, hand in hand, bare feet in the squishy sand.
I look ahead, seeing that we're about half-way there and the Furies are trying to keep their calm. I imagine they understand that Hades will put me first above all, but their sole priority are the souls that enter the Underworld... and there's many of them, so I can see their reason for impatience.
The souls kind of shimmer; appearing and disappearing like smoke, but they always remain in one place. They seem entranced. Well, I'm sure dazed is a better way to describe them. The Furies try to sort them out, mostly with the easy ones, moving them since they apparently are too dazed to do it themselves. Is arriving in the Underworld such a shock that they become dazed and confused?
Yes, that was a movie reference. I'm so clever.
Anyway, the easy ones are no doubt those going to the Elysian Fields.
That'll be my department. I'm so excited!
When Hades and I arrive, the Furies try not to sound annoyed, which I mean they didn't really try to soften their message.
"It's about time. Take a stroll down Lover's Lane some other time." One of them say and based on the way she looks at our hands, I'd say she's the jealous one, Megaera. The other one, now that I see her, she doesn't look so murderous. Many times I've heard Tisiphone to be the personification of murder, but I guess that's wrong. She's more like the avenger of murder based on the way she smacks some of the souls, telling them Karma's a bitch, asshole.
Her words exactly.
"Do I have to remind you who's the boss?" Hades asks, a warning tone in his smooth voice. Megaera looks down and then quickly makes herself busy with some souls, joining the bitch-slapping fest that Tisiphone started. I glance over at Hades to see him totally careless that the Furies are abusing the souls.
He'd probably do it too, I'm guessing. I say that because I'm sure he's seen a lot of murderers, rapists and psychos enter the Underworld and I'm sure he'd wish to have the chance to kill them himself.
"Follow me, Lady Leland and I'll show you Elysium." Alecto says and her sisters stop, turn to me and stare as I walk with Alecto towards the Elysian Fields. For the first time, I have a good look at the place. From the garden, you can't really see this and the last time I was here, I apparently don't remember it well.
It's like a large cave with three entrances, each one looking different. You have the Elysian fields which has a soft glow, hinting that deeper into the cave you'll find beauty and peace. The one next to it, to the left, is dim and I'm guessing it's the Plain of Asphodel, the joyless place for souls and then you have the last one, slightly bigger because it sort of splits itself into two where I see two rivers; the Phlegethon, the River of Fire that goes down to Tartarus, and the Cocytus, the River of Wailing for souls. The one for the bitching and moaning souls that annoyed everyone, apparently.
Where those two rivers start, I have no idea. It's like they start under and then go up into the cave. The Underworld really is an odd place.
Alecto walks with me into the mouth of the Elysian Fields' cave entrance. I swear I can feel the warmth of the sun already and hear the song of the birds.
"You can place the souls you think are worthy of Elysium." Alecto says and apparently, I can make up my own standards because she walks away, not saying more.
Interesting.
Well, let's see what there is.