Chapter 2: Meeting His Flower
A/N I will be taking a semi-modern twist on the story. Covering Asami Discord event prompt "Flowers."
"I should pay a visit to The Moirai," Asami said aloud to himself, "especially because I feel my Red String of Fate tugging at me more every day. It would be lovely for The Underworld to have a Queen."
As soon as he spoke, Kirishima appeared by his side, ready to assist in whatever way possible. Kirishima informed Asami that the chariot was ready and that The Moirai were notified that the King of The Underworld wished to pay them a visit.
Nodding his head, Asami thanked his faithful friend and headed to visit The Fates. Although his face looked neutral and indifferent, inside he felt both excited and slightly nervous. Years ago, he had given up on the idea that he would find his Destined One, but one day he had felt something tugging at his heart. Eventually, it had subsided, so he had asked The Fates about why he felt something and was informed that his Destined One had been born.
As Asami traveled across The Underworld to visit The Moirai, he took the chance to survey his kingdom. His secretary Kirishima Kei, also referred to as Hecate the God of Magic and Spells, had created numerous magical barriers to protect The Underworld and its residents. His other friend Suoh Kazumi, also referred to as Thanatos the personification of Death, was tasked with collecting human souls when The Fates had decided a person's time had ended. Both had helped him rule The Underworld along with his favourite three-headed dog, Cerberus. Unsurprisingly, The Underworld was in perfect condition and running smoothly as usual.
Arriving at The Moirai's home, Asami was pleased when the door opened upon his arrival. He knew he would find Atropos, Lachesis, and Clotho in the living room, waiting for him to take a seat at the throne-like chair that was specifically created for Asami's visits.
"Welcome Lord Asami-sama, King of The Underworld and God of Riches," Lachesis greeted him.
"We've been expecting you, so we rushed home," Clotho added.
Instead of waiting for his question, Atropos explained, "We were visiting the mother of your Destined One. She will either present her child, your future Queen, by the end of this week…"
"Or we shall inform you of your Destined One, so you may claim them and bring them to The Underworld," Clotho finished.
Asami felt no reason to hide his joy because The Fates knew already how excited he was for The Underworld to have a Queen.
"My dearest Fates, I can never thank you enough for giving me my Destined One. The Underworld will be overjoyed at meeting its Queen!"
Lachesis nodded, "Be warned Asami-sama, your Destined One has a fickle mother who does not want to lose her precious child to The Underworld."
Clotho, "Remember that your closest allies will always be Kirishima Kei and Suoh Kazumi. Remember your best friends as well as their powers. You will find that their powers will come in handy when finding your bride."
Atropos continued, "We are all well-aware that you love your job, but your Destined One will need you to spend you to prioritize them before they are willing to share the burdens of ruling The Underworld with you. They require proof of your love before they will happily rule at your side."
Asami sent telepathic messages to Kirishima and Suoh to inform them of what The Fates had told him. After receiving acknowledgement from his best friends, he turned his attention back to The Moirai, "I thank you all for your wonderful advice and I plan to thank you with personalized gifts. I will be sure to protect my Destined One and Future Queen no matter the cost. I am eager to rule with another by my side."
"We also foresee that some past lovers will be jealous of your Future Queen, and they will attempt to harm your precious one," Clotho cautioned.
Atropos nodded in agreement, "Your Destined One is of pure heart and they will need your guidance, so they do not get hurt by the dangers of Olympus and The Underworld."
Finally, Lachesis concluded, "You need to prove to your Destined One that you are nothing like your younger brothers Zeus and Poseidon or else they will choose their mother over you."
Asami winced at the thought of his arrogant brothers—both believed themselves superior to him, despite the fact he was the oldest of the trio, because Kronos had swallowed him first. He was also the last to be saved from Kronos and was tasked with guarding the hollow shell of the Titan. Asami had spent centuries ruling The Underworld alone and watching his brothers continually cheat on their wives.
After talking about some of the troublesome souls, Asami took his leave, unsurprised to find Kirishima waiting in the limousine for him. He always enjoyed being able to swap between the modern vehicle and his horse-drawn chariot. His chariot was pulled by a stallion named Midnight and a mare named Dusk. Midnight was Asami's personal favourite, a proud creature with a feisty temper and dislike for arrogant riders. When he had found Midnight, the horse was being abused by his owner and had faced the wrath of King of The Underworld. Although Gods and Goddesses shied away from Asami due to his role, animals knew they were safe with him. Dusk was Midnight's best friend and equal half. Although Asami would never admit it, he was sometimes jealous of his stallion's relationship.
As soon as Asami took his seat in the back of the luxurious car, Kirishima began to drive off. He used the intercom to inform Asami of the multiple different tasks he needed to complete. Unfortunately, there was yet another marital spat on Olympus because Zeus couldn't keep his dick to himself. Rubbing his temples, Asami seriously wished he could castrate his younger brothers with his bident to avoid having to host them whenever their wives, Hera and Amphitrite, kicked them out of Olympus. He did love his brothers, but he never understood why they struggled to remain faithful. Asami had always found himself completely focused on his work and rarely had time to entertain one lover, let alone cheat.
Thinking back on what The Fates had told him, he started to groan. Of course, his brothers chose this precise moment to cheat, proving once again that the Three Brothers were insatiable. Although no one had ever seen Asami cheat, because he never cheated in the first place, he was continually lumped in with his brothers and considered unfaithful even though no one had proved he had ever cheated.
The last time Zeus was kicked out of Olympus and had successfully forced Asami to go partying with him, Asami made the mistake of sleeping with Sudoh Shuu. Although Sudoh was convinced he was special and capable of being Asami's future bride and Queen of The Underworld, Asami knew Sudoh was a one-night stand that would remain a one-time mistake.
Although Sudoh considered himself a former lover, Asami had never felt anything for the river nymph aside from a temporary lust, which was sated quickly after sleeping with him. Asami was hopeful that once Sudoh had found his Destined One, Sakazaki, he would lose interest in becoming Queen of The Underworld, but so far, the nymph stuck to Asami like a piece of old chewing gum on the bottom of his custom Italian leather shoes—not that Asami had even stepped in chewing gum, but the metaphor was accurate.
As Kirishima drove the limousine past the gated entrance to Asami's manor, Cerberus bounded out to greet Asami and Kirishima. Asami was relieved to see that his three-headed dog wasn't covered in glitter and bows, which would have indicated Zeus had chosen to throw a party and invited thousands of humans, minor goddesses, and nymphs. Bracing himself, Asami knew his youngest brother was likely throwing himself a pity-party because Hera had decided to ban him from their home in Olympus. Zeus had two reactions to Hera throwing him out of Olympus: partying and using the freedom to cheat further or whining about women and pitying himself.
As he entered his mansion with Cerberus at his side, Asami braced himself because Zeus would likely have raided his alcohol to numb the pain. As he saw the mess Zeus had created, Kirishima poured him a glass of whiskey to help Asami cope with his brother's chaos.
Tossing back the amber liquid, Asami reveled in the smoky flavour of the high-quality whiskey and braced himself for Zeus' whining about his marital problems, which wouldn't exist if he wasn't so unfaithful.
Determined to not give into The Fates, Demeter refused to present Akihito to Asami Ryuichi. She knew she had to hide Akihito from Asami because once The Moirai told King of The Underworld about his Destined One, Asami would kidnap her precious son. There was no way her Akihito would survive in The Underworld; he was like a delicate flower himself and the darkness would cause him to wither away.
The Sunday after Demeter's unusual visit with the three cloaked figures, Akihito could tell his mother was on edge and tried to avoid upsetting her in any way. He had no idea why his mother was placing thousands of wards around their property, but he had a hunch it would be best to not question her. It seemed as though she was trying to keep out all Gods and Goddesses.
Leaving his mother to frantically run around their property casting spells, Akihito decided to take a walk along the hills to find his favourite pond where all the nymphs bathed. Demeter's property extended a few hundred acres, which included the mansion, Akihito's greenhouse, Demeter's barley field, and the pond where Akihito was allowed to travel as long as he had some of the nymphs with him.
As he neared the pond, he was shocked to find a mortal nearby the empty pond. Of course, because they were in the Mortal Realm and Demeter was the Goddess of Harvest, it wasn't uncommon for mortals to try and find her to beg for help or her blessing. Akihito was stunned when the mortal walked right up to him and begged him for help.
"Oh dear Goddess of Spring, I beg of you to teach me how to plant flowers! I am a humble mortal who has fallen desperately in love with a young maiden, and I wish to grow the loveliest flowers for her," the mortal pleaded.
"Kind sir, I should get my mother Demeter, because she is Goddess of Harvest and is far more capable than me," Akihito said, nervously wringing his hands. He was flustered and slightly worried that his mother would catch him talking to someone she hadn't approved.
"Oh please Goddess, surely you could help me yourself! You are the Goddess of Spring, aren't you?! I would forever be in your debt!" the man cried.
'Pssst…Asami-sama…You might be laying it on a bit thick with the dramatics. Its probably best to reign it in before you scare the young goddess off,' Kirishima communicated telepathically. To ensure Asami wasn't caught by Demeter, Kirishima had used his magic to appear invisible while Suoh wore Asami's Helm of Invisibility. Both gods had moved the nymphs to a nearby pond, so Asami could meet with Akihito alone.
Ignoring Kirishima's advice, Asami grabbed Akihito's hand and looked deeply in his future queen's eyes. He felt his heart flutter as he held the hand of his Destined One. It was unlikely Demeter had told Akihito that his Red String of Fate tied him to the King of The Underworld, but he would still be able to feel a connection to Asami even when he was in the form of a mortal.
"I suppose I can help…" Akihito said hesitantly, "I can help you after I bathe in the pond. Usually the nymphs are around, but there's a nearby clearing."
"Excellent! I have rose cuttings, crocus bulbs, violet seeds, iris bulbs. I want to create the most elegant bouquet possible," Asami stated.
Akihito slowly began to teach the god disguised as a mortal how to take care of each plant and created a small garden by the pond. After successfully planting each flower, Akihito decided the mortal had been an excellent student and he was eager to teach the raven-haired mortal.
"What is your name?" Akihito inquired.
"Oh, um…well…my name is Aidoneus," Asami replied. He winced mentally and hoped Akihito didn't recognize that the name was one of the many names he had as King of The Underworld.
"Well, Aidoneus, I believe we've covered a lot of ground today. How about you tend to the flowers, and I will come by once a week to check on their progress?"
"I would actually like to spend the time to get to know you better," Asami replied, hopeful he would get the chance to talk to his precious flower. Although they were tied together by the Red String of Fate, Asami wanted to get to know his little goddess more than just his future queen. After spending a couple of hours planting flowers, Asami already recognized Akihito was extremely generous, patient, maybe a bit sheltered, and kind.
"I'm not sure if my mother would allow it…" Akihito said, biting his lip nervously. He had actually enjoyed his time with Aidoneus, but he knew Demeter would flip if she found out. It was already a risk to meet once a week, but he was still eager to make a new friend.
"I don't want to pressure you, Goddess. I'd love to see you a couple of days a week. I actually have a dog if you'd like to meet him," Asami wanted to introduce Akihito to little parts of The Underworld and Cerberus would be a nice introduction. Of course, the dog would have to appear with one head instead of three otherwise it would raise too much suspicious. No normal mortal had a three-headed dog.
"Akihito."
"What?"
"My name is Akihito, not Goddess. If you want to be friends with me, I'd like you to call me by my name. Also, I would love to meet your dog!"
Asami smiled, "Thank you Akihito. I'll bring my dog next time we meet. He would love to meet a beauty like yourself."
They continued to meet for a month before Demeter noticed something was different about Akihito. He carried himself with a type of quiet confidence she had never seen before. He was happy and often found singing to himself. The nymphs couldn't explain the change in her son's behaviour. So, Demeter did what any rational mother would do, she transformed into a bird to spy on Akihito.
After checking if the coast was clear, Akihito ran off to meet his mortal friend Aidoneus by the pond. Technically he was still on his mother's land, so he justified sneaking around. Normally Demeter controlled every aspect of his life and the only God he had ever met was Hermes. Although he loved his mother dearly, he despised not being able to meet other immortals and never being allowed to leave the Mortal Realm.
"Aidoneus! Where are you?"
"Over here, Akihito. Look, the flowers have started to bloom! I started creating a flower arrangement."
"Of course they have! I used my magic to speed up the process, remember?"
"Yes, thank you Akihito. I'm so happy you helped me grow these gorgeous flowers."
"Now do I get to know who the bouquet is for? Please Aidoneus!"
"Of course!" Asami walked closer and extended the bouquet to Akihito, "For you, Akihito."
Stunned, Akihito fumbled with the flowers. He had no idea why his friend looked so nervous and was handing the flowers over to him!
"I thought these were for the young maiden you wanted to woo…" Akihito said hesitantly.
"Well, I haven't exactly been truthful Akihito. I'm actually not a mortal…I'm King of The Underworld and God of Riches Asami Ryuichi."
"Oh! I'm so sorry your majesty! I didn't know! I shouldn't be here! My mother will be furious!"
At that moment, Demeter decided to transform back into her normal form. She stood between Akihito and Asami, glaring at the King of The Underworld.
"What the fuck are you doing in the Mortal Realm, Asami?" Demeter said, bracing herself for a fight.
Asami replied calmly, "I think we both know why I'm here Demeter. I want to meet my bride."
"Mother, what is going on?"
"Please, Akihito, I didn't want you to end up with this monster! The Moirai were the ones to pair you up with him! I promise to help!"
As soon as Demeter started to rant about Asami's alleged atrocities, Asami realized he needed to bring his precious flower with him.
"NOW KIRISHIMA!"
Kirishima immediately opened a portal to The Underworld and Suoh released The Furies to distract Demeter. Asami whistled and Midnight emerged with the other black stallion with Asami's chariot attached. Not wasting any time, Asami gently placed Akihito in the chariot before jumping in beside him and driving towards The Underworld.
Demeter watched, helpless while The Furies grabbed her and prevented her from chasing after Asami. She screamed helplessly as she saw her child disappear in front of her.
Asami Ryuichi had taken his Destined One.