Chapter 3

Hades looked down at his boots, pursing his lower lip as he contemplated on what to say. Demeter's eyes held a deep sadness. She gestured for him to take a seat as she sat on the one beside.

The siblings were quiet.

"Does our mother know?" he inquired at last, breaking the long silence.

Demeter shook her head and hung it low in shame.

"When is the child due?"

"Four moons away," Demeter said, quietly.

Hades thought for a while. "He knows?" he asked Demeter delicately.

Demeter's head snapped up. "He does not care!" she shrieked, breaking down in tears.

Hades watched his sister sadly. There was little he could do but to put his arm around her and let her cry. He frowned at what his brother had done and wished he could do something for this troubled sister whose body was trembling from her weeping.

"Demeter!" He put his hands on her shoulders firmly after a while, "Listen to me! There is little we can do with the situation. Stop weeping! Get a grip on yourself!"

Demeter looked up at Hades and sniffled. "…try..," her muffled voice said, weakly.

Hades contemplated a little, rubbing the stubble on his chin. "Zeus has been inconsiderate and selfish but look at it this way: he will only cause you further heartache as I believe Hera is going through now. You do not deserve that kind of existence. Already there have been rumors of Zeus' liaisons with mortals, goddesses and nymphs over the past years. All the time, I had thought that you were the Queen and I wondered how you had felt."

He summoned the right words to continue his speech. "Thank the Fates that you have been spared from the shame and humiliation of having a husband who continuously cheats on you despite you being the Queen of the gods. There is little joy in knowing that one's husband has so many children from different women and you have a warlike son and another, a cripple, to call your own.

"Demeter, you are a goddess on which so many mortals depend upon. Here is the joy of your existence. They worship and praise you because of the bounty you spread. While you cannot hold the love of one god, you hold the adulation of a world of mortals. Surely that is more than even I can have. All I know is their fear."

Demeter nodded and looked up. "What about the child?"

"He will be a god. You will raise him and teach him well. He will be your source of joy and he will help you with the mortals," he replied, looking into her green eyes.

"If need be. I will teach him how to be a man – to be righteous, principled and to lead well," Hades added, kindly.

Demeter smiled. "Thank you, my brother," she said, softly.

Hades hesitated and was about to say something but held back.

"What is it, brother?" Demeter inquired, sensing that there was another reason for his visit.

After a while, he answered, "This may not be the right time but… there is the matter of a sudden number of souls entering my domain…"