Hello everyone! First of all I want to thank for every review, favorite and follow, it means very much to me. I would also like to warn you that I might not publish with as often as once a week from now on. I'm going to start my finals soon and I have some college works on the course that need to be done. I'm terribly sorry, but I'll try to post as often as I can, just stay tuned to see when a new chapter will come!

(New update with a spelling error corrected)

Chapter 6

Morning arrived again, along with the fiery light that emanated from the windows. Persephone had slept very little as she tried to draw some conclusions and figure out what her next moves should be, and that she did. Having granted access to all the contents of the library, she decided that she might as well take advantage of that and learn as much as she could about the powers she had, as Queen of the Underworld and as a descendant of Zeus. Until that night, the notion hadn't quite settled in, nor had she paid much attention to it. The Goddess decided that, if she was to spend the rest of eternity attached to with Hades, she would have to do something more rather than dancing, wondering around and reading all day. Persephone wished to know how the judgments were made, the rules and laws that set upon them. She already had the tools for that, all she had to do was to put them to good use. She planned on attending the judgments later on, she knew that she couldn't do it right away. That could be the only reason that would explain why Hades had given her the key to the library, and she wouldn't settle as part of the decoration of the palace. Soon she would ask him to let her watch, but only when she felt that she was ready to.

While growing up, Persephone never had the opportunity to take command of anything, much less her own life. To dance, she had to sneak out of her room in the middle of the night. She didn't even know what else she could do with her powers. Demeter seemed to be afraid of what she could be capable of and to cease her fears she just taught to create plants and to help her with the crops, which was frustrating for someone who wished to know more about the limits of what she could do and that seemed to be so very little. The way her mother always had the brunette protected from everyone and everything started to make some sense after what Hades had told her on their first meal together. The more Persephone wished to know, more windows her mother would close. 'Maybe being taken to the Underworld wasn't that bad after all' she thought, there could explore what she was never able to and understand even better what she was able to do with the powers that ran in her veins. Persephone was tired of having a passive role in her own life, it was time to take control of most of it.

As for her relationship with Hades, she decided to let it flow, see what the outcome would be. Wanting it or not, they were bonded to each other and there was nothing either could do to break away from it, in the end she would have to succumb. But one thought haunted her conscious, 'If he was the one settling the rules, and if there is a time limit for us to consummate this marriage, why hasn't he done something about it? He had the chance some days ago, but he refused to take it', the more she thought about it, the more confused she would get, she couldn't find a reason why. He had the perfect opportunity when they were in the pool room, but he just pushed her away and for some moments the thought of him not being interested in women passed through her. What wronged her was the way he acted afterwards, it had been extremely intense, at least for her. The conflict in his eyes clearly showed what he really desired, and pushing her away wasn't it. Nevertheless, she was thankful that he wouldn't do anything without her consent, that revealed his true nature, there was more than a dark man underneath those mismatching eyes. True that she could just ask him the reason for that rule, but she didn't have it in her to ask him straight away. Maybe asking Nysa would be a good idea. The girl was more experienced with relationships than, maybe she could bring her some light on the matter.

Soon enough there was Nysa knocking on her door. 'Come on in' answered Persephone softly while sitting up and resting her back against the headboard of the bed. The previous day she had asked the servant to change her sheets to something that had something to do with her, the room screamed Hades everywhere. Nysa gladly changed switched them for some plum ones. 'Good morning, Persephone' said Nysa, smiling kindly as she entered the room. 'How was your night?' she questioned while moving in the direction of the wardrobe to choose her lady's attire for the day. 'Thoughtful' replied the Goddess shortly, but with a decided look on her face. 'Is that so? And may I ask what were the outcomes of such night?' asked an intrigued Nysa. She knew that Persephone had a lot to sort by herself and, by the look on her face, she could figure that the brunette had already made some decisions, and important ones it would seem. Persephone only smiled, her eyes, although tired, were shining brightly. 'Yes you may, Nysa' she informed her, 'And I'll tell you everything about it, but first I'll take my bath' she continued as she raised her finger comically, while getting up from bed. So it was, while the servant girl arranged her light brown hair into a simple braid, Persephone informed her about what she had decided to do and informing her that she was to come to the garden every other hour to renew a book or refill the pitch of water, every day from that morning forward. She was to start with the penal code, then she would move on to the one that stipulated what were Hades rights as Lord of the Underworld and so on. She would try to avoid Thanatos autobiography at all costs, she feared that there were details about his person that she didn't want to know, and from the way Hades had described him made her want to recognize them even less.

'Hum… Nysa, there is one matter on which I need your knowledge on' she informed as the servant put on her hair one of the last pins. 'If I can be of any help' the other answered. 'As you know, there is limit for me and Hades to consummate the marriage. One year, to be more accurate. The thing that has been bothering me is that Hades hasn't made any move on concerning it. I've tried to find a reason to it, but nothing has come to me' she said honestly and with a slight defeated expression. Nysa furrowed her eyebrows and pondered for some moments, 'Well, he could just be trying to make you comfortable around him, Persephone. This is the way that I see it: if things are taken slowly and at their own pace, the consummation will happen when you both see it fit to and, most likely, there won't be any regrets. I believe that he is trying to be a gentleman and to have more than a sexual relationship with you. I wished that my lover and I had taken that much care with our relation, maybe I wouldn't get caught in the mess I was in. In the end I never knew what happened to him, nor did he come to find me after my parents found out' she finished, her voice showing the remorse that haunted her every day. In the end there were a few tears leisurely sliding down her checks. Persephone, gently, put a hand on top of her friend's. 'Don't worry, I promise you that everything will end well. And maybe you're right, maybe he is just trying to be a gentleman, but I'll still keep my guard up' finished the Goddess with a slight smile.

It wasn't long after Nysa had gotten Persephone ready that a familiar knock on the door was heard. It was Hades to take her to the garden and the servant went to the door to open it. His attire was, as usual, similar to ones that they had seen already, black leather. After the Goddess stepped out of the threshold of her doors, the blond God greeted her 'Good morning, my dear'. 'Good morning, my King' she answered back politely. He had to stop himself for a second 'What the…?' he thought, 'She can't be feeling right', he had to fight the urge to check her for any fever that his wife might have been running. However, after eyeing her closely, he noticed that there was something different about her, about her eyes, they were shinning with what looked like great amounts of determination. 'Hum… I haven't seen her eyes like this in a long while… What are you up to, my dear wife?' he thought to himself in suspicion, but the God decided to let it go, he was sure that sooner or later he would find out. 'Shall we go?' he asked her, while extending his hand for her to take. Persephone only nodded her head and took his hand. This time he dissolved them into thin air without any sort of warning. Again the Goddess clung to his chest, which he gladly accepted. Hades wouldn't miss one opportunity to have her close to him.

Once their feet came in contact with the garden's floor, Persephone quickly let go of him, fuming just a little. 'Would you please stop doing that?' she replied. 'Sorry, but no. It's a lot to walk from your room to here, my dear. But if you wish, you could always move to my room, it's by far closest one' he retorted back, grinning widely. 'Only if you stay out of it' she answered with the same grin on her face. That made Hades grin quickly drop, he didn't know that witty new side of her. It was like she was done being the calm Goddess he had taken her for. He knew that she had some fire in her, she usually didn't show it around him, but he didn't mind it one bit. Far from it, it made him want her even more. He let out a chuckle and sat himself on the table and started his meal, she followed suit. The rest of the meal was passed calmly, with her making several questions about what she would be able to find inside the library's walls.

After Hades left, Persephone put her plans on their right track. She made her way to the big library, got the book she was looking for – that being the penal code – and made, slowly and almost painfully, her way back to the garden – the book was the heaviest thing that she ever had to carry. Not even her brother that had always been a big baby, weight so much. 'First thing after this monster – learning how to summon objects' she grumbled.

The next few months would be spent in a similar fashion. Persephone would take her meals with Hades and then she would study as much as she could. She had read almost every single topic that there was on the process that went from what happened after someone died to their final fate, which would either be Tartarus or the Elysian Fields. At the end, she found herself enjoying her time with him, not being bothered so much about the mean of transportation that he would usually use nor with his unpredictable behavior. Most of the time she would inquire him about some subjects that she'd found to be a bit confusing.

One time it had been about resurrections, she had been reading about it for two days but there had been a part that she couldn't understand. They were sitting on top of the pillows of the Arabian room having dinner. She had asked him if someone that had been resurrected, and died after, could have their soul travel to the Elysian Fields? He had answered that it would depend on the soul.

'It is true that no one can throw away the bad they have done, and coming back from the dead won't erase the mistakes the soul has committed. It is said that only if the second life is passed mending the wrongs that were done on the past, or trying hard to that the soul can find peace on the Elysian Fields. There has to be a reasonable change in the energy of the soul, otherwise there's nothing that can be done to help them. Usually those are the souls that are harder to judge, since they are very little in number. Why do you ask, my dear?' he inquired her smiling, he liked the fact that he could have these kind of conversations with her and the fact that she was showing great interesting in learning. 'I was reading a book about the subject and got curious. It didn't specified anything about what could happen to the soul if they died a second time' she informed very calmly as she laid on her side, feeling a bit tired that night. 'Well, feel free to ask me about anything, I'll be glad to help you. There is a section of the penal code that might offer you some help. I believe that it is a small one at the end, I can't quite remember. I would love to help you more, but it's like I said, those souls are very few. It's natural that there is little information on that subject' he said, his eyes moving slowly along her curves that were wrapped by a deep red garment. Persephone noticed it, but, at that point, it didn't make her as uncomfortable as it had done in the beginning. 'Did you ever resurrected one?' she asked, her curiosity getting the best out her. Hades face hardened a bit, 'No, I haven't' he answered shortly. Persephone crooked her head to the side, she might have pressed her thumb on an open wound unintentionally. 'May I ask why?' she questioned timidly and carefully. His face aggravated a bit more, it really was a tough subject for him but there was no reason for him to lie to her 'Yes you may, my dear. I have never forbidden you from me asking anything. It's because I never had the chance to do and even if I wanted to, I couldn't. Do you remember the first time we met? All those years ago?' he asked. The brunette nodded softly. 'Then you must remember that the narcissus that I gave you died shortly after I had created it' he paused to seen her reaction. After a short moment of retrieving that memory, 'Yes, I remember' she answered. 'Well, the reason is the same. I cannot create life like most of the Gods and like yourself, I can only have the power take it and to control what happens to the soul after. That's also the reason why I'm the only God with no successors. Being that, I cannot perform any kind of resurrection ritual' he continued, even feeling troubled by the subject his eyes never left his wife's face, he was studying her reaction. Persephone lowered her eyes and processed what had been told to her, that moment made it clear to her why he had found refuge in that dark kingdom, he belonged there. Looking back at him, she smiled softly. True, she would never become a mother, but acting on it would be selfish of her, she didn't want to cause him any more pain. 'Thank you, for telling me' she said gently. 'You don't have to thank me Persephone, it's your right to know' he said to her, relieved that she had taken it so well. That topic was left there, neither touched it again. It saddened that she wouldn't be able to raise one of her own and it pained him not to be able to give her that.

As time went by, their conversations were becoming more meaningful and less empty and awkward as they had been in the beginning. His advances also didn't bother her as much, nor did the teleporting. In fact, secretly she was learning how to do it herself. He had been right, the palace was way too big to be walked through every day. Two months after and she could already teleport the short distance between her bedroom and the Arabian room. She was still trying to block Hades' holograms, but Persephone couldn't know for sure if she was succeeding or not. He still hadn't protested.

As for her duties and rights as Queen of the Underworld, she already had them all sorted out inside her head. She could do as much as he could, except from the matters that involved some prisoners that were in Tartarus. To be more accurate, Hades was the only one that made decisions about Cronus as the Titans, no one else, not even the Queen could have a say in it. She had found out that there weren't only souls residing in that forgotten place, there were also living creatures. Creatures so dangerous and powerful that, if someone released them, the Universe's existence could come to a bitter end.

At that moment Persephone was pondering if she should put a plan that she had been cooking on course. It was so tempting and she doubted that Hades let do what she was planning if she asked him. She was so eager to see his face once he'd found out. Probably she would get into some trouble, but she didn't bother to think about the consequences her future actions might bring her.

The Goddess was laying languidly on her bed, waiting for Nysa to bring her the project the two had been working on ever since Persephone made the decision to have the control that had been denied to her until then. It was a double piece leather attire. The top was made so there would be no sleeves, just a couple of half-an-inched straps on each shoulder. The neckline wasn't very low, but it wasn't too high either, it was a straight one that covered her breasts almost completely. However, the bodice and the trousers clung to her skin, but not in an uncomfortable manner. Both pieces covered her almost completely, only her arms and part of her chest and back were showing. They also had a black pair of knee high boots made for Persephone. The bodice and the pants were made out of dark gray leather, with some iron ornaments on the front of the top and boots. With the magic she had been learning, she was able to conjure the materials without raising any suspicions from Hades. They would always work on the outfit when he was judging or when he went to Tartarus or the Olympus, those were the only times the brunette was certain that he wasn't spying on her. He had promised that he wouldn't do it any longer, but something told her that that was too good to be true.

Some minutes went by until Nysa knocked on the door, 'Strange… She usually doesn't take this long…' thought the Goddess as she pulled herself to sit on her bed. 'Come in, please' she answered aloud. Soon the translucent girl entered, while holding the leather attire in one arm. She seemed to be very distressed. 'Did something happen, Nysa? When you went you looked more at ease' commented the lady, worried about her friend. The later saw no point on trying to lie to Persephone, they already knew each other very well, it would be very easy for her friend to figure it out. 'Well…' she began.

Nysa was going to one of the storage rooms to get Persephone's outfit. That room was only meant for food, the Goddess's food, so the former slave was the only servant aloud to go in there. She was about to open the door when a voice stopped her, 'Nysa, come to the throne room immediately!' it was Hades' raised voice, one that didn't seem to be in a very friendly mood at all. If, in that moment, she had any blood in her veins, it would have frozen instantly. Gulping hard, the servant evaporated into the air and appeared in the requested room. The dark God was alone, which was strange, at that time of day he would usually be judging or out in Tartarus. As much as she wanted to inquire him, she wouldn't dare to, he seemed to be in a very bad day. The platter of food that usually stood beside him, was scattered down the steps that lead to his throne. Her mind raced through everything that she had done that could possibly have angered him in such a way, but she couldn't find a single reason why. 'Y-you called, my lord?' she breathed out, being truly scared of what he could do to her. Hades only eyed her with an irritated stare. 'Yes. And I have one very simple question to ask, to which only two beings in this palace know the answer for, one of them being you' he informed her, while point a finger at her in the end of the statement. 'Me, my lord?' she questioned extremely confused, she had no idea of what he was talking about. His eyes narrowed, he was growing impatient. 'Yes, you. Could you please care to inform me what on Tartarus is she doing? Because, for some foreign and damned reason, my holograms aren't working' he continued, his eyes closing and both of his hands rubbing his temples, before eyeing her in an accusatory manner, she knew he was talking about Persephone and her confused behavior was giving him a headache. Had it been in any other circumstance and he would have let it slide, but he didn't enjoy being double-crossed. Nysa bowed her head, but struggled to find an answer to that question without betraying her lady's trust, she figured that saying that the Goddess was laying on her bed wasn't the answer he was looking for. 'Well, she has been studying very hard, my lord' she answered unsure. Hades' glare intensified, 'That I already know! What exactly has she been studying, Nysa?' he questioned again. At that point she was sure she was a step from being sent to Tartarus. Gulping once again, 'She has been studying the laws and history of the Underworld, everything about judgments and rituals, and a month ago she started to study and train magic, my lord' she answered with a low voice and a head still bowing, feeling a bit ashamed of telling on her friend. Hades let an exasperated breath out, he would have to deal with Persephone himself on a later date, he suspected that she had learned to block out his holograms. Not needing anything more from Nysa he sent her away and very quickly she disappeared from the dark room. It was the only division, that she had seen so far, that had no windows whatsoever.

In the end of Nysa's speech, Persephone was laughing hard. 'Oh! I wish I had been there to see his face' she managed to say, while she twirled on her bed. As much as she tried, she couldn't contain her laughter. She knew he would react that way, being that the reason why she decided to learn how to block him in the first place. The Goddess only fell sorry for Nysa, who was looking at her wide eyed, the girl was the one he had to explode his anger on. Persephone could only guess what he had stored for her. That only made her grin even more. 'I'm sorry you had to listen to that, Nysa. I truly am, but I find his reaction hilarious' she said to her friend, whose expression seemed to be slowly softening. 'Don't worry, I would never let him sent you to Tartarus. I would make life his life miserable if he was ever to do it. Let me deal with his royal attitude' continue the Goddess with a big smile on her face, reassuring her stressed friend that as long as she was there that Nysa wouldn't have to worry about him. The brunette would always protect her. On the other side, all of that meant that her studying and training was gaining some fruits. 'Just wait to see what I have in store for you tomorrow' she thought amused, everything was turning out as she expected.

In the following morning Hades stormed out of his room, still glaring at everything. Dinner went by in a very interesting manner. He had confronted her with his small problem. It infuriated him to be kept in the dark from what she was doing, but her attitude infuriated him even more. 'So?' and a big smirk on her face were the only answers that he had gotten. 'You should be proud of me' she continued smugly. In fact he was, but he wouldn't give her the satisfaction of saying it.

Not wanting to walk any further, Hades dissipated into thin air and appeared on the steps of his dark throne. He started climbing up when his eyes met Persephone sitting across his sit, her back laying against one arm rest and her legs dangling over the other. On her lap was a heavy book that she was so intently reading. The blond God almost lost his balance at the intrusive sight, that was the most startling thing he was expecting to see all day. 'What the…? This has to be some kind of joke that I'm not getting. What is she doing up there?' His eyes were blinking fast, as if trying to understand why his wife was sitting on his throne. His focused his attention on the title of the book, it was the penal code 'This is preposterous, she can't possibly think that she is going to judge! She has no training whatsoever!' There were many things wrong with that picture. First, she shouldn't be up there… or at least as he thought so. Second, he had never seen the leather attire she was wearing, nor did he know where it had come from, but he wasn't going to complain about it. 'The little minx… She had me passing for a fool for the past weeks…' he thought, as an image of himself hitting his head against one of the dark columns appeared inside his mind. He could not believe that he had not seen it coming. Third, there was no way she could get there without passing Cerberus and the guards. Forth, he was never informed of any of her intentions.

'Persephone, what are you doing up there?' he asked, his voice showing the very little patience he had for her at that moment, with his eyes squeezed in a threatening manner. The Goddess looked up from her reading, holding a very serious expression, 'I'm going to watch the judgments' she answered plainly. 'And what gave you the impression that you could just waltz in here without permission? This isn't a show for your enjoyment, my dear' he replied, sternly but showing hints of sarcasm tainting his voice. In his reasoning, she if she had asked him first then he probably would have let her come, but apparently she just decided to be insolent. Hades wasn't known to let his authority being questioned, much less to be put aside. 'I'm not here to entertain myself, Hades. I'm here to learn how the judgments actually occur, studying won't do me much good if I don't put it in practice. As for the permission, no, I don't have any, nor do I need to' she answered back with a big smile gracing her face, she certainly wouldn't let him win, 'It's your fault, you were the one showing me the library' she accused him mentally. 'Excuse me, since when?! It's my throne room' he asked outraged, 'Since you wrote down the laws and rule of the Underworld. It says that, from the moment you marry someone – that person being me – the throne room belongs as much to you as it does to me, making it not yours, but ours. So yes, I can come here as I wish and whenever I want to' she finished her speech triumphantly, seeing the way he was glaring at her. Hades gritted his teeth, as much as he hated to admit, he knew she was right about that. Having had enough of her wiseacre comebacks, Hades decided to leave all of his courteous behavior and use the one card he knew would that would keep her quite, for a while. 'Using that train of thought, since my throne room is actually ours, then the same should be said about my bed. Should it not, my dear wife?' he retorted back, grinning from one ear to another. It was Persephone's turn to glare, 'It doesn't say anything about bed sharing on the rules, I'm just following them' she answered quickly as her cheeks flared, only to have Hades laugh at her. Having ceased to be so shocked, the dark God noticed that Thanatos should arrive at any moment, it was time to finish their quarrel. 'Well then, do as you wish, but you are going to have to get up. That throne, where you're so temptingly sitting on, is still mine' he remarked, walking up in her direction. 'And where am I supposed to sit?' she asked shocked, while sitting up and looking around the room. That was the only seat that existed for that purpose, the ones left were on a big table that was in a far end of the room. 'Oh, my dear, you have plenty of room to sit on. You can sit on the steps, but I warn you, Cerberus usually salivates on them, a lot. You can stand all day next to The Keres, though I wouldn't do it if I were to be you, their company can be quite disturbing. You can also sit on one of the arm rests, or on my lap. And believe me, none of them will bother me the least, especially the last one' he answered while smirking at her as he approached. His wife seemed to be pondering her options, and from the faces she was making, he figured that none of them pleased her one bit. 'You could always order for a new throne to be made' she ventured carefully, her voice clearly hopeful and her face trying to create an innocent expression. Hades started laughing loudly, making her glare, 'She is delightful, but no, that won't work'. It seemed that the roles had been inverted. 'Ah! If you were smart enough to create that attire, which flatters you beautifully if I might say, to block me out and to study all the rules to use them so eloquently, you can certainly do that yourself, my dear. Now, would you please get up from there and make a decision, Thanatos will arrive at any minute and I must be seated' he said, grinning wildly.

Persephone wanted to protest, but she should have measured the consequences when she got the brilliant idea of making that surprise. She knew that she couldn't stand an entire day holding the penal code, the book was extremely heavy. She also wouldn't sit on the steps, she was the Queen of the Underworld and a Goddess. She wouldn't sit at his feet like a dog, much less on top of the fluids made by one. All that she was left with was to sit on top of one of the arm rests of the throne, because she wasn't, willingly, going to sit on his lap. Quickly lifting herself up, the light brown-haired female moved to the right arm rest and sat there, huffing as she did so. 'I wasn't thinking about this when I decided to assist' she scolded herself. At that moment all she wanted was to dig a hole and bury the rest of her dignity in it. Little did she know that, in some moments, she wouldn't have any left.

A knock echoed through the ebony doors, 'It must be Thanatos' thought Hades while glancing at Persephone, who was sitting with her legs crossed at his right, trying to balance the book on her lap and failing at it. Rolling his eyes, the God, skillfully, snaked his arm around her small waist and hoisted her to his lap, to sit on top of his right leg, making the Goddess yelp in surprise. 'What are you doing?!' she exclaimed outraged as she tried to struggle away from his iron grip, but he wouldn't budge. He wanted to laugh badly, but he had to restrain himself from doing it. He had the personification of death waiting to enter, probably impatiently, right on the other side of the door. But her scent wasn't helping his case, she smelt of apples and cinnamon, 'How am I going to endure this all day?!' he thought in utter panic. 'Making you more comfortable, my dear. Now, if you don't mind, try to keep your voice down. By the way, next time you need inspiration on clothing you can ask me directly, you don't have to sneak around to do it' he whispered at her left ear before kissing it. She had to take a deep breath, her eyes were bulging, she was about to scream at him when Hades interrupted her loudly, 'Come on in!'

The door slowly opened and the dark figure of a middle aged man came inside. It was Thanatos. His skin was dark, as if it had been burnt, his long straight hair was as black as the night, but his eyes were pure white, with no iris coloring them. His features were quite hard and heavily marked by time. In his hand there was an old but sharp scythe, its handle was made out of cold burnt wood, it had a red line of burning charcoal spiraling from its bottom until the beginning of its blade. The man wore a black tunic that came down to his feet, no embellishments turning it more joyful. He was about to greet Hades had it not been for the scenario that was presented to him. He looked dumfounded. In front of him he had the blond God with a very calm expression on his face and with an arm circling around the waist of a woman that could only be Persephone. She, on the other hand, didn't look so calm, on the contrary, her face was extremely flushed and she seemed to be ready to commit murder. Eventually, after getting over his initial shock, Thanatos greeted them and took his usual place. As much as he wanted to, he would not ask anything about what he saw, 'This is going to be interesting to assist' he thought.

Soon enough The Keres and The Moirai entered the throne room. Needless to say that only the later didn't seemed so fazed about the new presence on the room. They only chuckled at the sight, already knowing what happened and what was to come.

Hades looked around the room, it seemed that they were ready to start their day. 'Shall we begin?' he asked with a powerful and deep voice. He didn't bother to explain to them what Persephone was doing there, nor did he need to, she should only be of his concern. Everyone replied with a positive nod of their heads. Well, everyone expect for the Goddess who remained still and quiet and holding a grudge against her restrainer. 'Very well, then. May the first soul enter!' his voice boomed. With that their day began.

Throughout their morning Persephone managed to be quite focused and silent as she studied the judgments. At some point she was able to obliterate, almost successfully, the notion of having her back pressed against his chest and that she had one his arms around her waist. The souls she had seen so far seemed to be rather easy to judge. The group had come faced with murderers, thieves of all kinds and adulterers. Between them there wasn't a single one that would stand out as the most shocking, none acted on revenge nor were they controlled. They seemed to be fuelled by what society had made out of them and by their greediness, but none of that help them from their fate. One of the main rules of the penal code said:

The soul must have had acted on a clear conscious and with full control of their faculties to be sent to Tartarus. The manipulation made by a second or third party shall be taken into account and, if the judges see it fit, the soul will be sent to the house of Hades to serve before moving on to the Elysian Fields.

And from what she had seen, none had been influenced. She had also focused on how Hades proceeded. His attitude in there was completely different from the one he had with her. But was only natural, there he was the Lord of the Underworld, cold, stern and commanding in voice and in action. For the first time in those months, Persephone felt small next to him, he showed so much power and the souls were actually afraid of being in his presence. Not one tried to make any smart remarks concerning their future – not that the rest of the morbid group seemed to be less intimidating. Even Thanatos, who was an imposing figure just by appearance, showed immense respect for him. The Goddess already knew what her powers were as Queen, but it was watching the judgments that she understood their magnitude they hold. Never, during her childhood, did she imagine what was the future hiding for her to find out, what she was really meant to do.

Once the first session came to an end, Hades excused them both and dissolved them into the garden. This time the brunette didn't have as much problems with the process as she did in the beginning. Her training had helped very much and she didn't feel as uncomfortable standing close to him. On the contrary, she felt very relaxed. 'So, what do you think?' he asked grinning as he sat down to start his lunch. 'That I still have and need many more to attend to' she answered swiftly after some moments of pondering about the subject. 'Not all sessions are this easy, I believe you already know that. It's good to know that you are this interested in learning, but next time try to warn me first, I'm not a very big fan of surprises' he informed with a reprehensive look. She only smirked and answered, 'I cannot make any promises, but I'll try. It will have to depend on the surprise'. Hades eyed her with a suspicious stare, 'My dear, I am warning you. Next time you won't end up just on my lap' he replied back as he took a sip of some wine. 'I'm petrified' she answered in mock shock. She was used to his threats by that point, she knew that he would never try anything with her consent. He only smiled at her. The rest of their meal was spent with both of them discussing some cases that had passed through the throne room. Soon it was time for them to head back and start with the judgments.

During one hour everything went on in a similar fashion, and Persephone still had to sit on his lap. She was sitting with one elbow on the arm rest and relaxing her head with her hand under her chin when one guard came inside instead of one soul. Hades quirked an eyebrow, 'What is the matter, Helicaon?' asked the God. 'I'm sorry to interrupt your duties, my lords. There is a visitor' he answered obediently. 'And who it might be?' continued the God seeming to uninterested by the matter, but he was already losing his patience for being interrupted. 'It's your nephew Hermes, sir. Says that he has messages to deliver for you and the Queen' answered the soul once more. 'Again?!' thought Hades, his brother knew he hated the boyish God, but still he insisted on sending him there. Persephone, who had straightened up, put a hand over her mouth to try cover her laughter, but still her husband took notice of it. 'Why is she laughing? Does she know him?' he wondered annoyed, Hermes hadn't entered and he was already wishing to launch him into Tartarus. 'Hm… send him in' he answered glaring. Meanwhile, he noticed that Persephone was shaking with contained laughter, it had been the first time, that day, that she had lost her composure. 'What is the joke, my dear?' he whispered in her ear as he brought her closer to him. 'Oh, I'll tell you later' she managed to whisper back. He was about to say something else when Hermes came, literally, flying through the door. 'Hello Hermes, why do I own the honor of your delightful presence?' he asked with sarcasm dripping from his voice. 'Hello uncle. It's nice to see you again Persephone. You look well' he said eyeing her intensely. To his misery, the dark God caught his eyes and quickly cut off what his wife was about to say, 'You didn't answer my question, nephew', his voice clearly showing the annoyance and possessiveness that he was feeling. One thing was to have to put up with the flying God's presence, another was to have him eyeing his wife like he was about to eat her whole. The young God gulped and removed his attention from the female that was calmly sitting on Hades' lap. 'Oh right… I have some messages for you and Persephone' he answered quickly, already seeing his that image was being burnt and tortured inside Hades mind. 'From who?' asked the God, he hadn't been expecting anything for his wife. It had been two months since he had brought her to the Underworld and no one had sent anything until then. Hermes had sweat descending down his forehead, 'Why did you have to look at her, you idiot?!' he reprimanded himself. 'You're putting us behind schedule, hurry up boy!' ordered Hades with a menacing voice, his nephew was taking too long to answer. Persephone cringed a bit at his tone, she wasn't used to see him like that. The flying God straightened his back in a jolt, 'There is one from Zeus to you, I think it's about a meeting, and the other two are from the muses Clio and Terpsichore for Persephone' he answered as quickly as he could, while trying not to eye the Goddess directly, but still wondering how could she be sitting so calmly on her kidnappers lap. Until that day, Hermes still thought that he would have been the right one for her. Hades was taken aback a bit but didn't show it, he certainly wasn't expecting it. 'Give them to one of the guards and tell them to give me the messages at the end of the day, and please leave' he said sternly. 'Very well dear uncle. Until next time, Persephone'. 'That's it!' Hades had had enough of his nephew's insolent behavior. Lifting his free hand up and pulling Persephone closer to him so she wouldn't get burnt, the older God created a fiery ball, large enough to turn his immense door into ashes, and threw it at Hermes, who quickly, and with bulging eyes, flew out of the door. The three letters fell in front of one of the guards. In his panicked fly had forgotten to tell them the indications he was meant to.

All the while Persephone stood there, her eyes constantly traveling between Hades and Hermes. She could have said something, but she decided against it, she was enjoying the scene way too much. 'Hm… I wonder what he will do when I tell him that Hermes tried to court me. He'll probably kill him' she thought. She could feel the God's arm tightening around her waist, the pressure was starting to become too uncomfortable to bear. She had to put her hand on top of his arm, to indicate that he should loosen up his grip. 'Why did you do that for?' she whispered at him. Hades huffed, that wasn't a very good moment to give her any satisfactions about what had gone on. 'Later, Persephone. I'll explain everything to you at dinner. And don't you think that I have forgotten about earlier, you also have some explanations to give' he answered lowly, but with a stern voice. That was the end of their discussion. She pursed her lips and looked straight ahead at the doorway, the doors had been turned into gray ashes. She didn't enjoy being put off that way, but she wouldn't infuriate him any further. She knew, from experience, that Hermes was annoying, but she thought that he may have been way too harsh with the young God. She could feel Hades frowning behind her, 'Dinner is going to be so entertaining' she thought sarcastically, at that point she had forgotten about the letters that had been sent to her. Glancing quickly at her sides, she noticed that the group that surrounded them stood there grinning discreetly, they certainly had seen that show many times before.

Several hours went by until it was time to close their day and head to supper. Hades mood didn't improve much. Although his grip on her had loosened, he still kept it very firm, as though she was to be snatched away from at any moment. When they arrived at the Arabian room, he did not let go of Persephone as he usually did. She tried to struggle away from his grasp, but it was a vain effort. He seemed to be in a very impatient mood. 'Let me go, Hades' she demanded in an even voice, although she was starting to feel uncomfortable. As much as she enjoyed unnerving him, she wasn't too fond about the way he was acting towards her. 'No, first you are going to explain to me what happened between you and that poor and extremely annoying excuse for a God' he retorted back, his voice demanding and sharp. 'He truly is mad' she thought to herself, as her forehead wrinkled into a frown and one of her eyebrows arched. She wanted to laugh badly, but the Goddess only left a smile form on her features. 'Don't tell me you, Lord of the Underworld, are jealous of a boy-God?' she quizzed, her voice was crystalized with amusement, but the blond, that was holding her in place, didn't feel the slightest pinch of enjoyment in him. 'Persephone, don't push it. Answer me' he warned her as his embrace tightened once again around her body. She finally gave up, 'Alright, alright!' she answered smiling, it was time to stop teasing him. 'But let go of me first. It's getting hard to breath, dear' requested the Goddess. Hades clenched his jaw in stubbornness, but eventually he freed her. They both sat on the pillows, side by side. She still wanted to laugh, her stomach was starting to hurt from all of the contained glee. He was acting like a child whose favorite toy was on the verge of being stolen away, but she kept in mind that her mother used to, and still was, far worse than him.

'I was laughing because he tried to court me, this past summer' she started to explain, snickering at the memory. Hades closed his eyes slowly, pinching the bridge of his nose with his fingertips and let out a deep breath. 'He did what?' he rhetorically questioned, trying hard to maintain his control on track. 'Let me finish and you'll know the rest' she reprimanded back in a motherly tone. He only glared back, but kept his mouth shut for he did want to know what had gone so he could punish Hermes right. 'He thought it would be an extremely romantic idea to take me on a flight over the ocean and telling how it would be memorable for us to marry… I'm afraid of heights, all I wanted was to get my feet back onto solid ground. In the end, he ended up listening to my mother's livid shouts while I recovered from a panic attack. Needless to say, he got out of there wishing that he had been sent to Tartarus. But he decided to be persistent and adventurous and appeared at my window one night and asked me in marriage, again. Shame that I had created a carnivorous lily that day' she finished her tale with a proud face. At that point Hades had smoke coming out of his head but he didn't say anything for some moments. He seemed to be marinating some kind of cruel prank or torture to set upon Hermes. 'Hades, calm down. He's just a boy with his hormones out of control' she said with a grin painted on her face, but she knew she had to cool down his temper. Otherwise, a war between Gods would start just because he was feeling possessive. 'That boy, as you put it, is the most annoying being I have had the displeasure of meeting. He doesn't even have a clue of what he has gotten himself into. Well he does, but it seems that he doesn't pay too much attention to the fireballs' he said, 'And don't you think that hormones out of control is an excuse for the disrespect that he showed you today. I don't know how many more times I'll have to throw Cerberus at him for the brat to stop showing up down here…' he continued on rambling. At some point Persephone had given up listening to him, she just sat there giggling, 'Could the Lord of the Underworld feel so threatened by an undeveloped man with wings on his feet?' she wondered. The more she thought about it, the more she would laugh. The Goddess ended up laying on her back with hands around her belly. Hades stopped in mid-sentence to eye her, he didn't see where the jest was, at all. 'Persephone' he called once, trying to get her attention back. She didn't respond and continued sprawled on the pillows in her fit of glee. 'Persephone, my dear' he called once again, his patience growing thin, she still didn't hear him. He had to admit, she looked even more beautiful when she smiled like that, and it was pity that she wouldn't do it more often. Plus, having her laid on those pillows, the way she was, was very tempting. His eyes fell on her rosy lips, he remembered the last time he had tasted them and he also remembered her reaction. It had been some weeks prior, and it hadn't end that well. In the end she had fled away. With that memory is impatience started to wear thinner and a smile formed on his face. He had been missing that feeling ever since, even more after that morning, her scent was intoxicating and had been haunting him for the whole day. To think that Hermes wanted her has his made his insides growl with anger, but that was a matter that had to be attended later. His focus now was on the laughing brunette, he thought of giving in into his desire and proving to her that the brat didn't threatened his integrity one bit. Hades just prayed that she wouldn't run away like the previous time. Bending down, the blond God grabbed one of her wrists with one hand and pulled it above her head. That made her stop. Her eyes fell on his, he wasn't stern or annoyed anymore, he seemed to be determined and there was something else that she couldn't figure out what it was. 'Hades, wha…' she couldn't finish her sentence, for his lips fell upon hers. Persephone's eyes went wide as her cheeks boiled red and her breath itched. She tried to struggle away, it wasn't and it didn't feel right, at least not for her. He was her kidnapper after all. He put his other hand behind her head, knotting his fingers in her brown hair and pulling her even closer to him. Her free hand was hitting hard against his chest, but it didn't seem to be making any damage on him. He was kissing her passionately, in a way that didn't give her time to gather her senses, making the memories of the last time they had kissed came rushing back to her. She wouldn't admit it, but she liked the feelings it brought to her and had longed for them, terribly. Some moments passed and she finally gave in and kissed back, lacing her hands around his neck. Her lips dancing passionately along with his. Some time passed before they broke away for some air, with their faces still very close to each other and their lips lightly grazing. Hades rested his forehead against hers and locked her eyes with his, 'This time you won't run away, my dear' he whispered hoarsely. That wasn't a question and she knew it, but she wouldn't run away this time. Once more he brought his lips back to hers. She didn't fight back, she was enjoying the feeling it gave her and, surprisingly, she wanted more. He ran his tongue slowly across her now red lips, begging for entrance and she, unconsciously, granted it. He let go of her wrist and moved his hand to her waist, circling it softly and securing her in place. At that moment none of them was thinking clearly, their dinner had been forgotten on top of the table that was in front of them.

Hades ran his hand down her thigh and there was where she awoke from her seduced state of mind. They had to stop, in spite of yearning for more, she knew that if they continued she would regret what had been started. Regaining the rest of her senses, she was able to grab the blond's hand and brake away from their kiss. Her breath had picked up some speed and she tried to control it before giving an answer to the confused God that laid over her. She closed her browns eyes and took a deep breath, her chest rising profoundly, 'We have to stop, please' she whispered, both hands on his shoulders. 'You want it Persephone, I can see it in your eyes and feel it on your lips' he whispered back, locking his stare with hers. 'Yes, I know, but not now. Buy I need time…' she said, moving her head to the side, breaking up eye contact. Hades studied her expression carefully, she seemed to be struggling. He knew it wasn't that simple for her to just giver herself away to the person that had basically kidnapped her from her bed, he knew would have to wait. He had already waited years for her, he knew he could wait some months more. 'If you wish so, my dear, I'll do it. I won't do anything without your consent, you know that. But in return you have to promise me something as well' he said to her gently as, with his hand, he carefully grabbed her chin to make her look at him again. Her eyes were shining, but there was some uncertainty and sadness in them. 'Yes?' she questioned. 'Stop running away from me… We cannot make this marriage work if you try to escape every advance I make' he whispered, his face just inches away from hers. 'I cannot make a promise that I don't know if I'll be able to keep, but I can try' she responded, her voice barely above a murmur. He made a small smile appear on his face before kissing her forehead softly while place both of his hands on either side of her face, 'Thank you' he whispered.

He looked up at their supper, there was no steam coming from it, meaning that it must have cooled down. He waved his hand above it and steam started to come from it once more. With his arms he pulled his wife back up into a sitting position, 'Now my dear, lets dine' he said with a smile. Persephone just chuckled and eyed him with curiosity, 'How can he just change his mood like that?' she wondered amazed. Trying to take her mind out of what had just happened and from the guilt that washed over her, she also started to eat. For the rest of the meal Hades had been inquiring her on what she had been exactly doing ever since he had given her the key to the library and had she been able to enter the throne room without being noticed. Apparently she has gotten close enough to transport herself inside and far enough for not being seen by Cerberus and by any guard. It seemed that he had been trying to lighten the environment around them, which worked as he expected, she smiled. In the end Hades handed Persephone the two letters that were meant for her before both parties departed to their rooms.