A few minutes more passed and I looked at myself in the mirror, satisfied with the way I looked. There was nothing else for me to do here except eat, which I’d almost completely forgotten about, despite the delicious smell wafting in and beckoning to me.
I headed back out into the room, eying the tray that sat waiting for me. It looked like I’d been brought a pretty traditional breakfast of oatmeal, fresh fruit, and juice. Oddly enough, I missed seeing the bacon that Daddy always made with our breakfast. It seemed like everything made for Persephone was on the healthy side, which was great, it was just a little different from what I was used to.
Since there was no table to eat at, I took the tray over to the bed and sat down on the edge, content to eat from my lap. I took my time, enjoying it thoroughly as some of the fruit were kinds I’d never had before. Also, unlike dinner the night before, there was just the right amount of food and I happily finished it all without feeling the guilt of having to throw so much away.
Finally, satisfied that I’d taken care of everything I needed to in my room, I walked right out of the door and into the hall before the bravery I was feeling could wear off. It was one thing to be myself in my room, where no one could see me. It was completely different to go out and wander around the castle looking for someone who could destroy me with one movement.
I held my head high as I walked down the hall and descended the stairs I’d been lead up the night before. It was supremely daunting, thinking about how I was going to learn where everything was without someone getting suspicious of me, but I pushed that thought from my mind.
I wandered around for a while, discovering some more hallways and empty rooms, before I finally ran into someone.
“Excuse me?” I called to the man who immediately turned around and started all but running for the nearest door when he saw me.
At the sound of my voice, he froze and turned to face me again, his eyes on the ground as he bowed slightly.
“Highness?”
There was nervousness in his voice, much like Cassandra’s. Annoyance at the way Persephone must have treated everyone bit at me again.
“Where is Hades, uh, I mean, my husband?”
“In the War Room, Highness,” he said, eyes still boring into the floor just in front of his feet.
“Right,” I said. “And where is that?”
“Down the stairs at the end of the hall, the room at the very end of the corridor there.”
“Awesome.”
I walked towards him and saw him visibly flinch as I passed by. It didn’t feel right to have someone be so afraid of me.
Bending down once I reached him, I lowered myself until I could look into his eyes. As soon as I caught his glance, I smiled the warmest, most encouraging, and kind smile I could.
“Thank you,” I said sincerely.
He remained silent, shock in his glance before he looked away to the ground again.
With a sigh, I straightened and moved in the direction he’d said, wondering how many other people were going to cower in front of me today.
Since the distance I needed to travel was so short, I soon found myself in front of a pair of huge doors, located at the end of what felt more like a great hall than a corridor. They were ornately decorated, metal twisted and shaped to tell the story of some battle. If the picture was anything like the real thing, I didn’t want to be anywhere near gods when they disagreed.
It took another couple of deep breaths before I felt ready to be in Hades’s presence again. All I had to do was remember I had a plan and hopefully everything would work out.
Hopefully.
On one more breath, I grabbed the handles on both doors and pushed them open, entering into the room as bravely and quickly as I could manage.
Chapter Nine
I didn’t know exactly what I’d been expecting to see, but the huge room I entered into was not it. It was big enough to host hundreds of people it seemed, the same dark theme as the rest of the castle following through it. Unlike everywhere else I’d been though, there were bright red tapestries hanging every few feet, a black flame and helmet embroidered onto the center of each. Between each of them was an impressive display of weapons, almost like a museum of items used in wartime through the ages of all existence. Some of them I recognized, others obviously being from this world I’d just discovered. Above, magnificent chandeliers with bright candles burned, lighting the room so efficiently that it was as if the sun itself shone down on us. A large round table sat in the middle, barely blocking the fireplace I could see on the far wall. Along with the furnace, the space also hosted what appeared to be several screens, reminding me of the back wall of an electronics department in a superstore. Some of them were blank, their blackness melting into the rest of the room, while others were lit up with images and lists that didn’t make sense to me.
Hades stood next to the blaze, staring at me quizzically, his lips pursed in a way that made him look annoyed.
“Persephone?” he said tightly, the question of what I was doing there hanging in the air.
With a start, I suddenly realized that there were several guards sitting around the large table, their eyes on me as well. Apparently, I’d interrupted some big meeting. Butterflies filled my stomach and I swallowed hard, holding on to my courage tightly.
“Can I talk to you?” I asked crisply.
“I don’t have time for your stupid requests,” he said snidely, turning back around to look at the screens behind him. “If you want something, ask one of your servants.”
“I don’t want anything but to talk to you,” I replied, doing my best to not be rude to him, even though the tone he’d used had gotten men punched out before.
“Persephone,” he grumbled, turning back to look at me. “Obviously, I am having my war council right now and discussing the state of this realm we both rule over.” He began rubbing his right temple with two fingers, looking at me like I was a dog who needed disciplining. “This is the work part of that, the part you never do. Why don’t you leave it to the boys, who know what they’re doing?”
My blood was reaching its boiling point, especially at his comment to leave the work for the boys. If he only knew the amount of work I’d done in my lifetime. The anger gave me more strength and determination though, along with the desire to put him in his place.
Daddy would never talk to a woman this way, not even one he didn’t care for. If he’d heard the way I’d just been spoken to, he would have started a fight himself. Since he wasn’t here, it was up to me to teach Hades a lesson.
With a smirk sliding into place, I let the large doors I’d come through fall shut loudly behind me. Not breaking eye contact with him, I moved towards the center of the room, taking a seat in one of the unoccupied chairs.
Silence so thick it could have been cut filled the room as we stared each other down. I could tell I’d surprised him, but it wasn’t going to be enough to save me from further mocking and humiliation attempts. If anything, all I’d done was make him angry with me. The point for turning back had passed as soon as I’d decided not to act as the classic she-devil I was supposed to be playing, though.
“As I was saying,” Hades fumed, resuming whatever it was he’d been saying before I entered. “There have been issues and concerns raised that the area isn’t being surveyed enough. I’ll be stationing three more of you there during our ride out today. You—”
He pointed to three guards around the table and a small radio looking device rose out of the table in front of them.
“You are to send hourly updates on conditions. If everything is looking as it should, lower level guards will be stationed and you will return to your normal duties.”
The guards nodded, taking the devices and stowing them on their persons.
“Worried about escapees?” I inquired, remembering how angry he’d become the last time I’d brought up incompetence in his abilities to keep everyone in the Underworld. I didn’t even try to stop the mocking smile
that spread across my face.
He pursed his lips, glaring at me, but then apparently decided to ignore the question.
“I think that covers all major concerns for this week,” he stated. “If anything else comes up, we will address it while we are out.”
The screens behind him began shutting off as the guards stood from their seats, all of them making their way to a regular sized door I’d missed before.
“Is her highness so inclined to join us today?” Hades sneered, finally advancing towards me for the first time.
“I am,” I said smoothly. “Where are we going?”
“We, the people who keep your sorry excuse of a queen safe from everything down here you seem to have forgotten about, ride through the realm every week to make sure it is as it should be. You would know that, if you’d ever taken an interest in anything other than your precious tan and counting down the days until you get to leave again.”
“I want to come now,” I said forcefully, annoyed with being insulted for things I’d never actually done.
“Suit yourself,” he said with a shrug, turning and following after his militia.
I shoved myself away from the table, rising and following after him in a fuming manner. Where I had been afraid of him before, deciding to be more myself had unlocked this person who couldn’t seem to stand him hardly at all. The way he spoke to and treated me made me want to break his nose. He probably treated the help around here the same way Persephone had treated hers, with contempt and cruelty. It was all I could do to not throw a shoe, or something, at the back of his head as I stayed a few paces behind him. If he could feel the hatred I was burning into his hair with my eyes, he made no indication of it.
We passed through the door and into another outdoor corridor, much like the one I’d entered into when I first arrived. It could have been the same one, but I wasn’t paying enough attention to notice. I knew if I were to fall behind, trying to figure out where I was, I would lose the group and any opportunity I had to try and assert myself into the position I wanted.
Only the sound of footsteps accompanied the group for a while, the hallway leading on for quite some time in the burning heat. Finally, I could see the men in the front were going through another door and a quiet sigh of relief brushed past my lips. It felt like the hottest, longest day of the year down here.
When I finally passed through the entry way, still the last of everyone, I was surprised to find we hadn’t actually gone inside. Instead, we were in what looked like a stable. It was odd, the amount of comfort I got from the smell of hay and horse hair. That was where the similarities to my barn ended though.
While the basics were the same, individual stalls for the horses, a type of loft full of hay, and riding equipment hanging on the wall, this space was much bigger than the barn. It was wide and open, the stalls lining the circular walls of the stone room. Where I was used to a dirt floor, there was a stone slab. There were four doors in the space as well—the one we’d come through, one straight across from it, and one to either side.
One of the guards opened the side door to my right, revealing what looked like an armory. My heart skipped a beat as I eyed a shelf full of helmets, making a note to come back alone and look through them. From what I could see, though, none of them looked like something extraordinary or straight out of legend.
The guards busied themselves putting on extra armor and switching out their weapons. A few stayed behind, opening the doors to my left and rolling out a large, black chariot. Hades, who had gone in with one of the horses, reappeared with the black steed, reigns in hand. He handed the stallion off to one of the guards, who began hooking it up to the carriage as three more horses were brought out.
Everyone was effectively ignoring me as they got ready for their patrol ride. Other horses were being pulled out and saddled, but I could see one at the other end of the room that wasn’t being used. In fact, it looked like it hardly ever even left its stall.
“He’s been exercised every few days, just like I said he would be,” Hades said, apparently having been watching me. “Good luck building that bond of trust with him now, though. It would have helped if you’d ever actually come down and ridden him.” He smirked, pulling a pair of gloves over his strong hands.
“What’s his name?” I asked, turning back to look at the poor animal.
“You never named him,” Hades said crisply.
I maneuvered my way through the room to the stall, opening the gate easily and sliding in with Persephone’s abandoned ride. It looked . . . Sad. I could tell that it hadn’t been exceptionally cared for, at least not emotionally. It made me unhappy, seeing it so withdrawn. I knew from the horses at home that there was a personality in there somewhere, and I was determined to draw it out, even if it took all winter.
I left the stall and grabbed a brush off the wall by the only closed door. There was a small bowl of sugar cubes sitting on the table located beneath all the brushes, and I grabbed a few of them as well.
Sliding back in with the horse, I let my worries slip away and offered him the treat. He sniffed me for a moment and then took them, some hesitance still in him. Gently, I began brushing him down, talking to him under my breath as I did so. He was visibly relaxing and perking up, probably used to this routine happening before each time he was ridden. After a few minutes, I was able to get him saddled and ready to ride out.
“I didn’t know you knew how to care for animals,” Hades said, some surprise in his voice as he watched me lead it out of the stall.
“There’s a lot you don’t know about me,” I said mysteriously, letting a teasing smile slip onto my face.
He smiled at me, almost like it was a question instead of a show of emotion.
I got up on my ride easily, shifting around in the unbroken seat, trying to find a comfortable position. By the time the guards started opening the last set of doors, I was convinced Persephone had probably never even seen this room, let alone her horse inside it.
The guards started heading out the doors before they finished opening and I held back by Hades and his chariot. As the view in front of me became more clear, my eyes widened in shock.
It was obvious that the Underworld was just a big cave, but I hadn’t expected it to be so large and open. The path in front of us lead out into a cavern so huge that it seemed we were out in the open air. It was full of people as well, just wandering around and staring off into the distance.
“Are you ready to see what you’ve ignored all these years?” Hades chuckled, whipping the reigns down on the backs of his four stallions and quickly darting through the doors, the pace for the ride set.
I urged my own horse forward into a bit of a gallop, not knowing exactly what I was about to see. Dust from everyone going before me hung heavily in the air, blocking them from my view somewhat. I urged the horse to move a little faster, trying to catch up. Only when I could see Hades, his black jacket flapping in the wind as he stood in his chariot, did I feel like I could stop pushing so hard.
Before I knew it, we were flying through the sea of people I’d seen from the doorway. They gave us a wide berth, some of them turning around so as to not look at us. They seemed to close the gap we created very quickly though, some of them peering up at me curiously, as if there was something they knew I didn’t. It might have been my over active imagination, though. Heaven knew I hadn’t planned on going out among the dead today.
The cavernous space proved to be even more immense than it seemed, the island of those claimed by death stretching on forever. The castle had disappeared from view long ago and we still rode on at the same quick pace, apparently ignoring all those around us.
Finally, the crowds thinned down to just a few wanderers, people muttering to themselves and looking around mournfully. Our pace slowed as we reached a river, though I didn’t know if it was the same one I’d come in on or if it was the other one I’d seen. I was already having a hard time sorting everything out in my head. It felt like I was
stuck in an endless hall of mirrors, everything looking the same to me.
“Where are we?” I finally braved asking, stopping next to the already parked Lord of the Dead.
“The Islands of the Blessed are just over the ridge,” he said, motioning to the point where I couldn’t see past the water any more.
“Right,” I said, nodding even though I had no idea what he was talking about.
“Just as clueless as always,” he said smugly, stepping down and pulling his gloves off. “I’m surprised you don’t already know about it, but then again you never cared about anything here. The Islands of the Blessed are where famous and influential people go after they die. It’s basically one big party, all the time.”
He walked down to the water’s edge and a boat rose up onto the bank, several more following suit as the guards approached the shore as well.
“Too bad you missed all the thousands of years of that, huh?” Hades laughed, climbing aboard the small boat.
I dismounted and followed him, fuming at his teasing while silently agreeing that Persephone probably would have been wroth to find out she’d been missing out on so much fun.
“What about the—” I started to ask, turning back to look at all the horses on the shore. Apparently, some of the guards were staying behind to watch them.
“Are you coming then?” Hades asked, motioning to the seat across from him.
There was a look in his eyes, something that said he didn’t really think I could handle whatever it was he had planned for the day, even though his face remained neutral.
“Of course,” I said, pursing my lips at him and climbing into the boat with ease.
He probably thought I was going to fall right in. Judgmental jerk.
Hades (The God Chronicles #3) Page 7
