Chapter 9:

Down in the Underworld, Hades was having a nice quiet dinner by himself before he dove back into his work. There had been an influx of souls lately, and Persephone had been spending more time with their daughter, Melinoe, since she had returned from the mortal world a few days ago, so he had been busier than usual covering for her, though he didn’t mind.

He put his dirty dishes in the sink to be cleaned later after he finished and headed to his office to go over some emails. As he thumbs through the files, his mind kept going back to his daughter, Helia. She was the same age as her half-sister and Poseidon’s last-child, Triton. Maybe he should suggest a playdate, that way, he could see her more often and have an excuse without coming off as a creep.

“What have I gotten myself into?” he tiredly exasperated to himself, leaning back in his office chair.

“Tough day on Olympus?”

Hades whipped his head up to meet the voice of his wife, Persephone. She was beautiful, no doubt, for she had Demeter’s long blonde hair and unique beauty mark in the same place only opposite of her mothers, with the only thing she inherited from Zeus were those striking blue eyes. Though hers were darker in hue, they still held a resemblance to her father’s.

“You can say that. How was your day with the little munchkin?”

“Just as tiring as I remembered,” she giggled, “but as usual, it was all worth it.” After a beat, she added, “She missed having you with her during her playtime, you know.”

“I know, and I will make it up to her. The council meeting was longer than normal because of the event that transpired.”

“Oh, what happened today?” Persephone asked as she walked closer into Hades’ office and sitting in a chair in front of him. Persephone knew that she and Hades never talked much outside the eyes of their daughter, but she had put forth a little more effort when she would return from the mortal realm.

As Hades recounted the events that followed the council meeting, leaving out certain parts, of course, he could see his wife digesting all of the information he gave in a condensed version.

“Wow, I should start attending the meetings again; I miss all the good stuff now.” She laughed, even bringing Hades into the laughter fit with her. ‘When was the last time they felt comfortable enough to laugh this way around each other? Hell, had they even laughed around each other before tonight?’ he thought to himself. He was sure that he had heard her laugh before but was confident that he was not the one to make her laugh. He and Persephone’s marriage wasn’t a sham perse; however, when they married, they did not love each other, and quite honestly, they simply tolerate each other. He knows it is wrong, but his heart still belonged to someone else, and no one could change that.

He does love Persephone, but not how a man should love his wife by traditional standards. Though Hades treats Persephone with respect and kindness, it ended there for the most part. There were times when the King and Queen of the Underworld would engage in a wild night of sex to quench their overbearing needs, but the love was absent.

“I should contact Hera and see if she would like to set up some playdates with Melinoe. Ooooh, maybe Amphitrite would like to include Triton, that way, while the children are getting to know each other and play, we can have a ‘Queen’s date’ and catch up. What do you think of that, Hades?”

Hades became quite apprehensive when he heard Persephone voice aloud his earlier thoughts. ‘Had she read my mind? Had I said my thoughts out loud, and she was only suggesting this idea to me to hint that she heard what I said?’

“Hades, HADES!”

“Oh, um, yes, Persephone, what was it you were asking me?”

“The playdate for the children? What do you think?”

“I think it is a wonderful idea,” he stammered out. “You should probably discuss it with Hera and Amphitrite to go over finding a perfect playdate schedule.”

“You’re right. I will try to call them both now before they head to bed. Hopefully, they are still awake.” Before Persephone exited the office, she asked over her shoulder, “Will you be slumbering in our marital bed tonight?”

“If you would like my presence there, then sure.” They had stopped sharing their marital bed after they consummated their marriage. They figured that there was no sense in pretending in their own home that they loved each other, and so Hades had opted to sleep in a guest room, even after Melinoe was born. When she grew older, though, she began asking questions about why they never slept together even though they were married. Instead of telling their daughter the truth, that they didn’t love each other romantically, they agreed to start back sleeping in the same room if that would make her happy. On some nights, though, Hades would find himself sleeping in the guest room. It was the only place he could think freely about Hera and his child; it also made him feel like he wasn’t cheating on Hera.

“It makes no difference to me, Hades, whether you join me or not. I only asked to see if I should make room for you or not. I know that sometimes when you sleep away from our bed and tiptoe in the room in the mornings, for Melinoe’s sake, that I am sprawled out, taking up space. I just wanted some guidance on how I would be able to sleep.”

“Well, I had planned on staying up late to finish some things that needed my attention. If I am finished earlier than I anticipate, I will be joining you in our marital bed sometime tonight.”

“Alright, I will be sure to listen out for your return to make sure there is enough room for you. Good night,” and with that, she left, leaving behind Hades to his work.

Hades hated what he was putting not only Persephone but also himself through. He knew neither of them really wanted this marriage, but they only maintained the image for their daughter though they both were growing increasingly tired from it all. It was becoming harder to keep up the charade, and he wanted it all to end, and he could only guess that so did Persephone. He observed how her mood would be a little agitated whenever she returned to the Underworld and figured it was because she, just like him, was tired of the pretending, and he did not blame her.

“Gods, just when will this end?” He turned his attention back to work on his computer, knowing the Fates would not bless him with an answer tonight, and dove into his work, quickly forgetting the thought swirling through his mind.