Chapter 32

The evening had fallen over the Underworld like a blanket of velvet darkness, serene and encompassing. The distant cries of the damned, usually a constant backdrop to my life, seemed quieter tonight. Perhaps it was because I had managed to carve out a rare moment of peace—just for myself, and for her. Hecate. My partner, my confidant, and tonight—my date.

I couldn't recall the last time I'd allowed myself to truly relax. To be with her, just her, without the weight of my duties pressing down on my shoulders. But here I was, sitting across from Hecate in a secluded corner in the Garden Persephone, a garden where the air always smelled like honey and blooming jasmine, a place so far removed from the bleakness of the Underworld that it felt like we were stealing a glimpse of the world above. The flickering flames of the ethereal torches illuminated the lines of her face, the soft gleam in her eyes as she looked at me, like she had something important to say.

We had been to dinner, and I had found myself smiling more than I had in ages. Hecate had always known how to draw me out of my solitude, how to make the weight of the crown and the endless tasks of ruling feel less oppressive. Her presence was calming, a cool wind in the burning desert of my thoughts.

I leaned back against the stone bench, my fingers lightly tracing the delicate stem of the wineglass before me. The liquid inside shimmered with a subtle red hue—a drink only brewed in the deepest caves of the Underworld, a reminder of our realm's darker nature.

The sound of the wind rustling the leaves in the trees was calming, but there was something about the way Hecate was watching me now that made me pause. I'd known her for millennia, but in this moment, something in her expression was different. It was almost... expectant.

"What's on your mind, Hecate?" I asked, keeping my tone casual, though I could sense that the air around us had shifted.

She smiled, but there was something bittersweet in it. Her eyes, ancient and knowing, seemed to linger on me, a silent evaluation of sorts. She was always so composed, so in control, but tonight, there was something in her that seemed... vulnerable. Something I wasn't accustomed to seeing.

"I've been thinking," she began softly, her voice low and smooth, as though the words she was about to speak were delicate, fragile. "About what we've been to each other over the years." She paused, letting the weight of the words settle between us.

I raised an eyebrow, my curiosity piqued. "What do you mean?"

"I mean..." Her fingers traced the edge of her own wineglass now, her gaze dropping to it for a moment before returning to me. "I want something more. Something like what Hera and Aeolus have. Something that feels permanent. A bond that's more than just... what we are now."

I frowned, unsure of what she was implying. "More?" My voice came out a little hoarser than I intended. My mind raced, but I forced myself to stay composed. I'd been the ruler of the Underworld for so long that I had learned to keep my thoughts masked, to never reveal what I was truly thinking.

She met my gaze again, this time with a quiet intensity that made my heart skip. "I want us to have what they have, Hades. A family, a future. I want to be yours. In every way." Her eyes softened, and her lips curved upward. "I've spent so many lifetimes alone, even when I've had those I could rely on. But with you... it's different."

I sat in silence, my mind struggling to wrap itself around her words. A future. A family. The weight of those things hit me harder than I had expected. I had never thought of such things—not in the way she was implying. Not with someone like her.

I leaned forward, my elbows resting on my knees, and I studied her, searching her face for any sign of uncertainty, any hesitation. But there was none. Hecate was steadfast. And this, whatever this was, was something she had clearly thought through.

"What are you saying, Hecate?" I asked, my voice quieter now, more careful. "What do you want from me?"

She smiled again, though this time it was different—there was a spark in it, a lightness, as though she had already made up her mind and was simply waiting for me to catch up.

"I want you to marry me," she said, the words coming out before I could process them fully.

The shock hit me like a tidal wave, crashing over my thoughts, drowning them in the sudden realization of what she had just asked. My breath caught in my throat as I stared at her, unsure how to respond. I had always been guarded, always kept the walls around my heart fortified, but here she was, tearing them down piece by piece, until there was nothing left but raw emotion.

The idea of marriage was... foreign to me. A concept I had avoided for millennia. I had seen the unions of gods and mortals alike, many of them born out of political necessity, many of them strained by the weight of expectations. But Hecate... Hecate was different. She was the one person who saw me—not just as a Ruler of the Underworld and the Abyss, not just as the King of the gods—but as me. She knew the darkness inside, the parts of me that no one else had the courage to confront, and she embraced them. She had always known me better than I knew myself, and in that moment, as she sat before me, her expression open and vulnerable, I realized how deeply I cared for her.

Her proposal—it wasn't just a request. It was a declaration. A challenge. One that I wasn't sure I was ready for, but it also felt like the one thing I had been waiting for, though I hadn't realized it until now.

My mind raced. Marriage. It was a lifetime commitment, a bond that couldn't be undone. I had seen the complexities of relationships, the strife and the joy that came with them. I had never believed I would be part of one. I was a god of the Underworld, feared and isolated, too bound to my duties to entertain such thoughts.

But Hecate... Hecate was different.

I let the silence linger for a moment, not because I was uncertain, but because the enormity of what she had just offered needed to be understood fully. She had shown me her heart, and now I had to decide whether to open mine to her in return.

Finally, I spoke, my voice quieter than before, laced with something I couldn't quite name. "Hecate... I don't know what to say." My words seemed inadequate. How could I express the jumble of emotions swirling inside me?

She didn't seem at all disappointed by my hesitation. In fact, her eyes softened with understanding. "You don't have to say anything right away, Hades," she said gently. "I don't expect an immediate answer. I just wanted you to know what's in my heart."

But as I looked into her eyes, I realized that I didn't need time to think. I had already made my decision, even if it hadn't fully settled in my mind. I had already committed to her, in my own way, for years. This was just the next step.

I took a deep breath, the weight of my words sinking in as I looked into her eyes. "Yes."

Her eyes widened, and she leaned forward, as if she had to hear it again to believe it. "Yes?" she asked, a smile playing on her lips.

"Yes," I repeated, my voice steady now. "I'll marry you, Hecate. I can't promise it will be easy, but I promise it will be real. With you, always."

Her smile was the brightest I had ever seen, and in that moment, I felt a peace I had never known.

She reached for my hand, her touch warm and steady. "I don't need anything more, Hades. Just you."

<---------------------->

The familiar weight of duty sat heavy on my shoulders as I stepped into the grand hall of the newly remodeled throne room. The Olympian Council had grown tired of the old design, the ancient, cavernous space where rows of thrones—each symbolizing the ancient power of the gods—had once sat like a relic of the past. It had been a space suited to the gods of old, their grandiosity reflected in their towering seats and formal displays of power. But now, with the rise of new challenges, new tensions, and new gods taking their places around the table, it felt more like a relic of something obsolete than an image of strength.

The new throne room was a masterpiece in its own right. Gone was the old throne room that Zeus had made Briar built. Now, the space was sleek, modern, and functional—a blend of elegance and practicality. The floor was a polished black marble that gleamed with subtle veins of gold, the same color as the light that filtered through massive stained-glass windows. The intricate patterns on the windows depicted scenes of the gods, battles, and the realms we governed, casting a warm glow on the room.

In the center of it all was a large, round table—made of the same obsidian-like stone that lined the underworld—but this one gleamed with an ethereal glow. Its surface was etched with the symbols of the gods who would sit at it. The table itself was designed for open discourse, for a gathering of minds. Above the table, a shimmering chandelier hung from the high ceiling, casting a soft light, and at its base, the symbol of the Underworld—the three-headed Cerberus—was engraved in fine detail.

The thrones that sat around the table were different from the ones before. Each throne was made of blackened wood with intricate carvings into the backrests, each one symbolizing the owner of the throne. To the right of the table were the seats of Aeolus, Hera, and Athena. To the left were the thrones for Poseidon, Demeter, and Hestia.

I stood at the head of the table, my throne larger than the others, as tradition dictated. Sitting between Aeolus and Poseidon.

"Shall we begin?" I spoke, my voice resonating in the newly refined space.

There was a murmur of agreement, and Poseidon was the first to speak. His gruff voice cut through the silence as his water arm was placed on the table as the tabletop shifted to show the land of Greece and several cities starting to be built.

"The mortals are spreading across the land faster than we anticipated," he said, his deep blue eyes narrowed in frustration. "Their influence is growing. I see them rising everywhere. New cities, new kingdoms—too many to track." His brow furrowed.

"Aye," Aeolus chimed in, his voice carrying that unmistakable edge of concern. "I have been noticing that several temples have been built in worship of certain gods. A new temple for Demeter has been built and it seems they are praying for a good harvest. I have been receiving prayers for rain and have been doing what I can."

Demeter nodded as she pointed to a section. "Yeah, I have noticed I have gotten more worship lately and these cities here and here have been blessed with quite fertile land though while one works hard to grow crops the other seems to believe that I will do all the work for them."

The conversations moved on as Poseidon moved to complain about how Atlantis had sunk and how he had to transform the mortals into merfolk so that they could survive. Had used so much energy that he was exhausted. As the meeting came to an end I cleared my throat and asked if anyone had anything else to add and when nobody said anything I took the chance to reveal the news.

"There is something I must say," I announced, letting my words linger. "I am-"

Before I could continue, the doors to the throne room burst open, and Hecate stormed in. Her wild hair framed her radiant face, and she held her hand high, brandishing the ring that I had crafted for her.

"I'M GETTING MARRIED!" she screamed, her voice echoing off the marble walls.

For a moment, silence reigned.

Then Hera, Hestia, and Demeter shrieked with delight, rushing toward her. The throne room devolved into chaos as they surrounded Hecate, cooing over the ring and peppering her with questions.

"When is the wedding?" Hera demanded.

"Who's officiating?" Hestia added.

"Are there going to be flowers?" Demeter asked, her excitement nearly overshadowing the others'.

I groaned, pinching the bridge of my nose as my family descended into unbridled giddiness. "I was trying to announce it properly," I muttered, though my voice was lost in the commotion.

Poseidon and Aeolus clapped me on the back, their grins wide and annoyingly smug.

"About time, Hades," Poseidon said, chuckling. "I was beginning to think you'd never get married."

"Make sure she doesn't curse you before the vows," Aeolus added, his rare humor catching me off guard.

"She's more likely to curse you for saying that," I retorted, earning a low chuckle from him.

Amid the chaos, Hecate broke free from the gaggle of goddesses and made her way to me. Her smile was radiant, and for a moment, everything else faded into the background.

"Well?" she asked, her eyes dancing with mischief. "Are you happy?"

I took her hand, brushing my thumb over the ring she so proudly displayed. "Happier than I've been in centuries," I admitted, my voice low enough for only her to hear.

She grinned, leaning up to kiss my cheek before turning back to the others. "Now, let's plan the most unforgettable wedding Olympus has ever seen!"