His face relaxed, and he inclined his head, a gesture of thanks that seemed to cost him. He placed his arm around my waist, and within the blink of an eye, he transferred us to another location. My eyes instantly tracked the bright light behind the tall black rocks. I pushed Hades away to rush towards the light, ignoring his chuckle. I recognised this light from the time I spent in the tower.
The Elysian Fields.The reward for courage, wisdom, and righteousness.
I gaped at the sunlit paradise of rolling hills, golden meadows, and orchards heavy with fruit. The sky glowed with eternal dawn. Hades' kiss on my bare shoulder snapped me out of my stupor.
“How?” I said, managing to whisper the word as I stared at the various plants and flowers.
“These fields are not bound to the natural laws of the mortal world. The eternal light is a divine blessing for these souls. The location is on a sacred site, and Oceanus provides gusts of winds through the river entrance,” he said, causing me to glance at him at the Titan’s name.
Now that he mentioned it, the air was not stale. I took a long inhalation of the clean air, I never appreciated air as much as I did at that moment. Hades took my arm and proceeded to give me a tour. The residents dwelled in a happy state, heroes trained out in the open, and their homes were a creamy-white ivory colour, which made me question if Hades built his dark palace purposely without any light.
He pointed out the Isles of the Blessed, where souls reincarnated three times. The Underworld was as breathtaking as it was miserable. I paused in our stroll as my ears pricked up at the first sound of music I’d heard since leaving Earth.
“I think you will enjoy this,” Hades said as he pulled me off the path and directed us toward some trees.
The closer we got, the more urgent the melody of the lyre became, but a slow beat of the drums began to fill the air. Through the tree trunks, I could see a clearing, and as we stepped into the clearing, I saw a woman wearing a pale blue dress, covering her from top to bottom with long flowing material from her sleeves floating past her legs. She had a matching scarf wrapped around her head, but her long black hair cascaded down her back. She abruptly changed direction and began to float away from us. The belt on her waist cinched it in and emphasised her generous buttocks and breasts. I glanced at Hades to see if he was watching her, but his eyes were looking at the far right side of the clearing.
When I followed his gaze, my eyes widened as I saw a man in a military uniform with a sword strapped to his waist floating towards the woman. No, they weren't floating. His feet were moving so rapidly it gave the impression of moving seamlessly on the ground.
The woman kept her eyes lowered, but the wide smile on her face indicated she was aware of his presence. She stretched her arms out and began to move them with effortless grace like a large bird of prey soaring high. The man came in so fast that I thought he would collide into her, but he stopped behind her and followed her as she made a swift movement away from him.
His dark blue uniform was nothing like the mortals I’d seen. They must come from a different region on earth. The beat of the drums increased their tempo, and the man made gestures, hitting his fist and forearm against his chest while he chased his floating woman.
Hades moved behind me and placed his hands on my waist before his fingers rested against the underside of my breasts.
“They move like majestic birds, never touching but yearning,” he said, his breath tickling my ear.
The man broke away from the woman, puffing his chest like a proud peacock. The woman paused, a movement beneath her skirt showing her leg continuing to move beneath the long skirt of her dress. The man began to twirl around before he landed on his knees, continuing to twirl around before jumping up again. His hands moved in the air as if he were plucking something, but the sounds he began to make were guttural and threatening.
“This is his war cry. He is showing his love that he will protect her,” Hades said as his fingers moved higher. “She pretends not to notice and keeps her eyes down in a chaste manner.”
I glanced at the woman, and her gaze was lowered, but love, pride and joy radiated from her smile. The man began to dance towards her his feet shuffling in the ground with one arm over his chest and the other stretched out as he moved behind her.
When she began to move, I noticed he hadn't made contact with her back. They moved in unison, creating swooping movements, her using both her arms and him moving closely behind her, outstretching both of his arms to mimic her motions. The tempo of the music sped up and slowed to the dancer's rhythm. Their performance was intimate and passionate, but they only focused on one another.
“A love forever lost in the mortal world but unified in this realm. A reward for two young would-be lovers for their thread of life cut short,” Hades said, kissing the crook of my neck, causing me to clench my thighs together at the touch of his lips and the trail of his beard as he moved them along my shoulder.
My eyes closed, and I leaned back on Hades only to feel his hard manhood pressed against my back. His fingers finally moved to my nipples, and he painfully squeezed them through the material until I struggled to breathe.
My eyes fluttered open to see the young lovers. They only had eyes for one another. Their focus wasn't on their surroundings or their audience. I’d never witnessed such devotion. My mother rarely let me attend the festivities on Mount Olympus. The sweet, elevating ambrosia and nectar were what I missed.
“I think my Queen needs a few moments of privacy with her King,” he said before he licked a path up my neck, catching my earlobe in his mouth.
“Yes,” I said breathlessly as he squeezed my nipple with one hand and the other drifted down my stomach.
I couldn't wait for the privacy of our chambers.
Chapter 14
Hades
The envy I once felt for the dancing lovers melted away, leaving an appreciation for their show of strength, love, and unity. Their tale was tragic in the mortal world, yet an eternal blessing for their afterlife. Persephone released my hand and lifted the skirt of her chiton to run across the field. Her locks of hair shone under the sunlight, each curl dancing exuberantly over her back as she ran.
She took my breath away when she came to the courtyard. It was the first time she wore any of the jewellery I had crafted for her. The gold on her head and arms reflected the light against the backdrop of green grass surrounding her. I gave chase and scooped her up in my arms. Her laughter tinkled around me as I ran towards the stream.
Her scent of roses bombarded my senses as I approached the crystal water, shimmering in the light. I slowed my pace to take her around the curve of the stream, away from the prying eyes of any wandering Shades. There was a smooth portion of rock formation, which looked ideal.
Persephone’s eyes were full of lighthearted mischievousness. Her expression softened as she looked up at me, causing my chest to tighten. A few days ago, she despised me for taking her away from her sunlit life. I soaked in her happiness, allowing it to make my heartbeat thump against my chest.
