Chapter 238: Chapter 82
The Underworld was in an uproar, not from chaos or revolt, but from sheer, unrestrained jubilation.
Word spread like wildfire, faster than the rivers of the Styx could flow, echoing through every cavern and crypt, every ghostly city and cursed plain.
From the silent expanse of Asphodel to the screaming depths of Tartarus, the same cry was heard on every trembling wind...their king was to be wed.
King Hades, the unyielding, the inscrutable, the shadow that ruled over all shadows, was finally getting married.
And not to one, but to three of Underworld’s greatest goddesses: Hera, the Goddess of Marriage; Aphrodite, the Goddess of Beauty; and Hecate, the Goddess of Magic.
For an immortal realm that knew only stillness, it was as if the very Underworld had come alive.
The specters of the dead danced in translucent joy.
Shades who had long forgotten emotion began to murmur blessings.
Even the rivers that defined the boundaries of death seemed to shimmer and ripple as if laughing.
In Tartarus.
Keres, draped in shadows that smelled faintly of blood and battle, smirked beneath her hood.
Her eyes gleamed as she murmured, "About time. The King has finally taken what he deserves."
In Eris’ temple.
Eris, lounging on a black marble throne, twirled a strand of gold from her hair, her lips curling into a wicked grin.
"Three goddesses at once? Oh, the chaos that will cause on Underworld. I adore it already."
In a dark room.
Hypnos, lying on a floating purple cloud, sleeping, immediately knew the situation from the dreams of people he had visited.
His eyes opened in thought as he murmured, "Maybe he’ll finally smile more often now... he’s less terrifying that way. And maybe he can increase vacation time."
In Hades’ office.
Thanatos, who was left in charge of Hades’ work, immediately regained his spirits after hearing the news.
"...I must finish these work so we can prepare for the wedding!"
With that, like a man possessed, Thanatos began to work with speed that he was leaving behind after images.
On the other side of Tartarus.
Campe, who was torturing some titan, paused mid-torment, her beastly eyes seemingly lost in thought.
She had been in the middle of breaking a Titan’s arm when one of her lesser gods stammered out the news of Hades’ marriage.
For a long moment, the monstrous creature simply stared, then threw back her head and laughed, a thunderous, delighted sound that made the damned tremble.
"So, our King has chosen his queens," she hissed, grinning. "Let the heavens tremble, then."
In the quiet corners of Elysium, the blessed souls raised their goblets in celebration, whispering prayers of joy to the king who had granted them peace after death.
Even Demeter, in her vast garden that grew despite the absence of sunlight, received the tidings through the whispers of her attendant nymphs.
She paused, her hands still among the golden stalks of wheat, before letting out a wistful laugh.
"So, he has finally done it..." she murmured, her emerald eyes soft with memory. "Perhaps I should have married him when I had the chance. What a strange and gentle world that might have been."
On her lap sat Nekyria, Hades’ young daughter, her hair white as moonlight, her eyes faintly glowing with divine light.
She was nibbling on a slice of cake shaped like a crescent moon, her tiny feet swinging idly.
Looking up at her mother, she blinked. "Aunty Demeter, does that mean I’m gonna have three more moms now?"
Demeter laughed, brushing a crumb from her niece’s cheek. "It seems so, little one. Your father has quite the heart to manage that."
Meanwhile, in a distant shadowed chamber wreathed in blooming pomegranate vines, Persephone sat with a thunderous pout, her delicate hands balled into fists as she slammed one against the table.
"That vixen Aphrodite!" she fumed, her cheeks puffed, her emerald eyes glimmering with fire. "She’s always flirting with him! I knew she’d sink her claws in first!"
The nymphs attending her stifled laughter, though one muttered under her breath, "Milady, you said that about Hecate last week."
Persephone ignored them, crossing her arms with a huff as she glared out at the Underworld’s glowing skyline.
"I don’t care. I won’t give up! One day, I’ll stand beside him too. I’ll make him look at me, not as his niece, not as a child, but as a woman worthy of his gaze."
Her defiance echoed faintly against the obsidian walls, bold and blazing.
Many gods and spirits celebrated hearing the news.
For the first time since its creation, the realm of the dead felt alive.
*
*
*
Back in the tranquil sanctuary of Rhea’s temple, far from the roaring celebration that shook the Underworld, the air was filled with a serene kind of joy, one that bloomed softly, like spring after a long, endless winter.
Word had already reached them, carried by the wings of divine messengers and whispered by the winds that traversed realms: Hades, her eldest son, was to be wed.
Rhea sat quietly upon a low stone bench, her hands resting in her lap, a faint smile curving her lips.
The golden light that filtered through the temple’s open archways caught in her silver hair, making her seem less like a Titan and more like a vision from a half-remembered dream.
Beside her sat Hestia, her ever-gentle daughter, who was arranging freshly baked bread and warm tea upon a small marble table, a simple, homely ritual that brought peace even to godly hearts.
When Hestia finally spoke, her voice was as soft and comforting as the first hearthfire of the evening.
"So he really did it," she said, a tender smile tugging at the corner of her mouth. "Now, he is finally getting married."
Rhea chuckled quietly, a sound rich with maternal warmth.
"Indeed," she murmured, "the boy who once refused to even look up from his duties has finally decided to share his eternity with others."
Her eyes softened, her heart swelling with a mix of pride and melancholy. "For so long, I worried that his heart had frozen over completely. He was always so distant, so driven, as if he had no time for anything beyond his burdens."
Hestia nodded, remembering those long ages when her brother’s face rarely changed, when his voice, though seemingly gentle, was cold and heavy.
"He was all about power and strength back then," she said softly, pouring tea for them both. "I am glad that he met those three. They really changed him.
Rhea’s smile widened, faint tears of joy welling in her eyes.
"He has chosen well," she said fondly. "Those women will not let him lose himself again. They will temper his resolve and remind him that he is not merely the King of the Dead, he is still just Hades, my son, still capable of warmth, of tenderness, of joy."
For a while, the two goddesses sat in silence, the temple filled with the scent of burning incense and mint tea.
Then Hestia placed her cup down gently and looked toward her mother.
"By the way mother," she said quietly. "Hades called from the hearth; he expects our presence. He wants you, Mother, to bless their union."
Rhea blinked, then let out a soft laugh, one hand rising to her lips.
"Me?" she asked, amused. "He wishes for me to bless his wedding?"
Hestia smiled at her reaction, nodding. "Of course. You are his mother, after all."
For a moment, Rhea said nothing. Then, her laughter came again, this time mingled with a deep, almost reverent happiness.
"I see," she murmured, her eyes glimmering with unshed tears. "That child, he really has grown."
She leaned back slightly, gazing out toward the distant horizon where faint clouds of divine light shimmered.
"I remember when you were all just simple gods," she said quietly. "Poseidon with his booming laughter, Zeus always running his mouth, and Hades... quiet, always apart, always watching. Even when he smiled, it never reached his eyes. Now..."
She stared at Hestia, "Do you know, it is my dream to preside the weddings of my children."
Her voice softened further, touched by wistful affection. "When Poseidon married, it was presided over by Oceanus . When Zeus wed Metis, it was Hera who presided over their union. You and Demeter couldn’t even be bothered to find a man, so only Hera and Hades was left. Now they are finally getting married."
Her fingers brushed a small tear from her cheek as she smiled again. "I had long feared he would never seek companionship, that he would bury his heart with the souls he ruled. But now... now that he has found love, I feel that I can rest easier than I have in eons."
Hestia reached over, clasping her mother’s hand.
"You should be proud," she said softly. "He’s no longer alone."
Rhea squeezed her daughter’s hand in return and nodded, her expression one of serene resolution.
"I am proud," she said with quiet conviction. "And I will give him my blessing, not just as his mother, but as Rhea, the Mother of Gods. Let the world above and below know that my son has found his light."
A soft breeze passed through the temple then, rustling the golden curtains and carrying the faint scent of olive and myrrh.
The air itself seemed to hum with warmth, as if the universe shared their joy.
Rhea looked toward the heavens, her smile radiant.
"Yes" she whispered to herself, "my children may have built their own thrones, but in the end, they are still my flesh and blood. And this time... this time, I will be there to see my eldest find his happiness at last."