The Old Family

(22)Nightfall (Part 1)

They were both so bad at lying it actually, physically hurt me not to ask them how their snog-session went. But I didn't. Out loud.

As if hearing my thoughts, Trita shifted her eyes to mine and they lowered into a dry slant. She smirked and I followed suit.

Apollo pulled a chair out for Hemera and the princess sat down quickly. She tried to ignore the way Apollo grazed his hand over her bare shoulder in the process. It was so sweet; it made me think of the time when Thanatos and I were still so fresh in-love and we didn't even know it yet. Every touch, every whisper and every look meant so much. These two were in it so deep.

"So, is there still lunch left? I'm starving." Hemera asked as she spotted the empty table.

Apollo rubbed his stomach; "Me too."

"I thought you might be..." I said playfully and the two of them shot each other a look. I lifted my hand to the servant behind me. Petyr walked up the stairs and bowed; "Bring the king and princess plates, please. Some snacks and breads. Perhaps some dessert. Wine?" I asked Apollo. He nodded quickly and I turned my head back to Petyr and waved him away.

He smiled and promptly left to do his task. Hemera leaned back in her chair and gazed up at the clear, blue sky; "Gods, isn't all of this sunlight amazing? Tundra barely has any sun."

"How dreadful." Apollo agreed as he swung a leg over the other and turned a bit in his chair to look at Hemera.

I noticed then, for the first time, that they were both deities connected to the sun. Apollo was the god of the sun and Hemera was the goddess of daylight and day. Talk about a perfect, golden couple...

"I can't even imagine that. I hate winter." Trita muttered and popped a grape in her mouth as one of the servants placed the bowl down on the table.

Apollo reached over for a bunch and handed it to Hemera with a smile while she spoke; "Oh, I know! It's awful really. I prefer the heat. How about you, Rora?"

"I don't really mind. I grew up in a small harbour town where it was misty in the mornings, hot during the day and cool at night. I think that's why I like it here so much. This region is perfect. It's not too hot and it's not too cold. There's always sun and the lake makes me feel like I'm close to the ocean." I smiled and thought back to the first time I saw this palace- I was in shock. It was magnificent and massive.

Even Olympus can't compare to how beautiful I found Thanatos' palace. Hades' home was too dark and misty for my liking. Olympus was too gold and bright, and often very dry and hot. Tundra was too cold and Poseidon's palace was very humid.

Sometimes Thanatos' palace had a nasty spell of rough winds blowing in from the nearby desert, but that was very seldom and usually those nights were the best, because all the heat was replaced with cool and quiet summer nights.

"You know, I've never seen the ocean." Hemera said shyly.

"What?" The three of us said in unison at Hemera's confession. I was so stunned, but it did kind of make sense. The Underworld didn't have any oceans- just rivers and lakes. And even though Hypnos and Thanatos have travelled to Earth so many times, didn't mean Hemera had ever gotten the chance to- or wanted to.

"Really? I can't believe that!" I asked with wide eyes. She was so old- how could she never have been to a beach?

Trita was just as surprised as I was; "How?"

Hemera shrugged and rubbed the back of her head; "I don't know... I kind of have a slight fear... of water." She mumbled the last part and bashfully looked down at her lap.