Queen Of Hell & Paradise (Immortal gods: Book 1)

Chapter 1- Fate of Hades

Hades

Upon concluding my proceedings for the day, I lift my signet ring and seal the Book of Cases, placing it atop the stand adjacent to my throne.

I am overtaxed and irritated, my body has begun to resent me for not obtaining an adequate amount of rest. I labor unceasingly at exercising my obligations, fixing my attention on fulfilling them to the best of my abilities that I often forget I am immortal-- not immune to exhaustion.

Each day I wake up to the same thing, for the past ten thousand years existence has brought me no change and no good surprises. It is always the same story with these mortals, and frankly, my patience has run thin. Mortals, I've learned, are stubborn, stupid creatures who are interested in nothing but their own greed and avarice.

They foolishly seek power, riches, success. How many times have I not received souls who died by their own hand? How many times have I not judged mortals who'd led a life overtaken by ambition for money? With the little time bestowed upon their life threads, I would think they'd be more careful with their manner of living it.

And yet, their small, dim-witted minds can not comprehend this, and they choose instead to push themselves to acquire the unreachable. For some unfathomable reason, they consider success to be never-ending wealth and unrivaled power. They fail to recognize the error in their ways and still have the audacity to feign shock when they hear their sentences. So many have begged at the foot of my throne to be given a second chance. However, they've deserved none.

Their approach on life often leaves me perplexed. I display all the qualities they so desire, and yet, I am not content. I do not feel in any way successful.

I am alone in a palace which seems to know no bounds, I have countless attendants ready to assist me. I have power so great, it shakes the entire atmosphere around me and the ones surrounding it. My wealth is exorbitant to such degree, precious stones are as abundant in the Underworld as pebbles are on the desert sand.

Yet even so, there is a perpetual heaviness present somewhere beneath my breastbone, an aura of deep despair and anguish so potent, no amount of what humans refer to as success can heal what lays underneath my many layers.

I can not begin to comprehend the foolishness of mortals and their unrealistic ideas of life and how it should be spent. However, amidst their senselessness and stupidity, there is one thing I can not fault them for--

Companionship.  

I've never understood why it is a thing so lusted after. The feeling of belonging and affection is something that more often than not has plagued me. How is it that love drives one to madness? It leads you to willingly defy death and the laws of the universe no matter how steep the price. 

It causes insanity, irrationality and folly to become your companions. And for what? The sweet taste of a lover's kiss on one's lips? The blinding light of the smile with which they reward you? Still, the question for me remains as to why young men of all eras have been willing to sacrifice themselves in the name of love. At once, famous tales of the adventures and plights of star-crossed lovers invade my mind.

The tale of Orpheus and Eurydice-- a man so desperately in love he could not bear the thought of living without his beloved. Love drove him mad to the point of displaying the ultimate symbol of surrender at the foot of my throne thousands of years ago, begging to be reunited with his infatuate. The story of Alcyone and Ceyx-- a couple too happy for the liking of Zeus and Hera. Love drove them inane to the point of one drowning themselves to reunite with the other when one was killed at sea. I can not fathom how love can drive a man insane, no matter how much effort I put into it.