Queen of L.A.

The Beginning

This series has undergone SEVERE editing and plot revisions. The revised chapters will be up as often and as soon as possible. Thank you.- Dimitri

Hades POV-

This was the beginning. The start of a new chapter in my life, or what I prefer to call, the beginning of the end.

My mother stands on the raised wooden platform, giving her perfectly rehearsed speech in a clear voice full of pride. There's no evidence of her deteriorating health in her strong words as they ripple through the room. A crowd of people I've known my entire life stand perfectly still and silent, waiting for the news, waiting for me. I watch just as still and just as silently from my spot off to the side with my sister Luna. Well, I stand almost still. My hand fiddles with my crescent moon necklace, a birthday gift from my mother. My other hand holds Lunas and she gives it a reassuring squeeze.

Mom's speech draws to an end and I take a deep breath to clear my head. I look over at
Luna who gives me a light smile, paired with eyes bigger than the moon. Eyes that are full of admiration and encouragement as they gaze back at me. She gives me a playful shove and I start my walk up the stairs as my mom begins to announce me. Her speech continues into a ramble of my qualifications and achievements as I ascend the platform. I swiftly search the crowd for the face of my youngest sister, Lily, who I find sulking in a corner. She slumps against the wall, closely watched by our best guards. Her face is full of unmasked resentment and as her eyes find mine they join the rest of her face in a deep scowl.

Lily is quite possibly the only person in this room who hates this life more than I do. Now you'd think we'd have been able to bond over that likeness but she associates me with the worst of it for accepting my position in life. But no matter how I feel about this, I have a blood bound duty to fulfill my role and lead my people. If not for me, than for the sake of my family, a concept Lily is too young to grasp. She hates me a little more than usual lately as I've put her under extra guard, due to the current turmoil and her aptitude for sneaking off. Another concept she doesn't understand is that she is and will always be, in constant danger. I could send her to the remotest island or the highest mountain and there'd still be people who wouldn't stop looking for her, looking for their chance to harm my family. There's nothing I can do that can change her name, change who she is by birth, and despite her attempts of running away from it, nothing Lily can do either. No, there was no escaping in our world. Believe me, I've tried. My name was a constant burden I've shrugged off as often as I had the chance to. But today my childhood officially ends, and I can no longer avoid my purpose in life.

I was technically supposed to have a few more years of freedom before inheriting my mom's position, but four years ago she was diagnosed with cancer. A small thing to be upset about, freedom, when my mom is getting closer to death every day. Luna always says I compartmentalize a little too well, refusing to look past the now. But right now, I still have a mom, and today, I become the new head of the family. Unfortunately though, the fact is that mom is only getting worse and the chances of recovery are long gone. That's why the ceremony was moved up. So here I am, eighteen years old and inheriting the family business, the Los Angeles Mafia. A misleading name I've always believed because while we might be based in L.A., we control a substantial amount of the United States crime dealings. "Substantial" might even be an understatement seeing as we are the number one crime family in the states. Whoopty doo for that. Despite being groomed for this exact job my entire life, it's a responsibility I haven't wanted since my sixth birthday.

It was the last year I went to a trampoline park. Unbeknownst to me, we were actually there for business. As I bounced around happily, Mom was in the back selling boxes of cocaine to the owner (they'd slip it into the drinks to get the customers addicted, an unfortunately common practice). Only this time, they were short on cash and tried to get away with paying less than they owed. It wouldn't have ended like it did if they'd only told her they didn't have enough, things never go well when you lie to my mom. She hadn't taken it lightly of course and we left pretty abruptly after the gunshots.