The anticipation of the wedding was almost a tangible energy flowing through the air and infecting every person it touched. The ceremony was due to take place in just ten minutes and the place was alive with the excitement only a royal wedding could bring. Even I felt a hint of giddiness at the prospect of a wedding.
We had been here for just three hours and I had yet to lay eyes upon Hades. He had been ensconced in his rooms, drawn into the last minute wedding preparations and wedding rituals. Everyone was rather closed lips about what these rituals were and I didn't press the matter. It felt wrong to intrude.
Instead I had wandered the halls, admiring the exuberant decorations and the delicate blooming flowers which formed ae path through the palace and led me towards the throne room where the event was to be held. I didn't get to see the throne room itself. Sheets of silky red fabric had covered the doorway and sentries had stood guard keeping everyone out except those who had been permitted early entry.
So I allowed his staff to take care of Danny and me.
I was quickly dressed in a beautiful gown which was not only flattering to my form but incredibly beautiful too. It was a gorgeous dark purple colour with lots of intricate beading on the tight bodice. It cinched in my waist to exaggerate my curves, the delicate fabric flaring slightly at the waist. It skimmed over my hips before tumbling down to the floor in waves of beautiful vibrant silk. My hair had been braided and hung over my shoulder; pieces of royal purple ribbon were woven through the thick glossy strands. I suspected someone had been using some magical talents on my hair as it now stretched down to my waist and glittered magically in the light of the gemstone ceiling.
Spinning around in a circle, I giggled slightly as Danny held onto the edge of the skirts and took a few spins with me. I felt like a fairy tale princess for the first time in my life. It was mainly due to the sparky tiara they had placed on top of my head. It felt completely ridiculous but apparently it was procedure now that Lucius had declared me as his intended.
Last time we had been in the underworld, when Hades has announced his engagement to his beautiful bride, Lucius had asked me to sit in the smaller throne by his side. I still wasn't quite up to date on all of the protocols of the Hell but there was no denying that single gesture had changed everything. All of the staff within the palace treated me with deference, as if I had already been crowned.
I shook my head and took Danny's hand in mine, following the floral path through the palace once more. My little boy looked far too grown up. I felt a pang of grief for all that I had missed as I took in his ensemble, a black suit with a dark green waistcoat and tie. He even had polished black shoes on. With his hair slicked back, he looked so different to the baby I had given birth to and then the little boy who had been spirited away by angels.
His little face lifted, a smile on his lips and a rosy flush to his cheeks as he struggled to keep up with my fast pace. He clutched onto my skirt as we wandered through the halls following the stream of attendees as they made their way towards the throne room once more.
The red material has been pulled aside allowing us entry into the room itself, the guards no longer positions as sentries.
As we stepped through the entrance way and on to the aisle made out of flower petals from flowers which could only be found in the Elysian Fields I felt my breath catch in my chest.
"Wow," Danny murmured from my side.
I nodded my head dumbly in agreement.
The place had been transformed. The outside had been brought inside. Trees lined the exterior of the room, their leaves ranging from soft pinks, autumnal reds and browns to delicate blues and spring greens. Little lights danced about their leaves, twinkling softly like little stars among the branches.
The chairs, I noted as I sat down, were made out of woven vines. I lifted Danny to sit beside me and stretched out to stroke the ribbons which had been twined into the intricate frameworks. It was as if they had erupted from the ground beneath our feet. As I looked across the room, I saw several of Calantha's cousins standing on the side lines, hiding amongst the tree trunks and did not doubt for a moment that they were responsible for this magic. They did not reveal their skills to outsiders, the Earth People liked to protect their secrets, but I did not doubt for a moment that they could do something as simple and amazing as growing beautiful furniture.
Lucius was already stood at the front of the hall, his gaze roving over the crowd as he searched. My mouth went dry as his beautiful cool blue eyes fell upon me and he smiled. He smiled so wide that it looked painful but I could see nothing but true joy on his face. My cheeks grew hot under his gaze, his eyes running appraisingly over me before he met my gaze once more.
"Look who it is." I murmured to the small boy bouncing at my side, pointed over the tops of the crowds in Lucius's direction. Danny giggled, standing on the seat and waving to him wildly as only little children could.
Hades, dressed in long emerald coloured tunic, stood at the front with his hands folded behind his back. His blonde hair had grown longer since our last visit and was now tied at the nape of his neck, a crown perched on the top of his head as he looked out of the crowds, his eyes darting back to the spot where his bride would be entering before continuing his perusal of the gathered wedding guests.
He caught sight of my son's erratic hand waving and nodded his head in greeting to the both of us before his attention moved on. And then he started to pace, back and forth over and over again.
The pew trembled beneath me as Zeke and Gabriel took up the last space on the row at the back of the hall.
"Did everything go alright?" I asked, my eyes resting on them for a moment before I turned my attention back to the front of the throne room.
The thrones were the only things untouched by the wedding preparations. They were no less impressive. The huge crystal chairs flickered with inner fires jauntily as if they too had become caught up in the energy of the event.
"It all went smoothly. You need not worry about Mr Lyle again." Gabriel responded, his gaze burning into the side of my face.
I glanced his way but his attention was elsewhere, his jaw set and his emotions concealed – mostly. There was lingering tension in his face, lines forming around his eyes and mouth no matter how much he tried to repress his emotions.
My stomach rolled as guilt welled up within me. This was my doing even if it had been unintentional. And there was nothing I could do to make it better – to make it right. The last time we had been at a wedding together, it had been the two of us walking down the aisle. I sometimes remembered faint images of the life we had together but it was always with a strange detachment, the emotions long gone.
Clearing my throat, I looked away from his as my eyes started to water. I liked the Angel a lot but I knew that he would never be the one for me – not anymore. Not in this new life I was living.
A soft melody slowly filled the air, getting louder as the seconds passed. The delicate notes of the harp were joined by a rhythmic drumming sound which provided a low beat to the music. The crowd, who had been chattering quietly just moments before, fell into silence. As one, we turned out heads to look behind us. And there she was.
The bride word an emerald green one shouldered dress which swept down around her feet. Her hair had been bound in a beautiful knot at the back of her head, a few dainty tendrils remaining free. A veil covered her face. It was made of matching emerald green webbing and there were little white flowers woven on the fringe of the veil. She held a bouquet of beautiful vivid flowers. They were blooms from the Elysian Fields. They emitted a soft glow which was appealing to the eyes and gave off an enthralling scent.
She swept down the aisle, her eyes on Hades and no one else. Despite how abruptly their relationship came about, I could see that there was genuine love and affection between the pair. They weren't even close enough to talk to one another but I could see that there was a conversation happening between the pair of them – one that no one else could see or interpret.
I hugged Danny closer to me, my eyes falling upon Lucius just as the bride was officially handed over into the care of her future husband. His blue eyes twinkled as our gazes locked. I couldn't help but feel that there was something more to his expression. The stare was intense, as if he was trying to communicate something very important to me. My hands grew clammy and I felt a hot flush run through my body as a small iota of panic formed in my heart.
I broke our connection. I was being stupid – it was just the wedding. It was making me act like a sap.
Hades took his fiancée's hand in his, leaning over to place a gentlemanly kiss on the back of her fingers. Then, as one, they turned to kneel before an altar. I only just stopped myself from showing my surprise as Lucius moved to the front and proceeded to lead the ceremony.
A lot of the words were undertaken in another language but the cadence of the words evoked emotion even in those who could not understand them. Even Danny was rapt , his eyes wide and his body still.
And then finally the vows were exchanged.
"I, Hades do recognise you Nicolette as my soulmate, heartmate and life partner. I promise to love honour and cherish you for the rest of my life. I give my heart into your keeping and promise with all that I am to be true to you always." The words were spoken with such intent I could feel the emotion beneath them. He could have been reciting the shopping list and it would probably have had the same effect on my emotions.
Hades gently lifted the veil from the face of his bride, his hands trembling as he did so. As he saw her face to face for the first time since the start of the ceremony, his eyes lit up and became a little watery. His lips pulled up into a huge smile as his stroked his fingertips across Nicolette's cheek. She nuzzled into his touch, as desperate for contact with her beloved as the big man himself.
Lucius stepped forwards and offered Hades a golden goblet. It had large glittering gemstones set into the side of it and strange patterns were inscribed into the metalwork but I was too far away to see them in much detail. The tall blonde man took the goblet into both hands and pressed it first to his new wife's lips, watching as she took a long sip of the red liquid within and then he too took a mouthful of wine from the goblet. The sharing of the single metal cup was strangely intimate and I found myself averting my eyes as the two fell into their own little bubble.
There was a gasp as Lucius lunged to grab the goblet before it could fall from Hades' grasp. The man was too enraptured in his bride to pay any attention to what happened to the ceremony props. Instead, he murmured some final words to the woman before him and then he was pressing his lips to hers.
I wasn't sure what I was expecting when the wedding of a God occurred, but it wasn't for several glowing persons to shimmer in existence at the edges of the room, their forms visible between the trees. They looked like Hades in a way, some sharing the same features and yet then they were so very different. They were his siblings – the gods and goddesses who had chosen to move on and no longer existed on the living plane. I had no idea how I knew that piece of information but the knowledge was bone deep.
A man with a long white beard and beautiful bronzed skin stepped forwards, like a man who had spent most of his life working out in the sunshine. He exuded power and as he stepped forwards the trees leant towards him, chasing after the blazing light within him. A beautiful woman with black hair streaked with ribbons of grey hair stood at his side. She was tall, her body lush and curvy. She was a perfect match for the incredible man bedside her.
They stopped a few feet away from Hades and his bride, who were still so wrapped up in each other that they hadn't even noticed the new comes. Zeus raised his hand and bolts of light flew across the gemstone ceilings like little shooting stars. The crackle of energy however was demanding and Hades could no longer deny the call of his sibling.
Lifting his head, the blonde God took a visible step back as he noted the ghostly forms standing at his side.
"Brother. Zeus." He said, his voice choked up as he pulled his new wife into his side. She instantly offered her groom comfort, twining her fingers with his and resting her cheek against his arm.
"You didn't think a little thing like the afterlife would keep me from attending your wedding." Zeus spoke lowly, lips tilting up at the corners.
His voice was a deep gruff rumble which shook the world around it with its raw power. If this was him in a diminished state, I didn't even want to think what the consequences of his power would have been had he been at the height of his strength and power.
Zeus bowed his head to his brother and then raised his hand to the ceiling, a white lightning bolt leapt form the gemstones above into his waiting hand. He took the bolt and split it in two, his hands working and moulding the pure energy into something else completely.
He stepped up to Hades' bride first. She was wide eyed, staring up at the God before her with awe and dare I say it – fear. He leant close, pressing a chaste fatherly kiss upon her forehead before setting a crown upon her hear, a crown made entirely of lightning. As soon as it sat on top of her head, it solidified into a white gold which shone with the inner fire of lightning. The design was delicate, little jagged forks of lighting weaving together to create the intricate band.
Then turning to his brother, Zeus patted him on the shoulder. He removed the crown already perched on his brother's head, handing it off to his wife Hera. He then clapped his smaller brother, it was almost comical to call Hades small, and then set the other crown of light onto his head. His crown was larger, the metal jagged looking but no less beautiful when it settled into the white gold. Every few seconds the metal flashed as if bolts of lightning were continually passing through the metal.
"I offer you these headpieces as a sign of my blessing. I hope by giving you these symbols that you both have a long life - one full of joy and happiness."
Hera chose this moment to speak up, her face kind as she stepped first to Hades and laid a hand on his face and then turned to Nicolette. "Like my husband, I give you a blessing. I bless you with a full house – a fertile house full of love and offspring."
She pressed her hand on to Nicolette's face and even as the blush coloured glow of the goddess enshrouded her, I could see the colour seep from the young woman's cheeks as she looked between the Goddess and her new husband. No doubt the idea of a houseful of children was a terrifying prospect.
"I bless you in the hopes that you will have a happy home. As we all know, the home is the heart of the relationship and you, dear Nicolette, are now the keeper of dear Hades' heart. Tend to it, cherish it and guard it with all that you are." Leaning forwards the goddess pressed her lips to the young woman's head and took a step back.
Then, in perfect unison, all of the Olympian's raised their hands and in an unprecedented action, shouted to the heavens. "Our blessings we give to thee."
The tremble of energy which coursed through the air and enveloped the newlyweds was incredible. Even though those of us watching were on the outskirts of the torrent of energy, I could feel my skirts being rustling in the unseen breeze. Yet there was nothing threatening about the energy - it was warm and comforting as it brushed against my skin.
In a shower of coloured sparkles, and a wave of perfumed air, they all vanished as quickly as they had arrived. The only sign that they had truly existed was crowns of white lightning resting on top of the newlyweds heads.
Lucius cleared his throat and then turned to face all of us sitting in awed silence.
"Ladies and gentlemen, I give you Hades and Nicolette, the Lord and Lady of the Underworld."
At his words, we all stood and cheered for the couple. Flowers blossomed on the trees and the music started up once more. Hades, the blonde giant that he was, scooped up his new wife into his arms and led the way out of the throne room in a shower of flower petals. They both just laughed it off and ducked under the onslaught of falling flowers.
And then there was a great big roar as the citizens outside of the castle heard the news and suddenly there was nothing but cheers and celebration as the underworld rejoiced the announcement of a new queen.
Lucius, appearing at my side, picked Danny up from the floor and then wrapped an arm around my waist.
He led us out from the throne room and towards the outdoor celebrations which were erupting out on the streets. Even though we were in the midst of a celebration, I couldn't help but turn it back to work.
"I heard you managed to get Lyle safely to Tartarus?"
Lucius laughed. "Yes, I may have intentionally dropped him a few times before we got there though."
I threw an elbow into his side playfully but I couldn't find any anger at his actions. If I had been the one transferring him to Tartarus I was sure I would have done a lot worse.
We both fell quiet for a moment, walking side by side with our feet moving in perfect unison. Then, he stopped suddenly. His hand around my waist kept me still when the rest of the wedding party wandered past. I glanced up at his face but his gaze would not meet mine, it was too busy skittering nervously around the room.
I waited for all of the other guests to leave before I frowned up at him. "Is everything okay?"
Lucius shuffled and looked down as if gathering his courage. "Everything is more than okay."
"Okay." I replied slowly..
"I've just been thinking – about us. You know how weddings can do that." He muttered.
If my mouth wasn't dry and I wasn't full of nerves, I would have giggled at the sight of the devil acting like a nervous teenage boy. All I could do was clench my hands in my skirts and wait for him to continue.
"I want you to promise me something."
Almost immediately I responded "Anything."
Lucius lips quirked up into a grin.
"Promise me that the next wedding we attend will be our own."