Hades stood hidden in a copse of trees, watching her straddle the horse like she was born to do it, her hair waving behind her like grains of wheat under the setting sun. She was heading to the palace where he was due to meet her, but he made time to admire her first. Even without a saddle, she rode with poise and grace, reminding him of the first time he saw her standing beneath the airport awning, wearing her self-assurance like a longsword, exercising her godly nature without even knowing it.
Since joining Hades in the underworld, Lexi had proven to be a goddess of intense spirit, reminding him he had the stamina of a youth, and he gave daily thanks to Gaia for placing her in his care. But his job as lover was far from over. Now he faced the challenge of keeping her happy while fulfilling his duties as god of the underworld, a task he rarely had a pardon from.
The thick trees offered Hades cover as he started for the palace, using his godlike speed to stay ahead of Lexi, and his thoughts brought him back to her family's estate. It was there he first saw her in full goddess form, galloping across the beach on her favorite horse, confident and commanding. They would return there soon for the feasting day, a holiday Lexi was eager to celebrate.
Of course, Hades wasn't foolish enough to think the visit would be easy for her. She missed her family, although her birth father would be there, and Lexi had recently put him on her list of gods to avoid. Hades knew Zeus's presence would add drama to the event. His brother carried that with him wherever he went, and Hades was fully prepared for a weekend of dirty tricks. Still, the obstacles he and Lexi faced were worth it as far has he was concerned. She was different from the other goddesses he had taken home. Her mind was not cluttered with godly rhetoric, particularly their practice of polygamy, which she forgave him for.
Hades slowed his pace, allowing Lexi and her horse to take the lead. His mind had stumbled over a problem he thought he had escaped, but it always resurfaced whenever Lexi's happiness got involved. Would she ever truly find it with him? With someone who was a hypocrite? Persephone's arrival was only a few turns away, and while he missed her as much as he always did, this time someone else would be sharing his home and his heart. Feeling such love should have made him drunk with delight, but that was not what suddenly took him by the scruff and had him shaking in his boots.
Hades leaped forward to regain his momentum. He needed to save that conversation for later when he had a glass in his hand and a fire at his feet. Right now, he had a date with a spirited goddess.