Cassie made it clear she wanted to shadow Lexi during her stay in Olympus, and Lexi was grateful for her presence. The nymph took care of setting up the badger baskets in Lexi's room and putting the babies down for their nap, while Lexi sprawled on the bed to join them. The scrying mirror chimed much too soon, and Lexi was up again to fulfill her obligations to Mnemosyne and Odessa. She made a stop in the bathroom to deal with the unpleasant side of childbirth, after which Cassie shooed her on her way with motherly reassurance.
Lexi had barely made it to the grand hallway when Poseidon appeared at her shoulder, and she tried to hide her exasperation at seeing him. Her brain was still sprawled half-asleep on the bed, and she always needed her wits about her whenever she spoke with Poseidon.
"Good evening, Lady Lexi," he said as he pulled astride her. "You slipped out of the meeting room before I had a chance to congratulate you on a supremely orchestrated discourse. I have never seen the gods take heed as quickly as they did today. You have a talent for bringing out the best and sometimes the worst in your fellows. I can attest to both."
Lexi glanced at his face to acknowledge him, and she was rewarded with a heartfelt smile. "Thank you, Poseidon. I find my debates are more successful when I choose topics I'm personally invested in. I also believe my confidence was boosted because Hades was there to support me."
"It is clear you draw strength from each other." Poseidon's smile faltered but didn't completely leave him, and he looked down at his hands, talking to them. "I understand you plan to visit with Odessa this afternoon. Will you do that here?"
"Yes, but I'm worried the hour might be too late. I have an engagement with Mnemosyne's great, great granddaughter first."
"Well, if you're not too fatigued when you return from your engagement, I have something special to share with Odessa and I wanted you to be present for it. Would you mind if I intruded on your visit?"
Lexi's heart stuttered at the mention of this special something Poseidon had in store for Odessa, something he seemed anxious about. She agreed without any forethought. "I would not mind at all. I shouldn't be long. Can you tell me what you have planned for Odessa?"
A devious smile tweaked his lips, the one she was quite familiar with. "You will have to wait just as she has."
With Poseidon's secret plans commanding attention in her head, Lexi made the trip to Grace's home and attempted to focus on the concerns of the soon-to-be mother. Lexi promised to attend the birth when it came, and she was offered many thanks as well as food and drink. The refreshments she graciously declined, using her babies as an excuse for a hasty but tactful exit. Poseidon met Lexi near the palace's foyer garden, leaving a bald section of grass at his feet where he had been pacing.
"Have you been waiting here all this time, Poseidon?" she asked as he escorted her up the foyer steps.
"No. I had a nymph fetch me these garments to change into," he said as he tugged at the collar of his white cotton shirt. "Odessa hates the red robe."
"I'm with her. The red is off-putting."
"Should I submit a request to change the council attire?" He grinned as he raised his eyebrows.
"Let's just tackle one issue at a time, shall we?"
A nymph hurried up to Lexi and Poseidon as they traveled the length of the grand hallway, bowing as she walked alongside them. "Your graces, I have a message from Lady Odessa. She says she will arrive at the palace sometime after sunset, if that suits you."
"Of course," Lexi said.
"Please show her to the terrarium room when she arrives," Poseidon added. "Thank you."
When the nymph had scurried away, Poseidon took hold of Lexi's hand, stopping her forward progress. "Now that we know Odessa's time frame, I would like to share something with you in the grove before the sun has fully set, if you will indulge me." His eyes twinkled mischievously, but Lexi had come to trust him not to pull any funny business.
"Okay, but I need to nurse my babies first, and you might end up with a wailing child in your arms again."
"That will pose no challenge to me."
After the babies were fed, Poseidon walked Lexi down the path toward the grove with Ely strapped to his chest. For the moment, the boy was content to occupy himself with the collar of Poseidon's shirt, fisting it in his tiny hand.
"I take it you have not visited the grove since the Mabon incident with your hot-headed father?" Poseidon asked.
"No, I have not." Lexi had not been avoiding the grove. She had been avoiding her hot-headed father.
"Good. I want to watch your reaction when you see your tree."
Lexi knew which tree Poseidon meant. It was the one with the largest canopy and the fullest branches. Lexi knew one of the branches had been severed by Zeus' wrath, and she wasn't looking forward to seeing the damage, but when they entered the grove, Lexi was stopped by the sight of it. The stubby end of the broken limb had been expertly chiseled into the bust of a goddess, and based on the resemblance it bore to the statue Lexi commissioned for Hades earlier that year, she knew which goddess it was meant to represent.
Lexi walked under the tree and touched the smooth curves of the goddess's hair as it waved discretely over her exposed breasts. "This is Emanuel's work, I take it?"
"Yes. He was more than happy to do it when I asked him."
Lexi turned to Poseidon, meeting his starry gaze without feeling compelled to stare. "You asked Emanuel to do this?"
"Yes, although we both came up with the design."
Lexi took another moment to admire her likeness immortalized in timber. While tastefully rendered, the tone of the piece was sensual, expressed by the impish smile on her face and her unclothed state. If Hades ever saw it, he would be furious.
"That is very thoughtful of you, Poseidon. I don't know what to say."
He grinned. "Say you love it."
"I love it."
Once Poseidon had received his praise, he ushered Lexi to the terrarium room at the back of the palace. The space was completely enclosed in glass, very much like the rooms of Poseidon's palace, but rather than the ocean greeting them on the other side, they were surrounded by a plethora of sculpted topiaries in various shapes and sizes. Gratefully, none of them showed signs of suffering from Rhea's passing.
Lexi and her babies made themselves comfortable on a large chaise, while Poseidon took to pacing in front of the glass. This behavior appeared to be a shared family trait.
"You're clearly nervous about this special something you plan to share with Odessa," Lexi said as she attempted to rewrap Elm's swaddle for the umpteenth time. "Is there anything you want to ask me that might help ease your mind? Odessa and I share a lot. She's the closest I've ever come to a best friend."
Poseidon blew air from his mouth, forcing his lips into a pout. "It's too late for helpful advice. My feelings for Odessa grow stronger every day. We have professed our love for each other, and our courtship has taken us to the brink of what some might call inappropriate behavior for a chaste goddess."
He ventured a glance at Lexi, who arched her eyebrows in response. "I think you better keep those details to yourself."
Poseidon nodded and continued his trek around the room. "I simply want to do right by Odessa. I don't want her to regret anything that happens between us."
A smile tweaked Lexi's mouth when she thought back to her first meeting with the mighty king of the sea. This god before her was not the cocky, self-absorbed god she met three years ago. His altruism and sincerity had blossomed under the tender care of a female hand. "Have you told Odessa about what happened between us?"
Poseidon slowed to a stop and turned to focus on Lexi, which prompted the sensation that a stone had lodged in her throat. "No. It is the only secret I have kept from her. My reputation as a poor mate precedes me, and I fear it will only add to the doubts she already battles. Do you have an opinion to the contrary?"
"Well, there are only four who know of the incident, and Odessa certainly won't hear it from any of us. I think it best if we continue to treat it like it never happened."
Poseidon held her gaze for several heartbeats. Six to be exact. It wouldn't take a genius to dissect his feelings, and Lexi had to agree with his unspoken words. Apart from Kade, who had arrived late to defend Lexi's honor, the rest of them would never forget it happened.
When Odessa appeared at the door, she seemed torn between rushing to Poseidon's side and snatching up one of Lexi's babies. "Pleasant evening to you both," she said, allowing Poseidon to greet her first. As soon as he had placed a kiss on the back of her hand, Odessa turned her attention to where Lexi sat on the chaise. "Look at those babes. They are exquisite, Lexi. Simply beautiful."
"Thank you, Odessa, but I can't take all the credit. Hades had something to do with it."
Although Odessa's eyes were dry, Lexi could tell by the strained tone of Odessa's voice that her emotions ran high. Did Odessa have an inkling about Poseidon's special surprise? Poseidon stood mutely next to Odessa and watched her coo over the babies, and once she had taken her fill of them, Odessa turned to question him.
"Are you well, Poseidon? Your complexion appears a bit blanched."
"I'm quite well," he said. "In fact, I have joined you and Lexi because I want her to be here to bear witness. There is something important I want to say to you."
Odessa's eyes enlarged to the size of ostrich eggs, and her gaze flicked to Lexi. Lexi offered a shrug, letting her friend know she had been left in the dark. Poseidon gave Odessa little time to ready herself before he clasped her hands inside his.
"Odessa, my precious sea flower," Poseidon began, his blazing blue eyes settling on Odessa's face. "Not a day goes by that I don't wish to be near you. The sound of your voice fills me with more happiness than hearing the cry of a gull, and the warmth of your touch soothes me like a mineral spring. You have gifted me with your love, and I promise to return it every day of our long lives."
In a slow graceful movement, Poseidon bent onto one knee, and both Lexi and Odessa gasped at the gesture. What was Poseidon up to?
"Odessa, I am not the same god I was when I met you, and my life will never be the same now that you are in it. There is nothing that would make me happier than if you would agree to be my life mate and marry me."
Despite Odessa's wide-eyed expression, she held a stoic pose, but she also appeared to be trying to swallow something. Perhaps a stone. "I feel the same about you, Poseidon. I never thought I would have such feelings for a god. Certainly not one who commands all the seas. I often pinch myself to make sure this is not just a dream and that I am worthy of the love of a mighty god such as you."
"Odessa, it is I who is unworthy. My life has been long and rambunctious. You have heard all the tales. Everyone has. I know this has been the biggest hurdle for you to overcome. I hope you will consider these last months we've spent together a testament to my devotion and my ability to change my disobedient ways."
Odessa smiled as she lifted her hand to Poseidon's forehead and swept away an errant strand of hair. "I feel your devotion with every kindness you extend. Even when it is not directed at me, your goodness and grace is apparent. I know you wish to secure our bond through marriage because it is the honorable thing to do..."
"But..." The word fell from Poseidon's lips like a drop of arsenic.
"But... it would be unfair of me to say yes when I am still troubled by my own doubts. I want you to have all of me, Poseidon. When I say yes, I want to know I am doing the honorable thing, too. Please, give me a few turns of the hourglass to consider your flattering offer."
Poseidon remained on his knee, his chest rising as he took in a slow breath, and Lexi was reminded of the last time she saw him on his knees. He was asking for her mercy. "Of course, Lady Odessa. You are worth waiting an eternity for."