Soothing music, a warm shower and a bucket of ice-cream was what I needed, not his painting staring at me tauntingly.
After the outburst, I had let my feet guide me through the dark castle halls. Consequently fatigued, I eased into a window sill, a little too late to notice the paintings lining the opposite wall and too tired to stand up again.
I lasted a good two minutes before giving into insanity. "You never smile don't you?" I asked the sculptured face, not smiling myself. "Just you wait, all that glaring and frowning will give you permanent wrinkles."
"Of course, you are talking to a painting." Someone seemed particularly amused.
The small shift as I turned to search for a set of bright blue-eyes caused me to fall ungracefully to the floor. Instantly the corridors echoed his musical laughter which to me lost its heavenly touch with the annoyance it caused me.
Not in a mood to bicker, I dusted off sitting myself back on the broad frame. He fell silent with my lack of energy slowly coming over to my side. With his left elbow he nudged me asking. "What's wrong?"
I shrugged keeping my eyes strained on the translucent glass. "Nothing's wrong. Hey...what are you doing?" I quizzed in puzzlement as he fanned my head with his hands.
He seemed quite loyal to his work as he answered. "I am scattering the fumes coming out of your ears." I laughed at his childishness taking both his hands in mine. "Stop, I am okay now."
Seeing I had lightened up, he dropped the formality and concern, going ahead to push me off and replace me in my position. I screamed quite inhumanely and tried to pull him off but it seemed like he had sat on glue.
When I gave up he asked again, not putting an effort to hide his pleased grin and in the mean time I settled myself cross-legged on the floor while noticing a frown. "So what happened?"
Craning my neck up to meet his eyes, I pointed at the King's picture behind me. Looking back and fro between me and the referred painting Will came to a haste conclusion. "What did you do?"
He held up his hand the same moment I opened my mouth to defend myself. "Wait." He said, getting down.
Scooping me up in the same sitting position, he sat back letting me sit on his outstretched legs without a word. Seeing the cheeky smile splitting my face, he shoved his palm in my face. "Oh. Shut up."
I held my hands up in the air. "I said nothing."
"Anyway." His eyes narrowed. "Tell me everything that happened with every minute detail in place."
I nodded, narrating my story. "When I entered his room, I could tell that he was angry, you know from...instincts. Then suddenly, the door shut close, like bang." I clapped for emphasis.
"It felt like minus fifteen degree in there and then he suddenly appeared behind me which scared me. It was then that he started talking. Something about treating Greene before him. About not liking medicines used by other people. And also pointed out that I am a kid and that he is a King though he doesn't wear a crown, only the darkness and shadows that shroud him like an inherited curse."
"Wait, he didn't say anything about the shadows and thrones, they were things I added in the spur of narrative creativity. Okay?"
Will nodded. "I figured."
"And then suddenly he got personnel and then I said something...which I have come to regret and walked out. I could have been plastered to the door if he hadn't opened it in the nick of the time." I finished.
Astonishingly Will found it rather funny, unable to contain his amusement. "What's there to laugh about?" I poked him.
"You seriously don't understand what that was about?" He asked as if it was rather obvious. I shook my head in negative. Holding in his laughter he made a circular motion with his index finger.
I gasped as I watched a thin and transparent glittering blue barrier rise up from around us, meeting in ends to form a shining globe around us. It bulged outwards as my fingers neared it to touch.
Wizardry? "Don't tell me! You were the 15th century Harry Potter?" I squealed.
He raised an eyebrow. "I don't know any Harry." It wouldn't be wise to say those words out loud back on earth.
"Then how do you do this?" I asked with rising curiosity.
"It's just a trick I picked up over the years to prevent Hades from eavesdropping." This information startled me; it made me look around as if to catch a pair of golden-eyes stare back at me through the walls.
"You are saying that he heard all that I said about him." I offered a small apologetic smile to the painting I had formerly bad-mouthed about.
"He can listen and know everything that is happening in the Underworld...if he chooses to." Enjoying my fidgeted self, Will took his time in explaining, and looked even more overjoyed upon realizing I didn't understand A THING.
"So you were saying." I promoted politely, already at thinning patience.
It was not that he didn't hear me, but it was me who decipher the right words from, "Hades HAHAHA Hades's, HAHAHA to HAHA tally jell HAHAHA."
"Hades is jell? Do mean jell-O?" I asked leaning closer trying to catch the words he spurted out.
His body vibrated with force of his laughter as he grabbed the sides of my head squeezing it at the same time. "You thick head!" He exclaimed confusing me further. Is using magic mentally challenging? "Poor baby." I mumbled soothing his hair in soft pats.
"He's simply jealous." His words froze me, but I found it in me to ask. "What?"
"He is J-E-A-L-O-U-S." He spelled out the word, his hold tightening as if to impose it into my mind.
"Whaaaaat?!?!?!"