Chapter Text
The rich, black soil of the Underworld felt cool against Melinoë’s fingers as she formed it into a small mound around the adolescent plant, aiding it in standing tall until it grew strong enough to stand on its own. She knelt in her mother’s garden, bare flaming feet warming the soil behind her as she worked with great tenderness on some of the newer plants.
Normally she and her mother would work together, but there were other days when duties called either of them away and they tended to the garden’s needs on their own. When she had awoken that morning and left her chambers, she had found the House of Hades to be emptier than normal.
Her brother’s door was open, his room empty. Not that it was entirely unusual. He may be on one of his security runs or with his husband. Considering Thanatos’ sometimes hectic schedule, they had to make time for each other when they could, no matter how early or late that may be. Not that time truly mattered much this far underground, anyway.
Nyx was nowhere to be seen either and as she entered the main hall, she frowned to note that her mother and father were nowhere in sight. Cerberus snoozing softly on his bed beside his master's desk was the only thing that prevented her from being alarmed. If Cerberus was there and sleeping, it meant there was nothing to be alarmed about in her eyes.
The hall was quiet, the cushioned seat where Orpheus usually played his lyre was empty. If her father wasn’t going to be there much today, he had likely taken advantage of his newfound freedom to visit Eurydice, all thanks to her brother taking it upon himself to free the court musician from his contract.
Looking to her left, she saw Hypnos snoozing on the velvet chaise where he often napped when on duty. She could not help but smile a little to herself at the peaceful sounds of his rest. She noted a velvet rope that spanned the hallway just in front of the mouth of the Styx.
Upon further inspection, she found a sign attached that read:
‘LORD HADES IS AWAY ON BUSINESS - THANK YOU FOR YOUR PATIENCE’
It was odd that no one had said anything to her. Then again, she was often still treated like a godling, as no one had really adjusted to her transition to goddesshood. With some relief, she turns into the east hall to see Achilles standing at his guard post.
“Good morning, princess.”
She couldn’t help but smile. Achilles had always been kind and often like a second big brother to her. It was a pretty fair balance between him and Odysseus that had taught her to fight. Melinoë held both shades in high regard, regardless of how they seemed to think she was somewhere far above them.
“Good morning, Achilles. It’s a bit chilling for the house to be so quiet, isn’t it?”
He chuckles softly and gives her a nod, already knowing what she wants to ask.
“Indeed. Lord Hades and Queen Persephone left early this morning, as did Lady Nyx. They said they had an important matter that needed their attention, and they would return later in the day once they resolved it.”
“I see. What of Zagreus? I noticed his room was empty when I passed.” She asked curiously, already finding the lack of activity in the house to be rather lonely. Even the lounge was quiet since shades were not permitted entry today in Hades' absence.
“Ah. Zagreus left a few hours ago with Lord Thanatos. I suppose they are taking advantage of the lack of business today.” The blonde-haired hero said with a soft chuckle. “Is there anything that I may do for you, Princess?”
Achilles had his duties to attend to and Melinoë didn’t want to be a bother or to get him into any trouble. She would not risk giving her father reason to reinstate his barring Achilles from Elysium.
“Oh, no sir, thank you. The garden needs much tending today. I assure you, I’ll be quite busy.”
That had been hours ago. Melinoë had come to the garden and put herself to work, never being one to enjoy extended periods of solitude. Much like her brother and mother, she enjoyed being around people. The best thing she could do was to keep herself busy until the bustle of the house returned.
She had busied herself with unnecessary tasks, but ones that improved the garden, nevertheless. The goddess had dealt with weeds, transplanted some seedlings, cleaned the small fish pond of debris from the surrounding trees, cleaned all the gardening tools and polished them, and even organized the small chest she and her mother used to store their seeds.
Melinoë perked up a bit as she heard voices in the distance and then smiled to herself as she looked out over the garden wall to see her brother and his husband hand in hand, talking and softly laughing together. She wouldn’t interrupt them. She knew that Thanatos was a bit uncomfortable with showing affection in public and so she let them have their peace.
The goddess brushed the dirt from her knees and put away her tools before taking the basket of fruits and vegetables she had harvested to the chef in the lounge. No one was there save for Dusa, who was humming to herself as she dusted, and the chef who was cooking away as if he had a lounge full of shades and deities. Even the Wretched Broker seemed to have taken the day off.
The shade in his chef’s hat bowed his head in gratitude when Melinoë set the basket on the counter. She curtsied in return, a smile tugging at her green-painted lips. Choosing not to disturb Dusa since she wasn’t having to rush around in the usual manner, Melinoë quietly slipped back into the hall and headed back to her chambers. She did quite enjoy gardening, but it didn’t mean it wasn’t unseemly for the princess to walk around covered in earth with dirt beneath her nails. Melinoë was in dire need of a hot bath and fresh clothes. There was no reason to give cause for Mother to fuss over her for spending the day toiling away in the garden.
* * *
After she had gotten out of the bath after a long, steamy soak, she applied some Orris Root oil to her skin. The sweet, yet peppery smell was one of her favorites. She dressed herself in a deep saffron sleeveless chiton that fell just below her knees, adorned herself with silver armbands and a metal silver choker, and finally replaced her flaming laurels upon her head, which served to quickly dry the topmost parts of her long hair. As always, she forwent shoes and let her feet flame freely at their whim the same as her father and brother.
Melinoë spent the rest of the afternoon tidying up her chambers. Her chambers were never as messy as her elder brother’s, but she preferred to keep things orderly. She put away her books, reorganized her potion ingredients, gave her cauldron a good purifying, and replaced the withered flowers in a decorative vase with fresh ones from the garden.
The goddess had only just finished tidying up her reading nook and fluffing up the cushions when there was a knock at her chamber door.
“Come in!”
She expects it to be Dusa or her brother but is pleasantly surprised when it is the queen herself who opens the door, the smell of spring wafting through the room.
“Mother! You’re back!” She says with a smile, moving to hug the goddess who laughs softly, though there’s not quite as much mirth in it as usual.
“I see you’ve been quite busy,” Persephone teases softly, her approving gaze sweeping over her room. “Now if only Zagreus would become inspired to do the same.”
Melinoë laughs with her mother, both of them knowing very well that Zagreus would not be cleaning his room. If his married bed chambers in Elysium were clean, it was likely solely because of Thanatos. She isn’t sure how he does it, honestly. Picking up after Zagreus on the daily would drive her insane.
“Have you been to the gardens today, mother?”
Persephone shakes her head.
“No, I haven’t. We only just returned. Did you take it upon yourself to tidy the gardens as well?”
Melinoë all but glows with pride.
“I did! I think you’ll be quite pleased with the results, mother.”
“Oh, of that I have no doubt,” the queen responds, though something still seems amiss in her tone.
“Why don’t we take a walk through the gardens so I can see the work you’ve done? There’s something we must discuss.”
Melinoë fights the frown that tries to tug at the corners of her lips. Father being concerned about something was pretty normal, but whenever mother showed worry or concern over something, it tended to have the princess worry too. Usually, mother was quite carefree, which meant whatever was weighing on her must be quite serious.
“Of course, mother.”
Together, they walked down the hall and to the gardens that they had cultivated together. Her mother gave her compliments on her work and made the odd comment here and there about the newest plants and the clean pond. The whole time, the anxiety in Melinoë’s chest grew from a pinprick to a behemoth fist that gripped her rib cage tightly and squeezed.
When she can finally take it no longer, she stops walking and the goddess of spring does the same.
“Mother? Please, tell me what is the matter? I cannot bear it any longer.”
Her mother softly sighs and moves off of the stone pathway leading through the garden to sit on a marble bench. The goddess pats the seat beside her.
“Come, my love, sit with me.”
Melinoë does as her mother asks, as she always has. She sits beside the queen and her mother takes her hands.
“I know you have been a bit upset with your father and me as of late for not loosening the reins a bit more since you’ve transitioned from godling to goddess, but there was a good reason.”
She seemed to study her daughter for a moment as if she was waiting for an objection or an interruption. When none comes, she continues.
“You see, with your brother, it was slightly different. Gods… well, they do not have quite as much pressure laid upon them as goddesses do. But it still came eventually. Zagreus was lucky, you see. He and Thanatos already harbored feelings for one another, and it made the situation far easier…”
Seeing the confusion as to where this was going on her daughter’s face, Persephone stopped and let out a breath as she gathered herself.
“I am sure you have noticed Hermes has been a more frequent visitor to the house as of late?”
Melinoë furrows her brows and shakes her head.
“I confess, Mother, I have not paid much attention. I assumed that correspondence with Olympus has increased related to father’s duties.”
“Well… you are right about more correspondence with Olympus, but it has nothing to do with your father’s duties. Lord Ares and Lord Apollo, among some other minor deities, have inquired with your father about… your hand.”
Melinoë’s eyes widened a bit, her cheeks flushing.
“Well, that’s absurd! I don’t want to marry either of them!”
“And you will not have to.”
The goddess relaxes at her mother’s words, glad to have her parents on her side.
“Is that what you and father had a meeting about? To talk to them?”
She watches as her mother looks away, not wanting to hold her gaze.
“The second meeting today was, but not the first. The meeting we had this morning was solely between your father, Nyx, and I. We were discussing what to do about your would-be suitors. You see, my darling, it’s not as simple as just turning them away and being done with it. Gods are… quite pushy and will have their way.”
Melinoë understood what her mother meant. She had heard plenty of stories about the gods taking whatever they wanted. It was why so many believed that her father had kidnapped her mother.
“Is that… is that why Artemis asked me about maidenhood?” Her heart sinks.
Her dearest friend had been trying to give her a way out, the only way that she would be left alone. And Melinoë, oblivious, had told her she wasn’t interested in eternal maidenhood. For she wanted a love like her mother and father’s someday and a family of her own.
Persephone sighs softly.
“She had hoped to prevent this meeting we had this morning. If you had wished to be an eternal maiden like Athena, Hestia, and Artemis, then the meeting would not have been necessary. However, we did not want you to make any rash decisions so she was forbidden to give you context.”
“So… what was the meeting about then, mother?”
Finally, the queen looks at her again, her eyes sad and regretful.
“To decide what route would be best to take in order to protect you and the Underworld itself. We have come to an agreement with Lady Nyx.”
She watches in disbelief as her mother looks away from her and towards the fish pond again, not able to meet Melinoë’s eyes.
“As far as the rest of Olympus is concerned, you have been arranged to marry a son of Nyx since your birth.”