talking or keep his damned mouth shut. He opened and closed his jaw, like a fish she’d pulled out of the river. Finally, he told himself to stop trying to speak at all. His jaw snapped shut with an audible crack, and then he stood there looking like a dolt.
Why was he like this? She obviously enjoyed his company, or she never would have agreed to marry him. She must have seen something in him that he didn’t.
But then again, they hadn’t really known each other at all before he proposed like a crazed admirer. And Kore was just a child under her mother’s thumb. Of course she’d agreed to his proposal.
There had been real fear in her eyes when he came to collect her. Actual understanding that she might have made the wrong choice, and he didn’t know what to do to amend that.
He took a deep breath, opened his mouth again to apologize, but then realized he couldn’t make himself talk. A thousand year old god of the Underworld and he couldn’t speak to this goddess who had been raised as a nymph.
He should just go back to his castle and hide underneath the bed at this point. Clearly, he was incapable of functioning.
Kore smiled, and the laughter reached her eyes, brightening them to an emerald sparkle. “Did you think I’d get mad at you?”
He nodded.
“Did you think I was going to yell or argue?”
Again, he nodded. Like a little boy being scolded by his nursemaid.
Kore shook her head. “I’m not apt to yell. I find it doesn’t help situations in the long run.”
Well, that was... refreshing. He’d grown used to Olympians and goddesses who dearly loved to argue or fight. Even her friend Artemis was more interested in wrestling than she was talking about her feelings.
Hades scratched the back of his neck. “Well, I agree.”
“You seem to agree with me a lot.” She pressed a hand to her mouth, and he felt like she was hiding yet another smile. “Why are you here, Hades?”
The gusty sigh that preceded his words was embarrassing, but if she really wanted to know then he supposed she had a right to know. “I know the story claims Zeus tricked me into ruling the Underworld but it wasn’t exactly that. I’m the oldest son of Chronos. I should have ruled everything, but it was Zeus who saved us all. He was the one who led the fight with Poseidon at his side. Poseidon obviously would get the sea. He has a connection to it unlike any of us. Zeus wished for the sky and I...” Hades paused, licked his lips, then continued, “I allowed them to choose first. The Underworld is my home, and the connection I feel to it is stronger than any of the other gods. I am glad to be here and rule these dark shores, even if it seems a prison at times.”
Her eyes widened with each word. And when he was finished, her brows were furrowed, creating twin lines between her eyes. “I’m glad you felt comfortable enough to tell me that story, though I wasn’t asking for it. I wanted to know why you were here. On the dock?”
He hadn’t blushed since he was a child. Hades wiped his expression free of all emotion and stared over her left shoulder. She must think him a dolt, pouring out his heart to her when she just wanted to know why he was standing in front of her.
He needed to go.
Yes, that was the only plan. Hades needed to turn around, retrace his steps, and hide from her for the next century.
He bowed, low and deep. “You may explore the Underworld as you wish, my queen. I’ll leave you to your adventures.”
He’d send Cerberus to look after her. Maybe taking the dog’s place guarding the gates to the Underworld would humble him and clear his mind.
It was just that standing before her made him feel like a child again. He wanted to wax poetic about the texture of her hair and the silken sheen the blue light of his realm gave her skin. Songs needed to be written about the sound of her voice or the way she squinted when she was listening to a person.
But because of his obsession, it appeared he couldn’t speak to her like a normal person. He’d lost control over his own godhood.
He’d been fine before when he was visiting her in Demeter’s home. Why couldn’t he also be normal here? This was