Prisoner

Chapter Twenty-Three

Chapter Twenty-Three

Or not.

Trying to pin Hades down over the next few days was almost impossible. If I didn't know any better, I'd say the asshole was running away from me. Every time I popped into his office, he was gone. I went to Lucy's office and it was always some bullshit excuse about how he was tracking down the Mother or dealing with the angels. Except Lucy couldn't hide shit from me. He got this constipated look on his face that said he was anxious about something. I wasn't sure if it was about Hades constantly disappearing or if something else was going on, but trying to get something out of Lucy was about as easy as catching Hades.

I rolled my eyes as I flipped through the booklet Cypress had brought for me to look at that pertained to wedding plans. None of it made sense to me. Why was everything so shiny and sparkly and white? White seemed to be a huge thing for weddings, but it looked so boring.

"White represents purity," Cypress said when I complained about it. I grimaced as I spotted a particularly sparkly white tuxedo that I almost made gagging motions over, but I surprisingly didn't want to hurt Cypress's feelings. He was so stoked about this whole thing that it would honestly be a dick move to make him feel bad just for being excited.

Besides, purity for me didn't make sense. I wasn't pure. I never had been.

Well, maybe a pure asshole.

"What about other colors," I asked, closing the booklet and tossing it on the coffee table, "Didn't Dania wear brown to her wedding? And Raven did black. Aren't I technically a prince? I should be wearing some kind of formal military uniform, right?" Cypress smiled.

"That would require your coronation first. While you are a prince by birth, you currently haven't been crowned. But I'm sure that's what has Hades so busy," he said, looking down at the booklet in his hands, making me frown and sit up.

"Coronation?" I asked. Cypress nodded as he closed the booklet to give me his full attention. Unlike some other dads I knew.

"It's where you are publicly claimed as a prince of Hades and Hell. You will be the second prince to hold the title in both realms. Nikias was the first. So it'll be quite a large ceremony. I think Hades is trying to minimize the attention considering there are so many who are itching to get their hands on you," he explained, making me cock my head. I guess that explained Hades's disappearing act, but why didn't Lucy just tell me that? Or was there something more to it?

"Big or small, those people are gonna gun for me anyway," I said dryly, sitting back on the sofa and picking up another booklet that had pictures of fancy pretty dining sets that I didn't understand the purpose for, "Doesn't matter, so we might as well get it done and over with... Why is there glitter on this silverware? Wouldn't that get in your mouth?" Cypress chuckled and took the booklet from me, closing it and setting it aside. I frowned as he turned to face me.

"My prince, I must ask you," he said, his tone becoming serious, which was rare for him, "Are you indeed sure you wish to follow through with this?" I blinked, then scowled.

"Abso-fuckin'-lutely. Why? Weren't you the one really gungho for this?" I asked. Cypress paused, then nodded slowly.

"Indeed. I simply want to make sure you are ready. You're still young and you have so much to learn, so much ahead of you, a bright and brilliant future, but one that will also be paved in blood, as much as I hate to say it," he said softly, making me frown, "Will you be able to handle marriage on top of this war you plan to launch against the Mother?"

"Of course," I said, then averted my eyes for a moment before looking back at Cypress, who tilted his head curiously, "I'm strong enough to protect River. Don't doubt that for a second. Anyone so much as looks at him the wrong way and I'll gut them." Cypress seemed to be suppressing a smile at that and he reached out, pausing with his hand over mine and I just let him touch me. He seemed relieved now, taking my hand in between his and giving me a firm pat.