Crown of Darkness

Chapter Three

I sat on the corner of the large bed, looking around the spacious room. This one was brighter than the other, but just as beautiful. The floors and walls were the same, but the furniture was not black and navy, but gray and white. There were a few chairs by a much smaller fireplace, and a vanity on the wall next to the bed. Most of the bed was concealed by sheer black curtains that hung from the ceiling, draping over the edges like a waterfall. The bed was white with dozens of light gray pillows, all different shapes and designs. As soon as I saw it I had the urge to run and jump into it, to be buried under the covers and sleep for hours upon hours, but I restrained myself.

Instead, I perched myself on the side and let my mind wander to the moments that passed after Hades agreed to let me stay.

He had seemed... awkward. As if he didn't quite know what to do to himself. I'm quite positive he even stammered once as he told me where my room was and that I could come and go as I'd like, as long as I didn't leave the castle without first telling him. For my safety, he said. And his peace of mind.

I had agreed, because when I had stood at the entrance to the portal, I had prepared myself for much worse conditions.

I smiled at him, a smile that held relief and gratitude and assurance that I did not see him as the monster he was portrayed to be, and he mumbled something too low for me to hear in response.

I thought I caught the word "trouble", but before I could try and figure out the rest, he said he had things to attend to and I could come to dinner in an hour if I'd like. Then he disappeared in a cloud of shadows.

I laughed lightly to myself at the irony of it all. A part of me wondered whether or not this had all been a dream, if I was actually knocked out in the back of a chariot being whisked away to Mount Olympus. But no matter how many times I pinched myself, I was still here.

I thought I would be miserable, or at least sad. But honestly, I hadn't smiled this much in quite some time.

Even though I should be cautious, I couldn't help but feel at ease. Something about the place, about Hades, made me feel safe.

I snorted at the thought.

I must be insane. The stress of these last couple months had made me lose my mind, and with my luck I'd end up as Cerberus' next treat. But then again, Hades couldn't be any worse than the rest of the gods, even if he was pretending to be more kind than he was.

And knowing what I know about my father, I would take the uncertainty of this situation over whatever he has planned any day.

I sighed and looked down at myself, just then noticing the overwhelming amount of dirt covering me. My feet were practically caked in soil, and I cringed to think that I may have left footprints everywhere I had wandered. My dress was not much better, and it saddened me to see the bright red fabric smeared to the point it could not be saved.

It was then that I realized that in my haste to leave, I forgot to bring any clothes with me.

Well, it's not like they would have fit through the portal in the first place.

I thought about tracking down Hades and asking if he had any clothes, but the mental image of me standing before him knowing that I'm covered in dirt made me die a little inside.

Holding my breath and hoping for the best, I crossed the room and opened the large wardrobe next to the bathroom door.

I smiled brightly at all the dresses that the wardrobe held, but my heart sank as I realized the majority had corsets.

That was definitely not happening.

After digging around for what felt like hours, I finally found the one dress that would not have a death grip on my spine. It was black, which I wasn't too happy about, but the dress itself was beautiful. It was simple, just one piece of fabric that was soft to the touch and had a bit of stretch to it, but the way it fell around my feet reminded me of the fluidness of Hades' cloak. The sleeves were slightly off the shoulder, but they would help with the chill in the air regardless.