TAMING APOLLO | completed

14. a quest!

G A Y L E

APOLLO AND I are technically the only mortals in this place, and consequently, we're the only ones who need sleep.

Persephone told me that there is unfortunately only one bed here. She expressed how sorry she was, that in her palace down in the Underworld, there were plenty of beds and bedrooms.

The room is big, and there is just one large bed in the centre.

For Apollo, we laid down a few blankets and a pillow so that he could sleep on the floor.

I can't sleep. Every time I try to close my eyes, my mind begins to swirl with images of harpies and the zombies and ghosts who work as servants to Hades. It's all so strange...

Finally, the door is pulled open, and in comes who I assume is Apollo followed by somebody else. I close my eyes and pretend to be asleep through it all.

"I would rather not talk about it." Apollo whispers, frustration evident in his tone. There's silence for a moment before another voice breaks the quiet.

"I know it's hard, but you have to understand Ariel. She mourned you every day and every night when you were gone. She was in tears every time I saw her, she just needed space and time away from it all." Persephone whispers back to him sternly, and this is somehow the most serious I've ever heard her.

I imagine her lips are pursed into a straight line, and her hand on her hip.

"So then why isn't she here?" I can feel the pain in Apollo's voice at Persephone's words. "Oh, come on aunty. Word has spread, everybody knows that I have returned. If she really wanted to see me, she would be here, not out galavanting on some... some quest!" He growls, and Persephone gasps dramatically.

"She's the queen, isn't she? The world is in imminent danger, our world is in danger, instead of being here to support our people and prepare for war, she's somewhere else. What does that tell you about her capabilities as a queen?" Apollo states angrily.

"She's a marvelous queen, Apollo. There's no doubt about it. She's been ruling for over a year now, and her work as queen is immensely satisfying – don't roll your eyes, I'm serious!" Persephone shrieks, though she does it at a really low octave.

"I'll believe it when I see it." Apollo drawls bitterly, and it sounds as if he sits after saying these words.

There's a moment of silence until somebody sighs. "I worry about you, Apollo."

"Don't. I'm fine." He deadpans, finality in his voice as if he's trying to tell Persephone the conversation is over.

Persephone gives a bitter laugh. "Oh, come on." She says, tone filled with annoyance at Apollo's insistence that he's fine. "You're not fine. You haven't been fine for aeons. I assumed the return of your fated love would turn you back, since her death was the reason you changed, but here we are and she's back! She's in Gayle and you don't seem in the least bit interested the Cyrene is with us once again." Apollo groans at her words, and I imagine him frustratedly tracing his fingers through his hair.

My stomach flutters at the mention of Cyrene, and my ears perk eagerly to hear his response to Persephone's accusations. "I do care. It's just been a long time, and it's too much to process at the moment. I just need my powers back before I can fully take in and understand this whole Cyrene/Gayle debacle." He tells her sincerely, but I can't help but feel his reluctance to acknowledge his fated love is fully due to Ariel, and whatever mess is going on between her, Apollo and Ares.