Her Quest

Chapter thirty nine

They finally reached the home of Hades and were welcomed and ushered through to the throne room by Irkin.                                                                                        “I am forever grateful to you” Persephone exclaimed when they entered the room. She embraced Penelope while Hades stood before his chair, beaming brightly.                                                                                                                                                     “You have completed your mission, Penelope, along with restoring my son with his soul”.                                                                                                                                                   “I couldn’t have done it on my own. I had help”.                                                                        “The credit is all yours, and rightfully so”.                                                                                     “My dear, how do you feel?” Persephone asked Adonis after she embraced and kissed his cheeks.                                                                                                            “Like a new person”.                                                                                                                       “I am so glad, my son”.                                                                                                               “Penelope, you have completed what you have thought to be the most difficult journey. I am afraid that you were wrong. What commences next, is the difficult part”.                                                                                                                                                                              “I know. What I have done to reach here and free Adonis’ soul is nothing in comparison to what I will have to go through to get the support I need. I’m not even sure where to begin”.                                                                                                   “With Morpheus. He is trustworthy and perhaps the only one who will be able to communicate with the Titans for us. If need be, we will personally visit whichever Titan doesn’t accept our strategy” Adonis said.                                                                   “That will be a good start. However, I suggest you and Penelope rest for the remainder of the day. Tomorrow you will be crowned as the new King of the Underworld”.


Penelope lie on her bed in the room she was given in the castle of Hades. She was too restless to fall asleep.                                                                                                  Her mind was spinning with thoughts of the Underworld, Tartarus, the Fates, Morpheus, the Titans and Adonis. She breathed out a heavy sigh and got up, dangling her legs over the edge of the high bed.                                                                  

She looked at her watch on the bed side table. It wasn’t too late to wonder about the castle and she wondered what would Adonis be doing at this time of the night. Penelope rose from the bed and walked out the door. She made her way to Adonis’ room shortly. When she was outside the room, she knocked twice before entering, not waiting for his response.                                                                      

The room was quiet and the dark curtains were drawn. Adonis was on the bed, staring up at the ceiling, arms folded beneath his head for support.                                       She closed the door with a soft click and Adonis turned his head and faced her. She walked to the bed and snuggled against his side.                                                                                                                           “Can’t sleep either?” He asked her. Penelope outstretched one hand across his chest.                                                                                                                                               “No. I can’t stop thinking about…everything”.                                                                         “I thought you were going to say me”.                                                                                    “You were there in my thoughts as well”.                                                                                      “I was? Were we doing something fun?”.                                                                           “No! I was thinking about what you had to go through to become who you are today. And about tomorrow”.                                                                                               “The crowning? I won’t be crowned tomorrow, Penelope”.                                                                             Penelope raised her upper body from the bed and balanced herself on her fore arms.                                                                                                                                                                  “What do you mean? Hades said it’s tomorrow”.                                                                  “He must have seen my pendent around your neck and assumed that you have accepted me”.                                                                                                                                    “Well, what does that have to do with you being crowned as king?”.                   Adonis sighed heavily and then sat up from the bed.                                                                                        “I can only be crowned once you have revealed your feelings for me. If you do not truly love me, I cannot be king, because to rule the Underworld I would need a queen by my side. It has been decided by the Fates. Only if a descendent of the major three Gods has been accepted by his beloved, can they be crowned as king and queen in place of the major God”.                                                     Realisation hit Penelope’s mind with a jolt. 

                                                                                                                                                            “With rightful honour, take to His throne with claim,                                                                           as if fulfilling a queen’s duty.” She whispered, quoting the Oracle’s prophecy.