The Captive Titan [ManxMan]

Chapter Two: The Letter

[WARNING: Somewhat detailed PTSD/PTSD-like episode.]

~Chapter Two: The Letter~

Dearest Lord Ainmire,

While we have had our differences in the past, and though I am the current jailor of your former husband-to-be, I hope you will not hold these facts against me for I would like to invite you to attend a night of games in my temple in the Underworld. We may soon be at war with one other, but that is still some time from now, and there is nothing stopping us from enjoying a night of drinks and fun before we must hate one another once again. I strongly suggest you consider my offer, as I am sure you are aware that there are few secrets kept among friends. Should you be willing to accept my offer, the details will make themselves known to you, but take no longer than three days to make your choice or the offer will expire. Just circle one.

Yes No

Until then,

Hades

-

For such a small letter, there is a lot to unravel. To start off, nowhere in the letter does it promise my safety while within his realm, which means he would not be an oath breaker should someone sent by Zeus be waiting for me there. In fact, even Hermes did not promise that Hades would give me safe passage to and from his realm.

"I swear on the river Styx, Ainmire - Hades means you no harm with this invitation, and he swore you will meet no harm while there if you accept."

They are very fine words, but it is also well-phrased in that it sounded, in that moment, like Hermes was swearing that I would be unharmed should I go to see Hades. However, my uncle, who was often more Fae than god, was a very large part of my life Before, so I was taught the power of words almost from the time I could speak. While gods use word play from time to time, for the Fae, it is a part of daily life, so I know that that which seems to be something is often truly not.

That doesn't mean it was intended trickery, but that doesn't mean it wasn't, either.

Rather than think myself in circles with that sort of thinking, however, I move onto the next piece of the message, which is concerning the 'your former husband-to-be.' The idea that I might hold his part to play in Atlas' containment against him is interesting, since it implies that I care about Atlas, but the 'former' part is...confusing because it implies that Atlas and I have split ways, which we technically have not. And when gods split ways, it is usually on bad terms that cause decades of inter-pantheon - gods seldom seek out partners from other pantheons; Atlas and I were an unexpected match, to say the least - fighting.

So, if Hades knows I still care about him, why imply that I do not?

And then there is the bolded word 'strongly' and the quip about secrets. Though I hate to admit it, I am likely overthinking this, but...I have a reason to be concerned about Hades' intentions for calling me to the underworld only two months before the end of the vow Veles made Poseidon swear to - the vow that paused the war that I have yet to even join.

Ever since my release, the Norse king god, Odin, has been telling me to just focus on taking care of myself and returning to health in a way that stinks of Loki's influence when I bring it up. Ullr does not let me ask about the war anymore before changing the subject. Even Veles, whose entire reason for releasing me almost certainly had to do with the war considering the timing, has only ever answered a few questions, which, again, seems like Loki's work, especially since the chaotic god has been expertly dodging the topic as well.

That does not mean I have been completely in the dark, as I still know that there is a war, and I know who the war is with while also having a very vague idea of why it started, though that is more due to the fact that the exact reason is still somewhat of a mystery to everyone other than godly restlessness. I even know about the Greek prophecy Veles is concerned about since he seems to be the primary subject of it - 'seems' because I am not entirely sure that is the case; prophecies only ever make sense in hindsight, after all. I was also present for a small war meeting concerning Poseidon's campaign against the mortal oceans due to necessity, though I was not given much information beyond what I needed to know in the moment.