XXVIII

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Ella's point of view 

There he stood, in a meadow full of flowers. Smiling sweetly towards me with his arms wide beckoning me to come to him; pomegranate juice dripping from his lips. 

I jerked awake suddenly, sitting up straight upon the soft bed. My heart stammered within my chest as I tried desperately to calm my ragged breath. I leaned against the headboard with my hand pressed gently against my heart. I willed my heart to slow down as the memories of the dream played within my mind. The taste of pomegranate juice filled my mouth and tingled my tastebuds, reminding me of what I had seen. 

I opened my eye slightly, still leaning against the headboard. My head was dizzy from the details that whirled around within it. Instead of replaying the scene within my head, I pushed it to the furthest corner of my mind. A sick feeling began in the pit of my stomach but I chose to ignore it. Instead, I took in the room before me. Hades slept soundly beside me, his black curls fell gently across his face covering his eyes.

The room was dark but I knew that we were in our room within the castle. The thick beige curtains shielded my view of the castle grounds but I knew that the sun had not yet risen. The castle was far too quiet, not yet buzzing with the sound of the many people that spent their days within it.

 I remained against the headboard until soft glimmers of sunlight peaked through the gaps of the curtain. The castle had awoken and the sound pulled me from the bed. 

The steaming water of the shower had done nothing to calm my muscles, instead only frustrating me further. All the while the haunting taste of pomegranates remained on my lips no matter how much I rinsed my mouth. I decided after the fourth attempt that I would simply have to ignore it.

Instead of leaving the bathroom, I remained in front of the large mirror. Something in the fogged glass had caught my attention in passing. I grabbed one of the many towels that lay stacked within the vanity cupboard and wiped away the fog. 

Instead of the usual face that stared back at me, someone different was reflected within the mirror. My mind struggled to understand if it was most definitely me that stood before the mirror, the girl that stared back at me was slightly different to me.  

Her fair face now held more colour and sharpness than before and her eyes shone brighter, the golden speckles within them glinted almost in the light. They held a sharpness within them that could intrigue any soul. Her hair was longer and thicker, rich with strands of gold and hints of auburn. The aura that surrounded her was strange. A mixture of power and beauty, as well as strength and calmness. 

Her presence stunned me momentarily. I reached out my hand towards the mirror as if trying to touch the goddess before me. However, her hand reached out for me as I did for her. Our fingers desperately wanting to touch one another, but failing as we both touched the cool glass. 

This was not a strange goddess-like lady within the mirror, but instead myself. I stood silently, my mouth slightly agape as I stared down at the woman, her expression matching my own. I could not help but stagger backwards away from the mirror. 

I held onto the wall as I watched myself more intently. This was not the same person that left Olympus last night. The same person who stood sheepishly before Zeus. The same person who stood stiffly in a room full of gods. This was someone else, someone who demanded attention and respect. 

Both aspects of myself had seemingly changed overnight, morphing into something that seemed so distant from my past self yet more accurate of who I was deep down. My physical appearance as well as my mental state had changed. 

I no longer looked like a simple human compared to the gods that surrounded me. I no longer held the intrusive thoughts that seemed to plague my mind with doubts of the prophecy. 

No matter how hard I had tried, the thoughts had always resided just below the surface, taunting me. What if somehow they had gotten the wrong person and the prophecy was not me? What if I simply could not save Hades and consequently everyone else? 

The demons within my head had now vanished, no longer peering over my shoulder and criticizing every decision I made and every thought that passed my mind. The strength within my mind did not waver, not once questioning my capabilities. The voices remained quiet and for once I felt at peace. 

This calmness seemed to surround me, drifting off of me like a cool Spring breeze. Not one worry crossed my mind as all I felt was peace and strength as I stood still within the bathroom. 

Suddenly, if somehow snapping myself out of my daze, my mind cleared of all thoughts about my appearance. Standing and staring at myself would do nothing to answer my questions as to how this happened. 

I exited the bathroom hurriedly, making my way across the room to the closet. I changed quickly into something warm as Winter still raged on in the Underworld. Spring would soon come and the land would sprout with hope and warmth as nature took hold once again. 

My mind could not help but rejoice with the thought of Spring. The flowers and animals called for me and I could not wait to spend my days within the warmth of the palace garden and the West Wing.  

I glanced towards Hades, wondering how he had not yet woken up despite my whole bathroom fiasco. He still lay calmly within the bed and I took this as my chance to quietly slip out of the large room. 

The day was just beginning and my body begged me to explore the palace. I decided not to fight the feeling and instead chose to wander through the palace hallways. I took in all the intricate paintings that hung upon its walls and explored all quiet corners I had not yet reached. 

Eventually, I ended up within the kitchen, surrounded by the smell of fresh bread and pastries. The warmth of the oven beckoned me closer and I gladly took in its warmth before hurriedly sneaking a pastry and again disappearing out into the hallway before anyone noticed. 

I ate the pastry slowly as I wandered further around the palace, only stopping when I reached the grand entrance. The icy winds seemed too intriguing to pass up. I decided quickly and made my way into the coat room near the palace entry. Grabbing my coat, gloves and scarf before hurriedly throwing them on and slipping out in the snow. 

I trudged through the thick snow that seemed to have fallen overnight for around ten minutes before reaching the West Wing. I smiled as I stood before the large doors. I pushed them open and quickly went inside, making sure no heat slipped out. 

The warm air surrounded me like a woollen blanket and I sighed in content. The West Wing was whole-heartedly mine. No one else from the castle ever stepped foot within its walls. The beauty within the West Wing was reserved for only me. 

I stepped further into the lush green flora and began taking off my winter coat and gloves. Hanging it all up upon a rack near the large door. 

I ignored the howling wind outside, and instead ventured deeper into the West Wing. The further I wandered, the thicker the plants around me became. The wind and snow banged on the glass, trying desperately to be surrounded by the warmth. 

Eventually, I reached the centre of the West Wing. There, all sounds ceased. The winds could not be heard and no sound echoed throughout the room that was mine. I placed myself down on the thick grass and took in everything around me. 

The plants were wild, growing freely and undisturbed. They evaded the hands of humans and grew unapologetically in all directions. 

The quietness and wildness of the West Wing did not scare me, in fact, my soul seemed to ache for it. It ached for the unsettled West Wing and the plants that resided within. 

I rested my head back against the small pomegranate tree that grew near the daffodils and lavender. They seemed to erupt from the earth in large patches, encompassing the land in lavender and bright yellow. 

The sight of the pomegranate tree had not even fazed me as I found it near the heart of the West Wing. It calmed me slightly, for some unknown reason. 

I settled further amongst the flowers and breathed in their scent as I closed my eyes in joy.  I let my hands rest in the soft grass beneath me, drawing my hands along their blades. A soft tune played within my head and I hummed to the unknown internal song. 

My mind wandered off as my hands continued to weave their way through the grass, the humming sound drifting me off into a trance-like state. 

I don't know how long I stayed like that, with my back against the pomegranate tree, my eyes closed and hands weaving their way through the thick grass, all while humming softly to myself. But all I do know is that when Hades found me I must have been a sight to behold. 

"Ella, my sweet, what are you doing?" Hades called out gently. 

His voice startled him, I had not heard the large West Wing doors open or felt the cold winter draft invade the room. I glanced up at him, confusion overtaking my face as I took in the weary look in his eyes. 

"What do you mean?" I questioned, my eyebrows scrunching in confusion. 

My hands never drifted away from the grass, instead, they worked unconsciously weaving their familiar path. My back was still pressed against the pomegranate tree and the internal song still played softly within my mind, as if trying to get me back into my trance.

"Look around you Ella," Hades said as if shocked that I didn't know what was happening.

For the first time since I closed my eyes, I took in the heart of the West Wing. My mouth suddenly hung open as I struggled to let the scream out of my throat. I scrambled to my feet and pushed myself up against the pomegranate tree. My back pressed flatly against the pomegranate tree as I stared at what surrounded me. 

There, surrounding me was a thick wall of thorns and flowers, perfectly interwoven as if they had coexisted here for millennia.  The daffodils and lavender had taken over the area, pushing their way to new heights, but they were not alone. Thick, long pointed thorns grew between the daffodils and lavender, blocking me from Hades. 

"What is this!" I practically screamed. 

I struggled to understand what was happening, where did this come from? I looked to Hades in answer but he didn't say a word. Instead, he stepped towards me and I eyed the wall of thorns. They grew out slightly in his direction as if warning him to stay away. 

The strangled sound managed to escape my lips as I slid down the pomegranate tree. I watched in horror as Hades ignored the warning and stuck his hands directly into the thorn bush. He tugged and pulled until his hands turned crimson. 

I let out a sob as I watched the scene unfold before me. I had not cried since I had met Hades and the feeling felt almost foreign. I stilled my shaking hands as Hades made his way towards me. His dress shirt was torn from the thick thorns and his hands were covered with blood but I did not care. 

I latched myself onto him as he slowly led me away from the heart of the West Wing. We reached the large doors relatively quickly and I scrambled to put all of my clothes on before scampering out of the West Wing. 

Hades trudged through the thick snow, he walked slightly ahead of me, creating a path that I could follow without much difficulty. The sobs still escaped me as the image of Hades' hands and torn torso filled my mind. 

By the time we reached the castle the bleeding on his hands had stopped but my tears had not. He pulled me gently into his arms as we stood in the foyer of the castle, away from the cold. I latched onto him again, pulling him closer to myself. 

"Shh my love, let us go back upstairs," Hades offered. 

I nodded weakly and simply followed behind him as we ascended the many stairs of the castle. We reached our room after much time. As soon as the doors shut behind me I pulled off all of my extra layers, stripping my scarf and the thick jacket, discarding my boots somewhere near the bed. 

Hades stood near the window, staring out on the desolate land beneath us. It was his land that he stared at but he seemed uneasy. I wanted to know what happened back in the West Wing, I wanted to ask him why he seemed so uneasy, but a million thoughts filtered through my head as I watched him. 

"Hades, what happened back in the West Wing?" 

I had eventually conjured up enough strength to ask him but as soon as he turned around and looked at me I suddenly did not want to know. He stared at me, his eyes unmoving, hands clenched and eyes desperate. 

"Your destiny," Hades whispered. 

It was so soft and his lips barely moved, if I had not been listening so intensively I may have missed it. 

"My destiny?" I questioned, eyebrows raising. 

He stepped closer towards, his voice growing desperate, "The Fates warned me about this but I did not realize it would happen so quickly." 

"What did they warn you Hades," I spoke, my eyes glaring slightly towards him. 

"They told me that your power would start coming, they warned me that it would be soon," He said as if talking to himself. 

"What power Hades?" I questioned again. 

"Fertility for one, they stopped speaking after that" He answered. 

"It is a twisted game the Fates play, the King of Death paired with someone who possesses the powers of fertility manipulation," Hades laughed but the sound did not ring out like his normal laugh. 

I realized then and there that this was all a little game, we simply spawned into their game of chess, toying and twisting the rules. Bending them to meet their satisfaction. I felt the bile rise in my throat as I realized the truth. 

The King of Death and the Queen of Life sounded awfully twisted. 

.......................................

Hi loves, 

Sorry for not updating in over a month, unfortunately, I was sick and recently there has been much civil unrest, political issues, riots and protests within my country. I decided to take a break from writing while all of this was happening. It was a very serious time as I was stuck away from home in the middle of what was happening. 

Thankfully, things have settled and I am back to writing :) 

This chapter is so full of foreshadowing, hehe, anyways this one came in at around 2500 words. I hope you all enjoyed it. 

stay safe, 

lots of love,

- s 



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