THIRTY

The dinner was surprisingly calm for her. Cerberus' absence would explain a lot and she didn't really want him there to destroy the moment. She looked at Hades about at least a meter away from her and she saw him silently eating a piece of meat. When he looked up to look at her, she immediately averted her gaze and focused on her food instead.

"Is there something you want to say?" he asked and she almost bit her tongue because of surprise. She swallowed her food before she looked at him.

"N-Nothing," she answered and Hades raised a brow as he was looking at her. It was obvious he didn't believe what she said so she went on, "It's just that...it feels easier now."

He didn't say anything and she knew he knows what she was talking about. Then he poured wine on his chalice. He then snapped his finger and her chalice was filled too.

She swallowed hard at the sight of the alcohol. "I don't think—"

"You have nothing to worry about. That's just grape juice."

"Where did you get grapes?"

Hades raised his glass and the look of amusement was in his eyes as he was looking at her. "Not anywhere but magic," he said and then he went on, "Cheers, Guinevere."

She did the same. She raised her glass and took a sip from the juice and as expected, it was different from the juice she tasted back in the mortal world.

The dinner would still go a long way and she figured she can't endure any more silence.

So she asked, "Why can't we meddle with the business of the dead?"

Hades looked at her over the rim of his glass. He set it down and said, "Where did you hear that?"

"I've been asking around. About the curse and about that woman—that woman Zeus loved." The woman both Zeus and Hades loved.

"Asking around? Or was it Henrietta?"

At the moment, she couldn't read the expression on his face but she was certain she doesn't want Henrietta to be dragged by her stupid curiosity. But it was too late now. She already let the words out.

"It was Henrietta. But please, don't punish her."

"I am not punishing her. I just wondered why you ask her when you could have basically just asked me."

She blinked at him. "I thought...I thought it was going to be a very sensitive topic so I didn't ask."

"It happened centuries ago, Guinevere. If mortals are capable of moving on, then certainly the god of the underworld can too."

"Zeus didn't."

A smile curved his lips and then a snort and a laugh. "That's a good point. He coddles his grudges."

"What happened, really?"

"Why are you interested?"

Words froze in her throat. Out of curiosity? Did she want to know about her because of the curse or is she just curious about the woman who managed to make two gods fight? Perhaps it's both.

She didn't need to say her answer as Hades was looking at her as though he read what was on her mind.

"She was a fresh breath of air in Zeus' polluted world," he said before he took a sip from his wine.

She wanted to ask so badly why Hades want her too. Was that woman also a breath of fresh air for him? But she stopped herself from asking the question and decided to just listen. There will be time for questions later.

"She was a lovely person. Zeus was arrogant and she humbled him down. Just a bit. And then I met her." He looked at her as though making sure she was ready to hear what he was going to say next. So she took a deep breath and listened closely.

"Her name was Lizbeth. And from the moment I laid my eyes on her, I knew I loved her right away."

She swallowed the lump in her throat. Hades loving a woman at first sight. It was something hard to imagine for her. Somehow, hearing that from him doesn't feel right too. As she was thinking of Hades being in love with a woman from many centuries ago...she doesn't know what to feel or think about it.

"When all the other gods dislike me, she didn't. When humans see me as someone who grants their forbidden desires and impossible wishes, she offered to grant me a wish instead."

"She offered you a wish?"

Hades nodded and the look in his eyes was undeniably bliss. As though he was remembering something happy from a long time ago. Well, she supposed it was a happy memory—being in love, that is.

"What did you wish for?" she asked, trying to sound casual. She did not entertain the pang of jealousy inside her chest.

"I wished for her to come to the underworld." Hades looked at her and she stared back. "She laughed, of course, and told me it is not possible so she offered me an alternative. She told me she would visit the underworld just for a few days.

"Zeus wasn't too happy about it, but somehow, she managed to convince my brother and she stayed here for a week."

She could already tell a lot has happened within that week judging from the solemn look on Hades' face.

"Within that week, she grew accustomed to the underworld. She did not look at the place like the hell it is. She was mesmerized. The fresh breath of air on a spring day was drawn to darkness. I knew it and I took advantage of it. I dressed her in dresses that are suited for a queen. She looked like a queen. My queen. And I was furious that my brother got to her first.

And being the evil that I am, I decided that I am going to take her from him. I made her fall in love with me. It was hard but I finally made her give in. She felt bad but I assured her she shouldn't be. That a heart shouldn't lie and that she should follow it. What Zeus said was true. I took her from him."

Like the devil that he is, he was good at persuasion. The kind of persuasion that usually never ends up well. She still doesn't know what to feel about it.

"I know it may sound like I was manipulating her but I wasn't. I showed her what I can offer and I showed her the real me. I offered her a choice: if she wanted to stay or go back. She chose the former and stayed with me, much to Zeus' wrath.

"That's when the curse started. He sought out our mother's help and cursed this kingdom. My mother made my immortality limited and tied everything in this world to my life. Lizbeth started to feel weak until eventually, she died. The curse will be broken once there is another mortal woman who loves me like how Lizbeth did but that would come at a cost of the woman's life as she will die as soon as I love her back."

Silence fell over them and there were so many questions clouding her head. But the only thing that came out of her mouth was, "How did you know about the other way to break the curse?"

"I've looked for ways to remove the curse and somehow, I stumbled upon a piece of information from Zeus' associate. And of course, it is common knowledge that if a curse is done by someone, when they die, the curse dies with them. Killing my mother is an entirely impossible feat."

"But you have little time left before the curse consumes you whole."

"That's true. If you're not the one to break this curse then it's the end of me and this world."

She didn't like the thought of the underworld disappearing. And she couldn't believe she was admitting it to herself but she doesn't like the idea of Hades disappearing, either. This man might have taken her against her will but he somehow saved her. He had saved her from a different kind of hell and made the actual hell bearable.

"I did promise I would help you," she said and Hades looked at her. There was the look of amusement in his eyes again.

"It's strange," he said and she gave him another puzzled look. "Strange that a human vow to help me and I feel reassured by it. A god. Reassured by a human."

A small smile escaped her lips before she could even stop it. Hades saw it too and she could tell he was surprised by it too. She cleared her throat and took a sip of her juice before she said, "You can't be great all the time. A bird needs to stop flying at some point. A fish needs to stop swimming. A god could do the same."

"Stop being a god?" he asked, raising his brows.

"A god needs to stop being...powerful. There is nothing wrong with a god asking for a wish from a mortal. There is nothing wrong with a god getting reassurance from a mortal."

She could have sworn something passed his eyes but it was gone too quickly before she could process what it was.

“Very well then,” he said and rested his chin on his hand before he went on, “How exactly are you going to help kill my mother if you don't want to fall in love with me?”

She actually already has a plan and the more she thought about it, the more absurd it sounds. But then again it could be their only way. She will not die just because she loved someone. Tha'ts just too sad.

She sighed as she met his eyes before she said, “I am planning on manipulating Zeus."