Thank you to everyone for your positive words! It means so much!
Just a little content warning for this chapter, there is mention of suicide. If this may be upsetting to you, please skip the scene at the gate. There will be an asterisk (*) located at the beginning of the paragraph that details this content. Two asterixis will indicate the end.
Thank you! Read on, lovelies.
~ ~ ~
Daphne awoke begrudgingly. From the soreness in her muscles and the drool on her pillow, she knew she had been asleep for hours. She stretched her aching limbs and found that she was in the vast bed alone. As she looked around, it seemed that the entire bedchamber was empty. She listened for sounds of Hades presence; she was met with only the sound of the crackling of the fireplace on the other side of the room. Satisfied that she was alone, she sat up and drew her knees to her chest. She sighed as she pulled a nearby blanket around her shoulders. Even with the heat of the fire that Hades had no doubt kindled with her in mind, she was still terribly cold.
Daphne rested her head on her knees and sighed. Was this to be her life? Was some love-drunk collector of souls going to be her...husband? Could she ever leave this cavernous expanse of death and stone to see her family and friends again? There weren't even any plants here.
She sighed once more as she heaved her stiff body out of bed. She shivered as her bare legs and feet met cool air and stone floor. She searched for her pajama pants until she found them, unceremoniously tossed onto a rock nightstand next to the bed. After dressing, Daphne took a closer look at the stand. It seemed to be made of a black gemstone of some sort, maybe obsidian. It was covered with intricate carvings depicting a number of people, all wearing a variant of Grecian robes. Her eyes wandered over the various images with everyone: lightening, chariots, weapons of war, and a bundle grain. Maybe, these were depictions of the ancient Greek gods. She ran her fingers over the cool stone, searching. Her gaze passed over the coarse surface until—there he was: Hades, looking nearly identical in stone relief as he did when she had last seen him. Daphne traced her fingertips along his image. Here he was, in all of his power, with one strong hand resting on the head of an enormous three-headed dog.
Daphne shook her head and turned away. Surely, somehow, this was all a façade. Maybe her abductor was delusional and obsessed with mythology.
Of course! Maybe this is just some cavern on the outskirts of the city. His clothing could easily be something he purchased somewhere or made himself. And that weird thing about my smelling of flowers. Maybe he's a botanist too. He could be a stalker with a strange imagination. But...the river. He couldn't have created that. That was real. Which means...this is all real.
Daphne tugged her hair nervously, "What sort of madness is this?", she said aloud.
She paced about the room, growing steadily more frenzied. Perhaps, she could find something in this room that would make sense of this. Something to provide her with comfort. She was beginning to feel hopelessly trapped, and very lonely.
Daphne looked about. The bedroom was massive. The ceilings were high and made of stone, just like practically everything else. The stone of the ceiling was veined with fluorescent streaks of crystal that glowed like moonlight. For a while, Daphne just stared. For a moment, she felt as if she was under the night sky, star-gazing. When her gaze returned to the surroundings that were not quite as lofty, a single tear rolled down her cheek. She wiped it away quickly. Crying wouldn't get her anywhere. She would save herself.
Daphne peered behind every corner. She pulled aside every drape and tapestry in her search for some hint, some clue. Instead, she found only vases, statuettes, and things. As she made her way around the perimeter of the chamber, she spotted a door. It wasn't the exit. Daphne cautiously pushed the heavy, wooden door open and gasped.
It was a bathroom, or at least she thought it was. It was unlike any one she had ever seen. The room was vast, just smaller than the bedchamber. The ceiling was just as high and riddled with the same glowing crystal. The room was immensely warmer than anywhere else she had been. In the center of the room was a spacious pool made of polished marble. Steam curled from the water's surface. Surrounding the tub was a shallow stream of clear water. Daphne peered closely. The stream was free of any spirits of the deceased. Along the walls were tall pillars and sconces alight with familiar, blue flame. In the grooves of the stone walls were silver pitchers and jars. Daphne hesitantly inspected the contents of those closest to her. They contained perfumed oils and various dried herbs. Another held what appeared to be salt. At the end of the room was another door. She would inspect that later. For now, all she wanted was a long, hot bath.
Daphne quickly disrobed, folding her pajamas neatly beside her. She climbed the steps to the water's edge and dipped her foot into the water. It was deliciously warm. But what caught her eye gave her pause. On both of her legs were fingertip-sized bruises. There were four on either side of her waist. Looking at her wrists, she noticed a few there too. She quickly submerged her body into the comforting depths in an effort to clear her head. She closed her eyes and let out a long sigh of contentment. This was bliss. Maybe for a moment, she could forget what he had done to her. As she sank lower into the water, she realized that it was fragranced. She took a deep breath. Lavender, her favorite scent. She smiled and waded further into the large water. On one side of the bath was a pile of linens and soaps. Daphne picked up a square of soap and a small cloth and began to scrub herself clean. She sighed again as she worked a lather through her hair. While the subs soaked into her curls, she tended to the rest of her body. When the rough cloth grazed her labia, she winced. She hadn't realized how sore she was from the night before. Everywhere hurt. Everywhere was bruised.
Now brought out from her state of relaxation, she quickly submerged herself in the water. After her hair and body were rinsed clean of soap, she climbed out. She briskly rubbed oil on her skin and wrapped herself in a nearby length of fabric. After wrapping her hair in another piece of cloth, she hurried out of the bathroom and through the mysterious door at the end of the room. Upon closing the door behind her, Daphne observed her surroundings with awe once again. She had found herself in a small library.
The room was dim, lit only by the flames of a multitude of candles. The ceilings were lower and bereft of any crystal adornment. Every wall was covered in stone bookshelves, each one crammed with stone tablets, aging scrolls, and leather-bound volumes.
This must be what Belle felt like when the Beast showed her the library. But this isn't a fairytale and Hades sure-as-hell isn't my Prince Charming.
Daphne quickly began scanning the contents of the library, in hopes of finding some solution to her quandary. An unusual volume on the bottom shelf caught her eye. It appeared to be a glossy, hard-covered journal. It looked like something that could have been bought from any store. With its brightly-colored cover and still-white pages, it did not quite blend in with the other aging manuscripts surrounding it. Daphne pulled it and a few other tomes from the shelf. Starting with the older volumes first, she unfurled scrolls and quickly flipped through pages. They were all written in Greek. Daphne swore under her breath. She hadn't thought of that. She opened the newest journal in hopes that Hades had decided to write in a different language, one she could understand. Instead, she found only the unfamiliar script of the Greek alphabet. Daphne paused as she passed a page that she could understand. It was an image, drawn on one of the last pages of the journal. The sketch depicted a woman walking through the city. Her skin was shaded darkly with pencil. The woman was wearing a denim overall dress and a familiar pair of boots.
Is this a drawing of m—
Daphne's thoughts were interrupted when suddenly a winged creature swooped down from the rafters. Daphne shrieked and covered her head as her towel fell at her feet.
"Some things pester you even in the afterlife," chuckled a deep, familiar voice.
Daphne scrambled to cover herself as she turned to face Hades, who was fighting a smile.
"The bats eat the vermin that would otherwise make a feast of my library," as Hades spoke he took in the vision before him. The linen Daphne had wrapped herself in left very little to the imagination. In the cool of the library, her nipples had hardened and were clearly visible through the thin cloth. Her hips were just covered by the length of the towel. If he slid his hand underneath, he could very easily slip his fingers into her folds.
Daphne was oblivious to the lust in Hades' eyes. She was preoccupied with the towel which she now realized hardly covered her.
"Hades, I was just—," Daphne's blushed as she stumbled over her words, "I was just—."
"Exploring your domain?" Hades offered with a smirk.
"Yes. I was exploring." Daphne crossed her arms over her breasts.
"Well," Hades cleared his throat. "I suppose you would like more appropriate vestments for your exploration."
The blush in Daphne's face spread to her ears. "Yes, please."
"Come," Hades said as he offered his hand.
Daphne secured her towel in one hand before she clumsily accepted Hades' grasp with the other.
"I—I didn't mean to snoop," Daphne stammered.
"Yes, you did," Hades chuckled, "Why else would you be reading my diaries?"
Daphne blanched as she was led through the library and into the steam-filled bathroom.
"I'm not upset," Hades offered, "Unless, of course, you learned Greek in college and I just never noticed."
Daphne struggled to keep up with the god's long stride.
"No—" she tripped over her feet— "But there was a drawing of me from the other day." Was it yesterday? Daphne hadn't seen the sun in ages.
"Was there?" Hades asked as they entered the bedroom, "Am I not permitted to capture my wife's beauty with graphite?" Hades let go of Daphne's hand and turned to look at her. His steady gaze traveled over every inch of her body.
"That's not what I meant," Daphne squirmed under his intense stare, "I was just wondering what else was in the journal. About me."
