Rebecca Miller's

Prologue

Hello again everyone, its Xanthe here.

Remember me?

I should think you do, I mean I only saved the whole damn world five years ago.

But now I have another issue, my father has disappeared (that’s Hades in case you’ve forgotten) and so has my pet hellhound so now my brother Zach, and my two favourite cousins Luke and Roxy are going to help me find him.

Hooray.

********

Xanthe:

Chapter 1.

Okay, all we know is that on Christmas day at the meeting of gods on mount Olympus my father disappeared along with Woofie. He was sat in the throne room brooding and was presumably deep in thought. The next thing the other gods knew he was gone, one minute he was there the next he wasn’t, simple as.  So in lieu of my father Zach and I are in charge of the underworld. Oh joy.

So I have to get him back before a war starts and this time it’ll be world war three not just a pathetic skirmish between a lot of Greek monsters and a bunch of demigods.

So the situation so far: I am sat in Kat’s sitting room on the isle of the blest and drinking a cup of coffee, Zach is in the loo and Kat is laughing her head off (metaphorically speaking) because I have just told her about the dairy producer who doctored sell-by dates so people bought gone off dairy products and was therefore sentenced to be boiled in cheese fondue for all eternity. Albert Einstein devised that particular punishment. Go figure.

I guess even the greatest minds can go BOOM! Sorry, got carried away there. I blame the coffee.

Now I suppose I’d better fill you in on my plan of action. I’m getting Luke and Roxy to come all the way down here to go and find my dad. One other reason that I want Luke and Rox here is that I’m scared to talk to Kronos without them, see Kronos has always hated me it might have something to do with the fact I defeated him five years ago.

“Xanthe?”

“Yes Kat?”

“Don’t worry about your dad, you’ll find him,”

“I hope so Kat, I hope so”

“You will find your love also, now your two years are up”

“My two years were up three years ago an I still haven’t found who ever it is I will love for all time”

“I think you met them five years ago, you just don’t know it yet, but I saw the way he looked at you, and he still loves you”

“Tell me Kat, who is it?”

“That would not be fair, if I am wrong it might destroy you”

“Ah but Kat honey you ain’t never wrong” Zach said as he entered the room

I suppose I kinda forgot something, Kat is now my sister-in-law. She married Zach two years ago so at least I don’t have to share the palace with Zach anymore

“Oh, but I am darling, I get things wrong all the time. I misjudged my attack on Kronos, now I am dead because of it, I thought my dear sister hated me, but I was wrong”

I am assuming by ‘dear sister’ Kat meant me.

I stood up.

“Bye guys, see you soon, I’m going home now”

“Bye sis” said Zach

“Goodbye Xanthe”

********

Chapter 2.

Okay, now, I suppose you are thinking Hades is gone, big deal. Not.

But actually it is, all those people who are dying slow, painful deaths will suffer even more because without my dad no one can die, he can’t judge the dead so no-one can come into the underworld because everyone must be judged. So why can’t I do his job?

Because I’ve not got enough bloody experience, that’s dammed well why it’s crap really. I just don’t know all the formalities and dad can’t teach me ‘cause he ain’t here.

So why can’t Zach do his job?

Because Zach knows even less than I do, he was out of circulation (dead) for forty years, he cocked up when we were about eighty-nine, and learned nothing for forty years until five years ago when I got dad to bring him back.

“Don’t worry mistress you will find him” one of my servants had followed me into my father’s study where I was staring at his portrait.

“Will I?”

“You are Xanthe Queen of death mistress, you can do anything”

“I am not the Queen of death, I am princess”

“No more is this the case, thy father hath gone, you are now our mistress” the ghost of William Shakespeare had also entered the room

“Go away William, I’m not in the mood for your philosophical speculations”

“Speculations they are not, it is the simple truth I speak”

“Then bugger off. I don’t want to hear what you have to say. I am not the queen of death, my father rules death now GO!” I shouted

I ran to my room and sat on the bed. The black walls were a comforting sight. I was so tired of the ghostly inhabitants of my father’s realm telling me I was now their queen.

I lay face down on my bed and cried myself to sleep.

My dream was a good one, a memory of the events that had happened five years ago, meeting two new friends, and seeing an old one, then everything in my dream changed, someone spoke my name over and over again, their voice full of love and adoration their face was there too but I could not remember who they were.

But as this question was raised the most important question in my life was answered. I was destined to love this nameless man, this man who had been in my life before and at that time I had never spared a glance for.  But who was he? Who could he be? Can you guess who he might be? I sure as hell can’t but is it the person Kat meant?

********

Chapter 3.

Two days after my mysterious dream Rox and Luke arrived. They were riding Pegasus; Horus was perched on Luke’s shoulder and was looking pointedly away from me. The damned bird hates me.

Rox screamed with excitement as she vaulted off Pegasus’ back and ran over to give me a hug as she did so I noticed a ring encrusted with loads of sapphires, emeralds and diamonds on one finger. Luke came over and gave me a hug and a brotherly kiss on the cheek. I scowled at him.

“Hello Roxy, hello Luke”

“Hey Xanthe” Luke drawled

“Hi Xanthe!!!!” Rox squeaked I noticed she’d become a lot more excitable in the five years since I had last seen her

“Guess what!”

“What?”

“We’re engaged,” said Luke with an easy smile. Once that smile would’ve set my heart racing but now all it did was irritate me.

“Congratulations, when’s the wedding?”

“Valentines Day, Aphrodite is planning it so it might be a bit over the top” Rox said

“But that’s only three weeks!” I said

“Yeah, so you best go shopping I doubt you have anything suitable” Luke teased

“Like you’d know” I snorted “besides I’ve got my own personal seamstress and dress maker. I doubt it will take long,” I said with a grin

“Cool” Rox said

“Uh-huh, now come in and have a sandwich and a drink, Zach and Kat should be here in a sec,” I said

We went to the lime green room for our light and rather late lunch. As they sat on the lime green sofa I sent a servant for nine cheese and ham toasties, a jug of iced water and five slices of apple and blackberry pie.

As we sat waiting for our lunch, Zach and Kat to arrive we talked about the times we had spent sitting around campfires and talking about various things in an effort to distract ourselves form the fact that the fate of the world rested on our shoulders.

When Zach and Kat arrived a whole round of congratulations and apologies began. (Congratulations on getting married and engaged apologies for missing the wedding)

********

Chapter 4.

After lunch I showed Rox and Luke around the palace. We had to stop when we toured the garden because Woofie recognised them and got a little bit over exited.

I showed them their room and told them to ask a servant to take them to the casual dining room at half six.

At half six I made my way to the casual dining room, I sat down in my normal place to the right of the head of the table ignoring the fact that the place had not been set

“No Queen, this is your place” a servant indicated the head of the table

“No this is my place. That is my father’s place”

“Your father is gone you are Queen, you must sit in your rightful place”

“My father will come back. I will find him”

“You cannot leave, you must rule in his stead”

“Why me, why not Zach?”

“You know more, you are worthy, and he must prove himself”

“Spectacular, I save the world and this is what I get?”

“Is what, what you get?” asked Rox as she entered

I stood up, changed seat to the head of the table then I answered

“I have to stay here to rule the underworld while my brother, you and Luke go and find my dad”

“I can see why you’re annoyed” Luke said

“Annoyed don’t cover it”

“Grammar Xanthe, grammar” Luke smirked

“There ain’t nothin’ wrong with my grammar,” I scowled

“Hmmm” said Luke

I was saved from more remarks by the arrival of the starter pâte, toast and salad. We ate in companionable silence, finally after eating our way through a main course of roast beef and Yorkshire puddings we began to talk about various plans for finding my dad and Woofie, we settled on our starting point.

Tomorrow we would talk to Kronos, luckily my dad had a spare key for the door to Tartarus. All I had to do was find it.

********

Chapter 5.

Tartarus is my least favourite place in the underworld for two reasons:

It stinks

It’s were Kronos lives

I mean what’s to like? None the less I have been there a lot recently, so this time was no different, I opened the door at the top of the stairs and proceeded to descended the steep stone steps with Rox and Luke at my side, pushed open the heavy iron door and stepped out, the pit of Tartarus was about one hundred yards away, cautiously we moved closer.

“Hello again mortal. Can I help?” I could tell he was trying to be friendly

“As a matter of fact you can,” I said, “you can tell us what you have done with my father and my pet dog”

“What, with Hades and that stinking hellhound? I don’t know. Some spirits were talking of his disappearance but I thought it was a ploy”

I was surprised by the fact he didn’t know

“But you must know. You’re Kronos you know like, everything” flattery is the best way to handle the titans.

“Perhaps I did once but no more is that the case. I would think it was one of my enemies, one who would profit from a war, they would frame me, make it seem like it was my fault then you raise an army to destroy me. I suppose you have a lot of people to choose from, I have a lot on enemies”

He sounded almost sad, thinking about how many enemies he had

“You make your own enemies,” I said

“Perhaps, but I had grown too fond of power, I could not face having to relinquish it, the gods feel that way now, that is what this is about I feel, your father must be found or the collapse of the gods will begin.”

“Like you care,” I said

“I care now, five years of brooding in this pit have shown me what my previous imprisonment could not, I am evil and I regret that but I cannot change who I am”

“Hmmm” I mused, “I’m sceptical”

“I knew you wouldn’t believe me”

“Why should I?”

“I suppose I did try to kill you”

“You suppose? You tried to destroy the whole world!”

“Yes, but I wanted my power back, so what? If you lost all your power would you not want it back?

“No, I would be grateful that it was gone, then I would be free to find my father”

“Hmm, now I’m the sceptical one, anyhow I cannot tell you who took him, but I would like to I can only tell that a war would be very much in his favour. Think granddaughter, you will find out and it will surprise you when you do”

“Do not call me granddaughter, as far as I’m concerned you are nothing but an animal” I waited for a response but got none, evidently he was sulking, Kronos did that a lot, in fact over the last five years I had spoken to him often; once or twice a week even and every time he’d started sulking.

“Come on, I think our audience with Kronos is over, lets go and have a cup of coffee”

“What have you got with coffee Xanthe?” Luke asked

“It tastes nice that’s all” I hoped my tone sounded suitably offended

I span on my heel and pressed the gem on my Alice band of darkness and vanished. I walked straight through the iron door, once inside I unlocked it and let the others in I deactivated my Alice band and joined them discussing Kronos’ hints, then we ran out of breath and decided to wait until we could sit down and relax before we carried on our conversation.

********

Chapter 6.

I sat in my favourite black and ebony chair with my coffee cup on placed precariously on the arm of the chair as I sat I listened to Rox and Luke debate about who was behind my father’s disappearance. He still wanted to blame Kronos but Roxy thought that Ares was behind the disappearance, I had my own theories but they were too radical to even suggest. But it was interesting, someone who had something to benefit from Ares being busy with a war, but who?

“Hey guys, I got an idea.”

“Hmm?”

“Well what if it’s someone who has something to benefit from Ares being busy with a war,” I suggested

Luke looked sceptical. “Who would want him out the way though?”

“Who wouldn’t?” I asked

“Aphrodite? After all she has about a hundred affairs at once, perhaps she wants him out the way so she can spend more time with one of that lot.” Rox grinned at our surprised faces as soon as she’d gotten her breath back

“Or even one of the guys she was having an affair with, he might want to get Ares out the way to spend more time with Aphrodite”

“Speculating isn’t getting us anywhere” I said “you two and Zach have gotta go find my dad,”

“How do we find him if we don’t know where he is?”

“If we knew where he was we wouldn’t have to find him now would we” I said

“You know what I mean Xanthe”

“Okay, okay. Anyhow you have to go and ask questions. I’ll send various ghosts and spirits to check up on you”

They didn’t question that, I wouldn’t have liked to explain that one, and so I’m not going to do it now.

I was bored of the two of them arguing over the various theories we had proposed, they decided to talk to Zach before making their first plans.

“I’ll see you at dinner” I said

“See ya” said Rox

“Later Xanthe” said Luke

I walked upstairs to my room, opened the door and headed straight for my en suite bathroom.

I walked into the walk-in shower, slid my clothes off and turned the shower on. I let all my muscles relax; I washed my black hair carefully, taking my time and combing it through making it silky and smooth.

I turned the shower off, stepped out, put on my silk dressing gown and went back out into my room. I opened draws and took out my underwear, I put it on then took my second-favourite black silk dress, put that on too and with that I put on my black silk dolly shoes. I went down to the study and sat in my dad’s chair behind my dad’s desk, I looked at he rack of eight hand bells on the desktop. In order from left to right they read:

Xanthe Zach Furies Servant (food)     Servant (drink) Servant  (cleaner) Messenger     Guard

I looked at the bells, selected the third bell (the one labelled ‘Furies’) and rang it.

Within moments they appeared, hideous withered hags they smiled evilly at me

“What isss it missstresss?” they hissed

“Arrange a council at twelve noon tomorrow, I want to talk to those who judge the dead. Whilst my father is gone am in charge, I may wish to make some changes”

“Yesss missstresss” the Furies vanished in a puff off acrid smoke.

********

Chapter 7.

The following morning I woke up at eleven, one hour until the meeting. I pulled on black skinny jeans, a black top and brushed my hair.

I didn’t bother with breakfast, it would take too long and I only had a half-hour until the meeting.

I sprinted into the garage, grabbed my leather jacket off the hook and swung myself onto my Suzuki bandit. I zipped up the jacket, and sped off towards ‘city hall’.

As soon as I arrived I stopped the bike and ran to the door, eventually I was through the maze of corridors and in what had been my father’s seat. Once I’d caught my breath I began the meeting.

“Hello everyone” I said I saw Kat was in her usual seat in row three. Good, at least she was here. That would make my life easier.

“Hello ma’am” mumbled the assembled spirits.

“Now, I want to make a few changes to row one of the council. I am bringing Katriona daughter of Athena forward to row one. I would like to send Albert Einstein to row two in place of Hercules. And finally Hercules to Katriona’s old seat on row three. Are there any objections?” I finished with a sharp intake of breath, I hadn’t breathed much in that sentence. Nobody raised their hand in objection so I asked again as ritual dictated I asked three times, on the third time Kat raised her hand.

“Yes Katriona?” I asked

“When your father returns he may not approve of these changes, if you make them he may not be happy”

“Au contraire my friend, his council plans clearly state these seating changes to take place at the earliest opportunity.”

“Very well” she said

“If you would change seats now please” I said.

Once they had I thanked the council for their time and told them of my plans to find my father, they agreed that finding him was a priority and Kat suggested getting Aaron in to help us look at hat facts we got. I agreed and the council was disbanded

********

Now just to be really helpful I will draw you a little picture of the council rows and their jobs. The most important is at the top.

Chapter 8.

The day after the council meeting Rox, Luke and Zach left, Kat and I waved them off with brave smiles, hoping they would come back alive.  After they’d gone we went back to the palace to have a cup of coffee and wait for Aaron to turn up.

Two hours later a messenger knocked on the door and told us that Aaron would be arriving shortly. We got up and walked back out to the front of the palace just in time to see Aaron dropping down out of the sky using a pair of metal wings like the ones Kat used to have.

As we greeted Aaron his voice saying my name sounded so familiar, and in a flash I remembered my dream, the voice, his voice saying my name. Then the world went black.

When I came round I was lying on my bed, Aaron was leaning over me concern etched into his face. I sat up; it was just us in the room and I felt a desperate pull toward him, I loved him but it was an urgent kind of love, I needed him to love me too. So I did the stupidest thing I have ever done.

I kissed Aaron.

And he kissed me back, I mean properly kissed me, the feeling of urgency subsided but was replaced by fear, fear that he wouldn’t actually like me after this kiss, that he was just taking advantage of the moment.

“I love you,” he whispered. With those three words my heart soared and I knew that my three years of waiting had finally borne fruit, I had found my soul mate in Aaron, now my life was almost complete. Almost but not quite, he still had to marry me but I was pretty sure that would happen.

After a brief but rather enjoyable interval we went downstairs to the least formal dining room for dinner because I’d missed lunch that, had apparently consisted of a very tasty tomato soup and some home baked bread.

Dinner that night was consisted of grilled fish for a starter, roast beef and Yorkshire pudding for the main course and chocolate mousse for pudding.

After dinner we retired to one of the drawing rooms, as we sat in friendly silence Aaron and I looked at one another. Kat saw our looks and smiles and excused herself on the pretence that she needed to go to sleep. We acknowledged her excused and watched her go.

As soon as we were sure she was gone Aaron sat next to me and kissed me again. We carried on kissing until a knock on the door forced us to look up and stop. As soon as I was in a dignified position I called to them to come in.

“What do you want?” I asked the spectre

“I was sent to inform you that it is time for the annual visit to the fields of punishment, if you wished to send the council in your place, it would be understood after all they have more experience than you”

“Excuse me but I have been going with my father on that visit for the last one hundred and twenty-five years and I will go this year”

“But what about the incident last year ma’am?”

“As far as I’m concerned that never happened” the ‘incident’ last year was Medusa rather stupidly attempting to cut my heart out.

After dismissing the spectre Aaron and I spent half an hour together before we said goodnight and went to our rooms.

********

Chapter 9.

The following day I rose at half past six, dressed and shovelled down some breakfast, I was at city hall by seven, half an hour before the inspection party left.

I sat on the wall outside the door, the weather was less gloomy than usual so I sat outside and watched the grey clouds move slowly in the light breeze. Eventually the rest of the council arrived, Kat came first then William Shakespeare, Winston Churchill and Mary Seacole. As soon as they arrived the Furies did too, two of them flanked me while the other walked behind me so nothing could sneak up on me, I ordered it to go to the back of the group, not behind me ‘cause it made me uncomfortable.

Around ten minutes later we were approaching Medusa. I drew my sword and held it on guard in front of me Churchill smiled mockingly at me. I glared back at him wishing he’d drop dead on the instant then I remembered he was already dead and wished he’d died a more painful death.

As we approached Medusa began to thrash around in her chains I laughed as I remembered why she hadn’t cut my heart out last year, she’d died when Perseus had cut off her hear so her spirit was headless too, she couldn’t see anything,

As we approached I said “alright dear?”

Then she broke her chains and swung at me with her sword, aiming straight at my heart, I blocked her blow automatically and span around so I was behind her

“You tried to cut my heart out once before, do you really think I’d let you do it again?”

I heard a voice echoing from the far corner of the fields “what heart Xanthe? You’ve not got one”

Holy crap. It was Sophia, a daughter of Hephaestus gone bad she’d been my brother’s girlfriend during his brief time as Kronos’ little helper I’d grassed her up without knowing my brother had been involved too.

“Shut the hell up Sophia”

“I hate you”

“So you’ve told me. Repeatedly” I walked over to her and glared at her eventually I spoke “I’m sorry for what I did, but it was for the best, at least now you have to be nice to me”

“Why is that corpse breath?”

“Again with the corpse breath thing,” I said, “anyway my dad is missing, and I reckon you know where he is.”

“So what if I do. I’m not gonna tell you”

“What if in exchange for the information I give you your life back and set you up someplace nice in the living world?”

“Alright he’s at the forge under the throne room on mount Olympus the dog is too. My dad put them there”

“Okay, if that’s true and he comes back I’ll get my dad to give you your life back and set you up someplace nice in the living world but only if he comes back. In the meantime you’re going to the isle of the blest” I was somewhat sceptical, why would she tell me something I actually wanted to know, she hated my guts, I think she would quite like to kill me, not that it’s an easy job I mean there’s only one way; to cut my heart out.

“What’s that a luxury prison?” I ignored her and collected my thoughts

“I am Xanthe the Queen of death, I send the spirit of Sophia daughter of Hephaestus to the isle of the blest where she will remain until my father returns”

Then she disappeared.

“Come on people. Lets go home I want a cup of coffee” assorted mumbles of discontent came, barely any spirits like coffee. I can’t understand why.

********

Chapter 10.

Around half an hour later I was sat back in my armchair with my cup of coffee telling Kat what I wanted her to do.

“Kat, I want you to go see my brother and tell him what Sophia told us, I want him to check it out.”

“You believe her?” asked Kat

“Nope. I don’t trust anyone ‘cept you, Rox, Luke and Zach”

“So why do you want them to check it out?”

“‘S worth a try innit”

“Hmm, I s’pose” she looked sceptical

“Exactly” I grinned at her

“So how do I tell them?”

“Easy, I send you, you tell them”

“So what do I tell them?”

“Okay, now listen very carefully I shall say this only once”

I thought for a second then recited the ritual words

“I Xanthe Queen of death bid you Katriona daughter of Athena deliver the following message to Roxanna daughter of Poseidon, Luke son of Zeus and Zachariah son of Hades;

“‘Hi, Xanthe and I talked to Sophia, she told us that Hades and Woofie are in the forges of Hephaestus and we want you to check it out. I will be staying with you to help you find him and get him out.’”

I paused for breath “I also bid you stay with Roxanna daughter of Poseidon, Luke son of Zeus and Zachariah son of Hades and help them complete their mission, I bid you leave tomorrow at dawn”

I laughed at how ridiculous I sounded “sorry about that Kat, but I have to send someone and I imagine you want to see Zach again”

“Don’t worry Xanthe, it was funny and I do want to see Zach again, I miss him,” she said

“I miss him too” I said “when he’s gone I feel like there’s a part of me missing”
”of course you do” said Kat “he’s your twin, he is part of you, he’s more part of you than he is part of me”

“Maybe, but he loves you, he loves you more than you know, I mean he proposed to you three days after he met you”

“True” she conceded “but I sometimes wonder if he regrets that”

“Of course he don’t, he loves you, remember that”

********

Chapter 11.

Dinner that night was a sad affair. Aaron and I sat watching Kat prepare herself mentally for her journey. We ate quickly and retired to the drawing room for drinks.

We’d been talking for almost fifteen minutes about nothing in particular when it happened. The first thing I noticed was Aaron look meaningfully at Kat, she stopped talking straight away and looked at me weirdly.

“What?” I asked

“Hush my love” Aaron said

“Huh?” I said, then I blinked in consternation, Aaron had slid down on to one knee before me, from his pocket he drew a box, inside was a golden ring encrusted with rubies, sapphires, emeralds and diamonds. Very, very care fully he picked it up and held it before him.

“I love you Xanthe, and I promise to love you for the rest of our lives, will you marry me?”

A lot of things went through my mind right then, a few of them rude, plenty incoherent and some of them so disgustingly gooey that it made me feel ill to think of them so rather than embarrass myself with any of them I replied with a simple “yes”

“Thank you” said Aaron, and then he placed the ring on my finger before standing up and kissing me.

“I’ll give you two some privacy” Kat said

“No you won’t, I’ve gotta add to that message I gave you earlier.” I gathered myself “I Xanthe Queen of death bid you Katriona daughter of Athena deliver the following message to Roxanna daughter of Poseidon, Luke son of Zeus and Zachariah son of Hades in addition to your earlier message and instructions to tell the afore mentioned Roxanna daughter of Poseidon, Luke son of Zeus and Zachariah son of Hades that I Xanthe Queen of death am engaged to Aaron son of Athena”

“Will do”

“Cool, come on then Aaron, I think we’ll go to my room”

“I’ll carry you” he said the without waiting for a reply he scooped me up in his arms and ran to my room as though I weighed eight ounces instead of eight stone.

I have to say, that night was probably the best night of my life. I have a feeling you don’t want to know the details so I won’t write them here. If you do then you have no respect for other people’s privacy or you like to shove your nose into other people’s business, which really amounts to the same thing.

********

Chapter 12.

The next morning I awoke with my arms around Aaron, we were lying in my bed, our bodies still intertwined, as I surveyed the clothing strewn about my room I felt Aaron stirring, I looked up at him and he smiled back at me.

“Good morning my love” he said

“Good afternoon is more appropriate, it’s half twelve”

I slipped out of bed and stretched

“I’m going to have a bath, my hair needs washing, care to help me?”

“Mmmm now how could I resist that?” he laughed and slipped out of the bed

He slid his arm around my waist then pulled me into the bathroom. The bath was already full of warm, clean water and we slid in, he took the shampoo bottle off the shelf and began washing my hair.

When Aaron was done he pulled me around on top of him and began kissing me again.

A sort while late we were back in my bed when there was a knock on the door.

“Come in” I said

A spectre entered carrying clean clothes for Aaron and two trays of breakfast.

We got dressed quickly, then ate the breakfast the servant had brought,

“What shall we do today?” Aaron asked

“Well, we could go swimming in my private pool, or test the springs on all the beds in the house or we could try out my new hot tub”

“I like option three, it sounds quite fun”

“Lovely. But before we do anything I’ve had an idea. Why don’t we have a joint wedding with Luke and Rox?”

“Good idea, but how do we ask them?”

“I send them a message,” I said

Five minutes later I was in dad’s study, I rang the bell labelled ‘messenger’ and waited, about three seconds later a spirit of a young boy arrived. I smiled at him, I knew him well, his name was Jack he was a son of Hermes.

“I Xanthe Queen of death bid you Jack son of Hermes to go to Roxanna daughter of Poseidon and Luke son of Zeus and ask them if Aaron son of Athena and I can get married at the same time as them to make their wedding a joint one, if Roxanna daughter of Poseidon and Luke son of Zeus answer yes then ask Aphrodite goddess of love and beauty if she may adjust the wedding plans to make them for two couples. If Roxanna daughter of Poseidon and Luke son of Zeus answer no return directly to me, however in the event of the first scenario return to me with the answers of Roxanna daughter of Poseidon Luke son of Zeus and Aphrodite goddess of love and beauty”

“Yes mistress” Jack replied. Then he vanished.

“Now Aaron honey, we need to wait for about five minutes for the messenger to return with the answers.”

“Okay baby”

The messenger returned with exactly what I wanted to hear. I would be married in two weeks.

********

Zach:

Chapter 13.

Weird Stuff Happens

Hi. Xanthe reckons I should tell this bit ‘cause I was there so here goes:

We’d spent a week on mount Olympus, and found nothing out. We had no leads, no progress and naff all to report.

Until my beautiful perfect wife turned up. She told us that Sophia (my ex) had told them that Hades was in the forge under the throne room Xanthe wanted us to check it out.

Oh, yeah. The other thing she told us was that Xanthe was engaged to Aaron. By the time we’d made sense of it all, thought about everything and had a chat about it, it was like one in the afternoon. Then Jack one of the messenger boys from the palace of the dead (AKA home) arrived.  He wanted to know if Rox and Luke wanted to have a joint wedding with Xanthe and Aaron. They said it was a great idea so he flitted off to ask Aphrodite. She said yes so then he kinda went ‘POOF’ and vanished.

Any way, after all of that happening we had to decide who would go and check out the forges. Luke volunteered but Roxy said if he went she would go too. So I said I’d go, then Kat came up with her weirdest bit of logic yet.

“I’ll go because I’m already dead. I can’t be hurt or captured”

“NO!” I shouted “there is no way I’m gonna let you go”

“Dude calm down” Luke said

“Y’ know, Kat’s got a point guys. She’d be the best one to do it. Like she said she can’t be hurt or captured,” Rox said

“What?” I asked

“Oh c’mon you guys! You gotta realise that Xanthe, Kat and I are just as capable as you lot. It’s just ‘cause we’re girls you think we need wrapping up in cotton wool”

“Ow” I said, “that’s harsh”

“Harsh maybe, but it’s still true I’m just as capable as you are Zach. Besides I need to do this, I just feel like a spare part most of the time. I need to do this, I have to prove to myself that I’m still strong” mumbled Kat.

“Okay then, if you really want to do it you can but please be careful, I can’t live without you”

“You won’t have to, I’ll be back in a few hours with Hades,” she said

“Hmmm, I don’t reckon you need to worry about the with Hades bit yet” I said

“Yeah, but I want to be as fast as I can” with those words she sank through the floor of the throne room

********

Kat:

Chapter 14.

As I sank through the marble floor of the throne room I wondered why I was doing this, true I wanted to prove myself, true I wanted to protect Zach but did I have another motive? To tell the truth I wasn’t sure myself.

My mission was really very simple; find Hades. Easy, really easy since the passage was strict with only few rooms full of forging tools on either side.

A few minutes later I noticed that the rooms I passed contained tools but Hephaestus’ bronze bulls, silver cats and golden dogs, there were automatons of all different shapes and sizes. This was the home of a man who wanted to be Zeus. I took a careful mental note of all the things I saw. After all it was evidence against Hephaestus and that was something I really wanted. I mean he’d kidnapped my father-in-law.

After a while the rooms became cells, the first one I passed was empty, the next one too, after that I passed about seven more empty cells until eventually I saw Woofie, sat on the floor of a cell looking extremely upset.

I wanted to let him out but I thought it would be a bad idea ‘cause the only people who can shut him up are Xanthe and Hades. So I decided to go on to find Hades then go back and get Woofie.

I had a feeling that I didn’t have far to go in fact I was so preoccupied I walked straight on past the cell containing Hades.

“Oi, Kat!” he yelled, “come back here”

I wheeled around

“Sorry sir” I said, “now how do I get you out?”

“Pass me my helmet of darkness, it’s on the shelf behind you”

I got the helmet off the shelf and passed it through the bars to Hades

“Thank you” he grinned,

I think it was supposed to reassure me but unfortunately his grin is somewhat sinister

“Now” he continued “I’m going to disappear, don’t panic it’ll only be for a second.”

As I watched Hades raised the helmet to his head and put it on. The moment it touched his head he vanished.

I gasped, he had been there and now he wasn’t. I mean I know he’s a god and all but that’s really going a bit far.

Hades chuckled as he removed the helmet. He was now stood next to me.

“Ah, I think we might want to run, someone’s coming.”

“Oh hell, we need to get Woofie,” I said

“Lead the way”

I sprinted off in the direction of Woofie’s cell, when I reached it I literally skidded to a stop.

Hades grabbed the door of the cell, ripped it off and tossed it aside, I gasped again.

“If nobody knew we were here before they do now” I muttered

“Take my hand, I’m going to get us out of here” he said it has to be said that something in his manner reminded me of Xanthe.

I took his left hand, the right one was holding Woofie’s collar. As I looked I saw that it was the same one Aphrodite had given Xanthe all that time ago, five years and she still had it. I did strike me bas odd that he was wearing it but then it had been his best collar and he’d been taken on Christmas day.

The next thing I knew I was standing in front of Zach, I ran over and kissed him.

“I told you I could do it”

“I never doubted you”

“Yes dear” I said

“Excuse me Katriona, I have something I want to do for you”

“Yes?”

“Yes. Now give me a mo I really hope I can remember what to do”

I remember feeling all hot and heavy, the world seemed different, then the feeling cleared.

“Oh my gods” breathed Zach

“What?” I asked, that was when I started to notice, my voice had been all faint when I was a spirit, now it was strong, I was alive

“You’re alive”

“****** Hell” I said (sorry I swore but I was kinda surprised)

“Oh, sir” I said to Hades “did I tell you Xanthe’s engaged to my half-brother Aaron and that they’re having a joint wedding with Rox and Luke?”

“No”

“Ah. Sir, Xanthe’s engaged to my half brother Aaron and they’re going to have a joint wedding with Roxy and Luke”

“Well, I think I want my daughter here, with me so I can spend some time with her before she goes and gets married,”

I thought that he was stating The Quite Frankly Blooming Obvious but hey ho, don’t matter does it?

“Where is it?”

“Where’s what?” asked Luke

“The bell,”

“What bell?” asked Rox?

“The bell that summons Xanthe to me exactly five minutes after I’ve rung it”

“Well why couldn’t you use that to get out?” Zach asked

“Because she wouldn’t be able to get out the cell. We would’ve been stuck in there together”

“Oh.” I said

“Ah ha. Found it,” Hades pulled a tiny silver bell from his pocket and rang it. It made no noise and I was immediately reminded of the bell he’d rung on my first visit to the palace of Hades.

********

Xanthe:

Chapter 15.

Aaron and I were walking through the rose gardens on the way back to the palace when I heard a tinkling sound accompanied by a calm, cool voice a bit like the one in lifts

“Five minutes”

“Oh crap, Aaron, we need to grab anything we want to take and then hold my had as tight as you can”

“Why?”

“Because my father has rang a tichy little bell what gives me five minutes to grab what I need before I’m magically transported to wherever the hell he is”

“Ah, um love, you’re grammar is slipping”

“Oops, now be quick”

We sprinted back to the house, ran upstairs and changed into clean clothes, grabbed some other essentials, shoved them in a bag and held hands.

As Aaron’s hand closed over mine I heard the voice again

“Five seconds”

Aargh! Did I have everything?

“Four seconds”

I knew I’d forgotten something

“Three seconds”

I always did

“Two seconds”

I squeezed Aaron’s hand tighter

“One second”

I shut my eyes tight

“Hey, you can open your eyes now Xanthe” said Kat, she sounded different, her voice was stronger

I opened my eyes, my senses adjusted themselves and I was assailed by the sound of hearts beating, and then as I reached for the heart beat I wanted to hear most I realised I couldn’t hear it. I couldn’t hear Aaron.

Then I blacked out.

I came to about half an hour later Aaron was standing over me

“Are…you…alright?” I managed

“Yeah, I’m fine, why?”

“Couldn’t…hear…your…heart”

“Huh?”

“Ah” said Hades, “I have a theory regarding that, Zachariah, can you hear Kat’s heartbeat?”

“No, and why in the name of Zeus can’t you call me Zach?”

“No I thought not. Besides, I don’t want to call you Zach, I don’t think it suits you”

“Anyway…what’s…Zach…got…to…do…with…it?”

“Don’t worry, the point is that my children can’t hear the heartbeat of the people they love”

“Oh, good”

“Oh! Congratulations, I really hope I don’t have to blast you to bits for hurting Xanthe Aaron”

“Okay… thanks sir, um I think”

“Ignore him love” I said “he’s pretty weird sometimes and he never makes any sense”

We spent the next week on Olympus engaged in frantic wedding preparations and giving evidence against Hephaestus, the latter was nowhere near as fun as the former and appeared to bear no fruit until we received a written statement and apology from Hephaestus.

It read as followed:

To Hades,

I’m sorry for kidnapping you but I was really desperate, I wanted to talk to you and explain but I never got chance.

I only kidnapped you because I was counting on the blame falling on Ares so I could finally spend some time with my wife, if that hadn’t worked I would’ve sent your daughter incriminating evidence of Ares kidnapping you ect. I guessed that her hot-headed temperament would lead her to present the evidence therefore leaving me in the clear.

Again I apologise and wish to offer my congratulations to your daughter on her engagement.

Regards Hephaestus

P.S enclosed is a letter for Xanthe from my wife giving the time of a fitting for her wedding dress.

P.P.S I really am most sincerely sorry

The letter from Aphrodite was really quite entertaining so I’ve put it in here this is how it goes:

Hello darling! Aphrodite here! Just letting you know darling I need you and Roxie to come to the big pink palace (my place) tomorrow at ten o’clock. To choose the dresses and shoes you see darling. Now, the wedding is one week tomorrow, I’ll pick you and Roxie up at nine that gives us until five, that’s four hours to get you ready. Eros will pick Aaron and Luke up half an hour later. You won’t see them after you leave until the wedding. Tradition you know.

Lots of love to all of you darling. See you tomorrow.

Toodle-pip

Aphrodite.

P.S sorry that Hephaestus was so silly, any how we’re all sorted now and I will make sure he never does anything like this again.

P.P.S what does P.S mean????!!!!!!

P.P.P.S come to think of it what does P.P.S mean????!!!!!!

She carried on with the ‘what does P.S mean’ thing until she ran out of paper class or what?

I mean I can’t believe she spelled Roxy as Roxie all the way through the letter and that she thinks I don’t know that the huge pink palace with ‘Aphrodite’s house’ painted on it was where she lived. I mean how dumb can you be?

Oh, yeah as dumb as Aphrodite. Duh.

********

Chapter 16.

At ten o’clock Rox and I walked over to Aphrodite’s palace, we were shown in, given drinks and asked to wait until the dresses could be put on the dummies and lined up for us to choose from.

When they were done we were taken to a pale pink room with a white carpet and mirrors everywhere so you could see every angle at once, the dresses were on dressmakers dummies in a line along the edge of the wall.

Roxy made a beeline for the blue-green dress in the corner. It had silver embroidery and a silver ribbon barking the bodice portion on the front and back, the skirt frilled out at the bottom and looked absolutely beautiful, I had a feeling that she’d choose that one.

My eye, however was immediately caught by a hot pink dress made of a ruffled silk with a skirt that spiralled out from the black silk ribbon at the waist, the ribbon was embroidered in a fine gold thread.

“Well darlings do you like anything?” asked Aphrodite

“Ooh yes!” Rox exclaimed “this one here”

“Oh, good choice darling! It will suit you beautifully!” Aphrodite cooed, one she and Rox were done discussing the many merits of the dress Aphrodite turned to me

“Now Xanthe darling, what about you?”

“Well I like this one” I said, indicating the dress “but I’m not sure if it’ll suit me”

“Darling! I designed that one with you in mind! I think it shall be splendid!”

“Y’ think?”

“Of course darling!”  And on she went, she described everything good about the dress. Once she was done we moved onto shoes.

The attendants carried in about forty pillows, a pair of shoes on each one.

“Now dears, look at anything you like, so long as it goes with the dress”

Rox and I bent over the pairs of shoes, eventually she selected a pair of five inch silver stilettos, and I selected a more appropriate pair of shoes with one-inch stiletto heels, they were made of the same ruffled pink silk as the dress, they had the same gold embroidery with black silk strap that matched the ribbon on the waist of the dress

“Well darlings, have you chosen?”

“Yes, I have” I said

“Me too” said Rox

“Lets see then”

We showed her our shoes.

“Perfect darlings, we’re nearly done, we just need to choose the flowers for the bouquets” she turned to the attendants “clear away anything we don’t need”

I turned to her, “I thought we’d only be an hour or so, we’ve already been one and a half”

“Really?! Oh dear, we’re behind schedule!”

As she finished the attendants brought in several hundred types of flowers, there were roses, carnations and tulips plus about five hundred plants I reckon Demeter had kept for mount Olympus instead of giving them to earth. Oh well, don’t matter do it?

Rox ran straight over to the table once the flowers were all laid out and began finding blue flowers and some greenery to mix in with them.

I however found some roses the same colour as my dress and mixed in a few white flowers and some of the gold-sprayed sprigs of beautifully twisted grasses.

Once we’d chosen our flowers Rox and I showed them to Aphrodite, she got an attendant to bind the stems up and make them into bouquets, then she pushed us off into separate side rooms so the attendants could help us into our wedding dresses and put a fraction of the make-up they’d be using next week on me.

Then they helped me get my shoes on and held the door open for me so I could walk out into the main room.

I looked in the mirror and nearly fainted, the person looking back at me wasn’t me, it couldn’t be, her pale face had rosy cheeks, her black hair in perfect ringlets, her arms were beautiful and slender, her body curved under the dress and looked more beautiful than I could ever do. Before I could blink and turn her back into me Rox came out of her room, I saw her reflection in the mirror behind me

“Oh my gods Rox you look beautiful,” I said at the same time she said

“Oh my gods Xanthe you look beautiful”

“Oh my gods you both look beautiful,” cried Aphrodite

“I don’t look anything like normal, I’m too pretty” I said “ I mean my skin never flushes, and my hair is naturally straight not curly!”

“Only two things are true in that darling, one is that your skin never flushes and the other one is that your hair is not naturally curly but you are beautiful, you just need to realise it. Aaron sees it, I see it, I put it there, I saw you as a baby and I added a little extra beauty because I knew that one day that beauty would come into its own, and that day is coming” Aphrodite whispered

“Really?” I asked

“Really, really” said Rox

********

Chapter 17.

Six days later Rox and I were busy frantically checking guest lists, making sure we’d not left anyone out, I mean if we’d left out just one minor Olympian our lives would then be plagued by whatever it was they were in charge of for instance Eileithyia goddess of childbirth would stop us having any children.

So we had to invite everyone I mean I really don’t want my life to be plagued by misfortunes sent by various minor gods.

Dinnertime the night before the wedding was early, half past five we had pasta with pesto and cherry tomatoes. After dinner Zach and Kat turned up in separate cars to take us to our various parties.

Zach, Luke and Aaron were going to Dionysus’ place with a load of mates for an evening of immature games.

Me, Rox and Kat were all going to go over to Aphrodite’s palace for a disco with most of the minor goddesses.

I was just about to grab my bag when my dad came over to me

“Xanthe, I need a word”

“Proceed”

“In private”

“Oh” I followed him through into the kitchen “what?” I asked

“It’s about your mum”

“What!”

“I think it’s time you met her”

“Umm… okay”

“Selene, come in”

“But…but…but” I stammered as Selene, goddess of night came in

“Hello Xanthe,” she said

“Umm… hi?”

“I am sorry I lied to you all these years Xanthe, I wanted to avoid telling you, but it’s too late now, you’re immortal”

“What?”

“You and Zach are all Olympian, not half, Zach is no longer immortal, he was destroyed and when you chose to bring him back I could only bring him back as a mortal, to make him immortal is beyond my power”

“Wait… Zach is mortal but I’m immortal?”

“Yes,” Selene said

“But I can’t marry Aaron now! It’s not fair on him, to waste his life with someone who won’t age and die with him”

“Yes, but perhaps I can make you mortal, would you accept that?”

“Yes, I would give up my life for Aaron, giving up immortality is easily done, you can’t miss what you never knew you had” true, I didn’t care, to tell the truth I was more worried about Aaron than anything else

“True, true. Very well. Tomorrow as you speak the wedding vow you will become mortal and stay that way until the end of your time”

“Okay, now, I’ll yell at you later for not telling me that my mum is alive but right now I’ve goy my hen party.” I meant it; I was going to yell my head off (figuratively speaking) when I had time.

I walked out of the house arm in arm with Rox and Kat, after all this was my last night of my immortal life.

I may as well enjoy it.

********

Chapter 18.

The following morning I woke up at half eight, put on jeans and a t-shirt, I ate my breakfast slowly, about five minutes after I’d finished Rox came down and fixed us both a cup of coffee, I drank it quickly and refilled it from the pot and fiddled with my hair.

Finally nine o’clock came, I abandoned my coffee cup and dashed to the door, Aphrodite’s limo was waiting outside, Rox and I bundled in and the limo sped off.

As soon as we arrived at the palace we were bundled back out of the limo buy attendants and taken inside, we were waxed, exfoliated and moisturized in about an hour.

The next hour was spent having loads of make-up applied to every part of my face imaginable, as this was happening my hair was being washed, dried and curled.

I was then taken to a different room too Rox and I was helped into my wedding dress and other paraphernalia, part of my curled hair was coiled top of my head and was held there by gold combs encrusted with rubies and diamonds, the rest was left to hang down loose at the front, framing my face.

A white veil was placed over the hair at the back and held in place with a golden tiara, my dress was then pulled carefully over my head and laced up tight at the back.

One attendant took a filmy hot pink garter from a stand and fastened it at the top of my leg.

Then my shoes were slipped on my feet and fastened quickly, I was helped up, and my skirts were adjusted, I was then taken out to a Rolls Royce that was decorated with lots of bows and ribbons.

Rox walked out of the door opposite, she looked awesome in her sea-green dress, and she looked at the Rolls, looked at the ribbons and shook her head.

“Okay… it’s a bit over the top isn’t it?”

“Yep,” I grinned “but that’s Aphrodite for you”

“Indeed”

We sighed and slid into the Rolls.

As soon as we were sat down the attendants handed us our bouquets and shut the door, two of them got in the front, one started up the car while the other checked that we were comfy. We were so the one driving stepped on it and we sped off.

We arrived at the pavilion that’d been set up in the main square, a huge white silk canopy adorned with pink roses had been set up, rows and rows of chairs had been lined up on either side of the isle. Aaron and Luke were stood at the altar in front of Zeus.

The attendants opened the doors, straightened our skirts and led us to our fathers. I took my father’s arm and smiled at him, he grinned back.

We began walking down the isle towards Zeus.

As I walked I examined Aaron, his blue eyes were as usual the colour of the sea on a stormy day, his thick brown hair was neatly brushed and his smart black suit set off his pale skin.

Luke was wearing a silver-grey suit with a white shirt, but my eyes didn’t really have time for him, I was too busy looking at Aaron to look at Luke.

I reached the end of the isle and looked back, the hundreds of Olympians all looked back at me, smiling, many of them were already crying.

“We are gathered here today to witness the bonding of these two couples.

So, do you Aaron son of Athena take Xanthe daughter of Hades to be your wife, to love her and accept her and to do so forever?”

“I do” Aaron’s voice sounded somewhat triumphant

“And do you Xanthe daughter of Hades take Aaron son of Athena to be your husband, to love her and accept her and to do so forever?”

“I do” I smiled, at Aaron, trying to convey all my love and adoration in that single expression

“You may kiss the bride”

Aaron pulled me into his arm and kissed me and I knew my smile had shown all that I’d wanted it to.

The same process was repeated for Roxy and Luke before the wedding feast.

My happily ever after was assured

********

Three and a half months later

Three and a half months later (funnily enough) I was frantically sprinting around looking for Roxy who was staying with me and Aaron for the weekend.

I sped around a corner and ran straight into her, literally. We picked ourselves up,

“I need your help,” we chorused

“What?” we chorused again

“Whoa” I said, “right you first”

“Okay, thanks, now I’ve got a problem.”

“What?”

“I’m well… you know”

“Yep, I know” I had a weird feeling I had the same problem as her

“And I don’t know how to tell him”

“Be straightforward and honest”

“Y’ think?”

“Yep, now Rox, I’ve cot the same problem as you”

“Ah, well I’m guessing being straightforward and honest would be the best approach”

Now, Rox and I knew what we were talking about but I doubt you do so I’ll explain; we were both going to become proud parents in a few months.

Now you see the problem.

“Well, I suppose we’d better go and see how they take it” I grimaced

“I s’pose”

“Well c’mon then” we began making our way to the sitting room were Luke and Aaron were sat.

When we arrived they were eating sandwiches, lovely, a nice calm atmosphere in which to drop an extremely large, extremely explosive bombshell. But that’s the way I like it.

“Hey Aaron” I sat down next to him on the sofa “I’ve got some good news for you”

“Oh yeah?”

“Yeah, Aaron, you’re gonna be a father”

“Wow… really?”

“Yes, I’m so happy”

“Me… a dad?” he smiled “that’s brilliant!”

“Hey congrats man! Well done” Luke said

“Thanks” Aaron was in a happy blissful daze as he replied

“Honey, they aren’t the only lucky ones,” said Rox

“Really? You mean you too?”

“Yeah, isn’t it great?”

“It’s brilliant”

“Hey congrats man! Well done” Aaron said

“Thanks dude”

********

Epilogue.

A few months later I gave birth to a baby girl, she had her father’s eyes set in my face; we called her Selene after her grandmother.

Roxy had a boy who she called Connor after her grandfather on her mother’s side. Obviously not on her father’s side or he would’ve been called Kronos.

Oh yeah, and Sophia, well she was consigned to Tartarus for all eternity, it turned out she’d actually made up everything she’d told us on the off chance of getting lucky.

And Kronos, well he’s still were he always has been and he’s gonna stay there for the rest of eternity.

I did yell at my dad, in fact I was quite angry with him for letting me blame myself for my mum’s death for my whole life, even though I really like Selene I just couldn’t seem to think of her as my mother until the second of February two thousand and nine when my Selene was born, my dear daughter nearly died and would’ve but for her grandmother, so now I really do think of her as my mum, I mean Selene’s first word was gwandmaw, which we think was supposed to be grandma. We’re still not sure.

So we all got our happily ever after in the end, all the loose ends are tied, from the four teenagers who set out to save the world five-and-a-bit years ago so many things have changed to all of us, I mean we’re all married now. So once and for all I believe I can safely say:

The End.

Queen of Death

PAGE 1

This is where my dad sits when he is here, at the moment I’m sitting in his seat.

This is row one, there are only four seats on row one, and they are the ones who decide punishments for those who have lead bad lives.

Row two. These are the seats for the ten council people who have the second vote on a punishment in the event of a tie in row one

And finally row three; they have little to do except a few things to do with organising events and having a third vote in the highly unlikely event of a tie in both rows one and two.