AMARANTHINE-ɪ, pjo/hp

AURORA REGRTS A FEW DECISIONS

Aurora didn't know how many days she spent in the Underworld. She didn't even know whether she spent days or hours. Time felt different down here. Food was scarce and all she could eat were the few bars of chocolate she carried with her. As she was no child of the Underworld, she could not eat anything it provided to her unless of course she wished to be stuck there forever. 

And then it happened. 

She had been strolling through the Underworld a little way away from the Palace. In the time she had spent here, she realized that Hades was perhaps not as bad as they had made him out to be. Sure, he was an arrogant jerk who hated demigods and almost everything else except his wife, but at least he was loyal. He was the only God who hadn't yet broken his oath. Whatever he was, at least he wasn't a liar. He paid his debts, and he kept his oaths.

She did not have a one-on-one meeting with the God since she pledged to be his Champion. He let her roam around the Underworld and gave her a nice suite all for herself. He didn't send her food which seemed unhospitable, but it was a good thing. Aurora didn't trust herself to survive the temptation of good hot food. H granted her fresh clothes and makeup which was amazing. He also gave her two new twin swords alongside her own. She now owned five weapons. Her twin daggers. The bracelet Annabeth had given her years ago which they had figured out turned into chakrams after an.... incident And the Stygian Iron swords gifted to her by Hades. They were certainly gorgeous, and their names were engraved in the corner. αγάπη which Rory could translate to love and μισώ which she realised was hate. She couldn't help but chuckle at the choice of names.

As she strolled, she heard a shriek. It wasn't unusual to hear shrieks and screams in the Underworld. They were practically music here. But this scream. It was human. And much more than that, it was very much familiar. It was Grover's.

Instantly her first thought was to go see him. Her feet would have probably even carried her up to there if Alecto hadn't landed right in front of her, glaring at her evilly. She swallowed and nodded, turning back, to inform Hades. 

She ran to the throne room and to her surprise, Persephone stood there. As long as she had spent here, Aurora had never seen the Queen of the Underworld. Honestly Aurora had no idea where she was. She had assumed she was back in Alive Land with her dear mother, Demeter. 

She was certainly gorgeous. Her long chestnut hair cascaded down her back and it was intricately woven with leaves made of gold. Her green eyes were filled with the colors of lush spring as they scanned Aurora. With skin the color of honey and her body adorned with a long dress of golden flowers, Aurora found it difficult to imagine that there was a being more beautiful than her. She was simply beautiful. There was no other word to describe it. 

"My lady," Aurora bowed. "How are you here?"

"Psyche has asked me to deliver you a message, dear. You've been so brave. You have her eyes," she said, her voice tender. 

Aurora listened confused. "I'm sorry. Psyche's eyes?" she questioned.

Persephone laughed and Aurora could not have heard music better than that. "No darling. Though you have her determination and courage. I meant you have Adhara's eyes."

Aurora blinked, feeling as though she had been slapped. "You knew my mother?" 

Persephone nodded, sadly. "Most of us Gods did. She had the Sight, your mother. Most of her kind did, but hers was the most powerful we Gods had seen. A rare gem. The first mortal in generations who had caught the eye of so many immortals. She rebuked so many Gods but I suppose your father was the one man she couldn't refuse. And I could see why. They were beautiful together. A love story so tragic yet so beautiful."