Hope for the Underworld

46

'Welcome to our home.' Cora smiled radiantly and extended her hand to Rhea, who took it and squeezed a little timidly.

'Thank you for inviting me,' the Queen responded and shifted her gaze to Hades. 'To both of you.'

'Please, do come inside.' Cora took on the role of a hostess, knowing it would be too much to expect effortless hospitality form Hades. 'I would like to show you our home.'

As they had agreed beforehand, Hades excused himself to allow the two women some time alone. 'I have some duties that require my attention, but I will return a little later to join you for a meal.' He bowed formally and walked away.

'Does he not wish to talk to me?' Rhea's voice was pained; her expression clearly showing her disappointment.

'Not at all,' Cora hastened to assure her. 'I asked him for an opportunity to speak to you privately.'

'Why?'

'I have some questions that you alone are equipped to answer. But this can wait a few minutes. First, I wanted to show you my library.' Her voice brimmed with pride. 'Hades built it for me, when I first arrived in the Underworld.'

They stepped inside and Cora could tell that Rhea was very impressed.

'It was a very thoughtful gift,' the goddess said, looking around with bright eyes. 'Hermes told me of it and of your love for books, but I did not expect anything as grand.'

'It's my favourite place in the whole palace.' Cora's face beamed a happy smile. 'Would you mind if we talked in here?'

'Of course.' Rhea sat on a luxuriant sofa and accepted the drink Cora poured for her. They remained silent for a while, but then the goddess spoke again. 'I assume, I owe my thanks for this invitation to you.'

'No thanks are necessary, my Queen... He was still very young when the war ended and was unable to fully understand...' Cora hesitated, '...the difficulties of your position.'

'And now?'

'He is at least open to the possibility of trying to mend your relationship.'

'You know,' mused Rhea wistfully, 'when the war ended, I thought we would finally be one big happy family, without the Kronos' paranoia and suspicions. But it turned out I did not know my children and they knew me even less. Even Zeus resented me for sending him away...' Her voice trailed away, and she became overcome with emotions, hastily wiping a single tear that escaped the corner of her eye and ran down her beautiful face. 'I was so proud of what they had achieved standing together,' she continued after a moment. 'But none of them needed nor wanted me in their lives... When they drew lots for their kingdoms, I offered each of my sons a bracelet as a symbol of my pride in them...' Cora's breath caught with the realisation that the queen was talking about the bangle that Hades still wore, but Rhea did not notice, deep in her own thoughts. 'I tried to pull us back together, but failed miserably, further alienating my children. When Zeus and Hera got together, I tried to interfere, but they ignored me, and their resentment only intensified. After that, I retired from public life and only occasionally got involved with the births of my grandchildren... But there have been no new births for such a long time now,' she sighed and turned her gaze to Cora. 'That is what you wanted to talk to me about, am I right?'

'Yes.' She nodded in confirmation. 'I do not know what to expect. I am mortal, so will the child be born naturally? Or...' she stopped abruptly, unable to find the right words.

'That I do not know, I'm afraid.' Rhea rose from her place and came to sit beside Cora. 'You are neither a goddess, nor a human anymore. We will have to wait and see.' She took Cora's hands in hers. 'But I will be here for you, for both of you, if you'll have me.'

'Thank you.' Cora smiled through her tears, reassured despite the uncertainty, and embraced Rhea.

In that moment, the big doors opened, and Hades walked in. 'Oh, I hope I'm not intruding.' He stopped short, seeing them both in tears; an uncomfortable grimace briefly fleeting on his face.

'Not at all!' Laughed Cora. 'Actually, it's a perfect timing. I think we should have a tour of the gardens and then...' She was cut off when the shadows swirled in front of her.

'Lady Justice... you have a visitor,' announced this familiar disembodied voice.

'Oh,' she sounded surprised. 'Do I?... Who's that?'

'A... messenger...'

Hades made a move as if to join her, but she stopped him with a gentle touch. 'We cannot leave our guest alone. I will see what's this about and, in the meantime, you could show Queen Rhea around.' He was about to protest, but she placed her palm over his chest. 'Think with your heart, not your head,' she whispered. 'Talk to her.' Turning to their guest, she smiled. 'Please, forgive me. It will not take long.'

After her departure, Rhea stood up and looked around again. 'Cora told me you'd built it for her. It's a very thoughtful gesture.'

'Thank you,' he answered with a hint of apprehension at being left alone with his estranged mother. 'She loves books... What did you talk about?' he asked suddenly.

'It's not my place to discuss it,' Rhea answered hesitantly.

'Is something wrong?' he almost cut her off.

'Not at all.' She was surprised by the strength of emotions clearly visible on his face. 'You love her very much,' she stated in awe. 'And she loves you too.'

'But there is something she tries to conceal from me!' There was now anguish in his voice.

'There are things men will not understand.'

'Is it about our child?' he guessed.

'She is simply... uncertain of how things will resolve themselves,' she answered with as much honesty as she felt entitled to.

'I will not see her suffer!' Red glow appeared in his eyes and his features sharpened.

'This speaks highly of your feelings for her... I am very happy to see you so fulfilled, son...' she stopped herself, realising what she had just said.

He shifted on his feet uncomfortably, but then he changed the subject to something less personal. 'Allow me to show you Cora's gardens.' A soft smile appeared on his lips.

'I will be happy to,' she answered. And, as Hades reached out to open the door for her, she noticed the bracelet she had given him all those eons ago and she gasped in shock. 'You still wear it?'

A brief twitch fleeted on his face, but then he raised his head and looked at her. 'As much as I resented you, I still yearned for your approval... This was a reminder that you cared for me once.'

'Once?!' she exclaimed with pain, reaching for his hand. 'I've never stopped caring for you and loving you! Every one of you! It broke my heart to be excluded from your lives! But I also understood why you felt that way... So, I just stepped aside... Please, believe me that all I have ever done was to preserve your precious lives!'

Unexpectedly, he smiled and his whole face softened. 'That's what Cora taught me: that people make sacrifices for others... I didn't understand then, but I do now. And after I spoke to Poseidon, I realised that all along I've been punishing myself as much as I've been punishing you... The time has come to forget past transgressions and live our lives as best we can.'

Rhea was speechless; tears streaming freely down her beautiful face. She looked at her eldest son as she had never looked at him before, and she couldn't believe how much he had grown as a man.