Lexi's Fate (Book 2 of A Goddess Unraveled)

~32~

Lexi couldn't believe the day had come. In a matter of minutes, she would meet Persephone, the queen of the underworld. She had been both dreading and anticipating the moment she would stand before the woman who held her lover's heart. Would she be overcome with awe or feel the urge to slap Persephone's face? After an amazing night of sexual exploits with Hades, Lexi's spirits were bolstered, and the nymphs had prepared her bath with the fragrance he loved the most, lemon verbena. She wanted her scent to be on his mind and in his sinuses when he welcomed Persephone home. Would their greeting involve a friendly hug? A passionate kiss? Lexi had already prepared for this eventuality, she only hoped it would not crush her like a flower petal under a chariot.

While Hades readied himself in his own chamber, the nymphs continued to dote on Lexi, dressing her in a lovely gown of pale blue linen. They arranged her hair in a French braid, weaving sprigs of dried heather into the twists, and adorned her neck with a beaded necklace that Blythe had made from abalone shells. When Lexi stood for inspection, Blythe bit her lip as she surveyed her from head to toe.

"You are the most beautiful goddess to grace the underworld," Blythe gushed. "I hope we have not overdone it. Persephone is not one to be jealous, but..."

"But what, Blythe?" Lexi asked.

"Well, Lord Hades is terribly fond of you. He might be distracted by your radiance." Blythe giggled into her hand, appearing to have no concern about whether they had overdone it.

Lexi joined Blythe's mirth, indulging in a polite chuckle. "Is that such a bad thing?"

"Oh, Lady Lexi, you are such a tease." Blythe and the other nymphs skipped around Lexi as if she were a maypole, showing their exuberance for life in a spritely song and dance. If only Lexi felt the same. She had been nursing a nervous stomach all morning.

Before she knew it, someone rang the bell, signaling the arrival of Persephone's chariot. Lexi rushed out of the room and hurried to an upper floor window to catch a glimpse of the goddess. Unlike Hades' team of black horses, who all had Friesian ancestry, the horses leading Persephone's chariot were grey, and when the light hit them just right, their coats shimmered like silver sequins. Two figures stood behind the horses, both females based on their billowing hair and elegant gowns, and one of them was quite curvaceous, with a pronounced midsection.

The chariot was too large to land on the bridge, forcing it to come to rest in the grass at the other end. Lacy, a nymph with strawberry hair,  ran toward them as the first woman disembarked. The woman was tall and slender, with a replica of Hades' chestnut hair extending past her shoulders in a continuous wave. She held out her hand to help the robust woman off. This was when Lexi realized the woman was not so much robust, but very pregnant. Was this Persephone?

Lexi hurried away from the window and descended the stairs, lifting her dress to keep from tripping over the hem. She was still getting used to wearing dresses that didn't stop at the thigh. She paused halfway down the steps to look up at the tapestry hanging on the wall. It was a likeness of Persephone sitting at a table doing needlepoint. It had become her favorite. The goddess was so beautiful and regal, Lexi couldn't help bowing her head every time she passed it. She pressed her hand against her belly in an attempt to stop the sensation of butterflies as the reality of the moment took hold. Then she remembered the gift she had made for Persephone, and she hurtled down the staircase as fast as her dress would allow.

"Blythe!" she called as she scaled the length of the foyer. "Fiona! Anyone!"

"Yes, Lady Lexi? Do you need assistance?" A nymph by the name of Sella rushed over, abandoning her post at the front door where she was peeking through the crack.

"I made a gift for Persephone, the pressed flower arrangement," Lexi explained. "You helped me with it. I'm sure of it."

Sella's eyes lit up, which were as green as river moss. "Yes, I did. I helped you place it under glass and hammer the frame. You did splendidly for your first try."

Lexi grinned. The nymphs had a way of offering compliments even when they might be undeserved. "Thank you, Sella. I would like to present Persephone with her gift once she gets settled in. Do you know where it is?"

"I will find it for you, Lady Lexi. Do not worry another minute." She bowed and turned to leave before spinning back around. "You look exceptionally lovely today, like a freshly bloomed periwinkle."

Sella left with a lingering smile on her face, dashing off through the castle to do Lexi's bidding. It was difficult for Lexi to think of the nymphs as servants when they seemed to enjoy themselves so much. The foyer became still, and Lexi stared at the massive double doors. They would soon open and welcome their queen home. Surely, Lexi wasn't the first person Persephone would want to see when she returned to her lover. How difficult would this meeting be for Persephone? Had she heard about Hades' new consort who had taken up residence in the north tower? Of course, she had. Lexi backed into the hallway, taking up a rigid pose next to a marble statue of Hades with his canine companion, Cerberus. Where was Cerberus, anyway?

"Where the hell is everyone?" Hades' voice boomed deep and commanding as it echoed off the walls over Lexi's head.

Almost immediately, a nymph appeared in the foyer. It was Fiona, and she was cradling a bowl in her arms as she whisked the contents with a spoon. "How can I serve you, Lord Hades?" she called up to the second floor balcony.

"Oh, Fiona. I did not mean to take you away from your duties. I cannot find Lexi. Have you seen her? I want her with me when I greet Persephone."

Lexi's heart leapt into her throat, joining the lump that was trying to lodge there. Hades wanted her with him when he greeted his wife?

"I'm sorry, but I have not seen Lady Lexi this morning."

As Fiona's eyes darted around, Lexi stepped out of the shadows and into the foyer, calling up to Hades, who was hanging over the balcony railing. "I am here, my lord."

An awed expression gripped Hades' face that had Lexi blushing. "My lady, you are a vision. The nymphs are clearly plotting my ruin. Stay right where you are."

He disappeared from view and, a moment later, appeared at the bottom of the stairs, taking in air like a marathon runner. He wore a pale blue, button-down shirt that coordinated perfectly with Lexi's dress, and if she didn't know better, she would have thought he had done it on purpose. He lifted her hand to his mouth and brushed a kiss across it. "If you were not standing before me, as solid as the stones of this palace, I would not believe your splendor was real."

"You're a shameless flatterer."

"But I speak the truth. I am the most fortunate god in history, which is saying something."

Lexi curtsied, which she had perfected after years of addressing her longtime friend, Lady Twila, also known as Aphrodite. "Then I graciously accept your compliment." She leaned in and kissed his cheek, hoping he wouldn't notice how her lips trembled with nerves.

"Relax, Lexi. Persephone is going to love you, as do the rest of us."

Sella burst into the foyer, sliding to a stop next to them. She held up the frame that contained Lexi's pressed flower arrangement. "I found your gift, Lady Lexi."

"Thank you, Sella. I don't know what we would do without you." Lexi inclined her head as she took the frame, and Sella offered a beaming smile before she and Fiona excused themselves from the room. Lexi had only a moment to look over her gift when the front door opened.

This was it.