One King

| Chapter 4 |

At dinner, the family gathered in the dining hall, sitting at the long wooden table in the middle. Candles were lit in the middle and torches lined the walls around them. Plates filled with a variety of food sat in the middle, piled high with the Underworld delicacies. Draco and Hermione sat at either ends of the table, their children sitting between them. The boys dug into their meat like animals, while Hermione and her daughters plucked at the cooked flesh with manners. Hermione rolled her eyes at her husband and sons. She had missed them so much.

"Mother," Hermione's oldest turned to her.

"Yes, Lyra," Hermione turned to her, Draco looking up from his plate of food to watch his daughter and wife converse.

Lyra glanced at her brothers, Scorpius and Orion, who simply looked at her for a moment before going back to their food, "Why do you and father insist that we don't go out of the palace after dark? I mean," Lyra elaborated more, "I understand when we were younger... you were doing it to protect us," Hermione nodded, placing a piece of fruit on her tongue, "But, Scorpius and I are of age and the curfew is still in place," Hermione glanced at Draco who looked at Lyra, shifting uncomfortably in his seat. Lyra noticed this, "What aren't you telling us, mother, father?"

"Well, ummm...," Draco thought, his face looking like he ate something bad.

"Even though your father and I protect the dead and you four down here in the Underworld," Hermione said, "There are still... things that can get through and would do everything to get to you four."

"We can take care of ourselves, though," Scorpius said, his mouth full of food.

Hermione glared at him for doing so and Scorpius swallowed. She then turned to her husband, "I think it's time we told you three, the entire truth of the war with Harry."

"The one where you and father fell in love?" Lyra asked.

Hermione smiled brightly, "Yes."

"I agree," Draco said, "When we told you our story, we left out some details about your grandmother."

"You remember the part of the story where King Harry was revived from the spell?" Lyra and Scorpius nodded, "Well, Harry lifted the same spell off of your grandmother afterwards."

"But who put the spell on Grandmother?" Scorpius noted.

Hermione smiled at her son, at his intelligence, "Exactly."

"Your mother and I thought that someone was out to get the gods," Draco commented, "So, we placed a curfew on the palace for you, to protect you."

"Why keep this from us?" Lyra asked.

"To protect you," Hermione repeated.

Suddenly, the doors to the dining hall burst open and Antonius walked in. The blonde man was flesh and his two arms hung at his sides. He wore a red tunic with golden thread, a sword at his side. His eyes were wide with urgency and fear, "My King, my Queen! There is an emergency in the Judgement Room."

Draco and Hermione stood up from their seats, "We shall be back," and they walked out the door, Antonius on their tail, leaving their children to finish their dinner.

Antonius led them to the front hall of the palace. It was a large room and very tall, its walls covered in carvings and paintings. The floor was freshly polished all the time. Two thrones sat at the front of the hall, the large entrance at the other end. Through this entrance, the dead marched through and were judged by Hermione and Draco. They were usually joined by Thantos, Hectate, Nyx, and Erebus next to them and that was who stood next to the thrones when they entered the hall. Hermione and Draco were met by a large village sized crowd who bowed lowly at their entrance.

They walked up to their thrones and sat down on them, "What is the problem here?"

"These villagers have some information we thought you might like to hear," Nyx stepped forward; her dark clothes were like a large shadow and her voice of millions.

One of the villagers stepped forward from the crowd and bowed to the King and Queen of the Underworld, "Your Majesties, my name is Atreo and I am one of the many warriors who protected my village," Draco and Hermione nodded to him in acknowledgment, "Something attacked us while many of us were asleep. They set fire to our huts and the earth split open, swallowing many of us whole, including my wife and maybe my son, Euandros, for I do not see either amongst my people," the man noted, sadness in his eyes.

"Who did this?" Hermione asked her voice kind and soft.

"The Titans, my Lady," Atreo responded, "The Titans did it. I am sure of it. I saw them with my own mortal eyes, burning so bright like the sun."

Hermione turned to Draco, her mouth slightly parted in shock; she recovered though quickly to show that even with this news, she was still Queen. Draco, on the other hand, looked down at his lap, his forehead lying on the palm of his hands, "They've returned," he mumbled.

Hermione noted Draco's agitated look, "Leave us," Hermione commanded everyone as she stood up and turned to her husband. Once everyone was gone and the doors closed shut behind them, Hermione got down on her knees, "My darling, is this what I think it means?"

Draco looked at his Queen, gently reaching out to touch her cheek. She leaned into his touch, as she always did, and his thumb rubbed, gently, over her sharp, cheek bones, "Oh gods, Hermione. I fought so hard to protect you during the war with Harry and I thought we were safe."

Hermione gave him a scared look, "Darling, are we...?" she knew the answer before Draco confirmed it for her.

"War is coming, Hermione, war is coming," and he suddenly stood up, side stepping his wife on the floor, "Hectate! Hectate!"

The goddess of witchcraft appeared before them in a puff of black smoke, a dark smile on her sharp face, "You called, my Lord and Lady," she was leaning against her staff, her cloak swallowing her whole.

"Yes," Draco stepped toward Hectate, Hermione joining his side from the ground, "Go to Harry and tell him the Titans have awakened and to send his fastest mortal to Tartarus to check on the cage. Tell him, also, that I am traveling to Delphi to consort the Oracle. I shall see him shortly," Hectate nodded.

"I'll be faster than Dean (Hermes) himself," and she disappeared in another puff of black smoke.

"Draco," Hermione turned to her husband, "How long shall you be gone?"

Draco turned to her, cupping her cheek, "Only for the night, my love," and gently kissed her lips. He let go of her, "Tell the kids I'll see them in the morning."

"I will," Hermione nodded and Draco disappeared on the spot leaving her alone in the Judgement Room.