Queen Of Hell & Paradise (Immortal gods: Book 1)

Prologue- Hades' Pleas

If there is no POV specified at the beginning of each chapter, then it will be written in third person! Please keep this in mind the further along you read...

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Thousands of Years Ago...

An eerie breeze marred the asphyxiating silence.

The air of the Underworld was no stranger to sorrow and moans of lament, but there was a new, unusual phenomena which arose from deep within its crevices. It was aberrant to such degree, that the souls of the wandering dead --in their perpetual state of ignorance-- seemed to realize that something was amiss.

The shadows which simulated a muted sky were a troublesome cluster of tenebrosity, a sight never before seen in all of the realm's years of existence. On occasion, the inky tendrils would eclipse the dim luminescence of the invisible light source of the Darkest Realm, but seldom had they seized full dominion over its firmaments.

Unbeknownst to the inhabitants, the cause behind the air's chilling additive was the hollow ache eating at their king's core. It excavated a home for itself, inviting intimate acquaintances in the likes of bitterness and woe to establish their own residence in his breastbone.

Persephone had asked to abdicate her position as queen, she was not content ruling at his side. It should not have been a surprise, for Hades had anticipated this particular outcome. Yet, it did not in any way lessen his affliction. He had watched as her spirit and the very liveliness which had initially captured his attention drained away steadily. He had kidnapped her, using her innocence and ignorance to the perils of the world to his advantage.

He did so not because he wished her harm, but in hopes that she would someday learn to return his affection. His loneliness and many years of solitude had inspired his irrational and impulsive behavior, something highly uncharacteristic of him. The moment he set eyes on the lovely maiden, something in his being yearned for her-- thirsted for the warmth and brilliance she could offer his barren kingdom.

But it was not meant to be. Fate was cruel, and Eros' arrows of love only shot and pierced Hades' heart. The punishment for being on their receiving end was watching his love fade away in front of his very eyes. The light that danced in her emerald irises slowly diminished to nothing, and the smile that seemed to consistently grace her delicate features became more and more scarce until one day, it was gone.

His own eyes laid witness to the dimming of his beautiful companion, and he did not wish to wait until she became a dull mirage of her former self. He had already taken enough from her-- her freedom, her laughter, her love for life and Spring. He did not wish to be the cause behind her resentment, it was necessary he relinquish his vise-like grip on her before her grief consumed her very essence.

His heart clenched upon reliving the events of his day. It began as many others did-- with the seemingly interminable series of proceedings he dealt with on an everyday basis. The line of souls had been significantly more concise than that of previous times, and though it was slightly alarming, it was a welcome change of pace. He had grown accustomed to the neverending hours of judging, and he was grateful for the leisure the shorter line provided him with.

He entrusted the care of the palace to his highest-ranking auxiliary -- Thanatos, personification of death-- before taking his leave to survey the grounds he ruled upon. He searched for any odd occurrences taking place within them, unable to recall the last time he personally oversaw their movement, for it very well may have been centuries.

He was on his way to inspect the administrating of the Elysian Fields when a servant frantically approached him.

"My lord, queen Persephone has fallen ill! She refuses to consume or drink what we give her, and her complexion has become deathly pale!" he exclaimed.