Black Lily

9. flowers for agatha

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Anadil wasn't too fond of flowers. Most of them closed their petals and curled up their fronds at the sight of the moon, which unnerved her. To comfort her, Hester decorated her part of the forest with fragrant jasmine plants, which only flowered at night. In return for such a sweet gesture, Anadil gifted Hester a sturdy bow with a string made from one of the chariot puller's own hairs, deeming it to be the strongest bow in the known universe.

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Two weeks had passed since Tedros' arrival to the Underworld, and he had not heard one peep from anyone Above. Time flew by like a breeze, Tedros thought to himself as he nestled in his bed one night. It was always night down here, but Tedros found it comforting to still call out the words day and night in his head when he noticed the shift on his sundial tattoo.

He had started up a garden of reeds by the River Styx since that first day. Callis absolutely loved it, complaining to Agatha that he should renovate the other areas of the Underworld too. He was beginning to become quite popular around these parts. Sophie always bustled in and out of the castle with new clothing for him — always black — and Callis routinely offered him a sandwich as her dinghy passed by his rapidly growing region of reeds. She appreciated having something new to look at.

But what most affected Tedros was Agatha's presence. She was always nearby: she dined with him at least once every day, and would stop by the Styx to see his progress. After Tedros noticed her frequent visits, he began to pluck a flower from his hair after every visit and give it to her. He didn't have a specific reason for doing so, but he noted that Agatha seemed to visit more frequently after the first few flowers. His hair flowers were always in bloom now, which was rarely the case in the valley. Agatha would watch him work for a bit before hastily accepted a flower offering and flying off. Tedros always wished that she would stay longer.

He twisted in his sheets. Agatha is icy at times, but she isn't so bad. I was right that night all those weeks ago. With each visit from Agatha, this fact was only cemented deeper into his being. They'd slowly grown closer together, creating a dynamic system. Agatha would haul over the minerals necessary to cultivate the land, and Tedros would give her a flower in return. He would give her a flower even if she didn't bring him anything. Once, he swore he saw her blush at his gift of a red lotus one time. That visit was her shortest one yet.

Sophie never said anything when she saw Agatha off on another journey to gather the sulfur or calcium that Tedros required, only raising her eyebrows.

"Pretty little flower's got you wrapped around his finger like a creeping vine," Tedros had heard Sophie say, the conversation echoing down the castle hallway to Tedros' room.

"He does NOT!" Agatha had replied adamantly. "He's a colleague." Tedros had stayed a bit longer in his room for that day. Colleague is a bit cold, Tedros thought. He didn't like reminiscing on that particular memory, but his conscious had a mind of its own. Although her visits during the day were short, she still made sure to dine with him often. He enjoyed the meals. Agatha could talk about anything — the number of scrolls she checked, what outrageous project Sophie decided to take on, Callis' demand for a new stick to propel her dinghy faster — and Tedros would listen without interruption. The two took turns relaying stories, both from Above and Below, during these meals. There was silence between stories, different from what Tedros had lived through in the valley, and he soon grew to love taking a pause to collect his thoughts, thinking about what he had to say, and finally saying it. Agatha taught him how to do that.

"Everything moves slower in the Underworld," she told him at one such meal. "Nobody has anywhere to go. So why speak faster than the flutter of a hummingbird's wings?"

Agatha is fascinating. Tedros smiled a little, face mashed into his pillow. She acts cold, but nothing she does is cold at all. Tedros flipped himself over so that he was lying on his back. Though he used to see Reena and her chariot, now he saw a ceiling full of dulled fireflies. Beautiful, he had thought the first night.

He flipped onto his stomach, his thought of Reena leading his thoughts to the other gods and goddesses — and what their deal with Agatha was. .

Why do the other immortals hate Agatha so much? Because of where she works? Agatha's tone about the immortals above her domain made it sound as though they had never given her a real chance to become even remotely close. Tedros felt his heart race: it pressed into the mattress with each thump. We're the same. By Merlin, we're the same. We're both trapped in stupid domains without any say from our part. Tedros' mind churned as he corrected his thoughts. I was trapped. Not anymore. And I owe it all to her. A wreath of red carnations burst from his head. And she thinks I'm just a colleague! Tedros found himself unable to sleep. While he did enjoy his own bed, he always awoke cold. It wasn't just the Underworld's atmosphere, it was the loss of his nymphs. His family.

Tedros padded out of his room, closing the door quietly behind him. Each footstep sent cold shocks up his body, and eventually, he was standing in front of Agatha's room. He started to lose his nerve. I should go back to my room, he began pacing, this was such a mistake I shouldn't —"

"Tedros?" The voice murmured from the other side.

"How did you know it was me?" Tedros asked meekly.

The voice was a bit louder now. "There's no one else living here but the two of us. Now come on in."

Tedros opened the door, stepping inside as it slowly closed behind him.

Agatha, cocooned in a black blanket, lay on the left side of her bed.

Tedros stopped right inside the room, hesitant to walk any further. "I can't sleep."

Agatha yawned. "Missing Reena's chariot?"

"No. Missing sleeping next to my family."

Agatha sat up and patted the bed next to her, sighing. "Well, come on then."

Tedros stared at her hand.

"Do I need to say it again? Get in the bed." Agatha flipped open the covers, allowing Tedros to crawl under them. Agatha on the left of the bed, Tedros on the right. As the firefly lights dimmed to complete darkness, Agatha whispered into Tedros' ear. "I'll tell you a secret. I can never sleep either."

But with Agatha next to him, Tedros fell asleep with ease.