AllFreeNovel
Share Us
Dionysos looked up at him, thorns and twigs sticking out of his hair, perplexed. “Did you know these roses are scentless?”
Hades rolled his eyes and helped him to his feet before heading into the maze, the silver flowers catching the light of the torches still burning in the distance set the path on fire with a coppery glow. The sound of Dionysos’ sandals slapping the ground behind him had him halting on the path before they reached the center, but far enough within that the bellowing songs were a distant mumble.
The grass scratched at his bare skin as he laid down and shut his eyes to block out the spinning world around him. Dionysos’ body slammed into the ground beside him and he sighed loudly.
Hades ignored him, but he sighed again. Louder, somehow.
“What,” he said through his teeth, grabbing a fistful of grass and throwing it up beside him, aiming for Dionysos’ face.
A little scream from his side told him his aim was true.
“Why are you in such a huff?” Dionysos said as he brushed his face off, the sound of skin dragging against skin bringing Persephone back to the forefront of his mind, the sound of his hands brushing up her thighs, her breath hitching at his touch. Then Dionysos said, “It’s your wedding night!” in a shrill tone that had Hades’ back in the garden and back on edge.
The world was quiet for a moment before Dionysos shuffled beside him and he got to his feet. Probably leaving Hades alone to brood since he was being a bad friend tonight, barely even drinking with him, definitely keeping things from him.
“Why are you out here? Shouldn’t you be with—”
“Do you really want to talk about this?” Hades said, his voice flat.
Dionysos made a sound of acknowledgment, the sound of wine sloshing into his mouth against the silence of the world had Hades’ pushing himself to his elbows. Dionysos had his arm straight above him, the other thrown out to the side for balance, and his head thrown back as he half poured it into his mouth and down his neck. Mostly down his neck as he stumbled on unstable feet.
At that moment, Hades knew he could tell him anything right now and the god would never remember. He had had more than enough wine to wet the lips of every soldier in the Underworld, and then some.
Who better to tell his secrets to than someone who will never recall them?
“She’s beautiful,” Hades said, and Dionysos mumbled his agreement, “and I did need a queen. But,” he tugged at the grass at his side, “truly it could have been anybody. I didn’t even particularly want a queen, but more and more mortals are dying every decade and it’s difficult to deal with it alone. So, I found myself a partner—”
“To partners!” Dionysos raised his empty wine glass, realized it was empty and looked to Hades own hand, but Hades’ glass was long gone, shattered into dust near the palace. Looking between them twice more, as if he couldn’t believe his eyes, Dionysos’ lower lip jutted out in a pout. He started to say something else as he watched his glass refill, the red liquid gently bubbling within, but Hades’ cut him off.
“Yeah, to partners, whatever. Look, Di,” he stood up and grabbed Dionysos by the shoulders, forcing him to face him. The pounding in his chest picked up as the words formed on his lips, as he anticipated the relief he would feel after they’d fallen onto his friend’s ears. “I only married Persephone to get back at and torture Demeter and Poseidon.”
Dionysos narrowed his eyes. “What?”
His grip tightened as he said, “Demeter killed Minthe. Poseidon killed Leukke.”
“Who?”
“The two most amazing loves I have ever had.” He let go of Dionysos, watching him sway side to side as he regained his footing. “The only ones,” he said quietly, looking over his shoulder as if he could see through the roses all the way to the tree now planted in the center. As if they would both come strolling down the path, laughing with their arms linked, their eyes glowing as they found him. “So, I took who they love,” he finished, his voice thick.
“Poseidon loves Persephone?” Dionysos gasped, staggering back a step. “That explains why he was glaring at you all day. And why he smelled extra briny; he always smells extra salty when he’s angry, have you noticed that?”
“No, I have not. I don’t notice him,” Hades said shortly. “He was in love with the same person Persephone was in love with. So, I killed him. Which broke Persephone’s heart and forced her to call on me for a favour, hence the marriage. That’s—”
“Beautiful wedding,” Dionysos said, tears glistening in his eyes, his free hand over his heart.
Hades smiled, Dionysos would honestly never remember this conversation. “That’s Demeter dealt with. Poseidon will be dealt with soon enough.” He winked.
“How?”
“You’ll see.”
“See what?”
Hades laughed. “See where all the wine went.” He clasped him on the shoulder, turning him back towards the palace. “You’re drunk, Di. So drunk, I don’t think even you know what you’re saying.”
“Wait.” Dionysos stopped walking, flinging his arm in front of Hades, his elbow colliding sharply with his sternum. Hades let go of him and rubbed his chest, the pain already sliding away.
Moving his hand to pinch the bridge of his nose, Hades’ heart started hammering again. He shouldn’t have said anything. No matter how drunk Dionysos was, he should have kept this to himself. The god beside him couldn’t keep a secret if his immortality depended on it, and starting a war with Poseidon was low on his priority list having just married a young and inexperienced queen.
