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“What is it, love?” A shallow V formed between his mother’s eyes. “You can tell us anything.”
He hoped that was true. “I…I don’t want to be king,” he blurted. “I’ve never wanted to rule. Hades has offered me a position in the Underworld helping lost souls, and I’m going to take it.”
For a long time, no one said anything. His parents didn’t blink. They didn’t move. Hell, he wasn’t entirely sure they were still breathing.
“You probably should have eased into the whole Underworld thing.”
Oh, right. He had been so intent on getting everything out before he lost his courage he hadn’t stopped to think about how they might receive that part of the news.
“The…the Underworld?” It was Iliana who found her voice first. “Like, with dead people and stuff? That’s real?”
“It’s very real.”
“Are you sure?”
“My mate’s full name is Cerberus, as in the Guardian of the Underworld. So, yes, I’m sure.”
“Oh, Orrin.” His mother took his free hand and cradled it between her own. “Are you sure? It sounds dangerous.”
“I’m sure. This is what I want to do.” Smiling, he looked up at his mate. “And I want to be with Erus. Since his home is the Underworld, that’s where I should be as well.”
“It sounds as though you’ve given it a lot of thought.” King Corson threaded his fingers through his long, silvery hair. “If this is what you truly want, then you should do it.”
“I…” A lump formed in his throat, and tears prickled the corners of his eyes. “You’re not disappointed?”
“Maybe a little, but that’s only natural. I’m not disappointed with you, though.”
“We just want you to be happy,” his mother added, still holding his hand. “Of course, I’m not thrilled about the idea of you being so far away, but you’ll come to visit. Yes?”
“As often as I can,” he promised, his voice thick with emotion. Had he really misjudged them all this time?
“I’m sorry if I made you feel like you couldn’t tell me you didn’t want this life.” Stepping forward, his dad placed a hand on his shoulder. “I know I’ve put a lot of pressure on you in the past, but I really did want the best for you.”
“I understand.” His father had been trying to prepare him for the life of a king, and while that may not be what he wanted, he had learned many valuable lessons over the years. “You aren’t a mind reader. You couldn’t have guessed what I was thinking.”
“So, that means I’m going to be Queen?” Iliana did an adorable little dance and spun around in a circle. “I’m going to rock this shit!”
“Iliana!” their mother scolded. “Language.”
“Calm down, jitterbug. You still have a lot of growing up to do.” Pulling his daughter into his arms, the king chuckled as he pressed a kiss to her temple. “Besides, I have no plans of stepping down for a very long time.”
The remainder of their time together passed with lots of smiles and laughter. In fact, Orrin couldn’t remember the last time there had been so much happiness radiating throughout the castle. When it was time to say goodbye, his parents hugged him a little tighter, held on a little longer, and made him promise he would return soon.
“I told you they would understand,” Erus said as they exited the doors of the castle. “How are you feeling?”
“Really good. I can see now that a lot of the pressure I carried was self-inflicted.” He could have saved himself a lot of stress and worry if he had initiated the conversation with his parents a long time ago.
During their visit, his father had pulled him aside to ask—not demand—a small concession from him. Should anything happen to him before Iliana was ready to ascend to the throne, he wanted Orrin to lead their people until the time came for her to take his place. It was a reasonable request, and if it gave his father piece of mind for the future, he was happy to agree.
“Are you ready to go home?”
He imagined it would be a while before he considered the Underworld his home, but he was more than ready to start the next chapter of their lives together. “I’m ready.”
Arriving on the banks of the Acheron River, he shook his head to clear the congestion in his ears. Phasing between realms was getting easier, but he still hated the way it made him feel.
Apparently, his new position also came with new abilities. While not as powerful as Erus, he did have some control over magic, which included being able to teleport unassisted. He had been too afraid to try it on his own, but Erus had promised to teach him.
As a gift to celebrate their mating, as well as Orrin’s move to the Underworld, Hades had built them a beautiful castle on the banks of the Acheron River. Made of white stone that shimmered in the glow of the water, it stood out in sharp relief about the black backdrop of the starless sky.
