The Immortal Heart

Chapter 14

Zeus had contemplated making Hades his consort for some time, even after transforming his brother back to male. The one obstacle he saw was the elder god’s supposed inability to give him an heir, but after the news of Hades’ unlikely pregnancy, the last of Zeus’ doubt disappeared. Hades was destined to become his mate, and the child growing within him was simply the final proof of that.

The Olympian siblings accepted the news with excitement and joy, congratulating Hades on being the first to conceive in their family. All except one. Hera feigned happiness over the news, not wanting her siblings to suspect her true feelings, but on the inside, the goddess was oozing hatred. As if it wasn’t already bad enough that Zeus had practically forsaken her to dote upon her miserable excuse for a brother, but now Hades was expecting a child? Hera wished she could have torn the rat clean out of the womb nursing it with her bare hands, but she was also well aware that Zeus would gravely punish anyone who dared to lay even a finger on his pregnant mate.

It left her powerless to do anything except stand and watch the spectacle unfold before her eyes. Zeus would never choose her, not now. He had made it clear that he preferred Hades over his sisters, and now that his brother was carrying the next generation of Olympians in his belly, nothing could come between them.

Hera withdrew into herself, seething and biding her time, desperate to come up with some way to end the new life inside Hades before it could be born into this world. Eventually she would find the answer, but until then it was best to lay low.

Unaware of their sister’s baleful plot, Hades’ other siblings were all too happy to heap praise and good will upon the god. Hades at first welcomed the positive attention, but his tastes for solitude made him uneasy in all the constant offers to make him more comfortable. The various hands against his stomach were the final straw, and he finally requested to retire to his living quarters.

Zeus immediately thought to supply and extra pillow behind his brother’s back for sitting up in bed, but Hades only gave a dismissive wave.

“I do not think I require such assistance yet,” he said, wishing desperately to simply have some time alone in order to gather his thoughts.

“Please, can I get you anything?” Zeus urged. Child-rearing was a new concept to all of the Olympians, especially their leader.

“Perhaps some water,” Hades finally admitted. All of this aggravation was beginning to overheat him, as it had the previous night. The older god had a suspicion that his pregnancy would be filled with moments such as this strange, inconsistent fever.

Zeus scrambled to retrieve a chalice of water for his brother, almost tripping and spilling it on the short way back, and he was about to pour the water into Hades’ mouth for him had the other not snapped that he was not completely helpless just yet.

“Alright, alright,” Zeus replied, feeling a little useless and clumsy. “Is there anything else I can do for you?”

“I would only like some peace and quiet,” Hades answered him, hand over that of his brother. “I imagine all of you will refuse to let me out of your sight now that I am…” he trailed off. “But whatever solitude I can afford, please allow me to have it.”

“Hmm…” Zeus lifted an eyebrow. “I had forgotten how much my brother enjoys being ‘invisible’.”

Hades sighed. “You make it sound like I am being a rude, ungrateful hermit,” he said, feeling guilty about his disposition but at the same time irritated with Zeus for making him feel that way. “I simply crave some time by myself that will allow me to relax.”

“But what if your sickness overcomes you and there is no one here to aid you?” Zeus pointed out.

“Now that I know the reason for my symptoms, it is already far less worrisome. I will be alright, brother. Please do not fear for me. If I require help, I will let you know.”

Zeus’ hand, resting on Hades’ thigh, travelled up to cover his stomach, anxious to feel the signs of new life. “I would feel more at ease if you came to sleep in my quarters,” he said.

Hades, while touched by the proposal, did not wish to be the subject of Zeus’ constant scrutiny, especially now when his belly rather than Hades himself was the subject of Zeus’ attention.

“I am afraid that I would only disturb your sleep, brother,” he replied. “My night sweats make me a restless sleeper, and I…”

“I see,” Zeus broke in, withdrawing his hand from the other’s stomach. “If you truly crave solitude that much, I will let you have it.” The Olympian leader stood up, trying in vain to hide his frustration. He had not bedded Hades since the news of his pregnancy, which was several days ago, and he was not sure he could do it without risking harm to his unborn child.

Leaving his brother’s quarters, Zeus went in pursuit of Hera. While he could relieve his carnal needs with her, it did not give him the same satisfaction as doing it with Hades. The idea of waiting until after the child was born was certainly not enjoyable, but Zeus would not risk anything that might possibly damage his heir.

*

Hades did not immediately go to sleep, but he lay in his bed, still and quiet, enjoying the sound of silence around him. Several hours passed, and he was not yet sleeping when a knock to his door made him groan loudly.

“Who is it?”

“Only your sister,” Demeter’s patient voice answered. “I have brought you something.”

Hades sighed, but a visit from Demeter was presently far preferable to Zeus or Hera.

“Come in,” he called out to her. The goddess entered the bedchamber with a smile on her face and a small jar in her hands.

“What have you brought me, sister?” the god asked, utterly clueless as to what the contents of the jar could be.

“Supplements, hopefully,” she replied, taking a seat next to her brother and opening the lid. “I’ve compiled a mixture in drinking form for you to consume each night. It should have all of the nutrients required you both you and your child.”

Hades only stared at the jar, looking rather taken aback as though he had been asked to run head first into a wall. He leaned forward, took an experimental sniff of the jar’s filling, and reeled back, disgusted.

“Are you serious?” he asked.

“Ah-ah,” Demeter reprimanded her brother. “You said you would take care of yourself so that your baby would be born healthy.”

Hades rolled his eyes, remembering his reasoning when he pleaded for Demeter to approve of keeping his unborn child.

“That I did,” he admitted. “And it was a promise to follow all of your advice and knowledge. You are the one who knows the most about that which grows and lives…”

“Trust me,” Demeter said reassuringly. “It smells far worse than it tastes.”

Even though his sister was not lying, the taste of the so-called tea was still rather repulsive, and Hades had to fight back bouts of nausea while drinking it. Once he had emptied the container, he quickly replaced it in Demeter’s hands and instead reached for a chalice of water to wash out the bitter taste from his mouth.

The goddess just smiled patiently, happy that her brother had at least not thrown up. “Do not judge it by its taste,” she admonished. “It is good for you, and for the little one inside you. Believe me.”

Hades had no choice but to concede, and to keep his child healthy, he knew he had to trust whatever his sister came up with. Demeter then asked if there was anything else he needed, and the pregnant god shook his head, saying that the only thing he needed now was sleep. Kissing her brother’s forehead, Demeter left Hades’ quarters and headed back to her own, carrying the jar in her hands.

Just as she rounded a corner, she suddenly found herself face to face with Hera. The eyes of the taller goddess were drawn to what Demeter held, and her face assumed a look of disgust when she felt the smell oozing from it.

“What is that foul thing you carry?” Hera asked suspiciously.

“I brought medicine for Hades,” the other replied, not really in the mood to explain herself to her sister. “To promote a healthy baby.”

“Medicine for Hades, you say…” Hera muttered, passing Demeter but keeping her eyes trained on the jar for as long as possible. “Not a bad idea, that…”

Hera walked away without saying anything more, and Demeter continued on her way, quickly forgetting about her sister’s unusual behavior. She had more important things on her mind.

*

The following day passed relatively well, though Hades’ nausea left him in bed for a few hours after his awakening. Hestia brought him some broth to calm his stomach while he lay there miserably, fanning him as she sat at his bedside. Thankfully the broth stayed down and in a short amount of time, he was able to rise without promptly finding a pot to vomit into.

A lack of visiting from Zeus prompted Hades to think he had offended his brother the day before with his insistence of being alone. When asking his sister of Zeus’ location, however, they replied that he had gone fishing with Poseidon.

Hades was still worried he had caused serious offense to his youngest brother, and though Demeter and Hestia helped to calm his nerves, he was anxious to welcome Zeus and Poseidon home when they returned. The very moment he heard them approach and open the door of the fortress, he hurried toward them.

“Hades!” Zeus exclaimed, receiving a hug from his older brother. He patted Hades’ head in greeting, but his eyes were serious. “Should you be running in your condition?”

“How do you fare, brother?” Hades asked, ignoring his brother’s question. “Are you still… angry with me?”

“Angry?” Puzzled, Zeus glanced at Poseidon, who shrugged under a pack of newly caught fish. “Who said that I was angry?”

Hades blushed. “I surmised that… when I asked to be alone…”

“Oh, I was frustrated, but I can willingly blame that on your state of health,” Zeus said with a grin. Hades nodded in understanding, though he was uncertain whether he should be more relieved or insulted.

“Poseidon and I found something special on our outing,” the youngest Olympian said, changing subjects. “And we decided that since you had been unable to enjoy it with the rest of us, you would be first served of this treat…” And as he heard the discussion, Poseidon undid his pack, reached within, and pulled up the still twitching tentacle of an octopus.

Hades put his hand to his mouth at the sight of the mollusk. In recent times, even relatively harmless things could make his stomach rebel against him, and the thought of biting into the slithering, slimy animal made Hades gag.

“Oh, brother, you are too kind…” he managed to say, and already felt bile rising in his throat. “But you truly mustn’t… Should not the god who caught it be served first?”

“I believe we can ignore customs just this once,” Zeus said with an indulgent smile. “Besides, my brother, you are eating for two now.”

Hades gulped, but he knew that if he declined, he risked causing Zeus serious offense. “I look forward to sampling it,” he said instead, struggling to make it appear as though he really meant it.

*

Zeus, Poseidon and Hades were seated around the dining table while waiting for their sisters to prepare this evening’s supper. The brothers were already sipping on some wine, although Demeter had advised Hades to keep his drinking to a minimum in protection of his child. Still worried that the mere sight of the prepared octopus would cause him to vomit, Hades sat with his lips tightly pinched together. He had already turned down the offer of bread from Zeus, who simply assumed that his brother was saving himself for the delicious main course.

Hestia entered the hall, carrying a large plate, and as she approached them, Hades could see something that had to be one of the animal’s severed tentacles, fried in olive oil and vinegar and decorated for effect with surrounding fresh vegetables.

“First one to be served, just as decided,” Hestia announced solemnly and placed the plate on the table before her oldest brother.

Hades gasped when he saw the contents up close. Aside from the rather harmless-looking tentacle, the animal’s eyes, large and globe-like, had also been prepared for him and seemed to regard him with hostility and loathing from their location on the plate.

Hestia noted the god’s shocked expression and laughed. “The eyes are the best and most tender parts of the animal. Zeus told us to have them prepared especially for you.”

Hades closed his eyes momentarily. Perhaps if he kept his eyes shut and breathed through his mouth, he could withstand eating the horrible thing. After all, he did not wish to object to food which had been specially prepared for him, and even more so he wanted to avoid the anger Zeus might express in response to such a decline.

Opening his eyes once more, Hades was nervous to see that his siblings were all watching him, awaiting the moment when he would take the first bite and give his opinion of the meal. Even if he did not like the taste, the other gods were hungry and wanted to eat.

I can do this… he thought, and he picked up his knife and spoon and sawed into a piece of the tentacle. Desperate to ignore the smell, he took a deep breath before bring the first bite to his mouth. He chewed and felt the strange, thick, chewy texture of the octopus meat, repeating a mantra over and over in his head which demanded that he not gag or choke. Finally he swallowed, and he stared at his plate, ignoring the scrutinizing eyes of his family. Some of them sounded as though they were holding their breath until he gave some kind of response.

“Ah,” he said as though in deep thought, and he cut up another piece and eagerly ate once more.

“Well?” Zeus asked, curious as to his brother’s opinion.

Hades shrugged. “Better than I expected it to be. You’ve outdone yourself, Hestia.”

Hades’ stomach was full before he could finish up everything on his plate, but he was forced to confess that he had thoroughly enjoyed the octopus meat and would not mind eating it again. However, knowing how rare the creatures were, he figured that it might be a while before his brothers caught another one.

Zeus was pleased to have watched his oldest brother eat enthusiastically for the first time since his morning sickness began, and he could only hope that Hades’ renewed interest in food would stretch to more conventional dishes than fried octopus.

Demeter and Hestia decided to accompany their pregnant brother to his chambers after the supper ended, leaving Hera to deal with the cleaning of the table. The tall goddess glowered at them from a distance, but she did not speak up on her displeasure. Her time would come; she could wait.

“You really needn’t be mothering me,” Hades half-heartedly objected when he was seated in his bed and given a new portion of the tea that would help in keeping his child healthy.

“Nor is that our intention,” Hestia replied, lying down beside him. Her hand soon furtively crept over to touch his stomach, and Hades could only sigh. His siblings had an uncanny habit wanting to touch that part of him, and Hades wondered if they – especially his sisters – were envious of his condition.

“I wonder how much your belly will grow before your child has finished growing…” Hestia mused, trying to picture in her head how Hades might look in a few months’ time.

“I shudder to think,” Hades said, chuckling but at the same time truthful. Hopefully his nausea would end by then, because he did not look forward to waking with the urge to throw up whilst being too big to move.

“I know I can hardly wait,” Demeter said. “I will be recording every last bit of information that comes with your condition, brother. We hardly know what of your experience will be the same for goddesses as well.”

“Including your spontaneous fevers,” Hestia added. “Something I do not think any of us will look forward to.”

“If you don’t mind my saying…” Hades said, hesitant. “I do not mean to sound ill-spirited, but I would hope you share much of my symptoms. I would be rather disheartened to know that I suffer in such a way only because I am no longer a goddess.”

Demeter almost wanted to punch her brother’s arm, more out of humor than anger, but she restrained herself. Instead she teased him back.

“Does this mean you would wish to return to goddess form?” she asked mischievously. “Perhaps if Hestia and I concentrate hard enough, we could assist with that…”

“You would not dare!” Hades yelped, wrenching his arm free of Demeter’s hold. Both of his sisters all but roared with laughter.

“Do not fret, dearest,” Hestia giggled. “We would not be so callous as our brother.”

“Speaking of which,” Demeter said pensively. “What are your plans involving Zeus, dearest?”

Hades blinked. “I beg your pardon?”

“Now that you are expecting his child, I imagine the two of you will grow closer than ever. Are you thinking of taking any more steps to strengthening that bond? Perhaps moving into his living quarters permanently…?”

“He has not said anything that would imply he wants me to,” Hades replied, blushing.

“It is obvious to everybody that Zeus wants you as his mate,” Hestia put in. “And since you are carrying his heir, it is only fitting.”

“We have not spoken of such matters directly,” the god admitted. “I know that Zeus turned me into a goddess so that he could take me as a consort and have me birth him an offspring, but he has not spoken his thoughts on the subject since I was returned to my true form.”

“Perhaps it is about time he does,” Demeter said. “He loves you, Hades. Everyone can see that.”

“Perhaps he does… But Zeus hides his emotions well. I can never guess what is truly on his mind.”

Demeter smiled knowingly. “Our dear brother is under the impression that showing feeling is the same as showing weakness,” she explained. “Nonetheless, he cares deeply for you, Hades. Tell me… Has he taken you to bed since he learned about your condition?”

“He has not,” Hades replied. “I have not refused him, but I suspect he fears such would harm the child.”

“The baby is perfectly safe within your body,” his younger sister assured him. “As long as our brother treats you with care, making love poses no threat to your offspring.”

The male Olympian gave a thoughtful frown. “Zeus sometimes gets carried away during lovemaking,” he said. “I know he doesn’t mean it, but he is sometimes too harsh and leaves me bruised.”

“Avoiding making love to you suggests that he is fully aware of that,” Hestia said thoughtfully. “If you ask him, maybe he will accept an invitation to bed.”

“I hope so…” Hades muttered. “Already I fear my use as a source of his pleasure has run out.”

“Darling,” Hestia exclaimed as she and Demeter huddled forth and embraced their brother together. “We could see his affections for you even if we were blind. You’ll see, all you have to do is speak with him.”

Hades smiled at his sisters’ attempts to lift his spirits, and he wrapped an arm around each of them. “Thank you, my sisters,” he said. “But I know you are only trying to get close so that you may touch my stomach.”

Not missing a beat, both goddesses immediately drove their faces into their brother’s midsection, nuzzling and cooing at the unborn child within and tickling Hades until he burst out into laughter.

“I get the sneaking suspicion that this little one will be a thoroughly spoiled niece or nephew.”

“Perhaps both…?” Hestia offered. “Maybe we will welcome one of each!”

“Oh no!” Hades replied. “When either of you are given the chance, you may have as many children as you desire. For myself, one is quite enough.”


TBC...