The Immortal Heart

Chapter 6

Hades pulled the bedcovers over both himself and Zeus; it was winter season, and the entire fortress – even Zeus’ private quarters, endowed with a fireplace – had become rather chilly and not suitable for unclothed bodies. The Olympian leader’s large form, however, always seemed to radiate heat, and Hades gratefully curled up against his brother, content to be in his presence.

“You are too thin, brother,” Zeus said with an amused chuckle at the older god’s shivers. “With some more meat on your bones, the cold would not bother you so.”

“Maybe so, but I have you to keep me warm, do I not?” Hades murmured back as one last shiver passed through him.

“For now.” Zeus placed his large hands over his brother’s slight form and rubbed at the smooth, pale skin, and Hades responded by snuggling even closer.

A few minutes passed in silence, and the elder god was just about to slip into the realm of sleep when Zeus’ voice instantly jerked him fully awake.

“Hades, regretfully I will have to ask you to rise. I am hungry, and I want you to bring me a piece of bread and two oranges left over from breakfast.”

“Yes, brother…” Hades muttered, and although it pained him having to rise from his comfortable and warm spot in his brother’s arms, he had no choice but to do Zeus’ bidding. Practically hacking teeth by the time he reached the tray across the room, Hades tried to find what Zeus had asked for as quickly as possible and move it onto a plate.

“Will you have some wine to go with the food?” he called over his shoulder, confident that he had managed to interpret the other’s needs perfectly.

“Not a bad idea, that,” Zeus replied.

The very instant Hades had returned to bed, he wrapped his arms around Zeus’s waist as the younger god sat up to eat his meal. Smiling at his brother’s sense of affection, Zeus patted Hades’ hair with a free hand and offered him some bread. Months ago he would have been far more attentive about the risk of crumbs falling into the bed, but Hades’ care with eating in the leader’s bed combined with the comfort Zeus was feeling around him kept the youngest Olympian from speaking his concerns.

Brushing stray crumbs from the bed with much scrutiny, Hades hurried to take the tray away once he knew his brother was finished and all but jumped into bed where the warmth and familiarity of Zeus’ presence remained. Zeus grinned and took his brother into his arms, his front against the curve of the older god’s back.

“What are your plans?” Hades asked out of genuine curiosity. “For this evening?”

“I am completely free to your indulgences,” Zeus said with a small chuckle. “But tomorrow I must rise early. Poseidon and I plan to hunt a herd of deer that has been passing through our territory.”

Hades made a wordless noise of understanding and the two remained silent for several minutes before he spoke up. “Zeus?”

“Mmm?”

“Perhaps this is a silly question, but…” Hades swallowed. “Would it be possible for me to join you tomorrow morning?”

“Join us…?” Zeus asked, his tony dubious, as if he hadn’t quite caught on to what his brother meant. “For the hunt?”

Hades pinched his eyes shut, suddenly glad they were in a position where Zeus couldn’t see his face. He already regretted asking, but it was too late to take the question back. “Yes, for the hunt. Perhaps I could be… useful?”

The bellowing laughter that sprung from Zeus’ throat moments later made Hades wish he were in the solitude of his own quarters, despite the warmth his brother’s embrace had to offer. He knew he should have expected such a response from the leader, but for some reason, he had in his heart continued to hope that Zeus would find other uses for him besides being a bed warmer.

“Hades, my dear brother…” the younger god began once the laughter had died out. “Do you realize what you’re asking? You cannot come with us to hunt. You’re much too weak for that. I would have to spend all my time watching over you just to keep you safe, and we can’t have that, can we?”

“No…” Hades whispered, a lump in his chest.

“See?” Zeus nudged playfully at Hades’ cheek, completely oblivious to how he had hurt the other’s feelings. “You knew that yourself, brother. Do not bother your head and heart with such fantasies. You are much better off staying here with our sisters.”

Hades truly wished Zeus would shut his mouth and leave the matter be. “Would you wish me to remain here for the night?” he asked, hoping to change the subject. “You may need some further stimulation before your hunt.”

Zeus thought the offer over and liked the sound of it. “Yes, I will,” he answered. “For all I know, my desires may call when I wake. I will need all the ‘stimulation’ I can get, as you called it.”

Again he nudged at Hades as though he had made a brilliant jest. Hades turned his head just enough to show he was smiling, but then resumed his glum expression when he laid his head back down on the pillow. He knew he should have kept the question to himself, should have believed his doubt concerning Zeus’ willingness to bring him along on an outing. How could the older god have any confidence that he would be apt to help take down a bird, let alone a deer?

Hades remained wakeful long after his brother had drifted into sleep, and despite the comfort provided by Zeus’ body heat, he could not find rest, dark thoughts plaguing his mind. Aware that he had brought the ridicule on himself for being stupid enough to ask Zeus to bring him along on the hunt, Hades was still deeply saddened by the notion that his brothers did not even think him able to look after himself.

After many hours passed in silence, Hades’ eyes finally closed, and he passed into an uneasy slumber, the sound of Zeus’ patronizing laughter still reverberating in his ears.

*

It was the sound of hard, insistent knocks on his door that woke up Zeus. Glancing toward the window, he was quickly able to tell that the sun had not even risen yet, and this was a good thing; deer were the type of animals that were the most active around dawn.

“Zeus?” a familiar voice said from behind the closed door. “Zeus, it is your brother. Are you awake?”

“Yes, Poseidon…” The leader held back a yawn and proceeded to free himself from Hades’ still sleeping form. “Enter, brother.”

The door to his bedchamber opened just as Zeus stood up from his bed and started looking around for suitable clothing to wear.

Poseidon was about to speak, but saw his brother’s bed was still occupied, and he quickly silenced himself. “I was unaware you were indisposed,” he said in a hushed tone.

“No, it’s fine,” Zeus muttered, getting dressed and looking for his weapons. “He stayed for the night.”

“Is he not coming with us?” the older god asked, staring at their brother’s peaceful form.

“Of course not,” the leader answered as he checked the strain of his bowstring, tightening it a little more after the inspection. “What good would he do should we take down a stag with fight still left in it?”

“Ah yes…” Poseidon said, stroking his beard in contemplation. “No point in causing him undue harm…”

Cocking an eyebrow, Zeus nodded, though his brother’s reasoning was not quite what he had in mind. But Poseidon’s words rang true, and Zeus hardly wanted Hades to be injured by just trying to help. Turning his head to look back at the sleeping god, he gave a small smile at the serene expression on Hades’ face. He remembered his brother’s offer to provide him pleasure before the hunt, but seeing such a peaceful and lovely sight struck sympathy in the youngest Olympian’s heart. He gently placed a hand over the still head, feeling the soft locks of hair before he gathered his weapons and stood straight and tall.

“Alright, that herd will not bring itself to us.”

*

Hades opened his eyes, found the room bathing in light and turned around to look at Zeus, guessing they had drifted apart sometime during the night. Zeus, however, was gone. The space next to Hades was empty, as was the leader’s entire bedchamber. There were still smoldering embers left in the fireplace, but the fire itself had died out long ago.

Hades gathered the bedcovers closer to his nude body, missing his brother’s warmth. His memories soon returned to him, and he recalled Zeus mentioning a hunt. He also remembered requesting to be a part of it, and the scathing response he had received. Shame burned the god’s face even now when he thought back on it. Zeus had left without taking pleasure from him, or even waking him up, and in Hades’ mind this could only mean that his brother and leader was for some reason upset with him. Being denied permission to join Zeus in his activities was one thing, but having incurred his wrath or displeasure was so much worse, and the lump started growing in Hades’ chest until he could barely even breathe.

The raven-haired god was busy fighting back tears when a knock on the door startled him out of his own little world of self-pity. Zeus would never knock before entering his own quarters, which meant that the visitor had to be someone else. Please don’t let it be Hera… Hades thought.

“Zeus?” a voice said, and Hades breathed a sigh of relief when he recognized it as belonging to Demeter. “Zeus, I am here with your breakfast!”

“Zeus is not here!” Hades called back after some hesitation. “There is only me…”

A few seconds of silence passed before Demeter opened the door and entered with the tray of food. The very moment she saw Hades, body tense and partly obscured with a sheet as though it would protect him, she gave a sympathetic smile.

“Brother, what’s the matter?” she asked, setting down the tray at the foot of the bed and hurrying to her fellow Olympian’s side. Hades, though relieved that of all to visit Zeus’ chambers it was Demeter, was still far too agitated with thoughts of their youngest sibling.

“Tell me,” the goddess urged, hand stroking at his hair. The close proximity of her body alone tamed the cold, and the thought of Zeus no longer present to warm him inspired Hades to put a hand to his face, hiding his eyes.

“Zeus is gone with Poseidon to hunt,” he answered, his voice low to prevent it from shaking. “I offered myself to him last night, to give him pleasure before he departed. But he left without as much as a farewell. I fear… oh, Demeter, what if he is angry with me?”

“Dearest brother,” Demeter said, instinctively pulling the god closer to her. “Why would Zeus be angry with you? What has happened to make you think such a thing?”

Hades felt infuriated with himself in a way, his logic convincing him that his request to join the hunt had ruined everything. He pulled his hand away and twin tears rolled down his face.

“I asked to join my brothers… and Zeus laughed. I should have known better than to think such a question made any practical sense.”

Demeter sighed, knowing she should not be surprised at the Olympian leader’s behavior, but also realizing why such a response had affected Hades so deeply. Their eldest brother was not a woman, and yet Zeus insisted on treating him as one, both in bed and outside of it.

“Zeus is foolish not to see your worth,” she murmured, tenderly caressing her brother’s long, wavy hair. “But I highly doubt he is angry with you. It could be that he was simply in a hurry, and…”

“I should not be here,” Hades interrupted his sister and lifted his head from her shoulder. “If Zeus returns angry and finds me here, he might…-”

“Hades, calm yourself…”

“No! I have to leave before Zeus comes back!” He shoved Demeter away from himself and left the bed, frantically looking for his clothing, which seemed to have inconveniently disappeared. “Where are my clothes?!” Hades cried out, desperate to locate his robes but also afraid of disarranging his brother’s bedchamber by his frantic searching. “I need my…!”

“Calm yourself,” Demeter repeated, this time in a sterner voice. She seated her brother back in the bed, prepared to press him down anew should he try to rise in his disoriented state. “I will look for your clothes, Hades. Just stay calm.”

Despite having no previous knowledge of where her older brother had left his discarded robes, the goddess was soon able to find them, slung over the back of an armchair near the fireplace. She could only guess that last night’s activities had started there rather than in bed, although Hades in his current state of distress could not remember it.

The god dressed in haste once his robes were returned to him, but he did not attempt to leave before making Zeus’ bed and trying his best to make it seem as though he had never even been there.

“Hades,” Demeter called to the god as he quickly left the room once he had decided the bed looked decent enough.

She chased him as he hurried down the halls to his own room. His stride was quick and deliberate as though he was determined to punish himself by way of exile in his own living quarters. When she caught up with him, she noticed tears still falling down his otherwise emotionless face.

“Brother…” Demeter said with a sigh, placing and arm around her brother’s shoulders. “You mustn’t be so quick to upset yourself like this. You’ll make yourself sick.”

“What then do you suggest?” Hades retorted, still walking. “That I go about the day brainlessly happy whilst our brother remains angry with me?”

“For all you know, you could be worrying for nothing,” Demeter argued. “He could have easily been in a hurry and left you to sleep. How is that such an impossibility?”

With her physical urging and his own doubts clouding his mind, Hades slowly came to a stop, staring at the floor. “I would have thought I could predict his actions by now,” he murmured regretfully. “But it seems I still cannot.”

The arm against his back arched so that Demeter could pat his head. “If he is angry – which I doubt,” she said, “I shall accompany you.”

Sighing, Hades nodded.

The two siblings entered Hades’ modest quarters and the god headed straight for his bed, burying himself under the multiple layers of blankets required to keep him somewhat warm. When Demeter asked to join him, Hades was grateful for the offer of company. The physical presence of his sister also helped keeping the cold at bay, even though fear of his brother’s wrath kept on gnawing at his heart.

Hades could only stare blankly into space with his head resting in his sister’s lap, and her hand affectionately stroking his hair. He could not estimate the time that had passed or what time of the day it was, only that Zeus was expected to be back soon, most likely still displeased with his brother.

“Hades?” Demeter softly spoke up, without stilling her hand. “You have not eaten anything at all today, have you?”

“No,” the god answered plainly. “But it doesn’t matter.”

“Of course it matters. Stay here, I shall prepare you a meal, and…” She made an attempt to leave the bed, but Hades’ hand shot out and grabbed her by the wrist, stopping her.

“Please stay. I am not hungry anyway. I just don’t… want to be alone at the moment.”

Demeter hesitated. Her brother could do with some nourishment in his body, but at the same time he was in far too much distress to just leave alone. What if he did something foolish or drastic?

“Alright,” she said, giving in. “Goodness, do you give Zeus such big eyes when you ask things of him?”

Hades blushed. “No… perhaps I should have.”

Then maybe I would not be in this mess, he thought to himself. Shifting on the bed to make himself more comfortable, he placed a hand over Demeter’s knee. “You are a good friend, my sister.”

“As are you,” his sister replied with a smile, still patting his hair. The envy she felt for her brother’s beautiful dark tresses had lessened since the two Olympians’ day at the spring, but only slightly.

Hades remained silent and the contact between himself and his sister soothed him steadily back into sleep. It was all he could do to escape the agonizing wait for Zeus and Poseidon’s return. When she was absolutely certain that the other was sleeping soundly, she lifted Hades’ head as gently as possible and removed herself from the bed, placing a cushion where her lap once was. She tiptoed back to the doorway of Hades’ living quarters so that she could have a better chance at hearing the arrival of her brothers. If she could detect their return, perhaps she would be able to ascertain Zeus’ mood. If she was proven right, she would encourage Hades to speak with the youngest god. If not… she hardly knew what to do for her brother apart from holding his hand as he faced their leader.


TBC...