chapter 2: Kore's Garden

Last and final edit, if there are some problems of grammar and spelling . Please leave it in the comments♤

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Melinoe and I reached our father's palace, we were greeted by two skeleton knights with Cerberus by their side each near the giant entrance door. There was still time for the celebration to begin, I needed to get changed and sure I like to stay messy but today was not an option. Plus I smelled like Dog vomit and my armour greasy with saliva. For Melinoe he looked perfect even though we just has a sparing dual together. Now about my father's palace, most of you get it very wrong and sometimes when I hear souls saying " This is Hades's palace!" With shock. I sometimes enjoy their reaction and proving them wrong. Mostly when they see the inside part of the palace.

Now you might imagine my father's mansion a stereotypical dark,gloomy, messy and full of bones near it. Well let me tell you, you are right about the dark part because my father always preferred black. I on the other hand preferred dark red, from the outside it is dark and black. The enormous palace was made by father's power alone, no one helped him built this castle. Not even God of blacksmith 'Hephaestus' my cousin who is pictured to be so ugly. But I can't blame him, he wasn't even born during when my father got tricked into ruling underworld by Zeus. I will never call him Uncle. It was good that father was powerful, it only took him three days to finish it.

The outside of the palace was built mostly of black marble and at night when the fire of Tartarus burned like the sun. It shines like a black moon reflecting it's light. It was like the modern world's Taj Mahal but only darker and better. There is beauty in it from outside, there is beauty from inside too. You guessed the outside part but the inside is nothing like you imagined it. There are 66 rooms, trust me each one gets better and better, My favorite is room number 21. Mother's garden ' The Garden of Persephone'. It is one of the most beautiful garden of all realms, where flowers never experience death and trees always bare fruits. Not a single weed is present there, the ponds are fresh and calm always in lull. No fish swims there as the living is not to enter hell, only the dead.

Another room is ' The Hall of Gods', The first room you enter when you come inside. It's father throne room too. Not many Gods even visit my father though but the hall serves as a hall of celebration. Only gods are are allowed to set foot in there but the only Gods to enter was me,Melinoe, father ,Thanatos and my mother. Sometimes we do get visit from Hermes, the God of message and travel. My father and him share some few drinks talking to each other and the hall was used for mostly my and melinoes birthday parties. It's used for proving your strength, me and Melinoe battle most of the time during the party. I battle everyone who challenges me and most of the time I win of course.

Inside, the walls are made of gold and the roof of silver, the floor is polished patterned white marble. It was taken good care of by our servants daily. A large pitch back chandelier hangs above the hall. Which your eyes can't miss once you enter the hall. It is made of glass and has thirteen candles hanging with it. The chandelier is cleaned and maintained by the spirit servants. These spirits were granted forgiveness by my father for they had more bad deeds by a slight amount. There is also the literature room, where it is filled with books of the Gods ,mortals and creatures. I never visited there but father once described it to me having blackwood floor and books from all corners. It also contains my father's works too, he is very fond of literature. " There isn't a book you won't find in there." was the words of my father. There is also my room, the basement, the dungeon, father's room , Melinoe's and many others but I won't go all about them right now.

We separate ourselves when I reach my room.

I took off my battle armour, my body felt lighter and I walked in nudity in my room. My room was a mess, I wore another armoured breastplate. I covered it with my best Chiton. It was dark red in colour and it always suited me, as my mother would say. I loved colour red from there on. I wore my black belt around my waist, put on my brown carbatine. I throw myself on the bed too relax for a while, I could feel the cold clothes getting warmer and I thought about the boon I was going to ask for. I dangle my feet and the sandal was comforting , my silence was disturbed by a knock on my door.

" My lord, your mother summons you in her garden," said a servant.

" Tell her, I will be there ." The footsteps went back and I put my last pin on my right shoulder. Now here is where I want to talk about my mother. My mother was nothing like that you pictured in your mind, just like father's castle. First of all let me tell you that she is not evil. She never was and she loved us both well. Often times we loved her company too. She would tell us tales of why Sisyphus rolled the rock up hill , why Tantalus reached for the fruits and how Hercules made Cerberus submit to him? I never grew tired of these tales as I grew tired of this place. I was the second to make a Cerberus bested his loyalty. When it came to my little brother, let's say that is just not his time yet. As brothers we had good relationship with our mother than our dad.

" Wait up brother," shouted Melinoe as he came running towards me .

"Did mother also summon you?"

" She did, seems she wants us both to behave well."

" Behave ? Since when did sons of Hades ever went mad and drunk, raped someone or even abused our powers ?"

" She is just worried brother that is going to be a huge party and remember you did cause a problem or two before."

"That was just when I was a little kid ,Melinoe. I am a fully grown man now. I admit though stealing father's pitchfork to roast some meat was pretty fun."

" Also the time you played prank on some of our guest."

" You mean when we played prank on father's guests. Plus I was just bored of the same people showing up all the time, melinoe. Father barely have any guest."

" I admit it was funny , ahahha."

" Hahah see that's my little brother."

We reached near the entrance of mother's garden. Melinoe was wearing a white chiton with a drown belt.

" Well brother, you are a grown man now but mother still worries. Every mother worries when their children grows up."

" Let us just hear, what she has to say," I say.

We entered the room twenty one and like always , it never failed to amaze me. It is so beautiful, it would bewitch anyone's mind and unlike the Lotus Layer it didn't need any spells to make you wanna stay here. We walked towards mother's favorite spot. It was a lake where a tree grew with good fruits, we would call it ' Segi ' the fruit was golden green in colour with a shape of bit like small Hydrangeas blooming. Melinoe and I use to eat it a lot when we were kids. As we walked closer to the spot we heard mother's humming, it was a song which Orpheus wrote of love and death.

" Mother , you summoned us ?"

" Ahh... my boys, is a big day for you Healius and is as most important for you Melinoe. Father would want you to watch and learn from this big event. When the time comes for yours to take, you will be ready." She turned her head towards us. I don't care what rumors was spread and how they described my mother. To me she was the most beautiful woman I had seen. Far more beautiful than Aphrodite or Medusa when she was a virgin. I was close to her than I was with father.

" You both look handsome, well Melinoe is more dashing." We all broke into laughter.

" Well he is the youngest," I replied.

" Brother you are far stronger, powerful and taller than me ."

" All the things one should be proud of with your own accomplishments. Your father is very proud of you and you make me proud of being the eldest brother of Melinoe."

" Well father has some weird ways of showing that," I replied.

" Healius, Father loves you as much as he loves me. You know that, why would he grant you a boon ? If he didn't?".

" That is true brother," said Melinoe

" Trust me mother, after the celebration. You will be more proud of me."

" Now, I just want you to know that I ask nothing from you. Only that you live your life meaningfully and they way you want to. What are you going to ask from father today ?"

"Is a secret mother but you will know tonight "

" Haha, okay but do not cause any trouble. Your father has invited a lot of guest here tonight. He wanted to make it special for you."

"Guests? Mother we rarely have guest." Melinoe sounded a bit envious.

" True but since is your twenty first birthday. Your father wanted to make it memorable."

"Will uncle be there ? Uncle zeus ?."

"I am afraid not, he is very busy."

"So are the rest of the Gods coming ?"

" No... just father's guest."

" Mother who are these guests you talk about?" I questioned. Melinoe was curious but so was I.

It was a shame that Zeus won't be there, I wanted him to hear my words. Watch them being granted by my father.

" You will know soon enough, now go get ready. I will join you in a bit," said mother.

Melinoe and I walked towards 'The hall of Gods'. I wondered who these people mother talked about was ? Well I just hope they show me respect, I was a bit happy that my father wanted to do so much for me. He never done something like this for me , it was going to be a good celebration. Maybe he does really care about me after all. Melinoe stayed silent as we walked.