Hades and Philos: March (Epilogue)
#8 of Hades and Philos
Hades bids farewell to his Queen, for another six months.
(Hurray, we have reached the end!)
Demeter arrived early as usual, guided by Hermes on the private boat.
Philos and I held each other as we stared down the long underground tunnel. Souls still departed from Charon's boat as it floated on the subdued waters of the River Styx. Once again, they barely dared to look me in the eye, yet managed to brave themselves into marveling how my Queen now held her belly delicately. She was a month pregnant and seemed to glow amid the darkness of Hades.
Demeter immediately noticed this, ignoring my presence to coddle my husband--now wife--and the unborn demigod who would become her grandcub. I did not mind, allowing Philos to enjoy his mother's cosseting attention after six months apart.
"Congratulations on the cub, Lord Hades!" Hermes waved from the boat. "And my Queen, I believe we must depart soon, should we not? I have some souls to help escort."
"Very well, Hermes...just let me say one final good-bye to Hades first," Philos turned to Demeter. "Please, Mother?"
"Fine. Make haste though, my daughter. Hm. My daughter."
I discreetly rolled my eyes, then beheld my attention once more to the beautiful Philos once more. One final time, until the next time six months from now. To see him now a her, to see my husband now as a wife, now as a woman instead of a man, none of it deterred any of the love inside my gothic heart. Nothing else held any other such massive space.
The mortals would give praise for Philos' return from the Underworld. They would give praise to Demeter for allowing the trees and grassy fields to grow once again. They would give praise to her delicate care and the warmth of Helios as he made everything green again, as the mortal realm returned to its paradise roots and the animals prospered and thrived. However, a rare few would mourn this yearly separation once again.
"I love you, Hades."
"I love you too, Philos."
He sniffled into my neck. "I will miss you, my King..."
My tail wrapped momentarily around his body. "I will miss you too, my Queen..."
"But we will have another with us...six months from now..."
I chuckled softly, swishing my black tail back and forth behind me. "We shall..."
He reluctantly let go, and I watched Philos stepped with Demeter onto the boat. Our eyes did not part as Hermes floated it away, down the tunnel and out of the Underworld.
"As always, love...I will see you next year."