Chapter 7
Hiding the death of the king a mere two days before his son is supposed to take the throne is proving to be nearly impossible. Not to mention the fact that it was his son that caused his death in the first place.
“We have to tell them,” Persephone says after hours of trying to figure out how to go about this. Dan tenses up and shakes his head quickly, trying to object to the idea, but Persephone stops him before he can speak. “We’ll lie, Dan. Did you honestly think I’d sell out my own son?” she asks rhetorically, resting her hand on Dan’s shoulder. “We’ll say a prisoner escaped and Hades was unguarded and unprepared. We’ll distract everyone with your coronation and wedding,” Persephone explains, Dan visibly relaxing. Elpis pipes up at that, everyone looking over at her.
“About the wedding, should we still go through with our original plan? If the people have any problems with Dan marrying Phil, they can’t exactly do anything other than complain since Hades isn’t alive to have another heir,” Elpis says, looking over at Dan and Phil. “I want you two to be able to get married as soon as possible. You deserve it after almost losing each other.”
“Fuck the original plan. I’ll officiate the wedding myself and we’ll expose your father as the piece of shit he was when we explain why you’re suddenly marrying a different person,” Persephone says, sounding drained and looking tired and weak. “We’ll go back to the castle tomorrow and I’ll work on helping Phil get his strength up. Then, we’ll call the tailor and work out the rest of the details when we have the energy to. In short, I’m tired of waiting to see my son marry Phil and I’m sure all of you can agree. Now, let’s all ignore the hell that has been happening and relax for a while. I’m going to take a nap. Come get me if you need me,” she says as she gets up and makes her way to the guest room.
“I could use a nap too,” Kassiopeia says with a yawn. “I need to catch up on my sleep now that I can.” She stands and starts walking away, Adoni following her to their shared bedroom.
Elpis, Dan, and Phil all sit in silence for awhile, not really sure what to say. Dan is the first to break the silence, standing up and running a hand through his hair.
“I feel like taking a walk to clear my head. I need… I need some time alone to think about everything,” he says, giving Phil a quick kiss and Elpis a small smile before he leaves the house. Elpis sighs as he leaves, looking over at Phil.
“So… It’s nice to finally meet you,” Elpis says quietly, a weak smile on her face. “Wish it had been under better circumstances, though.” She sighs, leaning forward and resting her head in her hands. “I’m so glad you’re free. Dan was starting to scare me, honestly. I thought… I almost thought we’d lose him right along with you,” she says, her voice cracking as she finally lets herself break down. She couldn’t cry while Dan was here; she needed to be strong for him. Phil moved closer to her, resting a comforting hand on her shoulder.
“He’ll be okay. Dan is so much stronger than he may seem. He probably won’t be okay for a long time, but that’s what he’s got us for, right?” Phil says with a half smile, looking down at Elpis. Elpis lifts her head to look at him, smiling as the tears stream down her face and nodding.
“Yeah. He’ll always have us…” Elpis takes a moment to gather herself, wiping her eyes. “He really loves you, y’know? He was closed off and never smiled while you were locked away, but whenever he talked about you he… I don't know how to describe it with words, honestly. He had this look in his eyes that was so passionate and filled with love. I’ve never seen him happier than when he’s talking about you,” she says, a small smile on her face. Phil smiles softly, subconsciously reaching up to touch the bond mark that sits proudly on his shoulder.
“It feels good to know that he still loved me through all of that. I was so terrified our bond would break…” Phil says, trailing off into silence and his smile fades slightly. “I know he must have gone through so much pain because of our bond. He had to feel the worst of my pain,” he says quietly, looking over at the door Dan walked out of. Elpis pats his back gently and stays quiet for a moment, trying to find the right words.
“He accepted every second of the pain. It hurt him, yes, but I can’t tell you how many times he denied something for the pain because he wanted to make sure you were alive. He was so brave through it all and never once thought of himself. He only worried about you,” she tells Phil, smiling when she sees him perk up a bit.
“He’s always been so strong,” Phil says, a proud look on his face. “I’m so glad to have him back in my arms. Thank you for taking care of him when I couldn’t. It means a lot to me,” Phil says truthfully as he looks over at Elpis. Elpis shrugs and smiles sheepishly, looking at her lap.
“It’s not a big deal; I’d do anything for someone in need,” she says, leaning back and sinking into the sofa cushions.
“It still means a lot to me. I would have died if you hadn’t have kept Dan alive,” Phil says seriously, beyond grateful that Elpis was there for Dan. Elpis looks over at Phil and offers him a small smile and a “you’re welcome.” They sit in a comfortable silence after that, enjoying being able to relax and just breathe without fear. Dan returns some time later, immediately going over to Phil and curling up in his lap.
“I’m so tired. I want to forget this all this happened,” Dan says, sounding like he’s about to cry at any moment, but he doesn’t think he can cry anymore. He buries his face in the crook of Phil’s neck and takes a few breaths, trying not to get to worked up again. Phil rubs his back gently and kisses the top of his head. Dan relaxes at the touch, hugging Phil tightly. “Let’s go up to your room; I wanna talk,” Dan says, wrapping his legs around Phil's waist as he picks him up. Phil gives Elpis a sad smile and takes Dan up to his room.
“So, what did you want to talk about?” Phil asks as he slays on his bed, keeping Dan held tightly in his arms. Dan shrugs in response, looking up at Phil.
“It’s just… Everything is so overwhelming and happening so quickly. Like a month ago we were fighting and hardly talking to each other, then you were captured and tortured by my father just up until yesterday, and now we’re… We’re getting married and planning to rule an entire kingdom together. I’m having a bit of trouble processing it all, y’know?” Dan says softly, looking down at his ring and smiling slightly. “Not to say I’m not happy with it all or anything. I just never really expected that this would really happen,” he says honestly, shrugging.
“I… I didn’t think I’d live to see us get married towards the end up of my imprisonment. That’s why I had your mother give you the ring. I didn’t want to die knowing you didn’t get it,” Phil says, his voice getting quieter as he speaks. He subconsciously pulls Dan closer, not wanting to let go of him again. He tries to push aside the memories of the hell he was put through, but it’s all he can focus on. The thoughts of dying and losing Dan floods his mind make him feel anxious enough to start feeling sick. He sits up and gently sets Dan aside before racing towards the bathroom. Dan stays on the bed, confused, until he hears Phil vomiting. He gets up and rushes to the bathroom, falling to his knees behind Phil. He rubs Phil’s back as he gets sick, wincing as he starts to dry heave.
Once Phil is sure he won’t vomit again, he flushes the toilet and wraps his arms around himself, shaking slightly as he starts to cry. Dan gets up and gets Phil a glass of water, helping him take a few sips.
“What’s wrong, matia mou? Do you feel like you’re coming down with something?” Dan asks, feeling Phil’s forehead to check for a fever. Phil shakes his head and sighs shakily.
“I had a flashback to being in the dungeon and I remembered how hopeless I felt and how painful it was to just stay alive. The memories are still so fresh…” Phil trails off, letting out a quiet sob. Dan pulls him close and rubs his back gently.
“It’s okay. You’re out of there and you’re safe with us. I won’t let anyone so much as look at you wrong ever again,” Dan vows, trying to sound strong, but his voice wavers as Phil sobs. They sit on the floor like that for some time, Dan doing his best to comfort Phil.
Eventually Phil feels okay enough to go back to his room, standing up and helping Dan up as well. They make their way back to Phil’s room and lay down together, Dan’s head tucked under Phil’s chin.
“I’m sorry that all of this happened to you and I’m sorry that so shortly after it all happened you’ll have to go through the stress of having a very public wedding and the whole coronation thing. I know it isn’t exactly ideal.” Dan sighs, pressing his hand against Phil’s chest and closing his eyes, focusing on the feeling of Phil’s heart beating. He’s alive and here with me and he’ll be okay. He’ll be okay.
“Don’t worry about it. I’d rather this happen as soon as possible than wait. I’ve been waiting to marry you for thousands of years, Dan, I don’t want to wait any longer,” Phil says, kissing Dan’s temple. “Besides, who says we couldn’t have our own little private ceremony later on? It’ll just be me you, our mothers, Elpis, and Cerberus can wear a giant bow tie,” he jokes, trying to lighten up the mood. Dan chuckles softly and looks up at Phil, smiling brightly.
“I’d like that… A ceremony just for us. I have to admit, I am excited for the wedding we’ll have before the coronation; I get to show you off to the whole kingdom! I’ve been tired of having to hide you away from everyone for the past 16,000 years. It’s about time everyone finds out about you,” Dan says, closing his eyes. Hiding Phil from the entire kingdom and every god and goddess he knew had been difficult and put a strain on their relationship, especially during the early years. The only person outside of his mother and Phil’s mothers that knew of their relationship was Dan’s grandmother, Demeter. Dan had trusted her right away and told her all about Phil. He had been young when they last met, only about 17,000 years old. Dan secretly hopes she’ll come to the wedding.
“Well, we won’t be hiding for much longer considering tomorrow you and your mother have to announce everything to the kingdom. Do you want me to be there when you two deliver your speeches?” Phil asks, threading his fingers through Dan’s hair and playing with the curls. Dan hums in content and kisses Phil’s cheek.
“Of course I want you there. Elpis is coming along as well since as far as everyone knew, she was going to be queen. Gods, this is going to be a mess,” Dan groans, covering his face with his hands.
“We’ll get through it like we always do. We’ve been through much worse and bounced back from it,” Phil says confidently, kissing Dan’s forehead. He knows it was going to be one of the hardest things they’ve ever done, but they’ll get through it. They have to.
-------------------------------------------------
The rest of the day is spent mostly in Phil’s room, but they eventually leave to eat dinner and try to work out a plan. Phil works on a small speech and Dan obsesses over making speech as perfect as possible with Elpis. Phil watches the two quietly, a soft smile on his face. He’s glad Dan has found someone else he can trust and confide in.
They all get settled for the night, the excitement and tension palpable as they anticipate tomorrow’s events. All they can do is hope this doesn’t end in a bloodbath.
-------------------------------------------------
The moment Dan wakes up, he feels incredibly anxious. They have to leave for the castle in an hour and tell the entire kingdom everything that’s happened. Dan hopes that the people of the kingdom take pity on his family when they learn how Hades was cruel and unforgiving towards his family.
Once everyone is up and has breakfast, they start to make their way to the castle under the protection of Cerberus. Dan and Elpis walk with Dan, attempting to keep him calm. DAn is thankful for the comfort, but he can’t stop the pounding of his heart and the thoughts racing in his head.
“This is going to be difficult, but I’ll make a statement that the kingdom needs to gather for an important announcement. We’ll go deliver our speeches once the majority of the kingdom is there,” Persephone says as they walk into the castle. The castle is eerily quiet, the guards silent as they patrol the hallways.
“I’m going to the training room to blow off some steam. Come get me when it’s time to talk to the kingdom,” Dan says, kissing Phil’s cheek before walking to the training room. Phil sighs softly and watches him go.
“At least he isn’t running off like he usually does. It scares me so much when he just disappears when something goes wrong.” Phil runs hand through his hair and goes to Dan’s room, laying down in the bed and waiting for Dan to return. He smiles softly as he looks up at the plants that hang from the ceiling and sees they’re still alive and some have even bloomed. He’s never been more glad to be in this room. He takes a deep breath and closes his eyes, still trying to adjust to the fact that he’s free and no longer in danger. It’s hard being back in the castle after everything that’s happened to him in here.
Elpis walks into the room a while later with a watering can in her hand. She freezes up when she sees Phil, going to leave before Phil stops her.
“You don’t have to go, Elpis,” Phil says as he sits up, a small smile on his face. “The plants need to be watered, after all. The ones closest to the window need it the most,” he says, watching Elpis as she waters the plants carefully. His mind wanders and he can’t help but to wonder what will happen to Elpis once Dan and him are married and have become the kings of the underworld. He hopes she at least stays in contact because Dan needs more friends like her.
“The plants were almost dead at one point. I had Persephone help me out with them since she’s obviously much better at it than I am. It was worth the work to see Dan smile when he saw they were all thriving again,” Elpis says, smiling softly at the memory.
“Thank you for taking care of him and doing your best to keep him in good spirits; it means a lot to me,” Phil says honestly. Elpis shrugs and sets the watering can in the windowsill.
“I’d do it a thousand times over if I had to,” she says quietly, looking out the window. She’d do anything to see Dan happy.
-------------------------------------------------
Dan doesn’t know how long he’s been in the training room, using all his negative energy to fuel him through exercise after exercise. He doesn’t stop until Phil comes to tell him that it’s almost time for them to deliver their speeches. Dan takes a shaky breath and goes to take a shower and get dressed in his nicest clothes. His hands shake as he buttons his shirt, Phil having to help him.
“What if this ends badly? They could start a war if they wanted, Phil. I’m so scared,” Dan says, talking a mile a minute. Phil pulls him into his arms and hugs him tightly, kissing the top of his head.
“It’ll be fine, mellītum. None of that will happen, and if it does, we’ll get through it. We always will,” Phil promises, rubbing Dan’s back. Dan nods slowly and takes a few deep breaths. They go to the main room of the castle and meet up with everyone else. They all look at each other for a moment before nodding, Dan swallowing the lump in his throat.
“Let’s do this.”