"In blazing hot flames is where the world ends"

Planning a wedding, the fire haired girl realized is not as easy as it sounds. In fact she barely even knows how weddings are supposed to be. In the village it was not much. The parents arranged it all and the bride and groom did mostly nothing but wed one another. The Underworld is a bit different than that. This marriage was neither an arranged one nor will it be simple. Everything had to be perfect for their wedding and over the last couple of days she has found herself in a bind. Choices upon choices that she alone has to make overwhelms her.

While she does have her friends by her side, she still feels a burden has been put on her and she fears speaking to someone for she is supposed to be a powerful Queen and if she can't plan a wedding then she certainly can't rule a kingdom as the King's wife and the Queen. Perhaps it were only nerves that kept her like this yet she did not know that a wedding needed all the things that she's having to plan. However, one thing she is forbidden from planning is her own wedding dress that she will wear when she walks to the man she loves and weds him.

Luna and Thalia have joined forces to create the wedding dress for her and she like the one she is about to marry can't see the dress until the wedding itself. She can only laugh at how the two of them have become friends fast and are working together but her two best friends are friends which does make her happy that everyone does get along. Arabella sits in the library, where she has peace and quiet and she reads a book. To keep herself calm for the wedding she always takes one or two hours of each day to read.

And now that she has gotten better at reading she finds herself enjoying it very much. The human world has not printed many books before and some of the books are written on skin but she does find herself enjoying them either way. And reading has become the thing that keeps her calm as she did not know how to read nor write when she was a child as so many children did not learn nor anyone have time for that as people were mostly farmers.

While she was reading she felt a familiar pull towards the door and she looks up from the book to see Hades standing there, watching her with a soft smile on his face. She puts the book aside with something in between the pages so she would not lose the page that she was reading. Standing up she walks over to him. "My love, why is that the days seem longer until we are to marry?" He asks her but he already knew the answer to that, they both did and they both felt like the days were longer than they were.

The fire eyed girl smiles at him as his arms snake around her waist and pull her towards him until she's up against his chest. "Perhaps for you and I cannot wait to be wed" She answers with a small smirk on her face. Over the last days she has come to enjoy to tease him as he can't wait for it. "When I am your husband, there will be nothing to stand in my way of claiming you as mine" He whispers as he leans in for a kiss and she does too as she goes on her toes and welcomes his lips.

Her hands travel to his neck to pull him closer to her and deepen the kiss, her other hand messes with his black hair. The hair that she likes to touch and feel how soft it is and she plays with it between her fingers. The kiss doesn't last yer long as they break apart, stopping anything else from happening as he is having a hard time controlling his urges to fully make her his before the wedding which should be a shame and he will not allow that to happen. Their eyes meet. Fire to crimson red.

Love shines through both their eyes as they look at each other. None of them need words as they stare at each other and they can feel the love that is in the air. The love that they will share for the rest of their lives and it might be a long time for eternity never ends. "I find it hard to imagine that in only a couple of days, I will become your wife" She says. Each time she says that word, she always thinks about Helen. A funeral was held for her when they got back from the human world, though she wished she could do something more.

"Do not think much of it. A wife is only a formal word of belonging to me yet you will still remain the same, but I will love you the right away" He tells her as he places a kiss on her forehead. Arabella lets out a small giggle when he does that she she hugs him. She does feel happy and safe in his arms and she can't wait until she is in his arms forever. Her life might not change that much but she knows that some things will change but over all she will be his and he will be hers.

Breaking the hug she looks up at his face. "I believe we should find your sister, she told me that she wanted to show us something" Arabella says and he nods as he takes her hand and they walk the hallways. Few guards are in the hallways but she has learned to ignore that, knowing they are there for her protection. Even when she can perfectly well protect herself but the King does not take any changes when it comes to the love of his life.

"My sister certainly does enjoy controlling us yet I believe that is only for she misses her kingdom" He tells her and she raises an eyebrow at him. Luna had once told her that her father gave her a kingdom but Arabella doesn't know what that kingdom is nor does she know what Luna truly does. "I believe you should allow her to explain" He tells her. They walk until they reach Luna's room and he knocks on the door. "Enter" They hear her call and Hades opens the door for Arabella who only smiles at him but not once do their hands break away from each other.

Luna sits by her desk and when she sees them she stands up. "You wished to show us something?" Arabella asks and Luna's face fills with excitement as she turns around and takes a paper of her desk and hands it to the couple standing there. Once Hades sees it he lets out a chuckle. "A wedding invitation?" He asks her as Arabella reads the invitation as he has already read it, being that he reads faster than her for she recently learned to read while he learned many years ago.

"I do not think this is necessary as there will not be many at the wedding" He tells her and she rolls her eyes as she smirks. "It is custom for any wedding to have an invitation. Especially a royal one and we cannot allow someone uninvited to show up now can we?" She asks. Luna does make a good case. Arabella smiles at her. "I love this, I never knew you could write this well" She tells the midnight black haired girl with a soft smile on her face. "I am older than I look" Luna only replies.

"My dear brother, you may leave now and do what men do" She says to her brother as the door opens for him and he walks out after he has kissed his future wife on the forehead. When Luna and Arabella are alone she pulls the fire eyed girl to the bed and makes her sit down. "Now that we are alone, we have to prepare you for the before party" Luna tells her with a smile on her face, a kind smile that not many have seen. In fact only Arabella, her brothers and Grayson have seen it, no one else, not even Thalia.

"Before party? I'm afraid I do not follow" Arabella says as she adjusts herself on the bed. Luna sits next to her and laughs. "It was not called that but before I was in the prison and I was in then human world, they had a tradition. I've forgotten its name yet a few days before the wedding, there is supposed to be a gathering or in our case a party to celebrate. Yet not the wedding but the before" Luna explains, though in her excitement she doesn't make any sense to the young girl who has never heard of this.

Seeing the look of puzzle on Arabella's face, Luna takes her hand. "At the time weddings like now were sacred and it was important that the bride and groom were ready and the gods above blessed it. Though, the gods have nothing to do with it" Luna tells her before she shakes her head. "The bride would wear a flower crown on her head to symbolize life while the groom wore his armor to symbolize strength and when they are married, she would give him a new life while he would protect them" She continues.

"I have studied how human have changed this tradition. Now no one celebrates together but the bride and her maidens have a party together and they celebrate the day before the wedding. The celebration of the flower. For soon you will be deflowered" Luna tells her and Arabella finally understands. In her village there is something but it is always just a dinner, the whole family has a dinner to celebrate the wedding. Though, she does know what Luna is trying to tell her. Soon she will be his wife and she will become a woman.

Then fifteen years old girl will soon be deflowered and turn into a woman, his woman, his wife. "And how do we celebrate it?" She asks. Since Luna has been around for a long time she must have some sort of idea on how to do this. "That is the beauty of it. I have already told you how the human do it but you, Arabella can do whatever you like. No one can deny the Queen and also you must have fun before you are wed" Luna tells her. The fire eyed girl doesn't know which one of them is more excited about this but if she would have to guess she'd say Luna.

"How?" She simply asks. What she told her about the celebrations that were ten thousand years ago seem so joyful and happy and she can truly picture it in her mind, though she does get the feeling that flowers aren't exactly the things that would be in the Underworld, despite that there was the white rose before but she doesn't have that good memories with that one. "Anything you like. I can make a list for you and then you can have anything your heart desires" She answers her questions as her violet eyes watch the young girl.

Perhaps it was the fact that neither of them had had any time to relax and enjoy their lives for a long time or that Arabella is beginning a new chapter in her life and needs to enter it with a smile on her face and say farewell to the soon to be closed chapter but she wants her to enjoy herself before she gets married for the small memories are what matters. "When I was a child, I used to dream of happiness but I never realized how soon that happiness would find me. Yet, something is missing" She says as she looks at her hands.

"And what is that, I am sure we can get it for you and if not I then my brother will for he will do whatever it takes to keep a smile on your face" Luna says to her and the two of them share a laugh. Arabella lets out a sigh as she looks at Luna with sorrow. She doesn't know how she is supposed to explain this to Luna nor anyone. "I fear that this cannot be given to me" She tells her. For a few days she has been afraid, the thoughts poison her mind with the fear and she can't get rid of it.

Hades had left his young bride to be with his sister where he knew that she was going to drive Arabella insane with her marriage thoughts. Figuring that it is because Luna never had that happen to her and he can tell that she is still unsure if that will ever happen. He has seen her with Arabella's oldest brother but his sister is quite the flirt and she will move on to someone else soon yet never does she settle down.

Chuckling to himself as he thinks that soon he will have to rescue his love from the hands of his sister before she becomes overwhelmed by everything. The hallways are as dark as always yet his crimson red eyes can see perfectly in the darkness as he goes to his office, a place that he has more or less of his time in for his sister has banned him from knowing a lot of his own wedding. It seems it doesn't belong to him anymore but he's still one of the two most important thing happening in the wedding itself.

Picking up a glass on his table and then a glass bottle of an alcoholic drink he pours himself a glass and then gulps it down in a couple of sips, allowing the liquid to run through his body. Taking the time to go over papers of the kingdom. The punishments that people have gotten and not gotten. Being the King is hard but being King of Hell is harder. Each soul needs to get a punishment that fits the sin and some even beyond that for he gets bored every so often and likes to have a bit of fun.

After all, what is the King that is often referred as the Rebel King without fun and amusement? Now, some might say he has grown soft and he has but when it comes to the girl that he loves, there is nothing he wouldn't do to keep her safe. He'd commit all sins that the world has to offer and beyond that, she is all he cares about he would lay down his life for her if need be. For, what is a King without a Queen? Useless, that is what he is.

Useless he has been for eons but not anymore as he does have his Queen by his side that will soon become his wife and they will rule together forever. And in their marriage they would unite the human world to the Underworld and the bond would be strong as long as they live and nothing can stand in their way, or say they think. Now, that they believe they have fought against all evil, they aren't being careful and soon without their knowledge, danger will invite itself to their kingdom and threaten their lives once more.

The future is unknown to them but it is coming, it always comes and what it has to offer sometimes is not what one would want nor expect but it does come and when it does all they can do is be ready for it but when the unknown has an advantage against you, you're bound to lose and the King and Queen are about to find out what the future holds and all that they love and care for will be threatened. Only one was able to see the future but as he is dead, none can see what comes next.

A smile on Thalia's face as she walks hand in hand with Jaxon down the hallways. They spend as much time as they need together and their nights are in bed but not once do they sleep. Demons do not need as much sleep as humans, frankly they can stay awake for days without ever going tired. Some prefer to sleep to keep their human side of them alive while others enjoy staying awake. Thalia and Jaxon have only gotten closer since they have been together and now they know everyone about each other and he even knows what sin sent her to this place.

She had trusted him with that and he listened and understand. Told her "Everyone makes mistakes, without them we aren't humans". They walk the hallways for no reason, as they had no where to go. Only wanted to be with each other and she knew that Luna would be with Arabella so her maid duties are not needed at the moment. The two of them often did this, walking down the hallways. Going wherever they lead them and taking turns that feel right. Often no words were spoken but there were times that they'd discuss something and few that they would argue.

The love they feel for each other is strong and unlike anything they've ever felt before and like the one that Hades and Arabella share, it can survive anything. "I've never been to a wedding" Jaxon confesses are they are discussing the grand royal wedding that is about to take place in a couple of days. Thalia looks at him with shock written on her face. "Never?" She asks him but he shakes his head at her questions. She lets out a giggle. "I've gone to a few. A maid in all of them but a wedding is a wedding whether I am a maid or not" She says.

"What are they like?" He asks her. Once again she giggles as she realizes that he truly doesn't know how weddings are. "Some are magical and happy while others are rushed and sad. Seeing the love of two people is always rewarding. It is something that you will have to experience in a few days when you and your brother will watch your little sister get married to a King and officially be crowned Queen of the Underworld" Thalia says with that smile on her face, only speaking the purest truth.