Victoria spent the rest of the day in her room overthinking herself to the point of nausea and headaches. She was also trembling. Although that probably came from the not eating. In her defense she had eaten something a couple hours ago only to throw it up ten minutes later.

She was currently lying in her bed. Every hour one of the three maids would come in and ask if she wanted anything, she didn't want to talk and would feign sleep.

Evening came and Victoria found herself rummaging through her wardrobe, just to feel the comfort of her own belongings. The dresses she wore were beautiful and elegant. Perfect for her new life living in a palace. She loved them no doubt about it but she currently needed something familiar to reassure her.

The smell of her old apartment still clung to her clothes that Hermes had packed. With a sigh, she closed the wardrobe hoping that by doing so, her clothes would retain their smell.

All of a sudden, she heard a knock on the door. A voice announcing that Hades was there and was requesting an audience with her.

She stilled.

He's here, Victoria looked around the room for a way to escape. Unfortunately the only window in the room was the skylight, maybe that's why they put me in here. So I can't escape.

No, she thought herself, she couldn't afford to scare herself like that. With that thought, she gathered herself and opened the door.

Hades stood there in the flickering candlelight. Shadows cast across his angular face and his armour seemed to fade and glow along with it.

Her heart stuttered at the sight of him and she couldn't tell if it was our of fear or awe.

He looked regal as he stood there towering over her. This damned God. Why was he so perfect?

"Your Majesty," Victoria managed to croak out, she cleared her voice. "To what do I owe this pleasure?"

He scowled at her. This wasn't good. She tried to come up with something to say as he turned and talked to one of his servants in a hushed voice. The servant quickly scurried away.

"Your servants tell me you have been refusing meals?" He demanded. Her head ducked in fear of the tone of his voice.

Stupid heart, she cursed inwardly, of course I'm not allowed to admire this man. He is too beautiful and too terrifying for the likes of you.

"I have been nauseous all day, Your Majesty. If I eat a bite of food, I throw it up minutes later." She whispered.

"Hades." His brows were furrowed. "Call me Hades. Not 'Your Majesty' and not 'My King' surely you must know your own intended's name?"

Victoria felt herself flushing and unable to speak as she stared at her feet. She hated how much she loved being near his presence. You are drawn to people who pay attention to you and take care of you. Stupid girl. Stupid heart.

"I'm sorry." She whispered.

Hades sighed.

"You don't need to apologise for anything. It is I who should apologise for being so curt towards you."

There is was again. This dichotomy between the softness and harshness of the way he talked to her. This was exactly what she had been fretting about all day. If someone asked her to show an example, this was exactly it.

"You needn't apologise either." She mumbled, "I understand that I'm not exactly what you were looking for in terms of a future wife. It's only natural for you to be upset."

His laugh made her head snap up to look at him.

Why is he so attractive? This surely can't just be because of our fate to be together.

"I wish that were true," his hand ran through his hair, "at least then it would justify my actions."

At least his mood seemed to have improved and he offered her his arm.

"Shall we go to the palace gardens? Your maids told me that you were enjoying some time there earlier today. I had some servants set us up something to eat."

Stop breaking my defences, Victoria could only plead with him in her head, stop making my heart throb like this. It'll only hurt more when you eventually break my heart.

Instead, she gave him a smile and threaded her hand through his arm. Despite her anxious worries, her head was dizzy with happiness. It was hard to fight off her feelings.

"And that's the first time you have smiled at me since we met." He looked thoughtful as they walked through the corridors together. "You're too beautiful when you do that. Why would I ever be upset that you are my fated wife when you look that?"

Victoria was very certain that she had turned the same shade as a tomato, ducking her head to avoid his gaze.

He laughed. "So shy."

"I'm not shy!" She said indignantly, "it's just – you just – you are very forward with how you talk. I often find myself unprepared."

"Would you prefer me less forward with the way I speak with you?"

"No!" She blushed again, "no I don't. Although when you're angry with me, I never really understand why." She admitted out of nowhere. "Maybe you could be more direct then."

They had arrived at the gardens.

The sky was a beautiful mirage of orange, pink and purple. Stars had began to litter the night sky and a cooling breeze faintly drifted through the greenery. The fountains of water glowed a brilliant light blue and fairylights were strung all over the trees and bushes. It was a like scene straight out of a fairytale.

"Wow this garden is prettier at night."

Her hand lightly traced over some bushes and watched as something that looked like fairy dust fell and expanded into delicate clouds of glitter.

Hades stopped and turned to face her.

"My Lady Victoria. You have misunderstood."

"Misunderstood what?"

Victoria was held captive as his eyes bore holes into her. His brows had furrowed slightly and his posture tense. He swallowed.

"My Lady I have not been angry at you for a single moment since you have arrived."

Now she was confused. Then what was the glaring? His stony expressions? The fury she saw in him countless times the day before.

"I don't think I quite understand." She said as she pulled away from him, arms wrapped around herself. "I am fairly certain that you have been. At the Great Hall, at the end of the feast, storming out of my chambers...and just there when you were at my door." Victoria mumbled the last part, feeling more and more self conscious as she spoke.

Hades gave a chuckle.

"Victoria. Like I have just said, I have never been angry or upset with you. You are mistaken."

"Then wh-"

"I have been angry with myself." Hades closed the distance between them. Intimidated, Victoria kept stepping backwards away from him. Her back met the garden's entrance archway and felt her heart begin to pound faster and faster as he drew nearer to her. Soon he had her caged between his arms. A hand unpinned her hair, allowing it to fall and unfurl over her shoulders. It then sank into her hair and gently tugged, moving her head to expose the side of her neck to him. He was leaning against the archway with his other arm as he drew nearer to her.

Victoria's eyes fluttered closed in bliss.

An armoured metal leg came up. She felt it raise her skirts as the cold metal brushed slowly between her legs, forcing them apart and situated between them.

He whispered in her ear.

"Do you know how much I have been suffering?" He lightly look her earlobe between his teeth and bit gently. Victoria whimpered at the assault upon her senses and her heart. Her heart was racing, heat and moisture bloomed in her core. "Do you know what it's like to wait millenia after millenia for the woman of your dreams? How it feels when you you finally see her and she is entangled in another man's arms?"

Victoria protested and he hushed her. His tongue lightly traced under her ear, feeling him press a kiss under the area and lightly suck at it.

She was dripping wet.

"Do you know the agony I was in as I watched you from my throne? You were standing there in that skimpy pale blue dress looking every inch the woman I had dreamed of. Of course I was fucking angry." He growled into her ear, his leg came up and Victoria's breath hitched as it drew closer. And closer. "Everyone in that Hall was looking at you. And I sat there unable to do anything as that fucking weasel of a nephew pawed at you and flirted with you."

His knee came in contact with her core. Victoria was flushed red and trembling with her desire for him. His leg moved slowly, excruciatingly, the cold metal of his armour was freezing. It felt so immeasurably good.

She moaned.

"That's right sweetheart. Louder for me. I want everyone in this building to know what I'm doing to you." His breath left goosebumps against her skin. "Want them to know to keep their fucking paws off what belongs to me."