In an instant, Hades grabbed his shirt from the table and whipped it over his body. But no matter how the shirt covered everything up, Victoria could vividly see the harm that was inflicted upon him.

Deep down, she yearned to comfort him, to do something other than stand there and stare. It was as if the sight had paralysed her entire body.

In two powerful strides, he was now in front of her, both hands on her face as he frantically tried to wipe her tears away.

"Please don't cry." Hades murmured, he sounded pained. "What can I do? Please what can I do to make you stop?"

Victoria couldn't stop.

"I promise it doesn't hurt. It will heal in a couple days and you won't be able to see anything. It looks a lot worse that it is."

She then remembered the previous day. How he had come to collect her and take her home. How he embraced her when his body was covered in bruises. How he carried her with her pressed up against him.

He must have been in so much pain this whole time.

The thought sent a stab through her heart.

"Hades, I can't-" a rolling sob took over her body and left her gasping for breath. Her voice trembled uncontrollably shook at the words she struggled to speak. In a swift motion, Hades had lifted her up and walked straight to the bed, Victoria was soon sat on his lap, wrapped in his arms and held until she calmed down, murmuring comforting words against her hair the whole time.

"W-we need to get you to a doctor."

He chuckled.

"Darling, I do not need to go see a doctor."

"But-"

"If my injuries are as sever as they look, surely I would be bedridden? Or possibly dead?"

-

Hades

Wrong thing to say. Wrong thing to ask.

The tears appeared in her eyes in an instant, leaving Hades flustered and feeling utterly useless.

He felt horrible with the happiness that churned in his gut. How he had gotten it all wrong. How did he miss it? Victoria was not a person who wore her heart on her sleeve at all times. That perhaps this situation was so new and confusing that she was still trying to grasp at what was happening around her.

She did care about him. That much was for certain. That was all that he needed. He was happy with her just caring about him, happy that she felt something towards him even if it wasn't affection or love. No. No matter how much he yearned for her to love him back, he could spend eternity in complete elation with what affection she could spare him.

Hades couldn't help himself. He drew his arms around her tighter and pressed her against him, ignoring the sharpness of the pain from his wounds as he did so. It was a small price to pay to feel her close to him, to smell her, drunk on her scent.

"I'm sorry." He murmered into her hair. "That was insensitive for me to say. It won't happened again, I promise."

That drew a slight breath of mirth from her. "You don't need to make promises to me Hades."

Hades felt like a pathetic dog. A dog that became happier every moment their owner gave them a bit of security.

Victoria was saying his name. Not 'My King' or anything stupid like that. She was comfortable enough around him to say his name.

"If that is what you wish for, Victoria."

She just wiped her tears from her face.

"I don't care if you refuse to see a doctor. I don't care if you're a God or if you're not in pain. You need to see somebody to make sure."

Hades chuckled yet again. It felt liberating to laugh again. To feel as if he hadn't a care in the world, to not feel held down by his responsibilities.

"As you wish my Lady."

He dropped another kiss in her hair. It was as if he couldn't stop himself.

She was silent for a while.

"Hades?" She asked in a small voice.

All he wanted to do was to hold her tighter and tighter against him. Until they were one.

"Yes?"

The was a slight pause.

"Will-" she cleared her throat, "will you be returning to the battlefield again?"

He stiffened at the question, could feel her body tense at his response. It was the only answer she needed.

They sat in a tense silence. He unable to say anything that could be of comfort. He wished he could say no. Say that he was never needed to go back into battle after the last triumph.

But that wasn't the case.

He had a duty to protect. A duty to fight. Especially in the places where horrors existed that would drive a normal God to madness. Let alone the one person he treasured the most in the entirety of his miserable existence.

Victoria.

Hades let out a sigh and set her on the bed, knowing that his continued presence would only bother her further. She made no move to stop him as he got up and continued dressing.

As he was finishing slipping on his armour. Victoria asked another question.

"Hades?"

He paused, back facing her, not replying as he awaited her response.

Heard her swallow loudly.

"The next time you leave for battle..." Victoria trailed off. Hades could hear her fidgeting with the bed sheets. "...would I be able to come with you?"

Her question shocked him. He immediately whipped around to glower at her.

How dare she.

That was the only thought that span and repeated in his head as he glowered.

"Absolutely not." He snarled, satisfaction purred in him as the sight of Victoria flinching at the tone of his voice. "No. Never. This is the last I want to hear of this. I will not have you put in danger's way, it will not-" Panic. Terror. Seething anger. It all clogged in his throat and refused to let any other words out.

Hades sheathed his sword, ignoring the trembling Victoria on the bed. She was tiny in the sea of fabric surrounding her, so precious, so fragile. How could she even think to do this?

"I'm leaving to inspect the castle grounds and to train my men. Alexei will be here shortly if you need anything." His voice was cold, emotionless, as he hid how terrified he had become from her request. He quickly exited the chamber, slamming the door behind him.

The echo of the slam followed him out of the castle.