Chapter 11.
Maia
Despite not having to see Penelope for a while, I still felt embarrassed about how I conducted myself during our evening. The awkward dinner aside, flirting with her was a real faux-pas on my part. I should’ve kept a clear head but the Underworld wine really took me off guard.
“How angry would Penelope be if I didn’t show up to the meeting?” I asked Stephan as I exited the palace.
“I’m not sure but I would advise against it,” he said politely.
I feared as much.
The sound of impatient hooves announced the arrival of my carriage. Foaming at the mouth, the four black horses bristled as the driver kept them in check. He hopped down to open the door for me, bowing so deep his nose touched his knees.
I smiled at him. “Thank you. Any chance we might ride at a… more leisurely speed?” I inquired, hoping my request wasn’t unreasonable. It wasn’t that I didn’t like riding in a carriage, I just preferred my organs to stay in the right place in my body.
Without speaking a single word, the driver nodded and tipped his head, returning to his seat in the front.
“Is he okay?” I asked Stephan, worried I insulted him.
“Yes. He has no tongue,” he informed me quietly. “He arrived that way. Nobody knows why but he has his ways of showing his displeasure so don’t worry.”
“I see. Thank you.” At least, it had nothing to do with me. That was somewhat reassuring, but also tragic. I wouldn’t want to go an eternity without being able to speak.
I climbed in the carriage and Stephan joined me on the bench on the other side. As soon as I was seated, we shot in motion and my stomach instantly turned despite us going slower than before. Maybe I just wasn’t made for horse-drawn chariots.
“Why are the monthly meetings held in the temple? Isn’t there a room in the palace that we can use?” I asked, hoping to distract myself from the rising nausea.
Stephan tapped his chin. “The monthly briefings used to be held at the palace but one of the past Persephones made a motion to hold it in the middle, on neutral ground.”
What a shame. I’d have to get used to this awful ride then. Or maybe I could walk next time.
We arrived not a second too late at the temple and I tumbled out of the carriage, eager for steady ground under my feet. The driver held up a thumb questioningly and despite the awful ride, I smiled and nodded. “Good, but maybe a little slower next time. But it was good, thank you.”
My approval brought a sparkle to his eyes and with the biggest smile, he whipped the horses into motion and sped off.
I gathered a breath stretching the tension out of my muscles and shaking the dizziness away. My stomach still felt like it was tied in a knot but at least I was no longer at risk of vomiting. That was something.
Doing my best to maintain a professional composure, I made my way into the temple and to the meeting room. In spite of arriving ten minutes early, Penelope was already waiting for me in her chair looking flawless like usual.
I sat down in my seat and conjured a smile. “Penelope.”
She returned a polite smile of her own. “Maia. How are you today?”
“I’m well, thank you.” I gestured to the empty space behind her. “No assistant?”
“No. Molly is taking a little holiday.”
“I see.” So holiday was a thing here. I definitely had to make sure to discuss this with Erebus so my staff were getting the appropriate days off. I didn’t come down here to take advantage of the dead.
“Are you sure you’re okay?” Penelope asked, studying at me with sharp eyes.
“Truth be told, I’m a little embarrassed about, you know, the other night,” I admitted. I wished I was stronger and didn’t feel this way but at least now that I’d confessed, I wouldn’t have to hide how horrible I felt. It wasn’t like I’d have been able to keep up the ruse anyway.
A slight chuckle escaped the woman opposite of me. “There’s no need.”
“There is. I shouldn’t have made a pass at you, that was incredibly unprofessional of me.”
Penelope’s eyes flickered. “You didn’t, you gave me a genuine compliment and that was it.”
“Hmm. Maybe.”
“Are you saying it wasn’t genuine?” she teased.
“I thought you didn’t like wasting time,” I echoed her words back from our first meeting in an attempt to change the topic.
She threw her head back and laughed. “Fair enough. Let’s just blame the wine.”
“I’d like that. It was the wine’s fault. Especially that awful first bottle.”
“Yes, that was horrendous. Next time, I’m selecting all of the wines.”
Next time.
A warm glow spread through me and I found myself smiling from ear to ear. “Sounds good to me.”
“I’m only teasing. When I first got here, I ordered some truly awful wines that were ten times worse. I’ve found some that are more to my taste since though. We have a really rich red that’s delicious after dinner.”
“Perhaps I should come sample some of that rich red,” I blurted out.
Before I could explain that I wasn’t inviting myself over for dinner, Penelope spoke. “Maybe you should.” She flipped through the red journal on her lap and clicked her pen. “Shall we move onto our reports? We do have an Underworld to run.”
I almost forgot that was why we were here. Not that I was ever going to admit that. Determined not to look like a fool, I handed her the numbers for the month from my briefcase.
Penelope stared at the report and back at me like she was trying to solve a puzzle. “What’s that?”
“My report. You just said—”
“I’m sorry, you’re the first Hades in fifty years to bring a report to the meeting.”
I stared at her. “Really? Then what have you been doing all this time to get the statistics from our side?”
Penelope hesitantly accepted the file, still looking in awe. “I send Molly directly to your clerk once a month.”
“Wow. Well, that’s going to be different from now on,” I assured her, pleased I’d managed to impress.
She released an appreciative hum which only added to the sense of validation. I was definitely doing something right. If I could win her over, maybe I wasn’t a lost cause as I feared after all.
She caught me smiling and raised one eyebrow. “Yes?”
“Nothing. Do you have a report for me?”
“I do.” She handed me a folder from her purse.
“Isn’t it funny that someone is printing these for us?” I remarked, accepting the sheets.
“I’ve never thought about it like that but yes, it is kind of funny.” She settled into her chair, looking a lot more relaxed and comfortable than our very first meeting.
A twinge of satisfaction passed through me. I was definitely doing something right.