Chapter 9.
Maia
I selected a bottle of wine at random, picking one with a nice etiquette and a golden cage around the cork.
I fumbled opening it, acutely aware that Penelope was watching my every move.
After an awkward struggle, I poured us each a glass, the dark red wine trailing down the sides of the golden goblets.
“There you go.” I handed Penelope her chalice, our fingers briefly brushing against each other. I quickly sat down, desperately pretending I hadn’t noticed the little spark jumping across.
She smiled knowingly. “Thank you. To our health?”
“To our health,” I returned the toast, clinking my cup against hers before taking my first sip. A sour taste coated my tongue and despite its velvety feel, the wine’s flavour didn’t match the mouth feel.
Penelope almost managed to hide her dislike. “Hmm… That’s an… interesting flavour.”
“Don’t drink that, that’s awful. Sorry.” I grimaced, setting my cup down. “And about dinner too.”
“No apology necessary, the food was perfectly fine.” She examined the bottle of wine and hummed. “Ah, yes, this is quite an acquired taste. There are plenty of Underworld wines that are a bit easier to drink.”
“I don’t know much about wine. I never drank it in the Overworld either.” I gestured to the cabinet. “Maybe you should select something.”
Penelope chuckled as she rose from her seat with feline elegance. “I will. Tell me about your preferences. Sweet or dry?”
“Sweet.”
She hummed, examining the bottles. “Do you like adventures or sticking to what’s familiar?”
“Are we still talking about wine?”
The other woman looked back at me, her smile growing. “Maybe.”
“Well, I’m here so I suppose adventure.”
“Fair.” She held my gaze, her eyes twinkling. “Easy to consume or do you prefer to savour things?”
“Savour things,” I returned, slightly breathless. She was looking at me with such intensity, my chest burned. I’d never had anyone stare at me with this much attention and focus, like she was really trying to see me.
“Me too.” She selected a bottle and brought two other chalices back with her. With much more skill than me, she uncorked the bottle and poured the new wine. “Here. If this isn’t to your taste, you can always order Overworld wine.”
I accepted the cup. “Won’t I offend anyone by not adjusting to the tastes of the Underworld?”
“So what if you do? You’re Hades, you can do whatever you want.” She gestured to my goblet. “What do you think?”
I took a sip, deliberately savouring the flavour. “Mmm. Much better. Lighter, sweeter. I much prefer that.”
“Looks like I picked well then,” she remarked, drinking too. “Yes, very nice. I prefer it too.”
“I’m glad. Sorry about dinner again. The seating was awkward, wasn’t it? When I invited you for dinner, I wanted a nice casual meal where we could talk and get to know each other better. Why is it like the Regency down here? I expected Ancient Greece but it’s just a bit of everything.”
Penelope shifted in her chair, her smile bemused. “Not even the Underworld is immune to the influence of time and trends.”
“Fascinating. How long have you been here again?”
“This is my first term. I started almost a hundred years ago.”
“Wow, that’s a while. When does your term end?”
“We hold elections every quarter of a millennium. Unlike your position.” She took another sip of her wine and looked at me over the rim with piercing eyes. “Tell me, what kind of person volunteers to become the ruler of the dead?”
I let Penelope’s question linger for a moment.
I expected her to ask, that was all people had been asking me since I accepted the position.
I contemplated giving her a vague answer like I gave to most, but there was something about the way she was looking at me that made me feel like I could tell her the truth.
“I was stuck working at Hera & Co. I don’t want to go into detail but some of the people were really awful to me.
At the beginning, it was small stuff, too petty to report.
When they realised I wasn’t going to stand up to them, it got worse but I thought I could endure it.
I put in so many requests to transfer but they never got approved.
Then one day things just kind of escalated.
I don’t want to get into it, I—” My voice hitched as the emotions of that day washed over me.
Penelope stayed quiet but I could tell she was listening intently, waiting for the rest of my story.
Grateful for her patience, I took some big gulps of wine, relishing in the stinging taste.
“Anyway. I was recovering when I heard of the vacancy. I just signed up on a whim. I didn’t think I would actually get it but only days later, I got an official congratulatory letter from the Zeus and there was a carriage with black horses waiting for me. You know the rest.”
Penelope released a long breath. “I’m sorry.”
“Thank you.” Another silence fell over us and I downed my cup in a way to bridge the awkwardness. I gave the bottle a suggestive shake. “More wine?”
“So much more wine,” Penelope agreed.
I topped up our goblets and continued drinking, eager to let the warm glow take the sharp edges off of my brain. The soft haze elevated the heavy mood and I gestured to the other woman. “Can I ask you something?”
“Go for it.”
“I know I’m new to this role but I want to work with you.” I sat up straighter. “If I’m doing something that frustrates you, please tell me instead of going on a little rant.”
Penelope chuckled softly. “I did do that, didn’t I?”
“Yeah, you did. I get that you hold a lot of irritation towards the previous Hadeses but don’t take it out on me.”
“It won’t happen again,” she promised, raising her glass.
We emptied the bottle and then another. The alcohol wasn’t quite having the same effect as I remembered from Dionysus’ wine but it was definitely creating a buzz.
The more I drank, the more I looked at the woman in front of me. She was so regal and competent, it was admirable. Her confidence shone through in everything she did, even if she was just sitting in a chair and drinking from a chalice.
She noticed me looking, her eyes slightly hazy from all the alcohol. “Are you looking at me?”
“I am,” I heard myself admitting.
“Why?”
“You’re very beautiful.”
Her lips tugged up into a rare but slightly confused smile. “Thank you.”
Something about my look must have given away more than I intended. Understanding dawned on her face and her cheeks flushed pink, although that could’ve been from the wine. “Forgive me if I’m interpreting this wrong but… Are you coming onto me?”
“No, no, no, no. I’m not. I mean, you’re my type but that would be a terrible idea. We have to work together and we’re just getting to know each other.” I rambled, every sentence leaving my mouth faster than the last. “Besides, I’m not looking for romance and I’m sure you’re not either, right?”
Penelope remained suspiciously quiet, looking a little embarrassed. Somehow, we found ourselves entangled in a conversation that was too intimate for either of us. A loaded silence hung between us and neither seemed to know how to bridge it.
Slowly, the other woman put her cup down. “I think I should go. It’s getting late and we have lots of work tomorrow.” She rose from her chair, looking a little taken aback. Maybe even taken off guard.
“Yes, that’s probably best. Rulers of the Underworld and all. We shouldn’t be hungover,” I chuckled awkwardly, trying to dispel some of the sudden tension.
“We shouldn’t.” She returned a smile. “But I had a lovely evening.”
“Me too. We should totally do it again.”
“We should,” she answered, but I couldn’t tell if she meant it or if it was just one of these things people said.
I managed to lead her back to the front door without getting lost in the maze. To be a good host, I opened the heavy doors for her and a gust of fresh air cleared some of the fog in my brain.
“Thank you for the invitation,” Penelope said as she stepped out into the clear night, her voice slightly softer than usual. That was probably the wine.
“Thank you for coming. I’m glad we got to know each other better. Because of work. Not like a date. Work.”
What was I saying? I needed to gain Penelope’s respect and convince her I was a competent woman. All these drunk ramblings were just going to do the opposite. Damn that treacherous wine. It hit me harder than I thought.
“Well, you’ll be happy to know I’m slightly more looking forward to working with you.” For a moment, she gazed at the misty sky, a mysterious but bitter smile playing around her lips. She took it all in and sighed deeply.
I looked up too. “There are no stars.”
“No, but it’s still beautiful.”
“It is,” I agreed. “Do you need a ride? I can get my carriage to drive you home although I wouldn’t recommend it. The driver is reckless.”
She chuckled. “No, I think the walk will be nice. Good night, Maia.”
With a last smile, she disappeared into the night and I watched her leave. Whether I wanted to admit it or not, I was intrigued.