Lexi's Fate

~34~

Lexi had never seen the palace dining room so full. Hades assumed his place at the head of the table, insisting Lexi sit in her spot to his left, while Persephone sat to his right, taking up residence in a chair that had not been touched since Lexi arrived at the castle. She tried not to think about the fact that the seating arrangements had probably been put in place eons ago, and focused instead on the fact that Hades was making an obvious effort to include Lexi in every conversation.

"You will be pleased to know that the orange trees are fruiting," he said to Persephone, as he cut into his sweet potato. "Lexi has been a great help to the nymphs as they ready for winter."

"That's lovely. I always look forward to the orange harvest."

Persephone looked up from her plate to smile warmly at Hades, after which she offered the same smile to Lexi. The soft brown curls that framed Persephone's face gave her the look of a china doll, as did her pink, dimpled cheeks. Despite her true age, Persephone maintained the features of a woman just over thirty, and although she looked a bit tired, Persephone carried her pregnancy well. Hades had failed to mention that Persephone was pregnant, and Lexi wondered if he overlooked this bit of information on purpose. Lexi waited for a lull in the conversation before interjecting her question.

"I didn't know you were expecting a child, Persephone. When are you due?"

"Just before solstice, but I suspect the child will be early. I have felt less movement over the last few days."

"Do you know what sex the child is?"

Persephone chuckled. "No. Gods do not use the gadgets of the mortal world to determine the sex of their offspring. We enjoy the element of surprise, but I believe this one is a boy."

"How can you tell it's a boy?"

"A mother's intuition, I suppose."

Lexi had not been around many pregnant people and the questions seemed to topple over each other as she spewed them out. "How many children have you had?"

"This one will make seventeen." 

Lexi attempted to hide her surprise. In all the books she had read, Persephone was a virgin when Hades brought her to the underworld, and it was reported that she only gave birth to two offspring. There was so much the humans didn't know. Lexi's expression must have given away her thoughts, as it spurred laughter from both Persephone and Jocelyn.

"I am sure there aren't many mortals who have accomplished such a feat, am I right?" said Persephone.

"Very few."

"To be fair, two of my pregnancies have resulted in twins, so this is my fifteenth go around."

"Oh." Lexi fondled the framed gift she had made for Persephone as it lay in her lap. She was still waiting for the right time to present it. Maybe after dinner. "I guess your offspring all live in Olympus, then?"

This question had Persephone throwing a furtive glance at Hades before she quickly answered. "Yes. I am fortunate to have them all living nearby."

Damn. Why did Lexi have to bring that up? She knew Hades missed his family.

"Do you have siblings, Lexi?" Jocelyn asked, making the obvious topic change.

"I have an older brother. His name is Dion. He was named after Dionysus. My mom is obsessed with the gods."

"I have heard of your mother," Jocelyn said. "Zeus speaks fondly of Lilith. She is one his favorite mortal consorts."

Without meaning to, Lexi's jaw unhinged, and she covered her reaction by shoveling food into it. "I'm glad to hear it," she said around a mouthful of spinach soufflé.

"I'm sorry, Lexi. Did I upset you?" Jocelyn said. "I had forgotten you recently found out about your parentage. I'm sure that was a shock for you."

Lexi nodded as she continued to chew. "A bit."

"Am I the only one eating this delicious hydra?" Kade raised his fork, which had a fleshy tentacle hanging off it. "Those nymphs sure know their way around a kitchen. Too bad Cerberus isn't here to join in. He helped me catch the nasty buggar."

"Where is Cerberus?" Lexi asked, leaning down to look under the table. He usually laid at her feet during meals, waiting for handouts. Did Persephone not allow such behavior?

"Oh, he's in the stable recuperating from the bite he got when the hydra decided it didn't want to be caught."

"What? He was bit by one of those... dragon things?" Lexi shouted across the table as her fork clattered onto her plate.

"They aren't poisonous, Lexi, but they deliver a painful bite if you're not careful. He'll be fine in a few hours." Kade explained this like everything was rosy, but it was not rosy as far as Lexi was concerned.

"Please, excuse me. I won't be able to concentrate on this lovely conversation until I'm sure Cerberus is okay." Lexi pushed up from her chair and Persephone's gift clattered to the floor. Lexi gasped when she heard the glass break. "Oh, damn. A thousand apologies, Persephone. I have a gift for you, but I may have just ruined it. I'm sorry."

Lexi picked up the frame, confirming that the glass had, indeed, split across the top. She set it in her chair and looked at Hades, searching his eyes for signs of his disappointment. Did he think she was behaving like an overemotional child? He dismissed her with a subtle wave, and she ran from the room, bolting toward the north exit and hating herself for getting upset in front of Persephone. Would the goddess think less of her for abandoning the table? Would she consider it inexcusably rude? Did Lexi even care? Cerberus' health was at stake.

When she reached the stable, she found Cerberus curled up between two stacks of hay. She hiked up her dress and knelt down, crawling toward him on her bare knees. "Cerberus? Are you okay?" She whispered her inquiry as she did a visual inspection of his fur, looking for signs of injury. "Where did that mean beastie bite you?"

Cerberus lifted his three heads, sniffing her mouth with two of them and directing her toward his front leg with the third. The skin had been bitten just above his paw and blood matted the hair. There appeared to be mud and brambles caked in it as well, probably from walking through the field. Lexi would definitely be giving Kade a piece of her mind for forcing Cerberus to walk back from the cave in that condition.

"I'll get you fixed up, boy. Are you thirsty? I don't want you to get dehydrated." Lexi located a bowl that was being used as a feed scoop and dipped it into the watering trough. She set it next to Cerberus and one of his heads immediately started drinking. "I had a feeling you would like that."

Jackie O lowered her head over her stall, snorting for attention, and Lexi offered her a few pats. Her horse had adjusted well to her new home and had already made friends, namely Misty, who stood in the stall opposite and bobbed her head in greeting. Lexi gave Misty her share of attention as she glanced around for something to tend to Cerberus' wound.

"There must be a first aid kit in here somewhere," she said, speaking to the occupants of the stable as much as to herself. After opening a few cabinets, she finally found a roll of gauze, medical tape, and a jar of ointment marked 'Calendula'. She recognized the writing as belonging to Hecate, with her neat, angular letters, and quickly deduced it was something Hecate had concocted for treating the horses' cuts and scrapes.

Lexi sat in the straw in front of Cerberus and proceeded to treat his wound. He turned out to be an excellent patient, licking her arm as she applied the ointment, then licking the ointment as she tried to wrap it. When the job was done, she stood and brushed herself off, hoping she still looked presentable enough to rejoin the dinner party. But when she saw the forlorn look on Cerberus' face as she made to leave, she just couldn't abandon him in his time of need. She sat down and rested her head on his back, stroking his neck and waiting for his body to relax beneath her. Surely, it wouldn't take him long to fall asleep.