The underworlders certainly knew how to celebrate with style. 

As the crowd outside of the castle continued to grow and swell, the sky above shone with the light of a thousand paper lanterns. Most of the city had come together to send off the newlyweds on their honeymoon. It was almost as much of a fanfare as the actual wedding. I suppose it wasn't every day that the Lord of the Underworld got married.

People waved and cheered from a respectable distance. Streamers and confetti fluttered through the air in a vibrant display. Yet all eyes were on the tall blonde man in the centre of it all and the fierce looking beauty at his side.

Nicolette stood on her tiptoes and murmured a few words to her new husband before tilting her head back. Hades immediately bowed his body so he could brush his lips against hers, the action gentle despite his large stature. As he pulled away, the gentle giant cupped her cheek, his thumb caressing her skin in an attempt to stretch out the moment for just a moment longer. Seconds later the blue haired woman climbed elegantly into the waiting carriage, undeterred but the long purple skirts swishing about her legs.

"Thank you so much for doing this." Hades murmured, giving Lucius a shoulder bump and a hard clap on his back in a statement of manly affection.

"We're happy to do it." I replied for us both, smiling and accepting his hug before pushing him towards the waiting carriage. "Now get going, your bride is waiting."

His teeth were gritted together even as he nodded his head but it was like he hadn't heard us. Instead his gaze darted up at the glistening black castle behind us. I could see the war happening within him. No matter whom he wanted to be, Hades would always be a ruler first and foremost. But even he deserved a break.

"We'll make sure it's still standing when you come back."

"Go. We'll take care of everything." Lucius added, coming to stand at my side.

When the blonde God hesitated, I folded my arms over my chest. "Don't keep her waiting. We women don't like that." I teased.

Hades' eyes widened. He gulped and ran a hand through his hair hesitating for just a moment longer. "Right, I better go then." He looked between the two of us for several long moments before giving a stiff nod of his head.

With one last round of farewells, he dragged himself away, one leaden foot at a time. Finally the carriage pulled off.

"See you both in six months," I shouted but, with Lucius's pride steed pulling the carriage, they were already too far away to hear me.

With my hand waving wildly above my head, I watched the carriage as it trundled along the driveway right up until it disappeared from sight. It felt strange, to be here in Hell, watching as Hades and his new bride rode away. Usually it was me leaving the underworld. This time however I wouldn't be leaving for long time. As a gift to the newlyweds, Lucius had agreed to take over rule of the underworld for six months. Now that I was his fiancée, it meant I was staying too.

I didn't mind it. Hell was nothing like the stories I had been told as a child. Yes, the fiery pits existed but only those who were truly evil were sentenced to the Tartarus Prison. I had been sent there once against my will and it wasn't an experience I wished to repeat. I shivered and dropped my hand back down to my side. Sometimes the nightmares were just too close to the surface.

"Are you okay?" Lucius asked, wrapping an arm around my shoulders and pressing a kiss on my forehead.

"Yeah, I'm good." I responded, lifting my head so that I could look into his icy blue eyes. My breath caught in my throat for just a moment as I noted the contradicting warmth in the depth of his stare. "I'm nervous but good."

"Are you sure? You can go back home if you want. I know it's a lot to ask of you."

I shook my head and smiled up at him. "I'm staying. I told you I was staying. Stop asking me if I want to leave or I might just think you're trying to get rid of me."

"NEVER."

I laughed and patted him on the chest before slipping from his hold.

"I mean it Savannah," Lucius stated, hurrying to match my pace so that he could thread his fingers through mine. "I want you here with me - always."

Squeezing his hand, I felt a blush form on my cheeks. It still felt strange how open we were being with each other. For so long we had danced around each other. Even though I knew it was happening, on some levels it still didn't feel real.

"And I want to be here with you too." I replied, smoothing my thumb over the back of his hand. "Now stop asking me if I want to leave."

Lucius responded by lifting our joined hands and pressing a lingering kiss on the back of my hand, his eyes holding mine as he did so. "Okay."

Together we walked through the open doors of the castle. It was an impressive building made entirely out of black crystal and dominated much of the skyline. It stood protector over a small but thriving city just a short distance away. Yet, despite its construction, the castle was bright and beautiful inside.

It took us several minutes to arrive at the throne room. During the course of our walk, I had not seen a single fallen angel or demon. Instead, we were able to enjoy a few minutes alone without dozens of sets of eyes following our every move. Apparently being the fiancée of the Devil was enough to garner recognition from the entire underworld – even when it would be preferable to avoid attention at all costs.

The room felt empty without all of the wedding regalia. Instead, there were only a few wall hangings to decorate the crystal walls but otherwise it all felt a little bare.

Staring up at the thrones, the four which sat side by side at the front of the room, I felt the air get knocked out of me. Suddenly our situation here felt far too real. For the next six months I would be ruling Hell alongside Lucius. Me, a woman who didn't know the first thing about being a ruler or the way the underworld worked. I had only ever been afforded quick glimpses of life in the underworld. This was an entirely new game and it was not one I was prepared for.

"What's on your mind?" Lucius asked, tugging on my hand so that I would keep walking. I hadn't even realised I had stopped.

"Just realising what it all means. I mean I signed up to be with you and I don't regret that at all. But there are so many responsibilities which come with it." I replied, putting one foot in front of the other until we were stood right before the thrones. "I'm not sure I'm ready for it."

Two were crafted from black crystal while the remaining pair was carved out of pure white crystal. Each throne flickered and glowed, lit from within by hellfire. They were beautiful and entrancing. And they set my heart racing but I couldn't decide if it was in awe or sheer terror.

"It's only for six months." Lucius reassured, pulling me into his side as we both stared up at the seats of power. "After that, we won't have to rule for another seventy four years. And you'll have me right here with you. Everything will be okay. I promise."

Dragging my eyes away from the thrones, I looked up at Lucius with wide eyes. "But how do you know? How do you know everything will be okay?"

Lucius smirked, and it reminded me so much of the man when I had first met him. Cocky and so sure of himself – not that he had changed that much. "Did you forget that I am the Devil?"

Rolling my eyes, I pulled out of his hold. "As if I could ever forget."

"Hey! What's that supposed to mean?"

"Nothing." I teased, momentarily forgetting my worries. I skipped up the step so that I was stood before the smaller white crystal chair, the one which belonged to me as Lucius's intended.

Reaching out a hand, I smoothed my hand over the surface, expecting cool but instead feeling warmth of the purple fire. A warmer body wrapped around mine silently. I sighed as I leant back into Lucius's chest. "So what happens next?"

"We start doing all of the things a normal ruler does. You'll have the next few risings to explore and get a handle on everything. I'll help you there. Then in four days, we will greet the citizens from the various towns and cities under our domain to hear their grievances and accept their gifts." Lucius spoke it my hair. I could feel his lips move with every word that he spoke which was more than a little distracting. "It's all very old fashioned but it makes them all feel like they matter."

"Hang on, you said towns and cities?"

Lucius laughed into my hair. "You caught that? I was hoping to break it to you easy but I suppose it's easier to just throw you into the deep end. It seems to work most of the time." He grunted as my elbow jabbed sharply into his stomach. "Ouch. That was just unnecessary. Now, as I was saying, there are lots of Demon populated towns and cities in the underworld. Expansion was essential. The size of the human population is so much larger than it was a thousand years ago. We had to create more towns to cope with the additional souls heading our way. It's all about supply and demand."

"How did I not know this?" I asked, my fingers tightening on the crystal throne.

"You never asked and to be honest it never came up. The majority of the outlying towns are made up of older demons and are self-sufficient. They manage themselves but Hades and I hold overall rule." Lucius advised, using his hands on my hips to turn me around. "They will all come mainly to see you. They would have heard rumours of your beauty and battle prowess. And I will do my best not to get angry when some Demon with bright ideas decides to flirt with you."

I slapped at his hand on my waist. "Don't be stupid."

"I'm being perfectly serious." He stated, staring down at me as he walked me backwards. The back of my legs hit the edge of the throne and then with a little nudge I was seated. Still he kept hold of me.

Leaning down, Lucius brushed a kiss over my lips. It was just the gentlest of touches but it was enough to make me feel more than any snogging session I'd had prior to Lucius. He brushed his lips against mine once more, tingles forming wherever out lips met, and it stole my breath.

"How do you like the view?" he asked, his thumbs stroking the exposed bit of flesh between my jeans and my t-shirt. I still had not converted to the attire of the underworld and with every sweep of his thumb, I was extraordinarily grateful in my lapse.

"Considering I can only see you?"

Lucius smirked once more but instead of pressing his lips to mine, he quickly pulled away. Once he was seated in his own throne, he stretched his hand across the space between us and twined our fingers together.

"It's weird being up here. When I was younger I never would have imagined this."

Lucius squeezed my hand. "Sometimes the reality can be more extraordinary than we could have imagined for ourselves." He paused and looked over at me. "I never thought I would ever be this happy or content."

"Lucius," I said softly.

Clearing his throat, Lucius looked out over the room. "I'll get the staff to clean out the hall and make the necessary preparations so that we are ready for our audience with the people. I'll also get you some books to help you get started."

Looking out into the empty hall, I tried to imagine what it would be like. I couldn't even picture it in my mind. It didn't stop the reality from creeping closer. I leaned back in my crystal throne and let out a long sigh. "And so the work begins."

Lucius lifted our joined hands and kissed the back of mine. "Not just yet." He stated, his lips moved against my skin even as he stared out over the throne room. "Tonight we eat, drink and celebrate our return to the underworld. Maybe kiss a little too. Tomorrow the work begins."

Shaking my head, I laughed at him but still my stomach twisted and churned uncomfortably. Tomorrow was going to happen far too soon and, despite Lucius reassurances, I was not prepared for it. Not at all.