Chapter Forty-Seven - Apollo Visits His Uncle
Posted: Monday 9th September 2024

Seven Months Later

Apollo

I sat on the steps before my throne, the size of a mortal. The throne room felt different and alien now. The last day had been a whirlwind and I had been certain on several occasions that I would die. But here I was, I had succeeded and been restored to my divine form.

My head had been so full that I had for a moment forgotten about my wife and my child who had surely been born by now. It was then that I realised that the throne room was not only different from my own perspective but there was actually a thirteenth chair in the room, resting between the thrones of Zeus and Posideon. The throne had been empty during the council meeting earlier so it had been easy to miss it, but now it was as if it had a blaring red sign over it saying 'LOOK AT ME!'.

No one had mentioned the throne to me earlier and suddenly it became clear that they were avoiding the topic all together. Who was the god who should have been sitting on that throne? Where were they?

I tore my eyes away from the throne when I heard footsteps approaching me. It was, of course, Artemis.

"Brother," she said, taking a seat on the steps beside me, "I see that you've spotted the newest development."

"How? What?" I stammered, "Ariadne?"

Artemis' face darkened and she looked down at her hands.

"Artemis, what has happened?"

"You've been mortal a long time," Artemis said, "many things have happened."

"Specifically relating to the throne?" I pressed.

"That is the throne of your son, Caius," Artemis said.

"My son?" I asked, "My son is an Olympian?" A ball of confused pride formed in my stomach, but I could tell that Artemis was holding something back, "how?"

"The throne appeared with no explanation the moment he was born," Artemis said, "then he came to claim it."

I smiled, "that's my boy. And Ri?"

Artemis frowned and looked down at her hands, "Nyx also came to the throne room that day. She offered an ultimatum, Caius would join her and Ariadne would live."

My face fell, "where is my son?" There was no question in my mind that my son would not allow his mother to die, he was half me after all. If he loved Ariadne half as much as I did he would do everything in his power to keep her safe. I knew that he was with Nyx, this was what Artemis was keeping from me.

"We do not know," Artemis said, "no one has seen him for seven months. Not since..." she trailed off.

"Since what?" I pressed.

Artemis sighed, resigning herself to a course of action that there was no way around. "Since Ariadne's funeral rites."

"What?" My heart dropped. It wasn't possible. I had been certain that I was the only one with the possibility of death on the cards, certain that when I was restored to immortality Ariadne would be here, unchanged, waiting for me to return. "How?" I asked.

"By her own hand," Artemis said. "As I said, Nyx held Ariadne's life over Caius. He was plainly about to take the offer to spare his mother, but Ariadne..." She trailed off.

"Tell me Artemis. What has happened to my wife?" I demanded.

Artemis sighed sadly, "Ariadne killed herself to remove Nyx's hold over Caius. She died a hero."

My heart felt like lead in my chest.

"Caius has gone?" I asked, "Is he with Nyx?"

"No," Artemis said, "Your son, Will Solace. He saw Caius after he left Olympus. The last news we had was that he had sworn to kill Nyx."

"Impossible," I said. "You cannot kill a Primordial."

"You did not see him, brother," Artemis said, "he neutralised Zeus' master bolt without batting an eyelid. If Nyx hadn't run when she did I believe she would already be dead."

Suddenly I rose to my feet.

"Where are you going?" Artemis demanded, jumping up with me.

"I need to speak to my wife," I declared.

"You're going to Hades?"

"Yes, I am."

*

"Hello Apollo," The lord of the dead did not look particularly surprised to see me, "I half expected to see you down here for a different reason."

"Yes well, I'm alive," I waved my hands, "yay me! I'd like to see my wife Hades."

"No," Hades responded boredly.

"No?" I demanded, "No? You would turn me away? I just want to speak to her!"

"Well, she does not want to speak to you," Hades said, "Ariadne asked me specifically not to allow yourself or Caius to speak to her."

"Why?" My voice was small, I felt like Lester again, powerless before certainties that I could not control. Why would Ariadne do this to me? Why would she specifically request not to see me? Had I not earned a goodbye?

"She said something about it being easier for you to move forward," Hades waved a hand halfheartedly. "I assure you, she is quite safe and happy in Elysium. The last time we spoke she was considering rebirth, but I advised against it. Nyx's bond could follow her into the next life, I am not sure."

I looked down at my feet and breathed a deep sigh. It seemed that Ariadne still did not understand immortals in the way I had thought she had. She believed us to be indifferent, and unfeeling towards those mortals we had known and loved passing. The opposite was true, I, a god, was a patchwork of every mortal I had ever known and loved. I carried all of them with me everywhere, my time as Lester had shown me the value of this and how essential these mortals were to who I was. And right in the centre of that patchwork, the largest piece was Ariadne.

"Can you tell her that I said goodbye?" I asked quietly.

"She did ask me to tell you she loved you," Hades said, trying to offer me some form of comfort. It didn't help. "I will pass on your message."

I turned away from Hades and walked out to a nearby balcony to overlook the underworld. My eyes were drawn towards Elysium and the glistening isles of the blessed. I wondered how many of my past loves had tried for the isles, how many of them were there now. Was Ariadne perhaps now having drinks with my past loves now laughing and smiling her dazzling smile?

A small part of me hoped that Ariadne did eventually choose rebirth, which would allow for the possibility of seeing her again. But another part of me knew that even if her spirit was recycled, she wouldn't be the same person, she wouldn't be the same as the woman I loved. In fact it was unlikely I would ever love again the way I had loved her.

Then it struck me that a part of her lived on eternally in our son. I had to meet Caius. To hold on tightly to the one miraculous piece of the girl I loved that lived on.