We return in a much more ostentatious manner than we left.

Quill explains that because of the wedding, there is a door between Spring and the Underworld set up, to allow guests to travel through. It's a simple archway beyond Spring's courtyard, but it flares to life as a portal when a citizen of Spring opens it. Quill's hand strokes down the stone, and energy crackles between the arch, until an image of the Underworld replaces the view of the rest of the room.

'Ladies first,' Quill says sarcastically as I stride through regardless. For a moment, my stomach flips in disorientation— the portal pushes against my skin as though I'm walking underwater— before cool air hits me. I blink, gazing around the room.

I'm back. The palace is recognisable with its gothic architecture, even if the room isn't. I appear to be stood in a pentagon-shaped chamber with archways carved into the stone. The one behind me is alive, blaring green light and showing Sybella pushing her way through from Spring. She's followed quickly by Quill, straightening himself with poise, and to our surprise, Dionysus staggers through on a whim.

'I can't miss a good wedding!' he cries, and I see Quill sigh.

'Why couldn't we have gone through that way before?' I hiss at Quill. Sybella blanches at my prickliness, but really— he'd given me a goddamn leaf.

The boy just grins. 'We hadn't set up the archway until we knew you wanted us there.'

My glare is acidic, even though I know he's right.

Sybella takes my elbow. 'Shall we find Hadrian? And Char?'

I nod. I don't know who else to trust, but certainly not Quill or Dio. We leave the room side by side, the two men following us, and erupt into a scene of chaos.

Servants are running up and down the halls, streamers and flowers in hand, placing the finishing touches to ornaments and polishing floors. I blink as we approach the central staircase, where a team are scrubbing it to within an inch of its life. Stood, in the centre of it all, is Jefferson, taking his role extremely seriously. When he spots us, he leaps into action.

'My lady!' he calls, as breathless as I've ever heard him. 'You've been gone a whole day!'

My eyes nearly pop. I'm getting married tomorrow— and it's nearly tomorrow. Shoving down the nerves, I pull myself up to regal status and ask Jefferson where Hadrian is.

The man has the gall to look coy.

'Young love,' he breathes. 'He's with Char, in the training yard. He's been quite the bag of nerves, my lady, if I may say so. Think he's trying to distract himself.'

'Thank you,' I say, giving an awkward nod of dismissal. Jefferson, eager to entertain, takes Quill and Dio into his stride.

'Guests!' he cries, 'Follow me and I shall show you to your rooms. You're quite early— Spring Court, yes? Right this way, watch out for the decorators, they're quite buried under at the moment, and most of our guests haven't even arrived yet! Well, only two of the Olympians are already here, and there's Autumn and Summer, no sign of Winter but that's still a tricky relationship, even though the Queen doesn't speak to Hecate we've never seen eye to eye since— hell hath no fury as they say...'

Jefferson really is the perfect unwanted distraction.

Sybella and I slip through the palace in silence until we reach the shouts and grunts of the training yard. It's the quietest I've seen it. In the centre ring, two figures attack each other, conveniently shirtless.

Char's brown hair is no longer curled, but sticking to his head in clumps of sweat. A bruise is forming across his arm, and there's dirt across his cheek. Dust flies up around him as he moves, parrying a strike from his partner.

The King of the Underworld looks more dishevelled than when I'd left. His hair is mussed, as though he's ran his hand through it in constant worry, and I can see sweat running down his nose, glistening on his chest. His cheeks are a high pink, and he's breathing harder than Char. His lunge misses, and he leaps backwards, retreating from the failed attack. He spots our approach, because his head turns towards me, his eyes finding mine— and then Char takes advantage of the distraction, disarming him in an easy sweep.

Hadrian lets out a cry of frustration. Char lowers his sword and salutes us.

'Welcome home,' he calls, grinning. 'Thanks for the easy win, Nerissa. I think Hadrian was going to keep fighting until you returned. Didn't count on you distracting him.'

I raise my eyebrow at Hadrian, mockingly disappointed. 'Maybe I should go back to Spring until I can come home to a husband that's not empty handed.'

I eye his hands, open in defeat, and Hadrian laughs, but he doesn't drop eye contact. 'My hands are empty so they're free to hold you.'

Sybella, who has hoisted herself up to sit on the wall of the ring, snorts as Char makes a gagging noise.

'You guys are disgusting,' she teases, whilst Char mimes vomiting over Hadrian's feet. We both keep grinning at one another, until I remember that I have bad news. My smile slowly fades, and worry flashes across Hadrian's face.

'What's wrong?' he asks. He steps forward.

I glance around. 'We need to talk. The four of us. As soon as possible.'

Char, no longer jovial, stands up beside Hadrian. 'How about now?' he gestures around the empty square.

Sybella wrinkles her nose. 'Can you please wash first? Our message can wait ten minutes.'

I smother my disappointment as shirtless Hadrian vanishes with Char to clean themselves up. Sybella and I head to the meeting place— apparently, Hadrian's study— and we trudge back to the palace at a slow pace.

'Since when has Hadrian had a study?' I grumble. 'We're getting married tomorrow, and I didn't know he has a study?'

Sybella shrugs. 'Better that he has a secret study than something worse...like syphilis.'

I huff at that, and begrudgingly agree. The study is down in the basement, on the same level as Hadrian's bedroom, and so I inwardly laugh at what else he might be hiding down here. The door is unlocked, and we let ourselves in. Like his bedroom, the study overlooks the crashing waters. The office is spacious, with minimal furniture.

Sybella takes up residence at the desk in the cushy leather armchair, and I have to made do with sitting on the old sofa. Books line the walls, and my eyes flick over them, fascinated. I hadn't thought Hadrian much of a reader, but these books look well worn.

His desk is clean, containing only a few scribbled notes and nibs. Facing directly opposite is the largest map I've ever seen— and I realise, naively, that Minoa is far from the centre of it. In fact, Minoa is so small, it's barely visible.

I swallow. My entire life is reduced to half a centimetre on a map. I'm perusing the rest of the world when the door opens in a hurry, followed by Hadrian and Char.

'What is it?' Char asks, whilst Hadrian says, 'What is the news?'

'Where to start,' Sybella mutters darkly. Whilst I agree, I try not to let her bitterness dampen my thoughts. Now is the time to think.

'I think Spring is planning an attack,' I say immediately. 'Tomorrow. At the wedding.'

Hadrian's eyes do not leave my face. He nods, once, even as Char demands how I know this, why I suspect a potential ally.

But I see from the grim line of Hadrian's mouth that he believes me already. I'm thankful; Char isn't half as convinced by the Queen's words as I am, even as I relay them as closely as I can. He taps a finger against his teeth, his gaze fixed on a distant problem.

Finally, he says, 'So, if this is the case...what do you propose we do, Nerissa?'

At this part I have to look away from Hadrian's face.

'We cancel the wedding,' I say, and my voice sounds hollow. 'If we cancel, Spring don't have a reason to come en masse tomorrow. We don't let them through the gates.'

I expect Sybella or Char to speak first, but we all turn as Hadrian stands to his full height and utters a command.

'No,' he says.

He's already got a proud look that tells me he won't back down. 'I want to marry you, Ness,' he says.

'You can still marry her—' Char begins, but Hadrian's glare and growl cut him off.

'I've waited five hundred years for her!' he yells. 'I've let my kingdom down, let Minoa starve and if we wait another five hundred years, I'll lose her.'

He turns to me, panting, looking more ruffled and upset than I've ever seen him. 'I didn't need a month to marry you. I think I loved you the day you switched off all the lights and kissed me in the darkness, surrounded by a room of vipers. I loved your bravery. I loved your audacity. I loved the way you entered my life and made things seem in focus.'

Heat pools in my cheeks and in my belly. He's gazing at me as though I am his salvation. And I can't think of a word to say.

'Don't cancel the wedding,' he breathes. 'We can win this. But the Ness I know doesn't run away.'

'Do you want to marry her before or after Spring has taken your kingdom?' Sybella asks pointedly. Char gives a rueful smile.

'But even if we cancel, there's no guarantee Spring won't invade anyway,' I admit, sighing. 'By hiding we may give them more opportunity to attack us unawares. On the one hand, tomorrow could be an excellent opportunity to lay a trap.'

A gleam in Sybella's eye catches my own. We look at each other, calculating. We both smile at the same time.

'Are you thinking what I'm thinking?' Sybella says, a dark current in her melodic voice.

'You're supposed to be the seer,' I reply. 'What do you think?'

'I think...' Sybella hums, '...it just might work.'

In the end, we decide not to cancel the wedding. Our idea becomes a plan, combed by Hadrian and brought to life by Char. After what seemed like a lifetime of going over details, Char finally stands, Sybella with him. I stretch my legs, feeling the muscles ache.

'I better go put this into action, then,' Char says. 'I'll let the crew know what to do.'

I stretch my arms into the air. 'You need me to do anything?' I ask, but he's already crossing the room, waving a hand at the offer.

'Just get some beauty sleep for your big day tomorrow,' Char says. 'And be prepared for my wedding speech.'

'If we make it to the wedding speech,' Sybella says.

'Well, with the nuptials at the end of the day, why wouldn't we make it to my speech?' Char looks affronted, folding his arms and staring down at the girl.

'I might have murdered you before then,' she says, shoving his shoulder playfully. The two bicker as they move to the door.

'I'll see you in the morning,' Sybella calls to me. 'I'm helping you get ready!'

I feel like a lost, forlorn child as she cheerfully waves, retreating out of the door with a bright smile. A nervous lump rises in my throat. The next time I see her will be my wedding day— the thought makes me want to vomit.

'You've gone white,' a voice observes, and I jump to find Hadrian towering over me in my chair.

'I was just thinking about tomorrow...' my throat is so dry that words are difficult.

'Having second thoughts?' his face is concerned as he leans towards me, gentle.

I shake my head. 'Can't get much worse than my last wedding, when I drowned.'

He chuckles at my sheepish look. My hands are knotting themselves over and over when he carefully extracts my fingers and holds them, warmth seeping from his large hands into mine. I stare intently at his nails, beautifully clean and trimmed, to avoid looking into his eyes. My heart has decided to pound again, and my nerves slam back into my stomach.

Hadrian touches a soft hand to my chin, nudging me to look at him. He's trying to reassure me. His smile is tentative.

'Do you want to go somewhere?' he asks me.

I give him a puzzled look. 'Where, exactly?'

The grin he shares is all secretive, knowing. 'Somewhere just the two of us. Somewhere we can get away. Because tomorrow the world will change, but tonight we can be ourselves.'

I almost blush. 'You're asking me out? On a date? The night before our wedding?'

'Would you rather I ask you out after we're married?'

'We never were conventional.'

'This isn't a conventional date,' he replies, raising his eyebrows. I can't help but be drawn in by his enthusiasm. A wild glee fills his eyes, and energy runs through his limbs as he bounces on his toes.

'Let's go,' I say. 'Let's do it.'

----

A/N: are you excited for their FIRST DATE? I have it planned out, but what would you like to see happen? Hint: there may be a row boat involved...

lots of love

Larissa